Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

First Sortie (II)

Kaneda Bay, Along The Miura Peninsula

23 June 2014
Spoiler: Standing At Readiness

Karen breathed in and out slowly as her fists clenched and then relaxed in an uneasy rhythm.

Inside her hull, the tension hovered and slowly built as she watched the preparations to breach the bunker complex that threatened her homeland.

Salt tears stung her eyes as she reflected that the JMSDF had given her and her sisters something infinitely precious and valuable.

A chance to make a difference.

A chance for her to protect the young yokai orphans who she had grown up with and served as the Big Sister for.

A chance to show the no-maj Japanese people that she was no monster from legends of Yokai and Yuurei, but a honorable and brave protector of her homeland. To redeem her origin as a ship crafted to do evil in the hands of the madmen of the Kamo government.

A chance to get respect and honor for her words and deeds to make life easier for her kind of Wolf Yokai when the Statute of Secrecy finally fell. To blaze a path that others could follow.

A chance to use her pay to give her adopted mother the Hachishakusama what she needed to give the younger foster children a good life and a chance to improve themselves. Just as a good Onee-sama should.

A chance for her to use the teachings of Muramasa-no-Norimune that the sword spirit had given her officer when he was a young boy to honor her sensei and carry on something that she sensed was worth fighting for.

With that thought, her eyes through her spotter plane focused on her sensei as the sword spirit down below nodded and drew herself. Next to Norimune, the miko's own katana flashed from the scabbard.

To one side, a golden glow formed and built around another woman that was kneeling.

The drawn masterwork steel glittered and flashed in the sunlight as the rising sun peeked through the clouds, silvering the field below like a scene from the great battles of legend such as Sekigahara or Dan-no-Ura.

Yamato's signal lamp flashed in Morse. "BUNKER BREACH IMMINENT. STAND BY TO OPEN FIRE ON MY RADIO COMMAND."

The ball of ice in Karen's stomach became infinitely colder and larger as she braced herself. Her lips opened and whispered soundlessly. "Norimune-sensei, may the kami go with you. Know that if you fall here, I shall finish the job that you will have given your life to accomplish."

Underneath her spotter plane an explosion of breaching charges blew earth and smoke into the air.

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

Karen's eyes widened in horror and revulsion at the sight of the wave of skeletons charging out of the now-revealed entrances. Magic and gunfire lit up the field below and blew the first ones to emerge apart, but more and more and more came out, clambering over the bodies of their fellows in a nigh-unstoppable tide of death and hate.

The yokai shipgirl gulped as the first of the horde reached the surrounding defenders and slammed into them like a mighty wave crashing upon the shore.

But the thin line of heroes held.

Somehow, fighting like the heroes of the samurai manga that she had read in secret from the library as a young girl, they held.

As Karen watched in shocked awe, step by bloody step, striding over the shattered bodies of the undead and their own dead and wounded, they advanced toward the hole in the hill that was spewing forth more and more undead. Her eyes found Norimune in the battle and then went wide at her sensei's transcendent skill and courage.

Then she heard a cheer from directly behind her. She looked back to see her younger sister Mami clapping her hands. "Way to go Tokunotakai-san, Way to go Musashi-san!"

From the battleships a white-haired shipgirl blinked. "This Musashi is curious which of the individuals fighting is your old sensei Masamune-no-Musashi?"

Mami looked at the superbattleship named for Musashi province. "The pink haired girl who just carved up that giant Oni skeleton with her two swords. On the port flank at the point of the wedge that is cutting in there."

"Aha, I see." Musashi adjusted her glasses as she focused in on her namesake through her own spotter. The battleship gave an impressed whistle as the most skilled sword spirit in Japanese history reaped her opponents like grain before the scythe in a razor-edged whirlwind of steel. "This Musashi is quite happy that her namesake is so skilled and powerful."

Karen glanced at Mami. "If they survive this, we should visit your old teachers, since they are still around."

Mami nodded. "Tokunotakai-san has taught in the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū shrine in Kamakura for generations. Musashi-san is her sister, so I am certain that Tokunotakai-san will know how to contact her, especially since they are fighting side by side today."

Karen nodded slowly. "I tried to find Norimune-sensei on a day off after arriving here but her old house was destroyed in the War and is now a bar. Until today, I was unsure if she was alive. I need to speak to her and thank her for everything that she did for me. Lieutenant Jiro is demanding it, he has a few things to say to his old teacher."

As the last of these skeletons fell to spells, steel, and simple human courage, Mami and Izumi nodded to her. "We will help you find her and have that conversation, Big Sister."

Karen smiled at her sisters in grateful thanks before resuming her vigil.

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

Karen checked her chronometer for the thirtieth time.

The minutes were ticking by agonizingly slowly, only broken by the irregular but steady trickle of stretchers out of the entrance to the tunnel complex to be rushed to the field hospital tents.

Each one carrying a man, woman, wizard, witch, yokai, or spirit who had just sacrificed for Japan.

A shorter, but steadily growing row of body bags next to the medical tent were watched over by a small honor guard.

The heroes who had just given the ultimate sacrifice for her homeland.

Once more, Karen rechecked her fire calculations for her first salvo and resolved that these sacrifices would not be in vain.

As she watched a quartet of Oni rushed out at the double with a pair of stretchers. One was hurried to the medical tent, while the other, covered in a bloody groundsheet, passed the saluting honor guard to be tended to by the Graves Registration staff.

Fresh tears stung Karen's eyes as the Oni stretcher bearers grabbed more ammunition and hurried back inside the tunnels to the battle raging there. She did not know what the human on the first stretcher had done to receive the salutes from his stretcher bearers as they passed him in the triage area, but she resolved that his deeds would not be in vain.

For when and if called upon, she and her sisters, her family, would finish the task that he and his had given their lives to begin.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

The F-15JS dodged the thrown stone from the Gashadokuro as it rolled in the air. Moments later, explosions happened in front of the giant skeleton and it stumbled back. Increased as Nagato fired at it. Reaching out, it attempted to grab one of the Fighter Planes even as Hoppou rocketed into it and uppercut the monstrosity. Then, a white and scarred Mizuchi appeared and struck the Gashadokuro as they began their own battle.

Meanwhile, in the crowd, Gyaru chomped down on some dango as she watched the bunraku play on the stage in front of them. Above the stage various puppeteers maneuvered the puppets around, including ones in the form of the F-15JS that the Abyss Riders piloted, "You know, this is pretty damn awesome to see. I mean, we got a fucking Bunraku play about us."

Arms crossed as she watched Kero recording the play, Ai smiled a little as Asuka hovered next to her, "I suppose that it is impressive."

Watching as firecrackers went off to represent "Bombs", Boke snorted, "Try awesome. None of the other Flights get an actual play about them."

Somewhat amused as she ate her own dango, Asuka tried to imitate Ai's smile and dry tone to the best of her ability, "Well, it is not really a play as much as a bit of one."

Taikomachi groaned and facepalmed, "Dammit, now there's two of Ai... just great."

However, the smirk on his face belied his actual thoughts and all those chuckled as suddenly, "Nagato" fired her guns and a previously covered spotlight was revealed and turned on for a few seconds and then vanished, the "Gashadokuro" laying on the ground defeated. The puppets then ran off the stage and everyone cheered, especially the children there. After that, the lights on the stage beside it turned back on and everyone watched as actors, one of whom had a fake thorax on, "Battled" with one being Harry, another Natsumi, and the third being Shiromizu as played by a young Nure Onna. Watching as he drank some bubble tea, Kudzu gestured at the scene before them, "How close do you figure this is to what actually happened?"

Frowning, Ai tilted her head a little before humming, "Not far off as a matter of fact." At their looks, she gave a slight shrug, "I decided to look for any information regarding this place when I found out that we were coming. Best to be informed and there was a number of different reports directly from those involved."

Asuka blinked at that, "They made Harry-San, Natsumi-San, and Shiromizu-San all write up reports on it? Really?"

Rather amused, the older Tengu nodded some, "Hai, they did indeed have them encounter that bane of all things... Paperwork. Remember what happened when you got out of the bunker?'

Slowly, Asuka nodded even as she rubbed her wrist in memory, "I remember... that was a lot of writing..."

Chuckling, Kudzu gave her a small grin, "Don't worry too much about it. Unless you start attracting trouble like Harry-San does, it won't amount to much."

Gyaru then grinned, "Besides, focus on something more important... like how you are going to be flying with us in a week or two." Seeing the teen perk up, she shook her head as she remembered how excited the younger Tengu was about being allowed to ride on one of their planes. As the play came to an end, she stretched some, "So... they're going to be doing this play once every two and a half hours, huh?

With a slow nod, Ai smiled, "Apparently so from what I have heard, to give all those involved time to rest up before the next play happens." Checking her watch, she gave another nod, "The festival is supposed to last at least one more day after all." All of them smiled at that before noticing the Tengu still with the smile fixed on her face. Then, she grasped Asuka's hand and began to pull her along, "Let us try some of the other parts of the festival then."

Lips curling into a grin, the female Okinawan of the group snickered as she heard something rather recognizable, "You sure, Tengu? We could stay here for a little bit..."

Eyes narrowing into a glare, Ai twitched, "I am sure."

And with that, she disappeared into the crowds with the other pilots following while laughing outside of Boke who had a scowl on his face as he muttered while nearby there was another call, "BEHOLD THE WIND HOWLER! SHE WHO COMES FROM THE SKY AS IF A THUNDERBOLT THAT LAYS WASTE TO ALL LIKE THE WHIRLWIND!"

"BEHOLD THE WIND HOWLER!"

Elsewhere, Harry was humming as he accepted the food from the street vendor and paid for it before walking a short distance. A smile on his face, he held out one of the sticks of Yakitori on it to a smiling Natsumi before holding it to a happily gasping Kenshō, "Here you go, hatsu yakitori for Natsumi-Chan and sasame yakitori for Kenshō-Chan, and butabara yakitori for myself."

Clapping her hands, the spirit of the small blade danced around before taking the offered piece of food, "Thank you, Master!" She then opened her mouth and took a bite, "A-umpf!"

Unable to help himself, Harry chuckled a little bit at that and patted her head which made her hum as she squirmed a little, "Enjoying it?" Getting a mumbled sound of agreement as she chewed, he glanced at Natsumi who had snorted a little bit, "That is good to hear."

For her part, the Kitsune held out her hand which Kenshō took even as she had another happy bite and Natsumi took a bite of her own food. The three of them began walking through the crowds together in the darkening evening. Even as she chewed, Kenshō was smiling brightly, she was at a festival! An actual festival and part of it was honouring her Master! Not to mention there were all sorts of tasty treats and such all around, though she did pay for them!

She did not want to disappoint her Master or her Aunties... or even her new Onee-Chans after all.

Of course, unknown to the three as they walked, they did get some raised eyebrows. Not just for the fact that Natsumi was a two tail despite her age, or the fact that Harry wore two swords at his side. But because more than one could just swear that they looked like two parents taking a daughter to a festival before realizing who they were. Natsumi's own grandparents sometimes taking pictures, especially when Kenshō was not eating and instead grasping both Harry's and Natsumi's hands. Every once in a while, the goldfish Yukata wearing Kogatana would point at something excitedly and the two teens would laugh and nod along, which only reinforced appearances.

A short distance back, Tsukiakari sighed and clasped her hands together, "Don't they look cute together?"

Munching on a treat, Juuchi smugly smirked, "Sickeningly so, as a matter of fact."

Frown on her face, the Kyu-Gunto turned and gave her a look, "Senpai! You know that is not true!"

In return, Juuchi finished off her own treat before tossing the wrapper and container into a trash can, "And yet, somehow, I can feel my teeth slowly decay. How else could that happen unless they are sweet together? Hmm?"

Carnwennan appeared from seemingly nowhere with a new treat that he gave to her, "Here you go, Tsu. Some of that Imagawayaki you wanted." Looking at his own, he took a bite before giving a nod, "Quite good."

Humming, Tsukiakari smiled at him, "Hai, Grandfather. Though..." Looking at hers in interest, she took a bite before nodding, "Blackcurrant custard!"

Just reaching over, Carnwennan ruffled her hair a little bit, "Indeed, I thought that you might like such." Taking another bite of his own, the dagger looked over at where Harry and Natsumi were with Kenshō and smiled, "Quite adorable those three, are they not?"

That only got him nods and sounds of agreement from the other two.

Not far away, Shiromizu stretched a little before hearing her name be called and turned to find a familiar Inaba walking towards her, "Usagi-Chan, hello there."

Grin on her face as she slowed down to the Mizuchi's pace, Usagi smiled back as she bowed, "Shiromizu-Sama." At the grumble, she laughed, "Okay, okay, hello Shiromizu-Chan."

Smile back on her face, the Mizuchi nodded, "Much better." Both girls grinned at that before they shook their heads and laughed. Shiromizu then turned back to Usagi, "How are you enjoying the festival? Is it good?"

With a snort, Usagi shook her head, "It's actually pretty great, especially considering that your village is still sort of new... ish, I suppose." Giving the matter a moment of thought, she shrugged, "Still great."

Just chuckling, Shiromizu grinned a little, "True, it is small and kind of new with people moving back that had left due to Kuroshi."

Briefly, her gaze went to the burial mound where said Jurogumo's remains laid. They put her body into her well after dropping some concrete down into it, and filled the rest with concrete, sealing it before dumping more on top and then dirt. No one wanted to take any chances, and having felt the grudge there festering? Shiromizu did not blame any of them, especially having been attacked time and again by the psychotic spider Yokai. Hence why she crushed it.

Following the line of Shiromizu's sight, Usagi frowned a little, "Is that where...?" At her nod, the Inaba tilted her head with a slight grimace, "Just... out of curiosity, can I ask you something?"

Blinking, Shiromizu gave a slight nod, "Of cource, I don't mind being asked a question."

Slowly nodding, the rabbit Yokai glanced around, "I can guess the issues that the locals would have with Jorogumo, and I can't blame them if they do. But... I did see one walking around." Head tilted to the side, Usagi frowned, "Which does make me wonder why?"

For a few moments, Shiromizu was quiet before she smiled slightly, "There's a very good reason, actually. You are right that those who stayed here during her... reign of terror, do feel slightly unsure to say the least around Jorogumo. And said Yokai don't blame them... but at the same time? I spoke to them all a few months ago when I was asked because a Jorogumo wished to open up a clothing shop here in the village. As I told them, we should not judge a being by what species they are, but of their character. There were humans, after all, who were just as cruel as Kuroshi, but then you had ones like my Otouto, who helped to end her. And I also told them that ones like Kuroshi are now in the minority, which Yua-San and her husband are not. Both of them are kind and have helped out in rebuilding the community. Some of them still watch her, but... she understands why."

Only nodding, Usagi considered that before smiling, "I see, that is good to know." Nose twitching a little, she glanced at her friend and chuckled before bowing, "I must thank you again for taking my Onii-Chan up as the Head Priest of your Shrine. Him and Kat-Onee-Chan were very happy for it as it gave him some place to settle down."

Lips curling upwards, the Mizuchi shook her head, "You don't need to thank me for that, besides which? I'm very happy with him as my Head Priest." Her tone became dry, "Granted, considering his wife's actions shortly after when she dragged him back to their house and they only just returned..."

Softly snorting, Usagi grinned even wider though there was a slight blush on her cheeks, "That's Kat-Onee-Chan for you, she really likes playing up being a completely shameless American. But the two of them love each other and I love her as an Onee-San with her seeing me as an Imouto. In the case of earlier, well..." Her own tone turned as dry as Shiromizu's had been, "Apparently seeing her in a Miko outfit does things to Onii-Chan that makes them need some time alone."

Unable to help herself, Shiromizu laughed at that before shaking her head, "Utterly shameless, but that's fine to me. It makes for amusing situations." Raising an eyebrow, she gave Usagi a look, "You are rather open about it."

In reply, Usagi pointed at her ears, "Rabbit Yokai. You know the jokes? I can state that at least with my family, they're true. Runa-Onee-Chan lets us know it with her Kitsune boyfriend all the time." At the blink from her friend, she smirked, "In that case, the rabbit caught the fox."

That got a snort from the serpent before she shook her head, "Okay, I will admit, that is hilarious."

With a small shrug, Usagi shook her head, "But yeah, my family is pretty open about it after all. I got... something like fifteen Oba-Sans and Oji-Sans to start with for example and you don't want to know how many cousins I have." She waved a hand around, "My Obaa-Chan, who is a Priestess at Ise Grand Shrine, just had another daughter, my newest Oba-Chan, two years ago. Rabbit clans get big really fast." Then, the Inaba gave Shiromizu a smirk, "So you better be ready for a large number of Priests, Priestesses, and Miko in the near future."

Her lips twitching, Shiromizu snickered a little, "Somehow, I have little doubt of that, Usagi-Chan. Though I don't mind too much..."

Noticing her trail off, the rabbit Yokai looked at a thoughtful Mizuchi, "Something wrong, Shiromizu-Chan?"

Just glancing at her, Shiromizu chewed her lip, "I... noticed something during my enshrinement." At the curious look, she glanced around before lowering her voice, "When I placed part of myself within the go-shintai, I... had a kind of outside body experience. I could see my whole mountain, all the streams and springs on it. And I was able to follow my own deep within the mountain, all the way down to the magma that heats it miles down. It was... incredible."

Eyes wide, Usagi stared at her before becoming thoughtful, "I will admit, I have not really heard of such a thing myself. But I could ask Haha-ue and Chichi-ue? Or even my Obaa-Chan, if you want." When Shiromizu gave her a thankful nod, the Inaba hummed, "Still... that is certainly something. Though it explains a little." At the look, she gave a shrug, "You sort of... glowed and this spiritual dragon flew into your spring for a few minutes before exploding out with a wave of water before re-entering you. It was a sight to see."

Lightly blushing, the Mizuchi in question scratched her cheek, "Ah, I see." Pausing, she took a breath, "But... that was not all I saw. Just before I re-entered my body, I noticed something, about your Onii-Chan's unborn children."

Now worried, Usagi frowned, "What was it? Is something wrong with them?"

However, she was relieved when Shiromizu shook her head, "Nothing at all, actually. Quite the opposite as I could tell that they would be born healthy." Waiting a few moments as Usagi sighed in relief, she continued, "But it was something else."

Curious now, her friend blinked, "Something else? What sort of thing?"

Lips curling into a smirk, Shiromizu leaned in towards her, "Around them, I saw two ghostly hulls slowly being built. And I actually recognized them as a matter of fact."

Jaw dropping, Usagi stared at her in complete and utter shock, "Shipgirls... they're going to be Natural Borns, aren't they?" At the nod, she shook her head in disbelief, "What sort of shipgirls?"

Amused, Shiromizu chuckled a little, "Carriers in fact, and they sort of look like Souryuu class, but I know that Kamo never built any of those." When she got a confused look, she shook her head, "We got a list from Ume-Chan and Sakura-Chan. Both of them confirmed that they were not given any of that class in the Magical Imperial Navy. However... I know of one ship class they could be, either Unryuu or Ikoma class."

For almost a minute, the Inaba digested what she had just been told before smirking, "Shiromizu-Chan? Do me a favor... don't tell my Onii-Chan just yet or anyone else in my family." Rubbing her hands together, she cackled a little, "It is so few times that I get to know a secret that none of them know first."

In reply, Shiromizu smirked back at her and nodded in agreement before the conversation turned to other things.

 

[darthcourt10]

mikelima777

January 24, 2014
Georgia Strait, Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada

The Wardens were feeling both anxious and excited, as they were preparing to set foot on the water for the first time in over a week. Alongside several Canadian shipgirls, they would be heading to Vancouver for a week before the final steps in joining the RCN. They would participate in a swearing-in ceremony before beginning training as part of the Royal Canadian Navy.

For the past four days, they had been examined by Canadian doctors as well as the repair ship Cape Breton, with each Warden examined for damage, design variances and changes from the standard humanoid and semi-humanoid Abyssals, as well their overall health. The Wardens, like the crew of HMCS Regina, had shown signs of undernutrition, due to the time spent isolated and surviving on foraging and hunting. The examiners were pleased to see that their weight was improving since they appeared with the Fleet of Laughter in Japan. They were, however, baffled by the changes happening to all the Wardens, even compared to their sisters in the Fleet of Laughter. While Tandy's steady changes were impossible to miss, the others also had visible alterations.

For instance, Wonda's "hat" was starting to look rounder and softer, with the gun turret on each side looking more like human designs. Nelly Deslisle's stomach "tentacle" now had a covering which went from stomach to turret, making it look less like intestines bursting out of her belly and more like a natural appendage. Nelly's gun turrets also appeared to resemble a cross between British, American and Japanese designs. Tsumi's rigging now closely resembled an Atlanta-class, with the gun mounts looking more like their American counterparts.

Along with the medical checkups, Intelligence branch officers had been interviewing each of the Wardens for any pieces of intelligence they could provide. Despite some of the Wardens fearing a traditional interrogation, the Intelligence Officers pointedly went for a more pleasant experience, gently prodding the Wardens after providing them a snack or meal. The Officers mostly asked about what happened during the Scattering, as well as any hostile abyssals they may have encountered along the way. The Wardens were surprised with some of the questions, particularly about any islands with remote and/or abandoned settlements.

Tandy despite her calm appearance, the leader of the Warden was very nervous, but not just for the visit. She and her husband were going to meet his family, and she was worried about how his parents and his younger sister would think about Bruce marrying an Abyssal.

Tandy stepped on the water first, her rigging materializing around her. The Ta-class battleship was soon followed by the carriers and cruisers, and then the others also entered the water. The Wardens stayed in formation as their escorts, comprising Quebec, Nootka, Micmac as well as a quartet of corvettes, joined up. After some final checks and radio calls, Tandy sounded her horn to mark the start of their short trip eastwards.

There was more shipping now than in the immediate aftermath of Blood Week. The Americans and Canadians were able to secure the coast from Anchorage to San Diego and had largely cleared the coast down to South America, allowing for convoys to sail between the Americas. As well, BC Ferries had largely returned to normal operations. Civilians today got a surprise as shipgirls and abyssals flying the Canadian Flag headed up the Salish Sea.

Four Hours Later

The City of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, was the home of over 600,000 residents, and the major seaport of Canada's West Coast. It was also the largest urban centre of Greater Vancouver, also known as Metro Vancouver, a sprawling metropolis comprising over 21 interconnected cities and municipalities, the Tsawwassen First Nations, and other areas, spanning over 2,882 Square Kilometres. Greater Vancouver was home to over 2 million residents, many of whom had endured that fateful week in 2005.

Considering the fate of other coastal cities, Greater Vancouver had been spared catastrophic damage as municipalities on Vancouver Island, as well as Seattle and Puget Sound, bore the brunt of the attacks. The Abyssals had focused on targets of opportunity, as well as military facilities such as CFB Esquimalt. However, as Canadian and American forces fought the attackers, some abyssals managed to sail behind the Canadian-American Defenders, and attacked. Off the coast of Delta, BC, a pair of Heavy Cruisers and a Light Carrier managed to shell parts of the city, as well as carry a number of air attacks on Greater Vancouver. While these abyssals were ultimately sunk under peculiar circumstances, the damage had been done. Richmond and Vancouver International Airport bore the brunt of the shelling, as well as Downtown Vancouver, with several skyscrapers damaged beyond repair. Over 1,500 civilians were killed during Blood Week, along with over 400 soldiers and emergency services personnel, and over 20,000 wounded.

Despite the tragic deaths and the continued risks as a coastal metropolis, life in Greater Vancouver continued on, though things had changed. There were regular air patrols over the region, as well as an increased military presence. Some buildings now featured air raid shelters or reinforced basements, while bimonthly drills still occurred in case the abyssals tried to attack once more. Along the edge of Sea Island, home of the repaired Vancouver International Airport, there were observation posts, as well as regular patrols by troops on the ground, headquartered near CCG Hovercraft Base Sea Island.

Today, military police and other personnel waited by the hovercraft ramp for the arrival of the Wardens. Some of the handlers had flown in from Esquimalt ahead of the Warden with the seniormost officer in radio contact with shipgirl cruiser Quebec. The Wardens arrived, and one by one, they walked up the ramp, dismissing their rigging. They were directed to a pair of coaches for the trip to Downtown Vancouver as well as Burnaby for some shopping and recreation.

However, Tandy was led by her husband, along with her two children, to a waiting SUV. She sighed as Bruce intertwined his hands with her in reassurance. She could only hope his family would accept her and the children.

******

Commander Ferguson looked horrified as his younger sister and his mother began to talk about his younger years, particularly about embarrassing things he did as a youth, things he had kept secret from his fellow crewmembers on Regina. Such as a particular incident involving a hockey stick, a bunch of Canada Geese and molasses. Tandy appeared to be both mortified but also highly amused by the things spoken by her in-laws. Inwardly, Bruce was happy his family was accepting of Tandy but he was rather horrified to learn that his little sister was getting along far too well with Tandy. She was already proclaiming Tandy to be the baby sister she never had and talked about treating the battleship to a girls night out.

Meanwhile, Tasha and Nathan were enjoying some sweets from their grandparents, with their Grandmother doting on just how adorable her grandchildren were, much to Tasha's grumbling. Their grandfather was already looking forward to further spoiling them and teaching Nathan how to play hockey.

Bruce's face met his hands as his mother announced that Tandy needed to see some videos from his youth, including a few stunts he tried to perform.

Emphasis on tried.

'Mom, no!'

Looking at her son, she grinned almost as wide as a Re-class.

'MOM, YES!!!'

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

First Sortie (III)

Kaneda Bay, Along The Miura Peninsula

23 June 2014
Spoiler: A Student's Dutiful Lessons

Through her spotter plane Karen watched yet another figure make its way out of the bunker carrying a stretcher. She then blinked in surprise, for the corpsman was a Re-Class using her tail to carry the other end of the stretcher as she hastened to the field hospital. A half dozen more stretchers followed.

Then her radio receiver crackled with static.

Karen swallowed as it crackled again, and then she heard Yamato's voice.

"All Task Force units stand down and prepare to weight anchor to Gunnery Range #2. We will expend the shells brought out of the magazines there. Order your aircraft to return to their ship for recovery. Report readiness for departure for gunnery practice on radio."

Karen could hear her crew cheering with relief as she relayed the message to her eyes in the sky.

Over the bunker, her pilot acknowledged the order to return to base. "DESU!" As he banked away, the observer stowed his binoculars and saluted the figures on the ground below.

Karen ordered her turrets to rotate to her port beam so that any accident would not result in shells being fired onto land as her crew made the recovery crane ready for her float plane and orders were given to prepare to weigh anchor.

As her float plane was hoisted aboard and secured to her deck, she nodded to Lieutenant Jiro. The ghost of the young man who had been killed in the explosion of her main magazines in 1945 handed her the microphone for her radio system.

"Cruiser Fuji prepared to weight anchor." She spoke formally.

Finally the words that she had been hoping to hear sounded through her bridge. "Weigh Anchor and assume Fleet Formation H-3. Then proceed to Gunnery Range Two at cruising speed."

With a rattle of chains on her capstans, her anchors lifted from the seafloor. She nodded to her helmsman to follow in Takao's wake until the time came to split the cruiser force to provide a fore and rearguard for the heavier battleships.

A small smug smile flickered around her lips as white water churned behind her from her screws. After all, she and her sisters had a small side bet going that the one who scored highest on any gunnery run got her choice of a manga volume bought by the lowest scorer in that run.

And she knew that the next volume of The Ambition of Oda Nobuna had just hit the shelves this week....

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

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Kamakura

24 June 2014

Karen sighed as she watched Mami put a bookmark in her brand-new volume of One Piece as their train approached the station servicing Kamakura.

Since when did her little sisters get that good plotting their shots?

Regardless, she walked out of the train and joined them, looking around curiously. "This is my first time in Kamakura, which way to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū?"

Izumi pointed to the left as they exited the station. "Up this road as a matter of fact. This used to be a processional way between the shrine and the seashore, according to Tokunotakai-sensei."

"Oh." Karen blinked, tucking her hands in the pockets of her blue jeans after straightening out her Oda Nobuna. T-shirt. "Considering that this is a major shrine to Hachiman, it makes sense that they would have this for festivals."

Mami gave an impish grin. "The shrine itself is eight centuries old, Onee-chan. In fact, without the shrine, there would be no Kamakura since the village grew to support the shrines here."

Karen nodded and then gave an impressed whistle as they approached the main complex. "It is beautiful."

Izumi smiled happily. "Indeed it is, it brings back memories of climbing these stairs for kendo practice." The smile widened. "Although at least this time I will not be going down them with bruises from Tokunotakai-sensei's lessons. I doubt her bokken can dent my main belt armor."

Karen glanced over as they walked to the foot of the stairs. "What was your sensei like? Norimune-sensei was almost gentle in a way. She wanted us to learn and pushed us, but almost saw her students as her own children. She would have done a lot to protect us, although she was also..." Karen trailed off and sighed. "She had seen too much evil and had been hurt badly by it."

Mami gave Karen a nod as they slowly walked up the steps. "I see where you got your big sister impulses from, then. Tokunotakai-sensei was about helping us find what was within ourselves and draw it forth. She pushed us, and woe betide you if you did not uphold bushido -- true bushido -- in everything that you did. But she wanted us to live up to our potential. She also taught us humility and that other people and other cultures had value. She made it clear that a samurai was 'one who serves' and that service was not just to a daimyo or a superior officer, but also to those under our protection such as our imoutos in the foster home."

A soft soprano female voice joined them from the opened door of a storage shed to their right as they walked across the courtyard at the top of the stairs toward the dojo on the left. "The essence of warrior traits are demonstrated by integrity with self, and honesty with others. The warrior guided by the spirit serves humanity, the warrior without, serves the ego."

Mami and Izumi instantly spun to see a young woman in miko robes stepping out of the shed with a rolled up cotton quilt in her hands. The two sister ships exclaimed in chorus as they bowed in welcome. "Tokunotakai-sensei! It is good to see you again."

The Masamune blinked curiously as she returned the bow politely. "Pardon me, I do not recognize either of you."

With that a faerie dressed in an IJN Commander's uniform stepped onto Mami's shoulder. "Desu, desu desu! Desu. Desu desu."

Toku's blue-green eyes widened as her smile lit up her face. "Oh! Miki-san! So this is the natural-born spirit of your ship the cruiser Sakurajima that you were assigned to by the Magical Navy."

"Desu desu, desu." The faerie nodded.

Toku nodded along. "It is very good to see you too. So you made Commander then after we parted for the last time in October 1942 and were assigned as her executive officer when she was sunk by a lurking submarine on the way back from battle in the South Pacific in January 1943."

"Desu!" The faerie said with a bow, then patted the cheek of the blushing shipgirl.

"Yes, I agree that Mami-chan is a beautiful ship indeed, and would be delighted to further her understanding of the Way." Toku said with a smile. "Perhaps then I can help you finally master that kata since she has the same skills as you have."

Toku turned to the other two girls. "And you are her sister ships?"

Karen nodded. "Karen, Natural born spirit of the lead ship of our sisterhood, the cruiser Fuji. I was sunk in a night air raid on the hidden magical port facilities in Singapore in September 1944. A bomb detonated my magazine spaces and I broke in half with heavy loss of life."

Izumi stepped forward and bowed. "Hai. I am Izumi, the spirit of the cruiser Kunimigaoka. Captain Ryoji Matsumae wishes you well, sensei. He skippered me to the end, but I took heavy damage in the same raid that sank my sister Fuji and I was unable to be repaired with the resources that could be gathered before the British captured me when the port surrendered."

Toku grinned in memory. "Tell that old he-wolf that it will not make his sensei go easy upon him when we spar! He was a challenging pupil for me as a child sent from Hokkaido to train under me, but then I am proud of the samurai that he became after my tutelage. Although..."

The smile faded and then Toku bowed deeply to Izumi. "I owe him and you an apology. I was an unworthy instructor when he was first sent to me in 1862. I had fallen far from the Way by then through arrogance and pride and he deserved better from me before I was set back on the Way."

Izumi blinked as her captain spoke to her. "Then the change in your training style and attention after that fight with the blond foreigner...?"

Toku nodded solemnly as she finished the sentence for Izumi while they began to walk to her dojo, "...was how I should have taught all along. Before then in my arrogance and folly, I did not see students clearly then. They are of great worth for each one is a rough gem that requires my special care to polish, shape, and develop to turn into something worthy of my steel and my teachings. Instead when he came to me first, I saw my students, saw him as something of a waste of my time. In truth, I was the fool then, and he deserved better. Even a kendoka with little talent for the Way can be of great worth and beauty when they achieve all that they are capable of, just as much as one of great abilities who becomes a grandmaster."

With that Toku opened the door, and placed her sandals beside a second pair in the foyer. "I shall prepare tea in a moment, I must check on my patient first."

Karen blinked. "Patient?"

Toku nodded as she gestured at a shoji screen to the side of the kitchen. "Yes, my sister Masamune-no-Fudo is recovering here after her injuries from events yesterday worsened. If you shall wait on the porch, I shall join you."

With that she opened the shoji. Inside was a short-haired young woman lying on a futon in deep slumber.

Red-stained bandages covered her abdomen and she was surrounded by a hexagon of glowing ofuda floating in the air.

Toku stepped through the screen with a gentle sigh. "I must change her dressings as well, forgive me."

The shipgirls all shook their heads and murmured quiet words forgiving Toku for tending to the injured young woman.

The shoji slid closed.

 

[darthcourt10]

Spectral Waltz

Well... Given the ending of Yellowhammer 's most recent post, I can't really put this off any longer. This wasn't a fun piece to write, but I think it's an important one, because this is the lowest point in Fudo's life, the part where the night is the darkest, and the dawn seems far away.

It's not pretty, it's not happy, but it is important.

Trigger Warning: Depression, Self-Loathing, Suicidal Impulses, Suicide Attempt

Quoted for the sake of making this easy to skip if people don't want to see it said:
She felt... Numb.

In the heat of battle, there hadn't been time to think, time to really absorb the information she was being given. In the struggle against her country's old madness Masamune-no-Fudo had been forced to push everything away, to focus on staying alive, and slaying the abominations in front of her before they could pay her the same courtesy.

Abominations whose creation she had supported, no matter how unknowingly.

She'd been brought to a medical tent afterwards, but with far more serious injuries among the other members of the strike force and the children who'd stumbled in there with her she'd been quickly shuffled off to one side. When she'd stood and started to move no one had seemed to notice, when she'd slipped out into the night she'd received little more than a nod of acknowledgement from the witch standing outside. She was moving under her own power after all, so it was easy to assume that she was well.

She started walking.

Her sisters would probably look for her, some distant part of her told her she should go to them, that she should face them, but she couldn't with the pain still so fresh.

The words circled inside her mind, a poison tainting every thought. Sins she hadn't even known she carried suddenly come alive to eat away at her. Every denial of her country's crimes stripped away, every lie she'd told herself laid bare for what it was. Ignorance could be argued, degrees of separation were clear, but while logic sang one tune, her heart sang another, a bitter hateful melody for her and her alone. Mocking, condemning, she could not have known but that did not matter, she should have known anyways.

People she had trusted even as they brought back monsters that true heroes had fought and slain. Monsters that were intended to destroy Japan in a final act of bitter hateful spite.

She was still walking, true self in her sheathe, held loosely in one hand. Her feet guiding her she knew not where. It had been early morning when she left, still dark out with only the faintest grey shadows of the coming dawn on the horizon. As she made her way down familiar streets in her haze of self-loathing, Fudo felt the sun's first rays strike her, a dazzling flash in the corner of her vision that made her shy away from the light.

It was a magnificent view of the sun's radiance as it began its ascent, but such sights were not for her, the flash and glare had made that much clear. She was unjust, unworthy of beholding such a thing.

She turned, and her knee impacted something with a hollow metal sound as Fudo found herself standing in front of her car.

------

She drove in a partial daze, lucky that the streets were so empty this early in the morning. The journey passed in a blur, working the wheel and pedals on autopilot as she retreated further into her own mind.

Ghosts of old Japan, they brought them back, twisted them…

Her history defiled, the gods disrespected, and for what? A war they could not win? Fudo had come to terms with the decision to make peace after the bombs fell, even if it had stung to hear her people reviled in the international criminal courts in the aftermath.

The darkest rumors had passed before her eyes tonight, and if those were true, then what else?

The rapes and atrocities in China, by magicals and muggles alike. The mad fanaticism of the defenders in the pacific...

If I was blind to so much already, how can I know I wasn't blind to it all?

Does it even matter? When what I have already seen is enough to blacken my honor ten times over?

Her hands tightened on the steering wheel for a moment. There was anger, but it felt hollow, empty of force. She wanted to lash out, but she had only herself to blame. She had been a fool, seized by patriotism and zeal. She had spent so much of her life after the war stewing in anger. Raging against the injustices that she now saw were no injustice at all. She had been wrong, and she had no one left to aim her anger at, no one left she could target with her hate.

No one but herself.

