Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Dove and Her Poignard (Part VIII)

March 7th, 2013, Castle Moulbaix, Belgium

"En garde!"

"En garde yerself, ye French popinjay!"
Spoiler: Colombe and Jacklyn

Ehren leaned against Claire's side as the piano played a fast paced rolling melody in time with the clash of Muramasa steel in the ballroom.

Aunt Jacklyn had... not been what she expected.

The older tsukumogami had in the space of five minutes offered her hard liquor of dubious quality and even more dubious provenance, inquired if she wished to come with 'Aunt Jackie' to visit a "first rate brothel to get the rapier removed from her arse", told a visibly fuming Mother "Oh it was your rapier that ye had stuffed up the wee lass's arsehole", and then told Mother that if she didn't want Jacklyn to take Claire and Ehren on a "wee sea cruise to make women out o' them" to fight her.

Colombe had promptly jumped on the invitation to a little sibling bloodletting with both feet.

Claire was still giggling and blushing over something 'Aunt Jackie' had whispered to her before starting her piano melody as Jacklyn drew her cutlass and saluted her sister.

The fight was very interesting. Colombe was faster and had longer reach but Jacklyn behind the flamboyance and apparent eccentricity was proving a match for her sister's steel as they dueled back and forth.

Ehren's steel blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Jacklyn parried a riposte and gave Colombe a saucy wink and a blown kiss as she skipped backward. Behind that foolish facade lurked some real competence.

A movement in the corner of her eye arrested her notice as the drapes rippled in a unseen draft from the open door. A shadow crossed the floor toward Claire and Ehren promptly flash-stepped to intercept its path, her dagger held in readiness.

A soft American voice spoke. "No need for that. I'll drop the concealment charm."

A woman Mother's age with red-brown hair up in a bun and green eyes materialized in front of her. "Let's get out of their way before Sis or Jackie grabs us to take part in their fun."

Ehren nodded and followed the woman to the safe zone around the Piano.

Claire glanced over and smiled happily. "Aunt Del!"

The woman ruffled Claire's hair gently. "In the flesh, Moonbeam. Mind if I talk to your sister first?"

Ehren relaxed and slid the dagger away before clicking her heels and extending her hand. "Ehren du Chasteler."

Delilah curtsied and shook the offered hand, giving a cool green-eyed stare. "Delilah de Breuil. Colombe and Jacklyn's youngest half-sister."

Ehren frowned at the memory of the calluses on Delilah's hand. They were different than Mother, Jacklyn's or Kasuyu's calluses and most definitely different than Claire's ones on her fingertips alone.

What kind of activity gave that...? Wait.

She remembered the feel of Father's hands.

"Firearms, ja?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Delilah's eyes grew sharp and her voice lowered. "Among other things, yes. What gave it away?"

Ehren touched her calluses. "The pattern of your calluses on your hands. They are closer to mine than mother's, Kasuyu's or Jacklyn's. But not the same, built up on the first two knuckles of your forefinger. Your trigger finger."
Spoiler: Ehren and Delilah

Delilah nodded slowly, her eyes locked on Ehren's steel blue. "Impressive. Colombe told me that she was rather proud of you. I can see why. You don't miss much and there is a first rate brain behind those baby blues."

The revolver spirit turned, a wand appearing in her hand like magic. She gestured with it and two chairs slid across the floor to the corner where they stood. Delilah sat down in one and gestured to the other.

Ehren sat and surveyed Delilah with the undivided attention that a military school student gave his instructor. Delilah looked back for long moments, and then nodded to herself.

"Very well. How would you like for me to teach you some tips for close combat and cloak and dagger work?" The elder spirit's voice was very calm and conversational.

Ehren opened her mouth, then paused, thinking over the offer.

"Why are you offering this to me, Aunt Delilah?" Ehren asked, her own voice cool and controlled.

Delilah smiled slightly as if Ehren had passed a test.

"Two reasons. First off, you are family, and our family has enemies. Some that your mother has accumulated in her long life, more that see sentients like what we are, the sentient spirits of swords, daggers, revolvers," Delilah's voice lowered and her eyes flickered to the oblivious Claire, "and pianos as a threat to humans that should be locked up 'for our own good'. The good news is that the people who feel that way are losing power and are on the way out, but they have enough to be a real threat to our family right now. Having another someone who can deal with them if they threaten those who need protecting is all to the good."

Ehren slowly nodded, "I see, I will have to ask Mother about this of course and do my own research." Her lips twisted briefly. "I am...disinclined to take statements on faith. Not any more."

"Good." Delilah's voice was calmly approving. "The Truth will set you Free, Ehren. Which leads me to my second reason. Those who have the narrowest escapes from Evil tend to be its fiercest foes because they know what horrors will come about if they fail to fight the good fight. If you have taken anything more than looks from Colombe, you will have her passion for fighting the good fight. Sis has often driven me to distraction and I cannot count the number of times I have thought that my life would be simpler if I blew her brains out, but I have never doubted for an instant that she will do what she thinks is right in the defense of those needing her aid. And damn the consequences, damn the International Confederation of Wizards, damn the Statute of Secrecy... and damn those of us who try to keep the disasters she gets into under control."

Ehren listened impassively as Delilah's voice shifted into a passable Mother-voice to finish. "Even if it's 'not my fault' that I have another stack of arrest warrants on my record."

Ehren's voice was cool and clinical. "I see. My research into the history of the War did not reveal the existence of the supernatural, which appears to be no accident."

Delilah sighed, "Indeed not. To give you the executive summary, before any of us here were born, the decision was made to hide the existence of the supernatural world from the nomajs, what are called over in Europe muggles. Humans without magic. Since humans without magic greatly outnumber those with magic, never mind nonhumans like us, they are a threat to us, the more so since technology evens the odds greatly. Colombe is one of the more powerful combat mages I have known, but she nearly got killed when she picked a fight with a platoon of Orpo troops in France during 1941. We are as vulnerable as anyone else if a bullet punches through our shield spells or someone gets the drop on one of us."

Delilah leaned forward "Regardless, wizards organized and created a series of laws that collectively are known as the Statute of Secrecy. Basically preventing the knowledge of magic spreading to the nomajs to avoid lynch mobs and worse. Unfortunately," The elder Muramasa's voice was coldly bitter, "the cure was worse than the disease. Certain wizards viewed themselves as a 'master race' superior to nomajs and nonhumans. Also the wizardly governing bodies had some ties to the corresponding non-magical governments to help keep the conspiracy going. The Ministry of Magic in Britain, the Magical Congress of the USA, the Ministère des Affaires Magiques de la France... and most relevantly to recent events the Reichszauberministerium in Berlin."

Ehren's eyes hardened and her voice was very cold, "That was in existence when the Nazis came to power, ja?"

Delilah nodded, "Ja, it was. At that point in time, it was taken over by a very powerful and very ambitious Dark Wizard named Gelbert Grindlewald whose philosophies of magical supremacy 'for the Greater Good' matched events taking place in mundane Germany. Grindlewald had ties with Hitler, mainly through some of the more occult-oriented branches of the SS, such as the Ahnenerbe. So just as World War II was fought by armies and navies in the history books, there was an equally bitter and deadly secret war in the shadows between wizards, witches, and those nonhumans that supported one side or the other. Non-humans like myself, Colombe and Jacklyn. While we were victorious and Grindlewald was locked in his own prison that he had crafted as an escape-proof fortress to keep his enemies, not all of his followers met their ends on the battlefield or in courts."

Ehren leaned forward and her voice was a hiss of controlled fury, "Enemies of our family then."

"Yes. Some of which we knew, but others were more... passive supporters, collaborators who hid in plain sight in the various Wizarding governments. Then just over twenty years ago one of Grindlewald's followers emerged in Europe. Calling himself Lord Voldemort, he recruited an army of disaffected wizards and witches, especially those who viewed themselves as a magical aristocracy along with some of the non-human races who were enraged at how the wizards treated them like near slaves on 'Magical reservations.' Or if you prefer the classical term, ghettos." Delilah's voice was icy with a banked fury as she continued. "Voldemort did major damage before he vanished for a decade after nearly wiping out the family of one of our staunchest allies in the British Potters. Only to recently reemerge two years ago by attacking the British Wizarding school of Hogwarts."

Ehren listened in stony silence as Delilah finished, "Regardless the damage Voldemort and his followers did to the Statute of Secrecy was immense. Then the Abyssals came, followed by Shipgirls, both of which are blatantly magical and the cat is coming out of the bag. Soon, very soon, it is probable that the Statute of Secrecy will give up the ghost. I don't know how or what will break it, be it a dragon flying over Paris in plain sight of everyone, or a magical duel in Los Angeles that goes viral on Youtube, or Amaterasu coming down from the Shinto Heaven to Ise Grand Shrine. But it will be broken and soon. That is what I and others that I call friends and allies have been laboring for decades as our goal. Preparing for that day so that the crash is as soft as possible."

Delilah looked into her niece's eyes, leaf green meeting steel-blue and spoke quietly. "All I ask of you is to do your research on the history I just related in Sis', Jacklyn's, and my libraries because we will be called upon to act on that day. And when that day comes, whether it is the Statute of Secrecy collapsing resulting in riots against mages, or Voldemort and his Death Eaters looking to destroy the du Chastelers, I want you to be ready so you can do what you know is right then."

Ehren gave a sharp nod. "I will consider your words and if they are true, take your advice."

Delilah smiled smugly. "One last piece of advice, Ehren. Don't drink Jackie's booze unless you want to wake up with a killer headache and don't play cards for money or clothing with the rogue. She deals seconds like a pro."

"Oi! Del! Hands off the blonde girl, I called dibs on her first! Find some other cutie to enlist in your crusade of freedom."

Delilah turned to see the fox eared and tailed form of Jacklyn heading her way with her cutlass resting on her shoulder and one arm around Colombe's hip as the taller rapier laughed in delight.

Delilah grinned broadly as Ehren blushed and facepalmed. "As opposed to your crusade to make a pass on every member of the family, Jackie? My mother, our sister, and now my niece? I won't count that love potion on Lesbos with the Mayor's daughters against you because...."

Revolver and cutlass joined their voices in unholy glee and high-fived each other as the rapier sighed and muttered fervent wishes that she was an only child. "TWINS THEY WERE!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Rubbing his hands together in the slight chill, Haruto blew on them to warm them up a bit before a hand on his shoulder made him turn to find that Mie was there with a concerned look on her face, "Are you okay, Haruto-Kun? Cold?"

Lips curling some, the wizard shook his head, "Just a little."

Hachimitsu looked over her shoulder and winked at him, bringing her tail up, "Maybe I should let you use my tail to keep your hands warm then, Haruto-Kun." Internally, she was smirking, 'Now, go all red and-'

What she did not expect was for Haruto to grasp her tail in his hands and smile, "Thanks, Hachimitsu-Onee-Chan." His eyes widened a touch, "Wow! This is really keeping my hands warm."

Face red, the Kitsune looked away, "I-I am happy that you enjoy it so much." Inside her mind though, she was panicking, 'He has my tail! Oh Kami, he's rubbing my tail and why does it feel so good?!'

Sly expression on her face, Mikage looked at her sister, "My, my, doesn't that look nice~"

More snickers escaped her as Hachimitsu attempted to glare at her... only for her to freeze and go red as Haruto turned to her, "Don't worry, Onee-Chan, I can use your tail as well."

Utterly red, Mikage turned her head, "T-that's fine, you don't need to do that."

Roughly twenty minutes later, it was a relieved, though somewhat disappointed, Hachimitsu whose tail was let go. Something, that needless to say, confused the Kitsune. Meanwhile, Haruto pulled out his pocket watch and flipped it open to check the time as they walked onto the grounds of the Shrine for the Reserve, 'Almost time.'

When he looked up, he grimaced a touch. Like much of the Reserve, the Shrine was not looking the best. Not to say that it was falling down, but the the buildings were definitely worn and somewhat patched with what materials they could use as it was as old as the Reserve itself. At the same time though, it showed how much care and respect that those in the Reserve held for the Shrine that it was kept in as good a shape as it was with the lack of resources.

At the moment though, Haruto could see various youngsters and the like running around and playing games as fish oil lanterns shone their flickering light over the Shrine grounds. There were a very few booths here and there where one could play games for prizes. Not that there were many prizes nor that they were especially expensive. One could see driftwood carvings as well as objects carved from shell and the odd whale bone that washed up on the shore. From what Haruto could remember, shortly after Blood Week, Hachimitsu and her sisters had found a dead whale and dragged it ashore to provide for food for the then nearly starving Yokai. It had been killed by an Abyssal, but after it had died the Yokai used it's bones for carvings and the like.

Said whale was not the last as sometimes others had been found dead of various causes and hauled back to the island.

Lips curling, the wizard smiled a bit as he watched one little Tanuki laugh as she raised the whistle that she had won and started to blow into it. Soon after, said child was joined by her friends as they danced around to the tune, much to the amusement of the adults there. Yes, the festival was not nearly as fancy or amazing as the ones he had gone to while growing up. But... it was still one that made him smile. For as little as the people in the Reserve had, and that was what he considered them as, people, they made due with what they had.

It was then that he heard a shout and turned to find the Nue who acted as the Priest of the Shrine waving at him. Making his way over, the Yokai relaxed and bowed, "Ah, sorry, Haruto-Sama, for being so rude, but..."

Simply waving it off, Haruto shook his head though he blushed a bit at the 'Sama' that was used, "Ah, don't worry about it, Riku-San. It is nothing really... And I do have what is needed." Reaching for his Kimono, he pulled out a small bag and handed it to the Yokai, "Here you go."

Relieved, Riku nodded, "Many thanks, Haruto-Sama. Many, many thanks... this will make things so much better for the young ones." Turning, he clapped his hands, "People! People please! Give us a little room in the middle! Toji-San, we need your help!"

The Raiju in question just nodded and walked over before tipping his hat at Haruto, "So you brought them."

A slight smile on his face, the teen nodded, "Hai, I did."

In the Yokai's eyes there was nothing but respect. He knew just how much risk the young man in front him had taken to bring the items in question. All so that the young ones could have a few moments of enjoyment. And that was just one reason among many that they all respected him greatly for what he had done and continued to do for them, "Thank you."

With another bow, Toji walked off with Riku and helped him set up small fireworks. Mostly small ones that would blow multicolored sparks into the air, though there were a few that would shoot up into the air a little ways. Once those were done, he began to hand out sparklers to various kids who had amazed and happy looks on their faces... looks, that made Haruto's heart hurt. Several more sparklers were planted in the ground and Haruto used some magic to enlarge them to the height of a man.

By the time that they were done, the Nue checked his old and beaten, though thankfully still working, watch. Holding up his hands, he brought them down, "Twenty! Nineteen! Eighteen! Seventeen..."

Alongside him, Hachimitsu, her sisters, as well as Mie and Ichika were also calling out with the crowd, "Sixteen! Fifteen! Fourteen! Thirteen! Twelve! Eleven! Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!"

Various kids were shouting and screaming with joy as they bounced a bit, "Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Snapping his finger, Toji sent out a small bolt of lightning that hopped from fireworks and set them off to shouts of amazement from the younger members of the crowd. Small bursts of colors lit up the Shrine grounds as they welcomes the new year, with the giant sparklers being lit up last. Once they were done, the ones held by the various children were also lit and they waved them around, creating tracks of light in the night air as they ran around.

Haruhime glanced over at Haruto with a smile on her face, only for it to fall as she noticed the tears in his eyes as well as how his hands shook in closed fists. Gently, she took one of them in hers, "Haruto-Kun? What's wrong?"

Turning to her, Haruto let out a sigh, "I... hate them."

Just cocking her head to the side, Ichika frowned, "Hate them? Hate who?"

Rather than say anything, the sixteen year old took a deep breath, "The bastards who put you all here. I hate each and every one of them." Tear dripping from his eye, he gestured at the children, "They should not be so happy or amazed to see such a small thing... but they are."

Expression softening, Mie cupped his cheek, "Look at me, Haruto-Kun." Thumb rubbing against his skin as he turned to her, she sadly smiled, "Perhaps you should hate them. But then, there is not much that we can do."

Glancing around, Haruto lowered his voice, "Maybe... But still, this is not right."

Only shaking her head, Mikage hugged him, "It isn't, that said we are used to it and look on the bright side: You made the New Year a bit more special for the children. And that is what is important." Looking up at him, she smiled, "And as your Onee-Chans, we're proud of you."

Instead of the reaction she had been expecting, Haruto frowned and gained a distant look on his face, "Hai..."

When she glanced at her sisters as well as Mie and Ichika, they shrugged in confusion. Rather than comment on it any further though, she began to drag him towards the Shrine itself, "Anyways... we should get a move on if we're going to make our prayers for the New Year..."

For the next while, Haruto barely said anything as he was deep in thought as they made their way back to their home. Entering it, they lit up the candles and pulled out small bottles of sake before pouring some into the dishes that they had as in the background, the Wizarding Wireless played music. Noticing that the sixteen year old had still not said anything, Hachimitsu looked at her sisters before getting up and coming over to him, "Haruto-Kun? Is something wrong?"

Not reply right away, he frowned in thought. Finally, he turned to her and chewed his lip, "Hachimitsu-Onee-Chan... would you say that the New Year is a time to take chances? For something new?"

Confused, the Kitsune placed her hands on her hips, "Well, of course it is!" Wagging her finger at him, Hachimitsu continued with a smile, "After all, that is why it is called the New Year-"

Moments later, she was cut off as she felt something warm on her lips. Then, her eyes widened to nearly comical proportions and she rapidly blinked as she realized Haruto was kissing her even as her sisters gasped alongside the two Inugami. But before she could do anything, Haruto had moved on and was now kissing Mikage, followed by Haruhime, Mie, and Ichika. Pulling back, he noted that all five were heavily blushing with steam coming from their ears. Rubbing the back of his neck, he chuckled, "Um..."

Snapping out of it, Ichika stuttered a bit, "I... that... you..."

If anything, Haruto blushed even more, "I, um, well, I really am attracted to you all and... I thought that you felt the same." Wilting a bit, he winced, "Or, at least I thought so..."

Hachimitsu finally snapped out of her shock and boggled at him, "You kissed me..." At his embarrassed nod, it took a few seconds for her to fully break out of her embarrassment and glare at him as her tail puffed out, "That was my first kiss, you know!"

Weakly chuckling, the magical human nodded, "Well, it was mine too?"

Crossing her arms, Mikage huffed a bit, "And mine as well!"

Beside her, Haruhime pointed at him and wagged her finger, "You took our precious first kisses from us, Haruto-Kun!" Poking him in the chest, she continued, "That really was a precious thing, especially to us girls! So you need to take responsibility for it!"

Now lost, Haruto blinked, "I... do? How?"

A grin crossed over Haruhime's face as she grabbed the collar of his shirt while standing on her tip toes to do so, "Easy... like this!" With that, she yanked him down and smashed her lips against his before deepening the kiss seconds later. After nearly a minute, she let him go, "Hah... I have been wanting to do that for so long."

Before the teen could say anything, the blonde haired Kitsune nodded, "Same here."

Even as those words escaped her lips, Hachimitsu grabbed him and repeated what her sister had done before reaching up to the back of Haruto's hair and lightly scratching his scalp as she deepened her own kiss with a hum. Arms crossed, Mikage scowled, "Come on! I want a turn!"

Letting go, and breathless, Hachimitsu grinned, "Go ahead." A laugh escaped her as her blue haired sister grabbed the young man and pulled much the same her sisters had done. That was followed by shy Mie (who gently pulled his face to hers unlike the others, though it deepened as well) and an energetic Ichika doing the same. Smirking, she watched as Haruto collapsed a bit to the ground, completely out of breath. Kneeling, she hugged him close as the others did the same, a whisper coming from her mouth, "Do you know how long I... we have been wanting to do that?"

Just swallowing, the sixteen year old nodded, "I... think that I can guess." Looking down at them, he sighed and smiled, "So does this mean what I think it does?"

Eyebrow raised, Mikage smirked at him, "If you mean you taking responsibility for taking our first kisses by becoming our boyfriend? Yes." Leaning up, she kissed his cheek almost on the corner of his lips, "So get used to us."

Lightly chuckling, Haruto sighed some as the nervousness bled out of him, "Good..." Pausing, he shook his head some, "Guess that I cannot call you 'Onee-Chan' any more."

Highly amused, Haruhime's tail wagged as she grinned, her canines showing, "Who says that now? You can still call us that after all~"

Laughter ensued at the expression on Haruto's face as well as his blush.
_____________________________________________________________________

Slowly waking up as sunlight streamed in, the sixteen year old blinked some, 'Morning?'

Feeling movement on his chest, he looked down to find the golden eyes of Hachimitsu looking into his. At seeing him awake, her lips curled upwards into a smirk, "Good morning, Haruto-Kun~"

Just swallowing as he also noticed the other two Kitsune were awake and watching him, "Ah, good morning...?" Haruto's eyes widened a touch as he remembered the night before, "Wait... did we..."

Amused, Haruhime giggled, "Kiss? With you becoming our boyfriend because you stole our precious first kisses? Hai." Playfully pouting, she gave him a look, "You mean to tell us that you forgot such a thing?"

His answer made them all grin, "Actually, I just thought that it was a good dream." Flopping his head back onto the pillow, Haruto frowned, "So that actually happened..."

With a smirk, Hachimitsu moved up some, "It did." Leaning down, she captured his lips with her own for several moments before pulling away, the two breathless. Granted, she had a slight blush that Haruto found made her more beautiful, especially as it was because a kiss with him, "And I'm glad.

That was followed by her sisters also kissing him. Laughs made them pull away to find Ichika standing in the doorway to what counted as the bedroom, "Man, you three move fast." Walking in, she swayed her hips from side to side as her own tail swished behind her. Reaching him, she kneeled down and kissed him before pulling back, "Though I don't mind too much."

Rapidly blinking, Haruto nodded, "Um... yeah, neither do I."

Once more, the Inugami laughed and gave him a fanged smile before waggling her eyebrows, "I'm sure." Then, Ichika shrugged some, "Anyways, Mie-Chan wanted me to come and wake you up so that you can have breakfast."

Nodding, he moved the blankets some and slowly stood up, though the Kitsune laid back on the bed. Having noticed, the teen blinked at them as they grinned up at him, "What? Is something wrong?"

Their reply though made him flush a bit as their eyes trailed along him, the three speaking as one, "No, we're just enjoying the view."

Embarrassed, though somewhat pleased, Haruto threw on a Yukata over what he wore and headed for the kitchen and dining room while ignoring the giggling. Noticing Mie, he walked over to her and hugged her from behind. Something that got him an adorable squeak from her which made him chuckle. Turning, she flushed at him, "Haruto-Kun!"

Lips curling into a smile, he nodded, "Good morning, Mie-Chan."

Gently, the sixteen year gave her a kiss that she returned. Much to his surprise, Mie wrapped her arms around him before deepening the kiss. Finally, she pulled back and swallowed a bit, "G-good morning, Haruto-Kun." Bashfully smiling, which was at odds with what she had just done, she gestured at the table, "Have a seat and I'll have breakfast ready in a moment."

With a smile of his own, Haruto walked over to the table and kneeled down. Sure enough, not long after they began to eat their meal. Once it was over though, he placed the bowl to the side and took a deep breath, "I... How are we going to do this?"

Eyebrow raised, Mikage gave him a look, "Don't tell us that you have regrets?"

Quickly, he shook his head, "No, no..." Pausing for a moment, Haruto let out a sigh, "Not about this. You?"

All he got was shakes of the head as well as each of them making sounds in the negative, with Haruhime speaking up, "Not in this case, no." Glancing at her sisters as well as the Inugami twins, she continued, "Especially as we have been wanting this for some time."

That made Haruto frown for a moment, "How long...?"

Leaning forward, Ichika hummed, "Well, for us? Since you saved our Otou-San. We liked you before then, but that made us fall for you."

When he looked at them, two of the Kitsunes turned to Hachimitsu. Said Yokai smiled a bit, "It may be a bit corny, but shortly after we reunited with you, Haruto-Kun. You certainly grew into what we consider to be the perfect man, or close enough as to not matter." Her expression softened a bit, "We have been waiting for you to notice, Haruto-Kun. And if you had not, we were going to make sure that you understood our feelings. The only regret that we might have, if any, is that we did not do this sooner."

Reaching over, Haruto took her hands into his and nodded. Haruhime tapped her chin some, "As to what we should do? Well, I can't see us changing much. Besides us kissing and the like." A grin came over her face and she winked at him, "Now that, I enjoy."

Ichika gave a barking laugh at that and shook her head, "And you are not the only one."

Even though he was lightly blushing, the Healer only grinned a bit, "Well, I am not going to complain about that. And I would be stupid to."

Shifting a bit, Mie chewed her lip for a few moments, "W-well, I don't think that the others in the Reserve will mind much..." Ducking her head, she gave a slight smile, "They seem to think that we are either courting, or already married."

Jaw dropped, Haruto was not surprised to see that he was the only one shocked by that, "W-wait, they think that we're already married!?"

With a hum, the shy Inugami nodded, "Hai, though it is not too surprising..." At the looks, her smile grew some as she gestured with one hand, "After all, we live in the same house, we do chores and the like together. We sometimes go to pick him up as a wife would her husband... and so forth."

Considering that, Hachimitsu hummed, "Huh, you got a point there..."

Soon enough, the conversation drifted as they hashed out things regarding their situation, though all six were smiling and happy with what had come with the New Year...

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Dove and Her Poignard (Part IX)

April 19th, 2013, De Breuil Estate, Upstate New York, USA

Ehren opened the Vanishing Cabinet's door and stepped out.

The room that she found herself in was octagonal, with eggplant-painted wooden walls and a single wooden door opposite the fireplace to her right. The floor was polished stone with a heraldic shield with three crescents inside a chevron pointing up in the center. A single candelabra plus the fireplace illuminated the open area.

Ehren frowned slightly as she looked around. Aunt Delilah had told her to visit her home for her first combat lesson, but this was not what she expected.

She must be upstairs...

With that, she walked to the door when she heard a smoky contralto voice behind her.

"Do not touch the door, for you have not the key to the spell upon it."

Ehren whirled, her black skirt belling out behind her as her dagger appeared in her hand as she shifted into a fighting crouch.

Nothing, save for the fireplace...wait.

Her eyes narrowed as she noticed two emerald-green flames in the cherry-red coals and her lips curled in a smug smirk patterned on Mother's.

"So am I supposed to wait here... Aunt Zamarad?"

A crackling laugh answered Ehren as a tendril of flame leapt from the fireplace to form a red-haired, green eyed young woman in an ash-gray dress.
Spoiler: Zamarad De Breuil

"Marhabaan, Ehren du Chasteler."

Ehren automatically came to attention with a slap of leather on leather and gave a half bow as she made her dagger vanish. "Guten Tag, Tante Zamarad."

The Ifrit's eyes sparked and flashed and her smile widened, showing inhumanly sharp teeth. "Delilah mentioned that you were a clever one. I see that she was correct. She almost always is."

A gesture and two more flames leapt from the fireplace and formed a pair of chairs composed of smoke and fire.
Spoiler: Ehren and Zamarad

Ehren took a deep breath and then stared into Zamarad's eyes as she sat down in the one closer to her. It was hot, but not actually burning, and somewhat yielding to her weight.

"Clever and brave." Zamarad sat in her own chair and stared into Ehren's eyes with a burning curiosity in her gaze. "A powerful combination. You share it with Shaelat ruwhi, unsurprising since you are kin to her."

Ehren nodded slowly. "I am surprised that you were here instead of Aunt Delilah. It is a pleasure to meet you..." Ehren's voice broke.

A flash of memory from The War.

Darkness with just voices reaching her unseen ears as she rested on Father's hip.

The copper smell of blood in the air.

Father's voice swearing with pain and hatred in it about The Betrayer.

Another voice in German demanding answers about the location of a Sleeper....

Zamarad's voice choking off a scream of flame in agony before responding with pained syllables describing desert landmarks....

Ehren whispered in a hushed voice, "I'm sorry, Tante Zamarad. For what I did to you. For what I did not do for you before. For what I permitted to happen."

As she choked down tears of shame and guilt that she would never show another, she felt something inside her spirit uncoil, probing for weaknesses. She desperately wrestled it back into the depths of her soul where it belonged, away from the light at the surface.

Too late.

Her blouse, stockings and skirt shifted into her Allgemeine-SS uniform.

The blood drained from Ehren's face and she bit her lip as her head lowered. She struggled for mastery over her emotions, over her past sins, wrestling Grendel once more back into the cage she kept it in the depths of her soul.

Slowly, shamefully, she raised her head, expecting to see the fires of accusation, hatred, rage from one who she had let be used by the SS as a slave.

No more than she deserved for the blood staining her soul.

No more than she deserved for willingly following Hitler once.

Instead, the emerald eyes of the Ifrit were calm, almost soothing as she stared at Ehren.

Zamarad spoke in a quiet voice with the undertones of a warming fire. "Shaelat ruwhi taught me a great truth, one that she lives every day of her life: liberty is precious because the cost is so unutterably high and yet is paid so willingly for something that gives our lives meaning."

Ehren looked into Zamarad's eyes. Steel blue holding back an ocean of guilt, and pain and grief by the force of her Will met warm emerald.

"Also... the heaviest chains for a slave are those laid upon the mind and soul. They isolate a spirit from those who would help her. They trap her inside chains of her own crafting that cripple her. None but her spirit alone can liberate herself from those shackles laid upon her innermost self." Zamarad drifted forward on her chair of fire and smoke to embrace the trembling dagger spirit in a embrace of warmth and wood-smoke.

Through the comforting haze, Ehren heard a crackle of words whispered in her ear. "I forgive you. You were as much a slave as I was in those dark days."

Ehren closed her eyes as something inside her soul unknotted a little and her arms found the Ifrit's shoulders and pulled her warmth a little closer.

"Will you accept the price that has been paid for your freedom?"

Ehren's embrace of her aunt tightened in response as her head nodded once.

I want to be free of what I was.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Walking out of the bathroom, Tsukiakari sighed happily as she stretched some, 'Nothing like a nice hot shower...' Pausing for a moment, the swordspirit tilted her head and considered things, finger on her chin, 'Well... except maybe a full work down of my blade...' Just shaking off that thought, Tsukiakari hummed to herself as she noticed Harry in the kitchen, looking deep in thought. Something that made her smile some, especially when he saw that she was out of the bathroom and waved to her, with her returning it.

All in all, Tsukiakari was quite happy that she was now able to talk with him. It also made her internally giggle at how much Juuchi was still annoyed that the Kyu Gunto was no longer able to participate in their little game. That said, the older blade did understand why and accepted it. After all, Ian was her first master and Juuchi would not think of having Tsukiakari not obey him, as she understood what he meant to her.

Not that it stopped the Muramasa from lightly teasing her later.

Putting that into the back of her mind, Tsukiakari walked over to the fridge to see if there was anything good to eat when she noticed that Harry was looking thoughtfully at the counter. In particular, he was looking at two different sets of knives. One of the sets was Kansha, who Juuchi had given Harry as a present for Christmas as well as the bokken that she had carved. Harry had grinned and hugged the sheathed sword while thanking her...

Said blade had given off a flustered feeling while doing so, as well as a bit of smugness. Tsukiakari felt that she was being slightly tsundere about the whole thing, which made the Muramasa even more flustered. Which only got worse when Shiromizu had sent video to Juuchi's sisters as well as Honjo.

From what the Kyu Gunto had heard, Juuchi was still annoyed about it and the teasing that followed soon after they received the images... though she had been hoping for Honjo to comment about how cute her senpai had been.

Once more, Tsukiakari shoved her thoughts into the back of her head among other things of that nature. Instead, her gaze turned to the other group of knives. These ones had been in the possession of her master for longer. They were also younger than Kansha, being cooking knives made in Sheffield. Said blades were nestled in a Japanese cherry box which still confused Tsukiakari whenever she saw it and wondered some about it. Granted, she had other suspicions about it as well... Walking up to Harry, she tapped him on the shoulder, "Is something wrong, Master?"

Glancing at her, Harry shook his head, "Not really wrong? I mean..." He gestured at the two groups of knives, "Just coming to a decision."

Eyebrow raised, the sword frowned some, "A decision?" Looking at the knives, she frowned, "Are... you thinking of getting rid of your old knives?"

Moments later, her eyes widened a touch as she felt shock, fear, and despair from two sources at the very edge of her perception. Not having felt it, Harry frowned at her, and his next words made those feelings disappear and be replaced with relief, "No!" Calming down, he shook his head, "No, I am not getting rid of them, Tsukiakari."

Head tilting to the side, she narrowed her eyes some at the Sheffield knives, "I... see."

