Yoroiden Samurai Troopers and all characters in the proceeding story from the television and Original Animated Video (OAV) series, (GaiDen, The Legend of Kikoutei, Message) are the property of Sunrise Animation/Nagoya TV/Sony Entertainment. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

TIGERMOON

by DK Cook (Crazy Cookie)

Chapter Two – From the Ashes...

"Everyone...I'm sorry...but, the local authorities... they'll be here any second now." Whether it was from breathing the irritating dust that had clung to her clothes and clumped between the strands of her auburn-red hair, or from the sorrow and anxiety that choked in her throat, Nasutei's voice trembled uncontrollably. "We've got to leave this place...quickly," she coughed, while her hand protected over her nose and mouth.

Still stinging from their confrontation with the wizard necromancer, the Troopers' battle against Shikaisen was complete. But their cost of victory had come at very bitter price. Now on top of everything else, they realize they must quickly escape out of Little Tokyo to avoid the attention of the police and the media.

"Big Sister's right, guys. We gotta get outta here!" Jun nervously whined.

Poor Jun, Nasutei thought. Luna...and all those innocent people celebrating at the festival...he saw them all die horribly because of Shikaisen. Shikaisen. He was coming for us and would have killed Jun, and then me, if... "Oh Luna...Luna...didn't you know that just a knife...?" Still, you narrowly brought us the time needed to free the team from their trap. But...if you hadn't...

As her thoughts trailed off, Nasutei could see Jun's death in her mind's eye, and then envisioned her own death, and finally the demise of all the Troopers. In the end, everyone would have died, but she knew it would have only been the beginning.

With his kind of wizardry and the terrible technology of the Master Scientist at his disposal, he would have thoroughly analyzed and gained total control over the full powers of all the yoroi. "Even...even Kikoutei," Nasutei gasped. "And then..."

Startled, she saw across the horizon of her imagination Hell on Earth made real, as the surface of the planet shrieked in a fiery maelstrom beyond madness and mass destruction. The desecrating vision of the now man-made-demon-god cackled wildly in triumph over the global funeral pyre, its flames fanned by the world's unending carnage and suffering.

But, what filled her imagination with dread the most was the grisly vision of discarded human husks that were beyond counting. Destroyed souls of men, women, and even children, whose hollowed-out corpses piled high into a climbing mountain of death -- so high, that it scraped the underbelly of their scorched skies. Everyday people, who had lived plain, ordinary lives. Their life forces, along with all of their personal dreams and ambitions, and the hope for the existence of all their future generations -- had been grimly sucked bone-dry, and mercilessly relished. A deathly chill rolled beneath Nasutei's skin, causing her to shudder inconsolably. Still, she mustered the strength to wrap a comforting arm around Jun's shoulders, and with prayers of thankfulness, hugged him close to her -- for the both of them.

With its roof blown off and the thick masonry walls of its main hall brought down, Shikaisen's sanctum had been reduced to stone and rubble. Still shuffling about the ruins to reorganize themselves, the Troopers had transformed back into their yoroi undergear. It was then, when Touma noticed that Seiji was still suffering from his ordeal with Shikaisen. Barely able to support his own weight, his legs beneath him shook as pain racked through his body with each step that he took.

"Seiji...you all right?"

"Well, I'm not ready to jump any hurdles just yet, but as soon as we get back home, I'll be fine." Seiji flashed a small grin of reassurance to his teammate, but his misery still winced through his facade.

"Don't worry, I'm right here." Touma offered his shoulder as support while attempting to wrap his friend's arm around his neck.

"C'mon, Touma...I'm okay, really. I'm not the only one who got battered. I know you took some damage too. I'll be all right." Seiji's conscientious but weak attempt to push Touma away and downplay his own personal trauma was still unconvincing.

"Will you stop giving me the tough bushido act, 'kay?" But having seen his torture and humiliation, Touma's initial impatience with Seiji's stubbornness had eased, causing his usually clear calculating eyes to soften into an unusual compassionate shade of blue. "Look, Seiji... you've just been through a lot. Just lean on me, all right? That's why we're all here. It's our destiny to fight together, and that also means to support each other. So it's all right. Really. It's all right."