She barely even noticed she'd parked until she almost fumbled the door handle getting out of her car. She trudged up the stairs to her front door, hearing the distant sounds of her neighbors beginning to stir, dishes clinking, doors opening, cars turning over, people starting their days and leaving for work in one place or another…

Better that she wasn't among them, she didn't deserve to enjoy their company.

What would her sisters say…

Her fingers slipped on the key as she turned it, that thought freezing her for a moment. It was crushing, the sudden awareness, how long had they been shaking their heads at her behind her back? How much had they pitied her wrapped up in delusions of greatness that had never truly existed? She'd spent so long striving to be worthy of her name, to be worthy of her family.

And now I see that I could never have been worthy. Not like this.

Stumbling into her entraceway, closing the door behind her and shrugging off her jacket, hearing the click of the latch seem to echo in the space. Fudo dropped her coat, the energy to hang it up, to put on indoor shoes and do something, make breakfast, heal, sleep… They all felt like such distant and unattainable goals, she was failing at even the most basic things, so tired that she could not even bring herself to go through the motions. She made it into her living room before she fell to her knees, the strength that had propelled her finally spent. She ached with tiredness, small scrapes and bruises from the hectic melee needed treating, but she felt a deep numbness in her bones. Those pains didn't matter, she didn't matter.

If anything, I have dishonoured the name every time they acknowledged me.

Logic had no place here, in the depths of despair, in the darkness of depression. Fudo had struggled with inadequacy ever since she had manifested, fought with all her might to be worth something, and now she saw that her efforts had only worsened her own position. She had actively made herself less worthy of her sister's attention, turned every bit of acceptance they had given her and made a mockery of it with her own ignorance and stupidity.

Cut away the dishonor.

Fudo's true self was in her hands -when did it get there?- unsheathed, the blade gleamed in the light of sunrise coming through the window, sharp and silver. She turned it over, an almost dreamlike quality to the view.

Cut away your self.

A chill ran up her spine, but the silver was mesmerizing. This was right… Wasn't it? An old way, barbaric in the modern day, but then… She was little better than a barbarian wasn't she?

A moment of hesitant stillness, then her wrist moved, weaving the silver in the air, two passes, a flourish, flipping her true self into a reverse grip and bringing it close, close until the point pressed against her stomach through the thin shirt. Her hand trembled, her skin indented, then broke before the tip, a bead of blood welling up, a spreading crimson stain on the white fabric.

She swallowed convulsively, her hand shook again, more blood welling up to run down her length. What am I doing?

I can restore the honor I've stolen from the Masamune family.

She gasped for breath, her heart pounding in her ears, her world narrowed to herself and the silver line of light, her hand shook, the point of her self bit deeper, like a chip of ice under her skin her. I can. I must.

I Must-!

The sensation of coldness pierced her through, and Fudo saw Red Red Red-

………

I cannot continue as I am.

……

I cannot live up to the name I was granted.

…

But this absolution.

.

This is one thing I can do right…

-*

Blackness.​

*-*-*
Thank you for letting me play in your sandbox Yellow, and sorry to do this to Fudo. At least from here she'll have the chance to get help and recover.

There's one other snip to go in this sequence, I'll post it as soon as I can.

 

[darthcourt10]

Third Summer Holidays - Summer THREE B, Split Point due to Keep Filesize Down

START

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Harry had Kenshō in his arms so that she could better see in one of the areas set aside for exhabition matches between magicals at the festival as Natsumi stood beside him. Currently, it was two of the swordsmen who lived in the village and were hoping to open dojos there. One of them had purple hair and clothing and could have been either an effeminate man or a boyish woman while the other was an obvious woman if striking with her pale skin and white hair.

In a flurry, the two launched themselves at each other and the crowd could see the flashes of their swords as well as the sounds as they struck at one another. Leaping away, the silver haired one's sword glowed before she performed a series of slashes that sent waves of magic, which were battered aside by her opponent. Smirking, the purple haired one cut through one of the spells, before sending their own out. Eyes wide, Harry was just watching in pure awe at the two as they fought.

Walking up, Tsukiakari gasped a little, "Yumekako-Sensei... she's still around."

That made Harry blink and he turned to the swordspirit beside her, "Yumekako?" Furrowing his eyebrows, he blinked, "Wait, wasn't she the one that taught, um, Grandfather Ian how to use a sword?"

Slowly, the Kyu-Gunto nodded, "Hai, she is the one with silver hair." Clasping her hands together, she smiled, "I was never sure if she survived all these years or not."

Eyebrow raised, Harry hummed a bit as the two swordsmasters clashed once more in a blur of movement, "Huh." A thought struck him and he coughed before lowering his voice, "Was she, you know? One of the ones who..."

However, Tsukiakari shook her head, "No, actually. Master Ian never slept with her, though he did at times want to. But he felt that it would harm their relationship of Sensei and Student too much. Instead, however, she travelled around with him and helped him learn how to use me on the road." Softly smiling, she gave a nod, "It is good to see her still around."

Nose twitching, Natsumi furrowed her eyebrows, "Odd... while I can tell that her opponent is a sword spirit, she smells... mostly human, I guess? So how could she survive all these centuries? She has to be getting close to two hundred years by now..."

Considering that, the nearly fourteen year old wizard looked at Tsukiakari with a hum, "But she's not human, is she?"

About to shake her head, Tsukiakari paused and frowned, "Perhaps... that is not quite the way to put it. But I do remember her story, which has to do with her name."

That made Kenshō raise her eyebrow as she cocked her head to the side, "Her name, Tsukiakari-Oba-Chan?" At the nod, she frowned in thought before blinking, "Oh! Because it means 'Dream fulfilled child'? But..." Once again, the Kogatana frowned, "But what does that have to do with anything."

Lips twitching, Tsukiakari patted her on the head though she noted that Juuchi was listening in as well, "You see, Kenshō-Chan, back in the 1750s there were these two girls. They cared very much for one another, almost like sisters. But they liked the same boy and did compete with one another as their fondest wish was to have a child. One married him, and the other, rather than be sad, was happy and blessed the two of them. For a time, the two were happy... but no matter what, they could not have a child. And then, the one who had married became sicker and sicker..."

Eyes wide, Harry chewed his lip, "Was it the other girl? Who did it?"

Shaking her head, the Kyu-Gunto sighed, "At first, that is what some had thought. That it was her that was doing it, especially when a shrine nearby found signs that someone was performing the Ushi no toki mairi ritual. So of course, everyone thought it was her even though her friend proclaimed there was no way it was her, for they were like sisters. People kept watch over the shrine, but from the first night, no one arrived. But the woman got sicker and sicker. Finally, her husband who had also loved her friend, kept watch over said friend's house and found her, one night, sneaking out. She got onto a horse and rode through the night, unknowingly being followed by the young man until she came to a stop near an abandoned shrine. There, she dismounted and snuck into the brush."

Grimacing, and shaking her head though she did not say anything, Natsumi internally sighed, 'So it was the friend...'

Meanwhile, Tsukiakari continued the story, "So the young man snuck up on her as well as it was obvious it was her. As the Hour of the Ox came, he unsheathed his sword with a heavy heart and raised it behind her, ready to strike down the person harming his wife... only to pause as she drew her tanto and stalked forward as he could see light enter the shrine grounds from candles. It was another woman from the village, one he remembered as sometimes watching him from afar, clad in white with an iron crown with candles. Sneering, the other woman raised her hand to reveal a nail in her gasp while the other hand held a hammer... right before the friend leapt into view with tanto drawn, snarling."

The three, as well as Juuchi, continued to listen as Tsukiakari told the story. About how the woman admitted to cursing the wife of the man, as she loved him. Therefore only she deserved him and upon her death, she could sweep in and take him as hers. She also admitted to making it seem like it was the friend who was doing it, as she would be blamed. At best, she would be killed by the other villagers, and at worst, driven from town upon the death of the friend. Which was when the husband revealed himself and claimed he would never marry her. And in shock, the evil woman fled, only for the friend to leap upon her once they were off the Shrine grounds, killing her.

But... it was too late, when the two reached the village that morning, the wife of the young man was drawing her last breaths. And with them, she asked that her friend marry him, and be happy with children, as she could not. With her friend promising, and the villagers apologizing, the young woman passed on from the curse. They waited, but the friend and the young man wed and were happy. And the friend did give him a son... until one night, she woke to find her dead friend fighting with the ghost of the evil woman who was trying to attack their son. Paralyzed and unable to move, the parents watched as the ghost of their friend stopped the evil spirit from reaching their child, until dawn's rays caused the two to disappear like so much smoke.

Fleeing their home, the two ran for the local temple, who took them in. That night, the Monks witnessed the fight as the evil spirit attacked and the ghost of the man's first wife fought her off. With the help of the Monks, the ghost drove off the evil spirit once and for all. As the years passed, they saw her at times watching over their children. When they were ill or in trouble, the ghost would appear before them and warn them. One day, her friend asked the ghost why? Why did she not pass on and the ghost admitted that it was because regret that she never got her wish...

A child.

Her friend, however, came up with the solution and offered to share her body, so that her friend could have a child. Crying, the ghost sunk to her knees and thanked her before possessing her. Only the husband knew the truth, though he was unsure. And the new child grew within the possessed woman's womb until it was born as a little girl with white hair and pale skin. Once the girl became a teen, the ghost passed on, happy and fulfilled. The girl though, upon hearing what had happened to her mothers, swore to learn how to defeat such spirits and took up the sword, never aging beyond early adulthood, she became a traveling swordswoman upon her parents' deaths, fighting evil spirits wherever she went.

"... Eventually, she met Master Ian and taught him."

The teens looked at her in awe before a voice filled with amusement caused them to turn, "Well, that was what Haha-ue told me when I was young." When they turned, they found the white haired woman there with a smile. Glancing at Tsukiakari, she narrowed her eyes before they widened slightly upon seeing Harry, "Ah, you must be descended from Ian-Kun then."

Bowing to her, Harry smiled a bit, "Hai, he was my great-great-grandfather." He nodded towards a blushing Tsukiakari, "And as you can guess, this is the spirit of his sword."

With a chuckle, Yumekako grinned a little, "Yes, I can see the resemblence." Bowing towards the Kyu-Gunto, she shook her head, "It has been quite some time, has it not, Tsukiakari-San. Still keeping up your skills, I would hope?"

Still lightly blushing, Tsukiakari nodded, "Hai, I am, Yumekako-Sensei. In fact, I have been learning more under Juuchi-Senpai and some from Honjo-Senpai."

Eyebrow raised, the half-ghost woman gave a slight nod, "Very good, while I never did meet Juuchi Yosamu in person, I have met Honjo-San as well as her Nee-Sans." Lips curling, there was a glint of amusement in her eyes, "Musashi-San is especially fun to spar against, no matter what." Tsukiakari winced, which caught her attention and made Yumekako chuckle, "I see that you have met her then."

Rubbing at her side, Tsukiakari grimaced, "And I have the bruises to prove it."

Unable to help herself, Yumekako laughed before shaking her head, "Well, perhaps one day we should spar as well. Just to see if you have been keeping up with my teachings to Ian-San." Patting the Kyu-Gunto on the shoulder, she nodded slightly, "Anyways, I need to be heading out to check with some people. My dojo is not going to build itself after all, and there is the talk of me getting a job at Shiromizu-Dono's home or one of the other places."

Giving a final nod, she headed off and disappeared into the crowd. Shaking his head, Harry turned back to Tsukiakari before glancing around, "Huh... where's Juuchi?"

Just shrugging, Tsukiakari sighed a little, "Senpai? She's around here somewhere."

The now group of four began to walk and talk as they did so. Eventually though, they came across Sabah leaning against a post which made Harry blink, "Sabah?"

Blinking herself, the Arabian blade smiled at him, "Hello, Master. Enjoying the festival..."

Not noticing her trail off a bit and glance around, Harry gave a small shrug, "I am as a matter of fact, it's pretty fun." Scratching his cheek, he frowned a bit, "Though I am wondering about where Andraste is? Wasn't she supposed to be with you?"

Sabah turned back to him and shook her head, "Ah, Andraste is actually right over there at the open air bar. I... don't drink alcohol, which she accepts. And I accept that she does like a good drink now and again, hence why she's over there."

Eyebrows raised in surprise, Harry turned and nodded as the shield was, sure enough, happily drinking from a mug of beer as an male Oni looked on with a grin. She was clad in a dark purple yukata with sakura blossoms on it. Glancing at Sabah, Harry noted that she had a very dark blue one on that contrasted well with her dusky skin tone, "Huh..." Suddenly, he did a double take and stared a little, "Uh... Natsumi-Chan? Right there next to Andraste, is that... who I think it is?"

Doing a double take herself, Natsumi gave a nod, "Hai... that's ZUN there drinking and his wife is next to him." Blinking, she raised her own eyebrows, "And she is a Tengu after all."

For a few moments, Tsukiakari tilted her head before snapping her fingers, "I remember him! The Oni, I mean. Master Ian actually enjoyed his beers. Apparently he learned from the Dutch themselves how to make it in Nagasaki for his own use back in the Seventeenth Century and made some for the magical sailors and such. He was quite good..."

With that, the Kyu-Gunto walked off towards the bar before nodding at those there and pulling up a seat. Lips curling, Harry shared an amused look with Sabah before giving a small shrug, "Well, I guess that I can wait here for a while, right Natsumi-Chan? Or..." He gave a look around, "We could look at some of the stalls and open stores."

Nodding, Natsumi smiled a bit, "Sure, we can kill some time for that." Entering one shop, which had various odds and ends, she blinked a bit at the Western witch who stood behind the counter, "Um... hi?"

Brightly smiling, the blonde witch, who had a cat on top of her head that looked far too intelligent, laughed, "Hello! I'm Helen and welcome to my shop! Oh, and this is Plato, if you're wondering." In return, the cat waved at them, helped by Helen doing so, "So welcome to my fuwa fuwa odds and ends shop!"

Highly bemused, Harry gave a small bow, "Thank you, Miss Helen..."

Shortly after, they left the shop with Kenshō wearing what looked like a normal hat version of a brodie helmet from WWI. The shopkeeper having mused about where it could have come from, but shrugging it off and throwing in a purple ribbon. Heading back, they found Sabah...

And a very strange sight.

Mainly that of a somewhat drunk Andraste and Tsukiakari arguing with another woman. As he got close, Harry blinked a little as he realized what was being argued, "Um... is that woman arguing about science? And magic being nothing about science?"

Lips curled into a smile of amusement, Sabah chuckled, "Yes, she's claiming that magic can easily be quantified by science and when she proves it, she'll show the naysayers. Apparently she keeps going on about it."

Confused, especially as a young woman who looked barely out of high school tried to drag the scientist away while calling her sensei, Harry scratched his head, "Huh..."

Unnoticed by him, the Arabian blade's eyes went to the side and towards the roofs before narrowing, "It is rather amusing, and most likely they will not remember come morning." As the two were finally separated, she shook her head in fond amusement, "Let's get Tsukiakari and Andraste before they cause any more trouble, hmm?"

With a nod, Harry sighed and followed behind even as Natsumi and Kenshō snickered and giggled respectively.

______________________________________________________

Chest rising and falling as Natsumi cuddled into his side and Kenshō slept on top of him in goldfish pajamas, because she loved goldfish, Harry slept peacefully in his room. The window was open just enough to let the cool, mountain air in. It was another peaceful night now that they had retired until the next day.

Or, rather, it only appeared to be peaceful.

Inside a tree not far away and on a branch that was just at the right height, a camera shutter clicked close after the owner focused on the two teens and one swordspirit. Taking another picture, the being paused as two leaves drifted down beside it... before it leapt back in time to dodge Sabah's true self as she dropped down from above. Wearing a bone white mask, the Hassassin narrowed her eyes, "You're quite good, and I have heard things about the Shinobi of the Far East. And it seems that they might well be correct." Head tilted to the side, the Arabian blade narrowed her eyes, "May I ask what you are attempting in regards to my Master? Besides observation."

The other warrior of the shadow blinked slowly, and Sabah noted the eyes which was all that she could see of the face, were emotionless orbs. Almost as if they were crystal rather than flesh, before the being spoke in a female voice, "My mission."

With a slow nod, the Hassassin frowned a little, "I see and I can respect that from one warrior to the other. Yet, I cannot leave it at that alone, you must understand."

Her opponent blinked slowly and tilted her head slightly before her wrist flicked and Sabah leaped upwards, barely dodging the darts, though she grabbed one from midair as she spun on the other hand. Said dart was brought to her mouth and she licked it even as she leapt after the Shinobi, 'Tranqualizer along with a poison to make one's memory foggy. Interesting... though I suppose that a dead or missing body would be too telling.'

Slashing out with her true form, sparks flew as the ninja blocked it with a Tanto before running along a branch that should have been far too thin to hold her weight. Sabah, meanwhile, simply threw her true self and used it to teleport behind the other. Once more, her attack was blocked, but her opponent used the momentum to fling herself out onto the lake.

But instead of splashing down into the water, the Ninja actually hit the surface and leapt again.

Eyes narrowing, Sabah threw her true self with a banishing charm and as it began to fall, teleported to it and did it again and again as she followed her opponent. As she fell towards the ninja, some magic burst from her body as she controted it in such a manner that the shuriken passed her by in midair. Landing, she rolled and brought up her true form in time to block a strike of the Tanto, "Impressive, you used magic in short bursts to solidify the water's surface. Rather interesting trick."

Despite the secret behind what she had done being known, however, the Shinobi said nothing as they continued to try and flee. As they entered the forest, it became a fight within the shadows themselves, Hassassin against Shinobi. Sparks flew and branches as well as leaves scattered as the two fought. At times they seemed to melt into the shadows only to strike from the blind spot. No flashy magic, no words, just plain skill. Leaping back, Sabah grabbed hold of a branch and twisted her body to the side in such a way to draw hisses and winces from a normal person in time to avoid another projectile attack.

Grabbing some small twigs, she transfigured them into sharpened sticks which she brushed the pointed ends against her true self. Then, with a burst of magic, flung them at her opponent who deflected each one as the paralysis poison instead sunk into wood rather than flesh. Humming internally as the two resumed their close in duel, Sabah smiled slightly, 'Not often that I meet someone so skilled in such arts. A shame in this case.'

Part of her noted their direction and soon, they burst from the tree line and into the village. There were still a few people around, however which made Sabah worry about collateral. That was, until her foe reached behind her and flung a rope with iron claws in the end that flew through the air and stuck to one of the roofs before another burst of magic sent the Shinobi leaping dozens of feet into the air. Eyes wide behind her mask, even as she leapt upwards towards the roof, Sabah noted that the ninja used the momentum to instead swing around to another roof rather than the one the iron claw was stuck into.

Upon reaching the roof, the Arabian blade spirit's vision tunneled as she crossed the gap between them within seconds. But there was no surprise in that gaze, as empty as it had been before. Instead, the iron claw met her blade in another shower of sparks as she twisted to dodge the Tanto. The two continued their fight, and flight, across the roofs of the village under the pale light of the Moon above. Again, and again, they met in sparks of steel.

Leaping onto one of the strings from which lanterns hung, Sabah ducked under a slash, returning it with one of her own as their own momentum slid them along the rope which should have broken, but did not. Attacking, the Hassassin found the Shinobi stomping onto her blade and holding it there via iron hooks before she attempted to rip out Sabah's throat with the ones on the other foot. Thankfully, Sabah saw it coming and, with the use of a friction cancelling spell on her own feet, ducked under it with her back perpendicular to the roof with only inches between it and the tile.

Yet she still felt the breeze from said foot, even as she lashed out with her own that was caught and twisted. Something that Sabah only used to flip herself around and try to break her opponent's jaw. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Carnwennan leaping towards them, before another Ninja appeared and tackled him into an alley from which the sounds of a fight could be heard.

All Sabah did even as she twisted her body in what should have been biologically impossible ways, was sigh as she realized help would not be coming from that direction soon.

Instead, she noted the incoming iron claw towards her face as if it was in slow motion. No real time to dodge, which limited her options. She could summon herself to her blade, but from the stance of her opponent, that was what they expected. Lips curling into a smirk, Sabah did the exact opposite... and summoned her true self to her hand and used it deflect the iron claw and cut the rope as it seemed to vanish from under the Shinobi's foot and materialize in her hand. Transforming into a mist via partial apparation, Sabah appeared above her opponent and swung downwards towards her back.

Unfortunately, the Ninja was already reacting and the sword barely missed the cloth bodysuit that the Shinobi wore... yet, it caught on something for a brief moment before cutting through it. And, for the first time, her opponent showed an emotion as their eyes widened and they twisted around while grasping at a pouch before flinging out their hand and spreading a cloud in front of them. Sabah was about to run through it when she noted the spark that ignited it into a small fireball.

Leaping back to avoid it, she landed on all fours and looked up to find her quarry was already several roofs ahead, rapidly leaving the village when she took off after her. By the time Sabah caught up, the Shinobi was already at one of the cliffs heading down the mountain and took only a moment before falling backwards. For her part, Sabah with a whispered spell also fell over the edge...

And just blocked the Tanto heading for her neck with her true self.

Part of the Hassassin noted that the claws in the foot of her foe gripped the rock itself, possibly magically even as her own spell allowed for her to walk on said rock like an insect. Lashing out with a fist, Sabah found it first blocked and then the arm twisted as the two began to run across and down the cliff face as if it was almost level ground. Twisting around the arm that held onto her, the Arabian blade could feel gravity pull at her body towards the rock strewn ground two hundred feet below.

But with a burst of magic, her foot contacted the rock with the spell once more gripping it as she spun around in a kick that was met by the Shinobi's own as the two switched to martial arts. Gripping and flipping over each other between kicks and punches aimed at vital points happened as the two were nearly evenly matched. Eye tracking one punch, Sabah grabbed it and twisted with all the leverage that she could get. The only parts of her attached to the rock being her toes holding up her whole body as she slammed her opponent into the rock facefirst. Yet, all she heard was an odd sounding crunch.

However, the Shinobi gripped a crack and twisted herself out of the hold, one foot catching Sabah under the chin and causing her head to snap back as she performed a cartwheel on a vertical surface despite it being something that should be impossible. Finger catching the rock though, the Hassassin pulled herself back to the stone before once more attacking, this time with her own true self being mixed in as they struck again and again.

Arms caught by her foe, Sabah leapt off the rockface entirely, using gravity to whip both herself and her foe around and dislodge the Shinobi causing both to fall several dozen feet as they traded blows in the air. That was, until, the Ninja's foot caught the rockface in a shower of sparks as they slowed down. Spell still active, Sabah was flung off a short distance and caught the rockface herself before running up the cliff and resuming their fight.

Despite herself, she found herself grinning as she enjoyed it. Her heart beat within her chest and blood rushed through her veins and arteries. One Grandmaster against another. East Vs. West as they fought with all their skill. Dislocating her shoulder as her arm was grabbed as easily as breathing, Sabah turned the hold against the Ninja before throwing a punch that was barely dodged as they continued to cross back and forth over the vertical rockface.

Suddenly, though, the Shinobi reached into a pouch and pulled out something that she flung at the Hassassin. For a brief moment, Sabah recognized the items as a group of bamboo pieces, cut into equal lengths and strung together. And then they detonated in a chain of explosions that forced her back. Once the smoke cleared, however, she realized that the Shinobi had leapt entirely off the cliff itself several dozen feet and was even now flying towards the ground.

Instead of fear though, Sabah saw respect in her foes eyes as they reached behind them and there was a tearing sound before they held flaps of cloth that caught the wind. It slowed them down some, but allowed for them to also get more distance as they vanished among the treetops. Chest heaving as she stood there on the cliff as if it was level ground, Sabah gave a small nod of respect back before turning and walking up the rockface. She knew, even if she managed to reach the bottom quickly, that her foe would be gone.

When she returned back to the roofs of the village, she was not surprised to find Carnwennan there with a look of nonchalance which made her smirk, "I take it that you were not able to catch yours?"

The Arthurian blade snorted a bit and shrugged, "No, got away from me. Slippery little fellows." As he fell in line, Carnwennan cocked his head to the side, "Yours?" When she shook her head, he sighed, "I suppose that it is to be expected."

Just humming, Sabah glanced around as they ran across the roofs silently, unseen to the few still out on the streets, "It is, they are very good at what they do. Which does make me wonder what their plan might be as right now, they are only observing. Still, best to be on our toes."

Understanding what was said there, and the respect it carried, Carnwennan only nodded, "Point." He did note that they were heading back along the route that the fight between Sabah and her foe had taken, "I take it that you're looking for something?"

With a small frown, the Hassassin nodded, "I am, while fighting there was a point where I attempted to scratch her back. Didn't manage to, but..." Slowing down as they reached the scene, Sabah looked around, "I did manage to cut something..."

Curious, Carnwennan also scanned the area, "Hmm... you cut something off them? Do you think that it was important?"

Glancing at him, Sabah frowned, "Perhaps, or at least I believe so. They seemed... frightened, when I managed to cut it off. Panicked even and wanting to escape even more than before. Which makes me wonder..." Eyes catching a glint of metal, she walked over and picked it up, "What it could be?"

Only crouching, the older blade spirit raised an eyebrow at the sight of the metal object which looked like, of all things, a small butterfly with gemstones embedded in it, "Interesting..."

 

[darthcourt10]

Lord Khuzdul

Hamidiye walked into the hotel lobby Hızır and others took over as their command post. Yavuz and others looked up from the maps they were examining at her entrance.

"Well, so much for that idea," she groused as she took off her jacket. "They did not even pause." She shook the jacket she took off, and with a sound like coins in a piggy bank, dozens of flattened bullets and bullet fragments dropped to the ground. "It was a good idea, not having anyone less bulletproof with me. I did have to punch away a 25mm Nordenfelt shell, but thankfully apparently they do not have anything bigger at hand. They also said something about 'Pasha's orders' so I'm going to assume it is indeed Enver commanding them."

Yavuz sighed. "Well, in that case I am not really surprised. Nonetheless, we should wait for recon's confirmation. Ali is with them, and if anyone can put a bullet in Enver's brain at a thousand paces, it is him. Besides, fliers report that they are scattered in various small camps around the mountain. Last thing we want is them dispersing in small packs. Having to hunt them down in these mountains, now that is both a nightmare scenario and something that would definitely blow this thing wide open." The battlecruiser then turned to Hızır. "How are the preparations for the blocking position going?"

Hızır pointed at the map. "We have awliya and aurors preparing to channel the force towards a section of the Erzurum-Kars road. We have a particular gorge in mind, where a small creek, Keklikderesi, gets close to the road. The creek bank should keep them from scattering east. We can use Barbaros and Turgutreis to block the ends of the valley, and then send you in while we contain them from the west." He dragged his finger along the section of the road he described. "At that point, it is pretty much cleanup. Messy cleanup, but the bulk of the mountain and the spells we are setting up should ensure we avoid alerting the city of Sarıkamış, and there aren't many nearby villages."

~~~

Atop a skeletal horse, Enver was surrounded by a handful of attendants and officers. From the top of the ski slope, he had a panoramic view of the valley below, from Sarıkamış to his left to Hamamlı on his right. Below, hidden by the pine forests on the slopes, brief flashes of light and distant gunfire marked the small battles ongoing around him, as his troops gathered.

He turned slightly. "What is the latest count?"

An attendant at his shoulder checked the paper he was holding. "33 thousand. Six divisions and change, Paşam."

"Hm… not as much as I hoped, but better than I feared." He spared a contemptous glance at the firefights around the mountain. "How far along are we with regards to preparations?"

"We are as concentrated as we are going to get, sir. We can move as soon as you give the word."

"Alright then." He glanced at the barely visible shape at the edge of the small crowd. "Sound the march."

His next words made the black flames in the eyes of said figure flare up in shock.

"We march… west."

He turned his horse around.

~~~

Ali lowered his binoculars from his position a few hundred meters below the summit. "Yes, it is Enver," he murmured.

The middle aged man in auror robes sitting next to him nodded. "Well, no surprise there. How does he look?"

"Barely better than a corpse, but I can recognize that insane light in his eyes anywhere. He is the same madman he was back in 1914."

"Do you have a shot?"

"No. Too many people around him – wait…" Ali rose slightly and raised his binoculars again. "I think they are preparing to move. Be ready to send a message – what?"

The auror raised his own binoculars. "Is he… pointing… west?"

"What the fuck? There is no road there. And it is completely… That insane bastard! Back to Yavuz, and quick."

~~~

"Are you out of your mind! We had a deal, you mad bastard!"

The rotund Arab rounded on Enver the moment they found some privacy some distance away from the marching column. Enver regarded him with an imperious look. "And I have changed the terms of our deal. Pray that I don't change them further."

"Who do you think you – grk!"

His cold hand clamped on the throat of the Arab with a vice-like grip. His voice was a low hiss, as his eyes bore into the pair of flames. "I am the Commander of the Armies of Islam. I am the Minister of War. I am the Hero of the Revolution. And most importantly in this situation, I am the commander of this army! Know your place. I am not stupid. You are of fire. But all I feel in my bones is cold. It was not your power that gave me this form. You might be the facilitator, but not the source of that power." He released the choking man, and stood straight. "You are just the quirk of fate that allowed my vengeance to come forth. But don't worry. A deal's a deal. I am a man of my word. It is just that our deal is not my first priority. My vengeance is." He turned and looked west. "First, I will burn down the edifice of that cowardly traitor. Then we will think about our deal." He smiled thinly. "Besides, think of how much we can grow our army on the way. After all… so much material on the way. And they all belong to me."

~~~

Ali stumbled into the room. "West. He is not coming this way. He is moving west. Yes, it is him."

Yavuz looked at Hızır.

Hızır shook his head. "No chokepoints in that direction, not before they make it to a major population center. There are multiple valleys they can slip through." He examined the map. "We lack the numbers to block all of them. We can slow them… but I don't know how much more we can do." He sighed. "And if you lot attack the army there, they would just scatter."

Yavuz nodded. "Slow him then." She examined the map. "We have 40 kilometers before Horasan. 110 kilometers before Erzurum." She scratched her chin thoughtfully. "If we can keep up the delaying action, that gives us three days before Horasan, and a week before Erzurum." She checked the file next to the map and her gaze became grim. "He has a sort of low cunning. Hamidiye's appearence must have unnerved him. He is going towards the only source of heavy guns he knows. The Erzurum Fortress. We cannot let him get there. We need an army." She turned to Korkut. "I think we both know where to get it. I will need that divination now."

Korkut nodded. "I'll get the sheep. And I hope we are right."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

The Sun had just barely begun to peak over the horizon as Himewari entered the manor's kitchen and paused. Something that was mainly to do with the fact that Harry was already at the stove cooking, the smell of which caused the sunflower spirit's nose to twitch and for her to already feel her mouth water. After a few moments though, she shook that off and walked over to him, "Harry-Sama? What are you doing up?"

Looking over his shoulder, the nearly fourteen year old smiled a bit, "Getting started on breakfast as it needs to be a big one. Especially as Kaga-Oba and Akagi-Oba are here with Mum and Hoppou."

Suddenly remembering just how much the four ate the night before, Himewari winced a little, "Ah, I see." Considering things though, she gave a small nod and made her way over, "Well, I believe that I can help then."

As the two began getting breakfast ready for the rest in the household, they chatted a little bit. Taking some eggs, Harry dropped them into a small pot as he began to explain how to cook them, "... And once they're done, you can just peel off the eggshell and slice them before adding some salt and pepper to them for taste."

Nodding in thought as she made some tamagoyaki, Himewari hummed, "I see, and Lady Shiromizu enjoys it as a breakfast meal?"

With a chuckle, Harry smiled, "Hai, she actually loves anything with eggs in it for her breakfast. Or, at least, that is what I have found." With a small shrug, he pulled out a fresh baked loaf of bread and began to cut it into slices, "She does seem to enjoy it anyways."

Thoughtful, Himewari made a mental note of it, "Thank you, Harry-Sama. I appreciate your help with this."

Just waving her off, the wizard sighed, "Just use -San, please." Head tilting to the side, Harry frowned a little at a thought that occurred to him, "Himewari-San? May I ask you a question?" At her nod, he continued, "I have been wondering about the fact that your a spirit. I mean... I know that Shiromizu and Jin both eat and drink, so I'm assuming that you do as well?"

Head tilting back, Himewari considered the question for a few moments before nodding, "In regards to needing to eat physical food? Now that we are connected with our places of power, we don't truly need to eat as a normal physical being might. We actually receive a trickle of power at all times from our places. That said... eating does help keep our requirements down and also is rather enjoyable just the same."

Lips twitching, Harry shook his head, "I see." Glancing at the cupboards, filled with various foods, as well as the various appliances around, he raised an eyebrow in a little amusement, "I get the feeling that you will have a lot of chances coming up."

Following his gaze, the Sunflower Spirit nodded with a happy smile on her face, "Hai, that is true enough." As his attention turned back to cooking though, he didn't note the far off look on Himewari's face, 'Perhaps soon a picnic with Ryo-Kun...'

Soon after though, the various people staying there slowly began to make their way into the dining room with Misa and Louisiana coming to help cook. It was not long before all the food and people began to eat with Kenshō in Natsumi's lap and Hoppou in Harry's as they all chatted. Out of the corner of his eye, he did notice that Taichi looked flustered while the two Carriers on either side of him as smug looks on their faces. Like that of a cat who caught a bird that turned out to be made of cream.

However, Harry just shook his head in some amusement and chuckled, 'Somehow, I know that I am better off not asking.' Instead though, he turned to Natsumi with a raised eyebrow, "So, where do you want to go today then?"

Natsumi took a bite of some rice and a sip of Miso before humming, "Honestly, Harry-Chan? I'm not sure... Maybe explore some of the other parts of the mountain as well as the main festival? From the flyers, it's spread all over the place."

With a small nod, Misa smiled a bit as she ate her own breakfast, "There are a number of different, and smaller, festivals going on, yes. For example, there is a small community of Kappa near the Misty Falls where Lady Shiromizu's river falls off a cliff into what had been a small, open pit mine. We cleaned it up though before the river even reached it so there were no contaminates and the current is not too bad, especially with the Kappa providing lifeguards for those swimming."

That made Kero blink a little, "Seriously?" At the nod, he scratched his cheek, "Uh, no offense? To you or the Kappa, but considering the stories..."

Lips twitching, the Unagi Hime shook her head, "They're perfectly friendly..." Pausing for a moment, Misa took a bite of omelet before continuing, "Granted, you might want to be careful for another reason. You are a Hero of the Mountain and there's a number of single females there so they might well be very friendly..."

Seeing the expression on her fellow pilot's face, Gyaru cackled, "Oh, that I would need to see." Once she got herself under control though, she shrugged, "Anyways, I'm thinking of heading up the mountain with Ai here, there's apparently a group of Tengu near the summit living there and I want to know more about them. Kudzu said that he would join us as well."

A soft smile on her face, Ai chuckled a little, "And I would not mind showing off a little to either of you, Gyaru."

Just shaking her head, Misa turned back to Harry, "There's a few other places as well, such as the old Mines that have been turned into underground communities. In fact, inside one of the deeper caverns left behind by a shussebora, there's an old manor that's being fixed up." At the looks, she shrugged, "It dates back to the early days when the Statute came down. Some Yokai built it there for a planned community, but... nothing came of it. They fixed it up some when Kuroshi took over as shelter, but it is still a bit run down."

Taking a bite of egg, Shiromizu chewed a bit before shrugging, "I don't know, Mystic Hollow could be fun." At their looks, she smiled a bit, "It's a small cirque on the otherside of the mountain. Used to be home to an old Onmyouji who, uh... experimented with potions and such. There's a bunch of magical fungi there and recently there's a community of Furutsubaki no rei that moved in there since they like the woods and the quiet."

Softly chuckling, her older sister figure shook her head, "The valley that extends from it also has them living there as well. Though, in that case some of the other inhabitants are... unexpected, to say the least, but they get along with the Tsubaki spirits just fine."

Curious, Shiromizu looked over at her, "What do you mean, Onee-Sama? Did someone move in?"

With a slow nod, she hummed a little, "Hai, an old witch as a matter of fact." Sighing, she leaned back as she expected there to be a few issues, "She was one of those who were... forcibly recruited by Kamo during the war. When she first denied him, he abducted her brother and his family, terrorizing them before she accepted his 'Offer' for a special project, the results of which now live in that valley."

Now concerned, Nagato put her food to the side, "She was a member of Sub-Unit-931? Why would you let her stay here?"

Hands clasped in front of her, Misa frowned, "Because I actually know her personally." At the surprised looks, she shook her head, "We met back in the 1890s when she was a young No-majborn. Her field of study was of magical creatures and, in particular, insects. She mixed No-Maj science of entomology with magical knowledge and was quite successful. She even spent a decade until the 1930s studying fairies, sprites, and the like in Britain before returning to Japan. She was a foremost expert... which was why Kamo wanted her to join as he had a special project in mind that could use her expertise and would not take no for an answer."

Frowning, Jin leaned forward, "Wait... what would he want an expert in magical insects for? Or someone who was one in regards to fairies?"