Shaking his head, Harry frowned once more, "No, just trying to make a decision as to where I will use each set." Cupping his chin, he continued, "To be honest, I am sort of thankful to have two sets of knives now."

Now interested, Tsukiakari looked at him, "Really, Master? Why?"

With a hum, he turned towards her, "Why am I happy to have two sets?" At her nod, Harry continued, "For a few reasons to be honest. One is that when I sharpen one set, I can let it rest for a bit so that there would not be a metallic taste to the food that I cut if I leave them long enough. The second is that it reduces wear on both sets." Suddenly, he blushed some, "Um, it also means that when I have Natsumi-Chan or one of the others over for cooking lessons, we can both work at the same time... or when we're cooking a meal together."

Lightly smiling, Tsukiakari nodded, "I see. Those are good reasons, Master."

Smiling back, Harry turned to the knives again, "Anyways, I think that I will use the ones that Juuchi gave me in the Mess Hall kitchen. For some odd reason, I cannot help but feel that they would be right at home in the hustle and bustle there." He then pointed at the knives in the box, "And my Grandmother's knives can be used for here, when I'm cooking meals for Mum, Hoppou, and the others. Which means that both sets are going to be getting plenty of use from them."

Just nodding, Tsukiakari hummed a bit, "That is good to hear..." Realizing what he had just said, she turned to him, "Wait... the other knives are your grandmother's?"

Harry blinked and gave a nod, "They are, and they belonged to her mother as well at least." A grimace crossed his face, "I... started using them when the Dursleys started to make me cook. After I cut myself a few times, Aunt Petunia practically tossed them at me so that I would not dirty her knives and she wasn't going to use them anyways..." Suddenly, a thoughtful look crossed the thirteen year old's face, "Huh, you know... I don't think that I ever cut myself with them, even though they are sharper than Aunt Petunia's more modern ones."

That made Tsukiakari frown and give a look to the Sheffield knives, "I see..." Shaking her head, she smiled again, "And you brought them with you? Here to Yokosuka?"

Soft smile on his face, the teen nodded, "Yes, they were one of the few things that I brought from the Dursleys. Mum didn't mind that much, though she was somewhat unhappy about me cooking... but, she allowed it since it was an heirloom of sorts."

A thought then occurred to Tsukiakari and she frowned, "Master, can I ask you a question?" When he waved her on, she nodded, "Why are your grandmother's knives in a Japanese container?"

Blinking for a moment, Harry thought back to his grandparents' diaries and journals, "I sort of wondered that myself. It was only when I read Grandma's diary, apparently her Grandfather on her father's side had been here in Japan before WWI and came across the box before buying it. His wife had gotten the Sheffields as a wedding present and he wanted something to hold them in and thought that the box looked very nice." Pausing, the wizard frowned and gave the box and set of knives a narrowed eyed look, 'I wonder...' After a few moments, he shook it off, "Anyways, he had the inside lined in velvet and they've been paired together ever since. Had the box restored while here in Japan as it was getting a bit worn, but it's good now."

Tsukiakari only nodded and the two chatted a bit before he left to go meet with Hoshi as well as Natsumi for a bit of training. Once he was gone, the Kyu Gunto waited for a few minutes before turning to the knives with a slight smile, "It is okay to come out now."

Not even moments after she said that, Kansha appeared. And he was not the only one either as two others appeared, one of them being a young boy of around nine or ten, the other being an older, female teen. The girl in question had her hair up in a traditional bun and was wearing a kimono with cherry blossoms on it and a silver obi. head tilted at them, Kansha nodded some, "Yo, name's Kansha, Muramasa no Kansha."

Eyes a bit wide, the female spirit boggled a bit, "Muramasa? As in the swordsmith?"

Hands in his pockets, Kansha nodded, "Yup! The Old Man crafted me for a cook of his as a gift." The Muramasa than tilted his head some before holding out his hand, "Anyways, at least everything turned out well, though I will be having a chat with my sister. What a Butterknife."

Taking the hand, the male spirit snorted some before speaking in a Yorkshire accent, "I take offence at that nickname. Butterknives are humble, hard working folk. Why, I might well have gone with one if I was not partnered with Saki here." Smirking a bit on the box's tsukumogami blush, he continued, "Anyway, the name is Sheff. Not too imaginative, but then, I help with cooking, no need to be fancy."

Unable to help himself, Kansha grinned a bit, "Unless cooking something fancy." That got him a nod from the other spirit, "Anyways, still nice that things have been worked out. I get used, and so do you."

With a sigh, Sheff nodded, "Indeed, though I am a bit happy with that." At the raised eyebrow, he shrugged a bit and rubbed his arm, "I'm made for domestic use, not really for a big kitchen like there is at the Mess Hall. Sometimes I wonder if I'd wear out!"

Placing her hand on his shoulder, Saki smiled softly down at him, "And I would hope not, after all we have been together for some time."

Gently patting her hand, the Sheffield set shook his head, "I've still got quite a bit in me, Saki dear. And I am not going to be giving up the ghost for some time yet, or leaving you."

Only rolling his eyes, Kansha made a motion as if he was going to gag, only to smirk at the looks the two shot him. Granted, Sheff seemed amused by it. Before any of the three could say something, Tsukiakari cleared her throat and got their attention, "Um, Sheff-San?" At his nod, she smiled a bit, "Have you gone for a bath in repair fluid?"

Just blinking, he shook his head, "No? I realize that does work on shipgirls but..." Pausing, Sheff turned thoughtful, "That is right, Rose used it a few times to repair damage. Never really thought about it before."

Hugging him, Saki nodded, "That is good to know, then you will be around with me for some time yet."

All Tsukiakari did was clap her hands and sigh with a smile on her face.
____________________________________________________________________________

Author's Note: I will admit that this came together when considering some things. One thing was that obviously Harry would have had a set of knives before being gifted Kansha's set. The second was that I did like yannoshka's stuff for Kansha and was re-reading things when the two things came together for me. Why couldn't Harry have two sets of knives? Obviously, Kansha would be the Japanese set and Sheff would be the more western. It also fit as Sheffield knives are famous for their sharpness and the like.

It also gives Kansha someone to both talk shop to and compete a little with at times.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Dove and Her Poignard (Part X)

April 19th, 2013

De Breuil Estate

Upstate New York, USA

After several long minutes of being held by Zamarad, Ehren released her aunt and gave a slight smile.
Spoiler: Ehren's Understanding

"Thank you." Ehren whispered as the pain behind the resolution and determination in her eyes receded somewhat.

Zamarad hummed with the crackle of burning kindling. "You are welcome."

The Ifrit then looked at the black SS dress uniform the young dagger spirit was now wearing and shook her head. "I do wonder why you changed into that, though."

Ehren scowled, "If I don't control myself, whatever I am wearing shifts into this Dreck. And I do not have anything else to wear on hand. I rather doubt that Aunt Delilah wishes to teach me combat while I wear my underclothing."

Zamarad smiled. "Allow me to raid Delilah's closet. I can find something for you to wear."

Ehren nodded and stood at parade rest as the Ifrit walked over to the fireplace and turned into flames that disappeared into the fire already present.

Once she was sure that she was alone, Ehren wiped her eyes as her composure cracked. Zamarad had been enslaved by Father and Father's commander back in 1942.

And Ehren had done nothing to free her.

Ehren could have done nothing to help her.

She was not then... what she was now.

She was only a bystander able to just sense what was happening around her but not able to act on her own yet.

She did not know the truth then. She had not seen beyond the lies and deceptions.

The SS had discouraged thinking too deeply about what they were being ordered to do.

Maybe, just maybe, Zamarad was right when she said that Ehren was as much of a slave as she was then.

Perhaps.

It was not much, but it was something.

The fireplace flames turned emerald-green and Ehren stiffened her posture, the cool mask slamming back into place. Soon afterward they flared and a figure in black tactical gear marked with FBI in gold lettering stepped out of the flames. The figure pulled off her black balaclava mask and shook out her red-brown hair.

"Hello Ehren, sorry that I am running late for your training." Delilah said as she stretched and cracked her neck.

"It is not a problem, Aunt Delilah." Ehren replied. "Befehl ist Befehl. Aunt Zamarad was kind enough to keep me company while I waited here. She said not to touch the door."

Delilah laughed. "Wise policy. You are family and trustworthy, so I will key you into the security spells on the entrance room that Mother put into place back when this was a way-station on the Underground Railroad when I was a child."

Ehren blinked. "Underground Railroad?"

Delilah nodded, "Yes, before the Civil War, we were involved in helping black slaves from the Southern slave states reach Canada and freedom. So part of my estate, such as this room, is hidden from the casual observer and even dedicated searchers so fugitives could be hidden."

Ehren nodded. "Ahh, like the Priest Hole back home that was built during the French Revolution by Mother's family in case the attacks on clergy and the nobility reached Castle Moulbaix."

Delilah smiled, "Exactly. It pays to be prepared. Of course life can throw you a curve ball like tonight."

Ehren frowned. "What happened?"

Delilah sighed. "What didn't happen in Boston? I had to get out there to Fort Warren to insure that the wards holding the "Lady in Black" bound to Fort Warren did not snap totally. Having a murderous specter killing people via large-scale possession resulting in homicidal behavior would be very bad news indeed. Having her provoke a bombing was bad enough, the last thing MACUSA and the Statute of Secrecy needed would be that added to a rerun of the 'Boston Strangler' stories from 1962-64 going citywide. I told my bosses back in the 1880s that using Fort Warren as a repository for confiscated Dark Artifacts coming to the US from Europe would be a mistake but, no they never listened then. Then I told them that the Red Sox breaking the 'Curse of the Bambino' by winning the World Series in 2004 was a sign that things were coming unglued there and we needed to send someone out to the fort to get ahead of the power curve. But they back-burnered it until it was almost too late because of manpower shortages and overwork for us Aurors."

Ehren blinked, "Fort Warren?"

Zamarad's voice sounded behind Delilah, "I confess curiosity as well, Shaelat ruwhi."

Delilah sighed, "In brief, MACUSA created a monster composed of the murderous feelings that some of the prisoners held at Fort Warren had toward the Union after the Civil War, and then supercharged it with a bunch of dangerous artifacts buried there that people tried to bring from Europe over the last century and a half. Eventually it manifested as a phantom that has the nasty ability to 'encourage' susceptible people that it contacts to kill others. Add dark magic, produce instant serial killer or terrorist if someone was already inclined to think that murder one is a great idea. Well, it also wrecks the luck of the local sports franchises, I think."

"Anyway, MACUSA decided that the shipgirls based out of Boston could handle the Black Lady if it broke loose, leaving aside the minor detail that they are a hammer and not every problem is a nail. Which this problem is not a nail, you can't solve possession with naval cannons. So when I got word that the thaum-meter picked up a spike from there and right afterward those two idiots tried an act of terrorism at the Boston Marathon with bombs in the crowd, I put two and two together and had to get over there and stop it." Delilah gave a tired smug smirk, "Reinforced the wards that had failed and then tracked down the idiots touched by the Black Lady. They had the good grace to get into a shootout with the local police early this morning, and I have a FBI cover identity, so I dealt myself in and hit both of them with a bullet enchanted with a banishing spell. They won't infect others anymore as a channel for the Black Lady."

"You did run out of bed with me in a tearing hurry when you got the message." Zamarad pouted.

Delilah gave a happy but weary smile to Zamarad and kissed her passionately after the Ifrit handed the promised items of clothing to Ehren. "I'll make it up to you, love, I promise."

Ehren flushed scarlet and closed her eyes, fists clenching.

Such degeneracy and filth....

No!

That is what Hitler said, and he hated homosexuals almost as much as he hated Jews. I can't hate Aunt Delilah or Aunt Zamarad for being like... that.

Her fists relaxed and she opened her eyes and took several deep breaths as the Ifrit and revolver embraced and then parted.

"Zamarad, can you please take us out to my ranch? I need to get out of my tactical gear and take my niece shooting to unwind."
Spoiler: The Ranch

"Nem bialtabe, 'ayuha alahba'." The Ifrit smiled and took Delilah's hand in hers then the revolver extended her hand to Ehren. Ehren took Delilah's hand and for a second emerald flames surrounded them all as they vanished.

April 19th, 2013

Sákpe Mázasu Pteyúha (Six Bullet Ranch)

Black Hills, Southwestern South Dakota, USA

Ehren staggered a bit as her stomach finally decided that it had elected to come along for the trip. She turned to look at Delilah and her eyes widened in awe and disbelief.

A scant hundred yards away on the other side of the plate-glass window in Delilah's ranch house, a small herd of three dozen American Bison pushed late-spring snow up with their muzzles as they foraged.
Spoiler: Delilah's Herd

"The Tȟatȟáŋka take your breath away, don't they, Ehren?" Delilah said softly as she guided her niece to the window with hands on her shoulders so that the enthralled dagger spirit could get a better look at the massive animals.
Spoiler: Bison in winter

Ehren gulped and gave a shaky nod, whispering. "Ja... they are so large. So majestic."

Delilah had old pain in her voice as she responded, "They are. The Lakota viewed them as sacred and relied upon them for all the necessities of life. Food, clothing, shelter, sinew for their bowstrings. Once upon a time, before us Europeans came, there were millions who roamed the Great Plains. When I was a young woman, I sat on a horse three days' ride from where we stand and saw a herd that stretched from horizon to horizon, as far as the eye could see."

Delilah sighed as Ehren forced herself to look at the older spirit's melancholy face. "Then the hunters came, and slaughtered them for meat, for bones for fertilizer, for hides. Those millions dwindled to a bare handful in a few short decades before the government stopped the slaughter. Those of us who fight to preserve and protect, to be good stewards of what we have been given, to do the right thing, always struggle with those who would destroy and squander wantonly. The line between good and evil runs through the human heart and it is frequently impossible to separate the two."

Delilah looked down at Ehren. "Now let's get you changed out of that SS uniform and if you want, you can come with me and get a closer look at the herd I protect on my hidden ranch."

Ehren nodded enthusiastically.
Spoiler: Ehren's Borrowed Sweatshirt

Half a hour later, Ehren was dressed in her borrowed sweatshirt and jeans (each with warming charms) and gloves. She glared at the uniform she had stripped off (save for the boots, Ehren wanted her feet to stay warm) before walking out of the spare bedroom.

As she headed back to the family room where she had entered, she saw Delilah and Zamarad sitting on the couch. The revolver had changed into her own sweatshirt of a wolf in front of an American-flag moon with a visible shoulder harness over it. A bolt-action rifle leaned alongside the couch along with a shotgun.

"Come and sit and get warmed up before we see the Bison, Ehren." Delilah waved her niece to a chair by the fireplace.

Ehren nodded and then looked at the uniform in her hands. "I wish that I could burn this and be rid of it."

Zamarad, took the uniform, "Here, allow me. I haven't eaten for a while." As the uniform bust into flames in her hands, Ehren flushed with the wave of heat sweeping through her.

Delilah meanwhile stood up and extended a hand to Ehren. "Right, ground rules. If one of them starts bucking its head toward you, freeze. If it charges, flash step out of my line of fire and get behind me. This is their grazing range and they can be ornery."

Ehren nodded, and followed her aunt outside.

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

Outside, the air was crisp and cold with a bite that thrilled Ehren. She glanced over at Delilah and noticed the elder spirit had drawn her revolver and wand. Delilah sketched symbols with her wand-tip, and Ehren caught the word Tȟatȟáŋka in the throaty sounds of Lakota, before the revolver gestured to her to advance.

Ehren realized with surprise and excitement in her heart, that Delilah had begun a ritual that she had learned from the American Indians who first came to this land. For a brief moment, she had an image of her Father as a young boy reading a book written by Charles May about Indians and cowboys in the Wild West.

Ehren hesitantly advanced alongside her aunt. One of the bulls at the edge of the herd turned to look at her and bucked its head up and down. Ehren froze, feeling sweat trickle down her avatar from the intensity of the moment as a liquid brown eye looked into her eyes, measuring her before the bull resumed grazing.

Delilah gestured and she advanced again, finally coming within arm's reach of the bull. Hesitantly, Ehren reached out with her hand, gently caressing the snow-covered dark brown fur covering the buffalo's flank. Shocked, she realized that the withers of the animal, making its distinctive 'hump' were too far above her for her to reach, even on tiptoes.

The buffalo bull turned to look at her judgingly. He then breathed out a hmmph of snorted, grass-scented breath before trotting off, leaving Ehren standing there in enthralled wonder.

Delilah walked to Ehren's side as the herd slowly moved off toward another grazing range. Softly, the revolver spoke, "Tradition has it that before we came, only a youth who would become a medicine man or medicine woman would be allowed to touch a living Tȟatȟáŋka to show that they were accepted by White Buffalo Woman. Only those pure and strong of heart would be chosen."

Ehren nodded wordlessly. Her eyes were distant and her fingers tingled with the memory of a magical moment that she would forever treasure..

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Stepping up to the small dojo behind Haru's home, Harry bowed to the entrance and entered it. Once inside, he bowed to Hoshi who was standing before a kneeling Natsumi, "Hoshi-Sensei."

The Kyuubi bowed back with a slight smile, "Harry-San, thank you for joining us." She gestured at the back, "Go ahead and change before coming back."

Quickly, Harry did exactly that and came out in his Gi before re-entering the dojo and bowing to Hoshi once more. Kneeling, he looked up to the Kitsune who nodded, "Sensei."

With a slight upturn of her lips, she nodded before becoming stern once more, "Now then, there is a reason that I asked for both of you to be here." Seeing their attention on her, Hoshi continued, "That reason is rather simple, and it has to do with your training."

Cocking her head to the side, Natsumi frowned, "Training, Hoshi-Sensei?"

Just nodding, Hoshi placed her hands behind her back, "Hai, your training." Looking from one to the other and back, she smiled a bit, "Both of you have been doing quite well for yourselves in your separate lessons. You, Natsumi-Chan, have impressed Haru-Chan with how well you have taken to them. And you, Harry-San, have impressed me." Giving them a moment to preen a bit in pride, she chuckled, "Yes, you have both improved greatly. But...'

Now frowning himself, the thirteen year old wizard slowly blinked, "But what, Sensei?"

Pointing first at him, and then at Natsumi, Hoshi shook her head, "The two of you wish to fight together, am I correct?"

Natsumi gave a nod at that, "Hai, Sensei. I aim to be at Harry-Chan's side when the time comes and no one will stop me."

At that, Harry nodded as well, "And I swear to do my best to keep Natsumi-Chan safe when that happens."

Seeing the steel in both teens' eyes, Hoshi let out a bark of laughter. At their confusion, she waved them off, "I am not laughing at either of you. Rather, I am laughing at the idea that seeing you both now, there was ever any other choice." Her smile fell away moments later, "Now, that said? It is my job to make sure that the two of you are as ready for such an event as possible. Especially with the movements in the shadows that have been seen."

Both Harry and Natsumi shared a confused look at that.

However, before they could ask, Hoshi cleared her throat, "But that is for the future, and not now. Right now though, we need to prepare the two of you. And for that? Something else is needed." Looking them each in the eye, one after the other, she frowned, "Which means that both of you need to get used to fighting together, as one. To be able to cover each other's backs, and to anticipate the others movements. Something that takes many years of practice. Now, we shall be practicing two things today. The first is normal Martial arts, and the second will be your knife fighting skills."

That made the teenaged wizard blink some, "Our knife fighting skills?"

Arms crossed, Hoshi smirked a bit, "Yes, I know that Natsumi-Chan is quite adept at such from what Haru-Chan has explained to me. Which is not too surprising, as knives are more often Kitsune weapons than swords are." She then turned to Harry and gave him a respectful nod of the head, "And you were taught by the Marines on Louisiana-San, as well as a few here in Yokosuka. When I tested you, it was better than I expected."

With a glance at Harry, Natsumi frowned, "Um, what did you expect?"

Eyebrow raised, Hoshi chuckled, "Well, I believed that he would be able to use a knife effectively. At least to the level of a person on the streets was my hope, and he did better than that."

Perking up suddenly, Harry blinked, "Wait, is that why you wanted me to bring the Tanto that Shinano-Chan bought for me?"

In return, Hoshi hummed, "Yes, I thought that would be good for the first lesson. From what I have heard, you have already used it in battle, yes?"

At that, Harry and Natsumi both grimaced, but the black haired teenaged boy nodded, "Hai, I did, Sensei. I had it on me when we fought Kuroshi and used it to help slay her."

Head tilted to the side as she considered that, the older of the two Kitsune frowned in thought, "I had heard about that and did wonder why you had it on you..."

Simply shrugging, Harry shook his head, "Haru-Sensei always taught me when going out into the wilderness to have something on me that could be used. You never know if something could jump on you out there after all, so I took to carrying it with me and it was easily concealed on me. Easier than my Bowie knife..." He lightly blushed a bit, "I... also had something of a bad feeling at the time, though I did not know why."

Chuckling, Hoshi smiled at him, "Good advice, and Haru-Chan has taught you well then. I, myself, have often used a Tanto..." A thought than occurred to her, "Does it have a name?"

Now blinking at that, Harry frowned and pulled out said Tanto, "I... have not come up with one yet for it. I need to think of a proper name that feels right."

Bemused, the Kyuubi shook her head, "Well, it will come in time." Glancing at the blade though, another thought occurred to her, 'Hmm... I wonder what sort of spirit will come from it? Considering...' With a shake of the head, Hoshi smiled, "But for now, what is important is that we train. First, we will test your hand to hand."

When she gestured for them to stand, the two teens did so. But when nothing else happened, Natsumi cleared her throat, "Sensei? What do you wish for us to do?"

Motioning with her hand, the Kitsune raised one eyebrow, "First, after you help each other with stretching, I want for you to face each other for a few spars." Her eyes narrowed some and she smirked, "Then... you face me."

Eyes widening, the teens gulped a bit.

Several hours later, two aching teens walked out of the dojo as a Kitsune laughed behind them. As they made their way through the front door of the house, Haru called out to them, "How did it go?"

Their answering moans got laughter from her.

Once they were in Natsumi's bedroom, the two closed the door and practically collapsed onto the floor. Laying there, the Kitsune stared at the ceiling with a soft groan. When Harry glanced at her, he sighed, "Is it like that with Haru-San?"

Just shaking her head, the teenaged Yokai winced a bit, "Not really. At least not since I first started out with her." Turning her head, Natsumi regarded her friend, "You with Hoshi-San?"

Harry snorted a bit and grimaced, "Actually? Yeah, this is usual with her." Then he sighed some, "Though we did ask..."

Raising a hand, Natsumi pointed one finger towards the ceiling, "Hai, which is why we're Bakas." After a few moments though, she nodded, "I don't think that we did too badly."

With a snort, Harry rolled his eyes, "We got our arses kicked all over that dojo." A grin crossed his face shortly after, "But yeah, I don't think that we did too badly either."

The Kitsune shifted a bit until her head was on his shoulder, "I have to admit, I didn't know half of those moves you were doing with that Tanto. You learn those from the Marines?"

Humming, Harry gave a nod, "I did, and also from Louisiana. You wouldn't know, but she is really good with a knife. And she would teach you some if you asked her."

For several moments, Natsumi considered that before softly smiling, "Hai."

It was than that Harry noticed her ears and moved his hand so that he could scratch them. To some amusement, he could hear her almost purr, "Though you were pretty awesome yourself, Natsumi-Chan. I mean, when we were doing the hand to hand and you suddenly pulled out some of those moves? Caught me off guard and I think Hoshi-San as well. Where did you learn those?"

Now frowning, she shook her head as she tried to ignore the sensation of having her ears scratched, "I... honestly don't know, Harry-Chan. They just came to me while we were sparring."

Only considering that for a few moments, Harry shrugged, "Huh, well not that important, I guess." He frowned a little, "What about the rest of what Hoshi suggested, Natsumi-Chan? Like you coming to Hogwarts for sparring sessions and the like?"

Natsumi frowned for a moment before giving a shrug, "Actually? I wouldn't mind it that much, Harry-Chan."

Both teens glanced at each other and then simply went back to talking as they only had a few days left before Harry went back to Hogwarts...

 

[darthcourt10]

SkyeFire

(Completely unrelated to the last 36hrs or so of the thread -- I've been offline for at least that long, and the Omake Bug bit me again)

A Duet for Piano and Poignard, in E Flat

("wait, is that 'duet' or 'duel'?"
"Eh, to-may-toe, to-mah-toe."
"...and why 'E Flat'?"
"Because somebody gonna get Ended, most likely by being Flattened!")

A/N: This optionally-canonical incident takes place in that vaguely-defined future period where Tony "The Strad" Potter has become Claire "Baby Grand" du Chasteler's official boyfriend, but (despite ONGOING LEWDNESS of the PROLONGED HANDHOLDING and DEEP EYE GAZING varieties) has not yet advanced to "fiance" status.

Claire scurried into her room, and double-checked that the sound wards were fully in place and active. She wouldn't want anyone (aside from a Certain Someone, maybe) to hear or see what she was about to do. She could hardly believe she was actually about to do something so wild, even libertine, but she simply couldn't help it! After meeting Tony, and spending time with him, she was suddenly discovering emotions, and impulses, that she had never known herself capable of before.

Maybe I'm just a late bloomer? Or maybe this is what all the romance novels mean, when they talk about love making you crazy?

Stepping in front of her full-length mirror, Claire concentrated on her clothes… and saw them change into the correct costume for her next performance.

"Okay… and a-one, a-two, a-one-two-three-GO!"

"Oh Tony, I'm so sorry, you don't understand,
you take me by the heart when you take me by the hand…."

A/N: if anyone can come up with good lyrics that make puns on Claire and Tony's status as musical instrument tskumogami, please feel free – I just can't into puns tonight, for some reason.

Bouncing… jumping… leaping… posing… even (gasp!) the splits! Choreography was not Claire's skill set, but she felt like it was finally really coming together, from sheer length of practice. Her piano-self pounded out the instrumental accompaniment as her human voice belted out the lyrics. She was working up a real sweat, something she would once have considered icky and gauche, but she was beginning to grasp the appeal. Maybe she should try out gymnastics….?

She brought the last note to an operatic close, holding a pose that she hoped might make Tony's heart race as much as her own was now, and grinned at herself in the mirror. "Wow! That was really something!"

"Ja, das war wirklich etwas," someone said from directly behind her.

Claire froze, feeling the bottom drop out of the world. She'd checked the wards… but not the locks!

She turned, slowly, haltingly, like every horror-movie scream-queen she'd ever mocked, to face the Ultimate Terror:

Her little sister, face frozen into an icy mask.

Now, many people only passingly familiar with her would say that that was Ehren du Chasteler's only expression. Claire, by dint of long experience, knew better: there was Ehren's icy mask of disapproval, Ehren's icy mask of self-contempt (thankfully rare these days), Ehren's icy mask of "planning to kill with extreme prejudice whatever just made Big Sister cry."

This was Ehren's "icy mask of desperately trying not to fall over laughing hysterically." An expression Claire would normally cherish, for its rarity and proof that her little sister was happy.

But here, now? …not so much.

Then she noticed that Ehren was holding her smartphone… camera point directly at Claire.

"Ehren!" she gasped. "You didn't… you didn't--!"

"I did," Ehren managed to force out through stiff lips. The corner of her mouth was starting to jump uncontrollably.

Claire felt the chill of doom creeping down her spine. "You're not… going to send it… to… anyone… are you?" she pleaded, squeakily.

"Nein," Ehren replied. The corner of her mouth was jumping faster now. "Not anyone. But perhaps… everyone?"

"EEEEEEEHHHHHRRRRREEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!"


Colombe du Chasteler had been enjoying an afternoon chat with her sisters, the three of them comfortably relaxed by fine snacks and some truly excellent port.

Until the companionable peace was broken by a shrill scream that rattled every window in the mansion, and probably broke a few. Followed by a thunder that reminded Colombe most strongly of a wildebeest stampede she had once had the misfortune to be caught in, during one of her treks across Africa.

The three Muramasa grandchildren reached for their weapon-selves from pure reflex – and froze at the utterly improbable sight of Ehren, cackling like a maniac (or her Aunt Jackie, but the author repeats himself) as she sprinted past the doors of the salon. Which was quickly followed by the possibly even more improbable sight of Claire, wearing an American-style cheerleader outfit (complete with pom-poms!), matching her younger sister for speed while wailing said sister's name at the top of her considerable lungs.

The stampeding thunder slowly faded into the further wings of the mansion. Claire wondered absently if Claire was leaving dents in the hardwood flooring – she'd never seen her eldest move at that kind of speed before.

"...Nope," Colombe eventually declared, ignoring how Del was hiding a smirk behind her snifter. "I don't know, I don't want to know, and they both have too many durability charms to do each other serious harm." She returned her attention to her port with the grim determination of a mother refusing to be drawn into her children's drama.

"Well," Jackie was the one to finally break the ensuing silence. "Gotta say, your girl's got some real gams on her, sis! She ought'a wear shorter skirts more often!" The kitsune-sword waggled her eyebrows in unrepentant mock-salaciousness. "Or maybe some Daisy Dukes?"

"Jackie," Colombe replied in her most quelling voice, "that is your niece you're talking about."

Jackie's eyebrows waggled, if it were possible, even more. "Yeah? Well, it's not like a little incest stopped you from hitting on Del's ma!"

This comment caught Del mid-sip, which could only have been deliberate timing on Jackie's part. She inhaled her port, and expelled it in an atomized form that would have made for excellent fire-breathing, had Zamarand been present. Her Muramasa Smirk (Category 5, Sub-Category 3, Level 1.7) dropped off her face like an anchor. "WHAT!?!?!"

Colombe felt herself turn red, and her chances of defusing the situation slipping away. "JACKIE! You promised not to mention that in front of Delilah!"

"Ooops?" Jackie contrition might have been more believable if butter could have melted behind her own Muramasa Smirk.

Colombe surged to her feet, grasping for her hilt. "Jaaaaaaaackiiiieeeeeeeee--"

"Hold on, sis," Delilah's cold, precise voice interrupted the imminent tirade. "I'd like to hear this. In full detail."

"Now, Del," the eldest sister started to stammer, "Jackie is completely misrepresenting what happened!"

"I walked into the bath and you were both tangled up naked on the floor," Jackie smugged.

"That was an accident! We bumped into each other and slipped on the wet floor! And we weren't naked, our towels only partially slipped off!" Colombe rounded on her sister furiously. "And you didn't help by yelling 'THREE WAY!', dropping your towel and jumping on both of us!"

"Hey, at least I was tickling instead of groping! And who knew Jez was so ticklish on her--"

There was the unmistakable and familiar sound of a Very Large Revolver's hammer being cocked. Jackie and Colombe both froze, their eyes sliding towards their youngest sister.

Their very deadly, and very unamused, youngest sister.

"I'm not going to kill you both," Delilah said precisely. "But I think I'm going to enjoy making you wish I had."

Colombe and Jackie exchanged a glance. "Three minute head start? Because you love us," the middle sister ventured with a weak grin.

"Thirty seconds. Twenty-nine. Twenty-eight..."


Claire paused in her desperate efforts to wrestle the phone from her weak-from-giggling sister's hands. She hadn't heard something like this since that time Ehren had convinced her to watch The Running of the Bulls in Pamploma. The thunder of feet, the desperate screams, the bellows of rage….

Both sisters forgot their wrestling match at the utterly surreal sight of their mother and elder aunt in full desperate flight for their lives (or at least limbs) from their younger aunt, who at the moment bore a startling resemblance to The Terminator (such a violent movie, but such an interesting soundtrack).

"Claire," Ehren inquired as they watched their elders charge down the hall, around the corner, and out of sight, "are you humming the Benny Hill theme?"

A/N: Yes, Ehren's one line in German is Google Translated. If anyone has a better translation for "yes, it was something," I'll take it gratefully.
Also, the Noodle Incident with Colombe, Jackie, and Jez is entirely of my own creation, and canonical only if the Writers That Be decide they find it funny.
And, hey! It looks like Del finally found a use for those Super-Painful Paintball Rounds that Jackie got for her!

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Dove and Her Poignard (Part XI)

June 9th, 2013

Castle Moulbaix, Belgium
Spoiler: Jackie Strikes

"Like hell you will teach Ehren how to drive, Del! I'll just do it myself in the Reparo-wagen!"

"Bullshit, Sis! You are the one who spooked Claire in her first lesson so that she snapped the gas pedal off and bent the frame, you had to wait until the car ran out of gas and then Kasuyu towed you back with the Jeep! I'll take her out to the ranch and train her up right!!"

"Bite me! I'll do it, I just need to throw a few charms on the beater car!" Colombe poked Delilah in her chest as her voice raised.

Delilah grinned smugly and retaliated with a poke of her own as she stepped closer to her oldest sister, "Oh you mean the dents where Claire took the Crash Test Dummy through that woodlot with you in the passenger seat!!"

