Teen Titans; The Storyteller Arc; (Now) Part Two; The Manifesto Pages - Chapter 9: Dogs, Devils, and Djinn Lords Of the Past. Crash-Landing Cats Sound the Alarm!
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Was trying to be poetic in the naming of this chapter. Crash landing, we have a clue which hybrid is responsible( or will be.) As well as the first part, Dogs , Devils and Djinn? That will already be included with Marcus's back story and the Heroes' late enemy's fate thus far. Aggie has fallen into a trap where her new monster master is nearly invisible to the masses. She mistakes the book for being someone her old boss knows, yet he tempts her to forget for awhile. She dreams about the biggest performance of the diva's career, even having some fabrication of a green hero as her lap dog in the crowd.
Is it true? No, in fact, the Tome placed a spell on Agatha right as she slept until her big break. She is trapped within an illusion created by the book since its influence may or may not be what is driving Marcus to act accordingly.
He went to a magician's school with Raku (Arc from wattpad can explain everything. Veil of time series of chapters, author is Pageturner09.) Borgges was bested by the kid 'as Raku' was a protege of the earlier Lord Destiny before he had claimed his original post as Aluehainyu's mentor. This goes waay back in this wattpad arc . Do read it if you can!
Marcus then, was tricked by Lilith as she had arrived at the school to turn young Raku from his destiny. Instead, she used the boy's classmates and did some very 'succubi things' to them in the process...do read the arc if you don't mind dark arcs.
As it came to reason, Marcus was returned home ' as he was pegged the outcast, failed son to an official of the Spirit World's Fae Division.' After that, Marcus's life basically fell apart as he swore to get even with Lil or Raku until he had the power of the djinn dragon for himself. Young Borgges was a bully at the academy, though he actually envied Raku's abilities of manifestation while the boy was still on the side of good. (Raku was Roku before he turned and changed every aspect of his origins to confuse and baffle his later enemies, was as young and innocent as they came. Story tells the rest!)
Marcus Philanius(did I spell that right again?) Borgges is now trying to swipe the dragon's abilities from what remains of him, (he was erased by fate..and by the aspect of Time itself, numerous times.)
He found previously, that by using a piece of Manifesto's Tome container, Borgges has the ability to amplify its magic to grant him his one wish. If this goes on, Marcus might even be tainted by the dragon's influence and do as the influenced of Roku's team had. Well, it could be or he could actually absorb the dragon's magic and face Manifesto to absorb his powers as a specter of a late sorcerer. That is why Lori is fighting honorably to stop her foe from using Takahara's machines to destroy the world or conquor (typo dang it I know!) it.
Who or what is the legend that is, Manifesto? What threat does he raise over our heroes' heads? Is Kaede finally coming back to her senses? And lastly, what are our hopelessly, unlucky guardians going to do about their newest mission to save the Pope in Rome?
Find out and don't look away! Chapter 9 is right on time!
/
Ami was worried about where her poor big sister had run off to. She had Piper to keep the team in line, but it wasn't the same.
"Yes, yes I see...Well where are they now?" Miss Piper Pippette sounded angry..or frightened as the call she had taken was from Aria- a setting that would continue to contain misfortune on their quest...and so, thus far, the heroes were about to awaken much more madness from below the quieted, earthen plates...
"Mistress, you must at least contact Bao Shi- But the ...I cannot talk here. " Ami's eyes of cerulean and fearfulness peered around the corner. There, she helplessly hoped to hear more of her team's ally's, conversation.
"Yes, I think we can arrange that. I will be there soon. " Piper bit her lip as if to hold back a groan. With a sound resembling a sharp click* , the call had abruptly ended. Ami was ready to bolt off as long as-
"Miss, Amelia?.." Piper turned her head just as the girl was about to jet off. "Uhh...Did I do something wrong?" Ami innocently asked as she turned to her caretaker in that moment.
Busted, but she could speed through this quickly!
"What was that call ? Is everyone ok?" The girl's question had the team's aide frowning down to her young charge.
Piper lookedown onto the child with crossed arms and a serious glance. She had wanted to keep this between she and her superiors. It was not enough to decieve the Grayson's youngest, no matter where she fled to talk..as she had hoped to do so in private.
"It was not as you call it ...good news." She almost bit her lip to pause, stopping herself, then replied. "We can talk later." She ended the questioning then and there as Piper's body swerved towards the apartment hall's exit. "Where are you going? We can't just stay and do nothing!" Ami called back, finding that Piper was walking at a steady pace towards the revolving doors of her complex's first floor. Ami was only a child, she could never intimidate a record keep such as the famous sorceress under Lord Dreamwake.
The revolving vestbule's doors swung to and fro, as the two came to meet by the first floor's only open exit.
Visitors would have considered this place as ritzy as a pent house suite. Yet Ami did not care to become distracted easily, as Pippette never strayed from her view long enough tolose sight of her objective.