Lips pressed thinly together, Misa shook her head, "I assume that you know of the Okiku Mushi?"

Kero boggled at her, "Okiku mushi? As in the caterpillars regarding the Tale of Okiku?" Seeing the confusion, he scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, you probably all know the story right? Well, supposedly the caterpillars of the Chinese windmill butterfly look like a bound Okiku when in their cocoons and were created by her grudge according to the story..."

The adult Tengu frowned a little and looked at the Unagi Hime, "That... is true, I have heard of them, but the Yokai don't last long and turn into normal butterflies."

Slowly, Misa nodded and sighed, "Hai, and you are right about that. Issue is that Kamo did not want them to turn into normal butterflies. He believed that if one manipulated the process, the result would be a fairy-like being that could be used to spy and perhaps assassinate people with poisoned needles. Hence him having Chouki-Chan join his group whether she wanted it or not. He even had a number of British fairies brought in for the project to... stabilize, the result." She then shrugged a little, "The result was not what he expected, however. Some of them, apparently, became the size of normal children to pre-teens though one or two look adult despite the size. Others were more normal sized as people, but with more insect features. Before he was able to do anything, however, the war ended. The Americans captured her and were going to, ah, sterilize the project when Chouki-Chan somehow broke free and escaped with the subjects. They caught her a few weeks later, she would not tell them where she had put her creations, or children, as she put it. Her trial was pretty quick and she was imprisoned for a decade or two until they released her in the 1950s and she disappeared."

Nodding slowly, Siusan frowned a little in understanding, "Until she showed up here."

Kiss smiled slightly with her own nod, "Until she showed up here with about a hundred of each, yes. She wanted somewhere that they could be safe and believed that the mountain is isolated enough for that. The Tsubaki spirits adore them, though a few have shown... elemental abilities as Chouki-Chan said that at the end, Kamo mixed in other nature spirits such as Yuki-Onna and the like." A frown appeared on her face and she became troubled, "Though about a week ago she mentioned that she believes that she does not have much longer yet the local healers state that she is perfectly healthy for her age. Perhaps she knows something..."

More than one of the adults looked troubled at that. However, Kensuke shook it off and gave the Unagi Hime a look, "But she doesn't cause any trouble? At all?"

Just shaking her head, Misa chuckled, "Not unless you count how sometimes her children cause mischief, no. She mostly spends her days just watching and teaching them."

Suddenly, a thought struck Harry and he blinked, "I just realized something. MACUSA had her notes and stuff, right? From the experiment?" At the nod, he continued and everyone blinked at his next words, "Maybe someone attempted to recreate it? I mean, there was that whole 'Mothman' thing that happened in the US. Hornext was going on about it a few years back since she loved paranormal stuff."

Pinching her nose, Jin snorted, "I'd like to say that is impossible... but some of the guys there are just that stupid. But..." She gave a small shrug, "I'll ask Mom. Might not get an straight answer, but who knows...?"

After a few moments of thought, the nearly fourteen year old wizard hummed a bit as he turned from his now empty plate to sip his tea, "Hmm... I do know one place that I will be visiting thought." Seeing the looks, he smiled, "Kiri Castle. I've been meaning to check up on her while we were here to see how she was doing after all."

Unknown to him, a sly look came over Shiromizu's face before she replaced it with a innocent expression, "Well, that is good. She has been asking about you quite a bit after all."

Blinking, Harry looked over at her, "Really?"

With a smile on her face, the young Mizuchi nodded, "Hai, she has. Even did so back at Kami-Con, same with Mahoutokoro. Both of them wanted me to tell them all about you and how you were doing."

Despite him thinking that was more going on, Harry shrugged it off, "Huh, I'll have to go and see her than. Maybe bring a few treats as well?"

Looking serious, Shiromizu ignored the glare from Natsumi as she looked to the side to hide her amusement, "That would be a good idea, yes. I think that she would really enjoy anything from you."

Much to her hidden glee, Natsumi glared even more at her before shifting a bit closer to Harry. Though from the looks from some of the others, they knew what was going on. Rei, meanwhile, blinked in confusion, "What did Harry-Nii-San do that she wants to see him?"

Reaching over, Sakuya began to wipe her daughter's mouth as she squirmed, "Harry-San managed to heal her by repairing and restoring her castle entirely. So it is not very strange that she wishes to see him again and talk with him."

A look of understanding was on the young Kit's face as she nodded.

Siusan, meanwhile, finished off the rice porridge she was eating before smiling a little and reaching out to hold the hand of the Kitsune beside her, "Myself and Brigid... Haruka, shall be heading to the small museum in town." At their looks, she smiled, "Apparently it is run by one of those child spirits and focuses some on local history as well as Yokai history as a whole. From what I have heard, she is quite the historian."

It took a few moments, but Misa recognized the Yokai, "Ah! You must mean Akiho-Chan. She's a Zashiki-warashi who moved here with the last member of her family after their home was destroyed during the Tsunami up in Fukushima. Said family is a young boy and she practically carried him here upon hearing that they could be safe from the Diet." Expression saddening, she shook her head, "Apparently some Aurors tried to separate them a year ago, but they got away. She did claim they were told to come here from someone they could trust though and she's taken up the family's habit of collecting history and artifacts, so the museum is quite nice when talking about Yokai history as is the archives she has."

Various nods met her at that and soon, they turned to other matters.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N.-I really want to thank RCNAnon for allowing me the chance to use his wonderful characters and the kind work checking them over for canon compliance here.

Bats and Cannons (I)

6 July 2014

Passel House, Hampshire, England
Spoiler: Morning At Passel House

Ehren du Chasteler smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her normal severe and plain clothing had been packed away in the offered wardrobe and dresser for today's match. Instead she wore her brand new bright orange replica Quidditch jersey with the crossed black cannons behind a cannonball marked with the interlocked Cs of the Chudley Cannons. A knee-length creamy white cotton skirt with her normal white silk stockings and black polished leather penny loafer shoes completed her look.

Her smile grew a bit more smug as she shifted, feeling the reassuring presence of her true body hidden in the sheath sewn into her sport bra. Aunt Delilah and Mutti both stressed being ready for any emergency after all. As well, what Ron and Jean Bart did not know would not hurt them. After all, she was used to acting as a hidden bodyguard for her sister. Being overlooked as a threat until called upon to act was what her very nature and training impelled her to do.

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

Unknown to Ehren, in the kitchen a floor below her guest room Victoria's brow wrinkled slightly at her observation of the German dagger drawing and then re-sheathing herself as Victoria prepared a Kaisermelange coffee, honey, and egg yolk hot beverage for Miss Claire while the delighted piano chattered with Miss Summer over bacon, eggs, sausage, fried tomatoes, and English Muffins. Apparently another piano concert was being planned for this morning by the pair of early risers, which most certainly met with Victoria's approval.

In fact it might be a good idea to hand over some of the sheet music she had enjoyed as a young dwelling to Miss Claire to see if she was capable of playing it, Victoria privately mused as she whisked the egg and coffee mix together into a froth. Although, Victoria added to herself as she added a tablespoon more honey into the mix, after yesterday's virtuoso performance, I am sure that the number of pieces that the young lady could not play were not large at all, especially considering her ability to play such beautiful and complex pieces such as works by Liszt and Rachmaninoff from memory.

Which certainly provided opportunities for a certain hard-working house's spirit, since Victoria had the sheet music from Mr. Sullivan's famous ballet Victoria and Merrie England, which had been written for Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, carefully stored away in her attic.

Bless Colonel Gamp for purchasing that score for his daughter to play, although the young lady had a tin ear and no head for music, Victoria added with a mental shudder at the memory of some of the attempts at music that the lady had tried to perform.

Unlike Miss Claire, who was a rare talent indeed on the ivories.

Victoria was rapidly coming to the conclusion that Miss Claire was a model guest, since the dear child was polite, demure, well-mannered, and such a total sweetheart, especially when it came time to entertain the household with music. The only negative if she had visited in the past would have been that a suitable young man from the household literally would have had to drag her away from the piano by force to dance with him to be charmed and courted to join her family! Or perhaps win her hand through piano duets, although the suitor would need to be a rather talented musician himself to meet Miss Claire's level of skill and interest in the arts of music, Victoria judged.

With that thought Victoria smiled happily as she handed the now-prepared steaming mug of Kaisermelange to Miss Claire, who thanked her in her gentle musical voice. Miss Claire's face lit up with joy as she took a drink and she gave Victoria a shy but happy smile and additional words of heartfelt thanks before resuming her conversation with Miss Summer about which pieces of music to play that would help the Abyssal with her plans to work on blueprints as she listened to the serenade.

Victoria was warming rapidly to the brunette musician to the point of pondering how to subtly find out the recipes for her favorite dishes and desserts to provide a treat for the sweetheart (and entice her to make return trips to 'help Miss Summer learn how to entertain the household on piano as a proper lady should' which would also give the house a proper ambience). Victoria was quite in agreement with Miss Claire's firm insistence that a house with no music and joy within its walls was not a proper home.

As for her sister and mother....

The house spirit understood the necessity for Miss Ehren du Chasteler and her mother Ms. Colombe du Chasteler to carry their weapons around now, but she hoped that such would not be used. The wrinkle became slightly more pronounced as she remembered that while the Young Master and his friends would be enjoying the Quidditch match that they had purchased tickets for, Ms. du Chasteler and Lady Duke would be sparring in a rather overgrown section of the property that was slated to be cleared for proper development as a garden.

Victoria just hoped that Ms. du Chasteler and Lady Duke did not make a large mess in the process of their spar.

As for Miss du Chasteler, the blonde dagger spirit certainly did not lack in precise manners, courage, or dogged determination. Victoria certainly respected her work ethic, punctuality and orderliness, and sense of responsibility and self control; why you would almost think that the young lady-in-training was British with her stiff upper lip and pluck.

Which was rather shocking, considering who her mother was.

Clearly her father must have been an extraordinary influence on Miss du Chasteler to have her turn out so well and somehow persuade that Frenchwoman to raise her child right to reinforce the lessons that he had instilled in his daughter before his tragic demise.

Of course, Victoria mused, Prince Consort Albert was German and he was such a good husband to Queen Victoria, the poor lady. If Queen Victoria wore black the rest of her life to mourn her beloved husband, perhaps grief for Ehren's deceased father had made Ms. du Chasteler turn over a new leaf and reform herself after his example?

It was something to think upon in any event. The Frenchwoman had apparently changed somewhat from her last visit a century ago after all. Perhaps she had possibly turned over a new leaf, although the proof of the pudding was in the eating.

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

After breakfast, Ehren smiled at her partners in crime. Jean Bart, now dressed in a matching orange and white outfit, grinned back at her, and then held out a length of orange ribbon with magically animated cannonballs speeding down it in an endless loop. "Please tie this in my ponytail?"

While Ehren complied, Ron adjusted his orange cloak which was pinned at the neck with a brooch showing a pair of crossed fingers. He picked up a matching bright orange top hat and held it in both hands as he looked at the girls. "Ready to go and cheer our team on to victory, ladies?"

"Ja!" Ehren said, snapping to attention as her mother hid a smile behind her glass of milk and Claire giggled musically.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

As they walked along the pathway towards the village, everyone either quietly chatted with each other or simply enjoyed the sounds of nature and the nearby festival. Entering the village, they could see everyone out and about enjoying another day of fun. As they walked along though, suddenly Taichi blinked and looked around, "Uh, did any of you hear something?"

Looking at him, his mother raised an eyebrow, "Hear something? Like what?"

With a small shrug, Taichi frowned a little, "Muffled grunts? Or growls maybe?" Pausing, he furrowed his eyebrows, "There it is again."

Haru blinked and also looked around, "I just heard it as well and it is coming from that alley." She pointed at a darkened, narrow space between some buildings and walked over, "Hello? Is someone..."

Trailing off, she lightly blushed before coughing and looking away. A few moments later, a young woman walked out adjusting her yukata with a hum followed by three guys, triplets in fact. Each of said guys had weasel ears and tails as they flushed with one of them bowing even as his brothers adjusted their clothes, "Our apologies..."

And with that out of the way, they left though one of the brothers grumbled about needy girlfriends and privacy charms. Said girl only smirked and they could hear her reply as she kissed each of the three boys, "Yet you love me~"

Eyebrow raised, Gyaru turned towards Misa who looked away, "She... is a witch who owns and works in a pottery shop and often recycles porcelain and ceramics back into the basic materials. Those are her Itachi boyfriends and... well, I shall have a talk with them later."

Slowly, Kero raised an finger, "Boyfriends... as in more than one?"

Instead of looking embarrassed or insulted, the Unagi Hime looked more amused, "Hai, from what they have stated she could not choose one of them. And being that they are Kamaitachi? They simply decided to share her..." Starting to walk away, she grinned a little, "Not that I blame her for not minding, triplets they were."

Just scratching her head, Rei gave a small shrug as the adults hustled them along, 'Older people are weird...' Shortly after though, she gasp and started pointing, "Kaa-San! Look, musicians!"

Nearly as one, the group stopped and paused to listen as three sisters, for that was what they had to be, played music in front of a small store that proclaimed itself "Prismatic Music Shop". Head tilted to the side, Harry had a bemused look on his face as he chuckled, "Is that... The Gensokyo that the Gods Loved?"

About as amused as Harry, Natsumi snorted a little bit as she nodded, "Hai, it is." When the song ended and they started on the next one, she snickered, "And that would be Faith is for the Transient People." Considering the music for a few moments, the Kitsune nodded, "They're pretty good actually."

Ears twitching a bit, Taichi hummed before smiling himself, "They are very good. I wonder though..."

For a few moments he looked at the shop before he headed inside followed by the group where they were met by musical instruments of all kinds. It was then that a fourth sister appeared from the back as the door chimed and bowed, "Hello, how can I help..." Catching sight of Shiromizu, she bowed more deeply, "Ah, Shiromizu-Sama, welcome to our shop. I am Wakana Aika, the main owner among my Nee-Sans and myself."

Lips curling into a soft smile, Shiromizu bowed back, "Thank you, I'm honoured to be here." As she looked around, she hummed a bit at seeing all the instruments that lined the walls before her eyes caught sight of a group which made her blink, "Are those pianos?"

Hearing that, everyone turned and, sure enough, there were a number of small pianos that were on display. None of them were very big, one was about the size of a desk from a school with a padded seat though it looked like a much smaller version of a grand piano. With a smile, Aika walked over to them, "They are indeed, we make them here." Hand brushing over the polished wood of one that looked like it could fit in someone's lap, she nodded, "They're not really equal to a professional one, but..."

She reached out for the keys and began to play a simple melody on it as they listened. The keys sounded more like those from a xylophone than a piano, but it still sounded good to their ears. Walking over, Shiromizu placed a finger to her chin and looked at the golden name stencilled onto the headboard, "Xylette?"

With a hum as she continued to play "Heart and Soul", Aika smiled at her, "Hai, Shiromizu-Sama. A man named Rhodes Harold designed them back in World War Two to be played by American pilots recovering from injuries. He used scrap wood and bits of airplanes that were damaged and being scrapped. We found a 'How to build' manual online as they had released them during the war." A light blush on her face, she smiled, "We... modified the plans and used some of the new 3D printing technology for the aluminum tubes so that we could get them all to the right size and shape every time." Stopping her playing, she walked over to another, slightly larger piano and sat down on the bench, "And this is based on his Pre-piano which we were able to make as well, though updated with modern technology and a few tweaks to the design."

The sound was still xylophone-like, but everyone nodded along with the notes as they played.

Once she finished with a flouish, Aika sighed a bit, "I'm thankful that enough time passed that we were able to build the replicas."

Considering the pianos, Nagato tilted her head to the side, "Have you been selling them?"

Lightly chuckling, the musician nodded, "We have as a matter of fact. Three weeks back, we had some government officials through here and they seemed impressed, especially with how repairs are so easy and how you need just what amounts to a small solar panel to power the electronics for them. Apparently the JMSDF are buying some of the Pre-pianos for younger shipgirls."

For a few moments, Nagato thought back before she smiled, "Ah, yes, I remember that crossing Teitoku's desk as a matter of fact." With a small shrug, she looked at the instrument, "While you have modern keyboards some of the younger shipgirls would rather play something... more familiar, to them."

Not long after, they left the shop with one of the Xylettes for Rei who was bouncing around with happiness as she wanted to learn how to play piano. For their parts, her parents shook their heads and gave her grandparents, who had bought it, a look. Everyone then walked over to the nearby coffee shop though they paused as a woman with wolf ears and a tail... as well as two feathered wings in a police uniform came out. Seeing the unfamiliar Tengu, the guhin gave them a smile and nod before getting into what looked like a small car and driving off.

Watching for a few moments, Ai raised an eyebrow at the small police vehicle, "Hmm... it has been a while since I saw one of those."

Beside her, Jin gave a snort, "No kidding, Ai. I haven't seen one since the late 1990s at least." Scratching her chin, the Mizuchi frowned a little, "Though I think that I heard they are considering making some electric versions."

Utterly lost, Asuka watched the tiny vehicle disappear around the corner with a blink, "What was that anyways?"

When he noticed her looking at him, Kudzu shrugged himself, "Don't ask me, I've never seen one of those I think... or, hmm... I think that I saw one when I was a kid?"

Snorting in amusement, the undead Mizuchi gave a grin, "That was a 1990s Honda Caren. Basically? They're what happens when you take a 50cc scooter and place a body over it. Not the greatest, but..." Looking around, Jin shrugged, "I guess that it could work well enough around here. Some of the paths and such are narrow enough after all."

It was just a few minutes later when they split apart to go and do their own thing. Harry, Natsumi, Louisiana, and Kenshō with Tsukiakari and Juuchi following at a distance headed towards Kiri Castle. Taking his hand in hers, Natsumi smiled softly as they walked along the cobblestone pathway/small road. Natsumi did note that along one side though there was concrete forming a small path for bikes.

Still, the area was... picturesque with the trees high above and ferns as well as other woodland brush alongside the path. Ditches on either side also had pools of water where she could see frogs and the like leaping in, or the odd animal drinking. At one point though, they all stood to the side as a large turtle Yokai walked past.

Eventually though, they did reach the castle in question and the Kitsune's eyes widened, "Is this Kiri Castle, Harry-Chan?"

With a hum, Harry looked around and took in the differences. Besides the castle itself, the grounds were obviously much better maintained. And he could see a garden pond as well as a traditional Japanese rock garden within view, "Hai, it is."

About to say something, Natsumi blinked as a woman appeared seemingly from thin air with a bright smile on her face. She was dressed in what looked like an expensive Kimono and her hair trailed down to her waist. All in all, she looked like a Hime that had stepped right out of a fairy tale. Upon seeing Harry though, her expression lit up and she bowed deeply to him, "Welcome back to my castle, Lord Harry. It has been some time since our last meeting."

Bowing back, Harry smiled a little, "And it is good to see you as well, Kiri-San." As he straightened, he made a show of looking around and nodding, "Not just your castle, but your grounds are looking wonderful as are you."

Much to Natsumi's amusement, the castle spirit blushed at that and seemed to become a little more shy, "A-ah, thank you, Lord Harry. I will admit that I am quite happy with all the work that has been done in order to set things up here and make my grounds once more as good as they looked so long ago." Turning, she bowed to the two women there, "Lady Louisiana, and you must be Lady Ono Natsumi. Lord Harry and Lady Shiromizu spoke very highly of you as did Lady Louisiana."

Lightly blushing, the fourteen year old Yokai bowed back, "Thank you, and you are correct as to whom I am. And I am also very pleased to meet you as well as Harry-Chan has told me quite a bit."

To some exasperation from the Kitsune, Kiri looked very happy to hear that, "That does me some good to know that Lord Harry has done me such an honour." She then turned towards Kenshō with an unsure look, "And hello..."

Brightly smiling, the sword spirit faded from view before appearing beside Kiri, "Hi! I'm Kenshō and the spirit of one of Master's blades, a Kogatana!" Bowing, she giggled, "I'm happy to meet you and you're really pretty."

Rapidly blinking, Kiri still recovered quickly enough, "I see, thank you for the compliment, Lady Kenshō." Giggles escaped from the Kogatana before she once more faded from view and reappeared nearby examining a flower, 'Hmm... interesting trick.' The castle spirit shook off said thoughts though before gesturing towards her home, "Would you like a tour of my true self?"

Sharing a look, they nodded while behind them, Louisiana smiled, "Oui, that does sound rather nice, Miz Kiri."

With a small bow, the castle began to walk towards herself as she gestured at the gardens while explaining about them and the work that had been done to restore them. Entering the main keep, both teens as well as the Battleship were awed by the look of the castle around them as they walked through it. Above their heads, giant beams stood while the floors themselves were nearly polished to a shine. A few times, they met various Yokai and such visiting. Reaching the top levels, Natsumi looked out over the countryside.

From where they stood, they could see not just the surrounding area, but also the surrounding peaks of the Japanese Alps, some of which were still snow covered. It was... a truly stunning view. Stepping beside them, Louisiana took a deep breath and let it out, "Is this not a beautiful view, ma chérie? Mon chéri?"

Humming, Harry gave a smile, "It is, very much so." Turning, he nodded towards Kiri, "You must be very happy."

None of those there missed the slight wetness of her eyes, but pretended not to see it as she blinked it away, "Hai, Lord Harry. So very happy that I am once more... like this." Placing her hand on the wall, she looked out onto the grounds of herself, "It means so very much that I can once more look out onto immaculate grounds, to see my true self standing tall." Brightly smiling, she looked Harry in the eyes, "And it is because of you saving me that I can do so, once more."

Embarrassed, Harry scratched at his cheek, "I'm glad to hear that. Besides which... well, you were in trouble. It was the least that I could do."

For several moments, Kiri just stared at him before glancing at Natsumi and nodding, "Hai, and that is exactly what makes you... you, Lord Harry." Taking a deep breath, she let it out, "I saw you, yesterday for Lady Shiromizu's enshrinment. You in your Kimono with your blades at your side... you looked every inch the daimyō that I see you as. And Lady Natsumi looked every inch the Hime to go along with it."

This time, Natsumi blushed at the compliment, "Thank you, Kiri-San. I truly appreciate it."

Simply nodding, the castle guided them along and they killed some time talking about various things. Kiri, for example, admitted that she was still unsure about becoming a tourist site, but told them that some people from MEXT had come to take photos of her. Apparently, much to her confusion, they were extremely pleased with her state and looks. Their compliments confused her as she was only a small castle after all, but they acted as if she was equal to one of the great palaces of Edo or Kyoto. They seemed even more happy when the group was informed that the one of the guard towers was in fact for Moon viewing with a fully functional tea room and balcony for it.

Much to her bemusement, Harry and Natsumi shared a slight grin at that.

Once they were done the tour, they did hang around for a little bit longer. Not just to chat and share some treats with the castle spirit, which she enjoyed greatly, but also because she wished to perform tea ceremony for them. Something that at least the women in the group had a sneaking suspicion was for more than just to spend some time with them. However, Natsumi still agreed that it was very good tea indeed and that Kiri had performed the ceremony perfectly.

But eventually, they did leave with them bowing to the castle spirit as Harry spoke for them all, "Thank you for having us over."

Softly smiling as she bowed back, Kiri giggled slightly, "It was my pleasure, Lord Harry, Lady Natsumi, Lady Louisiana, Kenshō-San, Juuchi-Sama, Tsukiakari-San. I hope that you enjoyed your visit." She then blushed a little, "And my offer for you to spend time here still stands, Lord Harry. You merely need to ask and I would have no issue with you staying the night."

Natsumi glanced at Harry and chuckled a little, "One day, he might."

Understanding was on the castle spirit's face as she bowed to the Kitsune and said her goodbyes before heading back towards her true self and vanishing. Unseen by them, she reappeared on her roof and softly smiled as she watched Natsumi walk with Harry's hand in hers before shaking her head though a small thought occurred to her as she remembered that Harry mentioned that he looked very much like his father, 'I wonder...'

 

[darthcourt10]

Kab2

First of all I have to thank Yellowhammer for going with what started as a silly idea of mine that blossomed in this 2 part story.
So thanks for lending me your characters and coping with me all this time.
---------------------
The Butterknives meet Momknife I.

22 July 2014

Taitō City, Tokio.

Arriving at Ueno Park, Colombe parked her rented vehicle at one of the parking sites available, exiting it she thought about the differences between Tokio and the other metropolis she had been in the last years; there weren't so much, but these differences were what make each one of them unique.

"This way Colombe-han, Toku-han, Ehren-han and Claire-han" said the only one of the group of five who knew where was their destination.

"Musashi, I'm thankful for your offering to contact someone for a visit to the museum." said the rapier.

"Don't worry about it, I had to come here sooner or later, so it isn't a burden." and looking at Toku said. "And with this I can grant one of the wishes my little sister had."

"You remembered." said Toku with blurred eyes.

"Of course; even if my only goal is the understanding of the Way, I hold my sisters close to my heart."

"Thank you Onee-san."

Blushing, Musashi said scratching her head. "Don't mention it, we have arrived."

In front of them stood, behind the grate, a big wooden gate.
Spoiler: Kuromon

"Wow, what an imposing gate, but it looks very old to be the entry gate."

"Actually it's called Kuromon" a woman approaching from the gate said in English. "Its one of the two remaining gates from the Edo mansions, the other is located in the University of Tokyo; the normal entrance is located down this road, but this way it can be viewed as you enter the museum compound."
Spoiler: The woman

Stopping at the grate, she opened it and then stopped in front of the visitors.

"It isn't known the exact date of construction, but we know it's from the late Edo period, late 18th century or early 19th century, its original place of construction is located in what today is Chiyoda, in 1892 it was moved to the Togu Palace in Akasaka, and some time later of Prince Takamatsu, the third son of Emperor Taisho; it was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1951 and finally moved to its current location in 1954."

Then she bowed to the family and friends. "Welcome to the Tokio National Museum, My name is Yasutsune Yuuki and I will be you guide today." said the guide. "Normally today we are closed, but for you we will make an exception, please follow me and don't touch anything."

'Luckily Jackie isn't here or she would try to visit this guide's house' thought Colombe after seeing their guide's looks.

Closing the grate behind them, they continued to the inside of the museum compound.

"First we will visit the Horyu-ji Homotsukan, or Gallery of Horyuji Treasures, opened in 1999 is a two-story building that is house of the 319 items given to the Imperial Household by the Horyu Temple in Nara." said the guide going to the building at the left of the entrance.
Spoiler: Horyu-ji Homottsukan

Stopping at the door of the building, Yuuki turned to the du Chasteler and the two Masamunes. "Usually the tour begins with the Honkan building, but regarding our special visitors it will be left last, as our master piece is in full display."

As the family was travelling between rooms and listening to what Yuuki explained, they were surprised by the amount of history behind those items, every single question answered by her, as if she had lived using this artifacts, so they began to wonder how many more they could see in the entire visit.

Encouraging them to exit the building, she spoke "And this ends the tour of the gallery of Horyuji Treasures, I hope you liked it; if you have any questions, please ask me before we continue the visit."

Looking to her two daughters, who shook their head negatively, Colombe said "We don't have any, thank you, you have a gift to explain the details that very few have".

"Thanks for the compliment, it has to be my years of experience in this kind of work." bowing she continued "We will resume the visit then, the next building we will visit is the Heiseikan, it's placed in the back left of the complex, so if you follow me, please."

Going back to the entrance they passed a building with blue roof. "To your left you can see the Hyokeikan, or Congratulatory Gallery, opened in 1909 in honor of the wedding of the Crown Prince Yoshihito and Sadako Kujo, later known as Emperor Taisho and Empress Teimei; in 1978 it was designated as an Important Cultural Property as an example of the architecture of the late Meiji era; it is normally closed to the public except during special exhibitions."
Spoiler: Hyokeikan

Colombe wasn't an expert in construction, but she recognized some similarities of its design with european ones from the last years of the 19th century and the time, but when she first visited Japan, there weren't any buildings like that.

"To-chan." Colombe whispered "What was the time-lapse of the Meiji era?."

"If I remember well, it is from 1868 to 1912" said the Masamune.

"More accurately" said the guide surprising both "is comprised from 23 October of 1868 to 30 July of 1912, from the finish of the Meiji restoration until the Death of the Emperor Meiji."

Continuing to the back left of the complex the guide continued explaining. "To your right is the Honkan, or Japanese Gallery, where the main display of the museum is, I will enter in detail of its history later, as the visit places it in the last place."

They stopped in front of a modern building. "This building is the Heiseikan, or Heisei Gallery, opened in 1999 in commemoration of the wedding of Crown Prince Hiro to Masako Okawa on 9 June 1993, it houses in the first floor the Japanese Archaeology Gallery and a thematic exhibition and in the second floor there are 4 galleries for special exibitions; the thematic exibition involves the Imperial Ceremonies record such as paintings and materials, the second floor is empty as there aren't any special exhibition held at this moment."
Spoiler: Heiseikan

Entering the gallery, they were awed by the time-lapse of the items it contained, pieces from 35,000 BC to ones near Colombe's birthday.

'Seeing these pieces really gives me some things to think.' Seeing her daughters and the two Masamunes, she knew they were thinking the same as her. Same as the first building Yuuki answered any questions about some of the item displayed.

After a prudential time, Yuuki encouraged them again to exit the building. "And we have finished the tour of the Heiseikan; Do you have any questions before we go to the last Building in the visit?."

After this question the blonde teenager raised her hand. "I have."

After she got the guide's attention, she explained "For what I saw in the map at the entrance, there are four buildings more, one is in front of us now, another little one is between this one and the Hoeyu-ji Homotsukan, the third is at right side of the entrance and the other one is out of the complex, There is a reason we can't visit them?."

Giving her a gentle smile, she answered. "Good question, fräulein; the one in front of us is the Shiryokan, or Research and Information Center, opened in 1984 it holds books, magazines, images and other documents relating to history, archaeology and the fine and applied arts in Japan, Asia and Middle East, so it isn't a part of this private visit, but if you want to enter, tomorrow morning opens at 9:30 AM; the little one is the Azekura Repository, constructed of logs, this structure originally stood at the Jurinin Temple within the Gangoji Temple compound in Nara and was used as a sūtra repository, being relocated here in May 1882, it is being studied and we cant access it now; the one at the entrance is the Toyokan, or Asian Gallery, opened in 1968 it displays the museum's collections of Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast and Central Asian Art, including some Egyptian objects; actually is being refurbished and the expected reopening will be in January 2015; and the one outside the compound is Kuroda Kinenkan, or Kuroda Memorial Hall, in 1930 it became the headquarters of the Art Research Institute, later becoming the Tokyo Research Institute for Cultural Properties; in 2000 they moved out, with the Hall reopening as a public gallery in 2001, in 2007 its administration was transferred to the Tokyo National Museum, witch renovated it, it is scheduled to reopen at the same time as the Toyokan. I hope I have cleared your doubts in this matter." After an affirmative answer she said "Any other question?".
Spoiler: Shiryokan

Spoiler: Azekura repository

Spoiler: Toyokan

Spoiler: Kuroda Memorial Hall

"Actually I have one." said Colombe "You said Kuroda Memorial Hall, had he, by any chance, exposed his work in France in the last years of the 19th century?"

"Yes he had." responded affirmatively Yuuki "Kuroda Seiki arrived at France in 1884, two years later he decided to abandon the study of law to become a painter, he stayed in France until 1893, date in which he came back to Japan, but not before having been praised by the Académie des Beaux-Arts of Paris."

'So he is the same guy I talked to when I attended some business back then' thought Colombe. "Thanks for the answer."

"I'm glad to help." said Yuuki bowing. "Any more questions?" having responded negatively she continued. "Okay then, let's go to the last building in the visit."

Approaching the last building the guide spoke "As I said earlier, this building is the Honkan, or Japanese Gallery, it houses the museum's main display of Japanese art from prehistory to the late 19th century; it is located on the former site of the main hall of the Kane'i-ji Temple, which was destroyed during the Boshin War. The first Honkan incorporated a brick structure used as the main hall for the first National Indrustrial Exibition in 1877; It was replaced by a two-story brick hall incorporating Anglo-Indian arquitecture, with two green onion like domes surmounting the towers flanking the main entrance; unfortunately this building was ruined by the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923. Designed by the famous architech Watanabe Jin the actual building is a reinforced-concrete structure in the Imperial Crown Style, with a neoclassical base and a Japanese roof. It opened on 10 November of 1938 with a ceremony attended by emperor Showa. In 2001 the building was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan; now if you follow me I will guide you through the rooms".
Spoiler: Honkan

Entering the building Yuuki inmediately went to the stairs "We will begin from the upstair rooms in a counter-clockwise route beginning from the south-eastern room finishing in the south-western room, in the bottom room we will do a clockwise route beginning at the south-eastern room finishing in the east room due to a technical issue about the east room, as it only can be accessed from the north gate; now if you follow me, we will start with the ancient Japanese art room".

Following her they admired a culture very different of the one they were accustomed, but knew it was theirs too to some extent, they went from room to room until they reached the north-eastern room of the 1st floor, in where there was an exposition of masks from the 14th to the 16th century.

"Now we will enter the 13th room, where the metalwork and ceramics are held, please follow me." said the guide going south through the door.

Upon entering the room they felt it, radiating from the center of the room there was power, and not from only one source.

After some second viewing their reactions, the guide spoke "As I see you are very interested, we will go directly to the swords here exhibited and we will skip the ceramics and the other metalwork."

'The sheer amount of power here is overwhelming' thought Colombe, glancing at Musashi, she threw the Masamune a questioning stare.

Approaching the rapier, she whispered at her ear "If you are questioning why they are here Colombe-han, is easy to explain, most of them refuses to materialize, they have their reasons".

"Ahem!" exclaimed the guide, "Please, if you have any questions I'll be glad to answer them, if not, please try not to talk while I'm exposing; now as I was saying this is the famed Kunitsuna Onimaru, said to have moved itself to kill an Oni who was cursing Hojo Tokimasa in the first years of the 13th century."

As she was explaining the other blades exposed there, they reached the last one; unlike the others that were only the bare metal, this one was complete, her hilt and guard mounted, and alongside it was a sheath.

"And this is the famed Yasutsuna Doujigiri, sword of the legendary Minamoto-no-Yorimitsu, also known as Minamoto-no-Raikou. Let me expose some of the legends around this tachi."

As she was exposing some of the legends, Colombe noted something about her speech, and the pieces that was fluttering in her head clicked in place.

"And with this concludes the visit to the museum, thanks for coming and I hope you have enjoyed the visit." said the guide bowing to the visitors.

Looking at her sides and then to the guide, the three du Chasteler and the two Masamunes bowed to her. "I definitely have enjoyed it, Yasutsune Yuuki" said Colombe. "Or should I say Yasutsuna Doujigiri?" asked with a smug face.

At the snicker of the two Masamunes and the surprised look of the other two du Chasteler, the guide only raised her hand to her mouth, and with a fake amazement face she said. "Ara, Ara~, I have been discovered, how have you reached at that conclusion?."

Still with her Patented Muramasa Smug Face, Colombe said. "First, It was odd that the museum would open only for us, even if Musashi or Toku called, so the called has to be someone important; second, even if the museum agreed to open, it would be difficult for them to get a guide in such short time, so you have to live near, or have means to be here immediately; third, the issue with the guided visit not beginning here, I thought it was strange and when I saw the last room, I knew that you had to be a weapon Tsukumogami; and last, the way you were telling the legends about you, your speech was like if you lived them, so I connected the dots."

"Impressive, Toku-San talked a bit about you at the bunker incident, and her opinion really stands firm, you have a brain as sharp as your edge. Its true, I am the spirit of the tachi Yasutsuna Doujigiri, pleased to meet you Du Chasteler Colombe, daughter of Muramasa-no-Norimune, and daughters."

"Pleased to meet you too, Doujigiri-San, can you explain why did you keep us in the dark about your identity?"

Opening the stand, she took herself and her sheath and said. "It's easy, I simply didn't mention it, Yasutsune Yuuki is my current no-mag identity, I like to teach others about Japan, and since you know so little about it, I wanted to give you a full tour inside my means" heading to the exit she urged them. "Lets talk while we go out."

"So when you exposed the legends..." said Claire.

"Yes, they were true facts, I am the oldest blade in here, although I only arrived here in 1947 at my own volition."

"I suppose there's a story behind it." said Colombe.

"Long story short, after the war and discovering some of the plans Kamo had, I was disillusioned and I vowed not to enter a war again, so I retired here to teach, almost cutting my ties with the magical world except some visits from time in time, like Musashi; but recent events has forced me to reconsider my stand, the last string was the bunker incident."

"Oh, right, Shuten-Douji." said Colombe.

Denying with her head Douji said "No, it wasn't for him; it was for the kids, they didn't deserve to face that kind of things, so after I talk with all my old acquaintances; I'll try to get back my old position."

"Kotegiri-onee-han will be delighted if you come back" said Musashi.

"Maybe; now that the visit is finished, I invite you to my current place of training, would you like to come?"

Looking at her sides, she answered "We'd be delighted, but is it isolated enough for the non magicals to detect something?"