"I-I..." for a brief second, Seiji couldn't bring himself to face his friend. Perhaps it was from feelings of failure as the bearer of the green yoroi, Korin, and as a Samurai Trooper. For although his mind and spirit were strong, his strength still had its limitations. Or, perhaps it was from feelings of shame. Feelings that, despite his years of intense bushido training, discipline and meditations under the strict teachings his grandfather, and despite Kaosu's spiritual guidance to find the truth in a world of lies, he had still been duped by the machinations of the evil wizard. He had unwittingly exposed himself as a target -- which could have lead to the abuse of the armors and destruction of his brothers-in-arms. Another moment had passed, and then, hesitantly, Seiji lifted the lids to his lavender eyes, and saw Touma's face troubled with true concern between his single blue lock. Finally, he conceded: "You're right, Touma."

Standing on the other side of the former great hall, Ryo blankly stared at the spot where the power of Kikoutei destroyed Shikaisen -- and where Luna had just died. His thoughts had drifted back reliving their final moments together. And then she died in his arms. Tears were streaming down Ryo's face as he held Luna's still body in his arms and gently brushed the wisps of her bangs from her lifeless eyelids. His fingertips then traced over the folds of the orange scarf that had charmed him so on the bridge. The rest of the Troopers contending with Shikaisen, never noticed Ryo untying the silken scarf from her braid. They were all in the middle of a battle, yet this overwhelming impulse came over him -- the need to have something of hers. From someone as temperamental as he, yet whose strength of will and conviction to face personal dangers head-on in what she believed matched his own.

Blinking his eyes, Ryo found himself back in his immediate reality once again, surrounded by the aftermath of the battle. Unable to prevent the pain from seeping to his eyes, he heavily berated himself. "Luna, I thought I could...but I was wrong. He was just too dangerous. Damn you, Shikaisen! And now...dammit! Dammit all! And...and damn myself, because I should've never had let you come. At least you'd still be safe...and alive."

The others now looked across and saw the back of Ryo's trembling form, and having witnessed the full consequences of what had happened and what she had done, and they too, were filled with grief from the loss of their recent friend.

From the very beginning, Shu, who judged her as such a major pain in the ass, had constantly fought her with the same intense rivalry between a bickering brother and sister. But now he was overcome with a sadness that caved in his broad chest. It was unbelievable, almost inconceivable, that someone who was very capable of dishing it out as good as she got was now gone forever. Just like that. It was one of the rarer moments that the Warrior of Justice found himself deeply subdued and barely able to speak, now that he had suddenly lost his new "sparing partner". Especially when he was just learning to respect her.

"Good-bye...Little Sister."

"Ryo..." Shin began somberly as he walked up behind him. "I...I so wish it hadn't ended like this. Not like this. She...she had a brave heart and a true spirit." He had placed a reassuring hand on top of Ryo's shoulder and carefully continued. "And... And, I know it's really difficult right now... but...we've got to go."

"Alright...all right," Ryo sighed, his voice cracked and his chest heaved heavily from heartache and regret. "Let's get out of here. But...there's something I need to do in Brooklyn..."

Silently, Shin gave an understanding nod.

Barely moments after the Troopers' departure, the amplified blare of sirens and the strobing flash of blue-red lights flooded into the night air, announcing the arrival of an army of police cruisers. As the screeching wheels of the black-and-whites drove deeper into the cemetery grounds, thick particles of dust began to fill the air and quickly formed into a cloudy signpost that pointed towards the entrance to the mausoleum, still belching out its contents of heavy smoke and debris. When the police finally arrived at the immediate area where the battle took place, they thought they had landed onto the ragged surface of the moon.

Flashlight in hand, one of the younger officers, stunned by such destruction while trying to clear his throat, spat, "Well knock the snot outta my...! What the hell could've set this place off?

"That's exactly why we're here, officer. To find out who's got the kind of action to nuke this place to Kingdom Come," the lieutenant detective gruffly replied.