"What happened to my sister!?" Ami cried out with her throat raw from holding back such useless tears. "I know you are going out to find her! Let the Titans come too! We aren't just kids!-
"This matter does not concern your sister!" Piper shot back as her eyes turned a full green. "Your sibling is still conscious. You should come up with a proper plan upon my return. I won't sacrifice anymore lives! " She huffed this as Ami stood , in shock and left gaping in the center of the room. She felt her lip start to tremble...the reprimand had been too cruel a suggestion..
"You...But..Then what about my family? Why won't you at least tell us something!? Anything! Piiiper!" Piper just slipped away as Ami ran after the official figure through those swirling, exit doors. As if this had been a trick played by cunning foxes, the girl was left outside- Piper had vanished elsewhere, never to be seen by Ami's human gaze until later that night..no..no!..
"No...come back.." Amelia whimpered and walked with her head hung, back inside of the large building.
"She...won't tell me where my family is... Argh!" The ebony child ran back towards the elevator . She punched the button to go back up, then realized that this wasn't just her chance...Piper had let them run amuck! She expected the teens to be good little kids... Well!
"We are so gonna start a riot and leave this place- Sis is counting on us to help out, whether that snooty spirit cares or not!"
The desk reception clerk could have sworn a child was mimicking some 'evil laughter' from a cartoon show, though ignored it and continued to read the noon day paper he had saved for such an occasion. No one ever bothered a soul here. Why, this place to the desk watchman was a fortress of solitude!.. But for Ami herself, she had other plans in mind to turn the tables in the New- gen Titans' favor.
/
Zan and Dami were bushed..They had gotten a 'swell' tour of Tokyo without stopping to take a rest. As it stood, their little princess Ami was out of luck. She had to stay put but...where was the kid anyway?
"Hath thou located Miss Amelia?" Henry Vanderbilt asked his comrades in his strongest ' middle- ages ' accent. Zan shook her head while Damian Wayne rolled his eyes by the unecessary (typo?) drama.
"Why is she amiss in the first place, my friends?" Glen Meyers asked as he tried to retrace their steps from earlier..His pacing was too loud though, and Damian had finally heard enough!
"You are going to put a hole through the floor!" He pointed to the half frost giant, grunted, then turned and exhaled quickly to speak anxiously to his team.
"Look, Ami is just running around like she always does! We still have no clue what happened to Anna..um...it's important, so..Why not go on a search? -
"We are supposed to have Piper as our guide, that's why." Zan corrected as Dami looked rather annoyed by his teammates' answer.
"But she's been awol for days! Four full days to be exact!" Henry piped in as the rest of those eyes of his team fell onto the sorcerer 'not yet full fledged's' awkward figure.
"Henry, you did count that ! Now, but.. this has gone on far too-
"Konbanwa!" The voice of the girl, whom loudly entered the suite, was a bumbling Ami - right on schedule to be scolded without mercy.
"Where did you go ?" Zatanna lifted herself up from the official's living room sofa. "We were worried sick! Even Dami was ready to start a search party! Wh-
"No! No time! We can go now- Ah...I mean..Piper wants us to meet her somewhere! " She blurted this out, hoping these clueless 'kids' would take the bait.
"But..you went with her and didn't tell us?" Dami crossed his arms and asked impatiently.
"Why only you? Are you hiding something, kid?" He was really testing her this moment. Ami wanted to barrel him over like she did normally to make her foes into friends...
Ah...sheesh...he was going to be a tough one to conquor.
"Reeally! It is urgent! I had been minding my own business, when Piper was on the phone, and I was right there and she saw-
"So, you were eavesdropping again? That is a bad habit you'll never drop if-
"It's not! Listen! She told me that she was going out so I said I want in. But she just...left! Poof! Right through the door like it was a portal. But I think that Aria was talking about my family! The Titans are in trouble but Ann and ...Ah! I know I Know!" She jumped up and down and had ..had a plan..she guessed?
"I can call the foxes! Telepathically! They can tell us what's going on!"
"Magic is a serious , two- sided-
"Ah! Hey! That's not ok! Glen! Stop her quickly!" The abused, unamused wizard was swiped clean of his wand by the naughty princess as she doused herself with some of its energy in a rushed way.
"Sorry Henry!" Ami smiled as she had the plan set, her palms started glowing orange just as Amaterasu had taught her foreigner pupil that one spell. The wand was tossed back to the doubtful magician as he had been then, at a loss for words.
"No magic!" Theycried out loud. "Amii!" A portal was opening just as Amelia gasped and brought her hands to cover her mouth. She had..that voice in the group ..it was!
Out stepped a more powerful, fully clothed version of Ava, along with her two knights Christopher and Aiden. The three had gotten their best dressed garb out by the Phoenix and Barren's princess's call to war. However, this was not a zombified music festival- nor the city of Rome!
