Soldier's Forge Chapter 14, a sakura wars fanfic

------------------

Soldier's Forge, Chapter 14:

Kanna had barely laid her head down to rest when she woke to an urgent knocking on the door. Grumbling to herself, she slowly rose and answered the door. To her surprise, she came face to face with the head tech.

"Sorry for bothering you, but we seem to have a complication," he informed. "I need to talk to everyone right away."

Kanna nodded and replied, "Alright, wait for me to wake everyone."

When the group gathered in the small living room in their suite, the tech got right down to business.

"Once again, I apologize for the short rest, but something urgent has come up. As of twenty minutes ago, the military has mobilized several divisions and have surrounded the compound. I just received word that they are demanding we turn over all Kanzaki Industries assets to them, on charges of treason and aiding the enemy."

"That's not possible—how did they know we were here?" asked Maria.

"Just before they arrived, about half a dozen Kanzaki employees from a variety of departments mysteriously vanished. It's obvious they must have been alerted to your presence, and informed them."

"Damn it," cursed Kanna quietly. "Is there any way out of here?"

"They have all routes blockaded. CEO Kanzaki is currently in negotiations with them to try to buy us more time."

"If they react like last time, then it's not going to do us any good," observed Orihime.

"Hold on a second—" interrupted Kohran. "How much of the analysis is complete?"

"Analysis on the burned circuitry is complete. The techs tell me the data disks will be complete in about twenty minutes."

"Do we have twenty minutes?" speculated Maria.

"We'll try to buy you that time, but the question remains: how will your group escape?"

"Perhaps I may have an answer to that," announced CEO Kanzaki as he entered the room.

"CEO Kanzaki!" said Maria in surprise. She rose to her feet, but he gestured her to remain seated.

"The parlay was merely a means to which they could say they gave us a chance to surrender. They have no such intentions. I could tell when I was negotiating with one of the army commanders."

"That means, they're going to attack?" asked the head tech incredulously.

"We are not without defenses. As of now, I have closed of all entrances to the compound, and have strict instructions for our security forces to let no one through. They will not last long against the military in a drawn out engagement, however."

"I'm sorry, CEO Kanzaki. We did not wish to bring this upon you," apologized Maria.

"You did nothing to provoke this. It would have happened eventually. However, Kanzaki Industries will stand until the end, and from our ashes we will rebuild ourselves, as we have always done. Moving on—there may be a way to get you and your comrades out of here to safety. I have an underground tunnel that emerges just outside of their perimeter. It is large enough that a van could easily escape."

"Will that be enough for us to escape? We cannot have them follow us back to our sanctuary," said Maria.

"I understand. That is why I have a distraction planned. Once their attention is diverted, you should be able to escape in the darkness."

"I'll need to head to the lab to get their results," said Kohran.

"The team is working as fast as they can. They informed me of some interesting results from the first analysis, however. We have learned that the burned circuitry was manufactured by the Tatsumaki Conglomerate, as we suspected. This is not evidence of wrong-doing, aside from the fact that it was somehow obtained by the groups responsible for the terrorist attacks, however it is one of the many signs that point to them as responsible for this situation."

"So they supply the terrorists with arms and equipment, which they use to cause mass panic in Teito. Military gets called in, and they receive preferential treatment as the new major player in the military defense industry," surmised Maria.

"That may very well be the scenario we face. The only place to find the evidence in support of this, however, lies within their facilities," replied CEO Kanzaki gravely.

"I guess that means we'll have to get it," said Kanna. The head tech was listening intently when he received a message on his remote communicator. Glancing at it, he rose to his feet quickly.

"Kohran, they're almost done," he said. Nodding, Kohran excused herself and followed him to the lab.

"I have a van supplied with all your needs—ammunition, field equipment, computers, and supplies. It is waiting at the entrance to the underground system at cargo area six. When the analysis finishes, meet Kohran there and proceed out of the complex when I give the signal."

"Understood. Once again, thank you, CEO Kanzaki," said Maria.

"There is no need for thanks. I only ask one thing of you—to put an end to this if you can."