Lt. Detective Phillips then turned his back, rolled his eyes and sarcastically lamented under his breath, "Nothin' like having a bunch of 'Columbos' workin' with me". Its 'detective work' like that that makes me go home to a shot or two of Jack Daniels every night." Phillips spun around once again and pulled out his backpocket handkerchief to cover over his nose and mouth as he barked his orders to the rest of his investigative team. "Okay people, you know the routine! This area is off limits to the public, and I don't wanna see any media dogs sniffin' around for a news story until further orders." Sharply, he turned away again and wearily massaged the tension that crept along the back of his thick neck muscles and groaned, "Yeah. All I need now is for a few government ATF boys to muscle in on this action and bust my balls down on this case to being their unofficial ass-wipe. Yep, it's gonna be one of 'em nights."

Then by reflex, he hawked loudly a nasty, vulgar sound from the base of his throat and spat its awful bitter result onto the ground. He then mashed it into the dirt with the heel of his shoe, wishing that he could scrub his tonsils down to his lungs clean. "Shit. Even my pack-an'-a-half-a-day bad habit doesn't make me hack it up this bad." Immediately he radioed downtown for extra equipment and backup. "...An' we'll need something to help us all to breathe a little easier, too. If we're gonna have to sift through this mess, then I don't wanna worry about gettin' some kinda lung disease, or somethin'"

The night finally melted into another summer dog day, and sweltered back into another steamy night. Although only the surface had been scratched in the process of trying to gather what little physical evidence was left behind from the incinerating blast of the Soul Swords of Fervor, the first steps of the police investigation were nearly completed. The area had been sealed off with the usual yellow police tape and a squad car patrolled the outside area.

It was then, not yet discovered, but buried deep within the bowels of the massive tomb, that the smashed computer console panel of the Master Scientist began to whine back to life with a sharp, high pitch. Sputtering blood-black electricity that cursed through its damaged circuits, the console emitted a mysterious, eerie glow that lit up the surrounding darkness.

Suddenly, as streams of energy began to break through the boulder cracks that entombed the console, their dark, mystical forces also cracked open in the heavens above. Quickly, they whirled and brewed into a roaring firmament of evil that devoured the moon and the stars from the LA night sky, and continued to spread its blanket of despair over the city like a demonworld plague.

Then, with an explosive thunderclap that reverberated across the skies, a violent gash ruptured across the dark nebula, causing the atmosphere to buckle in agony as it bled sanguine clouds of vapor from its gapping wound. Veins of lightening continued to roll through the ominous dark clouds that finally opened up and released their rains with a mocking, but familiar laughter. But instead of rescuing the city from the oppressive summer heat, the resulting corrosive downpour sent the after-midnighters screaming for cover, as the offensive smell of acid burning against flesh rose into the night. The next morning, the local and nations news couldn't explain the strange weather events, reporting that national meteorologists and other natural scientists were beginning investigations into the "unusual phenomenon".

But unbeknownst to the rest of the world, this localized manifestation had only been a ruse. For those same dark forces that had so weakly sputtered within the computer console had now grown with enough evil strength, drawn from the pain-induced fears of the local citizens below, to punch a demonic shaft of blood-black light straight up into the atmosphere and beyond.

With the speed of light, that dark beam traveled until it had reached into the frontier of space and intercepted an orbiting spy satellite, hundreds of miles above the earth. The beam ricocheted off the satellite to continue on its destination, and found another satellite, and then another, until finally, those evil forces had consciously linked and infiltrated every military and communication satellite that orbited around the earth.

But more importantly, those forces had quickly infected countless miles of integrated circuits to crack through their heavily encrypted security defenses with unearthly ease –- gaining full access to the massive databases and network systems of every major governmental power that controlled those satellites. Yet, those demonic forces slept harmlessly dormant -- and patiently waited for the right opportunity to go live online.

* * * *

Spring –- nature's time for new birth and rejuvenation strolled through the San Francisco Bay Area, once again, for another season. A refreshing sea breeze had blown in a flock of seagulls that glided high over the bay waters and above the city noise and congestion of cars, trucks, and people on foot or on their bikes. As they conducted the business of their day-in-day-out, everyday life, the commuters traveled back and forth, like a trail of busy, unassuming worker ants, bustling along the copper-orange spine of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Billowy white canvas sheets began to dot against the other blue, as yachts and other watercrafts of leisure streamlined their way across the surface waves, while heavy barges and tug boats steadily plowed through the deep waters of the San Francisco Bay. A nearby water cruiser from the US Coast Guard with its colors flapping in the wind was conducting its usual patrol along the northern California coastline.