"Glad we actually landed beside some familiar faces! Did we miss anything, guys?" Aiden asked, hoping that his team still..Wait!
Ava turned instead to her youngest sibling. "Where is Anna? Wasn't she here as well, Ami?"
Amelia was still in brief shock, though knew to undo her zippered lips in front of the nefarious snow queen.
"Ah...Piper went to find out..but we..." She sighed and frowned down at the ground. "We have to stay heeere!" She bawled as the kids' team groaned or looked on sympathetically.
"It's ok, sis." Aiden knelt to see the girl he'd known to have been through so much in the boy's absense. "Heck, I'm proud of you for holding down the fort. You should be alright. We'll find her..she can't work with her powers - not without her 'chosen an' all." He tried to cheer his sister up, but Ami must have felt guilty for disobeying Annie and causing tons of trouble for the red-head.
"She was only looking out for me, and everyone here! So why...why did she not tell us where she went off to?"
"Anna..is strong but stubborn like dad was, e-hem..is.." Ava cleared her throat and shrugged . She let the portal close behind the three with one arm's magic still powered up to do so.
"She has a lot of status with her squad, fighting is her strength and we all understand that she won't give that up so easily. Hannah is...sigh..!* I respect her enough to break a few of the rules, and when we just arrived to help out! She's terribly impatient..!" Ava Marie suprised everyone, including Christopher - who was unsure of how to dissuade the princess from doing something, not necessarily illegal..but she sounded upset. At least her powers were under control this time.
"We are to remain here, just as Piper ordered us. But until your guardian for now returns, then that I guess is why you say we should object to her rules...but I don't think that would work at all!" Chris exclaimed as the rest sat, he stood puzzled over who's will was stronger.
"Anna's in danger! But you dummies stopped me from contacting the foxes! I have to try!" Ami bolted from the room to rush out the door in a hurry. Aiden had let go of her hand..what was she planning to accomplish all alone?!
"I think she went for the roof- does this place have one of those?" Zan blinked as her magic was blocked by Ami's stuuborn craft. She was there, but Zan's directions were going to vanish into thin air if Ami did the impossible too soon.
"She'll take off and be hurt! We cannot look away now!" Henry and the group agreed as Chris decided to tag along for now. Ava's life was far more important. Aneiu was counting on him to return with the Barren's sole protector.
"Ami..don't disappear like Anna just did to us!" Aiden cried out as the teens and heroes dashed up the stairs to catch up- then leaving Zan to open a portal that would lead to the roof. Their success was close , Ami was there as her spell was chanted in sutras where only the holy ones could understand such a craft.
"That spell...it is not the right one!" Zan gasped and rushed in to grab Ami's arm, with her team only a few feet behind her.
"You are not chanting the correct spell! Stop immediately!" She was relieved once Dami had gotten a -
"Agh!" He was thrown back as Ami's eyes grew more to resemble an angry...or possibly, mistified goddess. Her hair was released from the child's pony tail holder prison, as the chanting only echoed louder across the heart of Tokyo.
"She's getting too much energy! We have to break her concentration! " Ava noticed this and explained as winds started to raise her sibling up into mid- air. If she fell...no! Not the time. They WOULD save her!
~Haru! Kaeade! I call upon thee, thy familiar spirit guardians!~ Her formal tongue sounded more mature than Ami's usual, high -squeak pipping. * Dami tried again, though found a newly erected barrier had the Titans now, out of luck- again!
"She's gonna mess up everything!" He shouted, then growled at Aiden to start what he was supposedly going to have to finish.
"On it!" Aiden tagged himself in and lifted off of floating sun rays to make it to the top of the barrier wall that kept Ami's magic protected, an powerful enough to start curses. "AMELIA GRAYSON!" He shouted, so that she would turn her head towards him. "DROP THIS ACT AND DON'T FINISH THE SPELL!"
She seemed to be listening.
" I REPEAT!" The winds only became small whirl- winds as Aiden used his sword to deflect the deafening blows one by one.
"I'm serious! Is this what's really going to save Anna!? Mom is counting on us and everyone to work as a team...I know it's hard for you! Just look at us! Ava and I are best friends now! Don't do this! We can work t-
~I'M GOING TO SAVE HER! YOU ALL TOOK TO LONG TO DECIDE ON...ON..ANYTHING!~ Ami said this loudly through the speak as her spells grew to become even more violent.
"I know!" Aiden called back with regret deep in his eyes. "That's why we need to do this right!" He gasped softly, hearing then Ava's voice chiming in her deepest order to help out where the princess of snow could.
"Ami! We won't lose Anna! You have to trust your bro...Aiden AND your friends!" She had re-worded her sentence without adding in her formal dialect, not too much.