Douji nodded. "Don't worry, it has the usual repellent wards around it; so before we pick the portkey, do you need to take anything with you?"

The two Muramasas negated with their head, Colombe looked at Ehren, who said "Nein, Mutti" and then she looked at Claire. "May I bring the electronic keyboard there? Maybe something there gives me some ideas to compose."

"You can, of course. Ehren, go with Claire and help her carry what she needs." turning to Douji she said. "Although I want to spar with you and possibly Ehren too, Claire is a non-combatant because she is a piano's spirit."

"No worries, I don't spar with those who aren't willing, besides, there are very strong protective wards around the house for those who aren't dueling as I tend to be... a bit destructive when I let loose, and I'm sure I will enjoy her music."

As Ehren and Claire came back with her electronic piano and some other things, Douji asked Musashi "Musashi dear, can you carry them to the pool in the garden while I close the museum?"

"Hai, Douji-han." nodded the Masamune.

After a short wait, They were all reunited in front of the back pool.

"Please, put one hand in this lamp and wait a bit." said Douji putting her hand at the top of a wooden lamp.

Doing so, they disappeared into thin air.
------
Thanks for reading, next part tomorrow.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Footsteps softly ringing out as she stepped along the flagstones, Himewari smiled softly as she looked around at the sunflowers that bordered the pathway as her hand was gently held in Ryo's own. Reaching up, her hand gently caressed one of the giant flowers, which turned towards her, not unlike a pet happy to see it's owner. Here and there, bees and other insects went from flower to flower, "This... is so... so wonderful."

Squeezing her hand, Ryo smiled at her, "Hai, it is."

With a small giggle as she closed her eyes, the sunflower spirit nodded at her boyfriend, "It really is." Opening her eyes with a soft sigh, Himewari noted that there was a painted bridge that crossed one of the small streams that came from Suihou's spring, gently bubbling. Feet lightly dancing on the ground, she pulled a chuckling Ryo along with a bright smile on her face that, to him, lit up the world around them as much as the Sunflowers did, "Wonderful."

As she slowed to a stop, Ryo reached up and cupped her cheek, which she leaned into, "Mmm." Leaning in, he gently kissed her before pulling back with the two of them breathless, "Almost as much as you, Himewari-Chan."

Looking away with a blush, though happy, Himewari chewed her lip, "Thank you." She turned back to him with shining eyes before placing her arms over his shoulders and kissing him again, which left the two smiling and flushed after, "Thank you, Ryo-Kun."

The make spirit gave a small chuckle and glanced away as he scratched his cheek, "Just... telling the truth, Himewari-Chan. If places are a representation of the spirit who calls them home, well... it would need to match you, would it not? Though it might find it hard to do so..."

Himewari, if anything, blushed more than before at those words before also looking away, "A-ah... um... th-thank you."

Gently brushing her some strands of hair behind her ear, he smiled a bit and kissed her on the cheek, "Like I said... it is just the truth."

In reply, she kissed his cheek and giggled softly, "Maybe I'll believe you this once..."

Just nodding, he once more took her hand in his before they started walking again while exploring the sunflower field. Here and there, the paths sometimes split off or new ones merged. And along the borders of the path, there were smaller sunflowers, often with different colors, with the taller ones behind them. There were also stone lanterns which had been enchanted to light up as soon as the Sun set. Himewari also knew that the entire area would become filled with fireflies as dusk turned to night, with them filling the night with soft orbs of light that would drift between the various flowers. Which leant a magical air to it, yet those walking along the paths would be safe as she would not let anything happen to them.

Years from this point, and unknown to her? After the fall of the Statute, the field would become a hot spot for couples to take moonlit strolls with each other. One of the big draws for married couples who came in summer to the mountain for a honeymoon. But married or not, those walking the paths would feel safe and secure, even in the night. Mainly because Himewari would keep an eye out for any dangers.

Children, too, would come to love the sunflowers and their laughs and giggles would be heard for years to come as they ran between the tall flowers, always watching over them, sounds that would bring joy to those that heard them.

For now, in the present, however, it was mainly the villagers who walked the paths within the field as they decided to take breaks from the festival for a little bit of quiet though more than a few would return time and again. Walking along, Himewari just took deep breaths of the scented air from the flowers... her flowers. And those words made her heart swell within her chest every time that she thought of them and each time, she swore loyalty to the Mizuchi who gave her this this wonderful gift.

Spotting a stone bench which had Haruka and Siusan sitting on it, just leaning against one another, the Sunflower spirit smiled while internally cooing at how cute they were, especially as they had caught Haruka feeding the Irish spirit a peanut butter treat, "Good day, Siusan-San, Haruka-San. Enjoying yourselves?"

Glancing at Siusan, Haruka smiled back at Himewari before bowing slightly, "We are indeed, Himewari-San. You have a wonderful sunflower field here, it is quite beautiful."

With a sigh, Himewari gave her a nod, "Thank you, I'm glad that you think so, Haruka-San. I'm quite happy with it after all..." She looked at Ryo before bowing slightly, "But I think that I will let you get back to your time together."

All the Kitsune did was nod back and turn her attention back to the Irish fox spirit as the other two spirits moved on. Since they were in her field, Himewari could "See" them go back to what they were doing as Siusan picked up a peanut butter cooking and slowly fed it to Haruka, love on both their faces. Something that made her softly sigh at how romantic it was.

Something that did not escape her boyfriend's notice either.

Once they were out of ear shot of the two fox spirits, Ryo kissed Himewari's cheek which made her blush and stutter a little, "Himewari-Chan."

Cheeks reddened, Himewari looked away, "Ryo-Kun... what was that for?"

Just smirking, her boyfriend chuckled, "For being you... for being completely adorable." Giving her another kiss on the cheek and squeezing her hand, his smirk widened into a grin at her blush deepening. Looking around, Ryo turned back to her, "So where is it that you want to show me, Himewari-Chan?"

Lips twitching, she leaned against him, "We're nearly there, Ryo-Kun... just a little bit further, I promise."

More than a little curious, Ryo simply let her guide him through her field until he realized that they were nearly at the center. Once they were out of the sunflowers and into the middle field, his eyes widened a bit. It was not a very big clearing after all, but off to one side there was one of the main streams of Suihou's spring, bubbling gently as it ran over the rocks to give an ambiant noise with pools that had lilies within them. Stone benches and tables could also be seen here and there, though the library spirit could tell that they were covered in cushioning and self-cleaning charms. There were also one or two trees which gave shade to the area.

But what caught his attention was what was in the middle of the clearing.

Stone paths, their own and others, coming from the sunflowers lead to a structure in the middle. As a matter of fact, it was a pavillion with benches inside where one could sit in the shade. Himewari lead him up to it and entering it, he could see that the pillars that rose and held up the roof were decorated with carvings of sunflowers. Lanterns hung from it, which would light up at night to provide a soft glow to the area. Part of him could imagine him and Himewari sitting here in the evenings and simply enjoying some tea. Or perhaps local musicians could play within it as well as people danced the time away. With a sigh, Himewari placed a hand against a pillar and let her fingers trail along it as the wind brushed her green hair a little.

Walking up beside her, Ryo placed his hand on her shoulder, "Himewari-Chan? Are you alright?"

Just shaking her head as she leaned against his shoulder, Himewari sighed, "I am... just... just overwhelmed. Lady Shiromizu has done so very much for me, for us. And yet, all she has asked in return is our friendship. Truly... the Seven Lucky Gods have smiled down on us."

Only nodding slowly, Ryo hummed before speaking, "They have indeed." Looking out onto her field, which rustled, his expression turned sad, "But you miss your original field, don't you?"

Blinking away some tears, the Sunflower spirit gave a sad chuckle, "Is it that obvious?" At his look, she was quiet for a few moments, "My field... was beautiful, lovely. I used to dance among my flowers in the summer and sleep with them in the winter. When the earth clearing equipment came, I cried and grieved for each plant that was torn down, my heart ripping apart. I... I could have hated them, and perhaps a small bit of me did. Yet... yet I did not as they did need homes and a school was made there, where children could learn and play. As sad as I was that my home was gone, I could not hate them for that. And not all my plants were killed as the humans also took seeds from them, spreading them to other fields and gardens. Some even at the school itself."

Ryo just watched as she reached out and spread her hand before turning in that direction. From some of the sunflowers rose sparkles of light into the air and danced in the sky. His eyes tracked them as they created patterns and flew around.

Lightly smiling, Himewari shook her head as the last of her tears dried, "But somehow, I do not know how, Lady Shiromizu found some of the descendants of those plants and had their seeds planted here. I shall always miss my first home, Ryo-Kun, but I do not despair though I will always be saddened. For I have a new home now, one that Lady Shiromizu has granted me and that I..." Turning, she clasped his hands in hers and looked into his eyes, "That I can also share with you, Suihou-Chan, and our friends. Perhaps in time, Lady Shiromizu shall also take in others that need homes, and they will find a place once more. But I am content with this, with you."

Fingers gently tracing her chin and cheek before they gently brushed into her hair, Ryo gave a sigh, "Himewari-Chan..."

Then, slowly, he leaned in and the two shared a gentle kiss as the smells of summer tickled their nose, the brook bubbled, and the Sun shone down upon a field of flowers that tried their best to give homage to it.

 

[darthcourt10]

Kab2

As promised, here is the second part.
------------
The Butterknives meet Momknife II

22 July 2014

Somewhere in Chiba, Japan

In the middle of the forest there was a two-floor cabin; rumors in the nearby town says that the cabin was left abandoned three hundred years ago because the was a fight between a samurai and an Oni, and the battle was so terrible that even now those with a very good hearing sometimes hear sound of clashing steel coming from where the cabin was; but all the people brave enough to try to reach the cabin during the clash failed, but when some time passed after the sound ended, they were able to reach it, only to find the ruins of the cabin and signs of fight around it; It is said that the spirit of the samurai protect the fools who try to reach it when he is fighting the spirit of the Oni; so the place was normally avoided.

But even if someone was there, no one would see six spirits appear from nowhere in the cabin that in reality was well maintained, the rumors being spread from the time the SoS was imposed; and the sounds were from the sparring the weapon spirits do, mostly muffled by the silencing charms surrounding the cabin, disabled until needed; same with the no-mag repellant charms.

"We're here." said the tallest spirit, smiling slightly, "We need to enable the wards around the cabin and we can start."

"I'll go" said Tokunotakai, running a hand through her shoulder-length black hair as she stretched. Toku then looked at her young stepdaughter whose blonde hair and Teutonic looks showed her German heritage."Ehren, would you mind to accompany me?, That way I can teach you some things about wards."

"Jawohl, Dame Tokunotakai!" said Ehren du Chasteler, after that she addressed her older brunette sister who was looking around curiously. "Claire, can you assemble your things alone?"

"Don't worry sis" Claire said looking at the younger blonde woman. "I can always ask mother for help, right?."

"Of course my dear." said the aristocratic blonde mother of the two. Looking at the tallest one she said. "This is a good place Doujigiri-San, can you tell me a bit about it?"

"Douji-San will suffice Colombe-San, this is one of various places around Japan hidden to the no-mag for the Tsukumogami trusted by the Throne to hone our skills, the last time I sparred here was... 5 years ago, Musashi-San?"

"Hai Douji-han." said Masamune-no-Musashi, running fingers through her peach-colored hair. "And I lost." she smiled at the thought of being able to further her understanding of the Way.

"But only because you tripped, Musashi-San." acknowledged Douji.

"Still a loss is a loss, Douji-han."

Intrigued Colombe said "If you defeated Musashi, you must be powerful, but may I ask how much?"

Narrowing her eyes Douji said. "If you were another person, I may showed you by force, but I know you don't have bad will behind that question so I will ask you a question of my own; Do you know how powerful are the abyssal princess?."

Thinking a bit, Colombe responded "Yes, "I fought them during Blood Week alongside some other brave men and women."

Smirking, Douji said."During the first attack to Tokio, I held my terrain with one of them, although she was playing with us; but I invoked my last resort and killed her."

Impressed by that statement, but not showing it, Colombe asked. "Are you saying that you killed an Abyssal princess alone?."

"Hai, but after that I needed two months to recover fully, It's not a technique I can use often."

"That's... amazing, but with that feat we should have heard of you." said Colombe with a bit of disbelief.

"I didn't advertise it, as I did what I needed to do, it's not my fault -"

"that it ended like this" said Colombe finishing her sentence. "I know what you mean, I had my fair number of situations like that."

Humming a bit Douji responded "Indeed". 'It's no wonder if what they told me about your father is true'

"As a matter of fact." said Colombe remembering something. "Musashi-San, Douji-San, are we sparring with our true bodies?"

"Hai" said Douji. "But I'll use a spell variant of the barrier spell, our true bodies won't harm the other opponent, instead, the part of the barrier hit will be coloured, making visible that it was hit."

"Impressive" said Colombe "I will ask you to teach me that spell, It could help us when we spar back in home."

"Very well, if we have time I'll teach you how to use it."

Glancing at the forest, Musashi said "Looks like Toku-han and Ehren-han have enabled the wards."

Arriving from the task, Toku and Ehren went to where the three stood, while Claire was setting up her electric keyboard in the cabin's veranda.

"Now I will explain how will we spar" said Douji. "The rules for the spar are simple, a 30 minutes duel where there is a score based on how many times you struck the opponent; whoever has more points at the end of the time is the winner; with that explained, who will be the first?"

"If it is fine with you, I'll be first against you, Dame Douji" said Ehren.

"Very well." said Douji."We'll start by putting on the ward spell we'll use in the spar, I'll touch you with my true body and create your shield; then you do the same and I'll create mine; Colombe-San, please listen and watch what I do." flipping her blade, Douji touched Ehren in her left shoulder with her blunt side and began to chant the spell, when she finished, she crouched in front of her, and doing the same as Douji, Ehren touched her in her left shoulder with her flat side, but before she began she saw Ehren's eyes and paused for a second.

She had beautiful blue eyes, brimming with resolve and determination, but behind that she noted a different set of eyes filled with distrust and self-hatred; she had seen eyes like hers a long time ago, when a boy at her care hated himself for being weaker than her siblings, but didn't seek help for the same reason.

Is there some problem, Dame Douji?" asked Ehren.

Snapping out of her thought process, Douji said. "No, no, I was only admiring the color of your eyes, I'm sorry for spacing out, lets continue." she started chanting the same spell as before with the difference of object and target. "Done, now we can spar without worry".

"For what I heard, my understanding of the spell is that it's a mix between cushioning and barrier charms, but why do you need to touch the opponents blade?" asked Colombe.

"Resonance, the barrier around the blade is attuned to the opponent's barrier, so even if you are the strongest and you opponent is the weakest, you can't pierce it in the slightest, and because the resonance the parts of each barrier touching visibly changes color."

"And the cushioning charm is to absorb the impact of the blades, very clever." Colombe nodded.

"Hai, and now that we are finished, we can go to the field to start the spar."

Claire was delighted, even when back at home she sometimes watched the spars between Mother and Ehren, this match was completely different from them, at first they seemed at equal level, this was strange but Claire realized something, Douji was deliberately restraining herself, but that didn't mean that Douji was mocking her, Douji was doing so to let Ehren improve against someone better than her bit by bit, same as her Mother did in the past when she was teaching Ehren, to push her past her limits. The clash of steel on steel, spell and counterspell was a symphony of combat in Claire's ears. Just like when she had witnessed spars in the past, Claire's fingers found the keys of her keyboard and began to make a harmony of what she was experiencing.
Spoiler: Inspiring theme
Uplifting their spirits, Douji and Ehren continued clashing, evading, learning, until the fateful end of the music came.

"Time's up" said Colombe. "Final score Douji 13, Ehren 5."

Exhausted, the german dagger sat on a nearby rock to rest a bit, approaching her Douji congratulated her. "Good work, Ehren-San; you have good evasion moves and swiftness in your moves, you only lack a bit of experience but as young as you are you have proved yourself."

"Danke for the compliment, Dame Douji."

"And I need to admire your talent, Claire, I never felt like I had before listening to you." said Douji bowing to Claire.

The only response of the piano spirit was a smile and a few notes played in the electric keyboard.

Turning to Ehren, Douji held out her hand.

"If you like I can guide you to the shower."

"It would be an honor, Dame Douji." said Ehren accepting the held out hand for getting up.

Entering the cabin, Douji spoke to Ehren. "The shower is the last room to the right; I must say that I am impressed with the quality of your steel. Would you mind if I looked at your true body?"

Ehren blinked as the elder sword spirit continued. "Being in a museum with weapons from different periods and styles caused me to be curious about weaponcrafting you see."

Ehren nodded slowly and then drew her dagger body, handing it over hilt-first. "Ach so. I was forged in Solingen which has been known for the quality of the blades forged there for centuries, dating back to the Holy Roman Empire." The blonde spirit gave a faint but proud smile.

Douji carefully hefted the blade, performing a slow stab. "Good...no perfect balance for stabbing, slashing, or even throwing. If I did not know better I would think that your smith was from one of our swordsmithing schools with the quality of your steel and the folding to produce this woodgrain and subtle hamon pattern on the edges and point, Ehren." She traced the inscription of 'Mein Ehre Heisst Treue' in Fraktur script as she flipped the dagger over in her hand, puzzling out the foreign words and the odd letters as she now held it by the blade.

Then her finger slid up to the engraved serial number and to Ehren's hilt. It reached the eagle and swastika of the Nazi party and touched there. "Oh, you have an auspicious good luck symbol! Such honor to be descended from the Hachisuka Cla---"

Ehren suddenly grabbed her hilt as pain, anger, and guilt surged in her blue eyes. She pulled the blade away violently from the shocked Douji as her face twisted in agony. The dagger sprinted through the bathroom door, slamming it behind her and throwing the lock on the door.

Douji approached the door, hearing the muffled sobs coming from the far side, "Ehren-san...? Ehren-san...."

All she could hear was the sounds of grief and pain.

'Oh my, I messed up and I don't even know why.' thought Douji with guilt. 'I don't think I can solve this myself, I'll talk to Colombe-San to see if she can shed a light.'

After a quick wash up in the bathroom of the 2nd floor, she exited the cabin, she looked at the training ground to see Musashi and Toku in battle while Colombe and Claire were watching and counting the score.

Approaching the watchers, Douji asked. "Colombe-San, may I talk to you privately?"

Turning to Douji, Colombe saw her worried face. "Of course." Then Colombe talked to Claire "I leave you in charge, I'll be back shortly". Then she turned again to Douji. "Let's go to that tree."

Reaching the tree, Douji explained to Colombe what happened earlier; after Douji finished Colombe sighed.

"Let me ask you some questions before I answer. First, what do you know of the Germans in WWII?"

"Not much."replied Douji "Only that they were allies of Japan in the Pacific War."

"That explains your mistake." Colombe said."You need to know the truth about the Nazis and their deeds to understand why Ehren hates her past so much. The muggle," the rapier's face twisted in loathing and anger, "organization that commissioned Ehren to be made was as brutal and vile to the people of Europe as Kamo's mages were in Asia. You can learn about the Schutzstaffel from the books or the Internet."

"Internet?" asked Douji. "Some people kept mentioning it at the museum, but I don't know what is it, can you explain it to me?"

Sighing Colombe said "It's like a big compilation of books, magazines and other things, almost all that you can imagine is in it; you may can ask my aunts for help."

'Interesting, maybe I shouldn't have isolated myself so much' thought Douji. "If I need help I'll ask them, thanks Colombe-San, and please tell Ehren-San that I didn't mean ill."

"Don't worry about it, I'll go to talk to her later." said Colombe.

"Thanks, I'm in your debt" said Douji bowing.

"Don't mention it; looks like the spar has finished, lets go see who has won."

They walked towards the duel field, where Toku and Musashi were talking with Claire, but when they arrived, Claire went to the cabin alone.

Seeing that, Colombe smiled. "Looks like the problem will be solved without me." at the intriged look Douji gave, she explained. "Claire decided to resolve this matter herself, don't worry about it, she will make Ehren understand."

"It you say it with that confidence, it must be true, Colombe-San."said Douji, turning to the pair of spirits that just finished their duel, she asked. "How did it go, Musashi-San, Tokunotakai-San?"

"I lost." said Toku. "But it was a close call."

"Hai." said Musashi. "only one point of difference."

"Maybe next time Toku-San." said Douji. "Now you can go wash up a bit, but use the bathroom in the 2nd floor, please, the one on the 1st floor is... occupied right now."

With a bit of concern, but knowing that Douji wouldn't say that if it wasn't true, the two made way to the cabin.

"Would you mind to spar Douji-San?" asked Colombe."Even if there is no one to count the points."

"I don't mind." replied Douji. "We can count ourselves for that matter."

Putting theirselves in position, they agreed to begin when a thrown coin reached the floor with a timer set at thirty minutes.

And they began.

At the first exchanges Colombe knew that in a normal battle she would lose, so she used every trick she knew, every little opening for her advantage, and it worked, after a while they were so engrossed in their battle that at first they didn't notice the subtle change in the ambient, only when they took some distance they paused a bit and smiled at the sight.

Two sisters playing the keyboard.
Spoiler: Piano Bonding
With that weight off their shoulders, they continued their duel, even as a little while later, they saw Musashi take Ehren for a little spar. They continued their duel until the alarm ticked off.

Wiping the sweat off her face, Colombe said. "What a splendid duel, I hadn't tried so hard for a long time."

"Nor me Colombe-San." said Douji "I was impressed by your movements, I haven't seen any of those in my life."

"And even with that for me to lose..."

"Don't sweat it, the close score between us says wonders of you." said Douji with pride. "I know of others more powerful than you that didn't touch me a single time."

"Thank for the compliment, I guess. We should wash up for the next duel."

"I agree, as those two would need it too."

After Douji and Colombe washed up, they waited for Ehren and Musashi to do the same, as the next duel would be Musashi against Douji.

As they exited the cabin, Musashi went to talk with Douji.

"Same rules as the last one Musashi-San?"asked Douji.

"Hai Douji-Han, first strike wins."replied Musashi.

Turning to Toku, and the two Du Chasteler daughters, Douji explained to them the change of rules of this particular duel.

After Douji finished, she and Musashi occupied her positions in the center of the field. They stood one in front of the other while they waited for the signal to begin their duel.

"The duel starts.... now!" said Tokunotakai.
Spoiler: Battle Music
As one the two unsheated their blades and launched at each other in an instant, as the three blades clashed it was like the world was filled by that sound. No one backed an inch, until they jumped backwards and trusted forward again, a horizontal slash from Douji stopped by Musashi's daito, followed by a vertical one with her shoto, Douji twisted her body to her left, narrowly missing her.
---------
"Subarashii" said Toku. "It's like they are dancing."

"Indeed, I have seen a lot of duels, but very few ones like this. It reminds me of another times." said Colombe admiring the duel.
---------
Time passed but neither won over the other, Musashi wasn't as powerful as Douji, but what she lacked in strength was compensated by pure skill, so they were tied.

As they reached the time limit the pace increased, as neither wanted to lose.

Musashi launched a vertical attack with her swords 'If this continue like this it will be a tie' thought Douji as she parried the double attack of Musashi.

Jumping for distance she lowered her blade. 'I need to use the move I practiced from the last time I lost to her, I hope it works.'

Musashi lunged towards her, each sword ready for a cross cut, but as she began the movement, Douji pointed her true body to Musashi and charged at her.

They collided no one moved, it looked like as if time was stopped for an instant, illusion that was broken as Toku raised her hand.

"The duel has concluded, the winner is ... Douji-San!"

"And this time I have won fair and square." said the winner.

"Hai" said the loser. "But this move is too reckless for your style, Douji-han."

Douji's tip was touching Musashi's chest as her blades were stopped by Douji's reinforced guard.

"Yes it is, but the last time I lost to you I decided to try this move to beat you, I would have used it the last time if you hadn't tripped." said Douji. "Even if you know your opponents moves, they can surprise you with an unexpected move, like now."

"Thanks for the advice Douji-han" said Musashi as she felt a step closer to understanding the Way.

Sheating theirselves, they walked towards the cabin, where the rest was standing.

"It's late, so if you wouldn't mind, I invite you to have dinner here, after that we will go back to the museum and then it's up to you." said Douji.

Looking at her sides, and meeting positive answers, Colombe said "It would be an honor, Douji-san."
-------------
Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N.-Speaking of Claire....

We're Getting The ButterKlavier Back Together

Castle Moulbaix

July 1st, 2018

Antonio "Tony" Stradivarius Potter lowered his bow from the strings of his violin true body. The tsukumogami brushed sweat-stained dark brown hair out of his eyes as his girlfriend Claire du Chasteler applauded enthusiastically at his arrangement of Debussy's Arabesque #1 for violin.

Claire then smiled at him, a blush highlighting her ivory-pale skin as the wind ruffled the branches of the apple orchard that they were playing in. The piano spirit glanced at her younger sister Ehren, who was wearing a matching creamy white lace sundress as she sat against a tree to act their chaperone. She then leaned in and spoke in her gentle musical voice. "A duet to finish things off, Tony?"

Tony nodded enthusiastically at the thought of playing with his soulmate as Ehren perked up from her review of a book on magic. "Beethoven?"

Claire's smile widened and grew smugger as she lightly touched the keys of her true body. "Ja. Beethoven." Her eyes gave him a challenging stare as she asked with a twinkle of excitement. "Kreutzer?"

Tony grinned in a matching smirk as he immediately thought of the notorious technical challenge and emotional intensity of the offered piece of music. It would be a suitable piece for them both to demonstrate their mastery, he thought as he adjusted his tuning slightly to A minor. "Ja. Kreutzer!"

With that he began the soft, soulful but highly demanding A major four bar introduction notes of the opening of Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Sonata #9, Opus 47.
Spoiler: Claire, Tony, and Beethoven

When he finished the first violin solo and his bow lifted, Claire, perfectly as always, played the A major chords backing him and establishing the tone of the piece in her piano solo portion and then the duet began to start in earnest as the 18 bar introduction began to turn into the more passionate A minor key.

Back and forth the lead of the melody went between piano and violin as the piece hit its stride and the technical difficulty mounted for both.

He soared on wings of musical flight as behind and below him she lifted him up with her backing melodies played with such emotion and passion that it caused his heartstrings to weep.

Then as she took the lead he supported and amplified her with pizzicato string plucks before softly and sweetly playing contrapuntal harmonies as her melodies soared in perfect harmony with his music.

As he finished one of their passes, handing the lead back to Claire once more, he noticed a small group of blondes making their way out from the castle in their direction. Ehren blushed slightly but noticeably as their playing picked up a notch with the melody now hammering through their two souls as one with the raw emotional fire and passion and fury of Beethoven at his most masterful in the dark and angry Presto in A minor.

His bow and fingers flew like lightning across his strings in a heroic and passionate shower of notes as the piece tested him to the utmost. Just as it was testing the piano at his side whose fingers were flashing like lightning across her keys from E Major tonic into E Minor and then into the B major dominant sforzando heroic chord that broke through the passage that had been yearning for it. Both of them were enthralled in a moment of pure bliss as the tension of the piece broke and surged like a great wave carrying them along.

For an eternal moment, it was as if his fingers were on her keys as hers were on his strings and bow in perfect communion with each other as the semitone they had been playing finally rose to D flat major. He sensed more than saw Claire's matching involuntary shiver of near-orgasmic pleasure as the piece reached its climax and resolution and release was finally reached for both musicians.

Finally they finished the first movement and Claire graced him with an overjoyed smile on her blushing face and whispered words of thanks that he returned as their eyes met before beginning the more delicate and placid bars of the Andante con verizone in F major. He noticed that a half-dozen unfamiliar blondes had gathered with Ehren to watch the impromptu outdoor concert as they serenaded their audience with their musical joining.

Finally the last notes stilled, and he surveyed the newcomers more closely as they applauded.
Spoiler: Enter The Malfoys

Ehren, with rosy blushing cheeks and sparkling joy-filled eyes from the piece that she had witnessed, spoke quietly to a blond-haired boy flanked by an energetic peach-haired late-teenage girl on his right and a demure and elegant silver haired young lady on the left that stood next to her. A blue-eyed blonde in an elaborately ruffled dark red dress with an Egyptian necklace at her throat favored him with a smile as she stood next to another blonde girl, clearly the sister of the boy, since their near-twin features denoted that family bond.

Claire's eyes opened and she focused on the newcomers. "Nimue! Johnston! Niobe! Draco! Cleo! You all came!" the piano said in an overjoyed voice as a smile lit her face up. "Tony! My cousins came!" she turned to him with joy filling her face.

Ehren nodded. "Ja. The band is back together as we discussed, Big Sister. This is the young violin who I have mentioned in my letters to you, Cousin Draco." She gestured to Tony.

The young man stepped forward and looked him over, before extending his hand. "Draco Malfoy."

Tony took it and shook, after setting his violin down on Claire's bench. "Antonio Potter. My friends call me Tony."

Draco smiled. "Draco then. may I introduce my girlfriends?"

The peach haired bundle of energy dressed in a sleeveless navy-blue dress styled similar to the 1940s stepped forward. "USS Johnston, Dee Dee Five Five Seven. Biggest badass ever to sail." The silver haired girl in the prim and modest pink Victorian dress gave her a violet-eyed quelling look and Johnston rolled her sparkling hazel eyes at her friend. "It's true!"

The silver-haired girl then curtsied politely and spoke in German-accented English. "I am the spirit of Seiner Majestät Schiff Niobe. To be fair, Johnston does not just talk the talk, but she walks the walk when it comes to heroism. I am led to believe that you are an instrument spirit like Claire, ja?"

Tony nodded to Niobe as the other two girls approached to join in the conversation. The leading one spoke in British English with considerable warmth in her voice. "Her Majesty's Ship Cleopatra, Pennant thirty-three. That was impressive playing, I had a skipper who enjoyed Beethoven."

The last girl smiled politely at him as she adjusted her emerald silk blouse and blue jean combo. "Nimue Malfoy, Draco's little sister. Claire said that we were needed so..."

She looked at the other girls, who gave identical smiles and nods. The four young ladies pulled out matching sunglasses and black fedoras and put them on. "...we're on a Mission From God. It's time to get the band back together."

Tony blinked and turned to Ehren. "Band?" He asked with an uncomprehending look.

The dagger gave a small smile as she put on her own fedora and glasses. "Ja. The band. What you have before you is the famous wizarding band Stahlhexe. Cleo is our lead guitarist, Nimue is on rhythm guitar and the organizer of our ensemble, and Niobe is our bass guitarist. Johnston's the best damn drummer in the US Navy," Johnston grinned and nodded enthusiastically as she claimed Draco's right arm for her own, "and I'm the vocalist. As for Claire..." Ehren trailed off meaningfully with a small smirk.

He turned to see his piano girlfriend in sunglasses and a fedora that she had put on from somewhere. She giggled musically at his clearly surprised expression. "Songwriter and keyboardist. Haven't you ever met a rock star before, Tony?" she said in a teasing tone.

The violin shook his head while a smile formed on his face. "I knew you were special, Claire, but I never expected this... wow." He said in a heartfelt voice while Draco chuckled and put his arms around the waists of Cleo and Johnston as Niobe embraced him from behind.

The Malfoy heir then leaned close and whispered to him as they headed indoors. "From one guy to another, you are in for a treat, Tony."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Walking along with her boots hitting concrete less than a year old, Jin scratched her chin as she looked around the buildings, "So... this is the 'Industrial Park' for the community?"

Lightly blushing as she looked at the buildings, which were not much larger than a the garage that one would find in a car lot, Shiromizu nodded, "Hai, Senpai." With a gesture, she shrugged a little, "This used to be where the old smelter was for the mines. The soil was contaminated some, but... we're working on that."

Glancing at a pond filled with lilies which she knew would be harvested since their roots would contain contaminates, the undead Mizuchi simply shrugged, "Not saying anything bad about it, Shiro. Honestly? Not really all that bad when you get it all done and over with. And at least you're using the land for something." Turning her head, Jin noted the hills between the area and the mountain, likely slag heaps if the fact that they were being slowly excavated said anything, "So... I remember mention of a velomobile factory here?"

With a nod, Shiromizu pointed towards one building, "Right there as a matter of fact, but it's not the only thing that we have here." Reaching one of the larger buildings, which looked more like a hanger, she looked over her shoulder, "This should interest you, Senpai."

Quickly, the younger Mizuchi tapped in a code before the door unlocked and she opened it with Jin following. The inside was obviously much larger than the outside which made the undead dragon nod, "Space expansion charms, huh? Neat."

Finger below a switch, the younger Mizuchi smiled, "Hai... but that is not what is here." Flicking the switch, she grinned a bit, "And she said... Let there be light!"

Blinking a bit from the bright lights, Jin grumbled slightly, "Seriously, Shiro? I mean, seriously..."

However, she trailed off as she got a good look around her. Not because the room was the size of an aircraft hanger. That was to be expected really when magic was involved. No, it was what was inside the hanger: Vehicles.

Dozens of WWII era IJA vehicles.

Just staring a little, Jin blinked before turning to a smirking Shiromizu, "What the shit?"

Amused at the reaction, Shiromizu began walking forward, "Well... you know about the Reserves, right, Senpai? And what the government is going to do?"

Frowning and glancing at her, the older Mizuchi nodded, "Of course I do, the JNHRO is in with the planning." With a glance around, she noted that none of them were armed vehicles and a large number were half-tracks, "They're going to be using these, aren't they? I can imagine the half-tracks being useful because a lot of reserves have fuck all for roads."

Just nodding as she looked around, Shiromizu nodded, "Hai, some of these will be going to museums, of course. But... others are going to be modified to be used for infrastructure work in the Reserves." She pointed at one which looked like someone took a tank and fitted a triangular blade to the front, "Like the Ho-K Lumberjack vehicle there. They enchanted the edges of the prow with cutting spells to improve the ability to cut down areas of forests. From what they told me, it could cut a path to the most of the Reserves in a matter of hours, especially with some wizards levitating the trunks and cut trees out of the way."

Only shaking her head, Jin frowned as she looked around, "Okay, yeah, makes sense. Less questions about the government buying up and moving vehicles. But where the fuck did you get all these from? I know most of these were destroyed at the end of the war."

Scratching her cheek, the younger of the two frowned, "Well... apparently the magical government placed caches of war material all over Japan in hiding. Not just guns, but also vehicles. From what I heard, they were for use for when the Americans invaded the Home Islands. When Japan surrendered, well... they were just left in place as MACUSA and other magical governments couldn't care much about them. They were No-Maj stuff after all, so..."

As if in pain, Jin pinched her nose, "So in other words, they were just forgotten about or left there because someone thought that if WWIII broke out, they could use them. Until the Abyssals came and the Yokai Militia pulled what they could from storage. That about right, Shiro?" When she nodded, the undead Mizuchi groaned, "Fucking great. How many of these are there?"

In reply, Shiromizu shrugged while frowning, "No one is really sure, Senpai. We only know about the ones that we do from Yokai who remember where they were at. Others..."

Tilting her head back, the older of the two Mizuchi let out a sigh made of poisonous steam, "Just fucking great. We got masses of war material laying around and no one knows where the fuck they are..."

Unsure, Shiromizu coughed and looked back at the floor, "At least we can use the ones we recover to help out the Reserves through construction? There's quite a bit and a number of Yokai remember how to operate and fix them after all. I know that the government likes the idea anyways."

Arms crossed, Jin gave a snort, "Because of fucking course they do. It's practically free for them after all and they get a bunch of old shit that operates effectively for what is pennies." Scratching her chin, she glanced around, "Still, puts some of your people into work, I guess..."

Much to her surprise though, a smirk crossed her Kohai's face, "Yes, and perhaps some more, Senpai. After all, this was not the only reason why I brought you here..."

Intrigued, Jin raised an eyebrow, "Really? Go on..." A few minutes later, Jin had her jaw dropped and was staring in awe at what was in front of her, "Oh... my fucking... God, Shiro. Are... are these really..." Reaching out, she was about to touch the metal before pausing and pulling back slightly, "I..."

Leaning up against her, Shiromizu giggled a bit, "Go ahead, Senpai, you know that you want to... that you really, really want to run your hands all over it, tracing every curve..."

For a moment, the older Mizuchi paused before turning her head, "The fuck, Shiro? That sounded..."

Completely innocent expression on her face, Shiromizu looked away, "What do you mean, Senpai? I just learned to explain and such from you after all~"

Slowly, Jin blinked and rolled her eyes, "Right." Turning back, she proceeded to run her hands over the fuel tank of the motorcycle in front of her, "Still... these are fucking Rikuo motorcycles. Ones with side cars and ones without. Holy Jesus Christ, Shiro! These are fucking amazing! They're basically Harley Davidsons from the 1930s built in Japan and with a few modifications! And you have to have at least three dozen here! And in mint fucking condition!"

Bemused, Shiromizu gave her a smirk, "So you like?" At the look she got, she giggled some before shrugging, "Well? Do you want one?"