"We will succeed—at all costs," vowed Maria. Shaking hands, they packed their supplies and followed him out of the suite. They followed one of Kanzaki's aides through several hallways and garages until they arrived at their escape vehicle.

"Now, we wait for Kohran," stated Maria. "And hope that whatever CEO Kanzaki has planned works."

Kohran walked briskly into the lab, followed by the head tech. Jumping straight to a terminal, she saw immediately that it was only a matter of minutes before the information was decoded.

"Looks like we're almost there. If they manage to stall them long enough—" began Kohran when the room was suddenly awash in red alarms and blaring sirens.

"Great," she muttered as techs scrambled from one area to another.

"I have a report—they've begun to attack the main gates. Security is doing their best to hold them off," said a lab tech from a nearby terminal.

"Keep working at the disk…check the auxiliary power systems—I want no interruptions," ordered the head tech. The others looked around nervously as the deep rumblings of explosions permeated the room.

"They've entered the compound—sections 4 through 7 compromised!"

"Get an escort up here now. I want them ready to get Kohran to the van safely."

"Reports of engagement coming from the south gate. They're about to breach the defenses!"

"Get our personnel to fall back, and blanket the sections with gas."

Kohran watched anxiously as several indicators in front of her reported multiple incursions. After a few more harrowing minutes, the progress bar she was watching finally hit the end.

"Data decoded. Now transferring to media." As soon as the computer stopped, a data disk popped out of a drive, which was promptly snatched up by the head tech.

"Here it is. I hope it was worth it," he commented as Kohran pocketed it carefully. "You should be able to access it off the terminals in the field equipment."

"Thanks for everything," she said before being hustled out by a small force of four agents in suits.

"Good luck," wished Jiang Li—the name of the head tech—in Chinese.

Maria and the others waited tensely for Kohran to arrive. Security was busy holding the attackers at chokepoints, leaving no available personnel available. Another explosion nearby rocked the hanger, causing ceiling fixtures to cascade downwards.

"Maria! I've got it!" screamed Kohran as she ran from the hallway into the room. Her escort was reduced to two loyal guards, and they looked as if they had been through an unpleasant ordeal.

"What happened?" questioned Maria briskly.

"We got delayed on the way here," she replied as she hopped into the van. The others piled in while Maria took the wheel.

"CEO Kanzaki reports that you are to move to the exit point, and await further instruction. We will hold this area," reported one of the agents.

"Ok, time to go. Strap in, everyone!" said Maria as she throttled up the engine and entered the tunnel. Behind them, the entrance closed slowly on hydraulics, leaving the only illumination being the orange glow of the tunnel lights.

Maria sped down the winding tunnel until she finally reached the exit point, a long, horizontally split hatch. Braking to a stop, she sat in anticipation, waiting for whatever signal would be given to them. The hissing of static caught her attention, and she traced it to a communications device in the van.

"CEO Kanzaki here, Maria, do you read?"

"I hear you."

"Are you at the exit point yet?"

"Yes, we have arrived."

"Excellent. We are ready on our side. Wait for my signal."

At that point, the hatch in front of them opened slowly, revealing the night sky and a dark, flat field in front of them. In the distance, Maria could see the lights of several army vehicles laying siege to the compound.

Suddenly, an explosion in the far of distance set a plume of fire into the air. It was immediately followed by another one, even larger than before. A trembling rattled the passengers waiting in the tunnel as explosion after explosion was set off sequentially. As if that weren't enough, the sky was lit up in a multicolored spectacle brought on by sparks, flares, and burning debris.

"Go now!" announced the radio. Maria did not have to be told twice as she let loose on the throttle and ran onto the road. Behind the fleeing van, the decimation of Kanzaki Industries' main complex continued, it's dying wail heard in explosion after explosion. Consumed in an inferno, the site began to burn to the ground.

* * *

"Sumire, how could you do that?" said Sakura. Reni and Iris were huddled in the corner, Iris' eyes downcast in the chastisement recently administered to them. Reni shrugged it off as usual.

"I don't have to hear a lecture from you, Sakura," retorted Sumire.

