"Jenny Jenny Jenny Jenny!" Beryl squealed the second her favorite anime friend picked up the receiver. "Guess what today is!"
"Hmm," Genevieve pondered. Perhaps she should string her on for a while. "Um, Friday?"
"No," Beryl practically whimpered.
"Umm, the 14th?"
"Genevieve..." Jen giggled.
"Hmm...could it be...no...maybe...um...YOUR BIRTHDAY?!"
Beryl beamed. "Yes!! How did you know?" she answered with a grin.
"Oh, a little bird told me or something." She paused. "Well? I wanna hear what you got!"
"Oh, all kindsa stuff! But this one package was...odd."
"Really?" Jen looked puzzled. "How so?"
"Well, it's a brown paper package, no return address. The lettering is real ornate, in purple too! Hehehe."
"Huh," Jen remarked. "Are you scared about it? I mean, what if it's a bomb?"
The birthday girl gave a short exhale, "Somehow, I'm not really worried. It's weird, but it's like whatever's in there is reassuring me that it'll be okay. Freaky, ain't it? Anyways, I'll be at your place tomorrow, so we can open it together." She laughed. "So if I die, you're coming with me!"
* * *
"Beryl!"
"Hiya!!" The dark-haired girl leapt from the car with her baggage, running briskly to the door of a brick two-story, embracing the girl on the threshold. Beryl turned to face the van and waved. "See ya tomorrow, Daddy! Say hi to Ma for me!" she cried as her dad pulled away.
"Boy have I got a surprise for you!" Jen remarked happily before shutting the door behind them. "But first, presents!"
After tearing what seemed miles of wrapping paper to veritable shreds, the two headed up to Jen's room.
"So what's this surprise?" Beryl asked innocently.
"Oh, you'll see!" As they reached the top of the staircase, Jen instructed, "Close your eyes for a sec now." As she guided her friend into her room, two figures creeped out of the closet, preparing themselves for the newest arrival.
"There." They had reached their destination. "Okay, Beryl, open your eyes."
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Jill and Marisa cried, making Beryl's eyes shoot open. It was only by Genevieve's hands on her shoulders that she kept from facefaulting.
Jill giggled. "All those extra presents were from us!" Marisa nodded in agreement.
"Thank you so much, you peoples!" She smiled. "This is so cool of you!"
"No problem," Marisa said. "Now then, about this weird package we've been hearing about..."
"Oh!" Beryl bounced over to her bag, producing a hexagonal-shaped box wrapped in brown paper. It was addressed to the birthday girl in bold purple letters and obviously metallic as it glinted in the light. The other girls looked puzzled.
"I...I didn't think it would look like that..." Jen muttered quietly.
"Hmm?"
Marisa looked towards Genevieve. "We all got a package like that..."
Jill trotted over to the desk, reaching beneath to find three similar packages, all slightly smaller than Beryl's. She handed them to their respective owners, keeping hers in hand.
"This is some freaky shit," said Beryl quietly. She sighed. "Okay everyone, on three, we open them at the same time. All right? One, two..." Suddenly, the wrapping on all four packages flew off, revealing shimmering boxes the color the addresses were written in. Beryl's glowed gold; Genevieve's, a teal; Jillian, light pinkish-purple; and Marisa, deep green. It seemed the whole room went dark around them, leaving the packages to be the only real source of light. Gasps were heard from all four girls. "Three."
The box tops sprung off, disappearing in correspondingly colored bright flashes. From each, a weapon along with an odd creature of sorts rose, hovering in front of the girl who owned it. The weapons shrunk into orbs of colored light, still floating in front of its owner. Simultaneously, all the animals began raising their heads, opening their eyes to meet the girls' as the lights slowly faded.
The one facing Beryl resembled a cat. It was like a ray of sunlight, its forehead crowned and the emblem of the sun imprinted on its chest.
Jen's was a sort of winged lizard, flowing like an ocean wave. The mark of the sea was on its forehead, and a band encircled its wrist.
Jillian stared into the eyes of a bird with a necklace, seeming like love itself. The symbol of passion shone from its long neck.
Marisa's was a small fawn of noble bearing, marked of the forest. The brand of wood was on its back. A ring hung on its small antler.
Each transformed into a larger form of itself, clothed in full battle armor and settling finally on the floor. The first became a cougar, the second, a blue dragon, the third, a swan, and the fourth, a stag. Each acknowledged the girl it was facing.
The feline spoke first. "Honji Bijin, you are Fighter Heliodor. Your element is the sun, and your Guardian is Apollo."
