Note: I apologize for the rocky start that this story gets off to. I'm horrible with beginnings, and I promise that this gets better with the next chapter. This is something that's been kicking around in my head since I started to do research on Japanese mythology. The only thing I don't own in this are the five Troopers, and the four MaSho (and boy do I wish I did). Please read, and please review.
Chapter One
There is No Such Thing As Peace
"Ashe makes six." Ryo stated with a grin at the college student. She was a year younger than the rest of them, and the only one who had actually decided what major she was studying.
It had been a fantastic three years, with just about practical silence from the Youjakai, and the three MaSho. Naste had settled into her teaching position as easily as if she had been born to it, and the five Yoroiden Samurai Troopers settled into as much of a normal life as they could. The brief month off for summer break would definitely not be wasted.
Ashe Kasuhara had met the Troopers while attending Naste's Japanese Myth and Culture course at Shinsha University. She waited patiently as the boys bickered over whose team she would be on. Three-on-three volleyball was a cutthroat sport whenever she joined it. But then again, anything that Ashe did was turned up three or four notches.
"I'll trade you Seiji, for Ashe," Shuu was wheedling. Shin stood beside him, water droplets reflecting off his auburn hair as he stripped out of his wetsuit.
"Sorry." Ryo was shaking his head stubbornly. "Me, Touma and Ashe, vs. you, Shin, and Seiji. You had Ashe last time. It's only fair."
Ashe cracked her knuckles, with a devilish grin; unintentionally, she added further injury by sliding her arms around both Ryo and Touma's shoulders. Flashing the boys across the net a grin, Ashe slid away again to fetch the ball from the sand. Behind her, Shuu and Shin exchanged glances, while Seiji just sighed.
"Her mind's made up, guys. She's determined to kick our butts at this," Seiji observed as he settled into his position at the front of the net. Ashe tossed the ball in the air a few times as she waited for the others to settle in. Then with a wicked grin, she spun the ball on the palm of her hand.
"First serve, boys! Love, love!" Ashe wasn't pulling any stops, and Shin flinched reflexively as he watched her toss the ball upwards, her whole body leaving the ground with a graceful arch. In front of her, Ryo and Touma were both ready for the return volley. As Ashe's hand struck the ball with a resounding slap, a flash of lightning split the sky overhead.
Distracted by a black chill creeping over him, Seiji turned towards where the sun should have been only to see thick black cloud cover rolling in with supernatural speed. "Oh shit," he breathed, just before taking the full brunt of Ashe's serve square in the shoulder blades.
He stumbled forward, and landed face-first in the sand. But he had called his fellow Troopers attention to what was amiss. Ashe, however, was more concerned about her friend, ducking under the net to crouch beside Seiji.
"Are you okay?" she asked breathlessly, biting her lip as she helped him back up. Brushing the dirt from his honey-gold hair, she sought out his eyes with her nearly black ones.
"Fine." Seiji shrugged her off gently, his pride the only thing left stinging. After a moment he lifted his hand and pointed, drawing her attention to the storm front. "That, however, isn't fine."
Ashe stared, flinching as lightning split the sky and hit the beach somewhere to their north. "RUN!" Someone shouted, but the six friends held their ground, the five Troopers ringing around Ashe as if getting ready to protect her from something. It was just like the stories Naste had told, the darkness and the oppressive tightness that settled in her chest. While the Troopers scanned the skies, Ashe watched the people scrambling over the sand dunes.
Perhaps that was why Ashe spotted it first. Cresting a dune, the tip of a fire-engorged sword flashed, and as it fell, a crack of thunder masked what she knew was a cry of pain. She didn't have enough time to think, so she followed her instinct, and ducked between Shuu and Ryo, sprinting for the dune, and twisting out of grabbing hands. Sounds of her name being shouted were drowned out by another peal of thunder.
