CH 11: Spiritual Guidance.
"Please be okay, please be okay." Tonya repeated to herself as she ran towards the large power plant. Entering the building, she gasped at the destruction, "Jeremy?" she called cautiously walking deeper into the plant. "Jeremy, where are you?" she called again stopping next to a generator, looking at its display she saw that it was completely drained of its power. Hearing the sound of rustling metal Tonya rushed to the source only to find that it was only a mouse with its tail stuck under a piece of broken machinery. Disappointed Tonya knelt down and removed the machinery freeing the mouse. Looking up at her the rodent didn't move "I don't guess you know where my friend is huh?" she asked watching the mouse run a few feet before stopping and turning back to her. Confused Tonya stood back up and walked to the mouse which repeated its movement, "Do you want me to follow you?" She asked keeping pace with the small rodent. Soon she was led to a room more heavily destroyed than the first, "What happened here?" she asked looking at the large pile of rubble. Walking closer to it she began to feel a change in the air causing her to stop just in time for a pillar of light to engulf the debris. As the light dispelled Jeremy stood, his sword stabbed into the ground panting as he noticed Tonya staring at him.
"Tonya? What are you doing here?" he asked walking towards her.
As he stopped a few feet in front of her she replied "Nick told me you might be here." she said.
"I see, but why?" Jeremy asked.
"To see if you were attacked too." Tonya said looking around.
"Too? So I wasn't the only target then. Who else was attacked?"
"Nick was, Bria and Jasmine are checking on AJ and Quinton." she answered.
"Nick too. This can't be good," Jeremy started as he reached for his X-link "Nick, This is Jeremy. Are you there?" he spoke into the communicator.
Within a few seconds he got his response, Nick's voice rang through loud and clear. "Yeah, We've got a problem." he said not wasting time.
"I heard, Tonya told me. Any idea what's going on?" Jeremy asked "I was attacked, I take it you were too."
"So I was right, in that case AJ and Quinton should have been attacked too. Were you injured at all?" Nick stated.
"Nothing severe. But I should be 100% for tomorrow's match." Jeremy replied.
"Damn, there was something strange about the attacker." Nick said.
"You mean besides the fact that team Byakko can't hold a candle to these guys."
"Did, they leave a black envelope anywhere around you." nick asked
Looking around Jeremy found it close by on a pile of debris "Yeah, I got it."
"There was a photo inside mine, what's in yours?" Nick asked, after not getting a response he asked again "Jeremy?"
After seeing the photo Jeremy began to release a small bit of his lightning. Looking back to Tonya he spoke again "Nick, as soon as you can we need to start "that" ahead of schedule."
"What? Are you sure?" Nick asked "I don't think they're ready for that just yet."
"We don't have time to wait right now, If this means what I think it does, we're gonna need as much power as we can get." Jeremy said.
"Dammit so it's come to this. Alright I'll tell them. Don't let things get out of hand."
"No need to tell me that." Jeremy said sticking the photo into his pocket. "Tonya..."
"Yeah? What is it?" she asked giving him her full attention.
"Get your weapon ready." Jeremy ordered.
"Ready? Ready for what?" she asked and was answered by Jeremy releasing a powerful burst of lightning into the sky and activating shinaji.
"You're gonna form a contract." Jeremy said grabbing his sword and rushing at his teammate.
Running through the forest near the high school Bria worried for the safety of her teammates. As she ran Bria called out, "A.J. Are you out here?!". When she wasn't answered she ran faster, soon she found herself staring at the approaching figure of a young man. "A.J.?", moving closer Bria was disappointed to that it was not him.
"Hey, you OK?" the man asked. "You look a little down."
Sighing Bria answered him, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just thought you were someone else." she said dropping her head.
"Sorry I'm not who you expected, but maybe I can help you find them." He volunteered.
Shaking her head side to side Bria replied, "That would be great but I couldn't ask you to do that."
"It's no problem at all. There were a couple of guys a little further that way." he said pointing behind himself.
"Can you describe one of them?" Bria questioned.
"Sure, lets see here, oh yeah. One had his hair like a buzz cut, he was kinda tall. I'd say about 6 feet and he had these swords on his back."
"THATS HIM!" Bria screamed "HOW FAR AWAY WAS HE?"