"Wh-who are you?" Beryl breathed.
The creature nodded. "My name is Phaethon."
The dragon spoke to Genevieve. "Laleta Kisaki, you are the Fighter Aquamarine. You are of the element water, and Pontus is your Guardian." A pause. "I am called Nereus."
Jill had drawn her fists to her chest in response to the great bird in front of her. "Brooke Avalon, my dear, you are Fighter Morganite of the element of love. Your Guardian is Aphrodite. I am Psyche."
The deer bowed its head to Marisa. "Hitomi Kinomoto, the Fighter Emerald. Yours is the element wood, your Guardian is the noble Pan. I am called Satyr."
Jen did naught but cross her arms. "That's great and all, but what does it all mean?"
"What it means, ignorant one," the cougar growled, "that you four are the Kouhekigyoku Purotekuta, the Beryl no Faitaa!"
"Phaethon, calm yourself," The swan said coolly.
The dragon did not react well. "Respect those in charge, Psyche. You have no position to tell him what do."
"Please! All of you! This is about the girls, not us!" The stag's tone was urgent. "If I may explain," he looked to Phaethon, who nodded sullenly, "you four are the reincarnations of the original Kouhekigyoku Four, Honji, Laleta, Brooke, and Hitomi. It all began many eons ago...[Flashback mode!]
"Your Guardians, Apollo, Pontus, Aphrodite, and Pan held the four Gems of Force, the ones you see we are wearing. When brought together, the Gems create a power of unbelievable strength, and will favor itself to the side which summoned it, dark or light. Evil came to the Pantheon looking to collect the Gems, so the Guardians of these jewels had a choice: to either fight or choose those to fight for them. Using their own mighty skills, they endangered the planet they protected, so the gods chose four girls, pure of heart but unique in spirit. They gave those young women the Gems to aid them in the battle as well as their pets, the Beasts who Preserve to guide them. The Evil was defeated and the Gems and Beasts returned to their masters and the girls returned to their normal lives.
"But now, the Evil has returned, and although the Guardians know what form it has taken, they shall not tell us and we have yet to discover it. It is for the Fighters and the Beasts to reveal as a team.
"Now to explain each individual. Beryl, you are the reincarnation of Honji Bijin, bold and brave of heart, wiry and lithe of body. The Tiara of Sun which holds the Golden Beryl belongs to you.
"Genevieve, you are Laleta Kisaki, strong and resolute yet understanding, changing in spirit, curvaceous in shape. You hold the Aquamarine and the Band of Water.
"Jillian is Brooke Avalon, caring and sympathetic of nature and slim and gentle in looks, who has the Necklace of Love and the Pink Beryl.
"And Marisa, you are Hitomi Kinomoto, sturdy and able in appearance, the noble, responsible possessor of the Ring of Forest and the Emerald.
"Now, you cannot will these Gems to make you strong. You have proven yourselves worthy of using them. They give you the right to use these weapons. Honji uses the Sword of Flame," Beryl watched in disbelief as her orb morphed into a mighty sword, "Laleta, the Staff of Ice," Jen's became a baton, lengthening until it was over the girl's height, "Brooke, the Spear of Desire," Jill's became a rod of shining platinum with a magnificent spearhead, "Hitomi, the Bow and Quiver of the Woods." Marisa's orb split in two, a bow forming in her hand while the other slung itself across her shoulder to form a quiver full of arrows.
"Ohmigod..." Marisa muttered.
A call came from downstairs. "Genevieve? Genevieve! You four alright up there?"
"Shit! My mom!"
"Fret not, fair maid," said Nereus, glancing at the Sun beast for approval. Receiving a 'go,' his jaws opened and a fog poured forth, covering the bedroom in a fine silver mist.
"What's going on?!" Beryl exclaiming feeling herself lift the ground and being engulfed in a white light. All she could hear was her friends screaming as they disappeared as well.
"It's all right," she heard Phaethon say. "Put your arms around me." Feeling his furry mass under her palm, she reached around his neck, clinging close till the light faded away.
* * *
Meanwhile, back in Jen's bedroom, four demons flew across the floor looking for traces of the group who had just departed.
"Any sign of them?"
"None," the other responded, quickly teleported along with his acquaintance at the sound of the door opening.
"Genevieve?" The girl's mother was too late. All she saw was a letter floating to the ground and a wisp of smoke dissipating into nothing.
"Dear Mom,
We're just out on a walk. Be back soon!