"You shouldn't have to—I expected better from you. Maybe I'm not as refined as you are, and maybe I don't know as much about the world, but I do know at the very least that you don't let children run out in a dangerous—"

"Iris is not a child!" interrupted Iris.

"—place, with no guidance from anyone. Who knows what could have happened? What if they were hurt?"

Sumire continued to ignore her, and rolled her eyes to the ceiling.

"I hate to argue, but Sakura is right—you shouldn't have let Iris and Reni off like that, Sumire," added Tsubaki.

"What does it matter? They're fine, aren't they?" replied Sumire.

"That's not the point—Sumire, where is your sense of responsibility?" asked Sakura harshly.

At that, Sumire jumped to her feet, her face livid with anger.

"I said, I don't want to hear a lecture from you, country woman, so please shut up!" she yelled. Iris flinched at her sudden outburst, and Tsubaki and Sakura stood silently.

Sumire wordlessly snatched her belongings forcefully and marched out the door. After a few minutes, Iris slowly walked towards Sakura and tugged on her dress.

"Iris is sorry…sorry for everything," she said.

"That's okay. Just don't wander off without letting me know—otherwise I would be worried sick," said Sakura as she took Iris into a tight hug.

"Is Sumire going to be okay?" asked Iris. Shifting Iris in her arms, Sakura sat down and held her on her lap.

"She's probably going back to the train, as usual. She'll be back tomorrow, I guess."

Iris sat in Sakura's embrace for a few moments before her eyes lighted up.

"Do you want to hear about what Reni and I found?"

"Sure, I'd love to hear it! Why don't we all gather around while you and Reni tell us?" said Sakura, smiling. Everyone gathered around a light as Iris excitedly reported her find. Her account was exaggerated in several places, causing Reni to step in occasionally and correct. In the end, Iris' magical storytelling turned their experience into an epic adventure of grand proportions. Sakura flinched noticeably every time Iris described a dangerous trap or a harrowing escape. At the end, however, she felt a little more comforted when she realized Reni was protecting her.

"So, what does this treasure look like?" asked Tsubaki curiously. She lay comfortably on her stomach, hands propping her head.

"Right here!" Iris pulled out the old sword hilt from her pockets. Sakura looked at it intently, peering at the design.

"And…I want you to have it, Sakura," said Iris. Sakura blinked in surprise.

"I can't accept it—you found it, so it's yours," she replied.

"It's okay. Iris doesn't like swords anyways, and really really wants Sakura to have it." Iris held the sword hilt out to Sakura.

"I—I don't know what to say…thank you very much, Iris." Sakura gripped the sword, and felt a sudden chill run up her arm. Disturbed, she looked closely at the artifact in the light, studying the etched symbols and the carvings.

"It's getting pretty late," commented Tsubaki. "I'm off to bed. Good night everyone."

The others rolled out their blankets and turned in. Before getting in, Sakura laid the ancient artifact on a table above her and jumped into sleep eagerly, weary from the day's events.

"A familiar place", thought Sakura as she looked around her. The atmosphere was surreal, the colors a pastel of soft whites and peaches. Trying to discern where she was, the image cleared to show the salon of the theater. She felt warm and alive, and full of happiness—it was the site of many good memories. She could almost hear the voices of Sumire and Kanna arguing, the joy of laughter from Iris, and the dim murmurs of conversation between all her friends.

From behind her, she suddenly heard the shattering of glass. Turning quickly, she saw no one, and the room quickly felt empty. Looking on the floor, she saw Sumire's favorite tea cup, lying broken on the floor. She reached over to pick up the pieces when a sharp stabbing pain in her hand caused her to jerk back quickly. Sakura turned her hand over to see a prick in the center of her palm, and a small drop of blood began welling out of the wound.

She expected it to stop bleeding, but for some odd reason the blood continued to stream downwards, forming a small drop at the base of her hand. It eventually collected enough weight onto itself and dripped onto the floor. At the moment of impact, the cozy surroundings of the theater dissolved away into a dark and bleak emptiness.