"NOT MY FAULT, DELILAH!"

"IS TOO, COLOMBE!!!"

Jacklyn sauntered across the ballroom to where Ehren and Claire were watching the family disagreement. She whispered to Claire who giggled and nodded, then turned to her piano keys and began to play a jaunty tune.

Jacklyn moved to Ehren and gave her a commanding stare as her voice lowered "Pack clothes for a week quickly then meet me outside your room." Her pirate accent was totally absent.

"Jawohl." Ehren slapped her boots together and departed, followed by a jauntily whistling Jacklyn. Claire waved them farewell before launching into a second round of The Entertainer.

Neither of the other Muramasa sisters noticed Jackie and Ehren making their escape

An Hour Later....
Spoiler: A Frantic Search

"Right, we will just have Ehren decide and of course she will pick me!"

"Like hell she will, I'm her favorite!"

"Where's Ehren?"

"She was right there, alongside... Jackie..."

"MERDE!!/SHIT!!"

Claire smirked and picked the piano playing up as her mother and Aunt Delilah bolted for the ballroom door.

Colombe yanked the note taped to Ehren's door and read as Delilah looked over her shoulder:

"Kidnapped Ehren, will return her in two weeks. Deliver ransom of me rum at that time. The Red Fox of the Sargasso Sea.<3"

"JACKIE!!!!"

June 12th 2013

SS Foxfish

Port Royal Marina, Torrence California, Los Angeles County

A trio of outbound Fletcher shipgirls in line ahead cruised past a Oyster 56 seagoing sailing yacht heading into port under the Stars and Stripes above the Jolly Roger. The twin suntanned girls on deck (one wheat blonde with steel-blue eyes and the other dark haired and honey-eyed) waved to them, with the brunette looking to spill out of her bikini with her enthusiasm.

"Dayamn, dem some fine broads! I can see why youse Cali ships always talked about goils out here in PACFLT." USS Schroeder (DD-501)'s New Jersey accent could have been used to cut steel as she waved back at the ship heading for port.

USS Bush (DD-529) nodded as she waved back in turn. "Yeah, no tan lines on them either from those bikinis. My boys back in the Big One would have all been praying that a wave swamped their boat so we would have had to rescue them. Registration says they are homeported up in Frisco where I was born, must have done a run down the coast to LA. That's what we are defending, right there, DESRON 25. Folks like them, right Piano Girl, Ammen?"

"Youse call me dat name from dat comic strip one more time and imma sock you one in da kisser, Bush! Peanuts my Joisey ass!" Schroeder fumed even though her eyes twinkled.

USS Ammen (DD-527) frowned at the name of the yacht making port and slowly spoke as she adjusted her glasses, "I remember a couple-three of my crew hearing scuttlebutt about a USS Foxfish during the Big One while I was getting repaired at Pearl. Typical Silent Service types, but one of the really hush-hush sneaky ones that would creep up on you and torp you before you knew she was there. Wonder if one of those girls is the granddaughter of the crew from it?"

"No telling, could be. That's some sharp sailing, a real cut above the day trippers we see. Right, come to two ten and let's get this convoy assembled and underway. Showtime, ladies." Bush responded.

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

Ehren and Jackie turned to their tasks as shore approached. Ehren handled the sail's ropes and anchor in response to Jacklyn's commands as the pirate expertly guided her pleasure yacht into a docking slip.

The past three days of sea cruising from San Fransisco down the California coast had been quite an experience. She now understood Jacklyn quite a bit better, as underneath the apparent foolishness lurked the same kind of joy that she had seen in Mother's eyes as she spoke of her trophies from Africa, India, or China, and in Aunt Delilah's eyes when the Revolver was at her ranch in the Great Plains with nothing around her but sky and untamed wilderness. Jacklyn had the same joy as they sailed through a small gale enroute and she even let Ehren take the wheel briefly to experience the salt breeze in her hair and the feel of a boat under her controlled only by her Will.

She was almost looking forward to the sail back up the coast. But first, Jackie had promised to arrange for her to learn how to 'drive like a pirate lass should'. Ehren was intensely curious about how that was to be accomplished.

Step one became obvious as Jackie handed over a roll of money and received a California driver's license made out to Ehren du Chasteler from the marina owner. Ehren's eyes narrowed as the purpose for her posing for a cell-phone photograph became apparent.

Falsified documents, but why?

She could sense a plan that Jackie had in mind, and realized that her Aunt was up to something. But what eluded her.

Meanwhile...

SS Horizon Bringer, San Fransisco.

"Dammit, where could Jackie and Ehren be?" Delilah looked up from the search of the yacht that they had just Flooed into.

"No clue, Del. Wait. Another note."

"What does it say Sis?"

"Your Princess Ehren is aboard another Pirate Ship. Sixteen men on a dead man's chest, yo ho ho and three cases of rum (Cap'n Morgan Black Label, Colombe)?!?"

"JACKIE!!!"

June 13th 2013, 2 AM

Watts, Los Angeles County, USA.
Spoiler: Pirate Training

"Right. Ehren watch how I break the steering column and strip the ignition wires like so."

"Ja."

The engine of the 2011 Cadillac Escalade roared to life and the SUV pulled out of the driveway with Jackie at the wheel.

"Right, Rule Number One of Piracy, if you have to steal anything and you have time, grab it from a criminal. They are less likely to call the police on your head because then they have to answer awkward questions."

Lights came on from the house that they were pulling away from, followed by profanity and gunfire.

"Aunt Jackie, you are up to seventeen 'Rule Number Ones'," Ehren sighed as she memorized the most recent one.

Jackie giggled and burned rubber down the street as the drug dealer redoubled his curses and ran out into the street in his underwear to continue to fire at his freshly stolen pride and joy.

"Am I? Well Rule Number One of Piracy, If you aren't having fun, you aren't doing it right!"

As Jackie honked the horn in farewell before taking the corner at speed, Ehren's frosty expression of concentration cracked and her lips turned up in a brief smug smile.

"Jawohl, Käpt'n Fox!"

Jackie cackled and high-fived her niece before casting a spell to randomize the license plate's numbers and change the color of the SUV.

June 13th, 2013

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, Phoenix Arizona

"Hey Bob." Jackie leaned against the rail of the track as the white-haired owner and founder of one of the premier driving schools in the world slowly walked next to her.

"Jackie Fox. What brings your carcass out this way?" The racing legend looked at Jackie skeptically.

"Oh a refresher for me on the Executive protection/Law Enforcement course. And the advanced teen driving class, then if she's up for it the same for me niece here. If you have a slot that I can pirate for her."

"Considering how you helped me get this operation off the ground, I can add you both. Race you later?"

"Deal, Bob!" Jackie spat in her hand and shook it with Bob as he followed suit.

June 16th, 2013

Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, Phoenix Arizona
Spoiler: Driving School

"So, what's the verdict, Bob?" Jackie sipped from her hip flask as she watched a high-performance car with Ehren behind the wheel take a slalom at speed.

Bob Bondurant shook his head. "I don't know where you dug that blonde German girl up, but she's a natural. No bad habits to unlearn, show her something once and she soaks it up. Very precise on her handling, very technically sound now that we got to her."

He stared at the smirking Jacklyn, "Ehren du Chasteler didn't have the required six months of driving, did she?"

Jacklyn's smirk grew, "Of course not, I want her to learn from the best, which you are beside me of course. All the rest is details."

Bob groaned, "Figures you smug rogue. I'll certify her and see you two on Executive protection tomorrow."

June 20th 2013

"AMBUSH!" Bob yelled in Ehren's ear as blank charges fired from the brush on both sides of the road.

Automatically Ehren's hand shot to the gearshift of the car as she spun the wheel left and her feet began to use the clutch, brake and gas as she had been trained.

She executed a forward 'reverse 180' J-turn precisely and coolly, her eyes determined and her lips flickering in a smug smile as she accelerated clear of the 'killzone' in the opposite direction to her entrance toward her next graduation exercise final exam scenario.

June 22nd, 2013

SS Foxfish, enroute to San Fransisco

Jacklie's phone rang and she looked over from where she and Ehren were sunbathing on the deck.
Spoiler: Heading Home

"Can you toss me that Ehren?"

"Jawohl, Tante Jackie!" The dagger spirit tossed the phone over and then began to apply more suntan lotion to herself, idly listening in.

"Oh hey Colombe, how's it hanging?"

An angry squawk answered her on the other end of the line.

"Ehren's fine, I'll put her on in a second. Listen, I got a bet for you..."

More angry noises, Ehren mentally winced as she translated some of the French.

Was that even anatomically possible?

"Right, here's my bet. I'll be in Frisco tomorrow afternoon with her. Figure you want to see her. So what I'll do is offer this. You ride along with her in me car and if you are convinced that she knows how to drive, I get to take her out for a night on the town to celebrate."

More squawks, then Colombe finally sighed, "Oui, you rogue. On one condition of mine. She returns to me at the end of the night intact and still a virgin. No brothels."

Jackie grinned, "No brothels it is and she Floos back day after tomorrow a virgin and intact. I'll even throw in no arrest warrants if I can help it. It's me home port these days and Rule One of Piracy is ye never piss in ye home port."

Colombe was silent for long moments, "Agreed. Please put Ehren on now?"

Ehren took the phone and her voice turned serious, "Hello Mother, how are you and Claire doing?"

Colombe sighed, "I... was worried for you, a bit. Jackie is not the most reliable person I know. But I'm glad to find you intact and alive. Claire asked me to pass along that she is eagerly waiting for her little sister to return, and Delilah says just for this she will take you on your first hunt once antelope season opens."

Ehren turned to survey the sun-kissed Pacific so Jackie could not see her shy smile. "Something to look forward to. I hope that we get there soon, Mother, I have missed your company."

"As have I, Ehren. Audieu."

"Auf Wiedersehn, Mutti."

Ehren's face assumed its normal mask as she ended the call and slid the phone back into the waterproof bag for it. It rested there alongside her certificate of training from Bondurant Driving, a new International Driver's License in her name, and her phone as it cycled through the snapshot montage of the last two weeks as a screensaver.

Jackie smirked smugly and untied her bikini top. "Toss me the suntan oil, lassie? And while I promised no brothels and no touching, I know a few places where ye can get quite an education by just looking... if ye are in the mood to enjoy them. Since this is your reward, after all. Nae anyone but us two pirates to tell what ye do on your first return to port, aye?"

Ehren blushed and her steel-blue eyes softened slightly in a wink as she handed over the tanning oil. "Aye, Käpt'n Jacklyn Fox. Let me think on it?"

"Oh of course, Ehren. Rule Number One of Piracy is it is all about your Freedom to blaze your own path..."

Ehren smirked slightly as she finished in chorus with her piratical cutlass aunt, "...To fame, booty, and treasure!"

"Right, Ehren-me-lass, now treat Colombe like a VIP getting shot at when she rides with you. She's honest enough so if ye make her turn green with your maneuvering, she will agree that ye are trained second only to me."

Ehren smirked smugly and nodded. "Aye-aye, Käpt'n Fox"

 

[darthcourt10]

MagisterAurelius

So, this Christmas season of Third Year was a little too action packed for the Ship of Fools Christmas snip to happen as initially written. Therefore, events of the Draco and Johnston Xmas special have received a bit of a retcon.

To put it simply: Draco spent Christmas with Johnston, just not in Yokosuka. Johnston wasn't in Japan, but was going to be in Hawaii for Christmas, so she begged, pleaded and turned Destroyer Eyes on Admiral Settle. Who then gave her permission to bring Draco, his parents and the minions Crabbe and Goyle to Hawaii for the holiday break. Draco's gift for Johnston still happened, and other dawww moments. Narcisa and Lucius got to appreciate a Hawaiian vacation and Lucius even got a tan.

Draco was still invited to the summoning, since he was an available wizard. He had still been looking at the old Springstyles books and proposed Colorado class refits. This resulted in BB-47 USS Washington's summoning. And then the US Navy discovered a whole new size of chip that resided on that Standard's shoulder.

So without further ado, the retconned aftermath of Ship of Fools The Third Year Christmas Holiday:

--0--
Ship of Fools

An irked Harry Potter removed his phone from his pocket to answer the incessant alert. "I'm sorry. I have to see what blew up on the SGO forums this time."

"Hawa-wa-wa, that's alright Harry-chan nanodesu." Inazuma smiled and went back to her sundae, smacking Ikazuchi's spoon away from it. Meanwhile, Hibiki and Natsumi both put their heads next to Harry's, reading his screen. Inazuma lifted a spoonful of ice cream to her mouth, watching her sister and friends' eyes grow wide and expressions fill with surprise.

"What happened nanodesu?"

"Well," Harry started, "You know that Johnston met a classmate of mine from Hogwarts, just before school started?" Inazuma nodded. "I guess things have been going well, because she invited him to spend Christmas with her in Hawaii. And it looks like they're actually dating now."

"I'd say so. Did you see that picture of the hair ornament Draco gave Johnston?" Natsumi interrupted.

"Oh? Was it pretty?"

"I'd say. Pretty, old, and had to have been expensive. It was pretty enough to almost be a gift Harry would give!" Natsumi's mouth then snapped shut and she blushed as she realized what she had said.

Harry smirked. "Well Johnston certainly liked it. Here's the photo proof of how she felt about it." Harry turned the phone to Inazuma and her other sisters, who saw a picture of a blond boy wearing a happily goofy grin with somewhat glazed focus. And wearing several lipstick impressions on his cheeks and mouth. "Sammy B said it was the lewdest thing she had ever seen. Such lascivious and egregious hand-holding and giggling. And then Johnston threw all propriety and morality out the window, and kept kissing Draco on the lips."

"But that was just the warm-up. So they held a summoning and invited Draco to attend. That's where the really shocking stuff happened."

"What happened nanodesu?"

"The summoning didn't seem to work at first. They were just asking for anyone who had served to come back. Nothing was happening. Then Draco opened his mouth and called for anyone who was lost and forgotten to come, that he asked for them to return, to take the chance at life denied them."

"Nani?"

"And then someone came through. The fourth Colorado sister. And when Admiral Settle asked her to report... she told him that 'The US Navy can go fuck itself' and that she came back because Draco had asked for her."

"But..but not even Pennsylvania-san was that angry when she came back."

Sighing Harry continued, "I know, even Aunt Pennsy wouldn't do that. Anyway, even after taking to cool down she was adamant about only answering to Draco, that she would have nothing to do with the US Navy or the United States. Admiral Settle was pissed, but in the end she left Hawaii with Draco and his parents."

"But what about her sisters, nanodesu? How could she just leave and not be with them?"

At this Hibiki broke in, "What she said was not khorosho. As long as they serve America, she refuses to speak with them."

Inazuma was shocked speechless. Akatsuki then whispered, "But.. but.. how can anyone be that angry? That they would cut off their own sisters that way? Is she actually an Abyssal?"

Harry shook his head. "No, she's not. Aunt Maryland explained why. It has to do with how BB-47 was sunk and why. And that even though Aunt West Virginia is really torn up about it, all of her sisters can understand a little. One of the rumors is that it came down to a coin flip as to which sister was going to be discarded, West Virginia or Washington. So she's bitter and has chosen to serve Draco because he's the only one who has asked for her to come back."

"So this is why SGO blew up like it did Harry?"

"Yeah, and now there's a lot of girls in the USN and Royal Navy who were scrapped because of the Washington Naval Treaty asking why they didn't think to tell off the admirals when they came back. And the US Navy is having to go into damage control mode."

--0--

Anywho, there be the retcon of what actually happened. Now I just need to get back to warm fuzzies and a Sabaton concert.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Coming to a stop on his bicycle, Harry checked his phone. In particular, the app that he had on his phone that helped him navigate around the base and nodded some as he glanced up at the warehouse that he was in front of. Not that it was that hard to realize that it was his destination.

Mainly due to the small sign next to the door that had a pentagram on it, the symbol for Onmyoudo.

Only shaking his head, Harry got off his bike and went to the small trailer behind it before grabbing the bag. Walking over to the door, he pulled out his key card and swiped it after which he punched in his code. Moments later, he heard the door unlocked and opened the door before stepping inside. Glancing around, the teenager could only shake his head in amusement. Here and there were various magical objects, some of which were on tables and the like.

Granted, he did raise a slight eyebrow at the prong-like object in one corner of the room. Even as he watched, lightning made it's way up the object before arcing at the top of it with a crackle. The whole place gave off a manic vibe, which made him snicker a bit at a realization...

It looked like a workshop that Yuubari would work in.

Even more amusing to him was that said Light Cruiser was at a table there talking with a girl who looked similar to her which made Harry cock his head to the side, 'Huh, that must be her sister, Katsura.' Shaking his head, he cleared his throat and called out, "Yuubari-Oba?"

Rapidly blinking, Yuubari turned from her conversation and her eyes widened some before she grinned, "Harry-Chan!" Motioning at him, she shook her head, "Come on over here!"

Just smiling, Harry made his way over and chuckled a bit before bowing, "Good afternoon, Yuubari-Oba, Katsura-San."

Yet again, Yuubari blinked, "Afternoon...?" Looking at the clock, she flushed and groaned as she facepalmed, "Dammit! I lost track of time again!"

Lightly laughing at her, and the blush that appeared on her sister's face as well as her own, the thirteen year old shook his head, "Hai, it seems that you did." Harry then lifted the box that was in his arms, "Good thing that Akashi-Oba sent me over with some food for you both as she knew that you had lost track of time."

If anything, Yuubari flushed more at that before sighing at his grin, "Thanks, Harry-Chan." Taking the box from him, she shrugged, "You know how it gets, one moment you're discussing something and the next..."

Eyebrow raised, the wizard hummed, "Next thing that you know, you have a self-driving lawn mower chasing you around."

Flushing deeply, Yuubari growled, "That happened once I will have you know!" Grumbling, she looked away, "Never again am I going to try and make things easier in that way."

Rather amused, Harry lifted a finger, "Automatic potato peeler."

Slowly blinking, Katsura turned to her sister, "Automatic... potato peeler?"

Throwing her hands into the air, she shouted at them, "Okay! Not my brightest idea, okay! But it wasn't that bad!"

Only cocking an eyebrow, Harry hummed, "Right... which was why it chased Fubuki-Nee, Akagi-Nee, Miss Intrepid, and others all over the base."

Yuubari frowned some and scratched her head in confusion, "Yeah, I still don't know why it did that. It was just meant to peel potatoes so that I could get my work done faster."

Her younger sister suddenly realized what she meant and crossed her arms with a frown, "Really, Nee-San? You tried to get out of punishment for something by... creating something automated to do your punishment?"

Raising her own eyebrow, Yuubari poked her in the chest, "Oh yeah? What about that thing that you are working on? To, and I quote, 'Clean messes before they happen' thing?"

Just as he was about to ask, Harry paused and frowned before giving her a look, "You better not be doing something involving time travel..."

A frown on her face, the magical Light Cruiser crossed her arms, "Of course not! Temporal magic is finicky at the best of times and I am not going to trust something animated with such." She then waved a hand, "I was just going to use a combination of magical sensors and divination spells to allow for animated cleaning supplies to know when a mess was about to happen and clean it up. What is the worst that could happen?"

Utter silence met her before both Yuubari and Harry facepalmed and hard, with the female of the two groaning, "You did not say that..."

Opening her mouth, Katsura was about to say something and paused before sighing, "Yeah, I sort of ruined it."

For several moments the three were silent before Harry noticed the papers and cleared his throat, "Um, so what are you working on?"

Yuubari glanced at him before pulling some food out of the box and giving some to her sister, "What are we working on?" At his nod, she opened the small fridge and pulled out three cans, two of which she tossed at Harry and Katsura who caught them, "Well... some of it is new, magical radios."

Head tilted to the side, Harry blinked, "New radios?"

With a nod, the magical based of the two shipgirls nodded, "Hai, it was one of the things that we came up with during the war." Taking a sip of her drink, she gestured at a nearby wireless, "Basically, it uses magic to allow for ships to use radio, even when completely submerged. The magical navy used it during the war to keep track of everything."

Eyes widening, Harry boggled at her, "Wait, it works even underwater? Really?"

Shoveling food into her mouth, Yuubari nodded before swallowing and pounding her chest, "Hai, which makes it interesting if we can outfit the Submarines with it. Because it would improve their effectiveness by a lot in the end if we can."

Beside her, Katsura opened her own food container, "Well, I am working on it between writing up reports on what the Kamo Goverment was doing in regards to the Navy. Things such as ships and the like."

That caught the teen's interest, "Really? How many ships did the Kamo government actually have?"

Pulling her chopsticks aside, Katsura hummed, "Depends on if you mean pre-war or during the war. Pre-war, there were a number of ships based on various designs. Mainly as testbeds for when they would really start building." After a few moments, she pulled out some noodles, "I was the first, but not the last. For example, we built a Carrier in, oh... nineteen twenty-five based on one of the designs for the Houshou class, the one that was ten thousand tons instead of the nine thousand, five hundred ton one that the NoMaj navy went with. Used it to test planes that were enchanted and such, including how flying type Yokai handled them. Our second Aircraft Carrier was based on Ryuujou... or at least before she had the double hanger added to her." Waving a hand, she shrugged, "We didn't need to do that, just expand the inside hanger and we got the room needed."

Head tilted to the side, Harry considered that, "So there were not that many?"

Much to his surprise, Yuubari shook her head, "Actually, there was a number of them, but... they were mostly small ships. Some of the Submarines..."

Yuubari trailed off and shook her head before her sister took over, "Some of the Submarines we had could be considered 'Midget Submarines'. But they had full crews because some Yokai in their animal forms were much smaller than a human would be and could still manipulate the controls." Katsura snorted some, "One thing to remember is that for years until right before the war, MACUSA didn't really have warships. What they had were ships that they planned for conversion into Armed Merchant Cruisers, hence the plan the Kamo Government came up with. They didn't need a huge number of powerful ships like the NoMaj navy did."

Considering that, the thirteen year old frowned, "Can I ask you something regarding it?" Getting a wave to continue, Harry did so, "Where did you get all the material from to build the ships? I mean, wouldn't someone notice?"

That made Yuubari blink and turn to her sister, "That is a good question, as well as where you came up with the fuel for them."

Just swallowing her food, Katsura raised an eyebrow, "Oh, that? That was actually rather easy when all was said and done." She gave a small shrug and shook her head, "We just used magic to increase the amount that we had, so a ton of iron, for example, became three tons. Any more than that and you ran into issues with the strength of the material. Also, with some alchemy you could transform low grade ore into almost pure iron. Waaaaay simpler than transmuting lead into gold. Using both methods gave us a lot. As for fuel? Mass transfiguration of coal into fuel oil."

Both Harry and Yuubari blinked at that in stunned realization of what that could mean.

Not having noticed their surprise though, the younger Yuubari class frowned, "Though thinking on it... I guess that could make them look different depending on where they were built."

Intrigued, the wizard leaned forward, "Different? How so?"

Glancing at him, Katsura shook her head, "Well... the thing to remember is that the various ships were built at hidden shipyards. And that the Kamo Government was trying to hide their existence from anyone who might be looking. So extra material in the form of engines and the like were out. But... if you had the raw material, you could create them basically in the shipyard themselves, so there would be no trail really to track besides the material used to make the components. Granted, you needed ritual magic and several magicals working together to 'Forge' the items. That said? They were going off photographs and drawings. So every piece was somewhat 'unique' in some way to that shipyard in particular. If you compared components from one shipyard to those from another, there would be small differences."

A considering look on her face, Yuubari leaned forward, "That... makes sense. And considering things, that might mean differences in uniform because there might be just enough for even ones in the same class to be considered sub-classes. Huh... interesting." Shaking that off though for now, she turned to Harry, "Anyways, you excited to get back to school tomorrow?"

Harry grinned a bit at that, "Of course I am! After all, I got a lot to do."

Lightly laughing, Yuubari ruffled his hair.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Sitting at a desk was a woman, the only light being an oil lamp beside her that cast it's flickering light around the room. Her quill quietly scratching at the paper in front of her while her fingers danced on a very old, mechanical calculator. The whole time, the only other sound being that of a clock ticking away as minutes turned into hours.

Finally, she put down the quill down and looked first at the calculator and then at the paper. Several moments passed before she removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes. And then she slammed her hand down, "DAMMIT!" Placing her head against the desk, a sob escaped from her throat as she put her hands on her head, "Dammit all..."

When the woman raised her head, it revealed a face that looked like she was in her forties. On it were wrinkles from stress and some of her reddish hair was turning grey from much the same. Even then, she was a beautiful woman, though she had tears in her eyes from what was on the paper in front of her. After staring at the paper with some tears in her eyes, she wiped at her eyes and leaned back in her chair, "Dammit all to hell'" Rubbing her face, she shook her head and turned to a photograph with a weak laugh, "We're in the damn red again... looks like instant ramen... or fishing I guess."

The photograph, which was of a five tailed Kitsune in a uniform similar to the IJN didn't answer back. Unlike many such photos, this one did not move and never had. Looking at it and the woman, there was a resemblance though she seemed to be a hundred percent human besides slightly pointed ears. Expression falling, she looked at the photo before taking it in one hand, "Sorry, Ojii-San. I'm trying, I really am, but..." Sighing, she slumped some in pure exhaustion, "I don't know how much longer I can go on like this."

Of course, she did not get an answer, but then she never expected it. Instead, she just got up and walked to the shōji screen after blowing out the lamp and pushed it aside as she began to wander the darkened halls of her family home. Once, it was a bright and cheery place from what she had been told. Her family made it their home for generations, ever since it was built at the beginning of the Edo Period.

Granted, for Kitsune that did not mean much.

Now though... now, it was empty and cold. She was the only one who now walked its halls, alone. The last of her family as far as she knew, a Hanyou. A child from a human father and kitsune mother. As she walked, she looked down at her grandfather, Captain Kaito of the Magical Battleship, Yamatai, the only one to serve Magical Japan really.

Captain Kaito, the Butcher of Schjetnan Reef.

Captain Kaito, the War Criminal.

Unlike some in her position, the woman never did deny what her grandfather had done. In fact, she considered what he had done wrong, even if she understood why he had done so. Part of her mind drifted back years before, when she was young, and listening to her mother explain...

"Otou-San... your Ojii-San, was once a good man. Proud perhaps in the ways that some are, but a good man. But then, your Oba-San was murdered, and make no mistake, that was what happened to her. I was just a kit at the time, but I remember it well as it was easy to read between the lines. They didn't even have the decency to return her body to us, claiming that the spellfire destroyed it. Otou-San... became cold afterwards, hard. Where once there was joy, was now a deep, abiding rage. Where kindness once set, only hardness now lay. He was filled with wrath and hate for the Americans for what they took from him. Which was why when he was offered the chance to take his revenge, he leapt at it..."

There were similar conversations with her mother, until one day a year after she graduated Mahoutokoro when she came home. Her parents marriage had always been slightly troubled to some extent, being arranged. Mainly due to the reputation of her grandfather. While he was dead, MACUSA did not forgive nor forget what he had done and made sure to demonize him as much as they could though he had done far less than some. It affected their family greatly. And a few months before that day, her parents marriage had imploded, with her father leaving. That day, she came home to a silent home...

And to this day, she could sometimes hear the sound of rope swaying in the breeze, creaking...

Quickly shaking off that thought, Akimi shuddered a bit and held the photo closer to her and hurried past a window that looked out on a burned tree stump. Finally, she reached a small room and walked in. On the floor was a futon that she sat down upon and thought before looking at the picture, rubbing one thumb along the worn frame. She should hate the man, despise him and what his actions had brought upon the family. How it has brought it to this...

But she found herself unable to. Rather, she felt sad for how the actions of a few had destroyed a good person. She felt sympathy for him, though that did not make what he did right in her mind. Despite that, she could not bring herself to hate him, just feel disappointed in what he had done. That said... she did look up to who he had been before her aunt's death. From all the stories that she had been told, he was a good person before the female Kitsune's death changed him into someone unrecognizable, not helped by how Kamo and his group took advantage of it.

With a sigh, she placed the photo on a table and laid down in her futon before closing her eyes and tried to get some sleep, despite the thoughts chasing one another in her mind. Worries and fears warred within her head, but... somehow she fell asleep.

It was day when she awoke and slowly got up with a sigh, bags under her eyes from little sleep from dealing with everything. With a nod, she gave a weak, sad smile to the photo, "Good morning, Ojii-San... today is a new day, hmm?"

Placing her glasses on, she stumbled out of her futon and threw on some new clothes before making her way to the kitchen. Upon walking in though, she blinked a bit at the sight that met her. Mainly that of a woman whose hair was almost purple depending on how the light hit it. And though she looked younger then Akimi, she was actually the same age, "Miu-Chan? What are you doing here?"

Eyebrow raised, the other woman held up some food, "I decided to drop by and bring you some food, Akimi-Chan. After all, you're a friend and I need to make sure that you are eating properly." Catching her friend's expression though, her own fell, "Akimi-Chan? What's wrong?"

About to say something, the auburn haired woman paused before sighing. Rubbing her face, she gave a self-depreciating snort, "What else? Funds." Coming over to the table, she sat down and looked at the other woman, "What else could it be?"

Gently, Miu reached across the table and placed her hand over her long time friend's, "Do you need some help? Because I am sure that I could get something and... I thought that you were making enough money?"

Sadly smiling, Akimi shook her head, "I was. And that is the keyword there... was." Looking up, she thinned her lips, "Mahoutokoro."

That brought a wince to the other woman, "Ah, because Kyoto is getting it back up and running."

Just nodding, Akimi sighed and frowned, "Hai. Right now, I've been keeping myself afloat by tutoring people and the like due to the school having been shut down. You know that Kyoto has... issues hiring me due to Ojii-San. Even though I have stated that I never supported his actions." Snorting, she shook her head, "I was lucky to get a job as a lowly clerk in the Diet, until the war. And then, suddenly, I was replaced by that bastard's son as he needed a job due to being a 'Hero' of Mahoutokoro..."

Sneering, Miu narrowed her eyes some, "Yes, a hero... but running with one of the first groups of the evacuation."

Only rubbing her face, the other woman looked at her friend. It was true, the young man had been a Prefect at Mahoutokoro and his father had been her boss. As he needed a job, especially with all the press circling, his father had fired her and put him in her place. Which meant that she was out of a job, and nothing that she could do would help. Mainly because she was a Hanyou, though she looked perfectly human. And Kyoto was leery of hiring her own due to her grandfather, not helped by how one of those involved there was her father and... disliked her due to words she had with him after her mother's death.

Also, it did not help that MACUSA's efforts to absolutely demonize her grandfather for "Starting the war" was extremely effective.

Looking across at the other woman though, Akimi had to smile slightly. Despite all that, she did have friends as shown by the other Hanyou. Miu's mother was a crane and it showed in some of her features, such as how her hair had a slight feathery appearance. Like Akimi, she had been fired from her job in the Diet when the economic slump hit and a number of families used the Diet as their own personal fiefdom to keep their family members from not needing to take "Bad jobs". Unlike her, though, Miu had managed to get hired in Kyoto as part of the "Ministry of Flight", though a low level clerk who handled brooms and the like.

Both of them were close even now, so many years after they went to school together. The two had bonded over both being Hanyous and facing the racism that occurred to it. And Akimi was thankful for that as her friend had often supported her in small ways. Granted, sometimes she wished that she had been born as a full Kitsune like her mother instead of a human despite how things were... Once more, she felt a warmth in her chest towards her friend for all her help. Suddenly, a laugh escaped from her and she shook her head, "Maybe I should just have you move in and pay rent with how often you're here."

The other woman perked up some and gave a shrug, "Actually, that might not be a bad idea. It'll be just like old times before you moved back home when we were roommates. And while my pay isn't much... I can at least help you a bit." Jerking back, Akimi was about to say something when Miu shook her head, "Don't. I know that you're close to losing your family home and that is all you got left, Akimi-Chan. And that it would kill you were that to happen. And with you likely losing your own income... I am more than willing to step in and help." She than gave a slight grin, "Besides, it will be like old times, and this is a lot better than my crappy apartment I got."

Glancing away, Akimi blinked away a tear, "Thank you."

Simply reaching over, Miu smiled some before grasping her hand, "It is fine, Akimi-Chan. You'll see, everything will turn out fine, and one day maybe you'll have little feet pattering these walls..." Seeing her friend's expression fall, she frowned, "Akimi-Chan?"

Bitterly smiling, the other woman shook her head, "By adoption, maybe. I... just got word recently that, well... it is too late for me to have children. All the stress and such made that start early."

Closing her eyes, Miu sighed, "I'm sorry."

With a deep breath, Akimi let it out, "Don't worry about it, none of it is your fault. I should have tried something earlier, but..." This time, the reason her eyes watered was not due to happiness at all, and she decided to clear her throat, "So! I heard that there was an event that you were excited about?"

