IN THE FOREST
Black*Star: YAHOOO!
Raina looks up, her eyes now dark, icy blue. They look like a layer of frost has covered them. She slowly stands up, flexing her arms and stretching.
Black*Star: (closer) I am the almighty Black*Star! Prepare for a beating, Raina!
Raina shakes her head at the boy who was approaching. She would just have to take care of him quickly. She couldn't stay once Lord Death got his Death Scythe ready. Or Stein for that matter. She smiles, showing off her sharp dragon-like teeth. 'I'll just have to finish them off quickly,'
Black*Star bursts through the trees, stopping at the sight of Raina. He grins, somewhat crazy.
Black*Star: You're finally going to feel the wrath of your god!
Raina: (in her fake voice) Oh, Black*Star, you conceited fool.
Black*Star: (confused, lowering his fists) What?
Raina: (her eyes flickering with icy fire, she doesn't act like she notices his confusion) Your insolence will be punished. Of course, (slowly turns away and walks a couple of steps)I'll have to do it quickly, seeing as I would like to keep this body.
Black*Star: What the...
Tsubaki: Who are you? (a little angry)
Raina: (turns around, her eyes dark and dangerous. She changes her voice to sound smug) What are you talking about? I'm Raina!
Black*Star: (growling) You're not Raina. Who are you! I demand you to tell me.
Raina freezes him with a look. He tries to move but can't. Her eyes bore into him.
Raina: You don't have the right to demand anything out of me, boy.
Tsubaki: R-Raina... I-I-if you're pretending, s-stop ri-right now. It's no-not f-funny.
Raina: (turning to Tsubaki, who flinches. Raina shows a look of sympathy.) I wish I could say I was pretending. But, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, I'm afraid I can't.
Tsubaki: (flinches again) How do you know my name?
Raina: (smirking) Tsubaki, I may not be Raina, but being inside her body, I know everything she knows. I remember the day you came into my shop on the street. It was really quiet and I hear the bell at the door ring. You bought two boxes of crackers and a drink that day. It was summer, and a scorcher if I recall correctly.
Tsubaki: (remembering the day, but not realizing that Raina had been there until now) What? That was Raina's shop?
Raina: Why are you talking as if Raina's some other person? Raina is me, and I am Raina. We are a single being now, and I must say, her soul is not resisting. She's quite happy about this new arrangement.
Black*Star: I don't believe it. Tsubaki, kusarigama mode. We need to finish this now.
Raina: (looking with mild interest as Tsubaki changes into her weapon form. Black*Star strikes a pose, and Raina laughs) Oh please, you really think you can defeat me? I've faced rocks tougher than you.
Black*Star: Don't judge a book by it's cover! (he yells as he runs and swipes at Raina. She simply dodges and rolls out of the way.)
Raina: Oh, that's not fair now. (chiding) I didn't get to pull out my weapon.
Raina pulls out a glowing purple blob, seemingly out of thin air. The glow breaks and a pair of ninja swords fall into her hands. She puts one in each hand.
Black*Star: What...
Raina: (smirking) Now, let's go! (quickly shouts and rushes toward Black*Star. He was expecting it but she's much faster than should have been humanly possible. He suddenly feels a slash go down his back.)
Black*Star: Ahh! (falls onto his knee)
Tsubaki: Black*Star, you ok?
Black*Star: Of course, a god like me won't be put down by a hit like that.
Raina: (waving her finger) I wouldn't be so sure. (she snaps her fingers)
What Raina snaps her fingers, Black*Star feels like needles are stabbing him in 12 different places. He doubles over in pain. Tsubaki calls his name.
Tsubaki: Black*Star, wake up! (yells, but a little sad)
Black*Star: (gasping, but getting up) I-I'm alright, Tsubaki. It... It was only a scratch.
Raina was looking with interest. Never had someone gotten up from that move before. This kid was stronger than Raina had ever thought.
Black*Star: (back on his feet, blood dripping from his back onto the ground) Alright Tsubaki, time to get serious. ENCHANTED SWORD MODE!
The wind howls as Tsubaki changes into the sword. Raina just smirks with her eyes closed, slowly shaking her head. Once Tsubaki was the sword, Black*STar attacks, but Raina just stands there. Suddenly she looks up, catching Black*Star's eyes and freezes him again.
Black*Star: What... What did you do!
Raina: You know, I was so limited when Raina was in control. I like this much better. (looks at Black*Star, sounds even more smug) Like stretching your legs after a long car ride. I'm able to use my full potential.