~YOU...YOU ARE EVEN WORSE THAN HE IS! I WON'T ! ~ Ami's angry eyes turned white now as 'contact' had been made with unknown forces. The voice of Kaede shouted back in protest ;
~STAY BACK! AMELIA? YOU SHOULD NOT BE INSIDE MY MIND!? YOUR ALLY IS IN DANGER!- MANIFESTOOO!~
The contact was thought to have been lost. Ami's eyes returned to those of a child with palor skin by how much magic she had wasted. The teen and his comrade, waited. Ava held her breath, until another voice darkened the air surrounding the team, with quite a sinister aura about it...
/
~Quite a formidable opponent...is she what my master hopes to collect?~
Ami stood dumb, staring back into the air as only a voice spoke to her. Aiden and the crew watched on helplessly as Ava turned up the volume with her ice attacks. "No! Ami!"
~You...don't have a body...but I can hear you..Where is my sister!?~
"Amelia! Stop! Don't make any sudden moves-
"Argh!" Glen was left to defend himself against the force that was Manifesto's invisible binds.
"Glen!" Henry turned back around, only to be tricked by more vining things that bound the wizard and his magical relics to the rooftop.
"It's a trick!" Aiden did not listen to Chris, he already had gotten that idea. His friends were being hog- tied down on the spot! He ran at full speed to save his sister, to talk some sense into her to- be captor...not again..this was not supposed to happen! She was going to be taken over by another crazy monster, not on her big brother's watch, nu- uh!
~Your sibling is red as a solar flare..?Ah, yesss...she fell within my pages- I have tried to contact her...but alas-
~Anna...You let her go or..Or, or I'll destroy you myself!-
~Little kit! You have no such magic...unless...~
Ami gasped and was tugged in by the demon's pause. ~Don't hold out on me, Manifesto, whoever you are! I WILL find my sister!-
~That is why we can settle with how amusing I've found our time...For you see, for a price such as you have given...I would be honored to grant your one wish...~
Ami stood once again, thinking back to when Roku had tempted the twin with a 'way out.' (these new years, part two.)
~If I go inside the book, you have to let my friends go.~ She was going to make the biggest mistake ever...And yet this time she was not being kidnapped, or kicking and screaming for dear life. It was to save her family. Nothing more.
~Oh..But in your place.~ Manifesto had not even spoken the words of story book Djinn, was this a demon's code or was he improvising?...
~You'll need to be present...So now, I have just thee aspect once forgotten, one left to keep your team standing..~ Ami floated in mid air as the tome revealed its massive form , he had gotten even larger now than ever before!
~The queen so wretched, Lady Amelia shall take your place whilst you search for that child inside my walls...The spell now cast, the contract thus made, for your proper service, ye hath been quite brave...Story to tell , story to write...-
"AMMIII!" Her team cried out together as the magic had them clambering towards her, it was too late as Ami was swept up- just as Anna to be locked within those pages. Yet, she was still there...something was different...did it only steal souls-
~Turn this child's world by its plight. Replace her face with a mask secured tightly, drive away these heroes , oh so unsightly!~ Its ryhming(typo!) was weak, yet the book just did this for fun, not ...
"Aagh! Look out!"
Glen shouted in warning as the very, very edge of the roof was about to crumble, right where Ami was again standing -
"Ami! Take my hand! Hurry!" Zan and Aiden grabbed both of the child's wrists as she looked ready to fly. Her back was to them, her eyes were half lidded and staring towards the ground.
"Ugh..that..was close..."
They pulled her up as the twelve year old fell back against her friends with a useless flop.* "Is she still ok?" Zan tapped the child's pale cheek as Dami came to check the kid's pulse. "She's in shock..I think.." Chris saw something in the girl's eyes, however, that unnerved him terribly. "Maybe we should return inside. " He suggested, while looked to Ava for approval.
Manifesto had taken something...but the team didn't catch him upon his leave..they would have to recover first..contact Piper right away..
"Not yet.." Ava waited for Ami's eyes to finally open, as they did so with a quiet flutter. "She's not the same...Everyone?"
"Ahh, I had not missed this plane..." The ebony haired girl batted her team's arms away swiftly.
Henry hissed as he'd been clumsy in being a dull blade instead of sharl as a tack. "Owch! Why so...so...uung..."
"Henry!" Glen noticed the child's nails were ripe with a strong venom. His friend lay on the ground as the frost giant male felt a pang of guilt grow by how they had not trusted poor Ami's judgement. "In his kit!" He then gasped. "My pal might have the anitdote!" Chris nodded as Zan backed him, while the silver haired knight ran off to find the anti venom , and quickly!
"He said...Lady Amelia...?" Aiden gulped. "Just like the last time..." A flashback of her late affliction crept across his mind, spresding its tendrils of fear wherever that memory still took hold of the blonde's innermost, thoughts. His hands were shaking...As badly as before..