Eyebrow raising at the sudden change in subject, Miu didn't say anything about it. Instead, she gave a small smile, "Actually, I am. Somehow, people got Junyou and Hiyou to come and speak at a Onmyouji seminar. I've actually got tickets and was wondering if you wanted to come."

Oddly, there was an very strange feeling at hearing at that. As if... accepting it could send her life, both their lives, down a different route. Lips twitching, Akimi internally snorted, 'What have I got to lose at this point?' Smiling, the Onmyouji nodded, "I'd love to, thank you."

For some odd reason, she had the feeling that things would turn out well.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Dove and Her Poignard (Part XII)

October 4th, 2013

Sákpe Mázasu Pteyúha (Six Bullet Ranch)

Black Hills, Southwestern South Dakota, USA

Ehren looked over at her mother and big sister as they hefted their suitcases. Colombe smiled and took Claire's hand holding her suitcase with her free one. Claire then took the hand Ehren was holding her suitcase to form a human chain.

"It's time Ehren."

Ehren nodded and raised a bone whistle to her lips, Delilah's note when she had sent it had read "This is a Portkey, blow it at sunset of the first new moon of fall. If Sis or Claire want to come along, have them take your hand."

Ehren took a deep breath and blew the whistle. The world swirled around her and then reformed.
Spoiler: Delilah's Family Room

Colombe gave an impressed look around and then smiled at Zamarad, who sat on the hearth with one hand idly caressing the flames. "Del certainly has taste."

"Indeed she does," the Ifrit said. Zamarad grinned and continued, "Hello Claire, you are well?"

Claire nodded, and then her eyes widened as Zamarad pointed behind Claire to where an electronic keyboard set rested in its box with sheet music on top of it. "You and your mother get to stay in the house while Ehren participates in her first hunt, but we are not cruel jailers. Happy Early Birthday!"

Claire hugged Zamarad fiercely and whispered, "Thank you!"

The piano spirit began to immediately set up the keyboard, sat in front of it, and began to play it.

Ehren tapped her heel in time with the music as she looked at the tintype photographs over the fire. The two to the sides were Lakota men in traditional garb, while the center was two young Lakota women. Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed a very familiar revolver holstered at the hip of one of the two women.

"That's Red Cloud, Louise Winona, and Rain-in-the-Face" Delilahs voice sounded from behind Ehren. Ehren turned to face her aunt as Claire smirked smugly and shifted into Colonel Bogey as Delilah walked down the hall with a scoped 1903 Springfield slung on her shoulder and a second rifle in her hands.
Spoiler: Claire Does A Funny

"Ready Ehren?" Delilah said as she rolled her eyes at a certain unrepentant piano while Colombe snickered and Zamarad chuckled with the sounds of embers popping.

"Ja, I am, Aunt Delilah." Ehren gave a firm nod as her heart began to beat faster behind her impassive facade.

"Good, I picked out the Karabiner 98k modified for thirty ought six that you preferred to shoot this summer, cleaned it up, and zeroed the scope on it for you plus renewed the maintenance and anti-recoil charms. You can thank the Viet Cong for donating that to my collection, Ehren. German military rifle by way of Russia and maybe China to Vietnam to the US of A. Have to love it. For your backup weapon, I did a full tear-down, enchantment, and rebuild of that Luger P08 that you liked shooting in April. I'm going to give you that for Christmas if you want."

Ehren nodded, assuming her serious face. "Understood Aunt Delilah, and thank you. I would like that. Let's go then."
Spoiler: Sisters, Have To Love Them....

Claire smirked slyly and shifted pieces again as Ehren and Delilah headed for the door. Both stopped dead to glare at a piano spirit who was projecting innocence as she played.

Colombe and Zamarad doubled over laughing.

"Knock them dead, Darth Delilah and Sith Apprentice Ehren!" Colombe gasped out, producing giggles from Claire in turn.

Delilah mouthed "I'll get you for this!" as Ehren's lip twitched.

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

"Horseback, Aunt Delilah?" Ehren asked curiously as they led out four horses from the stables.

"Yes, actually. For one, where I plan to take you is very rugged and off road. For two, we are going to probably spend a few days in the field. And for three," Delilah smugged at Ehren as she helped her niece into the saddle of the lead horse, "I'm a traditionalist. I figured you would like doing things the old-fashioned way."

Ehren nodded then looked behind her at the pack horse with the tent and supplies. "I see. Something to look forward to."
Spoiler: The Black Hills

Five hours later, Delilah paused as her horse reached the top of the ridge. She breathed in the pure air which seemed to carry an air of tense anticipation, and gestured to the pine-covered valley below. "You see why I love this land so, Ehren?"
Spoiler: The Pahá Sápa

The younger dagger nodded, eyes very wide and lips parted at the view. Ehren whispered in awe, "I do, Aunt Delilah..."

"Please, call me Del out here. This place makes me realize how small we all are in the grand scheme of things." The revolver said quietly.

"Jawohl, Del." Ehren responded as they began to head up the ridge, "A question?"

Delilah turned, her leaf-green eyes measuring her niece as she stared into Ehren's cool blue depths. "Please ask."

Ehren took a deep breath and steeled herself, "This ranch, this place, it is special, isn't it? Magical? It is like home but... wilder, untamed, untouched..."

Delilah gave her niece a small smile and responded in a calm voice as she dismounted to lead the horses up a scree slope, "Before I answer, can you elaborate? I want to know how much you have learned and deduced."

Ehren took a deep breath, "Ever since I first came here, I have felt invisible eyes on me, watching, measuring, judging. Sometimes, like when I touched that buffalo this spring, I sensed a connection, a link to whatever is happening here just out of view. In addition, you are in one of the photographs, standing alongside Louise Winona in Indian dress."

Delilah nodded and extended her hand to help Ehren up the last of the slope. "That was in 1868, when I was 14 and on break during my Third Year in Ilvermorny's Thunderbird House, yes. How did you know it was me? I was under many spells to appear as just a Lakota girl alongside my blood-sister."

Ehren pointed to the revolver Delilah had in her shoulder holster, "I recognized your true body, Del."

Delilah gave an approving nod, "I see that you have taken my lessons on observation and analysis to heart. You need that to determine the right tactic to use to defend your family and what you believe in."

"Ja. But also you speak to the workers here, who are all Indians, in their own tongue as a native would and treat them with respect and deference. You do not act as the lord of this estate would. Finally, you have taken steps to transport me to and from here rather than letting me come on my own. I have access to your mother's house now, but not here."

Delilah laughed, "Well argued and in a very real sense, I am not and shall never be the master of these lands. I do not have the right, but I help hold them in trust for the true owners. I am merely tolerated, and that is enough."

Delilah looked into the distance, where a group of eagles were beginning to circle and smiled smugly. "Let's camp here on the ridge line. Tonight should be illuminating for you. If I have your word never to reveal what you see tonight to anyone."

Ehren looked at Delilah and then nodded. "You have my word and oath, Aunt Delilah."

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

Ehren finished putting up the tent as Delilah gathered dead wood to create a carefully tended fire after carefully securing and hobbling their horses. "Why here, we could push on?"

Delilah grinned. "Oh, we better not. You are about to see why." She pointed to the circling eagles in the distance, and then pulled out a set of binoculars as the clouds began to gather as sunset approached. "Look."

Ehren took the binoculars, noticing their true sight enchantments and then gasped in shock. The 'eagles' were massive, much larger than any other bird, pinioned in brilliant gold, purest white, electric blue, and darkest black while lightning crackled from their plumage as they began to gather while clouds followed them like a naval squadron in the wake of its flagship.
Spoiler: Wakinyan in Flight

"Gott im Himmel!" Ehren whispered as her hands shook in excitement.

Delilah responded, "That is what I said when Louise and her father Red Cloud took me here to see the mating dance of the Wakinyan, the Thunderbird in 1868. MACUSA, to its credit, has protected them in reservations from nomaj hunters and poachers along with all other magical creatures. But they are rare today and only gather once every few decades at an unspoiled site of power to conceive their next generation."

Small pellets of hail began to fall around them as the clouds overhead darkened and swirled and Delilah smirked. "Remember what you see here tonight, Ehren. Actually, you will never forget the first time that you witness it. I never did."

----------------------------
Spoiler: Thunderbird Mating Dance

The trees around Ehren were lashed by the screaming winds, tossing and bucking worse than the horses were while sheets of rain half blinded her. Golf-ball sized hail thudded into and around the camp and she was bruised and battered from it despite the shield spells that her aunt was maintaining over them.

All that was minor compared to the events overhead where the storm clouds were shifting constantly into fantastic shapes, sculpted by the convocation of Wakinyan as they flew on the howling storm winds in unison in ever-shifting patterns. The sky was lit from horizon to horizon by constant blinding blue-white bolts of lightning even though the sun had long set. The drumbeat of joyous Wakinyan thunderclap cries were a hammer blow that battered her ears. The magical energies being raised and discharged along with the visible 'non-magical' supercell thunderstorm were causing her steel, her very essence, to vibrate in time with the mating ritual as the static electricity lifted her hair into a gorgon's mane.

She was unable to control her smile at the sight. Glancing over Delilah, she saw her aunt equally enthralled, the lightning illuminating a tooled leather pouch worn openly on her chest over her clothing as they stood witness to a primal act of creation.

Soaked to the bone, buffeted, half-deafened, and half-blinded though she was, she would not have been anywhere else for the world. There was a deep joy in seeing creatures that existed before human foot had trod these hills gathering to celebrate their existence, to mourn those who had passed away, and to look toward the future with the hope that one day they would be allowed to fly freely and openly once more, demonstrating their glory to those humans who inhabited the ground underneath their domain.

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

October 5th, 2013

Downed pine needles and branches crunched under Ehren's feet as she followed Delilah down the ridge after packing up the camp onto their horses.
Spoiler: A Trust Shared

Both traveled in contemplative, companionable silence through the pine woods for well over half a day before Delilah finally pointed at a side valley where some petroglyphs were visible on the rocks at the canyon mouth next to a waterfall. "Ehren, a word of caution, do not go in there. Ever. Promise me that."

Ehren nodded and filled their canteens. "I will, but why tell me this?"

Delilah looked at Ehren and gave her a measuring stare before gesturing to one of the granite boulders lining the stream flowing from the canyon. The revolver stared into the water for long moments after seating herself beside her niece.

Delilah sighed deeply and threw a loose stone into the flowing crystal clear water, "Insurance in a word. If the worst comes for myself and MACUSA when the Statute falls, some responsibilities that I have accepted must be continued. Mother is tarred with the same brush that I am and is elderly, I will outlive her."

Delilah wiped tears from her eyes as her voice became calm and controlled.

"Zamarad is too dissonant to serve the purposes needed. Fire reacts poorly with the spirits of Air, Earth and Water here. Sis... Colombe has other commitments and responsibilities that prevent her taking my place. Claire and Jacklyn's characters are unsuited to do what needs be done here. The Lakota have lost much of the wisdom and power that kept these lands safe, despite my efforts otherwise. I don't have any witch or wizard of my acquaintance who I can trust here anymore. That leaves you, Ehren Du Chasteler-Muramasa."

Delilah looked at the impassively silent Ehren, and her voice softened. "I won't order you to do it, mind you, merely ask you to not tell a soul of this conversation, and to listen to what I have to say. This is in case the worst happens and I am imprisoned for life or executed because of the necessary crimes that I have committed against the laws of the USA and MACUSA over the last century and a half. Morally and legally, I'm as much a lawbreaker as Jacklyn or Colombe; I just hide it better. Just that..."

She trailed off and looked back into the water, "It is just that, when you were judged by the Buffalo Spirit this spring that showed that you had the potential to become a full witch like myself and Colombe one day. To go to Ilvermorny, Hogwarts or Beauxbatons and study there and be accepted by wizarding society. That test of the spirit was used by the Lakota to see whether or not a son or daughter of theirs would train alongside us pale-faces. "

Ehren's eyes widened as Delilah spoke, seemingly half to herself.

"And that is what is needed here. There are wards on Powers here who we dare not let awaken or to see the light of day. Wards that must be renewed periodically. Other places on this land I hold in trust I dare not enter, but give free access to the Lakota. While I am adopted among the Oglála Lakȟóta Oyáte, I am not totally of them. This is their holy place, not mine, never mine. It is not in my blood, for I am De Breuil and Muramasa, not born of the Seven Council Fires. But having a known witch hold the lands means that explanations can be given for events such as happened last night to those who otherwise would move on this land. Hiding what I can and explaining away what I cannot."

Delilah skipped another stone into the water and watched the ripples fade in the flowing stream.

"Most important of all, perhaps, is to have someone I can trust utterly to be reliable. To accept the rules that govern this place and not transgress. Someone whose word is true, who is honorable, and someone who knows the price of power and faith misused."

Delilah's shoulders slumped, and she sighed wearily as she spoke with a bitter undertone. "So here I am, the Statute tottering along, and if I can no longer do this great task standing before me, I shall have to force my niece, not even a year old to pick up the torch from my failing grasp. I don't like it, and I certainly have no right to ask you to do it in my place, Ehren, save the cruel necessity of responsibility and duty. Oaths sworn by a young girl to her blood-sister in my youth. Adoption rituals under the open sky with grass stretching in all directions. Fighting a desperate rearguard, burying friends and allies one by one as I struggle to save what I can from the tides of time and ruin. Watching that which I loved dearly in the springtime of my youth be diminished and at best have to be hidden here away from the eyes of those who would claim and imprison them."

Another stone was tossed into the water as Delilah fell silent.

Ehren sat in contemplation, how long she did not know, and then spoke quietly. "Let us never forget our duties, which we have taken upon us. If you need my assistance, I volunteer myself, Del. I'm not worthy of the trust that you are giving me, but I shall do my utmost to make you proud."

Delilah looked into Ehren's eyes and nodded decisively. " Thank you. I will do my best to be worthy of your trust in my leadership. I'll make the arrangements. If I should fall, expect the title to here to be transferred to you and also a packet containing my private papers and instructions to be hidden with directions to where you can find it. Promise me that you will carry them out to the letter."

Ehren stood and extended her hand to her aunt. "I promise. Now, you can tell me about this place while we hunt?"

Delilah smiled and took the hand and was helped to her feet. "Deal. I'll give you verbal advice and tell you the tales of this wonderful land that I love while we look for antelope spoor."

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

October 9th 2013

"I see him", Ehren hissed through her teeth, as she belly-crawled over a low hillock and saw a pronghorn buck grazing across the meadow a half-mile distant.
Spoiler: Pronghorn

Delilah looked through her rifle's scope. "Adult buck, probably eight or more years old, he's a big one. He's the fellow who we have been following most of the morning. Just like I taught you. Remember patience and keep upwind."

"Jawohl." Ehren slowly crawled toward a position where she could get a shot off at America's fastest land mammal. "Patience is critical in knowing when to strike and making the strike decisive, starting and ending conflict in a single blow."

Delilah grinned to herself as she crawled after her niece. "Exactly. Keep quiet, their senses are incredible. And if he runs, we will spend most of the week chasing him."

A hour later:

The Pronghorn buck raised its head, ears flicking and surveyed the field.

Ehren froze and barely breathed as she sensed the antelope's eyes alight on her. It then snuffled and returned to a clump of succulent alfalfa as Ehren expelled her breath and slid into a prone firing position, her rifle tracking the buck.

Her breath caught in her throat and her steel blue eyes narrowed as he finally turned broadside to her, giving her the clean shot she had been working for almost the whole day.

Her finger caressed the trigger gently.

CRACK

October 12th, 2013
Spoiler: Dinner at the Ranch


"...and then I took the shot. He just staggered and dropped."

Ehren, dusty and weary, and smelling faintly of the antelope blood on her hands and traced under her eyes by Delilah in ritual to thank the buck for supplying them with food, smiled slightly as Delilah handed her a refill of bourbon and took the story up.

"First round clean heart shot from three-quarter klick out. Her buck never knew what hit him. One moment he's enjoying salad for dinner and the next he's in Antelope Heaven. We field dressed him with the help of a nearby tree then I headed back to get the horses. Ehren got the hunter's share of the liver grilled over the campfire as we listened to the coyotes howling as they enjoyed the offal that night. Then we packed him out on horseback with a stasis spell for his date with my freezer." Delilah grinned smugly. "Couldn't have done it better myself and you now have credit with the locals around here when I tell the story and share the photos with them at the bar in Custer. You're one of us."

Ehren nodded and sipped the liquor, her eyes distant as Delilah continued, watching Claire hanging on every word as she played piano idly. Colombe met her eyes and gave her a nod of respect as she raised her own glass of bourbon. Zamarad grinned at Ehren warmly as the flames in the fireplace next to her formed a thumbs up briefly before returning to grilling fresh pronghorn tenderloin steaks.

"I'll be picking up the trophy from the taxidermist in Custer and putting it over the fireplace in the dining room here unless you want it in your bedroom, Ehren. Not a record rack in Boone and Crockett, but three points off the top 25 for South Dakota is very respectable." Delilah's voice had a note of approval and acceptance.

Ehren smiled slightly and nodded, "Something to look forward to topping then someday. Here is fine, I'll have more chances to decorate the room that I will use on my trips when I return in the future."

Ehren walked to the window of the ranch house and looked at the lightning flickering in the clouds of an autumn thunderstorm as it passed over the Black Hills. Her steel-blue eyes softened and grew misty as she realized that she had found something that she could believe in.

Something to protect and defend.

Something worthy of her steel, her honor, and her faithfulness.

Family.

"Ja, something to look forward to someday."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Dove and Her Poignard (Finale)

October 12th, 2013

Sákpe Mázasu Pteyúha (Six Bullet Ranch)

Black Hills, Southwestern South Dakota, USA


Gradually after dinner the conversation around the fire in the family room dwindled.

Claire was the first Muramasa to succumb to the siren call of her Western-style bed.

The combination of anticipation of tomorrow's birthday party for her, pronghorn antelope tenderloin steaks flame grilled to perfection with Zamarad's home-made BBQ sauce, and four shots of Elijah Craig 23 year old Single Barrel malt bourbon sent the piano into a yawning food coma.
Spoiler: Claire's PJs

Ehren smiled fondly to herself as Claire rallied herself enough to come back to the family room barefoot in her Beethoven-themed pajamas to kiss Mother good night and hug her aunts and sister before heading in the general direction of bed-ward.

She is so Viennese sometimes. No head for serious proper German drinking, and perhaps too much in love with the good life, but I wouldn't change her for the world and all in it. That sensitivity of spirit, that passion, that joy of life... and deep down she shares the same steel that I do.

Delilah was next to go, announcing that she needed a long hot shower to wash the trail dust off her. She shook Colombe's hand, ruffled Ehren's hair affectionately, and then gave Zamarad a passionate kiss that turned the dagger scarlet. Colombe just smirked fondly at the scene. As Delilah departed and the shower began to sound from that direction, Ehren leaned back and accepted another round of post dinner drinks.

I know her now, a little. She hides herself so well, and doesn't trust easily. Yet underneath the shell of control and competence, she has as many hidden depths as Claire does under her shyness. I'm proud to be her niece and honored that she trusts me. I'll live up to that trust for her...and for myself. I cannot do other.

Zamarad looked at the other two Muramasas in the room with her and then her eyes sparkled and winked like twin candles full of mischief and passion. She walked to the fireplace and bowed to mother and daughter with her hand over her heart as she softly spoke. "Ma'a as-salaama, Colombe, Ehren." Ehren responded with her own auf Widersehn as the Ifrit tossed back the last of the alcohol flame in her shotglass and vanished into the flames, the flames flaring up and then subsiding into coals.

Judging from the sudden hiss of steam from the direction Delilah had gone, and expression of surprise drifting off into throaty giggles before a door slammed shut to muffle the sounds, she would not see either aunt for quite a while, Ehren concluded as her face turned as red as a rose. Zamarad... She's so strange. But open in surprising ways, like Aunt Del is. She sees me as kin and forgave me for... what happened before.... They are both wise and I'm learning much from them, things that I know and can test for myself that are true. I'm happy to know her.
Spoiler: A Dove And Her Poignard

Ehren looked over to see Mother contemplating the dying coals and the nearly-empty bottle. Colombe, as if alerted to her stare by a sixth sense, picked the bottle up and gave Ehren a questioning look.

Ehren shook her head and Colombe gave the ghost of a smug smile as she topped off her tumbler with the last of the bourbon. She then set the glass down on the table untouched and looked Ehren in her eyes, squaring her shoulders and firming her jaw. Ehren knew that posture of resolute determination in the face of adversity well.

She saw it all too often in her mirror the mornings after her nightmares about the SS.

About her past.

About Father.

Colombe's crystal blue eyes were full of a complex mix of emotions. Pride, grief, joy, sorrow, guilt, shame... and perhaps even love.

"Ehren."

Colombe's voice was firm and unyielding, as strong as her Muramasa steel.

"I... thought that you should know. No, scratch that, you deserve to know. The first day. After I," Guilt surged through Colombe's crystal blue eyes and she visibly steeled herself, "attacked and nearly killed you, Claire demanded for you to be adopted as her little sister. I agreed, of course, but you should know the truth. That was a mistake."

Ehren's lips parted in shock and Grendel inside her surged forth from her weakening grip. She felt her hunting clothes change to her SS uniform and for a dizzying second embraced the monster within her. Steel blue eyes teared up, but Colombe pressed on despite the pain in her voice.

"It was a mistake because I should have been the one to declare to the world that you were, are, and forever shall be my daughter." Colombe's voice broke and her own tears flowed as she surveyed her younger child, rising to her feet.

"You are loyal, honorable, dutiful, protective, faithful, and valiant. As much as it tears my heart asunder to see you like this, as much as it hurts, I cannot deny that you are a du Chasteler. Ehren du Chasteler. My daughter. I just wish that Papa could have been here to see you, to guide me so that I would not make the mistakes that I have made." Colombe drew herself and saluted Ehren as the dagger sat in numb shock hearing the words that she had feared that she would never hear.

"Thank God that Claire saw what I was too blinded with hatred and rage to see. That you share my Muramasa steel, and that..." Colombe finished as she sheathed herself and then threw back the alcohol in a toast, "is enough. Good night Ehren."

She walked over, hugged the still-frozen Ehren, and then kissed her forehead in benediction. "Don't stay up too late, daughter of mine. Claire would be disappointed not to have her little sister awake for her birthday party."

--------------------------------
Spoiler: Ehren's Theme

The fire's coals were faintly glowing embers as Ehren leaned against the porch rail and looked at the lightning shot darkness of the sky as the storm began to pass her. One hand caressed the hilt of her SS-Ehrendolch as she rested black-uniformed elbows against the polished wood and listened to the rolls of thunder.

She could hear the echoes of avian cries of joy among them.

Somewhere out there in this hidden land, buffalo roamed - the last remnants of the great herds of the past.

Perhaps she could help renew them, help make amends for the crimes of the past.

Her thumb touched the Adler und Hakenkreuz on her hilt and fresh tears trickled down her cheeks.

Mother was not the only one to have made mistakes.

Mother was not the only one to regret the past.

All of her family did in their own ways.

But they kept moving on.

Kept fighting in their own ways for their ideals and beliefs.

Muramasas could do nothing less.

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

Author's Note: Thank you all for enjoying the introduction arc for Ehren du Chasteler(-Muramasa), the literal Butter Dagger. I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did writing about the poor girl finding out that her origin casts a very dark shadow on her soul indeed, and then learning that some things, and some families, are nonetheless worthy of the full-hearted devotion that she was crafted to embody. And perhaps her aunts, sister, and mother actually learned something in the process too.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Flittering to and fro, Sakura cleaned hers and Ume's little home on the island. Meanwhile, her sister prepared some tea on their small table. It was only as Sakura cleaned the window that she smiled brightly, "Ah! He's here!"

Both of them got up and stood waiting, a few moments later getting a knock at the door which they answered as one, "Come in!" The door opened to reveal the aged form of their little brother, whom they bowed at, "Welcome back, Aki-Kun."

Softly smiling, the old Onmyouji bowed back, "Thank you, Onee-Samas. As always, it is good to see you again." Removing his shoes, he looked around and shook his head, "You just cleaned, didn't you?"

Unable to help herself, Sakura gave a giggle, "Hai, I was just finishing up when I noticed you arriving, Otouto."

Amused, Akiyama only chuckled, "You didn't have to, though I appreciate the effort, Onee-Samas." Something reflecting light caught his eye and he leaned towards it, "And what is this now?"

Much to his amusement, the two Hitobashira flushed a bit as he leaned towards what looked like a block of rock crystal. Inside, made out of what looked like white stone, was two small statuettes of his older sisters, their hair being black as night. Around them, in the rock crystal, pink and purple chips seemingly floated like the blossoms of their namesakes. Walking over, Ume's expression softened as she looked into the block of crystal, "That was the gift that Harry-Chan gifted to us over the holidays when he visited."

While a part of him was surprised at the fact that the thirteen year old visited them, the rest of Akiyama was not so surprised. In fact, he partially expected it to happen though he did not realize that the teenaged boy would bring a gift. And one that, he decided upon glancing at it, was a very good one, "Oh? And where did he get such a gift?"

The blushes on the two ghostly teens deepened a bit and Sakura played some with her Kimono, "Ah, um... Harry-Chan made it for us, with his own magic."

Now that bit of information the older wizard did not expect, "Truly?" When they nodded, he hummed some as he stroked his beard, "Amazing, he truly does care for you."

Only nodding, Sakura hummed as her mind drifted back...

*******************************************************

Sitting at the low table, Harry smiled at the Twins who were happily enjoying not just the gingerbread cookies, but also the Christmas cake that Hermione had made in her own hull. Both of them were smiling as they took sips of eggnog between bites of food, extremely happy. Leaning forward, Harry's own smile grew a touch, "So you're enjoying the meal?"

Just swallowing some fruitcake, Ume nodded, "Hai, we are." Looking around at the group that was seated at the table, her smile turned a bit watery, but also happy tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. Wiping them away, she nodded, "We're really enjoying this, Harry-Chan, Verniy-Sama, Inazuma-Sama, Ikazuchi-Sama, Akatsuki-Sama, Tenryuu-Sama. Thank you."

Tenryuu just waved it off with a chuckle, "You don't need to thank us, you two. Firstly, you're friends, so it's not trouble to brighten your day. And secondly, this time of year is one to spend time with friends and family."

Lightly blushing, Sakura placed her hand to her chest and looked down, "Hai."

Brightly smiling, the lone wizard of the group reached into the backpack behind him. Pulling out a box, he held out to them, "Here you go, a Christmas present!"

Eyes wide, the Twins stared at him for a few moments before taking the box. Unwrapping it, the two opened it and boggled as they brought out a block of rock crystal. Inside, were two statuettes of them, surrounded by pink and purple chips. Gasping, they placed one hand onto their mouths before looking at Harry, "O-oh, Harry-Chan..."

Hands behind his head, Harry gave a shrug, "Had to do a bit of work to get the features right. First, using magic to grow the size to work them properly before shrinking them back down. The sakura and ume blossoms are rose quartz and amethyst with the statuettes being milky quartz and the hair jet."

The two spirits stared at the gift, the light glinting off not just the crystal block but also what was inside. Gently, they set it down before getting up and walking over to Harry. Each one took a different side with a nodding Verniy moving aside to make room before they hugged him tightly, "Thank you, Harry-Chan."

Sakura and Ume then kissed him on each cheek which made him blush a bit, but he still smiled a bit as he returned the hug, "You are both very welcome, and I'm glad that you enjoy it."

Rather than go back to where they had been, the two Hitobashira stayed where they were and simply motioned with their hands. Their plates slid across the table while their gift floated over, coming to rest where they could see it. And then, cuddled into Harry's side, the two continued their meal as the bemused teen looked on.

******************************************

Chuckling, Akiyama shook his head with an amused expression on his face, "I see, well it is good that he treats you both so well." His expression then softened slightly, "And I am glad that you have met such a person."

Only nodding, Sakura sighed some with a smile, "Hai, as do the two of us."

With a hum, the old wizard made his way over to the table and sat down onto a cushion with a sigh, "It is still good to know that the two of you are happy..." A smirk appeared on his face as he hummed, "Though I suppose that you might not be so happy that he is gone for a few months now." Much to his great amusement, his light teasing got the two to flush deeply and be unable to look directly at him, 'Ah, I really am thankful to Potter-San for giving me this chance.'

Still with a light blush, Ume looked at him and then cleared her throat, "But... you do approve?"

For several moments, Akiyama smiled before he nodded, "Very much so, Onee-Sama. Enough that if I could, I would arrange things for you even now. Through our interactions, I am certain that Potter-San could be entrusted with you."

Just nodding, the Twins smiled back and began to lay out the tea and treats. As they did so, Sakura spoke up, "Speaking of Harry-Chan, I am sure that you noticed the small shack not too far away?"

Humming as he watched Ume make the tea, Akiyama nodded, "I have. It is rather new and I was going to ask you what it is for?" Lips curling, the two sisters shared a look before giggling happily. A sound that made their younger brother very happy to be able to hear it again after so many decades, "Well?"

A soft smile on her face, Ume shook her head, "Ah! Well, inside there is a Vanishing Cabinet. Apparently, Harry-San has been buying some and bought a pair with one end in Yokosuka and the other here. So that he is able to visit without needing more than an hour's journey here. And, he can do so whenever he wishes."

Their brother perked up some at that, "I see, well that is very good news indeed, Onee-Samas. And I am sure that you are very happy as well."

Getting nods, they settled down and began to chat.

Eventually, the conversation turned to family and the Twins frowned at one bit told to them, "So Haha-ue is now confined to one of the country estates?"

Grimacing, Akiyama nodded, "Hai, rather than go to the garden, she instead chose that." Lips pressed together, he smiled thinly, "She does not see what she did as being wrong, though she is now regretting the choice that she made." Looking at the window, he hummed, "She is kept in the estate with no contact with the outside world. No wireless, no newspapers, nothing. My Shikigami take care of her every need, but do not speak to her. And a few of my children have gone there to deliver food or other needed supplies, but refuse to acknowledge her existence. But this is the choice that she has made and my Shikigami will make sure that she will not be able to try and backtrack." Akiyama's eyes narrowed, "No matter how much she wishes otherwise."

Ume and Sakura shared a look and slowly shook their heads. They did not expect for their mother to do any different, though they didn't actually feel much if anything. No sympathy, but also no anger. As children, they never really received love or care from their mother, especially when it turned out that they were squibs. She was... just simply there, agreeing with their father. And when their little brother was born, by the time he was five he had seen them as being more his mother figures than his actual birth mother. So to hear that said woman was now suffering from a choice that she made...

It was not surprising that all they could do was shake their heads and shrug.

Deciding that it was not worth it to give the issue any more attention than it needed, Ume took one of the cookies and hummed, "How are your children doing, Aki-Kun? Anything come up there?"

Just blinking as he snapped out of his thoughts, he considered the question for a few moments. Smiling a bit, and dismissing the previous matter entirely, Akiyama shook his head, "They are all doing as well as can be expected. And most actually do wish to meet you, though..."

Eyebrow raised as she bit into a rice cracker, Sakura frowned, "But?"

Shaking his head, Akiyama frowned, "I cannot help but think that there is something going on with Miu-Chan, one of my daughters with Sora-Chan. Well... perhaps not with her, but with her friend, Aranami Akimi-San."

Now frowning herself, Ume cupped her chin in thought, "Aranami... You mean as in Captain Aranami Kaito? Who commanded the Yamatai? That Aranami?"

While he was a bit surprised at his sisters knowing that name, he nodded, "Hai, one in the same. She is the last from that family, though I suspect that some may have been shoved into the reserves after the war, I am unable to confirm. That stated, from what I have heard her current circumstances are... troubled, at least financially." Leaning forward, Akiyama frowned deeply, "She was fired from the Magical Diet, not in the least due to her being a Hanyou. But, from what I heard, she was not accepted in Kyoto either."

Concerned, his sisters leaned forward and spoke as one, "You suspect something?"

His eyes narrowing, Akiyama nodded, "Hai. I did some sniffing around and someone, who I suspect to be her estranged Otou-San, stated that she is an apologist for war crimes performed by her Ojii-San. Having known the young lady for decades, I cannot see her being such. Meanwhile, having known her Otou-San? He is exactly the..." Pausing, he flushed a bit, "To be a bit crude and American, he is exactly the spiteful sort of dick to torpedo his daughter's chances. She has never forgiven him for driving her Kaa-San to suicide, and he has never forgiven her for having thrown that into his face when he was at a dinner attempting to woo his bosses' daughter."

The two sisters sneered a bit in disgust before they shook it off. Considering it, Ume frowned some, "We see... so she is in trouble financially then?"