Jin's head whipped around that Shiromizu winced at the sound of it literally snapping. For several moments, neither of the two moved before there was a crunch sound as the older of the two fixed her neck up before giving her a grunt, "Look, if that is some kind of joke..."

Eyebrow raising, the younger of the two frowned, "Do you think that I would do that to you, Senpai?"

Neither said anything for several moments, just looking at each other. Finally, though, Jin ran her fingers through her hair before giving an explosive sigh, "Are you sure about this, Shiro? I mean, each of these has to be worth... I don't know, at least a quarter of a million, American?"

Extremely amused, Shiromizu snickered a bit, which drew a look from the other Mizuchi, "There about, Senpai... at least." She gestured with one hand, "Once they're restored, we're going to be selling some. Kind of like we're doing with those cars over there."

With a blink, Jin raised an eyebrow before frowning, "Wait... are those Toyota AA? Multiple ones?!"

Only nodding, the younger of the two hummed, "Hai, they are." Scratching her chin, she snorted, "You do not want to know how much Toyota is paying us for one." That got a wince from Jin, but Shiromizu turned back to the motorcycles, "If you want, though, you can get two. One with and one without the sidecars. Complete with all the spare parts needed."

Chewing her lip, Jin took a few minutes before taking a deep breath, "I'll, uh, think about it."

A smirk on her face, Shiromizu nodded, "Not a problem, Senpai."

Softly snorting, the undead Mizuchi turned towards Shiromizu with a slight frown, "Just wondering, but what about the kid? Harry, I mean, you going to save one of these for him?"

However, Shiromizu shook her head, "Not really, Harry has a number of his own, one was what Tsukiakari was driving after all."

That made Jin pause in thought before she blinked, 'Wait, what?'

Meanwhile, the less experienced Mizuchi continued, "And he's got more variety, though..." Pausing for a moment, Shiromizu had a thoughtful look on her face, "Harry did mention that he was giving one of the WWII German motorcycles with a side car to Hanna for a birthday/launchday present. And maybe another one of the German motorcycles to someone named Ehren as a gift since their families were old friends."

Confused somewhat, Jin frowned a little, "Okay..." Then, shaking her head, she turned towards Shiromizu, "So, what else did you have to show me?"

Fifteen minutes later found her standing in a warehouse close to the railroad tracks with one track entering the building. Obviously, it was to care for the actual train for repairs and such to get it out of the weather and elements as needed. There was even enough room for a number of the cabins.

But what caused her to raise an eyebrow was the sight of a blue coloured train engine that sat off to one side, "Okay, Shiro? Is that a second train?"

With a happy hum, Shiromizu walked over to it, "Hai, it is, Senpai. This one was just built this year, however."

Jin blinked at that and raised an eyebrow still further, "It was just built this year? Seriously?" At the nod, she frowned, "Isn't it a steam locomotive?"

Only nodding, Shiromizu smiled, "Hai, it is as a matter of fact. But... we have a few locomotive aficionados and they built it to an old design but with some modern technology added and using commercially available parts rather than make it all by hand. Instead of coal, it uses fuel oil for instance." Gently patting it, she gave a nod, "We're going to run it from the station here to the nearest national one so people can travel back and forth via train. Supposedly it will give the trip a bit more of a wonder bent and even have some train cars for it." The Mizuchi shrugged a little bit, "They'll have slightly expanded insides and cushioning charms."

Considering that, her Senpai tilted her head in thought, "Hmm... won't that be a bit of an issue? You'll have to build the tracks the whole way to the nearest train station."

Much to her surprise, Shiromizu shook her head, "We've checked and the old rail bed is still there almost the entire way. And what damage there was due to decades of not being used we repaired... all that is needed is the track and the last bit, which the government doesn't mind helping with."

Slowly, Jin nodded as she considered that and the train in front of her in deep thought.
___________________________________________

Leaning back in the train chair, Boku smirked a bit as he looked over at his fellow male pilots before rolling his eyes, "Come on, Kudzu, relax a little."

Only raising an eyebrow, Kudzu frowned a little, "I am relaxing, Boku." Crossing his arms, he shook his head with a sigh, "What worries me, however, is that you chose this."

Blinking for a moment, the other pilot frowned, "Hey, wait a moment!" Boku then pointed his finger at his friend, "What the hell is that supposed to mean, Kudzu?!'

In return, said pilot only gave him a look, "You know what it is supposed to mean, Boku." Shifting a bit, Kudzu snorted, "How many times do we get into trouble? How many?"

Kero raised a finger to give the point and shrugs, "He does have a point, Boku. You know your reputation."

Facepalming, Boku groaned a little bit, "Not you too." At the snorts from each of the other three male pilots, he grunted a little, "Look, it's nothing bad at all, just something that I picked up from a brochure at the main festival. And it is in one of the smaller villages as well, so nothing will happen."

Just giving him a look, Taikomachi sighed, "And there we go, he just had to taunt Murphy." Poking his fellow pilot, he muttered a bit, "When something happens because of that, and it will, I am blaming you for it."

Upon hearing that, the other pilots gave a nod of agreement, which made Boku scowl, "You all fucking suck."

Not long after, they left the train and entered a small village. Looking around, Kudzu raised an eyebrow, "What is this place anyways?"

Brochure open in front of him, Boku frowned a bit as he noticed a few cats, "It's one of the abandoned villages around the mountain. Apparently closed down back in the 1980s or so... Well, that is what everyone thought outside of the mountain. It's inhabited almost entirely by cat Yokai now, especially Nekomata. According to the booklet I read though, there's a Kyuubi who also lives here and looks after the various cats."

Eyebrow raised, Taikomachi blinked at that, "Seriously?"

Looking over Boku's shoulder, Kero nodded, "Hai, it says so right there actually. Huh..."

With a glance at him, Kudzu frowned, "What?"

Just waving his hand in the air, Kero shrugged, "Kyuubi, nine tailed Kitsune. You know that one we met at the beach party? Hoshi-San? Not to mention Chiyo-San?" At their nods, he continued as they froze, "Well, want to bet that she's hot as hell?"

For a few moments, no one did anything. Then, reaching up, Taikomachi smacked him upside the head, "Stop that."

Grumbling, the pilot in question rubbed the back of his head, "Just saying..."

Meanwhile, Boku gave a shrug, "Anyways... apparently she took in the various cats to protect them from Kuroshi's predations and such. And when she was killed, they simply took over and fixed up the village. They see her as a mother." Pausing for a moment, he frowned in thought, "Does that make her a MILF-OW!"

Taikomachi pulled back his hand with a sigh, "I swear you two..." Just a few moments later, he gave Boku a look with the other three, "A cafe... are you shitting me."

A grin on his face, Boku laughed, "Trust me guys, this will be great." Walking inside, he hummed some as he was followed by the other three, only to freeze alongside them, "Whoa..."

Due to, mainly, the fact there were a number of waitresses who were all cat girls.

Some were in maid outfits, others in Chinese style dresses, one or two were even in schoolgirl uniforms. Under his breath, Kudzu muttered a bit, "Fucking hell... the Otaku are going to go fucking nuts here, I just know it."

Bouncing up to them, one Nekomata with purple hair and a Chinese dress grinned, "Nyaho~ Welcome to the Mountain Cat Cafe! I'm Biyori! Would you like to be seated?"

Scratching the back of his neck as he tried not to look at anything below the neck, especially not her legs which were on full display... 'Though they are really nice, she must work out and-' Giving himself a mental slap, Taikomachi smiled, "Sure, if you don't mind."

Out of the corner of his mind though, he noted that one or two catboys were walking around as well.

It was then though that he noticed that everyone had gone quiet and several of the female Nekomata were looking at his uniform. Clearing her throat, Biyori gave him a look that for some reason sent a shiver down his back, "That... uniform, that is the JASDF uniform, is it not?"

Unsure, Kero looked at his friends, "Hai? I mean, we are pilots after all?"

At that, one of the other female Nekomata sided up to him, "Pilots you say... not the Abyss Divers?"

Blinking, Boku grinned a bit, "That's us, alright." Right then, he felt something primal, a feeling of danger, "Er..."

That feeling was not just him, either as the other three pilots could feel it as well. As if there was a great danger, like they were mice who had stumbled into a warehouse filled with very hungry cats. It was not helped by how all the cats had these odd grins on their faces and her narrowed their eyes. Kudzu noticed that some of them had their tails twitching as well for some reason, which made him very, very nervous indeed, "Ah-heh... h-hey, I'm just going to go outside and give a quick text, right guys?"

However, before he could get far, one of the Nekomata in a maid outfit grasped his arm and gave him a grin, "But Master? Don't you wish for a drink first? I am willing to serve a hero who helped defeat Kuroshi's Monster by myself..." One clawed finger trailing along his shirt, she looked up at him, "However you might wish~"

Laughing a little unsure, Kudzu glanced around and took another step, "W-well, I'll be right back and-"

Right then, he bumped into something and looked behind him to find a blonde Kitsune smiling at him, "Now, now, perhaps you should partake of our hospitality first..." Biting her finger, she gave him a look up and down, "Mmm?"

Up on the top of the mountain, Gyaru blinked and looked up from where she was watching some Tengu duel in the air, "Hey, Ai? You feel like the guys did something that put them in trouble, somehow?"

Tired expression on her face, Ai gave her a look, "Ever since they went off by themselves, yes."

For several moments, the two women considered that, the kind of thing that usually happened, and then shrugged, "Not our problem."

With that, they turned back to the show being put on by the Tengu, even as Asuka cheered.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

The Potter Went Down To Georgia

Castle Moulbaix

July 1st, 2018

Tony nodded to the well-dressed mature couple who were seated at the front of the ballroom in Moulbaix. Judging from their blond hair, old-fashioned formal clothes, and resemblance to Draco and Nimue, these must be the Malfoy parents. He then felt a tug on his sleeve.

Turning, he looked at Ehren who gave him a small mischievous smile. "You can sight read music and play it, ja?" she spoke in an undertone.

"Of course," he replied with a confident smile of his own, "did you have something you wished for me to play?"

Ehren's smile widened fractionally, "ja, I do. If you do not mind helping us play the solo violin of the first piece in the show that Claire, Nimue, and I have planned."

Tony grinned and spoke confidently, "just show me the notes, Ehren."

"Sehr Gut. After this, your path to giving my sister a ring will be clear." Ehren said to herself as she followed Tony inside.

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

Claire did not fidget nervously, but shuffled her feet a bit as she turned to the mirror in her room for one more check of her looks after she transfigured the special outfit that she would be wearing back to her normal Stahlhexe outfit. Wouldn't do to spoil the surprise.

The 20 year old young rock musician in the mirror gave her a look back.

Black leather motorcycle jacket open at the front with real wolf-fur on the collar thanks to her Big Shaggy Puppy Friends? Check.

Stahlhexe crop-top T-shirt showing a blond witch casting a spell in front of a steel-gray Iron Cross while exposing her toned stomach? Check.

Tight basilisk-skin jeans that hugged and accentuated her legs? Check.

Black leather fifteen-centimeter heeled shoes? Check.

Silver musical sixteenth note and grand piano charm bracelet, matching silver G-clef musical note necklace, and her silver grand piano earrings (all birthday gifts from Best Little Dagger Sister and Best Cousins)? Check.

Makeup and lipstick prepared? Check.

So why was she so nervous?

It was almost like stage fright, but she didn't get stage fright!

She was just going to make it clear to Tony and their audience how much she loved him!

She was sure that the Malfoy Cousins and Her Fellow Musicians and Mother would join Best Little Dagger Sister and Wolf-Mother in approving of Best Violin Boyfriend...

OH.

With that insight, she looked over at the impressionistic painting of a music salon from the 1880s where it hung on the wall of her room.
Spoiler: Claire's Painting

In the painting, the dark-haired and dark eyed figure of Lyra Potter looked up from the piece that she had been idly playing. The spirit of the notorious witch, author, and libertine gave her a warm smile. "Nerves, Claire?"

Claire nodded, "Yes, Aunt Lyra."

Lyra smiled reassuringly and spoke gently, "that's normal. I got them too before I took the plunge with any of my conquests, and I was unable to sleep the night after I submitted a manuscript for publication. I know you, just like Colombe, have the courage and strength to perform perfectly in the crisis when the moment demands it."

Claire lit up with a happy smile. "And then once Mother agrees to his pursuit of me and Tony gets me a ring to make us an Official Couple, he can bend me over my bench and take me while I play Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier to serenade us!"
Spoiler: Naughty Pianos Play Bach Fuges!

Her smile grew far more smug and filled with a certain hungry eager anticipation.

In that moment, Tony (or any other young man) would have started looking for the exits instinctively at the sight of the alpha predator locked on them, while Colombe would have wondered exactly when Lyra's spirit possessed her middle child.

Lyra nodded along with a matching perverted smile, "Exactly like my piano teacher was doing to me when Father walked in on me 'taking special lessons' from him. Pity, although that was the reason I got packed off to Ian, so I cannot complain too much. Save that Mr. Leroux didn't finish the job on me at the time."

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen to me when the time comes." Claire said as she nodded resolutely and turned to go.

"Do that. I'll see you in the Ballroom, dear. Knock him dead, then St. George his brains out for me." Lyra said as she gave the piano a thumbs up, which Claire returned before leaving her room.

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

Colombe raised an eyebrow as Lyra's image appeared in her magically enchanted copy of Fragonard's The Swing where it hung in her ballroom. The young man, young lady in the swing, and servant pushing her all took one look at the image of her old lover walking into the rococo scene and fled the scene rapidly.

Colombe could not blame them one bit, since she knew what That Look and That Smile on Lyra's face portended.

Colombe just hoped that Lyra would not make too much of a scene in front of the guests.

This time.

For once.

Lyra sat herself down in the swing and began to hum as she swung back and forth.

With that silent prayer Colombe looked around the room. Lucius and Narcissa were sitting in comfortable chairs as Kasuyu served them and Draco a selection from her brandy cellar. To-chan was of course cuddled up next to her, while Miho Fujii relaxed in a woven silk hammock. The children were elsewhere under supervision.

Wait, where was Tony?

With that the lights dimmed and then came up with the instruments and band of Stahlhexe visible in front of her. Colombe gasped as she saw Tony dressed in workman's clothes sitting on a 'stump' (actually an illusion-shrouded piano bench) with his true body in his hands.

Claire was nowhere to be seen.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP.
Spoiler: The Potter Went Down To Georgia

Johnston gave four powerful drumbeats and Tony began to play a solo violin piece as Ehren raised the microphone to her lips from where she sat at the keyboard where Claire normally was.

The Devil went down to Georgia. She was lookin' for a soul to steal.
She was in a bind 'cause she was way behind. She was willing to make a deal
When she came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot.
And the Devil jumped upon a hickory stump and said "Boy, let me tell you what."

With that Claire strutted out seductively in a sinfully low cut sleeveless flame-red vinyl painted-on microdress and six-inch polished black leather high heel sandalss complete with small illusionary horns and a cute red 'devil tail' behind her.
Spoiler: Claire's Outfit

Colombe's eyes bulged in shock as she stared. Wordless incoherent sounds came out of her mouth as it opened and closed like a beached fish.

This wasn't happening.

SHE HAD RAISED CLAIRE BETTER THAN THIS!

Memories of Papa's laughter when she had met his spirit made her realize that his curse to her teenage self 'I hope that you have children one day as much trouble as you are for me' was in full effect upon her.

Tony nearly dropped his bow as he stared at his girlfriend with naked shock on his face. The obvious fact that he was unaware of what was planned was the only thing that saved his life as Colombe resolved to HAVE WORDS with her daughter at the earliest opportunity.

"I bet you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player, too.
And if you'd care to take a dare I'll make a bet with you.
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the Devil her due.
I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul 'cause I think I'm better than you."

Claire purred the words as she stared into Tony's eyes and licked her ruby-red lips. She snapped her fingers and an illusory golden violin with the body shaped like a Grand Piano formed in her hands as Miho cast a spell.

The boy said, "My name's Tony, and it might be a sin,
But I'll take your bet; and you're gonna regret 'cause I'm the best there's ever been."

Tony gave her a matching challenging stare as their lips curled in mutual smug smiles of anticipation as the band pounded into the chorus of the piece. Tony then raised his violin as Claire did the same and they played a 'duet'.

Colombe swayed as Toku held onto her for support.

She just knew it was far, FAR too late to do anything to stop the impending train wreck.

Tony, rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard.
'Cause Hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards.
And if you win you get this shiny fiddle made of gold,
But if you lose the devil gets your soul.

The violin notes flew between them as illusionary 'demon' horns formed on the heads of the other members of Stahlhexe.

Lyra clapped and gave a soundless wolf whistle at the show. Toku smiled happily. Colombe moaned and then a smug smile flickered around her lips at the poleaxed violin's expression. Even though she would have words with Claire about her choice in husbands, her little girl had hooked, landed, cleaned, and filleted this fish.

The Devil opened up her case and she said, "I'll start this show."
And fire flew from her fingertips as she rosined up her bow.
And she pulled the bow across the strings and it made an evil hiss.
And a band of demons joined in and it sounded something like this.

The band swung into an ominous and powerful rock music piece as Claire strutted closer while 'playing' her violin while the lights dimmed and grew sooty red.

When the Devil finished, Tony said, "Well, you're pretty good ol' son,
But sit down in that chair right there and let me show you how it's done."

Claire plopped into the offered chair and then eyed him hungrily as he played his heart out for her.

"Fire on the Mountain." Run, boys, run!
The Devil's in the house of the rising sun;
Chicken's in the bread pan picking out dough.
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no.

Colombe resolved that the only thing that could be done to salvage this situation was to insure that the bride did not go to the altar in the family way and plan on grandchildren nine months after the ceremony.

She saw the steel in her middle daughter's spine and knew that this was an argument that she would surely lose since Claire was as stubborn as she was.

The Devil bowed her head because she knew that she'd been beat.
And she laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Tony's feet.
Tony said, "Claire, just come on back if you ever wanna try again,
'Cause I've told you once--you son of a bitch--I'm the best there's ever been."

Claire laid the piano-shaped fiddle at Tony's feet then swept him up into a passionate kiss and embrace that he returned before he finished the song with a flourish as she hugged him from behind.

And he played:
"Fire on the Mountain." Run, boys, run!
The Devil's in the house of the rising sun;
Chicken's in the bread pan picking out dough.
Granny, does your dog bite? No, child, no.

As the piece ended, Claire whispered to Tony who nodded and then walked off the stage. The violin took one look at the emotions visible on Colombe's face and hastily decided to sit with the Malfoys between himself and Claire's mother.

Ehren handed Claire a microphone then picked up a saxophone from the case next to the rack of keyboards. The piano smiled to her sister (producing dark mutters from Mother as a certain du Chasteler determined that there was a nefarious conspiracy afoot in her castle) and then spoke into the anticipatory silence. Behind the rest of the audience Lyra mouthed 'You go, girl!"

"Since Tony was kind enough to win my heart and my fiddle, I shall now serenade him with a piece about me." Claire said with a joy-filled expression on her face,
Spoiler: Butterknife to the Bone

With that Claire began to sing and dance for Tony. Her friends, cousin, and sister backed her as she writhed in time to the rock music while her husband-to-be stared at the vision of beauty presented.

On the day I was born
The nurses all gathered 'round
And they gazed in wide wonder
At the joy they had found
The head nurse spoke up
Said "leave this one alone"
She could tell right away
That I was bad to the bone
Bad to the bone
Bad to the bone
B-B-B-B-Bad
B-B-B-B-Bad
B-B-B-B-Bad
Bad to the bone

A.N.-And here's what all you Claire/Tony shipbuilders have been waiting for. Mr. Potter's giving her a ring as soon as he physically can. The next time you see Claire/Tony, she will have this on her finger:
Spoiler: Claire's Engagement and Wedding Ring

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Bats and Cannons (II)

6 July 2014

Victory Ground, Chudley, Central Devon, England

With a 'pop' of displaced air, a trio of figures appeared on top of a grassy hill on the village outskirts. They staggered and wobbled in the normal aftereffects of Portkey travel.

Ehren du Chasteler looked around sharply as her stomach and inner ear finally joined her as she recovered. Her pale blonde eyebrows raised as she saw several dozen clumps of black and red tents in the fields below them. "Is that normal, Ronald?" she asked.

Ron sighed as he handed the empty bottle of Guinness that had been enchanted as their Portkey to Jean Bart. "Please stow that in your hold? It will recharge in a hour and we can use it to return home then." The redheaded wizard turned to the dagger spirit. "Oh yes, it is never fun, but I can't fly a broom openly outside of school since I am still underage for practicing magic and I do not have my Apparition License yet. Since I don't know any of the Floo addresses for here, I had to buy a Portkey ticket for the match."

Ehren nodded thoughtfully as they began to walk down the hill toward the tents. "I see. This is the first time that I have traveled via magical mechanisms. They seem to cost in nausea and vertigo what they make up for in convenience."

Ron made a sound of agreement as Jean Bart took his hand. "It certainly seems that way. Anyway, the stadium is on the other side of the village, so we can either go around where all the fans who came down early and set up shop with the tents are, or cut through the middle." He paused. "I have been here once before for a match."

"Oh?" the girls asked in chorus, coughed in embarrassment, then Ehren nodded to Jean Bart to proceed. The brunette battleship looked at Ron. "What was it like?"

Ron smiled in memory. "My father was working for the regional office out here in Devonshire; he hadn't been promoted to his current post yet. Anyway, he won a pair of tickets to the Cannons match in an office raffle so he took me for my fifth birthday." The smile grew warmer and more fond. "It was one of the best days of my life. Just us two. No Charlie, no Percy, no Fred and George, no Bill. I didn't even care that the Cannons lost badly; well not too much. He told me as we walked out 'other people may have called those two tickets a booby prize in the lottery, but it's not what life gives you, but what you make of it, Ron'. He was right, you know."

Jean Bart smiled and nodded, her eyes suspiciously shiny as she murmured. "Pour obtenir ce que nous voulons, nous devons accepter certaines choses dont nous ne voulons pas. Pas de rose sans épine."

Ehren translated the French proverb for Ron with a small smile on her face. "'To get what we want, we must accept some things we don't want. No rose without a thorn'. I have found that truth in my life to date as well. 'One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity', to quote Albert Schweitzer."

Ron nodded thoughtfully, reflecting on the path he had led to this moment, these friendships, the group of friends who had gathered around him, and what they meant to him. "Yeah. Yeah. Life's like that."

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

On the other side of the village, Ehren gave a shocked look at the two dozen orange towers in a circle now visible in the woodlot that they were heading toward through the swarm of tents. "That is the stadium, Ron?"

Ron nodded as they approached a vendor selling Butterbeer. A magical image of a fruitbat fluttered overhead singing 'how Barny was batty for Butterbeer' and a crowd of wizards and witches in black and red robes with Irish accents surrounded the stand. "It is...and I see the visitors brought their own drink salesmen. Barny's Butterbeer sponsors the Ballycastle Bats and they have all kinds of money rolling in. Unlike us Cannons."

Ehren squeezed his shoulder gently. "Money can't buy the important things, Ron. Family. Friendships. Honor."

"Omnioculars! Get your Omnioculars, only ten Galleons! Don't miss a second of the action!" A cry rang out and they noticed a second vendor's stall along the path that they were taking.

Ehren glanced at Ron. "What are Omnioculars, Ron?"

Ron rubbed his chin with the hand that Jean Bart had not claimed. "They are magical goggles that can zoom in and follow the action, replay and fast forward the plays and list who did what when, and even save them for later replay."

"Ausgezeichnet!" Ehren exclaimed as she lapsed into German with a satisfied nod. "Mutti gave me an allowance of magical currency, and I shall purchase a set for the event and to serve as a souvenir. Do either of you want one?"

Ron looked at Ehren. "I've enough cash for my own purchases. They'd be useful for more than sports though. Do you want a set, Jean?"

"Oui!" The battleship nodded enthusiastically with a excited smile.

After the purchase of Omnioculars for everyone, Ron explained the function of the dials and knobs on the enchanted brass binoculars while they climbed the tower to their seats.
Spoiler: Ehren's First Quidditch Match

Ehren sat between Ron and the end of the row and looked at the six hoops and streaming flags as seven players in orange capes and jerseys and seven more in black robes with scarlet bat logos flew out on brooms. She touched the record knob, and watched as names formed over the heads of each player. She panned slowly across the Chudley players, and murmured to herself. "Gordon Harton, Keeper. Balder Wyrm and Cyrus Shackleton, Beaters. Annika Grove, Aurora Black -- I wonder if she is related to Aunt Narcissa? -- and Elwin Crowe, Chasers, and Laura Periculum is the Seeker." Her gaze then tracked to the Ballycastle side and her steel-blue eyes widened at the heavily muscled twin beaters. "Angus and Cu O'Leary, Beaters. Moram MacMurry, Zelig Skeeter and Fae Bloodworth, Chasers. Vivian Wood is the Seeker, and their keeper should be.... Aha! Marcus Mulrooney."

With those words, the referee opened the case and set the Snitch loose, followed by tossing the Quaffle and releasing the Bludgers as the crowd roared. Ehren cheered wildly along with the other scattered islands of orange in a black and red sea of Ballycastle fans.

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

Ehren realized that Quidditch was an incredibly fast paced and brutal sport. It was like watching the Beautiful Game of Fußball played with constant motion and changes of direction, along with precise passing. Except in midair with all that entailed.

She could almost see patterns in the chaos of fourteen players and four balls in flight back and forth and once more made a mental note to at least try out for the amateur team for whatever wizarding school that she would go to. After all, her big sister Ying had played Keeper for Horned Serpent and Aunt Delilah had been a Chaser six years for Thunderbird as students, so she had it in her steel, she supposed.

Unfortunately, the Bats were the ones doing the precise passing and vicious attacking pressure. Even as she watched their Chasers charged to score again in an arrowhead formation (the Hawkshead Attacking Formation her Omnioculars informed her).

She sighed as the score updated to 150 Ballycastle - 20 Chudley.

The two Chudley goals had been a fluke broken play when a Bludger appearing out of nowhere had collided with the Quaffle in a passing attempt by Ballycastle, knocking the ball to Aurora Black who scored on a breakaway (resulting in an impromptu Franco-Prussian victory jig in their tower as the shutout was broken) and some frenetic passing on one of the few attacks that Chudley had prosecuted successfully into the opponent's end.

Then her breath narrowed as the Ballycastle Seeker suddenly dove toward the ground from where he had been slowly circling high overhead, followed by the Chudley Seeker.

The Snitch!

If our Seeker somehow caught it, the game could yet be won!

Suddenly the Ballycastle seeker pulled up from the screaming dive and the Chudley player plowed broom-first into the dirt (Wronski Feint, her Omnioculars told her along with a flashing request if she wanted a replay), causing her to wince as Laura's ankle broke in the crash.

The horn sounded again, signifying another Ballycastle score, as the dazed Seeker staggered onto her broom. Then Ehren's vision locked on a glint of gold.

"There!" Ehren screamed and pointed.

The Chudley Seeker focused on the Snitch flying low down among the towers and took off after it.

The Ballycastle Seeker sped after her, but was too far back.

"Schnapp es dir jetzt, schnapp es dir jetzt, bitte Gott schnapp es dir jetzt!!" Ehren shrieked in German at the top of her lungs. Her fingers dug into Ron's arm as she jumped up and down in her seat.

The redhead didn't care as he locked on the chase, ignoring a save on a shot on the Ballycastle goal.

Jean Bart followed along as best she could with her jury-rigged rangefinders as Ballycastle advanced the Quaffle.

Gloved fingers closed on the Snitch and fireworks were shot off.

CHUDLEY 170 - BALLYCASTLE 160 was formed by the orange explosions in the sky.

Pandemonium reigned in the stands as Ron was hugged and kissed on the cheek by both girls as they celebrated like madmen.

Or like sports fans whose faith had been rewarded with the ending of a losing streak.

A cool drink of water at the end of a dry desolate painful desert trek for the souls who persevered and
remained true.

For victory was all the sweeter after having to drink the bitter dregs of defeat for 29 matches.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Bats and Cannons (III)

6 July 2014

Passel House, Hampshire, England
Spoiler: A Friendly Little Spar

Colombe du Chasteler paused in the middle of the overgrown woodlot, then idly kicked a shapeless and rotting pile of bricks with one booted foot. Behind her Duke stopped in turn and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

The French rapier shrugged. "I'm not sure, maybe some outbuilding like a charcoal burner's oven? It's too overgrown and decrepit to know now in any event. It makes for a useful reference point at least. Xath and Victoria said that if we tear this place up the better for them since it saves them the trouble, so let me throw up some wards first."

Duke nodded. "Wards?"

Colombe drew her rapier and paused. "A subset of charmwork. In the broad sense it covers things that prevent a spell, object or person from entering or leaving the warded area. For instance Passel House has Anti-Muggle Wards anchored on some key points in and around the grounds so the nonmagical neighbors will overlook what is going on inside. Also you can prohibit certain spells being used, such as my castle has Anti-Apparition Wards inside the walls that prevent my enemies just appearing by magic to attack me using one of the most common and versatile transportation spells."

"In this case, I'll be throwing up one set to discourage innocent bystanders from noticing or looking to investigate and catching a face-full of something nasty." Duke nodded as the rapier rubbed her chin with her free hand, "the other set I will be raising grounds magical energies out and also acts as a soft shield to things moving outside the warded area. Like a wall of water that slows down and weakens objects passing through. It wouldn't stop one of your main battery shells, but shrapnel when-not-if we blow apart a few trees won't penetrate."

Duke nodded along. "You said shields and mentioned that they make you bulletproof. How much can you handle?"

Colombe visibly thought for several moments. "Not your main battery certainly, I had a few shells hit near me during the Great War in the hundred-seventy to two hundred millimeter range and that was pretty bad. The less said about the three hundred millimeter Minenwerfer bombs the better. Hundred fifty and under I can handle pretty well, at least high explosive. I never had someone try to tag me with armor piercing, but have had to deflect a few cannonballs back in the 1800s. That said, I have only known two wizards who were stronger with shields than I am, specifically Andraste and Marcel Renault. One oh five to one fifties tend to make a mess out of many things if they land nearby. Wizards, dragons, giants, Grendels. That also assumes that I can spend the time and power needed to bring all my layered shielding spells up. If you shot me over the breakfast table by surprise with a rifle never mind anything heavier, I'd eat the bullet. Also volume of fire matters since the more things hit me, the faster I have to pump power into the shields to keep them from collapsing."

Duke's eyes widened. "A shell off my secondary batteries then..."

Colombe shrugged. "Pretty much, price of getting into deep trouble on a regular basis, having to get good or die, and surviving shit that should have killed me a few dozen times over. Play chess with good players long enough and you get good. That said, let me get this set up."

With that, Colombe began to chant in Latin: "Angelus primum Iovem, dicto Iao, et Michael, quem praeesset caeli regnum, ut vocant, et vos Gabriel Archangelus mittitur. Olympo, Abrasax laeta aderit, cui misericors veniet ab ortu solis visum!" As she incanted, her rapier flashed out to inscribe a circle divided by a wavy line as the blade glowed aquamarine. She pivoted to her right as the rapier blade shifted colors to dark green and she sketched a circle with a cross in it. As Duke watched with interest and her faeries took notes, Colombe did another quarter turn as the rapier shifted to orange-red and a third circle was sketched, this one with a M separating the halves of the circle. The final symbol was a golden unadorned circle. Now surrounded by the four floating symbols Colombe took a deep breath and bellowed. "FIAT!"

A invisible soundless pulse of energy radiated from Colombe like a shock-wave. Colombe then looked at the area and nodded with a smug smirk. "Shall we?"

Duke nodded and drew her sword as she shimmered and rigged up. "Let's be about it."

Colombe nodded and then gestured, forming a ball of glowing energy. "I'll toss this up. When it lands it will go out. That's our signal to begin. Best of seven hits?"

Duke nodded. "Seven hits. Touch on you or damage on my hull."

"Agreed." Colombe tossed the ball underhand.

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

As the ball landed, the two spirits blurred into action. Duke's eyes widened as the Frenchwoman moved almost too fast to be seen.

Zounds!

Steel clashed on steel as her blade met the rapier's and sparks flew. She tried to use her superior strength to lock the blades but the Muramasa slithered away. As her blade disengaged, Colombe snapped out "Chakrati of Arjuna!" and flung a trio of flaming disks at Duke's face.

Duke instinctively raised her hand to shield her vulnerable bridge and optics. A split second later there was a scream of steel on steel and her damage control officer noted with a fair amount of shock that her S.2 secondary turret had a gash in it the length of the side armor plate that had opened it up like a cheap tin of biscuits.

That sneaky little Frog!

As Duke recovered, she noticed that a crimson aura was fading from Colombe's blade. "What WAS that?"

Colombe grinned as she responded. "It is a custom cutting charm based on the one that enchants my aunt Juuchi Yosamu. She can cut anyone and anything apart without distinction. Ian Potter studied her to enchant Tsukiakari, his kyo gunto, and he gave me a copy of his notes. It is temporary and weaker than Aunt Juuchi, but...." Colombe shrugged expressively.

Duke nodded thoughtfully. "How much armor can you penetrate with that spell up?"

Colombe shrugged, "Full blade length with a thrust, so 94 centimeters with a full penetration at the most. What's your belt armor?"

Duke whistled. "Fourteen point seven inches. So you could punch through my belt twice over. Probably not hit anything too vital though, since there's spacing on the other side thanks to torpedo defense in my design."

Colombe nodded thoughtfully. "If you were a hostile Abyssal, I'd probably try to channel a fire spell through my blade, or something similar then. Assuming that I did not hit anything too vital to drop her with a thrust into the heart or spine say. Or whatever the equivalent is for a spirit."

Duke grinned viciously. "I'll have to see about getting that enchantment for my sword. I have had the odd spot of swordplay against Abyssals after all." She issued orders to train out her antiaircraft armament on Colombe. "Round two then."

Colombe summoned a second ball of energy. "Round two." She heaved it up and prepared to renew the spar.

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

A half hour later, a pair of figures emerged from the shattered and smoking ruins of the woodlot. Colombe was bloody and battered with several visibly bleeding wounds on her torso as she limped on a clearly injured leg. Next to her, Duke was scorched and battered in turn with a limp arm, and a massively swelling bloody black eye.

Victoria visibly sniffed as the wounded pair headed into the repair baths. She then headed to notify Angie that she had patients incoming.

Angie paused in packing tobacco into her pipe to stare at the pair of towel-clad spirits passing her post at the door to the repair bath. The drydock then lit her pipe and puffed as the two hissed in relief as they lowered themselves into the awaiting repair fluid.

"Duke. You have a meter-diameter oak tree jammed in your aft fire control radar set." Angie spoke in a tone of disbelief. "Also one of your secondary turrets got ripped wide open."

Duke blinked and focused on Angie. "Yes. She threw the tree at me. Called the spell that threw half the forest at me...what was it again?"

Colombe gasped in pleasure as her wounds began to heal as she dunked her rapier body in the repair fluid. "Shifrat Aljini al'Awal. Sword of the First Jinn is the translation. It's Arabic, hits an area with a windstorm to pick up anything not tied down to throw at someone. Learned it in 1753 or so in Damascus. It takes some time to build up, which is why I threw those illusions out as cover while I loaded it up to hammer you."

Duke nodded. "You're a sneaky and skilled opponent, Colombe. Thank you for shifting between traditions and schools of magic so I could get an idea of what mages from farther afield are capable of."

Colombe shrugged, "Keep in mind I'm a multidisciplinary dabbler. In a straight say magical martial arts fight using just Daoist Three Treasures spells, Ying or Yuying would kick my ass handily. I am a journeyman at best and they are grandmasters of their magical martial arts style. Toku regularly gives me all that I can handle and she is 'just' a specialist in Japanese Onmyouji, although she also trained specifically to take advantage of my weak points and we are learning from each other."

Duke looked a question at Colombe as her damage control faeries reported that the last of the oak tree had just been removed from the radar assembly. The blonde rapier shrugged. "Long story. Short version is the first time we met I sucker-punched her to win our initial duel and she got a prophecy that we would have another meeting. So she trained specifically to defeat me, and the rematch was a lot more closely contested." Colombe grinned. "She took me down with a massive lighning bolt that blew me into a wall. Fun fight."

Duke nodded. "Ahh. So what now?"

Colombe smirked, "Well after we stop hurting, grab some clothes and see if the sports fans are back. Then we see what is for dinner. That reminds me, what is your liquor of preference?"

Duke grinned and let her Scottish accent, caused by her birth at the shipyards in Clydebank come out. "Scotch whiskeys. Peated by preference."

Colombe chuckled, "I'll see about finding a bottle of something nice and smoky for your palate since that was a very fun spar. We will have to do that again when our duties permit."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Bats and Cannons (Finale)

6 July 2014

Passel House, Hampshire, England
Spoiler: Victoria's Favorite Composer

Victoria Passel hummed "God Save the Queen" to herself as she kept one eye on the pumpernickel bread that was baking and another on the young guest in the music room who was working with pen and staff paper. As she watched the piano spirit hummed a musical phrase as her pen flew across the paper in one hand as her fingers touched the keyboard playing the odd series of notes quietly.

