Time of the Senshi
A/N- I don't actually remember which Asha'man are bonded to who. I take fanfic author license with the groupings.
Venus Act V
The Senshi of Venus rubbed her arms to comfort herself and scanned the area. No movement, yet, but the 'driods had already said so. She hoped they were telling the truth but after watching so many futuristic shows where the computers go crazy she had her doubts. The warrior of love and justice sat on the ground and checked on her queen, Usagi was transformed into her 'princess' persona and getting ready to draw on some major power, and felt the hesitant threads of magic fall on her. I guess. But if they try to cut me off I'm going to give them a for-what!
"Hey pretty girl. What's shaking?" Artemis asked as he sauntered up from where he had been conferring with Luna. The two moon cats decided that cleansing evil taint on the 'father mana' was priority. First of all it would win them points with the ruling body of the world. Second, the faster it could be fixed the less likely any of the senshi would suffer ill affects.
"Waiting." Venus sighed and fingered her love-me-chain. She'd have to leave her dog and boyfriend behind, for different reasons, and was feeling a little depressed. She pillowed her arms behind her head and rested while staring at the sky. It was gray. "I thought this was going to be interesting, with attacks and stuff, but there's nothing happening."
"Which is a good thing, Mina." Artemis shook and turned to stare at the two people about to change the world. "But I doubt it will remain quiet for long. You need to join your group, I'll be with Mercury, Tayuya, and Sakura."
"Right. Okay." The blonde warrior of love jumped up and pumped her fist in the air. "Let's do this!"
"You are, enthusiastic." The lone Asha'man of her group commented. He was old, older than her and the Aes Sedai, so command had been passed to him. They had tested out linking compatibility before leaving for their current location, a hilltop near a nexus of dark energy, and learned something that disturbed the women channlers though the men took it in stride. For the men, whose whole world was coming apart and being put back together on a daily basis, they took the news in stride. The senshi, excluding Moon, drew their power from a combined source of one power.
Between them Jupiter's brand of magic was most Saidin heavy and Venus was the least next to Moon. Ami postulated that if this mixing was true with all Senshi, then the trend likely continued and one of them would draw solely from Saidin, and wondered who it was. Usagi guessed Rei since she was 'angry and stubborn like a guy.'
"Well, I'm protecting my friend-" She stopped as the energy rippled over them. It was like a tidal wave of fire, she raised her arm to block imagined light, but then the soothing energy of Usagi mixed in and took most of the bite out of if. Venus walked with Damer and his Aes Sedai bonded to where the rest of the group waited for Cadsuane's orders under a shield. Hotaru-chan could do better.
From the protection of the shield, Venus watched in awe as the amount of power Usagi channeled increased to Crisis levels. Blue lightning spun around the two human forms and they were soon swallowed up by light from the energy they focused. Rand was using a small man shaped ter'angrel, and he had offered the female version for Usagi's use, but she preferred the Silver Crystal. That action alone nearly cost them their alliance, Rand was a suspicious sort, but the chance to save the female access key and the promise of detailed enemy information pushed them forward. If Usagi could heal at the scale they'd seen with the crystal, she probably had a better chance of surviving than anyone else.
No matter how many times she saw it, Venus stood in awe as her friend and Queen surpassed their expectations.
"Aino!" Someone shouted to bring her out of her own mind, and the blonde noticed that Jupiter's group had left, as well as Kumira's. Venus jumped.
"Sorry." She left with her group to troop through the underbrush, and as she walked felt old solider training kick in. Despite how they acted in civilian lives they were, deep down in their souls, senshi; soldiers. Venus listened and walked carefully, only her groups leader Damer surpassed her in stealth. The Aes Sedai with them could have done better but her skirts still made obvious rustles.
Cadsuane had sent them off in search of a channler, most likely a bad guy as they would have had to use a gateway to reach their location and it wasn't common knowledge. For the senshi, they were reminded of their first foes, Queen Beryl and her Dark Generals, and the portals they made. It had certainly brought up several questions.
