Attack of the Fluff:
{pillow fighting championship }
Small fishing town of Ito, which is south of Tokyo was where Dann and his brothers with Derek found their beach holiday changed. Staying in unpopular hot spring resort that they could afford down the street and round the corner from another. More popular destination the girls were at and the Kous could be also be found after arriving later that day. Whatever plans that those three had started to bother Dann since they didn't make a complete team to qualify. Being that Dann was planning to take Mina up on her suggestion of entering the All-Japan Pillow Fighting Championship for fun. Caught the interest of his half- brothers and Derek when these details were shared before this trip happened. Who went over the rules and regulations that came with participating in this form of sport while preparing for their trip.
"Are we seriously going to fighting against the girls?" Angel asked rather bothered by idea of hurting Mina or Reika.
"I think it Mako you should fear." Ciprian reminds Angel.
"Not helping." Andor walked pass them.
"We need a 5th person." Dann pointed out.
Before Derek could happy squeal about being their fifth person the door to their room was slammed out by annoyed Hiddenite. He was a duffle bag hanging off one his shoulder with his arm firmly crossed over his chest and dressed rather casually. Angel slapped his hand over Ciprian's mouth when Andor opened his mouth to say with nothing coming out.
"I heard Ammar and you were having trouble?" Dann was one that had to ask.
"Does he have a problem with this world?" Hiddenite asked back. "I mean... "
Down went he bag on the bag that made Derek jump in the air and Dann drop the pliers he was holding when working. Had their ears filled with Hiddenite's ramblings about how Ammar and he looked into having kids after a while. After countless women were gathered and interviewed after fulfilling an detailed application as possible surrogates candidates.
"He rejected each one for some strange reason," Hiddenite walked into the room. " ...is the lack of magical skill that important to your kind..."
"Why does this remind me of Alecjo and Ben?" Angel asked Andor.
"I think..." Dann wrapped a hurt finger in a tissue.
Ciprian quietly pulled out his phone and texted Alecjo to get his rear over here and handle Ammar's problem before he handled it. Followed by the recording that he made of Hiddenite's ramblings he attackhd to his message to Alecjo. He ended when his mouth was uncovered by Angel to allow him to speak when Hiddenite slammed the door. Going quiet after he released a sigh before stating he will go on to be their 5th member of their team with plans ruined. Got a nod from everyone before watching him make a bee- line for Dann when he saw him cobble his finger. Making sure to kick his bag toward his direction before taking a kneeling seat right before the teen without second thought. Making sure to pull out a rather packed first aid kit from his bag while telling Dann to uncover his finger. Work he put into treating the wound was for every pair of eyes belonging to Dann's half- brothers as he worked.
"You all are trained in basic first aid?" He came ask each one of them.
"As in healing magic..." Andor clarified.
"No!" Ciprian spoke.
Hiddenite ended up having his request of Ciprian being pushed toward him filled by Angel with Andor acting as an assistant. Derek ended up watching when Angel handed him back his alicorn stuffed animal as a form of comfort as they watched. Since in no time Dann had a bandaged finger while their strategy for the contest they were entering was brought up. Along with questions on what their opening moves and what positions each one was going to cover. As pointer about how Angel and Dann could make excellent attacked with Andor and Ciprian acting as defenders. Left Derek to scoop toward Hiddenite with his alicorn still being cuddled within his arms with his bright eyes on him.
"Can you be our captain?" Derek asked look up at Hiddenite.
"I can say now, his better then Dann," Ciprian dug his own grave. "As a leader."
The feeling of a hole being burned into the back of his head came right from Dann clear across the room when Hiddenite was done. Snap of the first aid kit being closed and the chuckle from Hiddenite meant something bad was going to happen.