Sakura was now very frightened—she felt déjà vu, and then she remembered fragments of the dream she had last night. It all seemed very lucid—the unrelenting darkness, the sense of being watched, and most of all, the horrid feeling of imminent terror. Sakura desperately tried to wake from this nightmare, but it was as if she were trying to scream with cotton stuffed in her mouth.

Again, she felt terror manifest behind her, but this time she did not look back. She began to run, sluggishly, moving nowhere, until she stumbled and tripped over herself. She lay on the floor, noticing for the first time that a thin pool of blood was spreading from her chest. She had no recollection of ever acquiring such a wound, and was terrified at the sheer amount of liquid pouring from her heart. She tried to scream, but her body would not obey her. Worst of all, she heard a hissing sound coming from around her, surrounding her ears. The sound increased in volume until she could distinguish that it was not a hissing noise, but rather the whisperings of thousands of voices together. She heard the wailing of babies, the screams of mothers, and the ravings of men in an intelligible gibberish. She continued to panic as the world closed in on her, the ghosts of the darkness walking closer, and closer…

Sakura screamed herself awake this time and opened her eyes to see nothing but the dim glow of the glow stick that served as a nightlight. Iris was resting beside her, and Reni and Tsubaki were silently asleep. She tried to clear her head, but the terror still lingering haunted her. The whispers—she could almost hear them.

And then with absolute horror she realized she still could. Distant, but definitely there, she heard soft whispers that seemed to come from all around her.

"Iris! Reni!" she screamed to the others, trying to wake them. Both of them did not move, causing her to panic further.

"Iris! Wake up! Reni! Tsubaki!" Her cries became more desperate, but they did not wake. She tried to shake Iris awake, but to no avail—Iris and the others were in a deep sleep, not to be disturbed by her.

Something outside fell, the sound of impact sending waves of paralysis through her. She brought up her hands to scream, when she noticed in her left hand she held the hilt of the ancient artifact. She tried to let go of it, but her muscles were locked. She fell to her knees, sobbing, when she saw the dim outline of a girl in the corner. At first, she seemed to be playing, but then she turned and stared at Sakura. A boy walked out behind her. Sakura screamed again and turned around to see more faces emerge—of men and women, old and young. The apparitions stared at her intensely while she closed her eyes and screamed. The whispers became louder, and the footsteps came closer…

Sakura bolted upright from her blankets in cold sweat. Quickly bringing up her hands, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no sign of the sword hilt. Sakura saw Iris and Reni asleep next to her, and Tsubaki was further off in the corner. The only sounds were the small echoes of nocturnal creatures and the faint sound of running water through the cave. Sakura slumped back down onto her sheets, too tired to move yet too frightened to sleep. Glancing at a small clock, she saw that she had only a few hours before morning, so she sat quietly, replaying the images of her dream over and over in her mind. Above her, the mysterious artifact Iris unleashed slowly resumed its natural color, fading from the glowing blue light that surrounded it.

Sumire flopped around once again on the train seat. She had trouble sleeping again, but it was not because of the accommodations, although she kept telling herself that. She tried to understand it—was it guilt? She dismissed that, because she did not think that Iris and Reni were in any real danger, and besides, they returned safely. Something kept her awake, eating at her but filed away in the back of her mind.

She tossed around once more before getting to her feet in frustration. Looking for something—anything that would help her relax—she marched around the train in an exercise of futility. Flustered with exasperation, she stalked into the cabin, unsure of what she was looking for or why she was there. She sat into the main chair and glanced at the large assortment of knobs and dials. Squinting at the labels, she came upon a set labeled 'lights' and flipped on the switches. Lo and behold, the lights in the room came alive. Smiling to herself, she scanned the board, before seeing something resembling a kinemetron. Curiously wondering if anyone carried the receiver, she turned it on and dialed Ensign's number. She was met with static, much to her disappointment.

Sumire wasn't one to stay engrossed in something as mundane as a kinemetron, so she gave the dial a little twirl, hoping that she would pick up something. To her surprise, she picked up on a news station, and then remembered that Kohran had tried to show her that when she first instructed her on its use. Leaning back, she decided it was better than nothing.