Victoria's appearance with the score of Mr. Sullivan's ballet Victoria and Merrie England had produced a crushing hug from the dear child as part of the heartfelt and sincere thanks. Miss Claire had asked if Victoria could find some staff paper and a pen to work on a piano transcription of the offered music, which the household had of course provided for her.

One had to satisfy any reasonable request from a guest, after all. Supplies to compose music and a room to do such in was more than a reasonable request and it was not like Victoria could not see the need for musical supplies coming from a league away. At least Claire was quite a more demure and socially acceptable example of the 'creative artistic type' than Mrs. Potter in 1902, Victoria added with a small shudder as she remembered the notorious author's visit back then, since at least Claire was writing proper British music and not that kind of indecent materiel.

(For her peace of mind, Victoria was still quite unaware of the tendency for some musical pieces to stir animal passions along with the reputation for musicians to have wild behavior and 'active social lives'. Truly ignorance was bliss.)

As for the rest of the household, Angie was talking with Summer as the two tinkered in the workshop building, Lara was airing out the linens, Xath was watering the flowerbeds in her Orangery, and Brigid was alternating between humming some of the music that Miss Claire had played yesterday and chuckling as she read Bram Stoker in her room.

The Young Master, Miss Jean Bart, and Miss du Chasteler had yet to return from the sporting event that was in progress, of course. Victoria was already planning on some hot cocoa to cheer them up after yet another defeat for their Quidditch team.

Which left Duke and Ms. du Chasteler out in the south woodlot. Victoria mentally winced as a tree disintegrated in an explosion and a fresh plume of smoke rose from that quarter. Yes, it needed to be cleared for a vegetable garden, but that was such a noisy and untidy way to do it. Even if the participants were having fun in the process of demolition.

A hoot announced that Ron's owl had arrived with a scroll almost as big as it was in its talons. Victoria opened the window to let Pigwidgeon in. The little fluffy gray Snitch dropped the scroll on the counter in front of Victoria, who then gave an Owl Treat in return.

Victoria blinked as she noticed that the scroll was addressed to her and sealed with red wax.

"Whatever could this be?" she murmured to herself as she broke the seal and began to unroll the scroll.

Her eyes widened in surprise and she staggered to a nearby chair to collapse into it as she read item after item written in a bold hand on the list.

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

ShipgirlsOnline - Forums/The Workshop (restricted)

Thread: I Need A FUCKING DRINK!!! - The Third Thread Of Shipgirl Stupidity

Trockendock Under New Management (Royal Navy) (Deutsche Marine) (Crusty Old Fart) (Repair Boat): Oh have I got one for you all today.

Look upon what crawled through my door ye assembled and despair! Pennant17Type284Radar.jpg

Vestal Virgin (USN) (Pearl Harbor Diving Club) (Post-War Veteran) (Repair Boat) (AR-4): THE FUCK ANGIE?!? WHAT. THE FUCK.



Despair Ship Remorse (Royal Navy) (Repair Boat) (F79): Bloody Hell! How.. I mean... HOW?



Ajax Spray and Wipe (USN) (Post-War Veteran) (Repair Boat) (AR-6): And I thought Archie telling me about that idiot submarine overrunning her CO2 scrubbers after a week in a swimming pool girled up was peak crazy!



Despair Ship Remorse (Royal Navy) (Repair Boat) (F79): It's a bloody tree in the bloody radar housing. A whole. Bloody. Tree. I can't even....



Ajax Spray and Wipe (USN) (Post-War Veteran) (Repair Boat) (AR-6): Right. Just tell me your 'lubricant of choice', Angie, and I'll have the bottle shipped over with the next convoy out of Norfolk. One week into the new month, but I can tell this one won't be topped. You'll need it in any event to put that idiot battleship back together.



Trockendock Under New Management (Royal Navy) (Deutsche Marine) (Crusty Old Fart) (Repair Boat): Apfelkorn 80 proof, bitte.



Vestal Virgin (USN) (Pearl Harbor Diving Club) (Post-War Veteran) (Repair Boat) (AR-4): Just be sure to tell us how the hell that happened after you wring it out of that moron!



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

Colombe looked at her Edwardian traveling dress and underclothing that had been waiting for her when she and Duke got out of the repair bath. "I was hoping for something less formal, honestly." She finally said, glancing at Duke.

Duke shrugged as she began to dress in her spare uniform. "It's Victoria's doing. She's sending a message about how she wants you to behave. She does that."

Colombe nodded and picked up the clothing. "A fair point, and I did not plan to walk through the house en déshabillé just to find something else to wear. I am a guest here, and I suspect if I did that she might find something with a corset for me to wear until I left."

Duke began to button her blouse. "Probably if you got her mad enough." The battleship shrugged. "She has definite opinions and I have to say that I agree with her in some regards. One could do worse than learn the virtues that built the British Empire."

Colombe nodded and gathered her hair into a ponytail. "Agreed. Raising the next generation is the most important part of being a parent, I have found. I can only hope Ying, Claire, and Ehren will not repeat my mistakes."

Duke clapped Colombe on the shoulder reassuringly. "You have good children. Not perfect, but I have seen worse. You are making the attempt to do the best that you can, and that is something."

As the two blondes walked toward the kitchens, a sudden commotion sounded from the front hall. Duke and Colombe looked at each other, nodded as one, and went to investigate.

---------------------------------------------
Spoiler: The Sound Of Victory!

Chudley Cannons, Chudley Cannons, plunge right through that line.
Fly the Quaffle clear down the field, a goal is sure this time!
Chudley Cannons, Chudley Cannons, fight on for her fame.
Fight, fellows, fight, fight, fight, we'll win this game.

Ron marched up the driveway to the house with his arms around the waists of Jean Bart and Ehren as they sang the Chudley Cannons fight song loudly and enthusiastically in unison. The three had beaming smiles and expressions of joy on their faces.

Victoria's eyes widened in surprise at the rumpled appearance of the trio, the odor of Butterbeer, and the ear to ear grins of all three. The residence squelched the spike of concern that she might otherwise have about the scene, for she had experienced a few celebrations of victory in her long life, and the trio was still young. Some allowances could be made.

Chudley Cannons, Chudley Cannons, stand up Cannons sing.
"Forward" is our driving spirit, loyal voices ring.
Chudley Cannons, Chudley Cannons, raise her glowing flame.
Stand, fellows, let us now salute her name.

Summer poked her head out of the workshop in curiosity at the noise. The shocked Abyssal received a hug from Ron, followed by Ehren and Jean Bart. "C'mon Summer sing along! We broke the losing streak!"

"Yardmaster!" Summer took Ehren's place at Ron's side as the front door opened and the procession marched inside, singing happily.

Angie followed behind with a grin around her pipe. The drydock then leaned toward Ehren. "Ehren, what is Claire's favorite food? Victoria asked me to inquire."

The sounds of the melody of the Chudley Cannons fight song sounded from the music room as Ehren nodded to Angie. "Claire loves Viennese Apfelstrudel pastries. I am partial myself as well."

Colombe smiled happily and proudly at her youngest and her friends as she stood next to Duke. The rapier leaned close to the battleship. "I think we need not inquire how the game went, non?"

Duke snorted and shook her head with a fond smile on her face as she looked at Ron while Claire launched into another playing of the fight song.

Chudley Cannons, Chudley Cannons, plunge right through that line
Fly the Quaffle clear down the field boys, your score is sure this time
U-Rah-Rah
Chudley Cannons, Chudley Cannons, Fight on for her fame
Fight, Cannons, fight, fight, fight, we'll win this game.

A.N.-I like "On Wisconsin", so sue me.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Akagi looked at the sign before the large mine mouth curiously, "'Welcome to the Underworld'? Hmm..."

Glancing up at the roof of the cavern, Kaga raised an eyebrow, "The name certainly fits, Akagi-Chan." Turning, she gave a smile to the male Kitsune beside her, "What do you think, Taichi-Kun?"

Just rubbing his neck, the male Kitsune gave a hum before shrugging, "Actually? It fits pretty well, I think." He then jerked his thumb towards the entrance, "Want to go and check it out? From what I heard it is kind of impressive."

The two Carriers glanced at each other, smiled, and then nodded before they began to follow the Kitsune into the cavern.

It was not too far before they reached the first destination, which were the large statues of two Oni facing outwards with snarls on their faces, one painted red and a male with one horn and the other female and painted blue with two. Both had one hand on a kanabō with one palm open and facing the entrance. The statues seemed to be glaring and there was an odd feeling of protectiveness there. As if they were denying entry to further in the caves to those who might harm whomever lived there.

Eyebrow raised as she looked up, as each statue had to be twenty feet tall, Kaga hummed, "Impressive pieces of art."

Only nodding as she took a picture, Akagi smiled a little, "Hai, they really are." Cupping her chin in thought, she glanced at the heated pools just behind the statues, that caused mist to rise in the cool air of the cave, "And I would think quite effective since they are so life-like. I would swear that they could take a step at any moment."

With a tilt of the head, the lone Kitsune of the group nodded, "I've seen statues like this before at other Yokai places. And sometimes... they can actually move and attack." Seeing a metal plaque in the wall, he walked over and read it, "These two were named Mamoru, for the male, and Yamane for the female with the entrance being called Yamaguchi Gateway." Taichi looked at them and nodded slowly, "Apparently, there was an incident when Kuroshi managed to gum up the works for the gates further in, and the two Oni depicted here stood their ground and held off her entire force of Ushi-Onna, giant spiders, and evil Yokai long enough for the mechanisms to be repaired before they were overwhelmed. Since then, they're seen as the protectors of the community down here."

For a few moments, Kaga and Akagi looked at the two statues in thought before snapping to a salute first to Mamoru and then to Yamane. Unknown to them, a few others caught sight of them and their eyes widened at seeing it before they hurried off. As they left behind the two statues, however, Akagi became thoughtful, "Kaga-Chan? Do you think that if they are guardian spirits that perhaps..."

Already knowing her thoughts, Kaga gave a small nod, "Hai, it is quite possible that they are in the spirit realm with Shiromizu's castle and I would not be surprised if that is where they live now."

That only got her a nod from Taichi with a thoughtful look on his own face, "I would think so too."

Just a few short minutes later, they reached the first of the gates which was made of iron bars and hung above them on heavy chains. It was obvious that it could drop down to the floor and lock into place. Further in, they saw the second gate, which was actually made of wood that had a few holes in it. A third gate was made of thick, magically reinforced stone, and beyond that was a fourth gate made of iron that had to be at least a foot thick.

Running a hand along the edge, Akagi frowned a little, "This has to be several tons at the least."

Both Taichi and Kaga nodded before they continued to move and blinked as they found a bridge with the odd stall along it. It was made of stone, which was reinforced quite a bit, and stretched over a nearly dry riverbed. However, they could see various boulders strewn around, which made them raise their eyebrows as well as how the bridge itself was the fifth gate. Reading the plaque, Taichi winced before pointing, "According to this? If retreating further into the caves, they would hold the bridge as long as possible before fleeing behind the sixth gate." He pointed at another iron gateway, which also had bars, "And then would initiate a mechanism that would open the gates in the wall over there."

Eyes following his finger, Kaga frowned before she noted that in the torchlight there was water seeping past the stone "Gates" in the walls, "An underwater river?"

A chuckle made them turn a little as a woman walked up to them in waterlogged white robes with an iron ring upon her head with three lit candles upon the spikes there, "Close, but not quite."

Head tilted to the side, Akagi had a surprised look on her face before realizing who it was, "You're a Hashihime, are you not?"

Lightly smiling, the woman chuckled and bowed, "Hai, I am one as a matter of fact, and this is my bridge. My name is Hashi-hi, so named because of how cold the waters are."

Glancing at the water seeping out, Taichi frowned, "Uh, how cold are we talking about? And if not an underground river..."

Hashi-hi gestured at the small gates in the walls, "Behind those are tunnels leading to flooded mines that contain cold, mountain water. If the other gates are compromised and broken, then they shall open and the mines above will empty of water into this room. Some invaders would be smashed and squashed into the exits there." She gestured at iron bars covering some openings that the small stream entered, which made the two shipgirls and one Kitsune wince, "Others will be swept out the way they came, thus giving time for the defenders to take back the gates as the waters will cause hypothermia soon enough."

Slowly nodding, Akagi glanced around before running a hand along the side of the bridge, "But wouldn't that damage your bridge? And it would be a shame considering the carvings..."

For a moment, the Hashihime's eyes lit up in joy before she shook her head, "No, because my bridge is designed to allow water to pass over it and is anchored deep within the mountain."

After a short explanation, the group continued onwards and soon entered the seventh gate after which they could see homes. The whole time, they could see lanterns on the walls as well as phosprecent mosses and the like giving off light. It was at this point that the "Mine" opened up further and the two Carriers widened their eyes at the sight that met them. Because it was the size of a small stadium now and they could see rows of Nagaya along the walls of the cavern with the road in front while various Yokai went back and forth. There were even a few stores as well. One thing that caught their eye was the sight of a woman with bat wings walking along with a stick as she guided her... flock.

If one could call about two dozen cave crickets the size of medium dogs a flock.

Pointing at them, Kaga raised an eyebrow, "What are those...?"

With a small shrug as they continued to walk, Taichi chuckled a little, "Giant cave crickets." At the looks he got from the two shipgirls, he smiled a little, "They're something used by Yokai living underground as a source of food because they'll basically eat anything organic, so they can live off the cave moss and fungi. Sort of like pigs above ground really, and they grow pretty quick." Frowning, he hummed, "Not sure when they were first bred, but... there you go really."

Akagi considered that for a few moments before humming, "How do they taste?"

That got her a somewhat concerned look from her friend and fellow member of CarDiv1, 'Akagi-Chan... no... please no...'

Not realizing the thoughts going through his other girlfriend, Taichi blinked for a moment, "How do they taste?" At the nod, he considered it for a few moments, "Depends on how they're cooked and with what. Normally? A kind of mild flavor, but roasted they have this sort of nutty taste to them. Not that bad, really..."

Expression carefully blank, Kaga took in Akagi's expression and internally sighed, 'We are going to try at least one of them it seems... Oh, Akagi-Chan...' Wanting to change the subject, she cleared her throat, "I do wonder one thing..." Upon getting the attention of the other two, the Carrier continued, "They live underground, but would not earthquakes be a concern?"

Frowning, Akagi glanced around in some worry before turning to him, "Kaga-Chan does bring up a very good point, Taichi-Kun. Wouldn't earthquakes be a danger for anyone living underground?"

Much to their surprise, he grinned and lightly laughed, "Not quite." He gestured around them, "This cavern was likely a normal sized mine shaft and still is besides the magically expanded space. However, for any earthquake? The waves passing through would hit the outer parts as if they were still that mineshaft, but upon passing the layer of the spell which sinks a few inches in, would suddenly weaken as suddenly they're stretched out. So... a space expanded, say, fifteen times? That is how much an earthquake would weaken as soon as it passed the boundary between outside and inside the expanded space."

Both shipgirls had widened eyes at that before becoming thoughtful at what it meant.

Continuing along their journey, they noted that the festival had continued even down here. One stall, for instance, had among the prizes for the game a stuffed white snake. Another served "Sugar lightning" which was rock candy in the shape of a familiar lightning bolt scar. From the corner of her eye, Kaga noticed something and turned which meant that Akagi did as well.

Mainly because a young woman set down a pail on the road while waving goodbye to someone running a food stall before she placed one foot into it followed by the other. Almost immediately afterwards, she wiggled around until the only part of her sticking out was her head. Then, the pail began to bounce along before one bounce carried it up to a roof and a second over it. Slowly, both Carriers turned to look at each other with raised eyebrows.

Soon enough though, they did reach their destination: The cavern where, once centuries ago, a shussebora lived before it made its way from the mountains to the sea, carving a tunnel as it went.

Crystals of all sorts, embedded in the walls, glowed creating constallations and providing some light. Meanwhile, on either side of the footpath, thick mosses grew like grass would in the world above and strange, glowing fungal "Trees" rose above them. It was a landscape as alien as it was beautiful with various Yokai able to be seen as they walked along.

But what caught their eye was in the middle of the cavern for there stood what looked like an ancient Japanese manor that rose upwards. Looking at it in interest, Kaga glanced around, "You know, it does feel rather like something from one of the old legends."

With a nod, Akagi smiled a little as her eyes sparkled, "Hai, it does at that, Kaga-Chan. It really does feel like that..."

All three enjoyed their small tour of the building and community, though it amused them that the female Satori Hanyou who lived there muttered to a female Oni about how the two shipgirls gave her a headache due to all the mental voices they had. But it was still something that they enjoyed, nonetheless and took pictures and video to upload to the more restricted parts of SGO. And yes, Akagi did have a roast giant cave cricket...

Which she actually enjoyed, much to the bemusement of her girlfriend and boyfriend.

____________________________________________________________________

Bare feet hitting stone, Natsumi grinned as the breeze trailed her hair behind her before reaching the end of a stone ledge and leaping into the air. Tucking her legs in against her chest, she gave a whoop, "CANNONBALL!"

Moments later, she hit the water creating a large splash upwards. From where he was sitting in the shallows, Harry snickered a bit as he lounged in the water. And when the Kitsune broke the surface and brushed her hair from her face, he gave her a thumbs up before shouting, "NICE ONE, NATSUMI-CHAN!"

In reply, Natsumi laughed and returned it before getting out of the way. Once she was far enough away from where she impacted the water, she could hear a Kappa up the cliff call out that it was safe for the next one to go. Reaching Harry, she walked out of the water with a grin on her face, "That was great, Harry-Chan, you should try yourself."

With a bemused smile, Harry gave a grin of his own, "I actually might, it looks fun."

His eyes caught movement and he looked up to see Tsukiakari's avatar running along the ledge towards the end. Due to the one piece she wore, it was obvious that her normal clothes hid quite a bit. When she hit the water in a dive though, Harry shook his head and turned back to Natsumi as another voice joined them, "I must admit, ma chérie, mon chéri, this is quite the swimming spot."

Looking over his shoulder at Lousiana in her own one piece, who had Kenshō beside her in a school swimsuit, Harry just nodded, "It really is."

The teenager turned his attention to their surroundings. Before them was a pit dug decades before into the mountain looking for gold and silver. But now, it was flooded with pure, crystal clear water from Shiromizu's river that cascaded a waterfall for sixty feet into the pool with smaller ones from nearby springs also tumbling down into it as smaller waterfalls were people sat under. Around the sides of the swimming hole, morning glory vines with various colors of flowers climbed up the rock walls creating a splash of color as mist from the waterfall filled the air and created shimmering rainbows. The water exited through one end of the pool and continued to tumble down the mountainside.

Here and there one could see Kappa just sitting around and keeping watch on those enjoying the water. Some were in their true forms of turtle-like beings with hollows in their heads, while others took more human-like forms and wore normal bathing suits. All of them acted like lifeguards though to keep an eye on those swimming. Though there were some other aquatic Yokai as well as even as they watched, a Nure-Onna was talking with a male River Tengu. Said bird Yokai, instead of having a raven's/crow's or a raptor's wings, instead had the face and wings of a cormorant. He showed it a moment later by leaping off the rock he and his girlfriend were on and diving into the water without a splash, followed by the Nure-Onna slipping in after him.

At another end of the large pool of water, which was more a small lake, Harry watched as a Kuwaso held onto a rope and flung himself out over the water using it. Lips twitching, he grinned a bit, "It really was a good choice to come here."

Beside him, Natsumi gave a smile as she moved her wet hair to the side with a bright smile of her own, "Hai, glad that I thought of it." She giggled a few moments later as Harry gave her a shrug and roll of the eyes before looking at Louisiana and lightly blushing at the sight of the Battleship in a swimsuit, 'Dammit...'

Inside her head, she could hear Tamamo's echo speak up, 'While I have always leaned more towards men, I have sometimes turned an eye onto fellow females before my husband. And the one who seeks your companionship is quite... delectable.' A low rumble-like purr echoed through her mind for a moment and Natsumi had the impression of a fox licking its lips, 'Oh yes, you have made quite the wise choice there...'

Eyebrow twitching despite her blush, the fourteen year old Kitsune growled internally, 'Ero-Kitsune!'

Sadly, all she got was a laugh before Tamamo's echo went back to whatever it normally did.

Despite her embarrassment and annoyance to a certain long dead vixen, Natsumi was rather happy about the fact that Harry kept glancing at her... and about how Louisiana did much the same with her own light blush. Something that made her smile a little in pride before she caught sight of Kenshō looking unsure at the water, "Is something wrong, Kenshō-Chan?"

The Kogatana blushed a little and shifted on her feet before mumbling something. Seeing the looks, she looked down at her toes as if they were the most interesting thing, "I... I don't know how to swim..."

Rather than laugh, like she expected, the two teens merely smiled with Harry patting her arm, "Can't swim, huh? Would you like to learn how?"

Eyes widening, Kenshō looked at him with some hope, "Really, Master? I... you would teach me to swim?"

Getting to his feet, the teenage wizard placed his hand on her head and gently ruffled the fluffy mane of hair she had, "Sure will, Kenshō-Chan. We won't be able to learn a whole lot, but I think that I can at least teach you the doggy paddle."

Her eyes wide, Kenshō gave a cheer as she hopped in place, "YAY! I'M GOING TO LEARN HOW TO DOGGY PADDLE!" Pausing, she suddenly stopped and frowned, "Mou... doggy paddle? What's that, Master?"

Unable to help himself, Harry laughed, "The simpliest way to swim." Holding out a hand for her to take, which she did, he lead her into the water, "Now, just follow and trust me..."

With an unsure look at the water, the little Muramasa began to walk out into the water. Despite the distance from her spring, the water was still slightly warmer than it should have been, more like a lukewarm bath than anything else. Once she reached chest height, she whimpered a little and Harry stopped, "Master?"

Softly smiling, Harry gave a small nod, "This is fine, Kenshō-Chan. Now, the first thing you need to remember is that humans, and avatars like your own, are naturally bouyant. That means that it does not take much for you to float..."

On the shore, Natsumi watched as the nearly fourteen year old teenage boy began to teach Kenshō all about how to swim and float with a soft smile on her face. Feeling Louisiana sit down next to her, she glanced at the Battleship, "Louisiana-Chan?"

Lips curling into a small smile, Louisiana gave her a happy look, "Just watching mon chéri is all, ma chérie." A soft sigh escaped her and her smile grew a touch, "He will make for a very good father."

Tilting her head to the side, the Kitsune nodded, "Hai, he will at that, Louisiana-Chan." Shifting a bit, she leaned up against the shipgirl's body, which made said Battleship blink before she wrapped one arm around Natsumi as they sat in the waist deep water, "Mmm... this is nice..."

All Louisiana did was nod in agreement before kissing her head between the ears, "Oui."

Not far away, a female Kappa looked up from where she was working on a food stand near the beach before smiling at the site, "Cute." With a shake of her head though, she returned to working at making some repairs and brushed some of her blue hair to the side and digging into the large knapsack she had, "Now, where did I place that socket set...?"

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Time Of Transition

8 July 2014

Passel House, Hampshire, England

"What should I do on the morrow? What prospects had I in life? What friends had I on earth? Whence did I come? Whither should I go? What should I do?
I wet the pillow, my arms, and my hair with rushing tears. A dark interval of bitter thought followed this burst; but I did not regret the step taken, nor wish to retract it. A strong, vague persuasion that it was better to go forward than backward, and that I could go forward - that a way, however narrow and difficult, would in time open - predominated over other feelings."--Charlotte Brontë, Villette

Ehren smiled shyly at her friends as she finished packing the trunk of the car.

"Thank you all for having me over for the visit!" she spoke warmly.

Ron grinned and shook her hand. "Still framing your ticket to the game?"

"Of course!" Ehren replied with a twinkle in her steel-blue eyes as she tapped her purse. "It may have to wait for my trip to Japan, though. Mutti wishes for us to meet her aunts and also some friends of the family such as Harry Potter."

Ron smiled, "Tell Harry that I hope to see him later on for the Quidditch World Cup."

Ehren nodded. "I certainly shall. Auf Wiedersehen, my friend."

Meanwhile on the steps Claire hugged Summer and then Victoria. "Thank you very much for the music Miss Victoria! Also thank you for the gift of a metronome, Summer!"
Spoiler: Summer's Gift For Claire

Summer gave a shy smile. "You'll come back and play for us, right?" She asked quietly with eagerness in her voice.

"Of course I will! And I'll help you learn to piano like I promised!" Claire said with a happy smile. "But Ehren and Mother need me to go now." With that she stepped back and curtsied.

As Claire got into the car, Victoria murmured to herself, "I most certainly look forward to the dear Miss Claire returning to be our guest." Beside her Summer hummed in agreement as the family all waved to the du Chastelers.

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

10 July, 2014

Wizengamot Hearing Chamber, Ministry of Magic, London
Spoiler: A Step Out Of The Past

Albus Dumbledore, clad in the robes of the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards banged his gavel on the podium. "Order! For our next subject of scheduled business, we have the reexamination of the case of Colombe du Chasteler."

Héloïse Baugé from France stood up and spoke in her gravelly voice as she rubbed the scar on her throat caused by fighting the Death Eaters as an Auror. "Oui. Following the resolution of the crisis of Verdun, the Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France did a review of individuals involved in the sealing for awarding of the Order of Nostradamus. In the process we realized that the active ICW arrest warrant out for Mlle. du Chasteler had been initiated by the Committee of Magical Security in 1793. However the damages to the Statute caused by her actions in Metz were much less than had been feared and as per her Truth Spelled testimony that she gave to the Royal Canadian Magical Mounted Patrol, her life was in danger at the time by a mob whipped up by the Non-Magiques. So I move to have the general arrest warrant that Robespierre's fanatics demanded rescinded."

Hou Xiang shot to her feet. The elderly Chinese witch pointed one crooked finger at the French delegate, and hissed in disgust, "and what of her actions in my country! She raped our cultural heritage, helped a dangerous fox spirit flee the Middle Kingdom, peddled drugs, burned an Imperial palace, assaulted numerous of our wizards trying to bring her in with no few fatalities!! And you now want your running lapdog to be returned to her kennel when she should be sent to us to face revolutionary justice?"

Dumbledore banged the gavel. "Order, order! The delegate from the Ministry of Internal Enlightenment must be recognized first!"

Xiang huffed and gave an angry stare. "Very well." She lowered herself back into her seat with an angry glare at her fellows.

Héloïse nodded her head and took a drink of water. "Merci. I lay the proposition to remove Colombe d'Aubigny du Chasteler from the ICW Immediate Arrest List for violations of the Statute of Secrecy and remand her case back to the individual nations that generated complaints. Do I have a second?"

Jebediah Whateley, the MACUSA representative, took a deep breath and thought to himself as he stood slowly, damn the De Breuil woman for acquiring proof of his family's dealings in Dark Artifacts and proscribed knowledge! The elderly First Families patrician then consoled himself that as long as he kept them ignorant of the Great Work, he and his family would be spared. He was looking forward to hearing that their precious No-Maj would burn the Black Widow of MIB and her spawn alive when the Statute finally fell. As for du Chasteler, if she was stupid enough to reveal herself to the enemies of their kind, she would burn too. With that happy thought of revenge against the witch blackmailing him, he stood, and spoke in a flatly formal voice. "MACUSA has determined that du Chasteler's actions in 1927 were directed against a Scourer and his witch-hunting party. While we regret the violations of Rappaport's Law, we were overhasty in not realizing that her actions in Louisville were a matter of barely justifiable self-defense. MACUSA seconds the motion on the floor to remove and remand du Chasteler to the Governing Authorities."

A stir ran through the assembled wizards and witches at the hard-line MACUSA representative backing the more liberal French witch then a half-dozen hands shot into the air as Dumbledore gaveled for order once more.

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

Dumbledore banged the gavel seven times on the podium an hour later. He looked around the room. "Debate is now closed, and I shall call the vote. An Aye vote is to support the proposal to remand du Chasteler, a Nay is to keep her as a wanted fugitive. Voting shall begin by the most recently seated for this session."

"Representative Jan van den Broek of the Magical Republic of the Netherland's Koninklijk Ministerie van Magische Zaken?" Dumbledore turned to his left.

The elderly Dutch wizard used his ever-present cane to lever himself to his feet. Sharp blue eyes surveyed the room like an old eagle as he stood at attention. "This is overdue. The Republic votes Aye to correct a long-standing injustice." As he finished a blue witchlight flickered over his desk.

"Cardinal Aristotele Leonardi of the Holy and Magical See of Rome?" Past van den Broek, red velvet rustled as the Catholic prelate stood. "Mercy is God's gift to all us sinners. Si, let the lady's penance end." A second blue witchlight appeared.

"Doot Karnavati Raj of the Bhaarateey Jaadoo Mantraalay of India?" Dumbledore focused on the dark-skinned woman with a jeweled chain running between her earring and a nostril-ring.

"Abstain. This does not impact us, and we have more pressing concerns such as the Abyssal menace." A white witchlight flickered over her head as she sat impassively.

"Mujtahida Iffat al-Zamān Amīn of the Assembly of Magical Experts of Persia?"

A modestly veiled female witch stood. Dark eyes full of fire flashed from her face as she spoke in a commanding voice. "Nay. This goes against the Law that has condemned this woman for her transgressions." A red sphere of light formed over her head as she sat.

"Omaatla Onkgopotse of the Magical Government of Uganda?"

Intricately carved wooden necklaces clacked as a shaved head was shaken and he spoke tersely. "Nay."

A second ball of red light formed.

Dumbledore nodded and turned to the next delegate, "Yalena Kornyeva Romanova of the Gosudarstvennyy Komitet po Magicheskim Voprosam of Magical Russia?"

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

Finally the last name was called and Dumbledore looked at the spheres floating in a tally. "I cast my vote for the Ministry of Magic as Aye. The tally is nine for Aye, seven for Nay and five Abstentions. The Ayes have it and the motion is carried! So let it be recorded and published."

The gavel banged on the podium, announcing that Colombe d'Aubigny du Chasteler was no longer wanted by the International Confederation of Wizards.

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

Khohlo ea Marena a Mararo

July 28th, 2014

Cold gray eyes with flecks of blood-red raised from the folder of photographs and notes describing a Belgian castle that had been delivered by one of his loyal servants. A finger tapped a copy of the official letter sent to Colombe du Chasteler at her home of Castle Moulbaix telling her that she was no longer a fugitive.

Helmar Wolff focused on the young blonde woman kneeling before him. "You have done very well. We now know where SHE lives, and where my daughter is kept. Go, take Popobawa and bring my daughter to my side."

His eyes raised to the ancient carvings in the chamber where they were. "My daughter and the Mask, and then the world shall be remade as it should have been by Der Führer. Where he failed, we shall succeed."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Belgian Butterknife's Japanese Vacation (I)

11 July 2014

Norimune's farm in Uenohara-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture, 74 miles west of Tokyo, Japan
Spoiler: A Trip To Japan

A carved American Chestnut wardrobe in the spare bedroom cracked open and a blonde woman stepped out. Colombe du Chasteler reached inside and grabbed a hang-up bag and a pair of suitcases to put to one side, then closed the wardrobe.

A minute later the door opened again and Claire stepped out to hug her mother, who returned the hug. "Welcome to Japan, Claire."

The piano nodded before taking her portable keyboard and own hang-up bag and suitcases out. "I can't wait to meet all of our aunts and Uncle Kansha, Mother."

Colombe chuckled as Ehren joined them. "No doubt they will enjoy meeting you too, Claire. Welcome to Japan Ehren."

The dagger gave a brief smile to her mother as she removed her own luggage. "Vielen Dank, Mutti. It is to be hoped by the time we finish our vacation that the furniture that was selected for Ron and Victoria will be ready to ship to them. That way you or I can sign the contract to transport it to Passel House. Speaking of transport, one hopes that we have a way to move our luggage? Or should I head back to grab the Reparo-Wagen?"

Colombe animated the small mountain of luggage to float behind them. "I called ahead, Ehren. Don't worry, I have this under control. We will get picked up and driven to the hotel I reserved in Zuchi."

A wheat-blond eyebrow elevated a millimeter in Ehren's coolly skeptical face in response to that statement.

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

Ehren walked outside and stopped dead in her tracks. For a brief instant a rush of fear shot ice through her veins as she remembered the image of her Vati in SS uniform appearing in front of her horrified eyes one dark and stormy night.

"Auntie Kago!" Claire hurried past her and hugged the 'Japanese woman' with waxy-pale skin, cold and empty blue eyes, and hair the darkness of the space between stars who was standing next to a matte-black Prius. "It's so good to see you again!"

Muramasa-no-Kagotsuruhe, the Sword of Hopelessness, flickered through her library of faces, finally plastering happy surprise on her form as she hesitantly hugged Claire back. "And it is good to see you again, Niece. It is good to see you all." The elder Muramasa spoke in a sepulchral tone as Claire released the hug. The trunk of the car opened silently. "I volunteered to pick you up, since it was either myself or Akutoku. Chisuheri is busy with some JNHRO business related to the Reserves. Umi is sitting Kyoshu today. Suisei's bakery was hired to cater a wedding. Finally, Norimune was kidnapped by one of her old students who came back on board a shipgirl."

Colombe nodded. "It is appreciated, Aunt Kago. I have some basic fluency in Japanese now thanks to To-chan's tutoring, but Claire and Ehren do not. As well, I would prefer not to float my luggage on the train to Kamakura so soon after my legal difficulties got handled."

Kago's expression flickered to curiosity. "So that was resolved?"

"Oui," Colombe paused in loading the space-expanded trunk, "Ying and Delilah's plan to clear me with the ICW was a success. I got the letter of judgement yesterday, so I am free to travel openly... most places. China, Iran, and Africa are still looking for me for various reasons, but I have no plans to go there anytime soon."

Ehren nodded along. "Guten Tag, Aunt Kago. We have birthday presents for you and the other aunts." The dagger glanced at her Elder Piano Sister as Claire bounced on her heels. "I think that Claire wishes to give you her gift now."

Claire nodded and at the unspoken command in her eyes, Ehren opened a suitcase and pulled out a CD wrapped in Halloween-styled wrapping paper. She handed it to Claire, who then gave it to Kago. "Happy Birthday, Aunt Kago! Oh and Shotgun!" Claire exclaimed.

The Elder Muramasa tore the paper and curiously examined the CD that was labeled in Claire's handwriting, 'Birthday present for the Best Auntie!' Her face flickered to delighted curiosity. "We can play it for the drive down."

With that the four tsukumogami got into the Prius with Claire beside Kago while Colombe sat behind her daughter and Ehren behind Kago. The car pulled out of the driveway and then Claire put the CD into the player.
Spoiler: Happy Birthday Aunt Kago!

Colombe's face paled in dread as the first chords of Sergei Rachmaninoff's brooding and grimly terrible Prelude in C Sharp Minor sounded like a funeral dirge in a plague-stricken city at the stroke of midnight. The rapier muttered to herself. "Claire, you didn't. Not Rachmainoff!"

Kagotsuruhe selected a face full of Schadenfreude for her expression as she turned onto the road leading to the bridge across the Katsura River.

Ehren leaned back with a satisfied smile and watched the countryside through the windows as Claire hummed along with the melancholic music that she had recorded for her favorite aunt. Her eyebrows raised as she noticed how intensely developed the land was, with every square inch of usable land either farmed, occupied, or with a business upon it.

With that she leaned over to her mother. "Thank you for bringing myself and Claire along for this visit, Mutti. I am looking forward to meeting our family."

Colombe nodded. "And friends of the family. We will be meeting Harry Potter, who is Lyra and Ian's great-grandson and I shall also be checking in on the Arashi Clan who are also descended from Ian." The CD reached the next track and a recording of Claire playing Danse Macabre for four hand piano began. Colombe spoke to herself, "at least it is Saint-Saëns for a change," before continuing. "So I wished you and Claire to meet them, and Kagotsuruhe's sisters and younger brother Kansha of course."

Kagotsuruhe chuckled hollowly. "And my niece Kenshō-chan."

"Quoi?!" Colombe snapped out in shock as Ehren's eyes widened and Claire smiled happily. "Don't tell me that my father got another young lady pregnant!?!" The rapier continued with considerable heat in her voice.

Kago shook her head. "No, although we all thought so at the time when she was introduced. She formed from one of Kyoshu's shards when my sister was damaged during the Pacific War," Kagotsuruhe's voice became coldly hungry briefly as something dark flickered deep within her flat blue eyes. "Kenshō-chan was made into a Kogatana knife by Sub-Unit 942. She manifested recently and Harry Potter has adopted her as her First Master. She is very young still and very innocent."

Colombe nodded slowly as she thought over the unspoken message in the words along with some captured photographs of a mutilated katana. "I see and I am looking forward to meeting my cousin then." Ehren and Claire chimed in with their own words of agreement. "Although I do hope that my luck leads me to cross paths with those responsible for her creation. Some crimes are unforgivable." Colombe's eyes flickered to Claire and visibly bit her tongue at the curious expression in her daughter's eyes.