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Ciprian ended up being left out of the competition completely as a form of punishment by Hiddenite and to learn a lesson by Dann. That message about needing to help out Hiddenite brought Alecjo with his son and dragging Ammar along. Right to their door step with a solution to their problem when Kaze came was introduced to his Uncle Ammar by Alecjo. Who went on explain how Ben found the child at a rural Japanese orphanage from Okinawa Island. This was where the child ended up demonstrating his strengthening wind ability with Derek's stuffed alicorn toy in those seconds. Become the answer that Ammar needed to continue his search and make up with Hiddenite while in Ito. He took full advantage of by taking up the 5th position of their team while someone got stuck with babysitting duty the whole time.
This was where Ciprian found himself with Kaze on one side of him and Derek on the other cuddling his stuffed alicorn. Jiggle of coins within borrowed coin purse he shook around to find the correct amount for the drinks everyone wanted. Ended up being pulled out and put into slot until the he got the right amount and had press a button for the drink. Got plucked up by one of the two boys and placed in the bag on the ground before Ciprian's feet as process started again.
"You little brats want something?" Derek and Kaze was looked upon by Ciprian.
"Grape juice." They both answered.
He ended up doing just that so the two could pull the bottles from the slot they were dropped one after another in. Before he finished up getting rest of the drinks for everyone with a crumble about how he should have kept his mouth shut. Got him snapping the coin purse shut and reaching down for the handles of the bag to lift into the air. The handles were placed onto his shoulder as he ended up diercting the two bots to followed him back into the stadium. Stating they were going to handling these everyone during their waiting period since others got done winning a round.
"I don't know who to root for?" Kaze asked about which team to cheer for.
"Miss. Mina and her friends are also playing that's the problem." Derek explained.
"I think those referees are being unfair when Uncles play." Kaze talk about the Kous.
"They always blowing that whistle a little to much." Derek agreed.
Two ended up being lost in conversation enough that Ciprian didn't have to keep they occupied during the rest of their short walk. Didn't last long since he ended up being the one to noticed a pair if eyes was watching three of them. One that had her slurping the ripped flesh of fish she pulled from her lips into her mouth as she stood a few feet away. She was dressed rather in another shorten of a silk kimono with same accessories and footwear as the last time she was seen. Just raw fish that had been half eaten within her bare hands as lower part of her face was covered in blood.
"Guys run back to stadium." Ciprian advised Kaze and Derek.
"..but..." Derek didn't a work in.
Kaze ended up grabbing him one of his hands and pulled him behind him with his ever-increasing pace a way from Ciprian and iara. Not once would he stop when Derek whined and complained when he spoke of not wanting to leave his brother. Those crystal blue eyes were tightly held shut when the distance between them got more wider by the step. Ended up being noticed by a few people upon the two gettings closer and closer to signs of life near the stadium areas. Before the two even made it to the pairs of eyes that knew by the names name daddy Alecjo and Uncle Hiddenite. Both were wearing matching nemakis with numbers pinned to their chests while waiting for the next round they were in.
Kaze was scooped up into his father's arms with a crying Derek was gently soothed by Hiddenite pressing a cloth to his eyes. With tears being wiped away and assurances that everyone was here to hear them out on where Ciprian was. What was mumbled out by Derek when he tried to catch his breath between crying bouts with words evil mermaid, Ciprian, and alone. Kaze was the one that filled in the blanks with vending machines and saw her a few minutes ago. Put Hiddenite and Alecjo on alert with one pull out his blue tooth earpiece to get a hold Ammar as the other approaches his nephews. Fact that Derek was crying and Kaze were in the arm of his dad was enough to tell Dann, Andor, and Angel.
"I was growing accustomed to Mina in a nemaki." Dann flipped his lepal pin between his fingers.
"Who knew the girls could move." Andor was impressed.
"...are getting fair treatment..." Angel pointed out the referees.
Being reminded of a upcoming idol group were guest referees to this years Pillow Fighting Championship wasn't pleasant memory. Being that through out the rounds Dann and his brother were in with Hiddenite and Alecjo on their side. Yacoub, Sei, and Daiki were always calling them out some technically that shaved off a point or gave them a penalty.
"Let just..." Dann pointed his shoulder.