- Genevieve"
"Huh, that's funny," she remarked, heading for the stairs, "I never heard them leave the front door..."
* * *
"Hmm," Genevieve pondered. Perhaps she should string her on for a while. "Um, Friday?"
"No," Beryl practically whimpered.
"Umm, the 14th?"
"Genevieve..." Jen giggled.
"Hmm...could it be...no...maybe...um...YOUR BIRTHDAY?!"
Beryl beamed. "Yes!! How did you know?" she answered with a grin.
"Oh, a little bird told me or something." She paused. "Well? I wanna hear what you got!"
"Oh, all kindsa stuff! But this one package was...odd."
"Really?" Jen looked puzzled. "How so?"
"Well, it's a brown paper package, no return address. The lettering is real ornate, in purple too! Hehehe."
"Huh," Jen remarked. "Are you scared about it? I mean, what if it's a bomb?"
The birthday girl gave a short exhale, "Somehow, I'm not really worried. It's weird, but it's like whatever's in there is reassuring me that it'll be okay. Freaky, ain't it? Anyways, I'll be at your place tomorrow, so we can open it together." She laughed. "So if I die, you're coming with me!"
* * *
"Beryl!"
"Hiya!!" The dark-haired girl leapt from the car with her baggage, running briskly to the door of a brick two-story, embracing the girl on the threshold. Beryl turned to face the van and waved. "See ya tomorrow, Daddy! Say hi to Ma for me!" she cried as her dad pulled away.
"Boy have I got a surprise for you!" Jen remarked happily before shutting the door behind them. "But first, presents!"
After tearing what seemed miles of wrapping paper to veritable shreds, the two headed up to Jen's room.
"So what's this surprise?" Beryl asked innocently.
"Oh, you'll see!" As they reached the top of the staircase, Jen instructed, "Close your eyes for a sec now." As she guided her friend into her room, two figures creeped out of the closet, preparing themselves for the newest arrival.
"There." They had reached their destination. "Okay, Beryl, open your eyes."
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Jill and Marisa cried, making Beryl's eyes shoot open. It was only by Genevieve's hands on her shoulders that she kept from facefaulting.
Jill giggled. "All those extra presents were from us!" Marisa nodded in agreement.
"Thank you so much, you peoples!" She smiled. "This is so cool of you!"
"No problem," Marisa said. "Now then, about this weird package we've been hearing about..."
"Oh!" Beryl bounced over to her bag, producing a hexagonal-shaped box wrapped in brown paper. It was addressed to the birthday girl in bold purple letters and obviously metallic as it glinted in the light. The other girls looked puzzled.
"I...I didn't think it would look like that..." Jen muttered quietly.
"Hmm?"
Marisa looked towards Genevieve. "We all got a package like that..."
Jill trotted over to the desk, reaching beneath to find three similar packages, all slightly smaller than Beryl's. She handed them to their respective owners, keeping hers in hand.
"This is some freaky shit," said Beryl quietly. She sighed. "Okay everyone, on three, we open them at the same time. All right? One, two..." Suddenly, the wrapping on all four packages flew off, revealing shimmering boxes the color the addresses were written in. Beryl's glowed gold; Genevieve's, a teal; Jillian, light pinkish-purple; and Marisa, deep green. It seemed the whole room went dark around them, leaving the packages to be the only real source of light. Gasps were heard from all four girls. "Three."
The box tops sprung off, disappearing in correspondingly colored bright flashes. From each, a weapon along with an odd creature of sorts rose, hovering in front of the girl who owned it. The weapons shrunk into orbs of colored light, still floating in front of its owner. Simultaneously, all the animals began raising their heads, opening their eyes to meet the girls' as the lights slowly faded.
The one facing Beryl resembled a cat. It was like a ray of sunlight, its forehead crowned and the emblem of the sun imprinted on its chest.
Jen's was a sort of winged lizard, flowing like an ocean wave. The mark of the sea was on its forehead, and a band encircled its wrist.
Jillian stared into the eyes of a bird with a necklace, seeming like love itself. The symbol of passion shone from its long neck.
Marisa's was a small fawn of noble bearing, marked of the forest. The brand of wood was on its back. A ring hung on its small antler.
Each transformed into a larger form of itself, clothed in full battle armor and settling finally on the floor. The first became a cougar, the second, a blue dragon, the third, a swan, and the fourth, a stag. Each acknowledged the girl it was facing.
The feline spoke first. "Honji Bijin, you are Fighter Heliodor. Your element is the sun, and your Guardian is Apollo."
"Wh-who are you?" Beryl breathed.
