Chapter 03 - Get In Touch
"You said that there weren't ANY kind of youma that would try to conquer the world in that Timeline!" yelled Firebird, looking at the mirror.
"I did NOT say that, Firebird of Shine!" answered Moon Fox, yelling back and scrubbing his hands, nervous. "I just said that I couldn't find any youma or extra-dimensional being THERE. By the way..." And he gave an angry glare at the Guardian of Time, which stood behind them, holding the Time Staff. "What did you have in mind when you sent Kyn's essence to another Timeline? Are you aware that you've changed Tieko Aikawa's LIFE?! The essence of Mercury Destiny Kishi was meant to reborn in a girl in THAT Timeline, the one we came from! Where Tieko Aikawa was just a nickname and a pen name for her!"
"Would you calm down, Moon Fox?" said the deep and calm voice of Chronos. "No Timeline is safe and you all know that."
"That's true", said Firebird. "As it's also true that the Guardian of Time would sacrifice anything for Destiny's sake. I hope that her life is not included in that."
"It is not."
"That we'll see..." mumbled Moon Fox, turning back.
***
What used to be a kitchen was now a battle arena, with knifes and forks and everything else that had in it on the floor. On its middle, stood something that looked like a woman of white skin, silver hair and deep red eyes, with an evil smile on her face.
"Who... or WHAT are you?!" asked Arthur, trying to protect Tieko with his own body.
"I have already introduced myself, young man", the creature said, closing its eyes. "My, my, please don't tell me that we will have to begin all the 'evil-creature-against-good-guys' plot..."
"Err... I don't think that's really necessary", said Daniel, waving his hands. "But could you just tell us what are you doing here and why did you attack her?"
Kazeko blinked twice and stared at Daniel with huge eyes, with a sweat drop coming down from her head and laughed in amusement. "You are different of the ones I have met in other places, young man! You do have my respect and, for that, I shall answer your question before continuing my attack."
Everyone couldn't do anything but blink their eyes, not believing in what had happened.
"I am what other people would call 'youma'. In your language, though, I would be called a... 'monster', I think..." she began her speech; sitting in a gulf of wind she created and scratched her chin. "Where I came from, people call me 'Child of Wind'. I was sent to search for a strange energy that appeared in this dimension, but nobody told me why I had to do it."
"You just accept orders?" asked Kenneth, bending his head to the side.
"Why, yes. I am a member of Elite Army of my people and I must do what my superior orders me to. Everything in behalf of my dimension", answered Kazeko, looking at Kenneth without understanding why was he so surprised. "Any other questions?"
"Just another one. The last, I promise", said Martin, raising his hand. "Why were you attacking HER?"
"Oh, because SHE is the source of the energy I had to look for", she said, raising her shoulders. "Is that all?"
Everyone, including Tieko, nodded. The wind Kazeko was using as a chair vanished and she stood up again, looking at the small group. "So shall we settle this? You can choose, young girl, if you want to come with me by your own will or not."
"Can I? Really?" asked Tieko, surprised AND surprising the boys.
"I swear you can."
"In that case... you will have to catch me FIRST!" and she ran away from the kitchen, getting out of the building.
Kazeko's eyes grew big again and, in her surprise, she let the boys run away right after Tieko. After some seconds, she shook her head and sighed, cursing the fact of letting a common girl make fun of her like that.
***
"CHRONOS!!!" yelled Moon Fox, looking at the mirror. "Can you see what have you DONE?!"
"I have already told you not to worry. Don't you trust me?" and Chronos was still watching the scene, holding his Time Staff.
"I just hate when you say that... she's not ready to Make-Up, you..." mumbled the guardian of the Moon, closing his fist. "Aleph! Prepare yourself to send part of your essence to your counterpart!"
"NO! Can't you see that if we do that, all we will be able to do is call more youma to that dimension! Kazeko went there because her fellows felt an abnormality on their default pattern!" answered Aleph, holding Moon Fox's arm. "She will have to deal with it by herself."
"You're right... unfortunately, you're right, Aleph", and he sat by the table, picking his Silver Pen from his jacket. "But I still can do something."
The ink sparkled on the paper he was using to write some words. As a Destiny Kishi, Moon Fox had the power to change small parts of a Timeline's story, but only before it happened. He wasn't allowed to change what had already happened, but he could help his friend. That was granted by his power.
***
Soon Tieko got exhausted and stopped running as fast as before. She wasn't the athletic type of girl and neither were the boys who came after her, except Kenneth, who still had his tongue inside his mouth.
"I can't run anymore..." she said, sitting on the ground.
"Do you want to be taken as a carnival prize by her?!" asked Kenneth, grabbing her arm.
"I'm not prepared to run like that!"
"You'd better start getting used to it."
"What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything. Did any of you guys..." asked Kenneth, looking at the very tired quartet that was behind him. "... Forget it."
"So, are you ready to go with me? Our scientists are willing to study what kind of energy do you carry within your soul..." the creepy voice of Kazeko said, making everyone shiver.