"We..can't let her out of -
"I request that you leave me to myself, sister?" Amelia's dress was the same, yet it had somehow been painted black as her hair reformed back into a perfect bun. Aiden's head lowered. They were too late. "This universe is holding my counterpart back." She sniffed, looking about as if bored; an Ami trait that ripped her siblings up just watching, knowing they had led her right into its waiting jaws...
The darkly clad girl dusted herself off as she rose to speak again. "My party is not with you. You did not listen, thus, you are unworthy of my thanks-
"Kid! Stop playing body snatcher and tell us where that book took our teammate!" Dami raised his sword and demanded answers. The meddler was still annoyed by her fate, though could only bear the mark as Manifesto's toy for now.
She evill(typo? Been a while since I've used this word..oh well) y licked her lips as her fingers were now covered by two, dainty, black gloves. "My master is beconing me to join him on Italian soil." She said this as her body moved back a slight on gothic, kitten heels of this counterpart's garb.. Dami caught on enough to not let her words irk him. His team's captain was still in shock. This was not going to be quick enough, they had to knock her out again.
"She's got a home, a family...so beat it, ghost!" The teen hero swung out one of his blades as the girl looked quite miffed by the reaction upon her awakening.
"Rude boy." She sneered back. Sorry, but you will be no match...Never mind it then!" Her eyes widened and held that slight red as she swung out to attack the dumbfounded team.
"Yaah!" Lady Amelia's body moved gracefully as a cat's as the new Robin avoided her claws, for fear of becoming like Henry had, poisoned. "I won't let you win her over!" He shot back with his twin swords now, his eyes narrowed as the fight had begun!
/
The Vatican was all abuzz from above. Yet below it, the under - realm was deathly still.
Cici stood to face the doorway of her superiors. Angus O'Brian was there as well to send his word and aide to the council's deaf ears.
His scared, youthful face looked about, as the fae citizen gulped back to collect what was still to remain of his dashed pride.
As the doors did open, Cici looked on in disgust up to the one she had never hoped to be without hating. ~Lady, Hecate..~ She snorted up to the ugly queen of the under world.
~Mistress Crescendo, and what brings you to my domain, child?" She looked, different...As if the one deity had no longer a thirst for vengence...
~Why are you trying , what are your plans against the chosen? I have heard of an atack against this sacred dwelling from the name born as ; Manifesto.~ She said while the queen listened long enough to answer.
~Yes.~ Hecate looked worn, ah! She was no longer strong as before..not since her trip to many lands had wiped out a portion of her powers. She had lost her will..Or only just until she recovered, would she reclaim that fire in her eyes.
~The tome of Manifestation and of Delusion, I tried to warn your charges of the dangers that would befall them. Now, I fear he has taken important victims by a one, single glance at those forbidden pages.~ She seemed quite relaxed, even while otheres had suffered, while attempting to stop the mad pell book character with their lives!
~Lady Lorelai is standing 'mano e mano' with the book's late holder. A sir "Marcus Philanius Borgges" from the spirit realm of fae. His kin were gifted with the Borgges' family's magic. His tale is too tragic to tell...Yet his desires are rather impure as he intends to ressurect the energy of the red one -
~He is not going to go that far to do so!~ Angus added in as he recalled Mistress Dearheart from long ago. ~Our kind were lost in number to the dragon's evil influence...His son was a mighty tool that had us vanishing by the dozen - Dearheart left this world without knowin' of his destruction from the reign of Time's law!~
~He will not be returned.~ Hecate interrupted with a stare in the boy's direction. ~His energy is tainted- thus, if it should be absorbed too quickly by our clueless mastermind, that villain too shall lose ever last drop of his sanity. ~
~Then send me to where he is.~ Cici demanded, yet Hecate found this plan to not suite her tastes. ~The last drop of sheer misfortune on your kin would mean the loss of our Lunar relic, forever. Nay.~ She responded. ~Ye shan't lose what I have already taken towards finishing to create in your mother's place. ~
~My mother, is in danger! ~ Cecilia tried to reason with the goddess. ~She is facing the daemon followers of this Borgges boy as we debate the inevitable!~
~They will not enter the Vatican by their desires alone.~ Hecate shook her head . ~For the one that changes his form cannot hope to enter. The Eternal world was where his power was contained. Only as souls 'it' could trap in mere moments, were they in fact full- able to regain consciousness. The human officials however, the shifting boy has no such way of entering their hearts. Nay, not when humans are too impure for a former 'knight' such as he to be dealt. ~
~They..can taint him?~ Cici was interrupted by Angus's disbelief. ~Then he is not truly a monster! Why is a shifter imp so much like we spirit?~
~ The shifter imps are of fae origin.~ The queen of darkness replied. ~For darkness is not so sinister as you recall it to have been. ~ The crone answered the boy honestly enough, while Cici then came up with a crackerjack plan of her own as the two talked a moment longer.