She crested the dune to the sound of pounding feet as the Troopers were pelting across the sand to catch up to her. Once more, at the top, she only had a few seconds to assess the situation before she chose her course of action. A man in pale red armor, dented and scarred, lay nearly immobile three feet away. An arrow protruded from one leg, as well as from his shoulder, pinioning him defenseless. The other, she was not sure was even a man, for midnight blue skin, shining like wet rubber, covered his body where the mismatched armor didn't. And horns, like a pronghorn steer, swept from his scalp, bases hidden by coarse black hair.
And it was the inhuman male that held the flaming sword.
She glanced backwards. The boys were still seconds away from arriving, seconds that could mean one life or another. She just had to delay the killing blow long enough. That did it, and she began to charge down the back slope of the dune. Putting one shoulder forward, she kept her center of gravity low, and aimed at the monsters hip-height. She didn't want to know what crunched as she barreled forward. Twin cries of surprise rose from the combatants; and then a third, as the monster's feet began to leave the solidity of earth.
The fire-embraced weapon fell just inches from her back; where she expected to find the fire hot, she found it like ice, burning her back from the sheer cold. She heard cries of her name over the screaming in her mind, and knew that the cavalry had arrived.
"BUSO!" Ashe let the cry rally her spirits as she stopped pushing and spun away from the gigantic form. There were only a few more seconds before the Troopers hit, and hit hard, driving the monster back away from the battlefield. Ashe barely managed to keep her feet, defensively, in front of the fallen warrior, glancing back only once to flash him a smile of reassurance.
"Rajura!" the inhuman roar came from a mouth filled with sharp teeth and huge canines. "I'll find you! You can't hide in the Nigenkai!" The sound of a silver gong filled the air, as the monster pulled away from the Troopers, and fled in a flash of lightning.
"Ashe!" "Rajura!" Mingled cries sounded around the two of them, as the Troopers charged forward. Relaxing finally, Ashe started to pull the t-shirt off her body, hissing, as it pulled against her back, sticky with blood. Throwing the bloody shirt to the ground, she turned to the fallen warrior behind her.
"That was… foolish," he muttered through gritted teeth. One of his hands had found the shaft of the arrow in his leg, and looked as though he was going to pull it out.
"But it worked," Ashe returned; her features were like stone, set against her own pain. But her voice quivered, uncertainly. "Let me." She curled her hands around his, gently pulling his fingers away as the Troopers clustered around them.
"Ashe, hold on for a moment, let me heal you." Seiji was clamoring behind her, his Korin armor gently glowing like a beacon.
"You can heal both of us, after I get these arrows out of him." Ashe snapped with a slight growl. Seiji blinked, in wounded silence. He looked to his fellow Troopers for support, but they surrounded Rajura slowly.
"Hold him," Ryo instructed. "It'll be easier, Rajura, if you armor down."
Reluctantly, Rajura released the arrow shaft and eased onto his back, one hand lay clasped for a moment over his heart, as the pale red armor dissipated into mist. He could feel Ashe pat his leg after a moment; before she let her fingers gently curl around the arrow shaft. Closing his eye, he could feel her count softly to herself. He bore the sharp stab of agony in silence, barely even wincing.
"One more," Ashe breathed quietly as she moved up to the arrow in his shoulder. Seiji had already begun to heal the first wound, a gentle, soft radiance enveloping Rajura's legs. She repeated the procedure, tossing the arrow to the side derisively. This time Rajura gave a small moan. "Sorry," she whispered softly, as Seiji's healing light crept up to seek out the second wound.
Ashe settled back on her heels, to watch the gentle light work it's magic. She glanced up to find Ryo glaring accusingly at her. With a slight frown, she dropped her gaze again. Guilty for saving someone's life, she felt stupid for throwing herself in the way. But as she looked at the relieved face of the man lying prone on the sand, she allowed herself a smile again, satisfied that she had done something amazing.
"Your turn," Seiji said softly, turning his attention towards Ashe. The metal-clad hands were cool against her shoulders, but the light filled her with warmth that started in her toes and slid quickly through her entire body. Her back, burned by the freezing cold, warmed. Shuu had to turn away as her flesh actually began to knit itself together before their very eyes.