Tsubaki: (who had fallen on the ground when Black*Star got frozen) But why! Why do you want Raina's body?
Raina: (looking at the weapon) I didn't choose Raina, you know. I would have been happy with any young healthy body. But... the person who placed me inside of her soul, choose her. She was the strongest person he knew.
Tsubaki: Who did it? Who put you inside of her soul!
Raina: (smiling) Well, I don't know his name, but I do know it was a traitor to Raina. She always thought it was an innocent game, but when he called my soul to come into his sister, he knew what he was doing.
Black*Star: RAINA'S BROTHER PUT YOU THERE!
Raina: Yes, of course. In order to perform the ritual and resurrect me, he had to choose someone close to him, and who better than his sister? I had insisted it be a girl body, of course. I did have a body once, but nobody knows about that. He was the youngest and so was I, so we understood each other.
Tsubaki: You're ... the youngest?
Maka: Tsubaki!
Soul:Black*Star!
Soul and Maka burst through the treeline, hand in hand. Raina smiles cruelly at them. Maka stops short at the sight of her friends standing completely still.
Maka: Guys? What are you doing! Get her!
Tsubaki: We can't move, Maka.
Soul: What!?
Raina: (stepping forward, trying to sound innocent in her smug voice) They just came to visit. Nothing was happening, Maka!
Maka: (glaring at Raina, who is smirking) Who are you? (growls)
Raina: (dropping the act, her face falls serious) Right to the point I see. Very well.
Raina throws her arms out to her sides, looking up at the sky. Maka sees the air shift around the area of Raina's back. Blue icy flames were settling on her back, forming scaly dragon wings. She smiles, showing off her teeth.
Raina: I am Kaida Izo. The dragon of ice.
Black*Star: (making fun) What kind of name is that?
Kaida: It would happen to be the name of the person who still has their wavelength inside of you. If you don't prefer permanent damage, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.
Maka: Soul, now. (calm)
Soul transforms and Maka twirls him around. Kaida knows what she's going to try to do, and she smiles.
Kaida: That won't work, you know.
Maka: (who had been about to use Soul Resonance) What?
Kaida: I told you, it's won't work. Genie Hunter is a strong move, however, my soul is so intertwined with Raina's that it's impossible for me to let go. It would cut Raina's soul also. We are a single soul now.
Maka: Why? Why did you do it?
Kaida: (shaking her head, seeming to show pity) You don't get it do you? You don't know who I am. Well, I wouldn't expect you to. Nobody ever knows about me. Everyone praises my older sisters. Stupid snake...
Maka: (whispering in horror) Snake... (louder) You're... You're Medusa's sister?
Kaida: (looking up at her) Very good. I am the youngest of the Gorgons.
Maka: Why is it that every sister has faced us, Soul... Why...
Soul: I don't know, but this girl stole my look. That's so not cool, she needs to die.
Maka: I know, but I can't use Genie Hunter. I don't want to harm Raina's soul.
Kaida: You're right. I'm invincible to any of your special moves. So if you want to kill me... It's got to be with plain old weapons.
On the other side of the field, Black*Star and Tsubaki could start to move again.
Tsubaki: Black*Star? Do you remember when we fought Masamune? What we had to do?
Black*Star: (serious and quiet(for once!)) Yeah. You think it'll work?
Tsubaki: Worth a shot. Let's go.
Tsubaki turns into a ninja sword and Black*Star rushes in. Seeing the movement, Maka rushes in too. Kaida, just smiles and beats her wings, flying up into the air. She stopped a couple of feet above the ground, hovering.
Black*Star: Get down here! (swatting at her wings with his sword. She simply dodges.) Alright. Tsubaki, Maka, Let's go!
Tsubaki and Maka: Right!
All four: Resonance Link!
Raina smiles as the soul bubble rises around them. They reach out and connect. Then another soul reaches out from the treeline. Kaida's attention is drawn towards that soul. She uses Soul Perception to see it's just Kid.
Maka: (inside her mind, talking through Resonance) Black*Star, Kid, we need to find a weakness.
Kid: I know, but she's covered on all sides.
Black*Star: Her weapon's strong, but I can take her! Maka, get ready with Genie Hunter!
Maka: But Black*Star! I can't! It will hurt Raina too!
Black*Star: (about to move) You need to do it anyway! Raina will understand.
Black*Star moves, jumping out and breaking the bubble. Kaida smiles and beats her wings again, flying onto a light branch in a tree. It bends with her weight but doesn't break. Black*Star vaults up beside her.
Black*Star: Black*Star Big Wa-
Kaida moves at the last second, throwing Black*Star off-balance and sending him crashing to the ground.