~Lady Crone?~ She finally chimed in. ~Why not allow your fellow priestess the honor of banishing those ruffians , however you prefer?~
Hecate raised a brow and looked from her seat, down towards the child she had known for far too long to have been a liar by rite.
~I am curious, Cecilia.~ The blonde only nodded back, as the crone continued. Cici bowed and had Angus to do the same. ~ I am your faithful follower, if you'll just trust me this once...We can have our silence returned to this world...~
~Pray tell, child...What is your ingenious plan going to prove?~ Hecate asked with a puzzled gaze.
Cici smiled back as her face held no such secrets of tyrranical undoings , never to go against this goddess's will. She meant to grab the deity's attention anyhow.
~You will just have to play along for now to find out.~ Was all she said in reply. To be expected as the former black widow mistress. No longer hiding in shame as she had for so long, all for too long it seemed, she was again bound to play the hero, once again in her long life left unlived.
/
The race had been nearing its finish for some time. Shoji drove with blisters against his sweating palms. Right after a single turn, the Vatican would appear. The finish line was in his sights!
Kayu swooped down from above as Kaien dragged the swarming cluster of demon insects to lose the chase. "Yer cuz is in the lead! But where be his -
~Nyahahaaa!" The rev of a motor crashed past street signs as the tenkit woman had the stealth of a shinobi master!
"Damned be she fer leading us off! Kay! Show em yer rain! Give a push, heh!"
He dropped the dazed fox from leaning on his arm for support, as Kayu knew what that meant- though did not like to be teased by that old goat!
~Aaagh! Rain of the heavens! Drench the streets where the demons dwell!~ His cloud bed weapon appeared and formed below the dog's feet. The staff of the official's son pounded the cloud to have it rain in buckets over the streets of Rome.
"Yes! You can stop soon, k?" Shoji saw then as Catalina's car appeared, she left it by the doors to the church catherdral. Shoji knew what to do as he stopped, getting out on foot to avoid the typhoon coming down upon the racers.
"Raaaw! I hate dogs! Now I have to ruin my new outfits! Grrraaa!" Lady Lao Ming came out of her vehicle and shivered as a wet kitten on the streets. She was no panther, the water was a threat to he survival- as well as killed her chances of winning the race.
"How ugly!" The two foxes gasped, turning to face insulted glare of Charl in the flesh in mid- air, as they hopelessly were.
"Ya lost the bet!" Kaien sneered to the knight no more of Paris's past. Charl scoffed, looking to see what he could accomplish now from the sidelines. "I'll just take her place...no rules against that? Ta ta!" The lying psycho dropped below to speed up as a large beast in the rain. His form a centaur as it turned to minotaur - right for Shoji!
"Look out!" Kay kept the storm up to only involve the streets surrounding the vatican. The people had gone inside where they were saved from the illusion.
"Hyaa!" Verra emerged and decided to hold off the bull- man for his compadre. "Go!" Kaien rushed to aid the hybrid cat as the three, Catalina was ahead already, Ming was freezing to death, and Shoji had to wade as best he could...They could win..They had to!
"The doors...! Pant!*" The con- corporate head met with his palm to the door of the great structure. Catalina turned to Kayvas he nodded back to her. "Rain, seize!" The sun returned as the day turned to later in the evening. The cat and former queen went inside the Vatican. They had broken off from Charl's bull dozing attitude. He riled up with his fists to the stone, pounding it in a fated tantrum.
"No! No! Noooooo!"
Vee chuckled, yet the bull's eyes turned demon's red, blood red and full of anger. Kaien lifted up the mini dog as they fled. "The minotaur's gonna go a-huntin! Don't get in its way!" He warned the cat aspect as Verra had his energy drained by the fight. "Inside! He can't breach her walls!-
"Wrong again!" Charl revert to the face they had hoped he could never. "I am a guest in his house!" The servant of the church could not be attacked, he looked as one of them. One of the brothers weakly opened the doors from the inside, Charl was allowed as much as Catalina's allies. He had them beaten after all!
"Brother Farrel...Why such a time today? You were not expected until tomorrow's flight from elsewhere?"
"Forgive my excuses. " Charl as this 'Farrel character was too close, he had already mde his way inside more tan once!
"The flight was not as long as i'd have believed. These guests of course are for Mistress Catherine." He ushered the two , well..one, to step forth. Verra was invisible to those whom wished to never speak of daemons.
"Solario? Has been not too long since you last visited. Why the long face? Lose a bet , perhaps?" The human male laughed softly with twinkling , elderly eyes. Ah, he had no idea that his joke was one that had spoken all too truthfully.
"Catherine must be lonesome with her paper work as her only , ehem...companion. I worry for my family is all. "
"Hmm, don't think indecent thoughts, we know your back story after all.." Yes, the did. Kaien was a monitored celebrity in Italy, it was his home , as was Greece...once upon a time.
