Man, you guys do not wanna know the kinda crap I had to go through to get Chapter 1 set up properly. All the shit the site threw at me, making the disclaimers spontaneously disappear when I posted it the first time…
Oh, and uh, in case anyone's wondering? I have an outline planned all the way out to Book 21, and after November 6th I'll start working on Book 22's outline, too. That's how far ahead I have the series planned out.
SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR DISCLAIMERS
-CHAPTER START-
Rika had gathered quite the entourage when she'd announced that she'd gotten hold of intel on Shion's whereabouts: Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Satoko, Investigator Ōishi (who'd been trying in vain to puzzle out Shion's disappearance), Dr. Irie, Akasaka, Shion's old bodyguard Kasai, Chie-sensei, Elder Kimiyoshi, Mion & Shion's mother Akane, and pretty much the entirety of the Sonozaki Clan council. They'd been a bit skeptical upon learning the exact nature of this data, but seeing Shion step through a rift in space-time had left them open-minded enough to accept it. Thus, everyone had gathered together in the town hall and settled in for the long viewing, watching & learning of various realms' histories, Lanstar's odyssey, and finally Shion's emergence into the picture shortly after the other four newcomers, and her participation in the Battle of Crassus, followed by her being named second-in-command of Gamma Team due to her skills displayed during said campaign.
They continued to watch as things progressed. Shion's training on Shakuras and induction as a Dark Templar; her discovering chakra and learning how to use it; her tearful confessions to her team, including her status as the girl born as Mion and the mix-up when the twins were toddlers (when pressed, Mion shakily confirmed this to the others), and of the Sonozaki Clan's stature toward and method of dealing with twins (which horrified Rika's group), along with the reveal of the Sangheili near-reverence of twins (which disgusted and infuriated most of the Sonozaki Elders, though they kept it quiet); the discovery of Shion's status as a Jinchūriki.
The adventures and misadventures at Mahora Academy; the trip to Mundus Magicus, and the multiple battles and revelations that happened there; Shion's going 3-Tails alongside an equally-berserk Negi against Fate Averruncus, and later her battle against Averruncus Sextum; the later fight against Averruncus Secundum, where Shion reacted very violently to the psychotic warrior's comments (the fact that Shion now took being called a Sonozaki as a grave insult shocked Mion and further angered the Clan Elders, while Satoko responded to the threats against her brother by loudly cheering Shion on in the fight), ultimately losing control and going 4-Tails; the fight against Ruin, with Rika surprised to see that cloaked girl who'd given her this data fighting alongside Negi & Teana, wielding a Keyblade; the time in the Last Precursor's Eternal Garden, the arrival of Satoshi's astral projection (confirming to everyone that he still lived) and his revealing that the Sonozaki Clan were innocent of his ordeals (something that surprised even Mion) and of his current state (though happy her brother was alive, Satoko was not happy to learn he was in a medically-induced coma somewhere); the two confessing to each other; Shion fighting her Heart's Darkness and making peace with the 5-Tails, and the aftermath; the climactic battle against the Lifemaker (including Shion voluntarily entering and controlling her 5-Tailed State, showing she had full control); and the events that followed after on that world and the two next.
The "core group" talked together about what they'd seen long into the night, and the knowledge that Shion might be coming home soon was dominant in their minds. And with what her squad could do… For the first time in ages, Rika had hope.
-SCENE BREAK-
Two Days Later
Pelican dropship Echo-419B lazily circled over the village below, drawing attention from the villagers. Teana had told Foehammer that stealth was likely not a concern this time (evidence suggested that the important people here had gotten to see the data files without Gamma's interference, much like Marie's family and Kizuna had), and the experienced pilot took it as a chance to show off a bit for the locals. After completing a lap or two, she picked a park near the center of town and flew in nice and easy, setting her bird down. Nine people stepped out of the dropship – Gamma Team (with Ahsoka clad in her special cloak, as usual), Sarah, Erika, & Timmy. As the Pelican took off again, Shion looked around.
"Not much has changed" she said.
"According to Charon," Marie said, "it's been three months here since you left."
"I wonder how much of a stir it caused…" Teana remarked.