Only nodding, Akiyama frowned as he hummed, "Hai, I do keep an eye on rumours and know that she is in dire straits there. Something that I am sure her Otou-San takes no small amount of pleasure in. Most likely, he is aiming to buy her home simply so that she would know who would own it. I would like to say that he would not tear it down, but... I also cannot put it past him." Scowling, he shook his head, "I would rather he not be in government, but... we are still setting things up and he has a few allies. Though I am already making a few moves to see him eventually leave."

Biting down on a rice cracker, Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, "Is there anything that you can do for Aranami-San in the meantime?"

However, their brother shook his head, "No, not at this time as much as I wish otherwise. Kyoto wishes to separate itself from both the Magical Diet as well as anything lingering from the Kamo Government. The rumour of her being a war apologist is bad enough that it will take time for me to work things out. I am going to do so as she is best friends with my daughter, but it will take time for me to sort out." Taking a cookie, he considered things before nodding, "That said, Miu-Chan has approached me with permission to move into Aranami-San's home. Permission that I granted much to her joy as her friend does need her."

Smiling, the twins patted his hand, "You are a good man, Otouto, and we're very proud of you."

Lightly blushing, Akiyama only bowed his head some though he had a smile on his face, "Thank you, Onee-Samas."

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

eagle109 said:
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Script, but you have a car that can fly through what looks like both Muggle and Magical means, so one can imagine the near apoplectic reactions from the hide-bound SoS hardliners.​

This makes me think of a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang snippet that I have lying around on my laptop. It's... kinda sad.

To other things!
All Around the Mulberry Bush

"Ah… What are you doing, Tachibana?"

Haruka gave Nemo a cockeyed grin, shoving a cardboard box to one side. "Nothing really important," she said, opening the next. "I'm just looking through some of my dad's old stuff. He used to travel a lot before… well, Blood Week and everything."

The Abyssal cruiser went quiet, and Haruka paused, giving her a reassuring smile. Nemo wasn't alive for Blood Week, but she tended to get apologetic whenever it came up.

"So then," she continued, moving on to the next subject as quickly as possible, "what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Well," Nemo said, jumping on the offer the moment it came, "Takumi's birthday is next month, so I wanted to do something nice for him—and he talks to you sometimes, so I thought you might…"

"Next month, huh?" Haruka noted contemplatively, digging a book out of the box. She turned it over in her hands, before examining the title. Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre, huh? "Here," she added, gently tossing the book to Nemo, "You might like this one, it's old."

"Yes, it's… uh, thank you," Nemo caught the book and glanced over it, "it's the fourteenth, actually—Tachibana, is something wrong?"

From her position huddled over cackling on the floor, Haruka attempted to motion that everything was alright.
-----

Hiei sat pouting on the middle of the couch. Jane sat next to her, not pouting, but replicating the position for the fun of it. Bouncing the twins on her lap, Mutsu glanced between the two and sighed.

"It's your own fault, you know," she said finally. "I mean, it's good that you were there to pull her out of that situation, but you went completely off the grid and missed your patrol."

"Hieiiii…" the fast battleship whined.

"And besides, this will probably be good for Franky—Oboro is a good kid, about the same age—" Hiei shot her a look, "—physically, and… look." Jane unfolded herself and walked over to Mutsu, holding her arms out. Her stepmother smiled at her and offloaded one of her younger sisters. "I understand if you feel… responsible for what happened to her. It makes me sick to my stomach, wondering if we could somehow prevent whatever happened to her. But Franky isn't your responsibility—she's not your kid sister or something—"

Hiei perked up.

"Hiei. Whatever it is you're thinking, stop thinking it."

Hiei went back to pouting.
-----

Morrigan groaned, tapping a finger to her forehead.

She hadn't even left Japan when the Linnet girl got complicated. Shipgirls involved almost immediately—it looked like she'd underestimated her closeness to them. But she'd only just arrived in Japan less than a month earlier! How could she be that close to anyone?

The girl's devotion to talking, resolving her problems non-violently had also come as a surprise, if a less unpleasant one. It had been so long since a Select had tried to do that, Morrigan had almost forgotten that it was possible. She'd merely put a closer eye to the situation, quietly wondering how long it would be before the girl was forced to kill in self-defense.

Even if necessary, the loss of innocence was always a tragedy after all.

And then that battleship went and jumped in, right as the manic-eyed killer brought the knife down, and snapped the bone dagger with her forehead. Morrigan appreciated not having to replace another bloodline in the same area so soon, and she was as much a sucker for a good entrance as the next death goddess, but that wasn't how the system was supposed to work! Shipgirls were there to deal with Abyssals, not babysit humans who needed to stand on their own!

And then they set up a guard system?!? It was enough to drive her to drink!

"Another boilermaker," she said aloud, motioning to the barkeeper. The man gave her a concerned look.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You've been drinking those for a while now—aren't you getting tired of them?"

"No," she replied.

The bell at the door dinged, and a woman's voice said "oh, you" in that same old tone. Morrigan looked up, saw Isis and Hathor, and allowed her head to sink with another groan.
-----

Two destroyers charged down the halls, one screaming obscenities as the other ran before her waving a pair of pantyhose like a banner and cackling like a supervillain from an American cartoon.

Someone shushed them as they passed by, and they slowed to catch a glimpse. Yae glared at the two, and pointed down at the sling on her chest. More specifically, at baby Yuki who had finally been lulled to sleep by the sound of her heartbeat not three minutes earlier.

The two destroyers nodded solemnly. Then they were off again, swearing and giggling at a loud whisper. Yae nodded in satisfaction and returned her attention to the mopping.
-----

Well what do you think, sirs?

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer/Harry Leferts Omake: Juuchi meets her Nieces

Cybershadowninja2 said:
...How many times did it take for them to listen to the blood splattered notes written in the lead researchers' own handwriting saying that they should stop?​

What lead researcher?

wildredlifer said:
Well the Universe survives the Stupid and others like the guinea pig/Werewolf who sired the ability to shift forms into the Inugami of Japan when he arrived.​

Well, in the werewolf's case, it was more that when he arrived, the Inugami families took a close look at his abilities. The fact that a werewolf has a kind of wolf spirit bound to them interested them greatly. It helped them get past that last hurtle and become full fledged Yokai by merging their human selves with their dog spirits.

Said werewolf may or may not be enshrined by the Inugami as a Kami who granted them the key to becoming what they are. Ayaka is actually his direct descendant.

Yellowhammer said:
Thoughts on Aunt Juuchi:

Colombe: "Why couldn't you have saved a few French Malfoys for me!?? NOT MY FAULT that Rotterdam ran long in 1944 and I couldn't participate on the strike on their fortress. Oh and why didn't I see you when I was involved with Ian and Lyra? Oh, Stalingrad, hmm? Hope you packed a warm scabbard then."​

Juuchi: It was warm enough, reminded me of the Little Ice Age. That said, I was kept warm enough due to blood.

Yellowhammer said:
Jacklyn: "Oi, auntie! Tsu-chan says that you are her sempai in the sheets too, so I betcha I can wear out more whores than you can! C'mon, put up or shut up!"​

Juuchi: As interesting as that may be, I am not too interested in such things at the moment.

Yellowhammer said:
Delilah: "So, in the mood to share some Aunt-Niece bonding with a few names on my list of unfinished business from 1945? I think I have a few leads on some war criminals..."​

Juuchi: Perhaps once I am sure that my current Master is safe. He often gets into trouble, you see.

Yellowhammer said:
Claire: "Who is your favorite composer, Aunt Juuchi?"​

Juuchi: Depends on the instrument and time period as well as area of the world.

Yellowhammer said:
Ehren: **looks at Juuchi** "Hm." **looks at her other aunts squabbling.** "Only sane one then? Sucks to be you, I guess, Aunt Juuchi."​

Juuchi: *Smugly thinking: Yes, being best aunt is easy enough with the competition.*

 

[darthcourt10]

Year Three - Prisoner of Shipping Part 3a

START

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Cold wind buffeting him, the wizard stood on the Biplane's wing with one hand on strut as he looked around with narrowed eyes. Far below, he could hear the fire of guns and cannon as the non-magical militaries of the Entente and the Triple Alliance fought over what was originally green, European countryside. But it was no longer green, but churned mud, wet by both rain and blood.

However, that was not what the wizard was keeping an eye out for.

In the cockpit, the Squib piloting the plane looked over at his friend and frowned some, "Are you sure about this, Ian? I mean, was it actually heading in this direction, or... maybe it is already dead?"

Frowning, the Englishman shook his head as he shouted to be heard over the wind, "No, Robert my friend, that monstrosity is not dead, not yet." A grimace crossed his face as he gripped the hilt of his sword all the tighter, "No, it is around here."

Behind his flight goggles, Robert raised an eyebrow, "You're sure about that?"

Softly snorting, Ian glanced at his friend as he frowned, "No, it is alive. You can't tame a dragon, that bunch over on the Eastern Front proved that much. But you can put an image in it's head and point it in a direction. And that is exactly what the Austrians are doing here."

Only scowling, the pilot looked around himself, "And wherever it is, the dragon is heading right for British lines." Suddenly, he frowned, "What sort of dragon is it anyways?"

For several moments, Ian was quiet. Finally, he gave a shrug, "Honestly? I do not have a bloody clue as to what sort of dragon it is. Intelligence says that it is some sort of hybrid of Horntail and Iron Belly."

The only sound that met him was that of the wind as the other man boggled at him for almost a minute. Mouth working, he finally managed a reply, "A WHAT?!"

Somewhat amused, Ian chuckled, "A hybrid between a Horntail and an Iron Belly. With the size of the second and all the attitude of the first."

Just facepalming, Robert groaned, "Oh, is that all? Now that is just bloody great, that is! Who the bloody fucking hell thought up that idea?!"

If anything, that only made his friend chuckle and grin. "You'd have to ask them." About to say more, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye and narrowed his gaze towards the smoke and clouds below. Suddenly, one of the clouds was torn apart by the massive draconic form below. Massive horns grew from it's head and spikes along it's spine as two powerful wings beat against the air. Against the ground, the nearly black scales made it hard to see, "Well... there's our wee beasty."

Leaning out of cockpit, Robert stared for a moment before sharing a look with his companion, "Aye, nice sized one." Moving the Biplane a bit to better trail it, he frowned, "What's the plan?"

With a hum as he rubbed his chin, Ian considered things, "Hmm, plan?" Getting a nod, the Potter told him as the pilot grew more and more disbelieving. At the end, he smirked a bit, "Well, Lyra wanted new dragon hide boots, you know."

Robert only sighed at that and shook his head while rolling his eyes, "Potters."

That got him a laugh from the wizard before Ian's expression became serious, "I need you to build up enough speed and get ahead of him. I don't think that he is going to change directions anytime soon."

Doing a double take, Robert stared at him, "You cannot be serious!"

A smirk on his face, the Potter grinned, "No, that's my wife's brother."

Explosively sighing, all Robert did was throw up his hand, "You are bloody insane! If you somehow manage to survive this, I'll buy your beers for the next two weeks!"

Pulling out a vial, Ian popped the top while nodding, "I'll hold you to that!"

Head tilting to the side as he opened the throttle some more, Robert gave him a glance, "I will. And what was that you just drank now?"

Ian glanced at him and kept one eye on the dragon as they overtook it, "Reinforcement potion. Doesn't do much more than make a wizard much more durable, which I'm going to need." Eyes narrowing, he scooted along the wing, "A lot."

Only nodding, his friend kept his own eye on their target before giving him a thumbs up, "Good luck, Ian!" Nodding, Ian flashed him a grin before letting go and dropping, one hand already unsheathing Tsukiakari. As his friend dropped out of sight, Robert shook his head, "Those Potters, fucking nutcases each of them."

Rapidly falling, Ian narrowed his eyes some, 'One chance...' Using some conjuration charms, he created hunks of ice that he pushed off of to keep his trajectory before raising his sword and bringing it down as he reached the dragon, "HA!"

The first sign that the dragon had that things were not going to be easy was Tsukiakari's blade punching through it's hide and deep into it's body. A dragon could ignore many, many things. Spellfire, stones thrown at it, even bullets to some extent.

But a sword stabbing deep into them was not among that very long list.

Almost immediately, the dragon roared in rage and pain before jerking hard to the side. It was only the tight grip on Tsukiakari's hilt that kept Ian from being thrown off as his body was whipped this way and that via the dragon's movements. High above, Robert blinked some with a surprised expression on his face, "Huh, the blighter did it."

Gritting his teeth, Ian could feel his body straining not to be thrown off or his ligaments from ripping from the strain that they were under. The only two things that kept him from falling off was the fact that if he did, he was a deadman. And the second was that if he did not, the dragon would continue on and kill who knows how many British soldiers in their trenches. In his mind's eye, he could see the dragon flying over the trenches and letting loose it's fiery breath, incinerating men.

That... was not something that he could allow.

Suddenly, above became below and the ground was above Ian's head as the dragon went into a barrel roll to try and knock him loose. With a whispered spell, the Potter hit a section of scales, blowing them apart. Another spell, shouted over the roar of the dragon, created a metal hook that he brought down into the wound, hooking it around the dragon's massive rib.

If he had not pissed off the dragon before, he certainly had right at that moment as it's body shook with how loud it roared. And then it drove and Ian could see the ground approaching. More than that, he saw the dragon open it's mouth and suck in air, "Oh... bloody well fuck me."

He barely had time to bury his face against the dragon's scales and try to flatten himself as much against it as possible as the dragon let loose with a burst of fire which it dove into. Ian could feel his skin reddening and blistering from the heat that washed over him. The only good thing is that his trench coat, specially enchanted, kept the worst of the damage from the rest of his body. But already, he was not looking forward to staying in the hospital tent from this.

Not least of reasons being that the nurses were immune to his charms.

Snarling as he lifted his head, Ian glared at the dragon before conjuring a rope that he attached to the hook embedded in the dragon. Wrapping it around his wrist, he slowly pushed against the dragon as he got to his feet, the great beast below him still attempting to throw him off. Creating another hook, he blasted another chunk of scale and buried it into said place. Another rope attached itself and he stood there with a grin as he grabbed Tsukiakari, "HA! Always liked those cowboys that the Yanks keep writing about-WHOA!"

The dragon, having had enough of the insect on it's back, thrust it's wings forward and flew upwards. Unable to keep a grip on the slick scales, Ian lost his footing and the only thing keeping him from falling was the hooks embedded in the dragon's ribs. Twisting, the dragon began a loop, with Ian now grinning. Ripping one of the hooks free, he banished it forward, with it digging in right into the clavicle. As the dragon was now diving, Ian used gravity to help himself pull himself forward. Planting one boot on the shoulder, the Potter stared into the furious, hate filled golden orbs for a moment. Slowly, he gave nod, "Sorry about this, but I can't let you kill those Muggles."

Unsheathing Tsukiakari, he plunged her into the back of the dragon's skull before channelling a blasting curse. Under him, the dragon jerked and the light in it's eyes went out before the wings stilled.

Already aching as the reinforcement potion slowly faded, Ian took a deep breath before waving as Robert flew close in a dive. With a nod, Ian pulled Tsukiakari out, blood dripping from her, before flicking it off. Sheathing her, he once more created rope that wrapped around one of the struts for the wings before letting go of the falling dragon. Watching as it fell through the clouds, he hummed as he magically shortened the rope, "Hopefully, they let me claim it..."

******************************************************

In the present day, Harry was staring at Tsukiakari in some disbelief as the sword took a drink of pumpkin juice, "Did... did my great-great grandfather really do that?"

Chuckling, the Kyu Gunto nodded, "Hai, Master Ian did do that, Master." Then Tsukiakari grimaced a bit, "Though, granted, the damage done even with the potion meant that he was bedridden for about four months after. But the dragon was dead and, well..." Scratching her cheek, she made a motion with one hand, "Master Ian did have some of the hide turned into boots for Mistress Lyra... and a jacket... and a purse... and some other things."

Still having trouble believing that, Harry could only shake his head. However, he was also smiling as he imagined it in his head, "And my great-great grandmother, Lyra, was not impressed was she?"

Only taking another sip of juice, Tsukiakari placed the empty goblet to the side and giggled, "No, she was not." A musical, almost bell like laugh escaped her, "Far from it, hence all the things he had made for her."

That got Harry laughing as well. After a few minutes of mirth, he reached up and wiped away a tear from his eye, "Thanks, Tsukiakari. I appreciate you telling me stories of my family."

Expression softening, she reached over and placed her hand on his knee, "And I do not mind at all, Master. Whenever you wish to hear more stories, you need only ask. Though..." Smirking, she continued, "Some will have to wait until you're older to hear~"

It took only moments before Harry realized what she meant and flushed, "Those... are ones that I don't think that I want to hear."

Unable to help herself, Tsukiakari let out a loud laugh at that as Harry grinned sheepishly.

Once she was done, the sword gave him a smile before glancing at the clock. Standing, she bowed to him some, "I am sorry, Master, but I must be off. There is business that I must attend to."

All Harry did though was shake his head and wave her off, "It's okay, Tsukiakari. You can go ahead, and thank you again for telling me that story."

Softly smiling, Tsukiakari bowed some, "You are very welcome, Master. And once more, it was my pleasure."

With a final goodbye, she left him before making her way through the school to one of the tunnels to Hogsmeade. From there, it was just a short trip to the outskirts of the village where she raised her arm and the Knight Bus appeared with a bang. Seeing the young woman waiting, Stan gave his best grin, "Well, 'ello there."

Tsukiakari merely gave him a smile before giving him some change, "Here you go, fare for Godric's Hollow." Without giving him a chance to say anything, she brushed past him before sitting down. Looking out the window, she smiled some, 'It's time for the others to gather...'

 

[darthcourt10]

baofengyu

This one has been rattling around in my skull for sometime...
*-*-*-*

It was the end of the world.

Jin Yong gasped as he held his racing heart, the sirens blaring loudly in the distance. Muffled explosions rattled the windows as the eerie orange light danced through the curtains. He shuffled out of his bed, reaching beneath his mattress to expose a Jian, the blade singing as it left the scabbard. He took a deep breath as he ran two fingers along the blade.

The ice was hard. Thick. High atop an ancient caldera between the border of the heavens and the middle kingdom was a prison. The sole occupant of the Caldera slept for millennia. Cursed. Hated. Reviled.

He turned to the TV as it too sounded the alarm. He stared. Monsters. From the sea. There were shadows. Humanoid things that looked so very wrong. A flash illuminated one, only for the shadow to appear as a ship. Guns fired, leaving devastation and terror in their wake. PLAN was fighting, trading their lives for time so that the surviving civilians could escape. The fighters of PLAAF, many of them relics of a bygone era, fought aerial duels with demonic things.

The ice cracked. A little at first, but the fractures spider-webbed out from the center. From the Middle Kingdom, power was unleashed. Primal. Uncontrolled. The sensations of fear and terror intermingled and was like a cool draught to a parched traveler. Eyes that slept opened. The cracks widened.

He calmed himself, his sword at the ready as he began to chant a spell. Already he could feel the waves of power that clashed in conflict. Those of the Hidden World fought, bringing their power to bear to keep the monsters from advancing further. His eyes caught a map that flashed on the screen that showed the city of Nanjing, believed to be a major epicenter of the monsters that had struck. Whispers on the wind spoke that even those in the West fought as well, their precious tapestry that was the Statue of Secrecy coming undone thread by thread.

Shattered with a massive blast, the ice exploded, and the being rose into the air, laughing. To the East, eyes turned. Golden eyes narrowed as they raced across the landscape and surveyed the war offshore. A cruel smile played across flawless features as the eyes flicked across city by city. Each burning. Until the eyes locked upon a form not seen in ages. A gale of wind picked up and provided flight to the distant target.

His breath caught. To the West, an echo of a distant memory. He raised the blade as he turned to the window. All became still. Frozen in an eternal instant. A puff of breath by his ear. His eyes widened followed by the sharp pain in his chest. A crimson hand held his heart.

The blood was warm, but old. The weapon that saw countless wars and battles. That served countless heroes clattered useless to the ground under a dispassionate gaze. The body collapsed as golden eyes watched, the bloody mouth moving silently.

"Xu Zhonglin," The voice harsh from disuse. "It has been too long."

Jin Yong weakly fumbled for his blade, but knew it was futile. The ancient chains broken and his adversary freed. The beauty that brought down an empire, fulfilling a heavenly mandate but in doing so became the thing they all feared. And now SHE was freed to roam the Middle Kingdom again. With a dying breath he spoke.

"Da Ji…"

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Flopping back onto the couch, Juuchi ignored the look she got from Carnwennan. After several moments of staring at the ceiling, she sighed, "What are we doing here? What is our purpose?"

With a glance at her, the dagger turned back to the book he was reading, "Somehow, I do not think that you mean that philosophically."

Now blinking, Juuchi looked at him, "What?"

A smirk on his face, Carnwennan waved around them, "Oh, you know... What is our purpose for existing? What meaning is there to our lives? Why do we exist?"

Staring at him for a few moments, the other blade spirit frowned. Then she flopped back onto the couch, "I will leave those up to Chisuheri. That is what she is into for some odd reason."

In the kitchen, Kansha worked at making some meals as Sheff did much the same, the two sets of kitchen knives glancing at one another and nodding. There was no real competition or hot emotions between the two. Just two cooks respecting the other as they did their work. With a hum, Kansha glanced up at his sister, "So what are we doing exactly?"

Only giving a smile and a nod to Saki who passed him some fruit that she had used one of his blades to peel, and beginning to chop it up, Sheff hummed, "I am wondering much the same as well."

Frowning, Saki glanced at Juuchi before tilting her head, "I... think that Tsukiakari stated that we are here to meet some of the others?" At the look from Sheff, she blushed some, "Or that was what I was thinking."

Lips curling, the Sheffield knife set nodded, "I will admit, that does sound rather nice. Meeting some of the others, that is. Best to do it now rather than when it becomes really important, as this gives us the chance to get to know them all."

All Kansha did was shrug at that while grunting. For her part though, Juuchi grimaced some, "No, trust me, you are going to think otherwise soon enough. Especially once you meet Goldie."

Despite the questioning looks she got, Juuchi said no more on the matter. The two cooks merely glanced at one another and went back to cooking. Several minutes later though, there was a knock on the door and it opened to reveal Tsukiakari with a wooden box under one arm. Lightly flushed from the cold, she bowed some, "I am sorry about taking so long."

However, Juuchi just waved her off, "Don't worry about it, Tsukiakari. We got plenty of time." Under her breath, she continued, "And the more time you took, the less I would be spending with Goldie."

Chuckles made her give a look at Vala who walked in beside Tsukiakari with a box of her own. At the flush from Juuchi, she simply flashed her a smile, "Now then... it is time for all of us to be reunited."

Getting nods from the other two, though Juuchi's was stubborn, both Tsukiakari and Vala opened their boxes. One by one they brought out various weapons that they recognized as belonging to the Potter Armoury. Two stood out though, one of which was a Okinawan Tekko. The other though was an odd spear that made Kansha frown, "What sort of weapon is that?"

With a glance at him, Carnwennan chuckled, "That, my friend, is Dracul, and she's a Welsh Hook." Looking at the odd, two pronged spear, he shrugged, "Well, a very modified design of one, but still."

Sparkles floated upwards from said weapon until they became a cloud. Moments later, the cloud exploded outwards into motes of light revealing what looked like a red haired, fourteen year old girl in a black and white dress... with two massive horns coming from her head and a draconic tail behind her. Twirling, she went into a pose while twirling her true form like a baton, "Hello, everyone~ Greatest spear bard of them all, Dracul is here, so have no fear~"

An old handgun was on the table for one moment and in the next in a man who was dressed as a cowboy from the old Wild West, complete with the hat. Said man had a grizzled look, but an honest smile on his face as he looked at Tsukiakari with a nod. The whole time, the handgun in his hand was in motion before he holstered it at his side, "It is good to see you again, Tsukiakari."

Tsukiakari smiled back and bowed, "And it is good to see you as well, Bill." Upon hearing a groan from Juuchi, the Kyu Gunto giggled and turned to the woman now seated on a chair as if it was a throne, "Goldie."

One eyebrow raised, the sword spirit nodded, "It is good to see you again, young one! We were wondering what happened to you when Praetor took you from the Armoury, Umu!" Goldie appeared as a young, Italian looking woman just barely out of her teens if that, with blonde hair and leaf green eyes. Eyes that nonetheless hid a keen mind behind them, one that had been around for nearly two thousand years. Though most would go to the rest of her as she wore a Ancient Roman soldier's armour, a muscle cuirass made for a female and that didn't hide much of the figure beneath it. Across her shoulders was a royal purple cape, while her legs trailed out from beneath her pterges, leather straps that hung from her waist not unlike a skirt. Finishing it was roman sandals that covered her feet, while at her side her true form was sheathed. Upon seeing Carnwennan and Juuchi, she smiled, "Ah! It is good to see you as well, my friends! Umu! I could just sing!"

His tone dry, Carnwennan gave her a hooded look, "Please don't."

Waving her hand, Goldie shrugged, "It was just a thought, Umu! Now, I could do with some fine wine, Umu! To celebrate our reunion! Umu!"

On another chair, a young woman with dusky skin and dressed in Arabic clothing waved off Tsukiakari, "None for me, thank you."

Simply nodding, the Kyu Gunto only smiled, "Of course, Sabah. I know that you don't drink alcohol of any sort."

The Arabic sword, in the Potter possession since the Crusades, merely nodded with a smile even as the light glinted off her blade of Damascus steel. At Juuchi's look, she shook her head, "The others wished for me to be their representative as they do not feel that they would be needed at the moment."

With a chuckle, a Chinese looking woman dressed much as an ancient Chinese warrior smiled and waved Sabah off, "I do not think that we shall have much issue with that, my friend." Cupping her chin, she hummed as she shifted a bit, the Dao at her side moved, "Though I do wonder why we are here, do you not as well, brother? Though I, Xing, will always be at the service of the Potters."

Beside her, a young Chinese man, but with a Jian at his side only nodded, "Indeed."

Rolling her eyes, Juuchi shook his head, "You could be more expressive, Feng."

Not saying anything, the Feng shrugged some. One taller woman with a blunderbuss and dressed in the outfit of a Jager, laughed before nodding, "Ah! I think that we were wondering much the same, Tsu!" Turning, she regarded a rather short woman with a small cannon strapped to her back, "Isn't that right, Iron?"

Just blinking, the cannon woman nodded, "Right!" After a few moments, she frowned and turned, "Um, about what?"

All that Amalie did was facepalm at that while a young man dressed in a WWI uniform hummed as he gave the cannon a smile, "I think that it is because she is wondering why we are here."

One voice spoke up at that moment, and while her voice was soft, it carried steel with it and made people sit up and listen, "Yes, it is rather odd for all of us to be brought out at once. Hence why I am wondering myself." Everyone turned to a woman wearing the clothing of a French peasant from the Hundred Years War. Despite that though, she was still radiant with blonde hair and blue eyes, "But I think that, perhaps, there is a good reason for this."

The sound of a fist meeting a flesh made them turn to a young, brown haired woman in clothes not unlike that of Juuchi's own punching her palm, "Isn't obvious, Catherine? I suspect that the Potters are in trouble, and hence we're getting called out?"

Leaning forward, Juuchi spared a smile for her old friend from Okinawa, who had come with her to England so many years ago. But then her smile fell away and was replaced with a grimace, "Yes, there is a very good reason for calling you all forth, Tsuchi." Leaning forward, she frowned, "The Potter family is in danger."

Nearly at once, the whole atmosphere changed to a charged one, with all those there gaining serious expressions. Briefly, Catherine's clothes rippled, taking on the form of armour from the same period that her clothes were from before going back to normal, "Danger, you say?"

Slowly, Juuchi nodded, "Hai, in particular, danger of dying out..."

From there, the Muramasa explained what she knew, with Tsukiakari chiming in her own bits as she was around during the war with Voldemort. At the end of it, there was a suffocating silence over the room. Finally, Goldie growled before turning to the Kyu Gunto, "This... Peter? I wish for you to find me a lion, young one, Umu!"

Pinching her nose, Catherine let out a sigh, "Can you not go to that, Crocea? Must you bring out the lions?"

At the counter, Sheff cleared his throat, "Besides which, lions are rather hard to get."

Goldie just waved him off, "Bah! We have some stone lions in the warehouse that can be animated, Umu! They will do well enough, Umu!" Then she scowled, "If not, I shall have a colosseum built! Umu! And I shall show that gutless coward what happens when one threatens our Imperators! Umu!"

Bemused, everyone shook their heads, though they shivered a bit as they noticed the lone spear narrow her eyes and smile as she stroked her blade, "That is only if you get your hands on him first, Goldie... only if you get your hands on him first." Grinning, she showed large canines as she licked her lips slowly, "I will enjoy draining him of the blood that flows through his veins."

Clearing her throat though, Tsukiakari caught their attention, "Be that as it may though, that is not why I wished for all of you." When they turned to her, she took a deep breath, "Our first worry must be for our Master, first and foremost! Which is why I thought that we could guard him, or perhaps begin to prepare for what will come."

Suddenly, Sabah spoke up as she rubbed her thumb on her hilt. For all the softness of her voice, there was a dangerous undertone, "Very well. These... Death Eaters, you say that they are called?" When the Japanese sword nodded, she continued, "I need names and probable locations. I may not be on the Mountain, but I can still prepare for our Master."

Eyes closed, the Tekko frowned some, "Do you know where the Traitor may be, Tsukiakari-Chan?" Opening one eye, she fixed Tsukiakari with it, "So that we know where to look?"

Frowning, Tsukiakari walked over to a backpack and opened it before laying out the map. Each of those leaned forward and looked at it as she pointed, "These are hiding spots that Mistress Lily and Master James readied during the last war. For the most part, they were there for them to lay low for some time before leaving the country."

Thoughtful, Carnwennan shook his head, "If we leave out myself, Tsukiakari, and Juuchi due to guarding our Master or Natsumi, then we have enough to cover them if each one of us took one."

Drinking deeply from a goblet full of wine that she got from somewhere, the Roman blade nodded, "Very good, that will do well, Umu!" Eyes narrowing slightly, she shook her head, "But he may well attempt to hide elsewhere in the country."

However, Juuchi shook her head, "No, from what I have overheard they will be revealing what his form is and it's marks. He will find no succor from anyone here in Britain. The other Death Eaters likely would kill him for the part he played in Voldemort's downfall, so he could not hide with them. No... he is likely to try and make for somewhere else in a few months."

With a nod, Tsukiakari nodded, "That is how he would operate." Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair before frowning, "Afterwards... I have gotten my hands on an owl box and a small apartment in Yokosuka off base."

Blinking, both Juuchi and Carnwennan turned to her. But it was her Senpai who spoke, "How did you manage that now?"

Eyebrow raised, the Kyu Gunto shrugged, "Mistress Lily and Master James had quite a bit of money that they stashed all over the place. I just went and retrieved it. The apartment is paid off for about three years, and there is still plenty that is left over."

While both her Senpai and "Grandfather" stared at her, the other weapons merely nodded and went back to making plans. Though eventually they did break for dinner, which all of them enjoyed as they continued to make plans...

 

[darthcourt10]

Spectral Waltz

Continuing from my earlier snip detailing the beginning of Colombe and Tokunotakai's romance, we come to the morning after that first torrid night of passion.

Without further ado:
------------------<>------------------

Dove and Shrine Maiden - A Union of Bread and Butter Part II


Wakefulness comes for Colombe silently, without fanfare or salutation. Between one moment and the next, she comes to consciousness, awareness. A familiar warmth against her side, a pressure resting on her arm, a faint smell of skin and sweat and the sound of slow breathing. The faint reverberation of a second heart, unconsciously beating in time with her own. She opens her eyelids slowly to the semi-darkness of the room, a faint sliver of light coming in muted orange through the lone high east-facing window. Just before sunrise, she notes quietly, for all that she had been some time in actually getting to sleep…

It is a thought she allows to marinate for some time before finally she tilts her head, a slow and cautious movement as she brings her eye down and looks at Tokunotakai's sleeping face.

Well… Half of it at any rate.

The Masamune blade is pressed up against her side, one arm crooked atop Colombe's chest with fingertips resting just over her collarbone. Half of her face obscured by Colombe's own shoulder but the other half peaceful beyond even her typical tranquility, at absolute ease there and then in the rapier's arms.

Slowly, carefully, Colombe brings her head back to it's original position and lets out a long exhale.

Fuck.

She didn't regret it, not for a single instant, but as everything coalesced inside her head the rapier realized that even she hadn't quite realized how deeply her own feelings had run. Hadn't really come to understand her own mind until last night, the moment of frustrated desire that had boiled over, the many many moments of pleasure that had followed it. From kisses, to touches, to more and more and more… It had been a delight, of that there was no question, but now that she lay in the aftermath of that night she found herself more aware than ever.