"She'll see you in a bit, though don't catch a chill out on the streets, tonight the winds no no end. " The white robed brother shivered as he then, to their dismay, shut the door behind a baffled Kaien.
/
The guest rooms were still available. Yet Kaien had only to allow Verra and Shoji a glance before heading after Charl. He was a holy brother? Or posing as one? What was happening here?
"Kaien!" Catalina and Shoji did just as the old dog expected. He was in her office after all, waiting to reunite with his old friend and student. Cici however, was supposed to be at the lady's desk for now,she was mysteriously absent. Such was the life of a Crescendo child..
"Where is Kayu?" Shoji asked as he returned Verra into his body. The poor kitty was wiped out for once, no chatter to be had on Takahara's watch.
"Still out there. " Kaien groaned as the face of 'Phillipe Enrico Solario.' His name was as an industry's king . As with Aria, his design in this ploy the gods had woven , was as a super model or two's main director and agent. The big banana- thee , head honcho that served the fat cats their 'creme de la creme. ' (Yuck.)
He'd brought the word womanizer to new heights, which honestly, had Aria as far from her family member as possible.. He also dabbled in fashion but...that was also an ugly business.
"I'd hoped you to have kept an eye on the goddess Amaterasu and Miss Isa.." Catherine looked her ally in the eye rather coldly. "Don' have us at that! " The fox whined, hoping now that Cathy didn't hate him for leaving as well. He looked as if he were pleading, dumbluck for the sad pup in Solario's case..He had been a chaser of beauty, but now...His trust in Catherine was thinning - nothing could glue the pieces back in place as in his strikin youth as Apollon.
"I did what Hecate an' the council were after finishin' ! Aria was the one who kept us in line besides Sayu, I was just a tool t-
"Aria is powerful, yet she did not drive your decisions alone." Catalina snipped as if her tongue were forked like a serpent's.
"For the love of all things honest! You two are worse than Ron is with his mother's favorite son!-
~I heard that, fox.~ Kayu made a rather nervous Shoji even more so by the speak going on in the con-cat's head. ~I didn't come inside, in case I could spot Lao Ming..she's not on her A - game tonight. That could have her fleeing to search for Manifesto!~
~Right.~ Shoji nodded , then turned to Solario and Lady Daia.
"We have a way to win, even if the fight's been cancelled."
"Says you? We won! This was just a trick ta' let our guard down." The fire foxgrunt before shaking a finger at his nephew. "Know your strategies, young 'dog'!"
"Kaien!" Catalina smoothed back her hair from covering her ridged, wrinkling temples - from causing an atomic collapse someplace in time and space. She knew better than to lose control in her current body. Just as Kaien should have contacted her BEFORE siding with the trickster crone!
"What happened to Isa and the others?" Shoji jumped in while an attendant had left a pot of tea for the fatigued mother priestess. This was not as anyone had guessed. Cathetine was still of dark andlight magics. As Raven, her head was spinning from the chaos surrounding her second home.
"They flapped off an' left me ta see about you - when we discovered where the cat had run off ta, Amaterasu decided to send herself spirallin' after Kaede in Japan ." Kaien had exp,ained that part...but why was he rushing back as if aware of far more?..
"But..the kids are there! " Shoji exclaimed in a hoase voice, panicking at this point. "She loves her kin so much, that poor lil' Ami is going to become our enemy's next target! Shit!" Shoji growled this as the wolf in his 'Verra' had not yet the gall to come back out. "I should have stayed behind ...I should have left my aspect of Vee with them longer!-
"Yeah, but cha don' recall the Titans in Italy at the moment?" Kaien reminded the forelorn pup.
"They have the trail' a Aggie - as WE still are guessin' what to do about that shiftin' brat!"
"You both should return to your rooms for tonight. " Catherine took a sip of tea, sparking barks of impatience from her two guests.
"What be all this, Malady!?" Kaien started first. "I came because the heroes needed a break! Why are you kickin' ME out?"
"You are disrupting my 'thinking space.' " Was all she said with a hand right back to her pounding temples.
"I must see what Cecilia has found, while you two have done nothing to aid in searching for our current enemy as of this moment!" For a moment the dogshad to seize their fighting. Catherine awaitedtheir replies as Shoji, felt his brain power surge to form an idea or two.
The ebony haired pooch loosened his collar and brought an arm to his uncle's shoulder. Kaien flinched as he looked back towards his nosy family, his sister would have turned in her grave by that smirk...
"Eh...Then , Kaien ? Wanna talk in the hall and git' while our Lady takes to her own time? Might we-
"Do." Catherine nod and sipped another spot from her fine china. "I would like for nothing better than my 'friends' to 'get along.' "
"Are you outta yer!-
"Shut up, and pay attention." Shoji sternly said in an almost, emotionless tone of voice. "If Catherine isinvolved,the pope is easy pickings well before we a keep her safe. "I say, one of us stays and gets Catherine out of here. I can run and walk through the shadows like my mentor couldn't. " Herds was behind those eyes..Kaien shook his head angrily.