Three of them ended up running off knowing Hiddenite and Alecjo would cover for them if they don't return in time. Derek and Kaze weren't going to make a enough replacement members for their team since they needed one more. Hope was pushed aside as the three of them used the direction that were given to them by Kaze and Derek gave them. Not caring about the looks they got when they passed a few people in nemakis with individual colored sash. Their numbers pinned to the backs were the only sign of identity people had since the trio weren't slowing down.
"Sacred fire, we acquire.
A track to our esse fire." Dann ended up casting a tracking spell.
He clenched his lepal pin in one of his hands in the form of a fist to channel the slumber magic into a means of finding Ciprian. Worked when out of his hand a heart shape spark flew to land on the ground before them and formed a line. One that could extend and turn at a moments noticed with three of them following when they started up running. Allowing feeling of being lost when they though they could getting lost to be dismissed with every new step was taken. Just didn't settle the sensation each one had in their chests that centered around Ciprian every time they thought of him.
"If we find him alive," Angel tried to keep in pace with Dann and Andor. "I'm looking into chipping him."
"I'll pay." Andor seconded him.
Dann was to busy keeping an eye on the were the line before them was going to led them closer to closer to a Ciprian. Hopes that his brother was still standing and able to hold out against the siren with out a form of back up weighted heavily. Being that the last two times that Ciprian faced iara when in the company of Reika weren't a pleasant memories. First was when he couldn't transform in time when watching Kousagi and Derek when Siren dropped by. The second was when he was saved by the phantom Sailor Funna waking a slumbering Sailor Mars lost in a illusionary dream. All led to a single clue that the three of the four girls were given to visiting palaces on their mother's home worlds.
"We're close?" Andor asked.
Dann was the first to stop when they rounded and found on the ground a clear path of cans in various forms of damage. Spilling out from a discarded that had been tossed from the shoulder of unconscious Ciprian laying on the ground. The way he just laid with his back to the ground and glazed over the appearance of his eyes told anyone his mind was caught. Caged within one of iara's illusions as she sat right next to him just taking in his handsome features. Openly humming her song instead of telepathically singing to handle an untransformation knight. The closeness of one of her hands to his throat left Dann on the edge as he slowly approach the space she occupied upon noticing a sparkle. The dark redness of the stone pf Ciprian's cast-off lepal pin caught his attention had him lowering himself into a kneeling position.
"So fragile, yet so fine-looking." She whispered.
"Don't forget a..." Andor was cut off by a glare from Angel.
Dann ended up taking the risk of taking a few steps forward so he could kneel down and take hold of Ciprian's lepal pin. Slowly he picked the item up figuring the item got knocked out his hand when he fell of iara's song after failing to transform. Making sure to not move any differently when he started to pull away from her with hands in front of him.
"You to get a bad case of heartburn feeding from him." Dann finally spoke.
"Is that a joke or actual truth?"She pulled away from Ciprian.
"Truth since each one of us carry the essence of an element we carry." Dann showed her.
iata scuffed at what he say before extending one of her nails and barely pressed sharp side to the underside of Ciprian's chin attached to his neck. Deciding that feeding from him was a waste since blame and rage she carried toward them. Still burned to deeply in her she was unamazed when she stared at Ciprian before slowly turning to face Dann. Somehow a half-smile appeared on her face when she saw the tiniest of worry and fear twinkle within his eyes. Imagines of what she could do to him in exchange for Ciprian's's life within her own mind only widen smile more. Along with making her push her finger further into the throat her nail had been laying until droplet or two of blood formed. This had Dann about to yell out and tell her to stop as a desperate plea to save his brother from premature death. All that was needed for civilian Phantom Sailor Funna to appear with her knees gathered up in her arms and eyes on iara.
"I am willing to show you're the truth on why your brother gave up his fin," Phantom Sailor Funna was voiceless to iara. "You let my child go. Alive. Deal?"