But without warning, the calm bay waters shifted and whipped into a choppy, blue-black frenzy, and sudden gale winds whistled in a darkness that quickly folded over the peninsula's area skyline, causing traffic to slow down to a crawl, as pockets of confusion broke out through the city:

"But...it was just light a moment ago..." puzzled a downtown woman on her way to a business meeting in the Financial District. Squinting, she braced herself against the strong winds that tossed her hair and threw bits of dust and trash into her eyes.

"Look! The sun! Oh yeah, baby! Bet we're gonna have ourselves an eclipse...!" exclaimed a bike messenger, his voice ringing with anticipation as he straddled his 18-speed racer and cupped his hand over his eyes, glancing skyward.

"What do you mean about an eclipse?" a nearby motor cop questioned. "There was nothing on the news ab—"

But before he could finish, their reality had vanished in a searing flash of heat and brilliance. With a detonating impact, a monstrous mushroom dome of arcane energies had made its explosive entry and silently swept across the horizon, consuming the city whole, as it savagely disintegrated all within the path of its arch-widening touch. Within the nucleus of this juggernaut, overwhelming forces continued to rage -- with enough explosive tonnage that had already blown away the surrounding blue biosphere -- resulting in its noiseless, but nevertheless, still violent entrance into the temporal world.

What finally emerged from the now-transformed skies, was an imposing black hole -- a dimensional portal -- that tore through the delicate weave between realities. Where the sun had once brightly shined, its expansive, black-smooth surface now reigned high in skies that burned a dark fever-red -- radiating with a power that was not from this mortal plane. Created by the portal's intense gravitational pull, one hundred-foot waves replaced calm harbor waters, reflected the terrifying beauty of its otherworldly magnificence off the surface of their depths.

Then, a silvery blade of light streaked its contrasting slit across the splendor of this pulsating void, and a human figure spilt forth from its cosmic breach and plummeted towards the turbulent bay. With a silent splash, the body of a young female churned below the inky surface of the receiving waters. Her dark naked form, slender and weightless, had curled into a fetal position with her arms delicately wrapped about her folded knees, while a thick cloud of swirling black from her head caressed over her bare features. Unconscious, and unaware of ever having lived a previous life -- of a murdered brother, of her city adventures with five young men -- or even of her own death -- her body quickly floated to the surface, buoyed by the mute sloshing of the murky waves.

In another explosive flash, the material world returned whole, in a collective amnesia with no memories or the marking by time of the past few moments. Everything was restored -- everything was intact. The day-to-day going ons continued at their usual, noisy pace -- just another day in a life. Except for the young black female that drifted in the once-again, calm bay waters.

"We found a floater!" With the help from a pair of high-powered binoculars, a crewmember on watch from the patrolling Coast Guard spotted the young woman's body bobbing along the surface of the waters. A couple of Coast Guard personnel in lifejackets pulled her body from the birthing waters and hoisted her onto the deck of the cruiser where emergency medical attention was immediately applied.

"I found a pulse..." Swaddled like a newborn within the thick wrap of heavy blankets, a deep, penetrating warmth had begun to spread into her limbs, causing her to stir momentarily. Her water-laden lashes fluttered irratically over their semi-conscious slits. Her dark eyes under the wisps from her water-soaked bangs became pools that now sparkled strangely an icy iridescence from the Otherside within their depths.

"I-I-I...what the hell...? Did you see...? No...never mind. God. The sun must be reflecting more brightly off the waters...?"

"Look...I think she may be gaining consciousness. Miss! Miss! Can you hear me?"

But Luna could barely comprehend the muffled tones that floated in and out, or the shadowy figures that seemed to shift back and forth and all around her against the harshest of lights.

Still, the strength of her spirit strained to move her lips and struggled to hold onto a remnant of that light, but the bleakest of shrouds had wrapped its dark will around her soul, causing her to collapse back into her dreamless cocoon. An electronic communication had already been dispatched for helicopter transportation to the nearest medical trauma center.

To Be Continued...

A/N: That's right, I'm continuing, reviews or no, because I STILL believe that Luna STILL has a story to tell and I'M TELLING IT.