"Military police are in the process of rooting out the renegade faction in Teito responsible for the terrorist attacks. They report that they have managed to successfully raid several suspected hideouts of these criminals, and will bring swift justice to those who seek to disturb the peace in Teito…"

"The world's gone nuts," thought Sumire. She laid back, ready to let the lull of the radio put her to sleep.

"Several dissidents that were found to be in direct connection with terrorist activities have been arrested and detained. In addition, we have just received word that the military has successfully seized Kanzaki Industries, suspected of supplying the terrorists with arms and finances."

Sumire jumped to her feet in surprise and leaned closer to the radio.

"CEO Kanzaki has been arrested and is detained for questioning. The military cites this as a major blow to all terrorist cells operating within Teito. The watch continues we continue to report the success of the military in rooting out…"

Sumire was no longer listening. The thought at the back of her mind finally made itself clear.

"Where is your sense of responsibility?"

She shook her head once again. Her father could handle himself—she was certain of it. He didn't need her around.

Sumire turned off the radio and walked back to her makeshift bed. Plopping down on it, she tried again to sleep, but to no avail. The words of the radio played itself over and over again in her head.

"Where is your sense of responsibility?"

Her obligations were to the stage. As the 'top star', it was her responsibility to perform to the best of her ability, and to dazzle the audience as she always did—elegant, charming, and graceful.

Yet Sumire felt something foreign within her, something that she could not logically fathom. What was it that she owed her parents, when they were presumptuous enough to choose marriage partners for her? When they sought to control every aspect of her life, until she had fled to the stage? No—she did not flee to the stage. It was her destiny.

These questions plagued her until Sumire got back up, no longer feeling the need for sleep. Packing her bags, she left the train, left the old tunnels, and headed for the surface, determined to find the answers for herself.

Iris woke to the smell of cooking food. Rubbing her eyes, she saw that Sakura was already cooking, but she looked tired, almost as if she had been up all night. Sumire was out, and was probably going to return mid-morning.

After they had cleaned and eaten, Sakura and the others carried out their morning routines. Soon, worry overcame Sakura as she had heard no word from Sumire.

"Tsubaki, I'm worried about Sumire. Shouldn't she be back by now?" she commented.

"I'm kind of worried too. Tell you what, why don't I go to the train and get her? She's probably moping or something," offered Tsubaki. Upon Sakura's approval, she left the room.

After about thirty minutes, Tsubaki returned empty handed.

"Did you find her?" asked Iris worriedly.

"Bad news, everyone. It seems like Sumire took off—and I don't know where."

Exclamations of surprise came from Sakura and Iris.

"What—how do you know?" asked Sakura.

"There was no sign of her on the train. All her belongings are gone, but in the main control room the lights were on. I also saw she messed with the kinemetron—it was set for a news channel. Something must have rattled her such that she had to go."

"We have to get her back! She needs our help!" exclaimed Sakura.

"That is not advisable. We could receive new orders at any time," said Reni.

"She's right—the Koubu are located in a cavern close by here. If we got orders to be deployed…" said Tsubaki.

"Sumire…she left us," said Iris sadly.

"I'm sure it's not like that Iris. She must have had something important for her to take off like that. She cares for you very much," comforted Sakura.

"Sumire is capable of handling herself. She will be fine," added Reni.

Sakura suddenly stumbled, head spinning. Tsubaki caught her just in time, while Iris rushed to her side.

"Sakura, are you alright?" asked Tsubaki.

"I'm…I'm…" said Sakura as she struggled. Her strength was suddenly gone from her, and her legs felt weak. Tsubaki and Iris laid her on the floor.

"She's not sick or anything," said Tsubaki as she checked her forehead. A wave of nausea passed over Sakura, and as she lay there she could hear the blood pounding in her ears.

Blood…

At first, it was soft, but the whispers became louder. Iris picked up on this and clung to Sakura frighteningly, while Reni tried to discern the direction. It was unmistakably the sound of thousands of people whispering gibberish, wailing, and screaming.

"Iris feels something here…it's scary!" whispered Iris.

"What's going on?" Tsubaki said softly.

"I feel…a disturbance around us," reported Reni.

"No…no…no!" muttered Sakura as she began tossing and turning.