Away the nail went as Dann watched the outline of Phantom Sailor Funna rolls a crystallized bubble of preserved water. Holding a type of coral called Acropora rotumana from oceans of a world he once called home toward iara. Stopped just a few feet from her side before causing off an eerie glow one could experience under the surface of the water. Somehow drew iara in and away from Ciprian's form enough that Andor and Angel came from behind Dann. Worked quickly to snatch up Ciprian before they found themselves at the end of that single sharp nail belonging to iara.
"Forgot how heavy he is." Angel laid Ciprian's face down over his shoulder with their upper body to the rear. The Ciprian's legs were held at the hollow of the knees to secure them.
"Glad to know you haven't lost any of your muscle mass." Andor was always scared of Angel's strength.
"Go!" Phantom Sailor Funna shouted to the. "I can only keep her distracted for so long."
"..but... " Dann struggled to get his feet.
"I have already been claimed by death," She assured Dann she would be alright. "Anything she does to me will be a waste."
Andor had to pull Dann to his feet after he snatched up Ciprian's lepal pin and get his running away from this area. Not looking back was the most hardest thing Dann could do when he face forward and followed the path the trio took to get back. He ended up needing to take a steady breath to calm and collect himself before speeding up to match Angel's pace. Which he did in order to access how bad Ciprian was since he noticed the cut on his throat wasn't that deep. Leaving Dann slightly relieved he wasn't to have to make a call to EMS or dial 110 for local law enforcement's help.
"How are we going to explain this to the girls?" Angel asked.
"We'll come up with something." Andor shrugged.
That answer was something Dann had to come up with since an unconscious Ciprian was going to be hard to explain to the girls along with why he and his team had to forfeit. Not like they were going to be left alone with more in-depth questions coming from the Kous on why they didn't let anyone know they were leaving or where they went. Hiddenite and Alecjo were also going to poke their nose into their minor absence with one of their own were carrying them walking around on his own with a wound on his neck. Become the chilling reason a smile crossed Dann's face and creeped out Andor and Angel when they ended up walking behind him the whole time.
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The first five days of school began when summer ended for them was a memorial one, Just the girls wouldn't be attending opening ceremonies or the first day of classes. They were having a bit of trouble on their own with the small clue that Phantom Sailor Funna showed them when she appeared to each of them. Images of a palace surrounded by clouds had been shown to each one of them in one form or another. Asking their mothers about got them planned trips to each one of their mother's homeworlds with their fathers. Leaving their brothers to cover for their fathers or mothers after pointless debating on needing to step up and fulfill their duties. Going to leave a huge gap in the responsibilities the girls already had currently going on in their lives. The guys stepped up and ended up helping them out since they were going to be unreachable for the next few days.
Ciprian helped Koan to teach basic workout routines on a bi-weekly basis at the Hikawa Shrine, when not babysitting Aegirine, Kaze, Derek and Kousagi. Andor ended up taking over Amelie's study group at their cram and supplementary school. Angel took over Mako's shift as Laurel Leaf when he wasn't at Opal Moon, attending classes, experimenting in the kitchen, or resting at home. Dann was found helping out where he could in the form of small tasks between school and his personal time. Making sure to share what they did this summer in their classes their homework asked them to do in form of hand-drawn pictures and short summary in a notebook. Alecjo and Ammar ended up showing at all the social engagements in their princely finest that amused Neo Queen Serenity. Ahenobarbus form of the social gathering had a usual twist from tea parties and brunch dates. Funske just comes and goes whenever he was needed by someone as a form of support or an extra set of needed hands.
Now the girls' brothers weren't having a hard time working under King Endymion as in reporting right back to him about ANYTHING. While mainly overlooking the day-to-day affairs of the Cabinet of Japan that their fathers held positions in. Tremolite was stuck with the ministry of State for Information Technology Policy and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. He felt out of place since his father was always determined and all business when it came to his job. Saualpite took to the ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of State for Territorial Issues within the first few hours of being there. Trying his best to not come off as effeminate when going through each one of his tasks. Actinolite and Hiddenite were complete naturals when it came to the roles handed to them to reside over. Who acted and dressed that were ready for the job when they arrived