"I'd say maybe a five minute walk. But I'm not sure if its really safe over there. It looked like him and the other guy were about to throw down." the man added.
"THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!" Bria yelled running through the forest at full speed. Thinking to herself as she ran "A.J. Might be in serious trouble right n...NO! I can't think like that, he's one of the toughest people I know." as she finished her thought Bria found herself coming to a screeching halt as she looked upon a horrifying sight. "A.J...how?"
Seeing her friend encased in a shell of ice caused a panic to run through her body. Immediately she began striking the ice but to no avail. "Why?" she asked herself as she continued beating at the ice prison. "Why, why, WHY?" Bria began to scream hitting it harder, no visible damage appearing anywhere on the surface. "WHY AM I SO WEAK!" she yelled finally stopping her assault and falling to her knees, tears starting to fall. "WHAT GOOD AM I! I CAN'T WIN A FIGHT. I CAN'T PROTECT MYSELF AGAINST ANYONE ABOVE AVERAGE. I CAN'T EVEN SHATTER THIS STUPID ICE!" she cried out.
"What is it that you seek child?" a voice asked. Turning around Bria saw nobody.
"Who's there? Show yourself?" she ordered taking a defensive stance in front of the frozen A.J.. As she spoke her vision began to darken until she stood in a pitch black forest. "What is this?" she called out as a ball of energy formed before her.
Emanating form the ball was the voice that called out to her "I am here to answer your call." it answered before asking again. "What is it that you seek?"
"What do you mean what I seek?" Bria asked
"I have been watching you child. I know of your recent actions. Your helplessness in the face of danger. Your loss at the hands of the speeder, and now your failure to free your friend. You wish to end this cycle, yes?" the voice asked.
"Yes of course I do." Bria answered.
"Then tell me, what do you desire to achieve this?" the voice questioned again.
Spending a few moments to think about her response Bria finally replied with a single word. "Power."
"Power?" the voice repeated. "The power to destroy those who have wronged you?"
"No. I want the power to protect those close to me at any cost!" Bria yelled.
Expanding, the light began to illuminate the dark forest and reveal its true form. Before her now stood a large brown bear, its eyes glowing as it spoke to her. "Very well child. I shall bless upon you the power you seek. You who embody the protective instincts of the mother bear shall be given the power of Ursa Major." returning to ball form the bear circled Bria before floating into the center of her chest causing her to glow the same purple as the bears eyes. Looking at her hands she saw that her hands were covered in the same energy in the shape of bear paws.
As the darkness faded, Bria found herself back in the forest. The power she received still active, she stepped towards A.J.'s prison. Swiping at it with her full strength, Bria shattered the ice freeing A.J. Coughing as he hit the ground he began looking for his attack only to see Bria watching him worriedly
Reverting back to her normal self Bria spoke "A.J. Are you all right?" she asked as the energy faded leaving a bear paw print on the back of her right hand.
"Milk Mounds? What are you doing here?" A.J. Asked "Where'd that guy go?" realizing the form she was in as he woke "Wait first... that was a shinaji, when did you make a contract?"
"A few seconds ago I think." she said, "There was this ball of light and then a bear. Then when I came too I was breaking that block of ice you were frozen in."
"There wasn't anybody here when I found you." Bria said noticing the black envelope on the ground nearby. "What's this?" she asked handing it to A.J.
Opening the envelope A.J.'s eyes widened as he stared at the photograph inside. Looking over his shoulder to the photograph Bria asked "Isn't that Marcus?" pointing to the young man in the center of six others.
"...Yeah, it is." he replied as Bria asked another question.
"Who are these people?" she asked.
"They're.../." he started as he put the photo into his pocket. "the original members of Byakko."
"The original members? Nick told us there were only three members." Bria said.
"Only in the beginning. After a few weeks in charge, Cole began recruiting the strongest fighters he could find even if they weren't students at the school. So I don't have any information on the others besides what you probably already know." A.J said as his X-link began to beep.
Nick's voice came through loud and clear. "A.J, are you there?"
"Yeah, I'm here, kinda confused though. What the hell is going on?"
"To be completely honest I'm not sure, were you attacked?"
"Yeah, I take it you were too."
"Bria must have found you." Nick said, " That's good, now listen up. Jeremy wants you to do "it" with Bria."