Any other discussion was cut off by the sound of several voices approaching, all of them calling Shion's name. Five figures were visible rapidly approaching – a young man with brown hair, a girl with shoulder-length orange hair, two young girls – one blonde and the other with dark-blue hair –, and a girl in a yellow tank-top, blue jeans, and with her green hair in a ponytail, who was otherwise the spitting image of Shion. The latter girl sped up and proceeded to tackle-hug Shion hard enough to almost knock her over.
"Shiiiooooon!-!-!-! Thank God you're okay do you have any idea how worried we've been I'm so sorry sis I can't forgive myself for not knowing how hard it all was for you Please forgive me I didn't mean to-"
"Mii-chan, you're squeezing her too hard!" Rena interrupted as she and the others caught up.
"Huh?" Mion cut her frenzied, one-breath chattering and finally noticed that Shion's face was turning blue. She released her hold and stepped back, and Shion let out a deep, desperate gasp for air.
"S-Sorry" Mion said sheepishly as Shion continued to breathe heavily for several seconds.
"It's okay" the other twin replied as she finally caught her breath.
And then a smaller figure did the same thing Mion had done as she caught up, though Satoko hugged lower (due to her height) and not as hard, so it did little more than knock Shion off-balance a little. Once she quickly realized who was latched onto her, Shion eagerly returned the hug as Satoko held onto her. As the two got reacquainted, Sarah walked up to Mion. The two tall, ponytail-haired, older-sister figures looked at each other for several seconds, not saying anything. Then, Sarah raised her arm and held out her fist. After a few seconds, Mion did the same, and the two bumped fists.
Introductions and welcome-backs gave way to smaller talk (mostly the local group talking about some of the awesome things they saw Gamma Team do), as well as Rika revealing to Teana that the recordings had been given to her by the same mysterious ally who'd fought alongside her and Negi against Ruin. Kasai, Chief Ōishi, and Dr. Irie showed up a couple minutes in, adding to the happy little gathering. Erika and Satoko were already hitting it off together, as were Ahsoka and Keiichi.
"Yeah, Shion's been pretty cool" Teana was saying. "She's a solid second-in-command, she's got a good head on her shoulders, and now that she's mastered the 5-Tails' chakra she's probably the most powerful of us for now. Not to mention that she's got one hell of a nice-"
Teana's sentence was abruptly cut off as she moved faster than the others could track, reappearing with Mirage Longsword raised and blocking the sword strike that had been aimed at Shion's neck. Her Sharingan stared into the cold, hateful eyes of Oryō Sonozaki, who hid her shock at being detected and intercepted by a 'child'. The old woman leapt back, and then in a startlingly fast motion she threw a concealed kunai at Shion… only for Mai to intercept it with a thrown kunai of her own, knocking it off-course.
"What the hell is this?-!" Shion shouted as her energy shields activated and enveloped her.
"Silence!-!" Oryō screamed with hatred at the girl. "You do not have the right to dare to speak in my presence, filth!"
There was a flare of red chakra in response to that, a raging red aura forming around Mai, who was positively livid at such things being said to her lover; the others weren't exactly happy, either.
"On what grounds do you address her in such a manner?" Kaede asked, her voice deadly calm as she brought out a bone-blade.
"She has rejected, demeaned, and spit upon the Sonozaki name!" the old woman replied. "Insulted the traditions of the clan! Dared to learn the ways of xenos! Made peace with aliens who dare to view twins (she said the word like it was the vilest of curses)as sacred! Carried and accepted the power of a demon! And fell in love with a member of the accursed Hōjō family! These transgressions are beyond unforgivable! She must die!-!"
A flash of red accompanied Teana's Barrier Jacket forming, and she took a stance with a single Mirage Longsword.
"Go ahead and try it, you rancid old bitch" she growled. "Nobody harms my team and gets away with it!"
"You will die as well, off-worlder" Oryō snarled, saying the last bit with palpable disgust. "Foreigners, off-worlders, and filthy xenos who dare defile this village with your presences… you will share the tainted one's fate."