Kagotsuruhe nodded her head like a judge passing a death sentence. "Indeed. Although if you wish to express your opinions upon this matter, you shall have to 'get in line' behind myself, my sisters, and several others."

"Good." Colombe and Ehren said in unison. Claire smiled and then hummed along with her arrangement of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.

 

[darthcourt10]

baofengyu


The Mandate Pt.4
"Our path brought us here for a reason... and now I know why. The past is here, and it must be met before the future can be set in motion."

Court of Inner Harmony, Beijing

Daji listened to the reports from her subordinates. So far the Statute was holding, if barely. The events in Japan were building to a conflict between Tokyo and Kyoto, and with the ICW focused on the Rising Sun, she had a free hand to complete her task. The…ICW Auror…the American…was a pompous fool, but then again, most sorcerers were in her opinion. It both amused and disgusted her that Zheng Hu's discovery had borne such curious fruit. She made a mental note to ask the little spirit when he returned from his mission. Now she had to make a move. Or several.

"It is time to bring the teacher into the fold," She spoke.

"Is that wise sister?" Pipa replied from her seat as she plucked an ancient pipa.

"She needs to understand where her place is, fallen as she may be, she knows and understands much. The Celestial Court needs a good shaking up, and she may be the one to do it. We hold the Rake, the Fleshless One holds the Seal. The Sword remains hidden in the Qing's Tomb. The Writing Set is returning to the Middle Kingdom from its resting place, but the Coins…the Coins are hidden from me, but they are still in the Middle Kingdom, in ruins of glass and steel. You, dear Pipa, will be my agent in this."

Daji beckoned the spirit forward and whispered into her ear. Pipa nodded and stepped back.

"As you say sister," Zhiji added. "What of Yizhou? What of Taiwan?"

"You, my sister, will go and speak with Mèi Mèi Lǜ Shé. It is time to bring her into the fold as well."

"She will not like this sister."

"We will aid her in her search, and in return she will aid us in locating the last of the Treasures."

Jiutou Zhiji bowed her head in acquiesce. Pipa huffed.

"Is there a problem sister?" Daji tilted her head.

"Is this world worth saving? These communists have poisoned the land and wasted the Mandate. The young do not have the respect for their elders and are consumed with this…internet."

"As much as I would prefer to burn it down again, for us to regain our rightful place we must bow to Nüwa's will. The young will learn. They seek escape from this wretched existence and loose themselves in this internet. I have been free for many years and I still do not understand this…technology. I would add, however, as corrupt as this world has become, it is a far cry from what we knew. The people live much longer, their lives are in some ways better than ours so long ago. Even with this 'Great Leap Forward' and 'Cultural Revolution' and this even more foolish 'One Child Policy' there is much that can be redeemed. We will need to give them purpose and direction…with a firm yet gentle hand. These children have forgotten, but they will be made to remember."

A servant entered quietly and poured the three tea and quickly withdrew.

Daji picked up her cup and removed the lid, inhaling the aroma. She sipped the hot liquid.

"What of your shadow?" Pipa asked. "You said that part of you has been reincarnated?"

Daji closed her eyes. "A part of me is missing, yes. Distant. A fragment that held a part of my rage and anger at the Celestial Bureaucracy as well as the pain over my lost family has been reborn into another. A Kitsune."

"Hah, as if you could ever let go of that grudge," Zhiji snarked.

"Oh," Daji smiled over her cup. "I have not forgotten."

"Or forgiven," Pipa laughed.

"Nüwa was not pleased with the Celestial Bureaucracy, and although she has taken a firm handle on those scholars, they can still be troublesome, but I will let whoever takes the throne to handle that."

"And when we complete our task sister, what then?"

"The reunification of the Magical and the Mundane worlds will allow us to do as we please once again. What we were born to do."

She set the tea down. "But to other business."

She rose and walked towards the inner court. The ancient room hummed with old magic, keeping the handcrafted wood and frescos in perfect condition. Her eyes took in the numerous women that knelt. Waiting. Her eyes crossed her two scarred twins, then focused on the two larger women that knelt to the side.

"Dingyuan, Zhenyuan, I have a task for you both."

Both women rose to one knee, executing a hold-fist salute with bowed heads. "Ho."

"Take your fleets south. Go to Hong Kong. Secure the ruins and wait for further instructions."

"As our Lady commands," The two intoned.

"Avoid any contact you encounter be it Spirit or Abyssal. But let none know of your presence." Daji commanded. "May Hǎishén give you calm seas, and Guānyǔ give you strength of arms."

She motioned for her twins to follow.

"I have a rather special mission for you both," Daji walked, followed by the twins. "It may take you from your natural element, but I would have measure of this man."

She gave them both a glance. "He is not to be harmed."

Both nodded ever so slightly. The shipgirls were, for the most part, a recent addition to the Hidden Ministry, with the secret of their summoning gleaned from the writings of an American Professor, and with proper obfuscation, their true numbers were hidden from the Central Committee. Oh, those shipgirls that were born in the Communist era were promptly transferred to the shattered remains of the PLAN, the others, the old breed of shipgirls, were brought into Daji's sphere of influence. Many of them remembered their lives serving an Emperor, from ancient War Junks to Armored Dreadnoughts. Her twins, scarred, yet beautiful in their movements and focus, were born in that period when the Qing lost the Mandate and before that fat peasant took the Mandate from beneath the Chiang. She had a good laugh at that escapade. But the twins were driven by rage and revenge, their faith squandered and forced into service of the Rising Sun. They were among the strongest of the Shipgirls under her command, but they needed the proper direction to focus their abilities. The little spirits that accompanied them were most enlightening to converse with, and in those early days she was able to reminisce with them about the ancient days, one they got past their fear of her that is. Parts of her overall strategy came into being after a lengthy discussion with Kongming and Zheng He.

"Your time will come soon enough. Once we have restored the Emperor you shall have your revenge."


Western Theater Command, Chengdu

"You have a problem General," Xue spoke as she walked beside Zu.

"I have many problems Professor," He replied, nodding at the soldiers as they passed. "Can you elaborate?"

She handed him an old, worn copy of a book. He accepted it and stopped, flipping the pages to a marked passage. One name was highlighted.

"S-" He began.

"Say not her name," Xue leaned closed, raising a finger to her lips. "She is very real General, and for some who speak her name she will hear it and look in your direction."

"You can't be serious."

"You have spoken with the leaders of the Jiang Hu, you have seen their skills and abilities, you know of the Magical world, but you doubt her existence?"

Zu sighed. "I should not be surprised if she is real, with so many other tales being true as well."

They continued walking. "She had taken control of the Hidden Ministry and for all intent and purposes controls the Forbidden City. It was she who declared the Mandate lost."

"What do you advise?"

Xue's office was neat and clutter free, with books and documents in their proper place. On one wall was a map of China that highlighted specific areas with notes. Zu walked to the map and looked at it, noting old Tombs marked, major areas of magic that were under threat, all five holy mountains.

"That we are both still alive means she is not focusing on consolidating her power to become Empress, but she holds one of the Treasures and possibly knows the location of the others. To the south we have the Taipingists gathering strength once again. The East Sea is full of Abyssals and Magical Tibet is gearing up for war. We cannot let the Mandate go unfulfilled for much longer."

"You would have us ally with this…woman?"

"It may be our only option. We can expect no help from the outside world if China falls to open civil war," Xue spun a globe on her desk. "There is much unrest in Europe, and the Japanese and Americans are handling their own problems as the ICW's Statute is in the first stages of collapse. Time is not on our side General."

"I do not like this," He replied.

"What we like is secondary to duty General. You swore an oath to the people General, do not forget that. You are an upright man, and while you may pay a terrible price for this, you willingly accept the burden."

Zu knew of the growing cancer to the south. The Abyssal War had wrecked a lot of the command and control infrastructure that had many units going rogue, or retreating to more secure positions and allowing unrest and starvation to take root. That much of the problem could be attributed to the resurgent Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, the lack of will of many theater commanders only caused further problems. Staring at the map he could see the fractures forming, and as Xue said, this was not unknown in the past, for China had survived the Warring States and the Five Dynasties but this time it was different. The Abyssals hungered to wipe the Han from the face of the Middle Kingdom, and unlike the Mongols of the Yuan Dynasty, they would never join themselves to the superior culture to be conquered from within. Even if the Abyssals were stopped, the humiliations of the Nineteenth Century such as the Opium Wars and Unequal Treaties and the invasions by Japan showed that China must be strong enough to stand among the first rank of nations or else would suffer.

"What about Minister Cao?" Zu glanced at the Professor.

"He may style himself as an Emperor, but he will never gain the mandate. He may be whole, but in truth he is nothing more than a scheming eunuch. He can be useful for he does have many contacts in the academic world that can provide leads on the location of the other Treasures."

"And Su Daji?"

He said the name.

He briefly glanced up to see if something would happen, some sign. Yet nothing.

Xue paled and stepped back.

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped.

"Not quite," A voice spoke from the doorway. "Although my Elder Sister bears no ill will towards you…Professor."

Both turned to see a beautiful woman in a traditional Hanfu. A pair of jade pins were woven into her hair, and an elegant Pipa in her hands.

"And you," She tilted her head. "You are not unknown to us, but we will see if you are worthy of what you seek."

Xue stumbled. "Why? Why now?"

"The Middle Kingdom stands at the crossroads," Pipa replied. "The current…dynasty…has failed to maintain the Mandate as accorded by the Celestial Court. The enemies of the Middle Kingdom are at the walls, and…the Statute," She spat the word. "Will fall. You, Professor, shall aid us. In return, we will see to restoring your lost status."

"That," Xue stammered. "That is impossible. I fell in love with a mortal."

Zu raised an eyebrow. "Curious," He spoke.

"Yes, but should that mortal ascend, we will petition Nüwa to restore your status. Your Scholar will be entered into the Heavens as one of the first Immortals of this new age."

Zu looked at the teacher with new eyes. "Most curious indeed."

Pipa directed her gaze to the General. "You are most interesting human. I can smell the old blood in you. You come from an ancient family, do you not?"

"I do not see how my family has any bearing on what must be done."

"Ah," The Spirit flit about the room randomly. "That is where you are wrong General Zu Li Shang. Any man worthy may ascend the Throne, but in these times it would be best for one who can stand in both the old and new worlds."

The air pressure changed, and a muted pop revealed two scarred twins standing behind the woman. Both wore what appeared to be old uniforms, but with all insignia removed. Each bore scars of fighting, and the emotionless stare they had wore he had seen before in countless faces of young soldiers who saw too much. They smelled of steel and cordite.

"Now," the woman plucked the pipa. "I think you and I should talk Chao Xue, or should I call you by your true name?"

Xue glanced at the General, both fearful and determined. "If you do not mind General Zu, I will let you know what I find out."

Zu nodded. "I will be in my office Professor. There is still paperwork to complete to finish."

He eased himself out of the room, aware of the two that silently followed. He caught glimpses of huge shadows as the two walked, and silently confirmed to himself that he was not dealing with normal women, as if anything in his life was normal as of late. He rubbed his face as he walked. Ancient Wuxia Clans. Mythological demons coming to life. Horrific monsters from the deep. Sometimes he worried that his life was turning into an episode of Bì Xuě Jiàn. But this was all too real. These women were not part of PLAN, and the few ships that remained, along with the even fewer shipgirls that had been summoned, were guarded jealously by Admiral Li Han Shu, who by virtue of being the only surviving Admiral, hoarded his assets like a dragon.

As he entered his office, he waved off his aides as they rose. He could feel their stares on the two women as they followed him silently. They would fight if the two became hostile, but he knew it would be futile for them. This was a time for pragmatism. He turned on the two as they entered the office.

"Now, whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

The two glanced at each other once.

"I am Ning Hai," The one of the left spoke, a voice like dry, rusty gears.

"I am Ping Hai," The one on the right spoke, a voice normal, but tinged with anger and hate.


Chenzhou, Hunan Province

A body, desiccated and skeletal, crashed to the floor as Xiao Chaogui held aloft the Seal and a Brush. Behind him a banner fluttered, fleshly inked in blood and marked with the Seal.

"NOW NONE SHALL DENY MY AUTHORITY!" He shouted. "I HOLD TWO OF THE TREASURES! THE DIVINE MANDATE SHALL BE MINE!"

The assembled throng kowtowed as the body of former 72nd Group Army Commander fell in a heap. There were faithful mixed in with the assembled soldiers, and a little showmanship was all but guaranteed to bring them into the fold.

"YOU! THE FAITHFUL WILL DELIVER THE REMAINING TREASURES TO ME! AND TOGETHER WE WILL REMAKE THIS MUNDANE WORLD INTO A NEW DIVINE KINGDOM WHERE WE ARE THE MASTERS! YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONES! YOU ARE MY BELOVED CHILDREN!"

"XIAO! XIAO! XIAO!" The crowd shouted. He raised his arms again and stepped back as his closed agents moved into seal the deal.

It didn't take long.

In his sanctum he looked to his three lieutenants. They were dressed smartly as befitting their station.

"Have you made contact with Cao?"

"We have your Excellency." The first spoke. "He has been going over the old records and believes that the Coins are still here in the Middle Kingdom, but they might be in Abyssal held territory."

"That is unfortunate," Chaogui stroked his goatee. "And the Writing Set?"

"Auguries and divinations do not point to the Set remaining hidden in the Middle Kingdom."

"That fox bitch," The self-styled king snapped a sleeve.

"My Lord?"

"And the Demon?"

"She has taken complete control of the Hidden Ministry. We think she has brought others into her service, but any agents that we have sent have since been caught and…dealt with."

"And if that fool American and that Traitor Chi hadn't interfered in San Francisco I would have had the power to deal that Demon and not have to rely on cheap gimmicks." He threw down the 'Brush'. Making the fake Treasure cost him some power and hair from the Mei family, but as long as it achieved the overall goal with was worth it.

"My Lord," The second spoke. "We have control of the Southern and Eastern Theaters. Would it not be wise to consolidate and begin to attack the other claimants?"

"In due time," He stroked the Seal. "Have our followers in the Northern Theater begin."

"Yes Lord."

Chaogui sat down. The expenditure of energy was very rapid these days, and even the Seal wasn't helping to stabilize his form. He needed the other Treasures to finish the ritual. His agents in America reported that the Traitor's daughter favored her mother in every way. Right down to her Green Eyes.

Soon it will be time for him to make the Final Sacrifice.

But it still left the Greatest Threat. She was just as old as he was, and if not more powerful than him in some ways, but she had yet to flex her power apart from these little displays that she used to take control of China's Magicals. It was…perplexing. What was she planning? What was her goal? He needed as much of the military behind him before he made his move, and he mainly focused on the surviving army and air force units. The remaining naval forces were holding the ruins of Zhan Jiang, and those 'shipgirls' would never join him willingly. No, they were too swept up in the Communist Fantasy that infected his beloved homeland. But he would make it all right.


Ministry of Culture, Beijing

Minister Cao flipped through his printouts. It was a surprise to find supposedly destroyed texts scanned onto the Dark Web, and he made a mental note to thank the nice young man in the research department who found them right before he called the Central Committee for Discipline Inspection and reported such a vulgar use of Party time and equipment. But, the information he found was most enlightening. While his agents were unable to come across any information regarding four of the Treasures, he did manage to get a bit of information from one of his sources in Taiwan regarding the Coins. They were spirited away to Taiwan after the Party's victory in 1949, but from there it was a bit muddled as to what happened next. On one hand the family that was their guardian still resided on the island, but the eldest son had them in his possession when he joined a rather influential Noble House in 1964 and moved to Hong Kong. From there it was further muddled that the Coins may have been with him when he was caught up in the Iranian mess in 1979, or the Coins were passed to his son who returned to Taiwan in 1991.

He clucked his tongue. Two of his best investigators were working on the Coins under the guise of 'Recovering China's Historical Legacy', and if Fortune smiled upon him he might have a hand in the game yet. They were due back today.

His informants in Chengdu reported nothing out of the ordinary in regards to Professor Xue, and it seemed her focus was on the old Qing Dynasty. It did make sense as they were the last to gain the Mandate before the Great Chairman managed to gain it. A pity really, that such an auspicious event that in some ways unified China is about to tear it apart once again.

"Minister, Professor Xue is on the phone for you." His secretary announced.

He smiled.

"Ah, Professor, how is your research in Chengdu going?" He spoke into the receiver.

"It goes well Minister. The General has been kind enough to provide a thorough escort as I visited each site you listed. While we have found nothing definite, we do have several solid leads open to us."
He frowned. "And how is the good General Zu?"

"He is well Minister. From what I have seen he has been training his men most diligently."

"Good, good." Cao tapped his fingers on the chair. "Is he coming to Beijing soon?"

"Not that I am aware of Minister. The few reports I have seen speak of some unrest in the Southern Theater."

"Ah…you expect him to move south then?"

"I am not privileged to know the plans of the Central Committee Minister. I would suspect if the CMC orders him south you may hear about it before me."

"Yes, yes, this is true my dear." He squelched the exasperation. "Is there anything that you can confirm in your research."

"I did come across a few records indicating much traffic around the Tomb of Hong Taiji in 1950. These were taken from some Mongolians who were apart of the Great Chairman's army after his victory."

"Ah, that is very interesting indeed."

"I will inquire further should the occasion arise."

"Very good Professor." He replaced the receiver and looked up. It would make sense for Mao to hide one of the Treasures in a former Imperial Tomb. After all, no true Party member would ever go near such places at the time, and since then, little interest was paid to them until after the Cultural Revolution. He picked up the antique repeating crossbow that had just arrived that morning, a gift from a Mr. Xiao. It was a magnificent example of Chinese technology, complex yet refined. It was fully loaded with bolts.

He carefully placed the weapon on his desk on a display rack and stepped back.

All that was needed now was a bit of patience.


The Rug Shop, Akihabara

It was, in Ying's opinion, the ugliest rug shop she had ever seen, right down to the cashmere Pikachu throw rug. When Delilah said she knew a magic carpet to smuggle her into China, this wasn't what she had pictured. Even the fez on the proprietor's head looked cheap. She stood on the threshold of the shop and coughed slightly.

"AHHH!!!" The man turned, the tassel on the Fez swinging wildly, and she fought the urge to manifest her true form and kill it. "Welcome to the Rug Shop!"

Ying took a deep breath and put away her feelings at the optical abomination. "Yes, I was told by my friend that you might be able to help me."

"HAI! Friends are always welcome! Who is your friend?"

"Delilah de Breuil."

The man's face lost all animation. The shop stilled. Ying felt a privacy spell engage and sheath the building from any prying eyes.

"What do you want?" He spoke in a serious tone.

"I need to get into China," Ying replied. "Quietly."

"There's some bad juju going on in the Middle Kingdom right now. It's not exactly a safe place for Magicals."

"Nevertheless I need to get there quickly." Ying looked around the shop. The spell stripped away the gaudy eyesores that lined the walls and replaced them with rather elegant and expensive rugs. A few of them were on the ceiling. "Delilah said you were someone who could get me there under the radar."

"I can, but as I said, there's a lot of bad stuff going on over there now. Ten years ago I could make runs with no problem, now it is a trial just to avoid the random Abyssal war fleet, or a Hidden Ministry Magistrate."

"Can you get me there?"

"Yeah," He rubbed his face. "But tell Delilah this clears all debts between us. It will take a couple of days to get the carpet ready."

Ying withdrew her business card and handed it over. The wizard looked at it and swore.

"Delilah is going to owe me for this one," He muttered.


The Temple was immaculate. Each stone in the proper place. Each tree and branch trimmed and pruned to exacting standards. Every step forward, every breath taken, was both a step into the past and an exercise in tranquility and meditation. As Ying approached, she saw two figures step out of the shadows and into the light. The shadows had tails.

"I bid you welcome to our humble temple traveler," The woman spoke. "Do come in."

"You know who I am." Ying spoke, removing her shoes before stepping onto the ancient teak.

"You?" The woman smiled coyly. "We have never met before. Know of you I do."

"There was-"

"-an echo? A pulse of power that raced across the world and brought both dreams and terrors?"

"You know why I am here," Ying tried not to get frustrated.

"I do Wei Ying," The woman nodded. "The time for secrets is over."

"What happened?" Ying asked. "Why is SHE moving after so long?"

"The awakening of Tamamo-no-Mae after so long, the return of Su Daji," Hoshi looked to the west. "Oh, yes, I know that broken soul, and she cannot hear us here."

"She declared the Mandate lost," Ying replied.

"I am aware of it," Hoshi replied. "You know what will happen now. There are only a handful of candidates for the throne, but anyone who has ambition will make a run for the Mandate. Daji is a crafty old vixen, and she is acting as arbiter of the succession. She will use any weapon in her considerable arsenal to achieve her goal and will brook no opposition to her plans. I have spoken to your mother and know what Daji wants."

Both turned to see a young vixen and a black-haired boy walk through the Torii Gate. Both were marked by great powers, and Ying felt that familiar echo of power from the young vixen. Both chatted animatedly as they passed.

"She holds part of Daji's soul," Ying blinked. "And that young man…he's-"

"The reincarnation of her husband? Quite possibly. But he has his own destiny to fulfill before there can be any talk of nuptials." Hoshi sighed. "Now, tell me everything."

Ying spoke, relating everything that had happened up to this day from the initial message that something was amiss in the Hidden Ministry to the Dream to the most recent power spike, of which Hoshi filled in her own take on events of Bunker and the destruction of the Pelt. It made for a somber mood.

"It will not be easy, this I promise you. But enough talk of ancient vixens. Would you care for some tea?"


The carpet was beautiful.

And stealthy as advertised.

Ying relaxed on the carpet as her pilot read the winds, his wand ever pointed forward as he guided the carpet towards the west. It was a moonless night, with only the stars to guide them. There were no words to be said in leaving. She fingered the small talisman that the elder Kitsune gave her upon departing, containing a small fragment of Tomomo's pelt within to aid in masking her presence once she crossed into China. In the distance she could see a storm brewing, and she prayed that she would be true to her god in this pursuit as a flash of lightning briefly illuminated the distant shoreline.


The Hidden Ministry, Beijing

Daji sat quietly and listened to the music. It was an interesting combination of the old and the new, with traditional Chinese musical instruments backed by modern musicians. Yes, the world had changed greatly since she walked free so long ago, but the core traditions and ideas remained the same. Her eyes drifted to the dossiers that sat beside her. Ever since the General spoke her name she had endeavored to learn more about him. Oh she was aware of him ever since the Fallen One had started her research, not to mention the copious notes left by her unlamented predecessor, and had a very good judgement on the good General's character. He was, perhaps, the strongest of the contenders thus far. Second was the Cursed One. He was a known to her from his actions at the founding of the Qin Dynasty, and that sorcerer had earned the enmity of many Gods in the Celestial Court, but they are not playing favorites in this game. Minister Cao fancied himself as a 'Kingmaker' and power behind the throne, and he was useful in his own right, but once his usefulness was over she had plans for him. There were other minor players in the game, but once the stage was fully set and the real game begun those bit players will either bow out or be forced out.

But her wildcard was finally coming into play. Wei Ying. Her agents spotted her at the Shrine run by her 'descendants', and again at the Smuggler's abode. Her decision to sneak into the Middle Kingdom was a wise one, and one that reinforced her decision to seek the young spirit out and woo her to her side. She carried an echo of one of the Treasures with her, and presence will be both a bone of contention and a foil to the Cursed One. It will be a delicate task to bring the young spirit into the fold, one requiring patience and persistence. Her dedication to Guānyǔ might be problematic, but it was not insurmountable.

Natsumi. That young kitsune was one she will have to meet once this is over. So young, yet already she earned her second tail! She thought about the kit and her paramour. A part of her longed for the touch of her husband once again, but this time, this transition of power, will not be a repeat of the past.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Belgian Butterknife's Japanese Vacation (II)

11 July 2014

Fujiyoshida, Japan

Ehren du Chasteler's eyes widened as she looked at the snow-covered bulk of Mount Fuji in front of the car.

She had frowned slightly as her GPS application on the phone had showed that they had started out by driving west into the mountains of Japan rather than the expected east to Tokyo and the Kanto Plain. But then Kagotsuruhe had turned south in Otsuki, and they had passed through a tunnel -- which produced an impromptu piano and dagger humming duet of In The Hall Of The Mountain King by Grieg -- that took them into another river valley flowing south.

As the valley turned around a ridge, a beautiful snow-crowned mountain appeared before them in majestic grandeur.

Claire, of course, immediately started to hum a solemn but happy piece that somehow perfectly caught what they were seeing.
Spoiler: Claire Sees Fuji

Ehren whispered in awe. "Mein Gott, that's so beautiful. It's like a dream made real."

Kagotsuruhe nodded. "Fuji-san. The forest between us and the mountain is Aokigahara, one of the most haunted places in Japan."

Colombe murmured, "And the location of the Yokai Reserve that Miho and her children escaped from."

Ehren frowned. "I... spoke to her about that place. It's not right what is being done there and it must be stopped." The dagger's voice was hard and resolute, filled with a controlled fury as her lips thinned.

Kago nodded. "Steps are being taken. My sister Chisuheri will tell you more, since her organization is at the forefront of what is being done. Rest assured that the nonmagical government is well aware of the conditions of the Reserves and it is a matter of grave concern at the highest levels, and all that can be done is being done. As for the magical side, the Magical Diet's power is shifting to Kyoto from the dying shell of the Tokyo Diet, and Kyoto is working hand in hand with the non-magicals to prepare for the fall of the Statute of Secrecy, which will liberate the reserves."

Beside Ehren, Colombe relaxed slightly. "Bon. That is a relief. I... can see why having tens of thousands of people like Miho, Misaki, and Chi-chan would cause the Statute to crumble."

Kagotsuruhe nodded. "Indeed. On a slightly more personal note, Kotegiri left a strong impression on the responsible parties. Some of the clerks at the Diet attended a Noh play that I was acting in the evening after her 'visit'. Their fear and terror at Kotegiri's arrival was... delicious..."

Ehren blinked. "Kotegiri?"

"Masamune-no-Kotegiri. The eldest blade forged by the rival school of swordcrafting to Father's. Tokunotakai is the youngest sister of Kotegiri." Kagotsuruhe passed a truck before continuing. "She learned the uses of terror and intimidation well during the Jidai. Her Master Oda Nobunaga was respected by my First Master Urabe-dono for his understanding of such things." A pause. "She is the Masamune that I have the fewest problems with."

The German dagger nodded her head slowly. "I... see... So, she is an ally of us in dealing with the Reserves?"

Kotegiri nodded. "She is. In that matter, we and the Masamunes stand as one against what was discovered."

Colombe nodded. "To-chan said that she was sending letters to her sisters about what we found when climbing Mount Fuji."

Ehren blinked and Claire made an interested hum. "Climbing Mount Fuji, Mutti?"

Colombe smiled. "Oh yes. That is where I got the walking stick marked with Japanese characters and the headband that are now among my trophies. It is traditional to climb the mountain to observe dawn from the summit. It was beautiful." The smile became much more wistful as the rapier continued, "To-chan said that she had wanted to climb Fujiyama for centuries to fulfill the saying that there are two types of fools, those who never climb Fuji, and those who climb Fuji twice."

Ehren looked at the snow-covered mountain. She then tapped Claire on the shoulder, and nodded to her sister when the piano looked back at her. Claire returned the nod with a sly smile on her face.

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

They stopped in Gotemba for lunch, gasoline and a battery recharge, bathroom breaks, and so Claire could get out a pad of staff music and one of her music-themed Cross ballpoint pens to do some composing from her new position in the back seat. After a look at her mother, Ehren took the front passenger seat. She glanced over at her aunt as they headed up the road toward Mount Ashigara where they would cross the ridge that separated them from the coastal plain.

The dagger nibbled her lip as she thought about Kagotsuruhe. She was afraid of her aunt in some fundamental ways deep down, but at the same time was curious about her. Erst nachdenken, dann wagen, she thought to herself as she remembered the words of Helmuth von Moltke, the great Prussian general who smashed France in 1871 to open the path for the reunified Germany to take its place in the sun, first ponder then dare. With a small start she realized that Vati had been named for the Kaiser's strong right arm, and that Mutti had faced his armies on the field of battle at Sedan.

"You do theater, Aunt Kago?" Ehren spoke hesitantly.

The elder Muramasa nodded. "I do. You have an interest?"

Ehren smiled slightly, "Not as an actress, surely. My talents lie in different fields, although I've sung for family before in the band that my cousin Nimue and Claire just put together, and found that I enjoyed that. But I was curious about you."

"Ah." The neutral face revealed nothing as Kago navigated another hairpin turn on the climbing road. "Two reasons I suppose, niece. First, my line of Masters had an interest in the fine arts, they felt that it unbalanced a samurai to be wholly focused on the battlefield, and that terror and fear had a place to carve out a space for more refined pursuits to thrive. Second, I feed upon emotions, especially strong emotions, so the audience for my plays feeds me. I began with Noh shortly after the Restoration and have a talent for evoking certain feelings in the audience, becoming the mirror of the fear that the character engenders in them. Later on, I then began to study and perform in more western-themed traditions such as opera and the plays of Shakespeare initially. My breakthrough there was playing Iago in a performance of Othello in 1948. It is a fascinating contrast to the more native traditions that I grew up with, how both speak to the audience with similar messages in different mechanisms."

Ehren nodded along. "I enjoy opera myself, especially Wagner. There's something that calls to me, calls to all of us really in the majesty and tragedy of life when we experience the stories that are so universal. Love, hatred, greed, lust, remorse, doomed heroism, redemption." The dagger chuckled slightly, "one of the first pieces that Claire played for me after I manifested was the Walhall leitmotif from Das Rheingold in fact."
Spoiler: Valhalla

Ehren began to hum the leitmotif and after a moment, Claire joined in absently as they reached the pass to the Kanto Plain. Kago cocked her head slightly at the joy and love seasoned with well hidden sadness, pain, and regret that her grandniece was radiating to her senses as Ehren remembered her parents and her enjoying the Ring Cycle operas.

The Sword of Hopelessness spoke, "I would be honored if you caught one of my performances. I am scheduled to play Lady Rokujō's role in Aoi no Ue next week at the National Noh Theater and can arrange tickets. It is one of my favorite roles, acting as the evil spirit that haunts Lady Aoi."

Ehren and Claire turned to their mother as one and gave her looks. "Can we please?"

Colombe nodded in resignation. "Oui. Best to make it four tickets and I shall invite To-chan too. Thank you, Aunt Kago."

The elder Muramasa chuckled darkly. "Thank me after the show."

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

Presently the mountains were left behind them as they entered the valley of the Sagami river as it flowed through the Kanto Plain to the Pacific. Ehren glanced at her phone then pointed to the peninsula ahead and to the right across the bay. "Zuchi is there, ja?"

Kagotsuruhe nodded. "It is. Chisuheri and the rest of the family are waiting for us there."

Colombe spoke up with a fond smile around her lips. "And Kamakura where To-chan lives at her shrine is further up the coast to the left of the peninsula. She said in her last letter that some of her family want to meet us too. It's time to meet the relatives."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Winter's Shadow Over Kingsport (I)

13 July 2014

Smuggler's Cove, Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, Maine, USA

"If any are scandalized that New England, a place of as serious piety as any I know of, should be troubled so much by witches, they should ask themselves this question: Where would the Devil most wish to make his inroads, but in that place where he is hated the most?" — Rev. Ward Phillips, 1788 Thaumaturgical Prodigies in the New-English Canaan
Spoiler: A Briefing In The Woods

With a pop, a quartet of hooded and masked figures in robes under hauberks and tactical gear materialized in a clearing surrounded by pine trees in the untouched virgin wilderness. They immediately swept the area with their wands. Then at a silent hand signal, the leader gestured and began to move down a path weaving through the forest. The other three followed her single file.

Presently she came to a gap between two massive boulders, remnants of the glaciers that had shaped New England. Her wand moved, and a spray of silver mist flowed from it. The mist wafted into the gap, and settled on an intricate spiderweb of warning and detection spells.

With that the witch spoke in a muffled monotone voice. "Figured as much. Antonelli, you're up to bugger their tripwires. Michel, watch the path back in case someone is heading into town. From here on out, stun, interrogate, and Obliviate if possible, if not, you are cleared to neutralize them, just try to keep it quiet as long as possible. Goldstein and I will stand over-watch."

She walked back along the path and hopped up onto a rock, grimacing as she pulled a bottle of Wakey-up Brew from her web belt. Her other hand pulled back the hood, revealing the tired face of Delilah de Breuil with bags under her eyes.

The Muramasa muttered "nothing for it" to herself. She then chugged the potion with a grimace at the taste.

The other figure pulled her own hood down to reveal Tina Goldstein. The gray-haired witch looked at Delilah as she fingered a gold Star of David necklace before tucking it away. She rubbed her face briefly and then spoke in her New York City accent with traces of her native Yiddish. "You better be right about this, Delilah. We are stretched thin as is as Aurors and members of MIB, never mind this."

Delilah de Breuil looked grim as she finished drinking the potion. "I hope I'm wrong about this, Tina. I really really do." She took a deep breath and blew it out through her teeth as she scanned the darkened woods slowly and then nodded wearily. "Right, time to explain what I think is going on here so you know what we are probably up against."

The Muramasa spoke in a flat voice. "There's a big and ugly pattern here. Abyssal attacks have spiked on the coast between Halifax and Boston this year." Delilah raised her index finger. "Worse yet, the Abyssals are dodging shipgirl and steel hull patrols effortlessly to hit Portland, Kennebunkport, Portsmouth down in New Hampshire and even managed to get up the Kennebec River to hit the shipyards at Bath hard. Every time with fog, bad weather, and early warning radar systems failing until they hit."

A second finger got raised, "I accessed some no-maj data about missing person cases in New England through my FBI contacts and they are centered here. The FBI thinks this is untouched wilderness, as they should with all the no-maj repelling charms and illusions woven through here from the Wabanaki Indians and then some of the First Families fleeing Salem to settle here. Also the timing is indicative. Seven people vanish, then the Abyssals attack soon afterward. Lather, rinse, repeat. Six have recently vanished in the last month."

Delilah's expression turned coldly murderous. As she lifted her ring finger, a flaming orange imperial topaz centerpiece shimmered from the platinum and diamond ring that she wore. "Third point, and this was before our time. According to Emily when I was her trainee, there was an 'incident' on Woods Island, just up the coast. Human sacrifice to the 'gods of the deep' using no-maj as the sacrifices according to her. Coincident with some truly foul weather and a spate of no-maj shipwrecks. Centered on that lighthouse that was built in 1839. Her report on what was going down in 1853 was suppressed, according to her because it would have embarrassed a few prominent MACUSA scions who got rich in the shipping trade. Winter Prime cross-checked and there were three 'unexplained sudden deaths' among the families she named in 1853.

A fourth finger was raised. "That lighthouse was renovated in 1854 with a granite tower and my mother says that certain people on our side of the fence were behind that and owned the local company doing the repairs according to our family's business records when I asked her. Then there were 'unexplained paranormal events'. Suicides, a double murder, disappearances. TOTEM claimed that facility in 1896 and have owned it ever since, especially since the no-maj automated and abandoned the lighthouse in 1986 according to the records that I have accessed."

With that Delilah looked at the other three members of the Winters Network. "Finally after I put those pieces together, I asked Copper Quintus to poke around here quietly. He went in three days ago as a regional salesman for McTawney Broomsticks delivering an order and missed four check-in times with me. So I'm convinced there's something rotten in the state of Maine and I'm going to kick its teeth in." She drew her revolver and charms and enchantments flared to life when she cocked her hammer. "Permanently."

Tina adjusted her combat harness absently as she continued watching for signs of any activity. "That all makes sense but that doesn't explain why you have to lead us, Del. You're burning both ends against the middle and you just got back from exorcising that ghost horse in Nebraska pulling double duty as an Auror. I should know because I'm covering your timecard."

Delilah sighed deeply. "Because I owe it to him, to you all, to pay the blood price to his killers if my mistakes got him killed," Her head swiveled toward the hidden village waiting at the end of the path and she spoke with tears in her voice, "and I owe it to Emily to make sure what she fought and bled to stop stays stopped. This is more important to America than my life in the end, after all. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance."

Tina nodded in agreement, followed by the other two members of the Winters Network. She then pulled the hook of her robes over her head to hide her identity. "From your lips to the Almighty's ears, Del."

Delilah followed suit as the spiderweb of alarm, nondetection, and lethal traps warped to provide an entrance to the hidden village.

As she felt the familiar spells shrouding her identity envelop her avatar just as her enchanted robes did, she thought to herself, if I don't check in then my backup plan activates and Alondra hits this place like the wrath of God with a shipgirl-backed SWAT team and the Statute of Secrecy goes up in smoke when MACUSA goes spare. Better to have MACUSA panic then let any segment of MACUSA and TOTEM looking to 'cull the no-majs' using the Abyssals as pawns walk.