"Thank you, Seiji," Ashe smiled warmly, as the sensation of healing fled from her body. Seiji's hands lingered on her shoulders a few moments too long, and the reason why became evident as she shook her curtain of pale blonde hair from her face.
Rajura was beginning to stand, slowly and steadily. His features seemed urgent, glancing around, and finally looking towards the sky. Ashe followed his gaze, as did the five others. The dark clouds were clearing, dispersing into the air they were born from. Ashe noticed the relief apparent on the Troopers features, and watched as they, one by one, armored down into their simple base armors. Shuu was the last to follow suit, his eyes never leaving Rajura.
"Tell me that's not what I think it was?" Touma asked of the taller man. Now that she had a few moments to breathe, she could really look at him. He was a few inches taller than Touma; with skin so white it seemed to be milk. His hair fell to his shoulders, prematurely gone white from the youthful lines on his face.
"It was," came the answer.
"And you're not trying to kill us?" Shuu demanded. Rajura merely nodded, a ghost of a smile playing on his thin lips.
"Why?" Ryo was the one to ask, raising his brows thoughtfully.
"Because it is not Arago in command."
"No?" Shin this time, asked the question, stepping forward to partially hide Ashe from view.
"No. Keiji is stronger."
"The Youjakai has been awakening since you slew Arago," Rajura explained later at Naste's house. "More of my world comes to life with every passing day. However, with life, comes sentience. And Keiji awoke with the land."
"Who is this Keiji?" Naste asked, leaning forward slightly.
"A spirit. A ghost. A sorcerer. We're not completely sure. We do know it was his power that drew the bakemono and the akuma from hiding." Rajura kept gesturing with his hands, punctuating his sentences with well-timed jabs and flourishes.
"So that was an akuma?" Ashe asked, her voice hushed. "A real akuma?"
"Indeed, Keiji has raised an army of nightmares. Hideo is only one of his generals. We MaSho raise an army as well, but we fear that we are overmatched by Keiji's forces. We feel that we may need your assistance." Rajura was gazing pointedly at Ryo.
"What about Kayura? Why didn't you send her?" Touma queried resting his chin on his interlaced fingers.
"Because, Tengu, Kayura has vanished." Rajura lifted his hands to slow the sounds of surprise that rose from the five Troopers. "She left us the Oni yoroi, and vanished into the wilds of the Youjakai."
An uneasy silence closed over the room. Ryo stood slowly, and gestured to his fellow Troopers. Quietly they withdrew to the far corner of the room to discuss what was going through their heads. Naste made the excuse to fetch some tea for everyone, leaving Ashe alone with the MaSho.
"Even if they don't want to help, I will." Ashe said suddenly. "It sounds like a grand adventure, and I'm always up for one of those."
A smile flickered across Rajura's stoic expression. "I appreciate the offer, but they will never allow you in such danger."
Ashe grinned, as she began to stand up. "I can be very persuasive." With a grin, she headed off toward the Trooper's huddle, and slipped into the group beside Seiji. For a moment, everyone was quiet, but only Ryo dared to look in her direction. "So when do we leave?" she asked jauntily.
"You're not going, Ashe," Ryo answered, harshly.
"What do you mean?" Ashe countered. "You can't just leave me behind!"
"It's too dangerous, we don't even know what we're fighting." Ryo tried to explain.
"Yes we do, akuma and bakemono," Ashe countered.
Ryo looked to his friends for help. Touma shook his head. "This time I don't agree with you, Ryo. Ashe knows how to defend herself, and her knowledge of the Myths and Legends would be most helpful." Seiji and Shin both began to nod. "I'd rather go into the Youjakai with a good idea of how to fight what we're going to face."
Ashe began to grin smugly. And Ryo sighed, his shoulders slumping as he admitted defeat. Shuu grumbled softly, until Ashe nudged his arm lightly.
"Remember, I know how to cook."
Shuu couldn't help but break into a grin with that statement.
"Alright Rajura, you have our assistance." Ryo muttered as he sprawled back out on the couch. Rajura rose as Ryo sat down, smiling.
"Excellent, we have no time to waste."