She then charged, locking blades with Teana. The old woman quickly proved herself to be surprisingly skilled and nimble with her blade; in Teana's opinion, she was around the level of that psycho swordsgirl Tsukuyomi in terms of sword skill (though she almost certainly lacked the massive ki attacks and dark spells of the latter). Though how the elder's steel sword wasn't being cleaved through by Teana's blade of superheated energy was a mystery. She focused her Sharingan on the old bat's blade, and to her surprise there was chakra streaming through it.
Using the split-second of distraction, Oryō kneed Teana in the gut and flash-stepped around her, charging at Shion only to feint and go for Satoko… and get blindsided by a chakra-charged kick from Erika that sent her tumbling, skidding to a stop several meters away. The cold, angry look on the girl's surprisingly calm face was chilling, especially since most had never seen her in such a way. Chakra flared around her, her green eyes narrowed in barely-restrained disgust and calm fury. Looking at his girlfriend, Timmy remembered the differences between the Swanson siblings' anger:
Marie had a relatively short fuse, but her anger was rarely truly frightening. Sarah didn't actually get angry that often, and when she did it was pretty dang scary. But Erika… Erika almost never got mad; she had a gentle countenance and near-infinite patience. Timmy had only ever seen her truly angry once, when defending a girl even shyer than her from some particularly vicious bullies… and on that day, he had learned that his shy little girlfriend's rarely-seen anger was eerily calm, laser-focused, and utterly terrifying. Right now, Erika was only about two-thirds as angry as she was during that incident, and it was still enough that the look in her eyes sent a shiver down his spine.
With considerable speed, Erika weaved a pattern of hand-seals, and then thrusted her hands forward, unleashing a trio of water-formed sharks. The Suikōdan no Jutsu raced through the air toward Oryō, who narrowly dodged one and cleaved the others in two with her sword. The younger girl flash-stepped forward, appearing directly in front of her foe and lashing out with a punch that rattled Oryō's bones when she barely managed to catch it, and then with a headbutt that sent the evil old woman reeling. Erika had to leap away, however, to dodge the surprise attack from another member of the Sonozaki Clan Council, a man in his early senior years armed with a katana similar to the clan's matriarch. He drew a pistol and fired at her, only for the young girl to summon a three-foot-wide shield spell that deflected the shots.
"Tsubaki no Mai: Konoha!" (Dance of the Camellia: Leaf)
Kaede's call preceded her attack as she leapt in, boneblades in hand, unleashing a flurrying combo of sweeping strikes, swings, and stabs with considerable speed, the two Elders working hard to parry or dodge her strikes. They redoubled their efforts to counterattack, forcing Fuyō to break off… just as Teana and Ahsoka, energy blades drawn, rushed in, the former focusing on Oryō while the latter went at the other Elder.
The two most skilled swordswomen of Gamma Team quickly had their opponents on the defensive. It soon became clear that their foes' advanced age was working against them; they were already running out of steam, while the 16-year-old heroines had plenty to spare. Within about a minute, the male elder bugged out, with Oryō following soon after, a barrage of smoke pellets enabling their escape.
"They'll try again" Teana said with certainty. "We need to be ready."
Mion, meanwhile, was so shocked that she couldn't even stand up anymore, much less speak. Her grandmother had completely flipped her lid this time. The things she'd said…
"I believe it would be wise if we slept all in one placetonight, with sentries" Marie said. "The same goes for you guys" she said to Keiichi, Rena, Mion, Satoko, and Rika.
"I…" Mion stammered. "I n-need to speak with my mother. She's never really agreed with the way Shion's been treated over the years. Maybe I c-can get us some help from her and my dad's connections."
With the fight over, everyone congregated together to discuss their next moves.
-SCENE BREAK-
Next Day
9:00 AM
A knock on the door interrupted the last few minutes of breakfast. Teana walked over and opened the door, finding Officer Akasaka standing there, looking a bit harried.
"Lanstar-san, we've got trouble!" he said. "We're getting reports of shots being fired at the Sonozaki Clan Estate!"
Teana's expression hardened. "Come on in. You can properly inform us all at once."
"Who's here with you?"
"My team, Marie's family & her little sister's boyfriend, Kizuna-kun, Nerine-san, and Keiichi-san & his friends except for Mion-san, who's been missing since yesterday afternoon; the rest are up on the Starshot."