 

[darthcourt10]

lt_agn02

Aso just stared at the snacks and juice set in front of her by the blonde submarine. Half of them were even snacks she used to enjoy in Japan. The other half consisted of either American things like chips and cookies or some strange combination of the two, like the furikake popcorn.

Despite the difference, no matter how many cookies the transport ship nearby stole from her, it still felt like a bowl of police station katsudon.

Hesitantly, she grabbed one of the yellow square-looking things and took a bite out of it. The texture was soft and a bit stretchy like mochi, but here was something else to it that she didn't account for. Yet the savory sweet flavor urged her to eat more.

"So, Aso," Bowfin started to say, "since I'm going to be your minder on-base, tell me about yourself."

The carrier nervously gulped down the last bite of her snack and turned to the submarine in front of her.

"Unryuu-class standard aircraft carrier Aso, last ship of the Unryuu class," the girl responded. "I-It's my first time being stationed so far from Japan."

"I see. I heard…"

"...From Arizona-san in Sasebo that I was a jingoistic jackass?" Aso finished.

"Yes." The submarine shifted her eyes left and right. "Anything else? Just based on what Arizona told me about you, you can't be just volunteering to fight here."

The carrier wanted to say something, but couldn't. What was she supposed to say? That she was captured by the remnants of a Japanese magical military unit? That she broke the youkai out and set up a village for them?

It seemed simple enough. It was just like trying to tell Admiral Shimada. But at the same time, it felt impossible. She tried opening her mouth to say something, but the words felt like gravel in her throat.

Next to her, Tsushima Maru looked up from her "prize" of one ice cream sundae and at the carrier she enthusiastically shouted that she found. "It's okay. You can tell us. Honestly speaking, Bowfin-mama killed me once, so we're already used to the whole tragic backstory thing."

"Tsushima-"

"I'm not lying though?" The transport ship added.

Bowfin took a minute to take in a deep breath. "Fine...you have a point."

Tsushima Maru shoveled a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. "But if you don't want to say anything either. That's ok too."

The carrier hesitantly nodded. At least that was a way out. Even now, the thought of what happened back then burned in the back of her mind. She took a deep breath and relaxed. She didn't have to confess everything.

Aso stared up at her older sisters. "I promise I won't run away anymore."

She clenched her fists.

What was she doing?

Why is she so hesitant to talk about it?

Why did she want to take that secret to her grave?

What was the point?

She had to say something. Anything.

Yet the words escaped her.

Seeing the carrier's indecision, Bowfin stood up and held a fried ball of dough in front of Aso's face, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Here," the submarine prodded. "It's called a malasada. If you're not ready, I'm not gonna force you."

Aso glanced at the sugar-coated donut and could already feel the drool forming in her mouth. Reluctantly, she took hold of it and began to eat.

The fluffy fried dough melted in her mouth while the sugar tickled her tastebuds. Before she knew it, the malasada was gone, with nothing but sugar crystals stuck to her hands.

"Whoa! Cool!"

The carrier snapped out of her post-snack haze and glanced behind her. With a sparkling look in her eyes, the transport ship had taken a hold of the cloth-wrapped sword she had strapped to her bag and had easily, yet carefully unwrapped the cloth.

"H-Hey! Don't touch that!" Aso scolded lightly. "It's a genuine Masamune, so it's expensive!"

Bowfin cocked her eyebrow. "A genuine Masamune?"

"H-Hai. I begged one of his descendants to make it for me."

"So technically, it's not made by the master, just in his style."

"H-Hai…"

The submarine crossed her arms. "Tsushima, could you bring it here?"

The transport ship nodded and diligently brought the katana over to her guardian, who took it with both hands.

Before Aso could protest, Bowfin drew the blade and examined it closely. With a nod, she returned the blade to its scabbard and handed it to the carrier. "Go on, wear it."

"I-I don't think…"

"Just wear it," the submarine chided coldly. "If you were going to bring your own weapon that didn't come with your gear, at least be prepared to actually use it, not let it be some shitty decorative piece. Be grateful that ship girls here have at least some relaxed rules regarding weapons on their person."

Nervously, the carrier fished the obi out of her bag and wrapped it around herself. When she finished tying it off, she slipped her precious sword into its appropriate spot and secured it to her obi with its saya.

'What would Houshou-san think of me now?' She thought.

"You use a bow too, right?" Tsushima Maru asked. "You're like a real samurai!" While the young girl's eyes were sparkling, a fairy materialized on her shoulder. The fairy whispered something in her ear, making the pre-teen light up even more. "Hey, I'll be right back!"

The carrier watched the transport ship in confusion before she turned to Bowfin. Whatever the girl was planning, that question had to wait for the moment. More importantly…

"By the way, Bowfin-san…" Aso asked nervously. "What...What's the relationship between…"

"Oh, that?" Bowfin answered with a small groan. "It's kinda...complicated."

Next to her, Aso fidgeted with her sword. "I...I can tell. She said you killed her, but she still calls you 'mama' for some reason."

"It's not like I wanted her to call me her mama," the submarine retorted. "I do have regrets about hitting her with torpedoes back in the war. I'm not going to lie about that. Even if I say that it was a mistake, it still doesn't change that fact."

"That...That doesn't really answer everything."

Bowfin shrugged. "I honestly don't know how it has gotten to this point. A few years ago, I went to her memorial to apologize for everything and for some reason, now I'm acting like a single mother to her." She let out a sigh. "It's tiring, but as long as I can make it up to her, I'm happy. This time around, I at least want to protect her."

Aso nodded with a little reluctance. She could understand that.

Sorta.

A mischievous grin emerged on the young girl's face as she re-entered the room. "Can I hold your sword again? I promise I'll be careful."

"I don't think…"

A hand fell on Aso's shoulder. "Tsushima Maru, what do you think you're doing?" Bowfin asked, putting some distance between the carrier and the transport ship.

The transport ship took a small sheet of paper out of her pocket. "Um...magic? I wanted to see if I can enchant a sword."

"With what, exactly?"

"Um...I know this thing with kitchen knives that makes them easier to maintain, so I was wondering…"

Aso's head snapped around so fast the submarine thought she had a broken neck. "Magic?! Tsushima Maru knows magic?!"

Bowfin nodded. "Apparently. A few of the kids that were on board during the incident were magicals." She then turned to the transport ship. "All right, spill it. What are you plotting? Because I know for a fact that you have more than one ofuda in your hands."

With a blush on her face, Tsushima Maru fanned the group she was holding. "Um...a sharpness preservation charm, a self-cleaning charm, a self-protection charm, and an armament charm?"

Aso turned to the transport ship in confusion. "I can guess what the first two are for, but an armament charm?"

"It's a super-cool charm you can attach to anything!" The girl exclaimed. "You hold your hand out like 'Come!' and the thing goes 'Woosh!'" She turned excitedly to Bowfin. "Show her, Bowfin-mama! Show her!"

An exhausted groan on her lips, Bowfin stuck her right hand out to her side. Astonishingly, the diving knife that sat on the tabletop nearby flew into her hand while a slack-jawed Aso simply watched.

It was just like that one American movie she saw.

That fact alone made her giddy, not that she would care to admit it.

"It even works underwater," Bowfin added. "I can't tell you how many times I lost this thing only for it to come back when I called for it. Doesn't work when the object is already on your person, which makes sense, but still kinda sucks."

Aso, for her part, could practically feel herself drooling. Making the sword easier to maintain was one thing. Making it so she not only can't lose it but it is at her beck and call is another matter entirely.

It was a samurai's dream to have a sword like that!

She tried shaking the thought off. Emphasis on "tried". But she couldn't help but feel tempted by this young girl's proposal.

A sword that flies into your hand the instant you want it to.

A sword that never gets a dull edge.

A sword that is easy to maintain.

A sword that…

"Wait, what was the other charm you said?" Aso asked.

Tsushima Maru held up a single ofuda. "A self-protection charm. It mostly used with kitchen knives so it literally can't cut you or whoever is using it."

"Wait, so even if an Abyssal steals it, it won't cut me? At all?"

"Um...kinda?" the transport answered. "When I used it on a kitchen knife, the edge feels like it's made of blunted rubber. It would still hurt, but not as much, I think."

And a sword that can't be used by anyone else but her!

The girl excitedly gripped her katana and prepared to hand it over to the transport ship.

The descendant of Masamune shook his head. "A good sword is simple. An amateur that desires the fanciest sword is the biggest fool in the world." He formally handed over the brand-new katana with the name "Kyoufuu (Strong Wind)" engraved on the tang. "A name is one thing. But to over-accessorize a sword before you have even wielded it in anger is an insult to the sword."

Aso paused at the memory just as she was about to remove the sword from her obi.

Houshou shook her head. "I'm not angry, Aso-san. I'm disappointed."

Aso looked at the transport ship. Then at the sword. Then at the ready and willing Tsushima Maru. Then back at her beloved sword.

"...Not...Not right now, Tsushima Maru-san," the carrier painfully admitted as she slipped her weapon back into her obi. "I don't think I'm ready for that yet."

One day, she thought, she might take up the transport ship's offer.

Maybe when she feels like she's worthy enough to wield Kyoufuu.

For now, there were more of these malasada things in the box. Better eat them now before they get cold.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Belgian Butterknife's Japanese Vacation (III)

11 July 2014

Lantern Kamakura Hotel, Kamakura, Japan
Spoiler: Ehren Meets The Family

Ehren du Chasteler took a deep breath and began to run through her mental checklist.

She hefted the small Rot-Weiss-Essen gym bag with the necessities of vacation life that she had just finished inventorying (waterproof pouch containing needed travel documents and cash both mundane and magical, compact makeup and lipstick case, hairbrush, toothpaste, suntan lotion, emergency Portkey home to get Claire out of trouble, phone & charger, earbuds and iPod, spare sheath for her dagger body, her magical signet ring as Du Chasteler heiress, copy of The Dark Forces: A Guide To Self-Protection magical book for light reading, and the pommel pin that she had removed from her hilt secretly and then regenerated using some spare Repair Fluid yesterday).

Alles in Ordnung.

With that she glanced at the two suitcases containing her clothes, and the hang-up bag containing her nice dresses. She shook her head slightly at the impulse to change her clothes to something from them since Aunt Kago had said that this was an informal meet and greet with her aunts at their beach house.
Spoiler: Ehren's T Shirt

With that she performed a precise about-face and marched to the bathroom mirror, surveying the ponytailed blond girl inside it critically. Steel-blue eyes with the barest almond shape narrowed slightly below pale wheat-blond eyebrows that framed her thin blade of a nose, pointed chin, and high cheekbones. She automatically straightened the black Überfrau T-shirt that she wore over the efficient two-piece swimsuit that she had bought at Harrods. She relaxed slightly as she felt the reassuring weight and heft of her hidden dagger body in the sheath sewn into the hip of her khaki baggy beach shorts while she smirked at her reflection. Automatically she snapped her heels together, then frowned slightly as her new beach sandals did not produce the expected sharp slap of leather on leather that she preferred.

Pity.

With that observation she grabbed her gym bag and headed out of her room, automatically locking the door behind herself with the offered room key.

Following Mother's example, she bowed and spoke some halting words of thanks in her barely studied Japanese to the desk clerk before heading outside.

Ehren sighed slightly as she walked toward the sidewalk to wait for Aunt Kago to return from her fill-up on the car. The spell that Mother had used and cast on her made gaining fluency in a language far easier since it allowed her to pick out the tonal sounds clearly and relayed some information about their meaning directly to her mind.

The problem, of course, was that the more foreign the language was to her, the harder it was to break through to gain proficiency. She looked at the kanji signs, and reflected that she was learning a language that was not even in the same family as her native German, and fully fluent English and French to the point of using a derivation of the Chinese alphabet for its writing rather than the Latin-derived letters that she was used to. Mother had said that the longer she was around Japanese-speakers the more she would pick up and the easier it would be.

She sincerely hoped so, since she felt uncomfortable standing out the way that she did. Not knowing the language was bad enough, but her pale skin and blond hair stood out in the crowd of Japanese in town. Being exposed and vulnerable was a feeling that caused her some emotional reactions as a dagger.

She smiled at Claire as the piano, now dressed in a turquoise beach dress, flip flops, and a white sunhat, appeared at the door. Ehren, who was wise in the ways of Big Piano Sisters and had spent her whole life watching over and protecting Claire ever since her sister had awakened, picked up the subtle signs of worry. With that spike of insight, the blonde dagger walked to her sister and spoke quietly as she placed a gentle reassuring hand on Claire's shoulder,"don't worry, they will love you just like everyone else does. Mother and Grandmother and Aunt Kago wouldn't take you to see them if they did not love music." Ehren paused and then continued, "besides, as Aunt Kago told me, fighting is just a small part of what a warrior does. Aunt Kago acts in the theater, and you play piano to make wonderful the space that our steel protects and guards."

Claire's relieved smile lit her face up and she gave Ehren a thankful hug as they waited for Aunt Kago to return from filling the car up.

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

JNHRO Beach House, Zuchi, Japan

The car stopped in the driveway and Ehren gave Claire's hand a reassuring squeeze as the dagger put a small smug smile on her face.

Ehren opened the car door and got out, automatically sweeping the area for threats to her sister. She relaxed minutely as her scan identified no threats. After all she was the last line of defense for her beloved sister, and Mother had told her the day Claire manifested to keep her company and keep her safe.

Ehren would sooner die than let her sister come to harm.

Claire hopped out to join her and then smiled happily. "Ehren! They have a private beach! Now I know why Mother wanted us to bring our swimsuits!"

Ehren murmured "Ja. It seems that a beach party is planned."

Kagotsuruhe nodded, "That was the plan, yes. Go through the gate there to the beach and I will go collect my sisters since it seems they are busy inside. Again." Meanwhile Colombe retrieved the suitcase that held the rest of the presents to hand to Kago.

Colombe watched Kago enter the house like the Angel of Death and chuckled. "I have met them a little and I am not surprised. They are like cats squabbling at times. It runs in Father's family, apparently."

Ehren rubbed her chin in thought as they walked through the gate. That did explain much about Mutti's relationships to her sisters if such was genetic. Beside her, Claire hummed some bars from Mannheim Steamroller's Come Home To The Sea.
Spoiler: Music For a Butterknife Beach Party

Then the back door to the patio and beach opened and Ehren focused on the movement inside. Family....

Ehren's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of a sextet of apparent young women approaching from the opened door. One Japanese girl in a modest black one-piece swimsuit was being pushed in a wheelchair by a yellow eyed and greyish-white haired tanned woman in a pink one-piece swimsuit with goldfish patterns on it who was chattering to her happily.

Right behind the duo was a tall and slender woman with a shaggy 'mom' haircut and an extremely put-upon expression on her face in a blue two-piece bikini who was nodding along at something the equally silver-haired woman in a mandala-patterned one-piece blue swimsuit was saying with a disgusted look on her face.

A purple haired girl in a skimpy string bikini showing prints of various cartoon girls with vacant drooling expressions followed with a smug smirk as she whistled and skipped down the path.

Finally the last one was a slender young woman with red hair and a green two-piece with sarong who was carrying a picnic basket in both hands in front of her after she slid the door shut.

Colombe murmured, "the two in front are Nameless in the wheelchair and Kyoshu-chan pushing her. Behind her are Umitsubame on the left and Chisuheri on the right." The rapier sighed. "Akutoku...why, just WHY? Suisei is bringing up the rear. No Juuchi, Tonbo, or Norimune, I wonder what happened to them?"

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Winter's Shadow Over Kingsport (II)

13 July 2014

Kingsport, Smuggler's Cove, Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, Maine, USA

Take up the White Man's burden,
And reap his old reward--
The blame of those ye better
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
"Why brought ye us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"

Take up the White Man's burden--
Ye dare not stoop to less--
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloak your weariness.
By all ye will or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent sullen peoples
Shall weigh your God and you.

Take up the White Man's burden!
Have done with childish days--
The lightly-proffered laurel,
The easy ungrudged praise:
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years,
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers.
— Rudyard Kipling, 1899, "The White Man's Burden"
Spoiler: A Quiet Village

Delilah de Breuil crept through the darkened and hushed woods at the head of her strike squad of MIB agents enveloped in her Demiguise-hair MIB-issue Invisibility Cloak layered with Disillusionment Charms to make her blend nearly perfectly into the darkened forest. A spectral ghost among mist-shrouded spectral trees, passing unseen until it was time to strike from surprise from the shadows.

Just as she had done in 2002 in the Pakistani Federally Administered Tribal Areas of North Waziristan while on the trail of a Shayṭān Imam who was scheming with the Taliban to finish the job that the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan had started. A hunt that had ended with a village burned to the ground unexpectedly when her bullet had caused the rogue jinn to explode in a firestorm in his death agonies.

Behind her hood her eyes moved constantly. One cold green eye concentrated on the readings of her Omniocular where it hung from her headband to show magical traces, spells, and warn of danger. The other glowed like a cat's with a Lakota hunting charm to let her see in the starlit midnight shrouded woods as if it was high noon.

Just as she had done in 1998 while putting down a Hidebehind outbreak from the Taconic Mountain Reserve in Massachusetts before they could start eating humans again. A hunt that had ended with some of the most deadly and stealthiest wild predators of the Americas dead at the hands and bullets of a greater predator.

Her right hand held her revolver body ready for action with all her silencing and flash suppression charms fully activated. Her left hand glowed like a firefly with a spell to make the motions visible to her team. It shifted soundlessly to lay parallel with the ground and pumped up and down in the command for 'SLOW' as she slowed her pace as she approached the first field surrounding the village.

Just as she had done in 1943 in Italy when she infiltrated Monte Cassino with her unit to secure certain invaluable historical and magical manuscripts hidden there by the Catholic Church before it was destroyed by Allied bombers in February of 1944.

She began to move forward at a slow pace, then froze, her left hand shooting out in a fist with her thumb pointed to the ground in the 'UNKNOWN SPOTTED' sign as a pair of gaunt and famished figures moved from the right of her field of vision. Her hand then flashed up to face the palm toward the others in the 'STOP' sign as she knelt, her pistol covering the figures as behind her the other MIB agents repeated the signal and smoothly shifted into a diamond defensive formation as they knelt.

Just as she had done in 1917 in Mexico as she had tracked down one of the Kaiser's agents who was looking to persuade Magical Mexico to join the war against the Entente.

Behind her hood, Delilah's lips thinned at the data coming in from her Omnioculars, then curled in a satisfied smug smirk as the figures continued to walk past her. Cold green eyes noticed the antlers on what appeared to be deer heads and the skeletal ribs visible under their fur as they walked on two human legs past her.

Finally they passed out of sight and Delilah relaxed marginally before making a bird call and tapping the side of her head.

Rustles sounded and the other three agents joined her. Delilah spoke in a quiet murmured undertone. "We are in the right place. They have a pair of Kee-Wakw patrolling. Kin to the Wendigo, but somewhat weaker and you can bind them to a talisman for obedience.... If you want to get the Death Potion for corpse desecration, blood rituals, and Dark Magic along with unauthorized use of TOTEM's Magical Weapons Development's brainstorm using some of the data from World War II. Also, since they are undead...."

She reached into her equipment pouch and pulled out four carved bone rings. "Take one and put these on. They will render us invisible to them. If you have to fight them, the only way to kill one is to melt the figure made of coldest ice that takes the place of their hearts and contains their soul so cast accordingly. Gear check when we are done and then we proceed after ten. Go silent."

Delilah took the last of the rings and slipped it on her left middle finger to rest next to the reassuring weight and warmth of her wedding band. She took a deep breath and let it out as she waited for the others to slap her on the shoulder to indicate readiness.

While the Kee-Wakw were not strictly speaking illegal for authorized MACUSA facilities, she had seen no evidence that Kingsport was authorized their use. Unless, a cold voice that sounded like her mother hissed in her hind brain, this was classified and hidden from us deliberately. She hoped with all her heart that this was a rogue necromancer or cell, but she was glumly afraid that this was something far, far more toxic to the country that she loved so dearly.

With that in mind, she reached inside one of her pouches and touched the square metal wafer inside. Her finger found the button and began to depress it in the patterns of Morse code.

-.. . .-.. / -.-. --- -.. . / --. .-. .- -.-- / .. -. ..-. .. .-.. - .-. .- - .. -. --. (DEL CODE GRAY INFILTRATING)

She repeated the message twice and then felt a slap on her left shoulder blade. She raised both her hands above her head high and looked back at her team, making sure that they were watching her signs. She then dropped her right hand to put her revolver back into firing position, moved her left palm to face forward, and waved it forward three times to signal the advance.

The village past the field was dark and seemed abandoned.

She halted in the shadow of a carved granite obelisk marked KINGSPORT-ESTABLISHED 1696 to let her team assemble and give a silent briefing.

As she began to pass between unlit and silent houses rain began to fall.

Delilah breathed a sigh of relief, for what stealth that she would lose with the rain falling on her cloak would be more than made up for with the muffling of sounds and sight that the rainstorm signaled.

House after house, street and alley passed with no sign of life, like images in an opium dream.

Delilah crept from shadow to shadow deeper into Kingsport like a cat, her team at her heels.

Then she heard the rhythmic sounds of muffled chanting from up ahead.

In the distance, offshore, a flash of lightning showed storm tossed wind and wave pounding the shore.

Delilah's eyes narrowed to slits as her lips drew back in a coldly furious smirk.

A second flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder sounded as Delilah and her team reached the village common as cold rain fell harder.

Across the green grass, there were dim yellow lights leaking through the side shutters of a Georgian church made of white clapboard with a tall pyramidal spire.
Spoiler: The Meeting Hall

Delilah paused in the shadow of a darkened and silent house, measuring fire angles, observation points as her team took positions.

Then her eyes widened in shock as thunder nearly deafened her and rain began to fall.

A third bolt of lightning had just struck the oddly shaped black iron weather-vane atop the church steeple.

Energies began to coruscate in crackling arcs of blue-white electricity around the spire.

The flash had shown her a pair of pale white female human figures with lank white hair standing in the shadow of the pillars leading to the steps.

Figures with red eyes.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

"Shiro, relax, you're overthinking things."

Eyebrow twitching a little, Shiromizu turned towards an amused Jin, "Senpai, you've seen what they have done!" Making a gesture towards her "House", she continued, "I wanted a home. Just a small, modest house at the most... Instead, they built me a freaking palace!"

Raising a finger, Jin grinned despite himself, "More like a manor, though I suppose back in the Heien it would have been a palace fit for a local Daimyo. Not so much come the Sengoku Jidai, however and definitely not when the Edo Era came around."

Only facepalming, the younger Mizuchi groaned, "Not helping, Senpai. Not helping at all..."

Lips twitching, Jin gave a shrug, "Not trying to really, Shiro. But look at it in another way, they're letting you know that they care deeply and this is their way of showing it. They're pretty swanky digs after all."

Yet again, Shiromizu's hands met her face in a forbidden embrace, "Senpai..." With a sigh, however, she separated the lovers once more, "I'm just worried about what my residence on the other side looks. The way that Suihou-Chan, Himewari-Chan, and Ryo-Kun talk... it's much more..." Pausing, she considered her next words before the Mizuchi nodded, "Extravagant, than what I have here."

Tone drier than a creek in a drought, the older of the two snorted, "That is putting it mildly, Kid. You have a castle." Ignoring the groan, Jin scratched her chin in thought, "Though that is not really that uncommon to be frank. Most Ryuu, Mizuchi and Wani, have a castle in the Spiritual Realm. Just one of those things."

Blinking, Shiromizu looked at her curiously, "Does that mean that you have one, Senpai?"

Much to her confusion, Jin grimaced and looked away, "Kind of. Uh, long story short? It is not in much better shape than I am to say the least." She then waved it off as if it was one of the biting insects that called her stream home one upon a time, "Anyways, that is beside the point. You got a castle like most Mizuchi do. And technically, you're pulling double duty as both the spirit of your river and the spirit of the mountain. So that puts more issues on you regarding that sort of bullshit."

Lost, the younger of the two scratched her head, "I'm still not quite sure what to do with that, Senpai. No one's really explained what happens with it."

Glancing at her, Jin was quiet for a few moments before frowning, "Technically you could hold both positions on a permanent basis. While there might be some grumbles, there would not be too many though some of the other Mizuchi would frown because of the power that you would gain. Right now? You're basically acting as a caretaker for the position. Which means that you get to chose when and to whom that you give it up to. They can petition the higher Kami, but... in general, it would be up to you in the end."

Still frowning, Shiromizu furrowed her eyebrows, "But... what does that even mean?"

With a small shrug, Jin shook her head, "You hand over the position to them on a ceremony. Personally? I would chose someone that you can trust and get along with well enough. You don't want to have someone that you would have fucking issues with in regards to being in control of where your spring comes from. Never ends well, trust me on that."

Considering that, the younger Mizuchi hummed, "Yes, but the question is what limits are there?"

Needless to say, she was confused as Jin facepalmed, "Goddammit... I knew that I was missing something. Right." Turning to the confused Shiromizu, she cleared her throat, "So you're wondering whom can become a Mountain Kami, right?"

Expression lighting up, Shiromizu nodded, "Hai, Senpai! That is what I am wondering because, well... there's not a lot on it."

With a snort, the undead Mizuchi rolled her eyes, "Of course there isn't." Sighing and making a gesture, Jin continued, "Right, well the long and short of it, Kid, is that there is no limits. You don't even need to be a Kami in order for one to become the Mountain Kami. Back in the old days, one of the easy ways to become a Kami was just to come up to a Mountain Kami and kill them in a fight before taking their place. A couple of humans did that to become immortal. Sort of frowned upon nowadays." Scratching her chin on thought, she continued, "There are other ways as well... okay, a bit of a history lesson is coming up and I'm going to bring up some old shit to explain it. This shit dates back to the Age of Gods with all the problems there were."

Her eyes widening, Shiromizu boggled a bit, "It goes back that far?!"

Just snorting, Jin smirked, "You bet it does." Clearing her throat, she took a deep breath, "Right, I'll skip over most of the beginning as you know about it including the disagreement between the Heavenly Kami and Earthly Kami when Amaterasu told her grandson to come down to Earth, kick ass and chew bubblegum, and bubblegum hadn't been invented yet-"

Raising her finger, the younger of the two Mizuchi frowned, "Chew bubblegum? Really?"

Jin gave a snort, "I know, but that is what she said apparently, something got lost in translation or those writing the books didn't want to put it in there. But she knew about bubblegum somehow and meme'd it before it was a thing." Pausing, she frowned, "She just laughs whenever someone brings it up." For a few moments, the Mizuchi thought about it before shrugging, "Anyways, not important and the conflict was something partially solved through the marriage of Ningi and Konohanasakuya-Hime which united the two sides." It was then that Jin made a motion with her hand, "See, there were these mountain gods back then, and they were old fucks and were worshipped by the Jomon and later the Yayoi and the Yamato. These gods took the form of human-like monkeys, like their descendants the Sarugami... and were generally a bunch of raging fucking assholes like you would not believe." Looking at her, the older Mizuchi frowned, "Seriously, they were dickbags of the highest degree."

In reply, Shiromizu blinked, "Seriously Senpai? And, wait... monkeys? You mean that bit about Sarugami being devolved Mountain Kami is true?!"

Waggling her hand, her Senpai shook her head, "Kind of? The Sarugami are their descendants. But yeah, they were a bunch of bastard coated asshole dicks. Sun Wukong showed up once, met them, and after a little bit went 'Dude, you're a fucking bunch of assholes! Calm your shit!' And... proceeded to wreck all their shit when they got pissed at this monkey dude from over the sea insulting them and tried to attack. Ended up with him literally shoving the shit-gibbons into their own shit face first and running off cackling like the lovable scamp he is. We all had a laugh at seeing that bunch humiliated."

Very slowly, Shiromizu blinked at that, 'Wat.'

Meanwhile, not noticing what reaction she got, Jin continued, "You know all those stories about Sarugami coming down from the mountains and abducting women to rape? While some were Sarugami... it was mostly from the old stories as the monkey gods did that sort of thing. Like, they would see a hot chick and go 'I want a piece of that' before having a go. Usually, they would kill most of the humans around said girl who would try to, you know, help her? And most of the children and descendants would become the Sarugami. Remember once about... oh... fifteen hundred years ago now? There was this one really asshole one who lived on Mount Takao. Chased this young girl all the way to my river and as much of an asshole as the old me was, there were certain lines not to cross. Wrecked all his shit and sent him scrambling back to his home. One of the few times the old me picked someone in our weight category."

Unknown to her, one of her cultists heard this and widened their eyes, 'The Dark One truly is a mighty being...'

Gesturing with her hand, and ignoring the shiver that went down her back, Jin frowned, "Though not all of them were, uh, interested in girls. I mean, there was this one female who... Er... liked her males young, if you catch my drift. And had a large number in her lair..."

Expression one of distaste, Shiromizu gave her a look, "Is there a point behind this, Senpai? Besides being really disturbing?"

Amused more than anything else, the older Mizuchi lightly laughed, "Just giving some background. Anyways, yeah, assholes. What made them worse was that they loved alcohol, which not only made many of them bigger assholes, but also gave them visits from the Good Idea Fairy." The grimace returned to her face a moment later, "As shown when, about two decades after Ningi and Konohanasakuya-Hime, one of Amaterasu's attendants was visiting and enjoying the sakura in said female Kami's garden when one of the monkey gods, drunk, saw her."

Paling, Shiromizu stared at her, "He didn't... please don't let her have been..."

In reply, a serious faced Jin raised one hand with her fingers inches apart, "Well, it was a really near thing as Ningi and Konohanasakuya-Hime stumbled across them as he was trying to tear her clothes off. To say that the female Kami of Mount Fuji blew is putting it... mildly. Unfortunately, he managed to escape and things began to boil over. Amaterasu was pretty pissed and caused a number of Earthly Kami piss themselves at seeing her show up in full war regalia for what had been done to her attendant. Some of those Earthly Kami who still held grudges started arming themselves while others, who had to back them up due to alliances did so much slower. It looked like a second war would happen when the leaders of us Earthly Kami stepped up and tried to defuse the situation. They managed to talk her out of just killing all of us and such, when Ningi offered a solution." One finger raised, Jin frowned, "Basically, if someone killed one of them, they could take their place. But it could not be one of the Heavenly Kami who did so. After a talk with his grandmother, he got Amaterasu to agree."

A frown on her face, the younger Mizuchi gave her a look, "That could not have just been it, right? There was more to it than that..."

That caused Jin to grin, "And you would be right. You see, there was a young human boy who knew the attendant. Had a crush on her and everything, thus was angry about what happened. As well, he was the only male that she would let touch her after what happened, even as he grew from a young boy to a young man. But... he was mortal and she was Kami, until he found out about the agreement. He went to Amaterasu and asked for help, and she smiled and provided him with two items: one was a jug of Susanoo's sake, and a special sake dish that turned any drink placed into it into pure spring water. And so he headed of to the lair of the asshole and, along the way, came across a female monkey who helped him on his journey. With her help, he managed to get past various obstacles and the like to make it to the lair... where it was revealed she was his target's daughter, and wanted revenge for what happened to her mother. The young man challenged the monkey god to a drinking contest, which, laughing, he agreed to. The two drank and drank, with the young man drinking only water. Until the god was too drunk and fell to the floor, at which point the young man struck and cut off his head, ascending to his place. He then returned to the attendant, with the female Sarugami following, and got married to them both."

Eyebrow raising at that, Shiromizu snorted, "The others could not have liked that."

Unable to help herself, Jin cackled, "No, they did not. But there was nothing that they could do, either. Over the centuries they've basically been killed off by humans, Tengu, Oni, Kitsune, and other Yokai who took their place. The ones who didn't get killed and are still around are the ones who weren't raging fucking dickbags."

More than a little curious, Shiromizu cocked her head to the side, "There's still some around?"

Her grin widening, Jin snickered, "You know about the Hibagon?"

That caused the younger of the two to blink, "The Japanese Bigfoot seen in Hiroshima Prefecture around Mount Hiba..." She trailed off and gave her Senpai a disbelieving look, "No, that..."

Only nodding, Jin cackled a bit, "Yeah, he's one of the remaining monkey gods. Nice guy, but loves the reactions he gets just by stepping into view of people. Doesn't do anything, just stands there and stares." After a moment, she gave a shrug, "Anyways, that is about the sum of it. There's other rules mind you, like how you can only be the Kami of one mountain. If you kill another Kami, it just leaves that place vacant, like what's happened here. Or... you can give up the position to someone else." Crossing her arms, the Mizuchi hummed, "That happened up at a mountain overlooking Okayado, which has a lot of Yokai living there. A Tengu gave up the position to an Inaba, mainly because he had a lot of debts and figured that she would be trapped by them if he went back to being a normal Tengu. As it turned out? He chose... poorly. As for the Inaba? She's been talking with the government to change the name of her mountain from what I heard."

It went without saying that the other Mizuchi just blinked at that.

Not long after, as they continued chatting, they finally reached their destination which was Shiromizu's Shrine. Waiting there were not just her attendants and Misa, but also Kat and Arutemisu. The Inaba had an interested look on his face as he looked at the torii before turning to her and bowing, "Lady Shiromizu."

With a bemused look, Shiromizu bowed back, "Suihou-Chan, Himewari-Chan, Ryo-Kun, Misa-Onee-Sama, Kat-San, Arutemisu-San. Thank you for coming."

All Arutemisu did though was chuckle with a slight smile on his face, "You are very welcome, Lady Shiromizu." Looking once more at the torii, he had an thoughtful expression on his face, "I'll admit, I've never seen a Kami open the way to the Spiritual Realm, or what their abode looks like there."

The younger of the two Mizuchi shrugged, "I'll admit to being a little interested to what it looks like..." Internally, Shiromizu continued, 'Hopefully it is not too extravagant...' Ignoring the chill that went up her back, she cleared her throat, "Now then... give me a few moments..."

Closing her eyes, Shiromizu took a few deep breaths to centre herself as she felt out her surroundings on a spiritual level. She could feel her power all around her, and in front she could "See" within her mind the gate to her personal fiefdom in the spiritual realms. Hand slowly extending, the young spirit snapped open a fan that had a white Mizuchi on it before opening glowing eyes and taking a step forward. As it entered the torii, there was a burst of ghostly flame that appeared and slowly streamed upwards as the ripples moved from where the fan was as if instead of air, it was water. Slowly, the flames grew brighter as they reached to the top of the torii and the ground before Shiromizu flicked her wrist again and the ripples filled the space within the gate before clearing to reveal a road on the other side surrounded by cherry blossoms.

Just a little tired from opening the way, Shiromizu looked around before turning her head to look at the others, "Shall we?"

Each of them shared a look before they followed her into the portal to the Spiritual Realm. It was only Himewari, Suihou, and Ryo who did not stop upon seeing the giant castle perched on the mountain where in real life, Shiromizu's spring was. Around it were walls and a moat as guard towers rose at the corners of said walls. And above, there was a number of larger towers including a massive keep. Even from where they stood, they could all see it as majestic.

Glancing at Shiromizu, however, Jin coughed to hide her laugh at the expression on her Kohai's face, 'Yeah, that bunch really want to fucking do her right... that is for sure.'

Highly amused, the undead Mizuchi tapped Shiromizu on the shoulder who snapped out of her shock and, with a sigh, walked forward towards the doors. At the gate, they spied two Oni, the same ones that Shiromizu recognized as being the two who gave their lives once on the mountain. Both of whom came to attention as she approached and bowed, "Lady Shiromizu... welcome."

Despite her own feelings, the young Mizuchi smiled and bowed back, "Thank you for the welcome." Just smiling, both Oni went back to their positions as she entered the castle with the others. Upon entering the main area, they could all see various spirits of the mountain, especially water spirits, pause to look at them before bowing to Shiromizu. Swallowing, she bowed back to them as did the others in the group, "Thank you all for building me such a splendid place. Though I have seen little, it is as wonderful as I consider all of you to be. I can only hope to be worthy of such."

Various spirits simply smiled and told her that they were happy and that she was already worth more than just this.

Over the next two hours, Shiromizu was shown around her new castle. She did recognize, of course, that the center keep was somehow modelled after the one in her little terrarium. A fact that did make her wonder how they knew... before deciding that perhaps it was for the best that she did not know how. The gardens were magnificent and tended to by various tree spirits for the mountain with a small lake as the garden pond. Part of the castle, as it turned out, also operated as an administration area for the entire mountain. Something that boggled her for a moment before remembering about various things on the base.

After all, there were many springs, small streams, and brooks on the mountain. This didn't count the various other spirits, such as the tree spirits, the local castle spirit, and the like as she was also acting as the Mountain Kami. Granted, she was thankful that Himewari and the others had set up a small bureaucracy for the mountain that didn't need her all that much to run things. And if there was one thing she knew, it was that one should delegate. Yes, sometimes she would need to make decisions, but hopefully, not that often.

Still, as she stood on a balcony of the main keep, she sighed a little. Yes, it was a beautiful castle to say the least. And one that she would be showing to Harry soon enough. But...

Couldn't it have been smaller just the same...?