This wasn't just a fling, or rather she didn't want it to be a fling.

Gods help me Masamune-no-Tokunotakai, but I think I am falling in love with you.

A dozen times over she examined that thought , prodded and poked at it, questioned it from every angle, yet every time the result was the same. They were so unalike in so many ways, a world of escapades compared to a single shrine in a single city, the one who fought to the one who waited and trained, a life of chaos to a life of order, and yet through every opposition there was understanding, with every difference came closeness. Why had she kept coming back here after settling things with her father? Because Tokunotakai is a good training partner. Why had she stayed after every bout, rested, spoke, drank tea with her? Because she is almost kin to you, because she brings you peace, and you bring her happiness.

The little slit of light had widened, a square of orange that was slowly shifting to yellow, crawling slowly down the wall as Colombe's thoughts turned over and over. It was no first love, yet it was a love that frightened her, a love that could last far beyond the single lifetime's measure of those that she had found in the past… With Ian and Lyra… Has it really been so long? It feels like no time at all… The two of them had lived for centuries already and might live for centuries or even millenia more, and while Colombe always maintained an awareness of how fleeting life could be and how many ways she could die a day, a week, a month from now, the prospect of a future like this, of a thousand sunrises like this one, years, decades, centuries, they all seemed plausible, real, tangible in a way that they had never been before.

She wanted that future, that prospect of never having to watch her wither and fade as she had others, of potentially never needing to walk away from a grave... The intensity of that want alone was terrifying because it all felt like too much too fast, even after nearly a year, it felt too soon to say such things. Logic told her that something like love couldn't ascertained in so short a time but her heart refused to be swayed from the notion.

"Mmh…" The whirl of thoughts and emotions froze in place as she felt the face resting against her shoulder scrunch and distort. Sometime in the whirlwind of self reflection the sunlight had begun to bloom, spreading warmth and light across the room all the way to the futon they shared. She looked over, over at Tokunotakai sleepily blinking at her, black hair still messy, utterly naked. The sudden lessening of the weigh atop her arm sent pins and needles through it as blood flow resumed normally but the sensations were lost as Tokunotakai's lips parted. "Colombe-chan?" She smiled… "Ohaiyo Gozaimasu~."

...Oh fuck me I'm definitely falling in love…

And then Tokunotakai leaned down to kiss her softly and Colombe just… Stopped thinking for a bit.

Her brain -having chased itself in circles for hours in her efforts to work her own thoughts through this- welcomed the break wholeheartedly.


========


She was late to sweep the Hachimangu's steps that day, but in light of the *ahem* 'events' of last night Tokunotakai felt only a little guilty over it. The company helped as well, Colombe along in a set of robes Toku had gifted to her after her third visit to the shrine, just as their sparring was becoming a regular event.

The early-spring morning was startlingly quiet, even with the sun now rather high in the sky, but a soft chatter of birdsong caught the ear, and Tokunotakai paused a moment to look up. The sight of a family pair of Japanese wood pigeons -resplendent in their black and purple feathers as they built a nest in the sacred gingko tree at the foot of the shrine steps- giving her pause. After a moment, Tokunotakai bowed to the kami of the tree, then to Hachiman's avian messengers, and received a bob of their heads in response.

Feeling lighter for the blessing, she resumed her motions, working just a little faster to catch up with Colombe until they found themselves meeting at the middle. The Muramasa blade tapped her broom on one hand to shake the last of the dust from it's bristles and then rested it on her shoulder, a melancholy smile on her lips.

That the smile broadened just a touch and her gaze lost a little of it's sadness when Colombe's eyes met her own made Tokunotakai's heart feel like it did a wonderful little flip in her chest.

For a long moment they stood there, "We should probably get back inside…" Colombe remarked, sniffing the air and catching the scent of rain on the cool breeze. "It's likely to ra-."

A series of rattling bangs drowned out the rest of Colombe's words and an instant later, the heavens opened up. This was no slow spring rain steadily setting in over the course of an hour. This was a storm, a full-on downpour with barely a handful of drops' warning before the rain was too thick to see more than a dozen feet. Both blades were soaked to the skin in less than a minute.

"You were saying?" Toku couldn't help but grin at the timing and she had to shout to be heard over the storm. Lightning forked across the sky and another roll of thunder rendered Colombe's attempt to reply utterly moot, stepping closer, Tokunotakai tried to repeat herself, only for a second roll of thunder to cut them off again.

Then Colombe grabs her hand and opts to show rather than tell, pulling her along as she runs for the shrine.

Tokunotakai follows, hand in hand with her, a point of warmth in the cold spring downpour.

Far overhead, Raijin offers Hachiman and Takamimusubi a thumbs up and all three of them exchange high-fives. A couple of minor favors in exchange for three well-placed spots of thunder to add that little bit of romantic spice to the scene? Completely worth it.

Even with less than two minutes under the sky both of them are completely soaked by the time they make it back the the shrine. Colombe wrenches the door aside and Tokunotakai stumbles as the other blade all but pushes her through the opening ahead of her before stepping inside herself. The stumble turns into a slip as her sandals hit the tile and she aims to control the fall only for Colombe to grab at her again in an attempt to help.

The end result is less than dignified, Colombe's grip on the doorframe slipping at the last moment to send them both to the floor in a tangle of sodden robes. For a long moment there is only the muted roar of the rain coming down and the sound of them both panting, flush with exertion from the run and the tumble. Colombe's is the first to get her hands under her and look up, her blonde hair is plastered to her scalp and mussed by the fall. Toku makes an effort to keep from giggling at the slightly ridiculous mess made of her partner's normally immaculate grooming while acutely aware that she herself cannot possibly look any better.

In the end, she laughs anyways.

It is like some moment of shared madness. Colombe looks at her as she desperately tries to hold back her mirth only for the Muramasa's own lips to twitch. As Tokunotakai's giggles turn into full-blown laughter Colombe starts to chuckle in spite of herself, and then both of them are laughing, at the absurdity of it all, at the perfect comedy of the moment. It is undignified, it is expressive, and it's a wonderful moment of release, the tension draining away with the sound of their joy.


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Produced with the permission and assistance of Yellowhammer . Thank you for trusting me with your characters!

Next time: A Talk, a Spar, and the cute gays continuing to be both cute and gay.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Leaning back in her chair with one hand around a goblet, Goldie sighed as she sipped the wine with both eyes closed, "Ah, hahaha! Yes, this was a fine meal indeed, Umu." Opening one of them, she gave both Sheff and Kansha a smile, "My first Imperator would have been honoured to have you both serving him in such a time."

Softly snorting, Juuchi picked her teeth some with a toothpick, "Whatever, Goldie. Besides..." With a shrug, she shook her head, "I cannot wait until you try Master's cooking."

Now perking up, the Roman blade looked at her and she was not the only one. Catherine raised one eyebrow as she sipped her own wine, "Our young Master cooks, Umu?"

With a hum, Tsukiakari nodded happily, "Hai, Master does cook and does it quite well." Rubbing her stomach, she smiled, "I remember the roast beef that he made for the wedding between Miss Rose and Haruna-Sama."

Somewhat amused, Sheff nodded with a smile as he cleaned the knives that made up his true form, "That was a wonderful wedding, and I am quite happy that Rose was given the opportunity to marry the woman of her dreams. They are expecting now, Miss Haruna is with child from Rose."

Blinking, Sabah looked at him, "Oh? So despite both being women, Allah has given them the chance to have a child?" At the nod, the Arabic sword smiled, "Then they are truly blessed by that fact and I shall congratulate them when I can."

Nightbane, the Bayonet blade, smiled as he sipped his own beer, "Yes, same here. Miss Rose certainly deserves it and I am glad that she is now happy. And I am sure that her various Mistresses are also quite happy with that fact." Giving the matter a bit more thought, he laughed and got looks. Waving them off, he shook his head, "From all you have told me about the Potters, it is obvious that Rose fits right in. She stole the heart of her Battleship after all."

That got laughs from the others. Meanwhile, only shrugging, Goldie shook her head with a shrug and a smile, "As the gods do." A smile bloomed on her face though, "But tell me more about our young Praetor and how he now cooks? I wish to know more."

Lips curling upwards, the only Arthurian blade among them smiled, "He is quite good at that as a matter of fact. One thing that he has taken as a truth of the world is how an army is only good when fed and watered. And has done quite a bit to help out in the Mess Hall back on the naval base."

Raising her goblet, Goldie nodded, "Wise, our Praetor is in knowing one of the greatest enemies that an army can have! For hunger is one of the greatest of enemies, Umu!" Sipping her wine again, she hummed a bit while wiping her lips, "A truly fine wine."

As she bowed, Saki smiled, "Thank you for the compliment, Crocea-San. I am glad that you enjoyed it." Straightening, the tsukumogami blushed, "While I am not quite the cook that Sheff is, I have picked up a few things in my years of existence."

One eyebrow raised, the Roman raised her goblet, "And so you should be happy and proud, Umu!"

Deciding to ignore Goldie, Juuchi turned to Tsuchi. The Tekko was thoughtful, which made the Muramasa raise an eyebrow, "You have been rather quiet."

With a blink, the Okinawan shook her head and smiled, "Sorry about that, Juuchi. Just thinking about some things." At the raised eyebrow, she continued, "Mistress Lily... what she did? It showed that love truly is some of the most powerful magic."

For a few moments, Juuchi considered that before taking a sip of her own beer, "Maybe, though I still say that there are a few magics equal or more powerful." Suddenly, a grin broke out on her face, "Though now that you're out, we can have another match."

Just facepalming, Tsukiakari groaned, "Senpai, no!"

Throwing her hands into the air, Juuchi laughed, "SENPAI, YES! ALWAYS YES!" Moments later, a dishcloth covered her face and she ripped it off, "Hey!"

Kansha gave a snort as he finished placing his now dry knives away after tossing the dishcloth that he was using, "You deserved that."

Rather than a verbal answer, his older sister just stuck her tongue out at him, which made the knife set roll his eyes in response.

Glancing at the short stack cannon beside her who looked like she was working something out in her head, Amalie turned towards Tsukiakari, "By the way... where exactly are we? I know that we're on the Potter Estate, but not where." Waving her hand around, she shook her head, "This is not the manor."

Just grimacing, Tsukiakari shook her head, "Near the end of the last war, after Master James and Mistress Lily went into hiding in a cottage, the Death Eaters destroyed most of the manor thinking that they were hiding in it. But they hid in the cottage as it was easier to hide it under magic... Well, Master has managed to get the favor of Victory and she's had her crew slowly rebuilding the main manor." Pointing at a window, she nodded, "If you look out that window, you'll see that their work is about seventy percent complete."

Silently getting up, Bill walked over and looked out said window after allowing his eyes a few minutes to adjust to the darkness. The New Moon had since passed and the Moon was full enough that he could make out the building and gave a nod, "Eyup, the manor is looking better and better." Rubbing his chin with the skin of his hand rustling against the stubble there, he nodded as he turned, "We're in the old Mill House, aren't we, Little Lady?"

At the surprised looks given her, Tsukiakari nodded, "Hai, we are." With a slight smile, she gestured around her, "As you can see, Master had this fixed up into a guest home with a number of rooms. And... we can use it as a base as Master really only uses it when harvesting from the orchards and the like."

Sabah shifted a bit where she sat and nodded, a hundred thoughts whirling behind her eyes, "Yes, having a place that we can use for a base is good. And we can make it more so."

Before anyone could say anything, Big Iron gave a gasp, "Wait! The Potters are nearly gone and I know how to fix it!"

Leaning to the side, her fellow European firearm sighed, "Yes, by defending our Master and the last of the Potters. Until he has children, we need to do exactly that."

Head tilted to the side, Big Iron frowned before smiling, "But that is what I mean! Children!"

Already taking a sip of her own wine, Catherine hummed, "Oh? How so, if I may ask?"

Not even two seconds after the cannon's words as said firearm spread her arm, she was spraying her wine into Juuchi's stunned face, "Why, we give him children!"

Coughing, Catherine wheezed some before boggling at the other spirit, "I... what... children?!"

With a hum, Big Iron smiled, "Children!" She motioned at herself and ran her hands down herself with a bright smile, "We're women, right? And Master is a boy! So we can have his children!"

Carnwennan raised one finger, "Point of fact, I am most assuredly a male."

Both Bill and Nightbane raised their hands alongside Sheff and Kansha, "And so are we!"

For several moments, Big Iron frowned before blinking, "Um, maybe if Master has daughters?"

Trembling, Amelie stood up before bringing her fist down on the other firearm spirit's head, "YOU IRON HEAD!"

A frown on her face, the Cannon rubbed her head, "What was that for? Why'd you hit me?"

Placing her hand over her face, Amelie growled. However, any threat of violence was dissipated as Catherine cleared her throat, "Iron, dear... do you even know how children are made?"

Confused, Big Iron nodded, "Well, a mom and a dad goes down to the blacksmith, right?"

Utter silence met that as the clock ticked by bit by bit. Eventually, Kansha turned and looked at Juuchi, "Huh, and here I thought that Kyoshu was airheaded."

Goldie sipped at her wine as if in deep thought before humming, "Well, if Praetor wishes for a child, I do not see an issue. For I would have an heir myself! Umu! Besides which, the line of our Praetor is quite good looking!" Eyes closed, she nodded as she waved her goblet in the air, nearly hitting Xian who ducked with a shout, "Yes, I do not mind this plan."

Furiously blushing, Sabah poked her fingers together and was unable to meet anyone's eyes, "A-ah, to be with Master? And... and in such a way?" Clapping her hands to her cheek, she looked down, "It... is not an unpleasant thought if he is kind as Tsukiakari and Juuchi say..."

Pumping her fist, Big Iron nodded, "Great! We should get Master and go down to the Blacksmith!"

Yet again, a fist came down on her head as the Blunderbuss shouted at her, "IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT!"

Lightly blushing, Catherine was looking away. Within her mind was her with various messy haired children, dancing in the fields of her birth country, 'I... could establish a branch that would call France home again...'

Unable to help herself, Tsukiakari giggled a bit as Juuchi banged her head on the table. Eventually though, she cleared her throat and got their attention, "Ah, well, Master already has a number of girls after his heart! A few even planning to share him!" Pulling out a square sheet of something, the Kyu-Gunto unfolded it before presenting it. On the sheet was pictures of various girls and the like, with Harry at the center, "As you can see here! They will take care of making sure that the Potters will once more grow if we protect him long enough." Then, she wagged a finger at the group with her next words getting grumbles and flushes, "Besides which, before coming up with such things you should meet Master first!"

While they all relaxed to some extent to another, and some looked somewhat disappointed, they all nodded. Big Iron though tilted her head to the side, "Does this mean that we won't go to the Blacksmith?"

Various facepalms met her question.

Sighing as he shook his head, Bill turned to Juuchi, "So then, the young man has a number of women after his heart, hmm?"

Taking a drag from her own goblet, Vala spoke up, "He does as a matter of fact, and I've observed how they acted towards him." She gave a small nod towards Tsukiakari, "I was there at the Christmas party on the base watching, and I will admit that they do deeply care for him. I suspect that in less than a decade, the Potter family may well be growing once more."

A frown on her face, Goldie sighed as she shrugged with both hands in the air, "Perhaps a shame, Umu. Though in any case, it will be good to see Praetor's line continued." Motioning with her goblet, she nodded, "Tell us more about these who seek the Praetor's heart, Umu!"

Looking around, the Kyu Gunto could see various nods of agreement and began to tell what she knew.

 

[darthcourt10]

Spectral Waltz

I promised a spar this time didn't I...

Unfortunately, there's no spar, mostly because there's entire too much confessions and sort-of-angst.

Plenty of fluff though! So without further ado...
------------------<>------------------
Dove and Shrine Maiden - A Union of Bread and Butter Part III

After helping each other out of the robes and drying each other off with a pair of fluffy towels, the two dress once more. Their robes are so soaked that they will need some dry-cleaning before they can be worn again, but while Tokunotakai's spare clothes prove a little short -riding up Colombe's ankles and showing off a little bit of waist if she bends too far- they fit surprisingly well overall. The rain is still falling, and the shrine's old radio set gives a weather report that suggests it will continue to do so for the rest of the day, tapering off sometime early tomorrow morning.

"I am almost glad that I have no classes to give today."

Colombe nods, hunting through Tokunotakai's small fridge for the jar of Miso paste she has been assured is there. "It would be a dangerous trip for your students in such a downpour." She agrees, catching the Masamune giving her a sidelong look out of the corner of her eye and chuckling again. "Not to mention it gives us time to talk."

They still haven't broached the discussion, the affection is there, mutual and warm in the tiny kitchen space, but Colombe knows well that this isn't something she can simply dive into headfirst. If she's going to do this, she has to commit, come clean about herself.

If Tokunotakai will still have her after learning all there is to learn about her, then that will be that, but self-doubt is as nonsensical as love, and her heart grows fearful in spite of everything. The breakfast is simple and traditional, fish seared in a pan on the stove, Rice fresh from the cooker, and miso soup simmering gently in its pot.

The whole setup is so essentially Japanese that Colombe resolves privately to do the same for Toku someday soon, but the words to invite her to Chateau Moulbaix next time go unspoken.

What if there is no 'next time'?

The breaking of fast passes in companionable silence, both blades finding themselves surprisingly hungry once food is put in front of them. The simple pleasure of eating in the presence of another pushes back the darkness for a time, but as the dishes are finished one by one, Colombe finds herself with fewer and fewer barriers between herself and the inevitable Confession, as she has come to calling it in her head. She clasps the teacup in both hands, sipping slowly but mostly enjoying the warmth of the drink against her fingers.

Finally, she sets the cup down with a faint 'click' and looks up, meeting Tokunotakai's eyes.

"I… Colombe D'Aubigny-Muramasa du Chasteler… Wish most ardently…" The courtly mode of speaking is a relic of a bygone time yet for all that she has started this way out of nervousness and already feels faintly foolish for doing so, Colombe knows that if she stops now it will that much harder to begin again. "I hold affection for you, Masamune-no-Tokunotakai. Affection so deep as to frighten even myself with it, yet for all that you have seen of me, there is much yet that I would have you know before I think to court you."

She inclines her head slowly, and waits.

A moment passes, then two, mere heartbeats, yet they seem to stretch out into eternity before finally, mercifully, Tokunotakai answers. "Speak then, Colombe du Chasteler." She nods, and Colombe straightens. The warmth is still there, but guarded now.

This is it.

Colombe's jaw firms with determination and she inclines her head again in respect. "First and foremost, I have two daughters who both live with me at Castle Moulbaix. Claire du Chasteler, my oldest, is the spirit of my antique Bösendorfer piano who manifested in 1990. She is a shy and gentle soul, a musician and no warrior." Colombe feels her lips curl in a fond smile at the memory of her beloved older child. "I… dare say that I hope you will grow to love her company as much as I do."

Tokunotakai inclines her head, her eyes unreadable. "I see. And the younger daughter?" Her voice is cool, calm, showing nothing of her thoughts as she gives Colombe a measuring look.

Colombe feels her face still and fights down the spike of pain and guilt at the memory of Ehren. "My younger daughter is Ehren du Chasteler. I must request your indulgence for a moment to explain her origin." Colombe takes a deep breath, gathering her courage to speak words that she knows must be said.

A du Chasteler will always conduct herself with integrity and valor in word and deed…

"During World War II, I served in Europe with British Intelligence after Belgium was overrun by the Nazis. As a result, I volunteered for missions behind enemy lines." Colombe fights for control of her emotions as she continues, her voice resolute despite the old and never healed pain in her soul, "During one in late 1941, I met a SS Officer named Helmar Wolff, and… was involved with him. What started out as an assignment to gain his trust so that I could," Colombe's eyes sink to stare at her cup so that Tokunotakai will not see the beginning of tears that she is holding in, "access the base he worked at became… more. I wanted to try to persuade him to abandon the cause that he believed in, he was a good man then, honorable by his understanding of the code and brave, but…"

Colombe breaks off and sighs deeply, "Such was not to be because he also truly believed in the madman who led Germany. I… did what I had to do. I performed my mission, and paid a dreadful price for it. We… fought…" She remembers the phantom pain of his SS Honor Dagger in her gut, and the even greater pain of seeing the man who she had loved once turned into a monster filled with hatred and pain at her betrayal. "And I won… but at a terrible cost. I killed him and nearly lost my life in the doing…"

Colombe's hands shake as she closes her eyes and gathers her courage to continue, "But he left behind his SS Honor Dagger buried in my avatar's guts. When I woke up back in England, I… elected to keep it. As a reminder of the cost of my… failure. For decades it served me well in war and peace as a backup weapon and also as a place for me to test enchantments I placed upon myself. Then two years ago the dagger manifested her spirit. Ehren. She is…" Colombe shoulders slump and her voice becomes hushed, "the daughter I sometimes daydreamed of having with Helmar. Brave, loyal, dutiful, honorable. But also… she knows what kind of monsters she had been crafted to serve and… I fear that my failings as her mother have damaged her. She struggles with the lies and hatred that she learned in her infancy, and she distrusts blind obedience, only acting on what she knows and believes true."

Colombe swallows the lump in her throat and finishes as tears trickle down her cheeks. "Every time I see her, my heart swells with pride to see all the positive things in her and how good a person she is despite my failures, and yet it also shatters and bleeds to realize how I destroyed her father and have failed to be the parent that she deserves. She is in so much pain, struggling with the darkness within from her origin… and all I do is hurt her more when I try to help her. Thank God Claire can reach her to comfort her when I cannot."

Colombe falls silent at last, biting her lip as she breathes in and out, finally mastering herself enough to look into Toku's eyes.

Tokunotakai stares into Colombe's eyes, thoughtful blue-green meeting crystal blue filled with the painful shadows of the past. The Masamune then inclines her head and gives a serene smile.

"Shippai wa seikou no moto." At Colombe's puzzled blink, Toku translates in her precise English, "Failure is the foundation of success. I have no doubt that your fighting spirit will continue to sustain you until you find the way to assist your daughter Ehren. I thank you for your explanation," Toku's smile grew warmer and her blue-green eyes twinkled, "Colombe-chan."

The silence that follows is absolutely deafening.

Then Colombe feels her heart start beating again, pounding in her ears. Did she hear that? Was that really all it took? She spilled out everything she could think of, the failures she held closest to her heart, and all there is to say is that, not even the words, the little teasing suffix attached to her name, the warmth in the smile.

"I…" What does she say to that? What does anyone say to such simple acceptance? Colombe racks her brain and comes up blank, resorting to her fallback plan in the end. "Then… With your Permission… I would ask your permission, that I might court you…" Her lips move silently for a moment, "To-Chan?"


…


In the moment that follows neither of them are willing to wait and step around the table as they rush into each others' embrace. Fortunately while the dregs of Colombe's tea prove a casualty, the teacup itself survives the ordeal as they rush into each others' arms. "Thank you…" Colombe whispers fiercely, fervently. Parts of her still question, wondering if she really deserves this yet she knows, she knows that's not for her to decide. Only Tokunotakai can decide what holds worth to her, and if that should happen to include Colombe, then apart from all that she has already laid out there is very little she can really say to argue against it.

"No, Co-chan" Toku replies quietly, holding tightly, reassuring, comforting. "Thank you."


========


They spend a long time in each others arms after that, simply enjoying the warmth and closeness. A few adjustments are made to position until they can sit and watch the rain fall outside but apart from that they find themselves with very little reason to separate. The grey sky makes the shining colors of the garden seem all the more vibrant even through the heavy rainfall and they lose track of time in the silent contemplation of the view, of themselves, of each other.

"You know…"

It is Tokunotakai who eventually breaks the silence, prompting Colombe to look down at the head resting on her shoulder.

"Hm?"

"I think I have been falling in love with you for a very long time."

"I-Is that so..?" The statement brings a flush to Colombe's cheeks and a momentary stutter to her speech, but her girlfriend -Her Girlfriend!- presses on with another nod. "Mm…"

Silence reigns for a minute as she works up the courage to ask. "How long..?"

"Since I saw Hachiman-dono knock you to the ground, only for you to get back up again… You knew then that you could not beat him, in that moment, I saw your face, you knew you were outmatched, yet you fought anyways, because it was right." A little spark had been lit then, a nameless attraction that would mature into Rivalry, an attraction named Rivalry that would grow respect and one day become Friendship. Friendship nurtured by the mutual appreciation of strength and the little moments of simple company, sharing tea after sparring, sharing their troubles and their cares with each other, eventually maturing into something more, that one day they had come to call Love

Colombe is silent again for a time before finally she nods. "I think then that is a second debt I owe him, for he has done even more than I ever realized in that single meeting." Tokunotakai hums, then giggles, Colombe chuckles in turn, and they return to their contemplation, smiling.
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Produced with the permission and assistance of Yellowhammer with special thanks this time for mostly writing the entire middle bit where Colombe exposits about her perceived failures.

Next Time: A spar (for real this time!) and the rainy day in comes to an end. Probably.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Once, the world was very different. There were no cities, no towns, and no villages. Humanity instead used campsites, moving from place to place. Or they lived in caves, sheltered by the rock around them. Sheltered from the elements, predators, and half-formed things that lurked just out of the reach of firelight in the darkness of the night. Giant herds of creatures like mammoths and woolly rhinoceroses roamed the steppe like environment while predators such as sabretooth lions hunted them. Vast sheets of ice covered the north, massive bluish white cliffs seeming to be the edge of the world to any that traveled far enough on hunts or otherwise to see them.

In this day and age, a wolf, a she-wolf, stalked through the brush. She was young and strong and fast. The wolf was larger than any modern wolf, able to crack bison bones in her jaws. Powerful muscles moved under a thick pelt that protected her from other predators that could attack her. Just recently she had borne Cubs...

But they had been killed a week before in a cave lion attack, and she was driven from her pack by her mother in the aftermath.

Thus, coming across the scent of blood, the hungry wolf had followed it. Finding that it came from a cave, she paused to listen. But there was no sound coming from it except the wind, though she could scent, just barely, the smell of smoke. Silently, she padded into the cave and a distance inside paused. There, looking in the darkness was a carcass of a cave bear. Freshly dead, the blood barely dried. So too, was there a dead female human, her guts torn out by the bear, which had died as it began to eat her from wounds it had suffered in the attack. The woman's sightless eyes stared forward at its killer.

A scraping sound made the wolf pause for a few moments before coming around the two carcasses. There, in a crack, was a fur wrapped bundle. From inside, two eyes looked out at her before waving two arms towards her. Stalking forwards, the wolf regarded the small thing. It looked like a man, but was too small to be one. Human eyes met those of a ferocious wolf for several seconds, no fear in one, and hunger in the other. Eyes narrowing, the wolf reached into the crevice and pulled out the bundle. It took only moments for it to rip the fur covering the infant apart...

Eating it's fill, the wolf snapped up one last bit of meat before turning and laying down next to the human-cub, which in its mind was what it was, the wolf shifted as it whined a bit. Nudging it with its snout to move the young human, the wolf watched as the infant realized what was in front of it. With two pudgy hands, it grasped the fur and pulled itself close before it began to suckle, hungrily drinking milk. Laying it's head on the cave floor, the wolf huffed a bit.

Yes, it may have lost its original cubs and pack. But now it had a new cub. And while strange, it would protect the small thing. With that animalistic thought, the wolf drifted off to sleep.

Days slowly turned into weeks. During the days, the she-wolf hunted in the vicinity of her new den. Never straying far to keep her new Cub safe. Whenever it was hungry, she fed it. During the cold nights, she kept it warm with her thick fur, the young one snuggling deep into it. One day though, she could hear odd sounds and smell humans on the wind. Straightening, she growled at them as she spotted them at the entrance to her den. Not having expected that, they jabbed forward with their sticks as they shouted at the She-Wolf, which was when her Cub awoke and began crying.

For some odd reason, that seemed to shock the humans even more. Yelling, the jabbed their pointy sticks forward even more, some waving around sticks that had fire on them even as the she-wolf snarled, moving to protect her Cub. Out of nowhere, a loud shout made the humans stop. They turned and noises were made before they moved aside to reveal an older man dressed in furs with a necklace of bones and teeth while two antlers were upon his head. His face was covered in markings made of soot.

Both the strange man and the she-wolf stared at each other. Then, he looked at her Cub which had quietened down. As normal, her Cub was hungry and began to nurse even as she guarded it, which made the other humans step back and murmur. All but the Antler Human. Slowly, he smiled before motioning them all back. Once they were far enough back, he followed. After they settled down at the mouth to the cave, the she-wolf calmed down and laid on her side so that her Cub could continue to nurse it's fill from her teats.

It turned into an odd standoff, the humans at the mouth of the cave and her at the back with her Cub. Every time she strode forward, the humans would pause for a time. But then, one of them would toss her a hunk of meat that she would take back. The whole thing was frustrating, not being able to hunt properly, but her Cub needed her and she would not abandon it, not now.

Time passes and her Cub began to move around the den area, which she allowed under her watchful eyes. At this point, the Antler-Human would stand off at a distance and make noises at her Cub. Over time, her Cub copied these noises himself. Something that pleased the other human. Eventually, her Cub was able to walk about on two legs like the other humans. And one day, she walked out of the den at his side...

Years passed and the She-Wolf grew old as her cub grew and grew. Strong and hale as well as tall. Her Tall-Cub. When odd things happened around him, the Antler-Human took him aside and taught him things. How to use his ability to help the pack. He became a great hunter, even helping to bring down one of the giant Tusked-Things in a grand hunt!

In her own, animalistic way, the She-Wolf felt proud of her Tall-Cub for being such a good hunter even as he fed her meat from it.

Other wolves joined them, one by one. She taught them all their place, of course. But they began to work together, her Tall-Cub and the other humans with the wolves. Together, they were able to hunt better. And the wolves told the humans of predators. But that was not the important fact in the She-Wolf's mind.

No, more important was that her Tall-Cub now had a Mate! The female cub of the human pack leader. Said female was strong and healthy, which the She-Wolf approved off. The female would give her Tall-Cub many healthy cubs in turn.

Shortly after her Tall-Cub took the female as his mate, the female began to change. She grew around her middle and from the scent, The She-Wolf knew that she was with cubs herself. One day, the female stumbled and there was a scent in the air. The Antler-Human took the female out of view of the others with some of the older females as her Tall-Cub waited outside. All the while, cries could be heard from inside before it went silent.

And then, her Tall-Cub went inside that place and returned before gesturing her forwards. Coming in, her attention was drawn to the female and a fur wrapped bundle. Her Tall-Cub took it from the female and held it out to her, inside, even with her failing eyesight from advanced age, the She-Wolf could see an infant. Sniffing, she felt a bit of surprise!

Her Tall-Cub now had a Cub!

Something must have shown as he nodded to her, before the She-Wolf began to gently clean her Tall-Cub's cub. Such silly things not to do so properly. Thus, she had to do it herself.

Thus things went, until one day a few Moons later. Her Tall-Cub and the other hunters were gone. While she was old and unable to hunt as well, the She-Wolf patrolled around the dens. On one of the patrols, she paused as a scent tickled her nose. It drew up a memory, an old one.

From before she had met her Tall-Cub.

It was the scent of a lion! The very same one that had killed her own cubs! Quickly, she followed the scent and found it leading to the den. And she reached it in time to hear a scream that came from her Tall-Cub's mate as well as the crying of their Cub. But it was the roar of an old lion that sent a chill down her spine.

Without even hesitation or thinking it, the She-Wolf exploded into motion. She just burst into the den to see the lion about to pounce at her Tall-Cub's mate when she leapt and slammed into it as various humans there screamed. One of them ran for the cave mouth waving their arms as they made noise. Neither of the two predators paid it any mind though they stood off, the She-Wolf growling with her head held low between the lion and her Tall-Cub's mate and Cub.

She could see that age had not been kind to the other hunter. It was old and worn as she was from the years. Like her, it was covered in scars and moved slowly. Obviously due to its age, it was unable to hunt as well, and so had to go for easier prey. Prey such as her Tall-Cub and his mate and Cub.

And she was not going to let it.

Finally, with a roar, the lion leapt at her and she snarled back as she met it partway. The two met and they fought, old foes and rivals. Powerful jaws ripped and tore flesh and fur while crushing bone. Sharp claws sliced through hide and muscle creating grievous injuries. Neither let up, the lion as it needed a meal to survive and the She-Wolf to protect her pack. However, the larger predator's paw slammed into her head, knocking her to the ground. Disoriented, the wolf looked up into the bloodied lion's face as it prepared to finish her when it howled in agony.