She led the man into the old Kimiyoshi Clan estate, as a few people were finishing up breakfast. Notably, two Sangheili – Usze Taham and N'tho Sraom – were present, likely having served as guards the night before while the humans (and Togrutan) slept. They all turned as they noticed the guest.
"What brings you here, Akasaka-san?" Rika asked.
"Shots have been fired at the Sonozaki Clan estate. Evidence suggests that it's members of the clan shooting at each other."
What?-!" Shion leapt up from her chair.
Suddenly, the holo-terminal in the center of the main table beeped and flashed with an incoming message. Sarah reached over and hit the button, and a holo-screen showing Colonel Holland appeared.
"Gamma Team, we've got an interesting development" he said. "We've just received contact from Akane Sonozaki. The news is… alarming. Apparently, our arrival has acted as a catalyst for tensions within the Sonozaki Clan to boil over. The clan has split into two factions – the 'Traditionalists', led by Oryō Sonozaki, and the 'Revisionists' led by Akane and her daughter Mion. The two sides have already drawn battle lines and engaged in combat; the Sonozaki Clan has descended into a miniature civil war. We've received reports that the Traditionalists have hired armed mercenaries to bolster their ranks - hired killers, all of them trained and with no compunctions towards killing noncombatants who get caught in the crossfire. We've confirmed the Revisionists are friendly to us, and that the Traditionalists will attack our forces on sight. Miss Akane is requesting assistance; we have a couple of dropships with troops inbound, but you girls are closer to the Clan Estate. Get over there and help them out."
"Copy that, Colonel" Teana said. "We'll leave immediately. We'll make sure that Revisionist casualties are kept to a minimum."
"I know you will, Gamma-1. But be careful just the same. Gamma Actual out."
The transmission ended, and Lanstar immediately began issuing orders. Akasaka, Nerine, and Sraom were assigned to keep guard over Keiichi, Satoko, Rika, and Rena at the house, while everyone else headed out the door and made best speed for the Clan Estate.
-SCENE BREAK-
Mion fired the pistol she'd gotten a hold of at the merc rushing at her, but the .30-caliber rounds bounced off the armor he was wearing as he drew his shotgun. Suddenly, there was a whorl of black smoke behind the man, and then a flash of green as an emerald energy blade bisected him mid-chest. As the two halves fell to the ground, her savior ran up to her.
"Are you hurt, sis?" Shion asked.
"Just a couple of scratches" Mion replied.
"…So my actions and reappearance have divided the clan so much that it's resulted in a schism like this…"
"N-No, the tension's been building for a while now! It probably would've happened sooner or later regardless of whether or not you returned."
There was a thud a few meters away as a merc fell off a roof dead, a hole burned through his skull by a particle-beam shot from Mirage Sniper. Several seconds later, Teana leapt down near the twins, clad in her red-and-orange MJOLNIR armor.
"Where are the Revisionists' main leadership?" she asked Mion.
"Holed up in the estate's south plaza," Mion replied, "along with pretty much all of the rest of us. It's a pretty defensible position, but Traditionalists and mercenaries are putting pressure on them."
"Well then, let's give 'em some relief" Teana replied, switching Mirage to Rifle Mode.
The three headed out, quickly meeting up with Kaede, Marie, and Mai.
"Here, sis" Shion said as they moved, handing Mion a UNSC M6C pistol. "It's a .45-caliber, and it has AP rounds loaded. It's got a bit of a kick to it, but it should punch through the mercs' armor better than that piddly little thing you were using before."
"Thanks. Where are the others?"
"Sarah and Kizuna are heading toward the south plaza from the northeast of it" Marie replied. "Ahsoka, Erika, & Timmy entered from the south; they're likely already helping the Revisionists hold the Traditionalists off."
They soon neared the plaza, coming up behind a band of mercs lead by a Traditionalist enforcer. Several rounds from Mirage Rifle cut down the mercenaries, while the Traditionalist was dealt with by Charon's energy-blade mode. Ahead, a quartet of Traditionalists fell victim to their own momentum, their charge carrying them into the Suiton: Suijinheki that surged into being around Erika & Tim, the latter of whom then unleashed a Raiton: Kangekiha into the water that electrocuted the four hostiles. Ahsoka, meanwhile, used her lightsabers to block a barrage of rounds from a merc's AK-47, giving Mai enough time to get behind the man and deal a blow to his head that put him down for the count.