Venus unclipped her belt and held it loosely in one hand. While Damer was the one in control of their linked magic, she could do very little with her own, but her chain was set apart. The Aes Sedai said it was Ter'angrel. I'll be ready.
They broke through the tree cover into a small field. The grass was dry and dead, a tree had fallen over within the past few years, and something was walking toward them. They slowed only enough to close ranks. Damer, the gentleman that he was, quietly spoke. "Mistress Aino, does that woman look familiar to you?"
Mina narrowed her eyes out of habit, but once she locked on to the woman in question her senshi abilities took over. The woman flowing dress with neckline that made the warrior of Venus blush. She'd never seen her before, but the hair on her arms stood up in warning. "No."
He glanced at her and nodded. "She's channeling pure saidin." And with that the old man threw out his arm and launched a flurry of cutting winds at the unknown woman.
The woman raised her arms and Venus felt the counter spell, invisible to the naked eye, rock her consciousness. She'd never really thought about the differences between power sources but now that she was looking for it... she still couldn't find it. It was like cupping one's hands in front of your face and listening for the echo. Barely perceptible, until the stakes were raised.
Fireballs flew through the air streaked with gold to impact everything but their target. Her blood pumped through her veins and she began twirling her love-me-chain. "Get down girl!" Beldeine shouted as she ducked behind the shelter of a tree.
Venus ducked to join her. The Aes Sedai had reached into the small bag at her hip to pull out small red sticks. "Are those fireworks?" Mina asked with incredulity. It was an odd place to celebrate, odd time too, and she felt her insides squish as more power was drawn. It felt almost like Damer, who set off what felt like a tiny earthquake, was trying to draw more Saidin through her than she normally did. She felt sick.
"Correct. The noise should make a good distraction if it's close enough. How good are you with flint and steel?"
Mina took a breath to calm her stomach. She decided if she ever linked with James she'd have to give him clear instructions on just how much she could comfortably handle. "I prefer a lighter." She flicked her wrist and demonstrated it's use. With a quick exchange of instructions the witches parted.
It was fairly difficult to miss a blonde girl wearing orange and white in a forest, especially if she's crossing a field, but considering the debris and smoke in the air it would make sense if she was. Venus whistled, a signal to alert Damer that she was moving, and weaved through the battle zone with the experience years of dodging energy blasts and youma body parts had given her. She swung her chain around and let it fly.
The enchanted metal zipped through the air only to be stopped by a last minute shield of earth and fire. The woman was sweating and Venus could guess that she was preparing to make a retreat, when the fireworks went off in succession. The sound created by the poppers sounded similar to gunshots and their target dodged backwards just as Mina broke out of the link. Filled with magic she sent it down through chain to raise it up and control it with an even finer skill than before. Glowing, the love-me-chain snaked around obstacles and latched onto the green eyed woman.
The captured woman barked out an oath in an unknown language as the metal burned into her skin and Damer wove the most complex shield he could think of.
Beldeine crept out from the brush with a branch and broke it over the immobile woman's head.
Venus looked down at their prisoner, could hear the familiar sounds of battle, and hoped her friends were doing okay.
In the ancient abandoned city of Shadar Logoth light penetrated depths long resigned to the darkness. Power washed through the streets and pressed agaisnt the evil. In response the darkness rose up and began eating at the light, abosorbing it and growing in strength, but a new evil appeared. The taint was older than Shadar Logoth and born from a source of hatred stronger. The two forces fought as the light fed one side, and the taint flowed to boost the other. The two forces fought until one triumphed.
But light continued unabated, and the winning evil found it could not absorb any more. It was like oil, and the light water. For miles around a gigantic dark dome could be seen enveloping the old ruins. It grew and grew, was stretched thin, and light could be found breaking through the darkness.
Are you trying to tear me apart??!!
Hurricane force winds blasted from the city. All that could be seen in the area once known as Shadar Logoth was a dense thousand-year-old forest that would make any Ogier proud.
END.