Her Tall-Cub had returned and stabbed it with his sharp stick! Snarling as well as any wolf, he pushed it further into the lion, but it was not finished yet. One paw lashing out, it knocked him to the side, claws cutting furrows in his flesh. Turning, the lion focused its full attention on her Cub... no...

NO!

NOT THIS TIME!

With a surge of energy, the She-Wolf got to her feet and lunged, jaws clamping around her foe's throat. She bit down harder and harder even as the other predator struggled to throw her off. Even as its claws sliced her apart, one eye gouged out, she did not let up, only bit down harder. This time... this time she was not going to lose her Cub to this creature!

There was a crunch sound and the big cat suddenly weakened. Another crunch as the She-Wolf tightened her grip and it went fully limp. Waiting until she was sure that it was dead, the wolf let go and staggered back.

Blinking, the She-Wolf found herself on her side looking up, not having felt herself fall to the ground. At the same time, she whimpered as everything hurt. It hurt so very much, though for some odd reason it was also fading as she got colder and colder. And weaker as well...

Between one blink and the next, she found her Tall-Cub above her. His eyes were wide and he was shaking his head while water came from his eyes. She could also feel his paws at her side, grasping for some reason with bursts of pain as he did so. He pulled back his paws to show them red with blood as he made noises at her which she could not quite understand. With one hand, he stroked along her head which relaxed her.

But even now, as weak as she was feeling, she raised her head jerkingly to look in the corner. Her Tall-Cub also turned and blinked at the sight of his mate and Cub, both fine though scared with water running down their faces as well. They... were safe. When he turned back to her, the She-Wolf nuzzled his chin and gave one last lick of his cheek before her head fell to the ground.

She... was so tired. That fight took more out of her than she had expected, but it was good. Her pack was safe, and that was what mattered in the end. Vision darkening, she closed her eyes and breathed out...

And didn't breathe back in.

Finding herself floating in the air, the She-Wolf looked down at the sight of her Tall-Cub shaking a wolf. The body of said canine being badly torn up with none of its pelt clean of blood. With some shock, she realized that the wolf was actually her! And she was also shocked to realize that she had realized that as well.

But she kept her attention on her Tall-Cub as he shouted at her body and shook it. Until, that was, the Antler-Man walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. When her Tall-Cub looked at him, the older human shook his head and then bowed his head, tears dripping from his own cheeks. The other returned hunters did much the same.

For several moments, her Tall-Cub just stared at them before he dropped his head with shaking shoulders. Then, he whipped his head back up and let out a howl. A howl of sadness, grief, and despair. Unknown to him, his adoptive mother did the same as she realized what this meant. Even though he could not feel her, or see her or touch her, she came up beside him and licked his cheek as she had done so many times.

The She-Wolf watched as they gently picked up her body and carried it to the back of the cave, where years before she had nursed her Tall-Cub. She continued to observe as they dug a pit that they placed stones around the inside, and which the females and young ones lined with bright coloured flowers. Onto these, they placed her corpse gently, and put more flowers on top. Some brought feathers that they placed onto her while the leader of the human placed a sharp stick between her paws, the one that her Tall-Cub had used, blood covering the stone from the lion.

When it came to him, her Tall-Cub, he was silent even as the others chanted. Reaching up, he removed his necklace of beads made of stone, bone, horn, and ivory. A necklace that he placed around her neck. Water continued to drip from his face the whole time, even as his mate embraced him from behind. Then, gently and carefully, they placed dirt on top of her even as they chanted and outside the wolves howled. Once there was a mound on top, her Tall-Cub went back and returned with the head of the lion, which he set at the foot of the mound.

Thus... the She-Wolf passed into legend for the tribe, a guardian who saved the most helpless of them out of love.

But...

That was not the end.

As the years went by, the She-Wolf's spirit kept watch over the tribe. Sometimes, they glimpsed her glowing form between the trees and brush as she lead them to prey. Other times, she would warn them of danger. Sometimes with a growl next to their ear, sometimes appearing before them before fading away. The tribe came to revere her spirit, seeing her as their guardian even in death.

One day, years after her death, the Cub of her Tall-Cub was now tall like his father. The Antler-Human, having grown old, taught him more than he had his father, so that he could take his place. Which brought him to a spot outside the den. In front of him was a fire that he was staring into while the Antler-Human danced around and threw things into. The rest of the tribe watched and waited.

As did the She-Wolf, who feeling a tug walked through the flames to the other side. Gasps met her and even the Antler-Human seemed surprised. She glanced at them and then at her Tall-Cub, now with several Cubs around him. But then, she focused on the one before her, whose life she had given her own for so many years before. Him, she felt a connection to.

Slowly, she padded forward before nuzzling him and stepping back. The young human's eyes widened and turned gold as he threw his head back. Fur burst from his skin as nails turned into claws and his face pushed out into a muzzle while a tail grew from his spine. His yell became a howl as what was once a man, was now a large wolf.

For several moments, the two stared at each other as the bright Moon which was whole shone above. Then, she walked over to her Tall-Cub and nuzzled him before running off, her cub's Cub following. Throughout the night, she taught him how to be a wolf. To hunt and act as one. And come the rising of the Sun, he transformed back with a large grin as she faded away.

And he was only the first.

Generations passed and more and more of the tribe became able to become a wolf. Some managing a mixture between such and human even. Her Tall-Cub eventually passed and she greeted him kindly, for he had become a wolf as well. All the time, they continued their partnership with the wolves. They also began to leave small things at her grave, and doing such things as burning meat, which she tasted upon the smoke and felt her belly fill with. And, slowly, the She-Wolf also changed. Eventually, she started standing on two legs at times with her forepaws lengthening. And her body became more and more human shaped.

Until one day, she appeared before the newest Shaman not as a wolf, but as a woman clothed in furs, but with the head of a wolf.

More time passed and one day, her tribe left to meet with others. And she accompanied them as they did so. Thus, there, upon the shores of a lake with the area one day to be under the surface of what would be the Baltic Sea, did her tribe meet with others. Things were traded back and forth, with many amazed by how her tribe had wolves with them, though they were less wolves now and... more something else. And they told stories, stories of the She-Wolf with them transforming to show the gifts that she had given them. Others told their own stories of guardian spirits.

But while her cubs traded and conversed, the She-Wolf had other business. Above the meeting tribes, various beings floated. The She-Wolf could see many others, most weaker, far weaker, than she. However... there was one that stood above them all.

It was in human shape, though not a human. Not with the proportions shown which were slightly wrong. The Other appeared as a woman, heavily pregnant. Bangles and beads were around her arms while necklaces hung from her neck. Upon her head were her more threaded beads in a head covering. Besides her slightly exaggerated proportions, there was one difference that made sure that one could not mistake her as a human woman.

That she had no face.

Instead, there was a smooth plain of flesh, with no details at all. Completely and utterly blank of everything that a human would have. Despite that, it could still speak as shown when it faced the She-Wolf. No sound was made, no vibration of the air. But it still spoke.

Mother, it identified itself as before demanding to know the She-Wolf's name.

Mother, the She-Wolf replied back with a soft growl.

Even though it had no eyes, it stared at her intently. As if weighing the She-Wolf. And something that she did right back. Both of them were powerful, the strongest there. None of the others were sure who would win in such a fight. Briefly, everyone had the image of what would result. The land shaking apart as the sky was torn through their mighty blows. Everything scorched and frozen as existence was rent apart.

And then, everything was back to normal and the two relaxed as the Other gesture to the She-Wolf's tribe. Mother, she said without saying.

Lips turning upwards, the She-Wolf nodded while showing her teeth and gesturing to tribes belonging to the Other. Mother, she growled.

With that, the two turned and walked away from each other.

But there was something else as well. Something spoken of in feared whispers by the various tribes. In the direction that the Sun disappeared in, they said, was an land across the Great Waters. On it were men, powerful and wealthy. They would come and with the help of powerful Shaman, kill many tribesmen. Others they took back to their land with them. Tales were told of strange men they sometimes brought with them, that were part human and part beast. Powerful beings.

The She-Wolf and her tribe took note of such things, though their land was far from the Great Water. But best to be warned of possible enemies. And so they listened and learned even as they traded.

As the Moons went and the weather turned colder, they returned to their homelands. And many seasons would pass before they would meet those from across the Great Water. They warred with them, but always the She-Wolf's tribe was strong. With the ferocity and strength of the wolf and the intelligence and cunning of a human, they won time and again. As they had been told, strange creatures were used. Such as things that were a Herd-Runner to where the neck would be, but human from the waist up above. Humans that had the wings of fliers as well as other such things. She softly snarled as she could feel that they were confined, controlled by the Shamans of those strange folk.

Yet, thankfully, time and again the tribe managed to repel them. Sometimes alone, sometimes with the tribes under the Other helping. And so both grew stronger as others joined them.

But one day, a sickness spread among the tribes, killing many and weakening them. It took time, but the source was found, a spotted big cat that with its breath spread disease. The first was killed, followed by the second. But the third was harder.

And then... it arrived.

Part of the She-Wolf had expected it, the massive lion-like being across from her. The spirit of the lion that she had slain at the cost of her own life. Somehow... it had become a spirit too, feeding upon the tales of it that had been told, upon the fear of it and those akin to it which still stalked the shadows, though less and less often as the years went by. And become strong by such. It also had allied itself with the Men across the Great Water.

All for the chance to kill her.

The lion was not the only one, for there were others as well. Spirits, some weaker than it, but others just as strong. But the She-Wolf and Lion only had eyes for each other. Thus, when they clashed, neither allowed for anything to fight in their duel. Lesser spirits were torn apart as thunder and lightning tore apart the heavens. Mountains crumbled and holes were gouged with super heated steam and ash bursting forth as they fought. No quarter was asked nor none given between the two. Below and around, tribesmen fought those from across the Great Water.

It was only when the exhausted She-Wolf stood above her hated foe that the trap was sprung. A ritual was finished and the She-Wolf howled in agony and dismay as metaphysical chains were put around her. The only pleasure she got was how the ritual consumed the now betrayed Lion Spirit to power it along with other spirits that they were using. Another good thing was how the Other managed to escape, wounded but not dead or captured.

Bound, the She-Wolf was dragged back to the land of the Men across the Great Water with her captured people. There, she was sealed within a rock, her power now used against her Cubs. She watched as the survivors, captured, were twisted by the Shamans of the Island Men. All with her captive power used to do so much to her internal agony.

Where once wolf and man stood as equals, in partnership, they were now set against one another. Her Cubs when transformed now in pain, were made to hunger for the flesh of their fellow man. To become slavering beasts when transformed. Once, her Cubs could transform whenever they wished, now only able to when the Moon was whole. The metal like the Moon was made into a weakness, to control them. Worse, they made such an affliction able to be spread where before it had been a gift.

Oh, how she howled about what had happened to her Cubs, which made her Captors laugh. Now they used her Cubs to attack the other Tribes. When the Moon was whole, they would release them and watch as they tore their former allies apart to their amusement. However, they grew too arrogant, too confident. One day when their other slaves rose up elsewhere, the She-Wolf managed to get enough of her chains loose, that she transformed her Cubs before the Moon was whole. Even though it hurt them, hurt her to do so.

They tore her Captors empire apart as her actions weakened the other metaphysical chains holding the other slaves under control, until all that was left was the island in the sea. For that, they bound her ever tighter in their anger and rage, but the pain and agony was worth it. She watched as their once mighty nation fell apart. And then, she felt it.

Far away, the Other has done something and she began to laugh. She was still laughing when her Captors noticed the Great Waters pull away from the land while far out, a wall of water climbed. And she was laughing as they panicked and tried escape as the water covered everything. Being as she was a spirit, she did not need the air to breath any longer. Thus, she was alive though still bound when the Other arrived.

The two rivals turned allies stared at each other. But nothing needed to be said. Weakened from the previous battle, the Other had spent nearly all it's power to do what it did. In her mind's eye, the She-Wolf could see what happened. An entire mountainside slipping into the sea. Because of that, the Other was unable to break her free as it did not have enough strength.

Much to the surprise of the Other, the She-Wolf accepted that.

She had failed her Cubs, she explained. Failed them in the worst way and now they would suffer for as long as she lived and she would suffer alongside them bound as she was. Even now, her power was drawn off by them as they went about their lives and transformed others through their bite. If she could not be freed... than she deserved it, to suffer alongside them for her failure.

Understanding as only fellow mother could, the Other bowed its head and left her under the sea.

Millennia passed, and the She-Wolf howled in agony with each night that the Moon became whole, for her cubs suffered. She could feel it through their connection, with which she took on what pain of theirs she could. The water around her became deeper and deeper as the ice caps melted, signs of what existed there fading with time and sediment. Humanity continued on, as did the other races. But while mostly forgotten, she was not entirely forgotten. Tales similar to her was passed on, sometimes she gave a nudge such as to a similar she-wolf that lived where there were seven hills, it was all that she could do. As well, the wolves her tribe once used, and had helped other tribes by giving them to, changed. From them and others, dogs sprang forth. Man's companions, and a connection that still kept her formed.

Then, one day... something changed.

From far off, she could hear bangs, like thunder. And looking up from her prison, she could see floating things made of steel. Many of them. Some, shattered in fire and sank beneath the waves. Beneath the sea, on what was once a hill, she could feel the explosions as well as many dying above. She wondered what was going on so far above.
And then, one of the large, steel things that they were shooting like slings hit the water and touched down next to her prison. When it did, the shell exploded. It was not enough to destroy her prison, as for as old as it was and as brittle as the magics were, they held up. But it was enough to crack it.

Hopeful, the She-Wolf used what power she had work at it. The battle above eventually calmed and time went by. Decades later, she could see an odd, underwater vessel pass by. The men inside speaking some sort of guttural language with a strange symbol that reminded her of a comet she had once seen, long ago. But her attention was elsewhere. For someone had taken her Cubs and made things even worse for them, twisting them still further.

Her rage knew no bounds and she worked all the harder to get free, to help her Cubs. Even if it took her a thousand years more, she would do it. Now, when she was so close! Once that happened, she would help them, her cubs! And with her prison cracked, she could also slowly learn what the world was like through her connection with her Cubs.

Yet more decades went by as she worked at her prison when her attention was caught by another battle above. Some of those fighting were the steel vessels. But others... they looked like humans, and steel vessels at the same time. They also tasted foul, wrong, to her senses. Like badly rotted meat unfit to eat.

Her metaphysical eyes widened though as one of the Steel Vessels (Ships, her mind supplied her with the knowledge that had seeped through the connection with her cubs, warships) exploded as it broke in half. The stern drifted away, but the bow...

The bow was sinking right for her prison.

It hit the seabed almost right at her prison, skidding along before crashing into it. Briefly, the ancient spells held against the mighty blow... and than shattered. The bonds fell away from the She-Wolf and she rose from the seabed, the mud, silt, and the like exploding outwards. Breaching the surface, she stood there looking around as ships burned and the Foul Ones fought with humans. One of them, attached to a large, man-like thing, pointed at her and the guns fired...

Only for the She-Wolf batted away the shells like they were insects. Everything seemed to go silent as she turned to the Foul One. It pointed at her and shouted something, only to choke as she was right there, tearing out it's throat before ripping it in half. After that, it was one fight after another as the She-Wolf tore her way through the Abyssal Fleet. One after another fell to her claws and teeth. And more than one sailor claimed that an odd, wild looking woman with claws and a wolf's head had saved their lives.

Soon, once she was out of the battle, the She-Wolf left for the continent to rest.

Her surroundings blurred as the countryside sped past. So much had changed since she had last been freed. Now humans had grown strong and tall, like her Tall-Cub had. Eventually, she reached a place in Germany, a cave, not seen due to the opening having collapsed. But the rocks at the entrance were no issue for her, as she passed through them. Transforming into a wolf, she padded along until she reached the back, where she was buried. And barely sticking out was the skull of the lion, it's jaw dislocated, while nearby was the grave of her Tall-Cub.

And said spirit, that of her Tall-Cub, appeared,much like her and gently cleaned her as she laid down. Rest now, Mother, he said. Something that she agreed with fully, as she closed her eyes and slept. Around her, other spirits danced, all wolves and men and man-wolves. For Mother had returned to her home at last.

Meanwhile, around the world, all the werewolves felt a tingle as for the first time, their wolves calmed as if hearing something that they could not.

Years passed and the She-Wolf regained her strength. Waking, she stood up and, with her Tall-Cub following, left to see more of the world. Upon leaving the cave, she paused and looked to the south, feeling the Other was also stirring. For several moments, she stood there, feeling the world as it now was. There were less wolves now, far less. But there were also far more of her other cubs, the dogs. Throwing her head back, she howled and around the world, various dogs also howled as did dog-like creatures. In Japan, various Inugami howled in their places as they had gained their abilities from a cub of the She-Wolf.

Leaving her home, she began to travel, both in the physical and metaphysical. At one point, she came across a white haired man missing an eye with a younger one beside him with reddish hair. The two were facing two large wolves that were snarling at them, something about their father, but upon seeing her, they froze. The two wolves dropped to the ground and rolled onto their backs as the old man took several steps back, terror on his face as a single word escaped his lips...

"Primordial..."

However, the She-Wolf ignored that and soon continued on her journey.

When the Moon was whole, this time she took stock of all her cubs. Some, she approved of, others... she did not. One of the ones she did not attacked children out of perverse glee. And she was there to meet him when he died, him and those of his pack that followed him as one of the Sea Beings, shipgirls, killed them. It filled her with amusement that the creature had reacted to seeing a massive wolf, larger than a Battleship snarling at him when he passed on...

But that thing did not matter to her in the end as she tossed his soul once she was done to the true hunters.

No, what did matter were her true cubs. For them, she was ready to work to make their situation better. While the She-Wolf was unable to fully undo what had been done to them, she was able to slowly chip away. Things like lessening the pain when transforming, allowing for them to keep more of their mind when in said form. Decreasing the hunger for human flesh, little by little, transformation by transformation. Adults were hard, but some she focused more on others...

Above Wales, there a Full Moon shone down, the first of the New Year, twenty fourteen. Inside a bunker like structure, odd looking wolves slept. For the youngest, they dreamed of a wild looking woman. She was strong and powerful as shown by how she had corded muscles throughout her frame, but her body was also that of a mother. And in their wolf forms, they felt safe and secure as she gently ran her clawed hands through their fur, comforting murmurs coming from her mouth.

Somehow... Mother, seemed to be the only word to describe her.

Chests rising and falling as they slept on, she continued to comfort them. And they were not the only ones as the Moon trailed across the sky, and those in other places transformed, the children dreamt of her and a few adults. To the north in a castle that was in the Scottish Highlands, Moony dreamt the same thing, as well as somehow knowing that she felt pride in him. His lips on his wolfish muzzle curled in his sleep.

When day broke, all of the werewolves were more rested and relaxed. And the She-Wolf came out of the dreaming realm into the physical in one forest in Scotland, not far from the castle. Her gaze met that of an elderly seeming man in a cloak, who she recognized as the spirit of the forest. Not saying anything, he moved aside and bowed to her as she passed, her returning the gesture. Soon, she reached her destination.

There, in a clearing within the woods were a large pack of wolves. But they were not ordinary wolves, no, these ones were different. Their eyes shone with a human intelligence, and the She-Wolf bent down and placed one hand on the side of the muzzle belonging to the pack leader. Her magic seeped into the wolf, and it's form shifted, just a bit. Not much...

But enough.

For now.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

AN:
Yeah, I know. But... every once in a while you get the urge to write something a little... different. And this has been in my head for a while now.

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

Hoppou looked over Carrie and Sherri's bags, making sure all their belongings were accounted for. "Are girls ready to meet all their big sisters?"

The twins looked to each other nervously. "...We think so," Carrie said. "I just hope they aren't too put off by our appearance to start."

The little Princess pouted. "Girls need to stop worrying so much, and relax. Sisters will love you, Hoppou is sure of it!"

The altered Ri-class hung her head sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah. I know." Pausing to bring out her phone, Carrie gazed solemnly at the background image: she and her sister taking a group selfie with their adopted mother, Pauline Bridges. "...I'm going to miss Mama."

Carrie and Sherri had understood that, if their plan to reunite with their Princess succeeded, it would likely be a one-way trip. Regardless of having renounced their identities, at the end of the day they were Abyssals, and the United States would not let them come back to Unalaska once they revealed themselves. They understood, their mother had understood, and the three of them had made peace with that fact, and with each other, before they set out on their journey. But it didn't make the pain of being separated from the woman who raised them any easier to bear.

Hoppou stepped over and gazed at the picture herself, her expression softening. "Hoppou is sure she will miss you, too." She took her daughter's free hand and shook it gently. "Still, just because you can't visit, doesn't mean you can't keep in touch with her, or that she can't visit you. Right?"

The girls nodded to themselves. "I guess you're right," Sherri admitted. Nothing's really stopping us from calling her, or sending a letter."

Hoppou nodded, smiling. "Good!" Taking the sisters' hands, she marched them deeper into the guarded facility. "Now, let's go to Avrora!"

In no time, the girls were ushered through a set of double-doors into a rather plain room. The only outstanding feature of this chamber was an odd-looking wardrobe covered in mysterious markings. "Uh…" Sherri started. "What are we doing in here…?"

"Yeah," Carrie added. "I thought we were going to set sail, or hop on a plane."

"Well, Avrora has no landing strip, and sailing can take over a week." Hoppou rocked her head slightly, a sly look on her face. "Can Carrie and Sherri keep a secret? A really big, really important one?"

The sisters looked to each other. "...Sure," they eventually said.

Hoppou nodded. "Good." Stepping over to the wardrobe, she patted it with a hand. "This is a Vanishing Cabinet. It's like a teleporter, but it works on real magic!"

For a few seconds the girls stood there silently, blinking. "...you're… you're being serious?" Carrie asked.

"It may be hard to believe, but it's true." Stepping forward, the Princess pulled open the cabinet, showing that it was empty. "One of you can go ahead, step inside. Before you know it, you'll be there! You can trust Hoppou on this!"

Carrie and Sherri turned to each other, thinking. After a moment, they brought up their hands. "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" they chanted in unison. Carrie threw out rock; Sherri threw out paper. Carrie offered her sister a sheepish salute as she stepped forward. Gulping, she climbed up into the cabinet and closed the door behind her.

For a few seconds, it seemed to both sisters like nothing was happening. But then, Sherri felt an otherworldly tingle run briefly down her spine… and in front of her, her twin's IFF abruptly winked out of existence. "Carrie…?" She asked quietly, concerned.

Hoppou took hold of her daughter's hand. "It's okay, Carrie is okay," She reassured her daughter. "She was just moved to cabinet in Avrora. Now, it's Sherri's turn..." With that, the little princess opened up the cabinet—revealing it to be empty once more, to Sherri's shock—and ushered her inside, before entering behind her and shutting them both in.

Almost immediately, the Ri-class could feel that tingle in her keel again—but now it persisted, intensified, until she could feel it all throughout her body… telling her that something big was about to happen. She held her breath, waiting...

Until, in an instant, her everything went just the slightest bit out of whack.

Her internal sensors were freaking out—her thermometer, her barometer, her compass, all thrown off by what could only be an instantaneous change in her environment. The air around her suddenly felt warmer, more humid; instead of mid-winter, it felt like early spring. But worst of all was the spinning sensation… it felt like she had suddenly been rotated several degrees on her axis, and although her body tried to tell her she was off-balance, something kicked it back into gear with no warning whatsoever, leaving her highly disoriented. Sherri almost didn't notice when Hoppou pushed the cabinet open and hopped out; she stumbled after her, trying to shake her head to clear the dizziness…

And found herself in a place she'd never seen before.

This was no small room—this was a grand chamber, with walls made of brick and mortar instead of drywall and plaster, and high windows of stained glass. Ribbons and banners hung from the arched ceiling, decorated with a variety of designs—the most prominent image being a crab pot beneath an aurora. The decorations looked relatively new, but the rest of the place… it looked at least a century or two old.

"Welcome, sisters!"

Then, there was the matter of all the Abyssals in front of her…

The tallest woman in the room, draped in a simple gown and a fur mantle—Tanith, Sherri recalled—held her mechanical arms wide open in greeting. "Hello Carrie, Sherri," she spoke to Sherri and her sister gently. "I'm so glad to welcome you to our home. Everyone has been so excited to meet the two of you!"

Sherri struggled to respond, still groggy from whatever the cabinet had done to her. "Wuh… what just happened?" She asked, sitting back on her knees. "Is this… real?"

Behind Tanith, a Battleship Demon let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, don't worry. This is for real." She stepped forward and carefully gripped the Ri-class's arm, pulling her to her feet; feeling her touch—seeing the imps gathered on the Demon's deck, Sherri realized that this was all too real. "You just need a minute or two to adjust, after getting punted a thousand-something miles northeast in the blink of an eye."

"Hoppou knows that girls have never sailed before," the little Princess spoke up. "We could have taken time and sailed here instead… but Hoppou was worried you would struggle to make such a long trip with zero experience, and it might worsen the damage to your armaments. So Hoppou took Carrie and Sherri through Cabinet, instead." She hung her head slightly. "It can make you feel really weird going through it for the first time, but it doesn't really hurt, and you get used to it after a couple of trips."

Finally, Sherri could feel her stomach starting to settle down. She glanced around. "Uh… where's Carrie?"

"Right here!" Carrie peeked out behind Tanith. "I'm alright…"

Both sisters let out a sigh of relief, knowing the other was safe. Tanith nodded, smiling. "Yes, you're both going to be alright. You're among family, now. And we take care of each other." Stepping back, she gestured to the other Abyssals in the chamber. "Now then, Carrie, Sherri… these are some of your older sisters." She began pointing out each one in turn. As she did so, the twins realized… every single Abyssal in the room was a Princess or Demon. "There's Sunny, Ritou, Nuri, Sonata, Patty, and Yoko. Each of us, myself included, served as flagships for our respective groups after we were driven out of Unalaska. Now that we've all come together, though, we make up the general leadership of the Island, and our clan as a whole. If at any point you have a question about anything, just come to one of us and we'll do our best to help you."

Carrie and Sherri couldn't help but marvel at the girls before them. Each of these flagships alone would have been a force to be reckoned with… together, they were a terrifying sight. And to think the pair were sisters to them…!

Wait. If they were the flagships… where were their fleets? "Um…" Sherri started hesitantly. "Where are the rest of our sisters? We thought there were more…"

Sunny nodded. "Of course. There's at least a hundred of us here. That said, though, we didn't want to overwhelm you so soon after you arrived. We wanted to give you a chance to adjust, before we start parading you around the island to meet everybody."

"...okay." The Ri-class sisters dipped their heads. "Thank you, for trying to help us get comfortable. This will be a big change from our life in Unalaska… but hopefully, it will be a change for the better, for us."

Their elder sisters nodded in acceptance and approval.

Nuri chose that moment to speak up, approaching their mother with a black tube in hand. "Hey, Mom. Me and Ritou worked out the revised Mi-class blueprints. Would you be willing to look them over while you're here?"

Hoppou nodded. "Hoppou would be happy to. She's curious to see what you put together since last time…"

Suddenly, the girls all heard an instrument begin to play in what felt like the back of their heads… a flute.

Sunny perked up, eyebrows rising. "Is that… 'Flight of the Bumblebee'?"

Before anyone could answer, there was a low rumble in the ground beneath their feet, which quickly started to grow stronger. For a moment a few of the Abyssals worried that something was happening to the island's volcano, but then they realized the tremors were coming from the opposite direction. Eventually the rumbling became audible, sounding like an avalanche, or a stampede… until the rumble abruptly cut out altogether. Walking over to the palace entryway, Tanith threw open the doors to see what was going on.

Standing just outside the palace were the destroyers…

all the destroyers.

All fixated on Carrie and Sherri.

"Little Sisters!" They chorused in unison.

Hoppou threw her hands up in playful glee. "Puppies!"

Carrie and Sherri simultaneously fainted on the spot.

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

Flash Back: Everybody Talks

"All right, everyone, gather around," Benio said, sitting on the floor. She patted the spot beside her, glancing between her three companions. "Council of war, let's go."

Reiko glanced over at her. The jorogumo was almost literally huddled over her calligraphy set (Tonbo had snuck back onto the plane and retrieved it in the confusion), as if afraid that someone would appear out of thin air to steal it from her. "You want to do this already?" she complained. "Why can't we just take some time to recuperate?"

"That would be nice," Tatsuya stood, walked over to Benio's side, and sat down. "Unfortunately, if our previous trips out of the country have taught us anything, it's…" He paused thoughtfully. "Well, a year or two ago, our family won a trip to Ireland in some kind of sweepstakes. I fell asleep on the bus to the hotel we were going to be staying at, and when I woke up Benio and I were tied up in the back of an old Cessna on our way to Dun Scaith. Apparently we were supposed to be human sacrifices in some kind of… I don't even know what."

He shuddered. "That one got pretty messed up fast. Point is, whatever's going on here is probably already winding up to hit us. We need to decide on some basic game plans right now before everything starts openly going to shit."

"Good idea," Tonbo agreed, rocking back and forth on the bed. She pawed absent-mindedly at her hilt. "Kind of reminds me of your great-grandfather. Had to fight an army of sapient toast on his honeymoon. Good thing he married a Cold War secret agent. Only thing that she could cook worth a damn was plastic explosives, but she was good…" She trailed off, glancing between Tatsuya (unimpressed), Benio (amused), and Reiko (disbelieving). "What?"

"Nothing," Tatsuya replied, pressing his fingers against his temples. "Just… it explains so many things that I never wanted to know the answer to."

"Sapient toast?" Reiko echoed.

"That was a thing that happened. Seriously, I was there."

"Sapient toast?"

"Besides the point!" Benio snapped, clapping loudly. She paused. "Well, except if the vampire watermelons come after us again. But planning now."

"Reiko hangs back as much as possible," Tatsuya said just as quickly. "She's still very inexperienced in the field, and—"

WHAM!

Reiko jumped, falling off the bed. Tatsuya sighed and stood, grabbing a glass off of the table. "That's it, then," Benio announced, skipping away from the wall.

Turning the top of the glass against the wall, Tatsuya pressed his ear to it and strained to listen.

"… to stop being so emotional."

"Emotional? How much money did you just cost us? How much work did you just cost us? You need to be in the Wizengamot!"

Two voices. One older, calmer, colored with experience. One younger, miraculously not blaring through the wall.

"I'm old, Absalom. I don't have the energy for the Wizengamot anymore, it's simply time to recognize that. Furthermore, I can easily be replaced by someone who shares our allegiance, and…" The first voice gained a smug tone—maybe that was the wrong way to describe it. Furtive, maybe? "I still have a certain amount of influence in that circle. I told her that it might be better if I focus my efforts there, and she agreed."

"But you have a job! You have to make things easier for us!"

"For you?"

Silence. Then the first voice spoke again.

"Things aren't easy for a werebear in the magical world. I understand that, and I wholly sympathize. But sabotaging a political group that makes me want to vomit from the inside is stressful at best and like I said—"

Someone pounded at the door, and Tatsuya jerked himself away to look over at it. "Room service!" a new voice—Scottish female, likely young—shouted gleefully. He grimaced, returning his attention to the other room for just one moment more before someone had to open the door—

"—do you mean, you forgot to set up the Silencing charms?"

Tatsuya had barely enough time to throw himself away from the wall before things started exploding.
-----

Here we are. The second try. Longer, better planned out, and I'll be having a go at a hopefully somewhat different kind of villain in between everything. Hope this works out.

Well what do you think, sirs?

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Panting with sweat dripping from his pores, Harry grit his teeth as he held his wand out in front of him. From it, a silvery mist shot forth into the form of a translucent shield. Even as his strength was sapped, and cold claws attempted to pull away the memories that he was using, he did not let up. Darkness crept in from the edges of his vision even as his knees trembled a bit, until a voice spoke up, cutting through the gloom, "Okay, that is enough."

Nearly dropping as there was a clicking sound of a sword being sheathed, the teen let his arm fall. Said arm felt like lead from pure exertion, but he nodded at Remus before turning to the floating Dementor before him, "Thank you... Kagotsuruhe-San."

From inside the hood, a woman's face appeared. The appearence of such was at such odds with the rest, such as the hands which looked like they belonged to a corpse that had been in the water for too long, that Harry could have laughed. Could have laughed, but for how he was still recovering. Plastering a smile onto her face, the Sword of Hopelessness gave him a thumbs up, "You are welcome, and a very good job!"

That time, Harry did laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole image before shaking his head, "Hah... I managed even longer this time, so I guess." Flexing his hands, he took a deep breath as he worked out the strain there before grimacing, "Still have not managed to get a corporeal one though."

Only shaking his head, Remus gave him some chocolate, "Here, have some of this." As the teen ate, the werewolf sighed and shook his head, "Having a corporeal Patronus, Harry, is something that few wizards manage. Despite what some might think, it is a lot harder to pull off than a simple shield like you just made." Patting him on the back, the teacher smiled, "But I think that you will pull it off."