Tsubaki: Black*Star! Be careful, you need to approach her a different way! She's just buying time!
Black*Star: I know that. But... Alright, Tsubaki. Soul Resonance!
Tsubaki: Right!
Their souls connect and his kusarigama goes into the form of TrapStar. Chains rattle around Kaida but she looks at them with a bored look.
Black*Star: (when the chains become a star) TrapStar! (the insides of the chains glow, but Kaida just flies above it.
Then Kaida feels a pain in her right wing. She looks down to see one of Kid's pistols smoking. She looks at her wing to see a small hole with the wing closing around it. Dark blue blood was oozing out of it.
Kaida: (smiling mockingly) Nice shot. (her wound then closes up until only a small scar is left.
Kid: (raising his pistols again) Want me to show you how good of a shot I can be? Next time I can aim at your heart.
Kaida: (raising a finger and waving it) Again, I warn you against hurting me. Raina can still feel pain, you know. And if you kill me, you kill her.
Maka: (standing back, watching) Soul, what should we do? We can't kill Raina!
Soul: We might have to, Maka. I don't know if Raina's even there anymore.
Maka: She is! I know it. I can feel her wavelength. It's so weak, but it's there.
Soul: Then we have to slow her down. Attack her wings. Those are what are keeping her away from us. Let's go, Maka!
Maka: Right!
Maka runs into the battle. Black*Star was still trying to get Kaida to fall into his TrapStar, but she was just laughing at him.
Kaida: So these are the little children who defeated Kishin Asura? Man, was the kishin asleep or something?
Kid: (growling) Liz, Patty, let's go.
Patty: (childish) Ok!
Kid starts his own Soul Resonance with his partners. They transform into the Death Cannon guns, and Kid aims at Kaida.
Kid: Death Cannon!
The guns fire and Kaida is engulfed in smoke. Kid thinks she was injured because he heard a scream, but as the smoke cleared he saw that Kaida was swooping down with her swords. She slashed him across the chest. He staggered back, coughing up blood.
Liz: Kid, you ok!
Kid: I'm fine Liz. Patty, can you... take Liz for a bit?
Patty: (while transforming) Yeah!
Patty transforms and Kid throws Liz to her. He walks off, a bit of blood dripping.
Kaida thinks to herself, 'One down, six to go,'
Patty: (in her scary voice) Die crazy dragon lady!
Kaida: (curling her lip) Watch your mouth, girl. Would you like to see your meister in more pain, or possibly dead?
Liz: (scared) What! Kid's going to be fine!
Kaida: (smirking) Of course he is... if your sister keeps her mouth shut about me. Black*Star can tell you first hand about my sword, can't you, dear?
Black*Star: (who had been rushing in to attack her, calls out to Patty and Kid hears) Patty, just shut up! Kid could die if you don't!
Patty: (looking scared back at her meister, who was lying quietly in the grass, golden eyes shining) Ok...
After a few minutes, and a couple of bullets later, Kaida has a couple of bullet holes in her wings, but they all closed up enough for her to keep flying. She looks completely bored.
Kaida: (annoyed) I'm done with you!
She swipes out a hand, and Black*Star and Patty freeze, gripping their weapons in stiff hands. Maka feels it too, because she can't move.
Maka: What did you do!
Kaida: (whipping around to face Maka) I froze you, of course. I would think it obvious.
Maka: Mph! (trying to move)
Kaida: I have been empowered by the name I have given myself ever since I ran away from my home. I took Taiyo Temple as my home, empowered by the prayers of those innocent people, being fed by their souls being offered up.
Maka: You entered Raina's body then, didn't you!
Kaida: No, you're wrong. That wasn't my soul. That was my sisters. A piece of it anyway. It was attacking my soul, and Raina just happened to get in the way.
Maka: Why don't you just leave?
Kaida: Well, I couldn't even if I wanted to, we're too closely bound. The only way to kill me, is to kill my host body. And second, Raina is a very strong soul. She fought me for the longest time. Now, I'm able to harness her abilities, as well as a few of my own. (then her face twists into a frown) Now, I'm so sorry, but I can't allow Stein to get here. He's too strong for my weakened state. Therefore, (she raises her swords in an X) I'm afraid I'll just have to kill you.
Maka lowers her head, scared and hoping something will happen, someone will save her. Kaida raises the swords, and brings them down, cutting into Maka's chest like she did with Kid.
Soul: Maka! No!
Told ya, It's long
Also, I know how Raina's name just swapped randomly, but Kaida's in control for this whole part