"No! You'll just rip at the facade you've created to keep the wolf inside ya' in! I refuse!"
"Then Charl will end up tempting this church to turn it into a house only demons - demons that were once human.." Kaien was unable to show the concern on his face..He was an elemental, not a mortal.
" So, do you think I shouldn't sacrifice my power to help the opposite side? Cause' Catalina can't face those guys on her own- she's practically a prisoner to the order! You knew enough to come here.."
"You wanna die before we have a plan, boy?" Kaien hissed back. "She's a pillar to this world! You an' your family? We are all just being used ta keep the peace. I thought you could sacrifice enough, but.." Kaien turned to leave, just as that hand had returned to have his feet halt, while he'd still been walking in the opposite direction.
"We need to break the rules, bend them and save the Vatican from destruction. "
"Heh...much to your promises, I never left." Kaien replied with a chuckle . He knew that of all his family members, Shoji was the most determined. He had seen to Lori the longest, kept an eye on the chosen for far more than his allies..He was naturally blamed for disaster after disaster, in the end..he came out an anti-hero, no matter who had to fall. Or had fallen by his guidance.
"Then what about Aiden and the others." Takahara asked once more. "They need US." He pressed his fingers into his uncle's coat shoulder. " We are here to face against what is disrupting the balance. "
"The kiddos then be in the council's way."
Shoji let go as Kaien turned to him. His eyes red as amber and lit by the memories of his time on Earth thus far.
"Hecate...what does she know?"
"She claimed ta' have been preventin' something..A disturbance by the children of the golden dawn..but no..."
"Hey, hey! If I have to know this then why are you running away!-
"It's late." Kaien revert to the lazy scoudrel known as Solario. "You and I aren't finished with our talk" Shoji snort as Kaien tried to leave again. "We aren't done yet."
"Ah, but I'm bushed . You should save your strength, fer tonight...I'll send my thoughts n' tu you ." Kaien yawned again as if his words could have been untrustworthy, if not from the start of their journey..
"You had better send a visual map or layout of the Vatican while you're at it!" Shoji sniffed with his nose away from his uncle's guilty sneering. "I'll be lost and will have to hunt that ratty kid down by myself."
"And I have every confidence that you won't." Slipping behind the corridor's slim corner, the fire fox was nothing but a shadow, drifting into the night.
Those last words left Shoji off guard. Kaien..was being serious for once? "He's one big box of secrets...I thought I took the gold with that title..." Takahara shook his head by this all being nothing but a trick by the old dog.
Softly, he knocked on the door to Catherine's room. This world's Takahara Shoji at least had to say good night properly to the once- queen of another world in another time.
"Buone Notte, Signora Dai-
"Sleep well, cat." He blinked by her responsive efforts, how off putting though!..
"Wow, that takes a speacial dose of ' super hearing '...darn it Cath.."
And by how low his voice had been through oaken wood, never! Not even the tall-eared pup could seek out that pitch in the darkness..
She must have just been as her daughter. Very much awake, and alert as a great horned owl.
"Night owls.." Shoji sighed and pushed his weight off of the door frame with a brief shove.
It was time to he too went on his merry way down the hall. Takahara smirked under his collar and picked up the pace of his walk, briskly stepping hard down onto the floor. To heck with being a team player, he stomped! He started to walk in a huff, then he ran, then suddenly, he felt the wind through that mane that was Veravakumu's of the Four Passages.
His powers were again at full strength- His uncle could be proven wrong !
"Oh, I'll be doing that snooping like you wanted, just you wait...Uncle Kai-en.." The war was on, he grinned. And between a demon, a book-bearer, and an un-saintly god of the next kingdom come, one soul- lost pup was about to set the record straight.
/
Shoji's blowing smoke but Kaien has him beat. He was always closer to Catalina Daia by their origin stories. So, fightimg over the pillar, is just a boast to win over the cool and confident Catherine's vote. However, what ever became of Charl or Lao Ming? What other enemies are hiding within the church that the two mutts have no chance to face alone? Why is Kayu unable to step foot inside?
As far as Amelia, in Part two of these new years; she was a darker aspect of age fourteen - but one could say a more gothic variation of a princess. Her poisonous nails hurt Aiden in this previous arc, leaving him to work out the taint by the solar magic of the 'current' chosen's rites. Ami even then, still beat herself up so much for the incident, that our mini- miko in training secretly snuck off to train with Amaterasu in Japan - at her school for 'magical arts .' Don' ask, it'll be added when she is in high school later. I intend to place this together with a final showdown, so look forward to it!