A rattling nearby caused a cup to fall to the floor, shattering it into pieces. From above, the sword hilt flew outwards and fell towards the ground, giving off a bluish glow.

"What's this?" said Tsubaki confused when she saw a blur by the window. The glow rod began to flicker, and then faded completely, leaving them in near total darkness.

An image of a girl faded in and out of appearance, causing Tsubaki to scream. Iris looked on worriedly, clutching to Sakura and Jean-Paul. Reni placed herself between where the apparition was and Iris.

"Identify yourself," she addressed stoically.

A flash revealed several more apparitions, their ethereal presence strong against the darkness. Men, women, and children all stared at Sakura, causing the others to huddle protectively around her. For several terrifying seconds they stood staring at each other.

Sakura watched as the ancient sword hilt floated slowly in front of her. Fearful, yet somewhat curious, she looked at the glowing object—it seemed to beckon to her, as if to take it. Reaching out, she grasped the handle and felt the same chill run up her arm. The apparitions parted in front of her, as if to guide her somewhere. The little girl she saw from before turned and walked down the newly revealed path.

"What—you want me to follow? Yes—yes, I will," whispered Sakura as she stood up.

Iris clutched to her protectively, but Sakura was still determined to go.

"Sakura, it could be dangerous!" warned Tsubaki. Without giving her an answer, Sakura walked slowly, following the girl in the distance, who stopped every so often to let her catch up. Seeing nothing better to do, Iris and the others followed.

She was led to the site where Iris had uncovered the artifact, but the opening was closed. Walking towards the center of the dais, Sakura stepped into a shaft of light originating from above. She quickly fell to her knees, and her vision soon faded…

Standing in a provincial town square, she saw people going about their business around her. The buildings bore close similarity to the ruins around her, and the sounds of work and play intermingled. The little girl of before sat near the corner, playing with a doll. All was at peace.

Or so she thought. A rumbling in the distance alerted her to a cloud of dust down the street. Joyful sounds turned to screams as a people ran around her in panic. Out of the ground emerged the horrific form of a large Kouma, its jaws bellowing a hideous cry. It looked even more primitive than its modern incarnation, with several jutting horns and razor sharp claws.

Sakura somehow knew she could not influence the events around her—she was an observer to a time long ago. She saw the elderly and children run away while men and women gathered near the square. The beast was swiping by houses as if they were made of paper, and began its march towards the townsfolk. The Kouma was at least twice as large as the tallest building, a lumbering mass intent on destruction.

A man emerged from the crowd carrying an intricately ornamented sword. He held it above his head, and a blue nimbus surrounded him. Speaking in a language incomprehensible to Sakura, the other townspeople were soon also enveloped in a glow. Energy flowed from the citizens into the sword, causing the blade to crackle and shine. The Kouma ancestor became distraught, and bellowed a mighty cry of terror and frustration. It began a run towards the source of its dismay.

Placing two fingers on the back of the sword, the man muttered final incantations before releasing its energy. The beast screamed in pain as blue flames covered it from head to toe, vaporizing it completely. When the light cleared, only charred ashes remained.

The vision suddenly dissolved itself, and Sakura found herself once more at the dais. She now understood—these were the remains of people who all had the power of the Haja, the bloodline that bestowed one with the power to slay the demons. Looking up at the apparitions, she saw peace on their faces as they began to vanish.

"Everyone…thank you…for showing me," she whispered as she clutched the sword hilt.

"Sakura," said a voice in her mind. Turning around quickly, she saw the apparition of her father once again. Welling with tears, she rushed to hold him.

"Father…"

They held each other for several seconds before Kazuma released her. Pulling out a sword, he set himself in a stance. Sakura did the same, and to her surprise, an ethereal blade emerged from the hilt. Energy manifested itself around Kazuma, so powerful it caused a whirlwind to gust around him. The katana he carried became brighter, and flames licked its surface. Sakura watched intently as he took the technique to new heights, fueled by unimaginable spirit power. The light became blindingly bright, and Sakura was forced to close her eyes. When she opened them, he had vanished, but the message left behind was clear.

"Thank you, father."