Much to their confusion, Kagotsuruhe had a slightly smug smile on her face, as if she knew something that they did not, "Yes, I would think so."

Raising one eyebrow in askance, the teacher did not get an answer back from her, only her face once more going blank, 'Yeah, I am never playing poker with her with that sort of Poker Face.'

Harry, meanwhile, just ate the chocolate in his mouth before swallowing. Feeling like some warmth was coming back to his limbs, he frowned a bit as he stood up, "Still... I'm doing better, but..."

Simply waving her hand, Kagotsuruhe had a fake looking understanding smile on her face, "As Mister Lupin said, it will come in time. Even with the slow progress, you are advancing. Slowly and surely, so do not give up."

Laughing, the thirteen year old shot her a grin, "Who's giving up? I don't give up something that I am working on unless there is exactly no chance of me pulling it off. And right now, I am still getting closer and closer to my goal. So no way am I giving up."

With a sigh, Remus gave him a wistful smile, "You really are your parents' child, Harry." At the look, he continued, "Both of them were stubborn as all hell when it came down to doing things with an attitude of not giving up. Something that it seems that you have inherited, as frustrating as it is at times."

Just shrugging, Harry grinned all the more and added a laugh, "Maybe, but I'll take that as a compliment."

Mock throwing his hands into the air, the werewolf rolled his eyes, "Dammit, that was pure Lily right there."

Her body transforming into it's normal form, briefly looking like a bad CGI made real or that liquid metal terminator outside of the face, Kagotsuruhe hummed, "Still, I believe that we can leave it there for now. You've made some progress and we do not want to overdo it." Wagging a finger, she transformed into another woman, unknown to Harry being Umitsubame, "Overdoing it and wasting progress is just as bad as not working hard enough."

Cocking his head to the side, Harry frowned, "Who was that?"

Kagotsuruhe hummed as she gestured at her current form, "This?" At the nod, she shrugged and transformed back, "That was another of mine and Juuchi's sisters, Umitsubame. She is... the handler for us, team mom I believe Akutoku once called it."

Somewhat amused by that, Harry only shook his head in amusement. Turning towards Remus, he took a few moments to observe the other man who was sipping some hot chocolate. Part of him was amused that just like his parents' journals said, the man was a chocoholic. But the rest was taking note of something, "You know, Uncle Moony... I'm kind of surprised."

Blinking, Remus pulled his lips away from his mug before licking the chocolate from his mustache, "Hmm? Surprised about what?"

Accepting his own mug from Kagotsuruhe, the younger wizard tilted his head to the side, "Well... the Full Moon was just five days ago. And despite that, you've pretty much recovered fully." At the odd look he got, Harry flushed a bit, "I mean, you used to look like death warmed over."

Not saying anything right away, Remus considered that and the very odd dream he had during the Full Moon. Of being visited by a wild looking woman clad in furs and with a wolf's head. For some odd reason, he swore he felt... pride, from her. As if she was proud that he was taking care of his friend's child, his "Pack's" cub as well as the younger werewolves. Which confused him at how he could tell that.

The werewolf put that into the back of his mind as he took another sip, "Well... the transformation didn't take as much out of me this time. Don't really know why, but... maybe Severus did something to the Wolfsbane potion to make it easier." He then gave a shrug, "No idea why, though I am thankful nonetheless as it can get pretty bad."

All Harry did though was grimace at that.

Soon after, he left the room and headed back to Gryffindor Tower to get a shower. Taking a sip of her own drink, Kagotsuruhe hummed some, "You are not telling the full story. Such as of that dream."

Giving her a look, Remus frowned, "It is just an odd dream, nothing else. Unless you think otherwise?"

For several moments, the sword spirit considered what she had just seen. In the end, she shook her head as part of her told her it would be best to ignore it. Not helped by the fact that when she went over what happened in the dream a third time, the wild woman was now staring at her with narrowed eyes.

No, best not to mess with such things, she decided.

Instead, she hummed and gave him a smile, "Well, if you think that perhaps the local Potions Master is perhaps slipping narcotics into his potions, I could always send a sample to Umitsubame. Though if he is, she would be... upset. It happens when she thinks that some are not treating her preferred art in a manner that she believes they should."

Blinking as he had not expected that, Remus snorted some, "No, I don't think that he is. Severus is many things, but he takes his potion making seriously." He glanced at the woman shaped being beside him with a cocked eyebrow, "Though in regards to Harry, I wonder when you are going to tell him."

Expression one of confusion, Kagotsuruhe frowned, "Tell him? Tell him what?"

That got her a look from the Professor, "He may not have noticed, but I have." Remus narrowed his eyes slightly with a thoughtful expression on his face, "You've been slowly increasing the amount that you are unsheathed. Not by much, but enough that I noticed." He rubbed his chin some, "I was unsure before tonight, but I can be sure now, you are increasing the amount that you have been exposing him to."

Opening one eye, Kagotsuruhe hummed some, "Hmm..."

Neither of the two said anything for several moments, but Remus fully turned towards her, "Why?"

Suddenly, the sword was all smiles, "So that he gets stronger when he does not expect it, of course!"

Having not expected that, Remus boggled at her, "Say what now?"

Kagotsuruhe chuckled and wagged a finger, that fake smile on her face still, "I have been increasing it just enough each time that he needs to work harder to keep up. To stay at the same level he was at each practice before. When the time comes, I shall drop most of the power and he will form his corporal Patronus right there. Because he will be so used to the amount of force that I am using, that he will overpower it." Giving a thumbs up, she grinned, "Thus, he will have a boost to his confidence."

For several moments, Remus stared at her before pinching his nose, "I hate that what you just said makes sense... I really hate it..."

All the Muramasa did was smile back.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

It was a tired, though somewhat refreshed Harry who walked out of the Third Year Gryffindor's Boy's washroom drying his wet hair. Glancing at the beds, he could see that at least Ron was in his bed asleep, most likely after getting his homework done. Granted, Harry's lips twitched a bit at the Smol Warspite pulling the blankets up more on his friend's body with a huff. Simply shaking his head, he tossed the towel into the hamper and watched as it disappeared before smiling and glancing around, "Thank you." Not getting an answer, though he had expected he wouldn't, he turned towards his bed and paused for a moment.

Mainly because from between the curtains, he could spot a now familiar muzzle with a black nose on it poking out from inside the curtains.

Now smiling, Harry walked over to the bed and watched as the muzzle disappeared. Opening the curtains, he slipped in before laying back and sighing, "Good evening, Natsumi-Chan."

From beneath his blankets, a smiling fox appeared and spoke, "Evening, Harry-Chan." Wigging out, and revealing her two tails weaving in the air, her smile grew before she transformed into her usual, Demi-human state, "Tired?"

Yawning again, Harry gave a shrug, "Kind of? I mean, not really physically tired as much as mentally, I guess."

Mouth open to comment, the Kitsune paused to think it through. It didn't take long for Natsumi to come to a conclusion, "Patronus practice with Kagotsuruhe?"

Harry nodded with a somewhat exhausted smile, "Patronus practice with Kagotsuruhe."

Laying down on top of him, Natsumi frowned a bit before shaking her head, "I'm still unsure about how you're doing this, Harry-Chan. From the stories about her that Oba-Chan and the others have told me..."

Only shaking his head, the wizard brought up one hand and began to light scratch behind his friend's ear. Something that she seemed to enjoy going by how she softly purred, "Don't get me wrong, it's not easy at all, Natsumi-Chan. But at the same time? It works and a lot better than anything else we could come up with."

Eyes narrowed at him, even as she felt her body relax, Natsumi huffed, "I still don't understand how you managed to track her down and get her convinced to do this."

Blinking, Harry looked at her, "Where did you get the idea that I tracked her down? Or that it was me that convinced her to do this?"

That made his friend stare at him for a moment, "Wait... you mean that you didn't do that, Harry-Chan?" At the shake of his head, Natsumi frowned, "But... if you didn't, than who?"

With a hum, Harry scratched the back of his head with one hand while his other continued to scratch Natsumi behind the ears, "Oh, that was apparently Juuchi. Or at least that was what I got from the conversation when I first met her just after that whole Dementor attack during the Quidditch game."

Her expression blank, Natsumi could only have one reply to that being told to her, "What."

Just shrugging, Harry began to tell the tale...

*********

For several moments, the thirteen year old stood there with a small frown on his face as he stared at the woman in front of him. Said woman was in an odd pose with her hand held out giving them a thumbs up while grinning in a way that seemed... off. Beside Harry, Remus blinked in utter confusion, "I'm sorry, but... who are you? And what are you doing here?"

The woman gave him a confused look, "I am Muramasa no Kagotsuruhe."

Arms crossed, Harry frowned a bit before remembering where he had heard that name before. It was one that came up in a conversation with Haru some time back after all, so he had it in the back of his mind, "Wait, Muramasa no Kagotsuruhe? The Sword of Hopelessness?"

Remus stared at him for a few moments before moving between her and Harry, "Sword of Hopelessness? That... does not sound good."

However, Harry waved him off, "She's kind of Juuchi's sister? Though, um... from what I heard she's one of the two most feared ones of their sisters."

Tone completely dry, the werewolf glanced at the son of his friends, "Harry? That does not exactly fill me with confidence."

Right as Harry was about to reply, Kagotsuruhe raised one finger with that same, creepy smile on her face which looked utterly faked, "If I wished to harm Juuchi-Chan's Master, I would have and there is nothing that you would be able to do to stop me, Lupin-San." Then she grinned and nodded, "But I am not aiming to and instead want to help!"

Both wizards stared at her for a few moments before the teacher cleared his throat, "You... want to help? Really?"

At her nod, Harry frowned as he remembered another bit, "I... think that I remember something? About how you are able to drain hope and the like from an area? Like a Dementor? And that you can feed on emotions?"

Slowly, Kagotsuruhe nodded, "That is exactly right! And from what I know, you are aiming to learn how to defend yourself from Dementors, thus I can help." Her form just shifted and she was now in the form of a Dementor, floating in place with her face visible in the Dementor's hood, "Much better than a Boggart."

Harry was about to comment when he paused as his eyes caught sight of something at her side. One thing was what he believed to be her own sword which had an odd hilt made from some bone-like substance that made him want to shiver. But there was also a second sword at her side, one that he recognized...

Juuchi Yosamu.

Eyes widened a bit, Harry pointed at it, "Wait, you have Juuchi?"

With a nod, the sword spirit held her sister in one hand, "As a matter of fact, I do."

And than she tossed her at Harry, with the teen barely catching her. For several moments, both him and Juuchi were still before he could feel anger coming from said sword as well as annoyance. Harry blinked at it a bit, "Um..."

Meanwhile, Kagotsuruhe smiled and gave a thumbs up, "You could always come out, Juuchi-Chan."

Part of Harry was amused to note that he had a feeling as if Juuchi had turned her head and huffed. Only shaking his head, he sighed a bit, "She doesn't want me to see her avatar for some reason." Getting a shrug from the other sword, Harry turned back to Juuchi, "So... is she for real?"

Juuchi unsheathed herself a bit and the teen could feel confirmation from her.

This was helped along as a folded piece of paper shoved into her sheath was wiggled out... somehow. Eyebrow raised, Harry took it and unfolded the paper and read it. Head tilted to the side, he looked at Kagotsuruhe and nodded, "According to this, Juuchi asked you to do this? Because you'd be able to copy a Dementor?"

Lips curling, Kagotsuruhe nodded, "Indeed... you might well have felt my power at the previous game."

Briefly, there was a flash of memory across the two wizards' minds. In Harry's case, it was a bit dim from falling unconscious, but he could remember a form near the Ravenclaw stands that resembled something from deranged nightmares, which scared even the Dementors. Turning to her, she nodded in confirmation. With another glance at the paper, Harry could feel Juuchi rattle and he took a deep breath before letting it out as he turned to his teacher, "Well, if she can do it, I don't see an issue."

Frowning, Remus looked at him before shaking his head, "I'm unsure of this, but... I suppose that we could give it a shot..."

Once more, Kagotsuruhe gave them a bright, though faked, smile and nodded as she gave them a thumbs up, "That's the spirit!"

Just sharing a look, the two males shrugged.

***********************************

Natsumi stared at her friend for several moments before pinching her nose, "Really, Harry-Chan? That was how it went?"

With a shrug, Harry nodded, "That was how it went." Going back to scratching her ears, he continued, "Though we went to Dumbledore shortly afterwards and confirmed it with him. Apparently Kagotsuruhe had gone to him first and he had agreed with the idea if we allowed it. So... yeah, and it has worked out pretty well."

Rolling her eyes, the Kitsune sighed, "Because of course it did." Than she moved up a bit and laid down with her head under his chin, "Anyways, I learned something neat, want to see?"

Intrigued, Harry's eyes lit up as he smiled, "Sure, what?"

Lips curling upwards, Natsumi giggled a bit, "Hoshi-San taught me this and Haha-ue helped... Now watch."

Snapping her finger, several glowing balls appeared and floated above her hand. Part of Harry noted that they looked to be made out of foxfire, but kept watching. With another snap, Natsumi sent them flying around the covered bed in various patterns with a grin and Harry soon joined her as he realized what it was, and remembered an event during the previous summer, "Danmaku?"

Teeth showing from her grin, Natsumi giggled and motioned with her hand, sending the balls flying in this pattern or that, "Hai, or at least as close as you can get in real life. Still trying to work out how to make homing Ofuda, but... this is pretty good. They don't really hurt, just sort of sting when they hit, but still."

Eyes practically glowing as he watched the balls of light, Harry shook his head, "That is so neat." Rubbed his chin in thought as the balls faded away, "Though now I need to figure something out for myself."

With a hum, Natsumi twisted around and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Well, I could help you figure out something. And with the time turners, we could work it out..." An evil grin crossed her face, "It would make for a good surprise when we spar with Hoshi-San again, maybe catch her off guard."

Now, neither of them thought that would work, but privately they agreed it was at least worth a try...

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

"Alright…" Tanith began, pinching the bridge of her nose. In front of her, the destroyers all had their avatars deployed and sitting on their knees, looking sheepish. "Whose idea was it to rally the puppies for this welcome wagon? We are trying to ease our estranged sisters into their new lives… scaring them unconscious not five minutes after they arrive is not helping."

After several seconds Silver stood up, hanging her head guiltily. "...Silver is sorry. Was just so excited to hear that little sisters were left alive in Unalaska, were coming home. Just wanted to bring everyone to finally meet them for the first time, when we felt their IFFs show up."

Tanith closed her eyes and sighed. "Look, girls, I am just as excited about this as you, for more reason than just reuniting them with their family. Carrie and Sherri are truly unique—they have come closer to being... human, than any of us thought was possible for Abyssals. Yet more proof that Abyssals are not born evil, that we are shaped by the world and the people around us… to a surprising degree." She shook her head. "That said, however, these two are going through a significant change. They left behind the home they were born and raised in to come here, to live free with their kin... and it will likely be a very long time, if ever, before they will be allowed to go back. Because of that, me and the other flagships want to do whatever we can to help them transition to this new life comfortably. Do you girls understand?"

"...yes, Sister," the destroyers eventually replied.

The Princess nodded. "Alright. Now, I understand this was an honest mistake, so today you all will be let off with just a warning. Just keep in mind: not everyone will be overjoyed to see a herd of destroyers storming their front door to greet them. In fact, most will be terrified. If any of you still want to meet our new little sisters, I am not going to stop you… but you will need to take turns, one or two at a time, not rush them all at once. Okay?"

The destroyers' expressions brightened. "Okay, Sister!"

With that, the group dispersed—some heading off, returning to their business, and others sticking around and debating the order in which they would introduce themselves to Carrie and Sherri. Hopeful that the issue had been resolved, Tanith turned and made for the palace. Sunny and Sonata had taken the twins to one of the cabins to recuperate; hopefully, having some smaller Abyssals looking after them when they woke up would be less shocking. All the installations, meanwhile, had vanished into the palace nursery, along with Mother. She wondered what that was about…

Wait, crap. She forgot to ask whose idea it was to have the puppies stampede to classical music.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hoppou pored over the Mi-class blueprints slowly and carefully, her imps taking notes as she went. "This is the finalized design?" She asked Nuri.

The Airfield Demon nodded. "The partial designs the Atlantic Princess gave us in exchange for the Ko-class gave me a good starting point on my revisions. A wider array of more specialized repair tools, more robust defensive armaments, and greater capacity for spare parts to service more ships."

Her mother hummed thoughtfully. Her gaze shifted to the listed dimensions for the repair ship. "She's really big," she pointed out. "As large and resource-intensive as a capital ship, if not more so. What made Nuri and Ritou choose this, over a smaller design? With how huge the half-naked lady's fleet is, she would probably do better with a more mass-producible craft."

"Yeah, we thought about that," Ritou noted, folding her arms. "From the sound of it, she seems to be focusing on numbers over individual performance… but just because SHE'S willing to accept losses in battle, that doesn't mean WE shouldn't try to reduce the likelihood of such losses happening, does it? A bigger hull means more space for parts, more powerful tools… a greater shot at ensuring the ships in her fleet survive to make it home."

"The Mi-class will be a steep investment, no doubt," Nuri continued, "but look at it this way: would it be more efficient to field several small repair ships, that may or may not be equipped to stabilize critical damage, that are likely to be (at the very least) mission-killed if they come under attack… or one larger ship, equipped to handle damages for the whole fleet, that can better defend herself if forced into an engagement?"

For several seconds Hoppou was silent, contemplating their words. Finally, she nodded. "Okay. Hoppou trusts daughters' judgment. Development of the Mi-class may go forward with Hoppou's blessing."

Nuri blinked. After a couple seconds she broke out in a wide grin, quivering with suppressed glee at her mother's approval. "You won't be disappointed, Mother!"

Standing to the side with Yoko, Patty chose this moment to speak up. "So, Nuri, you said you wanted us to come down here and help you with something. What is that, exactly?"

The Demon turned to her Princess counterpart. "Ah, right! That." She looked back to Hoppou. "So, Mom… in the time since you rebuilt Regalia, and then Renita, I got to thinking. Building Abyssals through eggs, they can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months to hatch. And yet, Mom, you were able to put together the hull for the Re-class in just a few days. So I wondered: could we not just… do that? Come together and assemble a new Abyssal by hand?"

Nuri's sisters glanced to each other, intrigued by the proposal. Hoppou brought a mitten to her chin. "Hmm… well, it's an interesting idea. But Nuri needs to take into account that eggs are responsible for more than just helping Abyssals grow. Producing an egg naturally lets the mother pass on an impression of her spirit… lets her lay the foundation necessary for baby Abyssal to develop their own soul. Can put together a hull yourself, sure… but it will just be a shell."

Nuri tilted her head. "Is there not something we can do to remedy that?"

Ritou held up a finger. "Actually, I once asked Tanith how she managed to make Regalia, when her rigging didn't have an orifice to output eggs, and she explained her production ritual to me." She rotated her hand palm-up, and a few imps appeared. "Part of the process was that she donated some of her crew, supposedly to populate the new hull. Perhaps we could do something similar?"

Hoppou pursed her lips. "...that could work, maybe." She nodded to herself. "Girls are free to give this idea a try, if they want to. Just keep Hoppou informed on progress, let her know if it works, okay?"

"Sure thing, Mom." Turning to her sisters, Nuri clapped her hands together. "Alright, let's start pooling our resources and divvying up the tasks. I hope to have the first of the Mi-class launched and undergoing trials within the next two weeks, so we can evaluate performance and forward the plans to Princess Porta ASAP!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wow…" Carrie sighed, taking in the simple, but comfy features of the cabin they found themselves in. "You guys managed to put these together in just a few years?"

Sunny shook her head. "Oh, not at all. Really, up until we revealed ourselves to the Japanese to make peace, Tanith's fleet was the only group living here full-time. Couple dozen, at most." She gestured to the cabin around them. "These shelters are actually prefabs. They were gifted to us by our Uncle Harry."

"Uncle?"

The Demon shrugged. "Well… he's our uncle through adoption. The Japanese battleship Nagato adopted him years ago, and she also took in Mom after rescuing her from the ruins of Dutch Harbor. While he's only a teenager, he's pretty wealthy—but more importantly, he is an absolutely amazing uncle that loves his family regardless of race. He'll always try his hardest to make everyone happy."

"Huh… that sounds nice." Glancing outside the window behind them, the girls saw a short but curvaceous Re-class walking around with an odd-looking little carrier beside her. In the far distance, they could just make out the silhouette of the partially-dismantled super yacht anchored offshore. "Did he gift you that cruise ship, too?"

"I found that, actually," Sonata answered. "She'd been missing since before Blood Week, stuck on a reef in the middle of the ocean. Me and the other submarines lived inside her for the past few years; once our family came together on Avrora, I decided to exercise squatter's rights and get her towed home for repairs and renovation."

Sherri's eyes widened in awe. "Cool."

"Yep," Sunny agreed with a grin. "We hope to have her back in working order by around April, so we can celebrate Uncle Harry finishing his school year."

"Oh, and about the destroyers..." Sonata continued. "We're sorry about that. They're a bit... simple-minded, I guess you could say. They didn't really mean any harm—they were just excited to meet you. Do you think you can give them a chance to properly introduce themselves?"

Turning back around to sit in her seat normally, Carrie nodded softly. "I think we can do that, yeah. Really, it's nothing against them—it's just that we've never seen so many Abyssals packed into a small space before. It was a little overwhelming…"

Sunny hummed. "I suppose that makes sense. You grew up among humans, so you're not as used to large groups like that. But don't worry—once we've gotten you two into a few cuddlepiles, they'll feel a lot less intimidating."

"...cuddle piles?" The twins asked in unison.

Sunny and Sonata grinned.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Humming as he examined the cut, Haruto frowned a little, 'Well... it could be worse.' Looking up, he placed the bandage back on it, "What happened?"

The Tanuki's mother sighed and crossed her arms, "He was out playing with some kids and slipped and fell down an embankment." She frowned a little, unsure, "Is he going to be okay?"

Lightly chuckling, Haruto only nodded, "He's going to be just fine, don't worry about it." He looked up at the nine year old and placed the young Yokai's hand on the bandage, "Hold that there just for a little bit, I have to get some things to clean it out first and make sure that there's nothing in it before I heal it." Getting a nod, the Healer walked over to the cupboard and pulled out two bottles which he brought over, "Now, we got to wash it a bit."

Pulling the bandage away, he did exactly that before gently dabbing it dry while with his wand, he tipped the other bottle onto a floating cloth. Seeing that, the young Tanuki winced, "Um... tha-that's going to hurt..."

Slowly, Haruto nodded with a gentle expression on his face, "Hai, it will. But it will hurt more if the wound has any bacteria or such in it before I seal it up. And while not a disinfecting potion, rubbing alcohol does the trick just fine." Grasping the wet cloth, he looked up into the Yokai's eyes, "Now, can you be a little bit brave for me? It will hurt some, but I think that a young man like you won't be bothered too much."

At the wink, the child nodded some and blushed, "I-I won't." When he was placed against his cut though, he hissed a bit and gave a small whimper, "Um..."

His mother only patted his shoulder as Haruto held it against the cut for a little bit and pulled it away. With a nod, he did a scan of the wound and smiled which the mother perked up a bit at, "Is... is it all clean?"

With a chuckle, the Healer nodded, "It's all clean. Now, let's seal that right up and you will be just fine." Waving his wand over the wound, he smiled as he watched the cut close up as he slowly traced it from the bottom up with the tip of the wooden rod. After it was all done, he examined where the wound was and looked up at the kid, "There we go, all healed."

As he got up, the female Tanuki relaxed some and bowed a little, "Thank you, Haruto-Sama. I know that you normally wouldn't need to do this, but..."

Haruto just waved her off with a shake of his head, "Don't worry about it, Suzuhara-San. Kids will be kids and get hurt. All part of growing up, after all I got hurt as a kid at times. Besides which..." A chuckle escaped him as he tossed the rag into a bin and reached into a drawer, "It is sort of my job to fix people up."

Smiling, Suzuhara nodded, "Yes, well, we appreciate it anyways. So thank you."

Just looking over his shoulder, the seventeen year chuckled some as he pulled out a jar filled with wrapped candies. Reaching in, he pulled out one of the wrapped sweets and held it out to the Tanuki, "Well, you're welcome." A smile on his face, he nodded at the young child, "Now, I have some Jolly Ranchers here that I bought on my last trip outside the reserve, so go ahead and have one or two for being such a brave young man."

If anything, that made the youngster blush all the more, but he took it while his mother raised her eyebrow, "Say thank you to Haruto-Sama."

With a small nod, the youth looked down some with a smile, "Thank you, Haruto-Sama..."

Sighing, Haruto ruffled the younger male's hair, "You're very welcome. Now go and have some fun with your friends, just don't get hurt for a while, okay?"

That got him a nod and the child popped one of the candies in his mouth with a smile. However, that fell away with the sound of a clearing throat and Haruto stood up to find his older brother at the door to his clinic with two of the Reserve Guards at his side. Guards that the Healer recognized as some of those who caused... trouble... for the residents, "Hello, Otouto."

Expression blank, Haruto met his brother's gaze impassively, "Nii-San." Glancing at the mother and son, he gave them a nod and motioned with his head. Both of them cleared out and Haruto tossed the other rags he had used into a bin to be cleaned later with boiling water, "What brings you here?"

A bored look on his face, though a bit of his lip was curled upwards into the slightest bit of a sneer, Ichiro looked around, "What an interesting... shack."

Simply shrugging, the younger of the two shook his head, "It does what it needs to, which is enough for me." Walking to the sink, he turned it on and began to wash his hands, "I don't need any fancy hospitals to do my work."

Now no longer even bothering to hide his disgust, Ichiro sneered fully, "Yes, as you told me when you threw my generous offer back in my face." Eyes narrowing some, he continued, "You could have done well where I was going to place you, instead of this disgusting place wasting your talents and reputation. You could have made something of yourself. Improve the standing of our family."

His tone one of boredom, Haruto scoffed, "No, because in the end it was not for me, it was all for you. And improving the standing of the family? You mean yours in the Diet." Turning off the tap, he dried his hands and began to turn, "As it always was-"

Just as he turned, all the air was driven from his lungs and he fell to his knees due to the punch to the gut from his brother. Rubbing his knuckles, Ichiro gave him a look, "In the end, they are one and the same, dear Otouto."

He gave a nod to the two guards who grabbed his brother's arms and hauled him to his feet in time to get another punch to the gut. Gasping, Haruto sucked in some breaths before glaring at his brother, "Really... punching me? What? Don't know enough magic?"

That only got him a disappointed look which made him internally snort in derision. His brother though snorted outwardly, "No, but magic would be too obvious. Physical damage? Why, that could have been done by any of the beasts here."

Meeting his brother's gaze, Haruto smirked, "I only see three beasts here, and none of them are Yokai, dear Nii-San."

All that got him though was a slap to the face before his brother grabbed him by the chin, "Now then, I am going to ask you nicely and want you to answer..."

One eyebrow raised, Haruto stared at him, "Going to ask me something? Like if you slap like that one girl who got pissed off at you because you dismissed the Omiai our parents set up and slapped you?"

Going red in the face in embarrassment, Ichiro growled, "I am going to ignore that this time as I had no time for such silly things as that then or now as I am a very busy man. Now... tell me about the smugglers."

Haruto spat to the side and gave his brother a look of bemusement, "The smugglers?"

Slowly, Ichiro nodded, "Yes, the smugglers. Who are they? Who is involved here? What times do they come? And how do they smuggle things in? Tell me and I can make things a bit easier for you."

What he didn't expect was for his brother to smile and shrug, "I don't know any of that, I'm just a Healer."

Another blow to the stomach knocked the breath from his lungs. The only thing that kept him from falling was the fact that the two guards had hold of his arms. Growing, Ichiro grabbed his collar and forced him to meet his gaze, "Do not give me that, Haruto! I want to know, and I want to know now! So give me what I want, and you can go back to doing... your things." When his older brother nodded, Haruto noticed one of the guards reach out and grab the cupboard with the medicine, "Or some bad things might happen."

Of all the things, Ichiro did not expect his younger brother to chuckle, "Won't do a thing, those cupboards are charmed specifically so that only a Healer can open them. And it also keeps what is inside from being damaged."

Eyes widening, the older of the two siblings looked at the guard who yanked as hard as he could on the doors, and scowled as nothing at all moved inside.

When he turned back to Haruto, the Healer smirked, actually smirked at him much to his fury before said seventeen year old spoke, "I'm going to say it slow and simple this time. I. Don't. Know. Nothing. About. Smugglers." He gave a shrug and grinned, "One of the first things that I did was tell the Yokai here to make damn sure that I didn't know anything about how the smuggling is done or who is involved. That way, I couldn't tell anyone anything at all..." Leaning forward the best that he could, "Especially people like you, Nii-San."

Shaking in anger, Ichiro growled at him as he shook him, "You're lying! You must have seen something here! Heard something here!"

Now grinning, Haruto laughed, "Nope! I go out of my way to avoid seeing anything. Want me to swear an oath?" Crookedly smiling even as his cheek hurt, he continued though he caught sight of movement at the door out of the corner of his eye, 'I hope that's not one of the kids...' It was than that memory of an old muggle show he saw once came to mind, "I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing."

The two guards got a nod from his brother and Haruto found himself slammed up against the wall, a groan escaping him. Walking up, Ichiro snarled at him, "Do you know what is at stake!? With all this smuggling!?"

Completely unbothered after shaking his head, Haruto snorted some, "Yes, such as the lives here that depend on it via food or needed potions. Or the lives of those involved, who are risking themselves?" His lips curled a little, "Or do you mean something utterly worthless... like your reputation? Or that of the politicians whose asses you kiss? They're not looking the greatest right now..."

Moments later, he was slammed against the wall again, followed by another punch to the gut before Ichiro replied, "Watch what you say, Otouto. Or else, when I am Head of the Family, I will toss you out! Full disownment!"

To his befuddlement, Haruto shrugged, "If you were head of the family, than it would not be one that I would want to be part of. But I doubt very much that you are going to become Head of the Family soon, or at all."

Laughing, Ichiro grinned at him, "Yes, I am. Otou-San will make me such after all as I am the oldest and most successful. Now, tell me-"

Suddenly, a voice cut in from the door, "WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE!?"

Eyes widening, Ichiro twisted around to find a Japanese woman with obviously European ancestry at the door looking at them in shock and dismay. Straightening, the older of the two siblings paled a bit and cleared his throat, "Ah, Suzuki-San, I... thought that you were with the inspection team back at the fort..."

Barely sparing him a glance, Kisei growled, "I went ahead of the others as that is the best way of seeing things not on the tour." Walking past him, she shot a glare at the two guards who let go of Haruto and quickly scrambled around as the healer fell to his knees with a groan. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the MACUSA witch turned and snarled at them, "And once more, what is going on here!?"

Straightening, Ichiro took a deep breath as he put on an expression of assuredness, "He is a person of interest in the ongoing investigation into the smuggling issue that we have been having with the reserves. But, well... he has a rather closed mouth."

Lips pressed thinly, Kisei glared at them before yet another female voice became apparent, "Oh, I don't know. I think that he just is not telling you what you wish to hear." Once more, they twisted around to find an older woman at the door, this one obviously an American. Her face, what could be seen in the hood, was worn, "Granted, I do not know what you may think a Healer would know that the guards would not."

Ichiro gave a slight nod and hummed as the two Japanese wizards he had with him shifted nervously, "Perhaps we were getting a bit too... enthusiastic, I suppose with solving the issue." Turning his head, he gave his brother a contemptuous look that said one thing, 'I will get it out of you.'

With that, he straightened his clothes and nodded to the two guards before slowly passing the two women and leaving. Beside Haruto, Kisei looked down at him, "Are you okay?"

All he did was nod a bit before shaking his head internally, 'So an inspection? That explains why he thought that he would be able to pull this off. Everyone would be busy elsewhere...' Waving her off, Haruto slowly stumbled to his feet and gave her a nod, "I... I'm fine, thank you."

Taking a step, he stumbled a bit only for the older woman to catch him with a frown, "They certainly worked you over some, come on, we can get you up to the fort."

She narrowed her eyes though when Haruto shook his head, "No, no. I... I stay here in the town. Just... give me a moment and I'll get some help to get home."

Less than five minutes later, the two MACUSA personnel watched as Haruto was being helped away from the clinic by an Oni. It also did not escape their notice that various Yokai were around the Healer protectively and giving them looks. Once the Healer was out of sight, they shared a knowing glance. After that, Kisei and Mary headed back to the fort and the rest of the group as they quietly spoke to one another.