Hearing this A.J.'s jaw dropped "I'm not sure how comfortable I am with my little brother being that interested in what I do with my penis." hearing him say this Bria began blushing obviously confused and uncomfortable with the conversation now.
"Whoa, what the hell are you talking about? I'm talking about forcing her to make-" Nick started to clarify.
"Force? Nick I don't know where you come from, but here that's called rape." A.J replied.
"Shut up... just shut the hell up. Make a damn contract with a spirit." Nick said.
"OHHH, that "it". Damn I was kinda looking forward to the other one...oh well, too late for that."
"What do you mean, too late?"
"She did it herself about five minutes ago."
"Wow, good job Bria." Nick congratulated.
"Thanks." Bria replied.
"Well I guess you should come back to my place. I need help setting up."
"Okay. We'll be right there." A.J said "C'mon let's go." he told Bria as they began to make their way through the forest.
Quinton's eyes scrunch as he begins to regain his consciousness. Opening them, his gaze is brought to the large hole in the ceiling, exhaling deeply Quinton spoke to himself "Damn, I got caught off guard." he said and attempted to knock his head onto the ground but instead of the cold hard concrete he expected, he was met by the warm soft fabric of Jasmine's skirt. "Huh?" Quinton asked finally realizing his head was resting on her lap. "What are you doing here?" he questioned the girl.
"I came to make sure you were okay of course." Jasmine answered smiling into his face.
"Oh, well this must be kind of a surprise huh?" he said smiling back, "Speaking of surprises, how'd you find me anyway?"
"Nick said you'd probably be here training."
"Nick? He sure knows how to track people." Quinton said chuckling slightly as he began to stand up.
"The thing is, Nick was attacked a little earlier, so he sent us to come check on you guys."
"Someone attacked Nick? They must not be all that smart." Quinton added. "But he's right I was attacked too."
"That explains the busted roof. You okay?" Jasmine replied.
"Yeah, I'm fine." he said raising his communicator to his mouth "Nick, this is Quinton. Jasmine filled me in. What's going on? Who are these guy's attacking us?"
"Are you alright?" Nick's voice asked. "Jeremy and AJ were attacked as well."
"Seriously, sounds like somebody's targeting us."
"That's what I believe, I'm not sure who would want to take us out besides Byakko, but these guys were stronger than them."
"Yeah, to be able to fight us one on one like that." Quinton started as Jasmine called to him with the black envelope in her hands.
"Hey Quinton! What's this?"
"Hmm? An envelope? Nick did you find a black envelope?"
"Yeah, there's a photo inside it but I don't recognize anyone in it, do you?" Nick asked.
Looking at the photo Quinton's eyes widened, "That's him... the guy that just attacked me, I thought I remembered his face."
"Who is it?" Nick asked again.
"I don't remember his name, just that he used to hang around the school a lot."
"Dammit, I think Jeremy knows something about them."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because he wants the girls to form their contracts with their spirits, and its our job to start them off."
"This early? He can't be serious. It's way too soon."
"I wouldn't say that so quickly, apparently Bria just contacted her's."
"No way, OK we'll get started over here." Quinton said lowering the X-link.
"OK so how DO we contact the spirits?" Jasmine asked as she saw Quinton pick up his weapons and turn to her.
"There are two steps to forming the contract with a spirit. Step one is easy, just spend time around a spirit and the small amount of energy they constantly release will bond to you." He said twirling to blade. "The second is to call your own into your mind and obtain permission to use it's power. There are three ways of doing this, the first is to exhaust your body and mind to your very limits." He said stepping away from her, "The second isn't as likely to work but it is to hit your breaking point emotionally but still retain the will to continue and that's a lot harder than it sounds."
"OK so what's the third." Jasmine asked as Quinton's chain scythe smashed into the wall inches away from her.
"The third is to visit the spirit world personally and then return." Quinton said as the wind around him began to pick up. "Good Luck." he added as he rushed in towards his teammate.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: WELL IT TOOK ME A MONTH TO GET BACK INTO THINGS AGAIN, SORRY FOR THE LACK OF REAL ACTION AND EVERYTHING BUT NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE BEGINING OF THE SEIRYU VS. BYAKKO FIGHT SO I JUST NEEDED THIS LITLE TRANSITION HERE. THANKS FOR READING AND THE TEXT CHAPTER SHOULD BE READY MID-SEPTEMBER AT THE LATEST.