The creature nodded. "My name is Phaethon."
The dragon spoke to Genevieve. "Laleta Kisaki, you are the Fighter Aquamarine. You are of the element water, and Pontus is your Guardian." A pause. "I am called Nereus."
Jill had drawn her fists to her chest in response to the great bird in front of her. "Brooke Avalon, my dear, you are Fighter Morganite of the element of love. Your Guardian is Aphrodite. I am Psyche."
The deer bowed its head to Marisa. "Hitomi Kinomoto, the Fighter Emerald. Yours is the element wood, your Guardian is the noble Pan. I am called Satyr."
Jen did naught but cross her arms. "That's great and all, but what does it all mean?"
"What it means, ignorant one," the cougar growled, "that you four are the Kouhekigyoku Purotekuta, the Beryl no Faitaa!"
"Phaethon, calm yourself," The swan said coolly.
The dragon did not react well. "Respect those in charge, Psyche. You have no position to tell him what do."
"Please! All of you! This is about the girls, not us!" The stag's tone was urgent. "If I may explain," he looked to Phaethon, who nodded sullenly, "you four are the reincarnations of the original Kouhekigyoku Four, Honji, Laleta, Brooke, and Hitomi. It all began many eons ago...[Flashback mode!]
"Your Guardians, Apollo, Pontus, Aphrodite, and Pan held the four Gems of Force, the ones you see we are wearing. When brought together, the Gems create a power of unbelievable strength, and will favor itself to the side which summoned it, dark or light. Evil came to the Pantheon looking to collect the Gems, so the Guardians of these jewels had a choice: to either fight or choose those to fight for them. Using their own mighty skills, they endangered the planet they protected, so the gods chose four girls, pure of heart but unique in spirit. They gave those young women the Gems to aid them in the battle as well as their pets, the Beasts who Preserve to guide them. The Evil was defeated and the Gems and Beasts returned to their masters and the girls returned to their normal lives.
"But now, the Evil has returned, and although the Guardians know what form it has taken, they shall not tell us and we have yet to discover it. It is for the Fighters and the Beasts to reveal as a team.
"Now to explain each individual. Beryl, you are the reincarnation of Honji Bijin, bold and brave of heart, wiry and lithe of body. The Tiara of Sun which holds the Golden Beryl belongs to you.
"Genevieve, you are Laleta Kisaki, strong and resolute yet understanding, changing in spirit, curvaceous in shape. You hold the Aquamarine and the Band of Water.
"Jillian is Brooke Avalon, caring and sympathetic of nature and slim and gentle in looks, who has the Necklace of Love and the Pink Beryl.
"And Marisa, you are Hitomi Kinomoto, sturdy and able in appearance, the noble, responsible possessor of the Ring of Forest and the Emerald.
"Now, you cannot will these Gems to make you strong. You have proven yourselves worthy of using them. They give you the right to use these weapons. Honji uses the Sword of Flame," Beryl watched in disbelief as her orb morphed into a mighty sword, "Laleta, the Staff of Ice," Jen's became a baton, lengthening until it was over the girl's height, "Brooke, the Spear of Desire," Jill's became a rod of shining platinum with a magnificent spearhead, "Hitomi, the Bow and Quiver of the Woods." Marisa's orb split in two, a bow forming in her hand while the other slung itself across her shoulder to form a quiver full of arrows.
"Ohmigod..." Marisa muttered.
A call came from downstairs. "Genevieve? Genevieve! You four alright up there?"
"Shit! My mom!"
"Fret not, fair maid," said Nereus, glancing at the Sun beast for approval. Receiving a 'go,' his jaws opened and a fog poured forth, covering the bedroom in a fine silver mist.
"What's going on?!" Beryl exclaiming feeling herself lift the ground and being engulfed in a white light. All she could hear was her friends screaming as they disappeared as well.
"It's all right," she heard Phaethon say. "Put your arms around me." Feeling his furry mass under her palm, she reached around his neck, clinging close till the light faded away.
* * *
Meanwhile, back in Jen's bedroom, four demons flew across the floor looking for traces of the group who had just departed.
"Any sign of them?"
"None," the other responded, quickly teleported along with his acquaintance at the sound of the door opening.
"Genevieve?" The girl's mother was too late. All she saw was a letter floating to the ground and a wisp of smoke dissipating into nothing.
"Dear Mom,
We're just out on a walk. Be back soon!
- Genevieve"
"Huh, that's funny," she remarked, heading for the stairs, "I never heard them leave the front door..."
* * *