"Yōton: Yōkai no Jutsu!" (Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique)
An airborne sheet of lava that fell from the air and engulfed a merc, killing him before he could even scream, announced Kizuna's arrival at the battlefield. The melted rock then flash-froze upon hitting the ground, quickly becoming relatively harmless much faster than "normal" lava would. A Traditionalist rushed at him as he landed… and was blindsided by a chakra-supercharged punch from Sarah, who proved she had been taking well to studying the scrolls on Tsunade's taijutsu style, the blow shattering half the bones in the man's body and sending him hurtling through the air. She followed up with a Fūton: Shinkū Taigyoku, the cannonball of compressed air impacting a particularly large merc with enough force to knock him backward and crack his armor and half of his ribs. In a whirl of motion, she let loose several more attacks, downing mercs with grace and ease, energy shields protecting her from their return fire.
Several pinkish crystalline needles flew in and embedded in a Traditionalist enforcer's torso, going off in a pink explosion that tore him asunder. Yayap leapt down from the nearby roof, flinging a plasma grenade that the mercs frantically dove away from; the blast knocked them over and singed their armor. Then the Phoenix League LAAT dropship finally arrived from the Starshot, its blaster cannons forcing the hostiles' heads down as Rex leapt out, twin blaster pistols picking targets and gunning down mercs quickly. A Pelican flew in next, dropping off a group of five ODSTs. However, another, rather large force of mercenaries and Traditionalists was on the way.
"Get to the ships!" Rex shouted to the Revisionists, who obeyed, quickly piling into the two dropships, along with the Starshot personnel. Finally, once everyone was aboard, the two ships took off, flying away from the Sonozaki Clan Estate and heading back to the Kimiyoshi Estate to regroup.
A few minutes later, the two VTOL craft touched down, finding the stayed-behind group, Dr. Irie, and pretty much half of the town's police force waiting for them. Wounds were tended to and reports were given, while Akane calmly walked up to Shion and then hugged her like life depended on it; Mion joined in, and soon the twins & their mother found a shady spot to sit down in and help each other process all that had happened so far.
"I've screwed up as a mother for you this far" Akane told Shion. "I couldn't let pass the opportunity to do something right for a change. They were drawing up elaborate plans to assassinate you and your friends. Mion and I sought out those of the clan who rejected such views and got them all together. We announced our intent and stance on things; they responded by declaring every one of us excommunicated from the clan and then trying to kill us."
"I thought Mion was demon-granny's little favorite heir" Shion said, an irrepressible hint of old resentment in her voice.
"Not anymore" Mion replied. "After we made our stance clear, I was the first one she tried to kill. If mom hadn't blocked that strike…"
As the multiple conversations continued, Teana made a call to Holland.
-SCENE BREAK-
That Evening
The rest of the day had been quiet, as the Traditionalists and their mercenaries fortified the Sonozaki Clan Estate, while the Starshot had deployed personnel to set up a temporary base in the Kimiyoshi Clan Estate. At the moment, the girls of Gamma along with their "tag-along" people and Keiichi & company were gathered in the main clan building, where a special induction ceremony was taking place.
"You have displayed courage, fortitude, intelligence, wisdom, strength, and skill beyond the norm" Teana spoke. "You have shown how deeply you care for me and those of my team, and how you are willing to do what is necessary to assist and protect us and those whom we care for. Your skills have developed at an astounding rate and will no doubt continue to do so. You have shown tactical prowess worthy of recognition. Thus, in conclusion, the girls and I have agreed that you have what it takes to become one of us.
"Sarah Swanson, welcome to Gamma Team."
The tall blonde shook her redheaded little-sister-figure and now CO's hand, and then saluted, which Lanstar returned.
"I won't let you girls down" she said.
"I know you won't, Seven" Teana replied with certainty and warmth. "Plus… we're kinda too used to you being a big sis for us, Sarah, to have it any other way. I look forward to this."
The other girl's response was to pet Teana on the head, eliciting an annoyed grumble but also a smile.
-CHAPTER END-
Next time, revelations come out.