Tieko had her face buried on Kenneth's chest, afraid of what would happen to her and to the boys. Kenneth still looked at Kazeko with anger and fear when something fell from the sky. It was a silver pendant with a strange symbol on it. A symbol that wasn't strange to him.
"Get it, Gin!" a voice ordered. "You know it's yours!"
And a girl landed by his side. A girl of short, blond hair and wearing strange clothes. She wore a long-sleeves violet shirt, long enough to reach her hips, with a thin silver belt, and black tight pants with light violet boots that weren't too long. She had silver gloves on her hands, a pendant on her neck and a silver straight tiara on her forehead. A small amethyst glowed in the middle of the tiara.
"Wha-?" gasped Kenneth, picking up the pendant.
"My, my... not another hero freak... I've seen so much in my life..." sighed Kazeko, looking rather bored.
"Well, I will be the last one you'll see in your life", answered the girl. "'Cause you will die today."
"If you could just imagine how many times had I heard that line too..." and the wind-girl yawned.
"So, if you are so bored with the 'hero-freak-against-the-evil-creature' plot, we can finish this quickly... VIOLET RAZOR STORM!!!" and a gulf of wind with small arrows made of violet energy went in Kazeko's direction, catching her defenseless.
Kazeko was lifted from the ground and landed some meters away from them. "You... you... you ruined my reputation! We shall meet again!!!"
"Hmpf... Seems like we've got a veeeery vain enemy here... hey... you guys are all right?" said the 'hero freak' girl, looking at the pale group who stared at her with big eyes. "Did I say anything that you didn't like?"
"Not at all..." said Tieko, when she stopped trembling. "Thank you for saving me and my friends."
"Don't need to thank me. That's what I'm supposed to do."
"Hey!" called Kenneth. "I think you have some things to explain here, young lady..."
"I expected that..." she sighed, going into the boys' dormitory... "Can we talk indoors?"
"Here we go again..." mumbled Rick.
***
People were all on the TV room, waiting for the strange girl start speaking. In the meanwhile, as nobody there had had breakfast, Tieko had managed to do some sandwiches to the gang there. She was starting to feel like a maid...
"OK, I think it's time for you to start explaining what the heck is going on here", said Rick. "I think we've had surprises and secrets enough for a morning..."
"Take it easy, Rick", she said. "Me name's Siren, but yeh know me better by the name of Catherin McKinnion."
"Cat?!" exclaimed Tieko, sitting next to her. "But why are you..."
"Everything on its time... first of all, I didn't hide this as a secret from any of yeh. I didn't know I was Siren either, I discovered it this morning, when this pendant fell on me desk along with the pendant I gave him", Cat continued, showing her silver pendant, that had another symbol. "This is the symbol of Saturn. Some voice in me head said that I had to get it and say 'Saturn Violet Power' to help someone who would be in trouble in the next hours after I got the pendant."
"And why did you give this to me?" asked Kenneth, still holding the pendant.
"Because the same voice in me head said I should. Yehr line is 'Jupiter Green Power'. I know it may sound stupid, but it worked on me..."
"Neat. So all I have to do is yell 'Jupiter Green Power!' and..." laughed Kenneth.
"Yep, that's it. And a green energy will glow from the pendant exactly as it is happening NOW and yeh will have yehr clothes changed to an uniform like that ye are wearing now, long-sleeves green shirt with silver belt on yehr black pants, that, thank God, are not as tight as mine, light green boots on yehr feet, silver gloves on yehr hands and a silver tiara... Hm... Looks more like a thin bandanna... with an emerald in its middle on yehr forehead", said Cat, smiling in amusement when she saw that he had transformed into a Guardian. "And presto! Ye are transformed into Jupiter Guardian, also known as
Gin of Jupiter."
"I didn't think that you were saying the truth..." said Daniel, hiding from behind the couch, having Rick and Arthur by his side.
"Oh, but I was", she grinned. "OK, time to go", and her transformation reverted to her usual clothes. "I've got to see how me dog is going..."
"You have a dog?" asked Tieko, standing up.
"Yes, a greyhound."
"Can I go with you? I don't think they're going to need anything by now..."
"And it won't be too dangerous, because you will be with a Guardian", said Martin, opening the door for the girls.
"Hey, how did you manage to accept all this craziness so quickly?!" asked Arthur.
"I've seen one Guardian transforming right in front of my eyes. I think I can accept that as a truth now. Can't you, Arthur?"
"Go figure... I'm going with them."
"Do as you wish", he answered. "I'm going to my room, excuse me."
***
Moon Fox, Firebird and Aleph stared at the mirror in amusement. They hadn't thought that the youma would be so easily defeated the first time. But that wasn't the biggest of their worries.
"Don't you think that Chronos' counterpart is too... serious and 'grumpy'?" asked Firebird. "The Martin we met wasn't like that."
"You said it very well, Firebird. 'The Martin we MET'. We can never forget that he changed a lot in this decades."
"I thought that his counterpart would be as the Martin from our Timeline, as Rick and Daniel are", he continued. "Could it be an effect from having part of Chronos' essence on his body?"
"It is", answered Moon Fox. "Tieko and Martin are the real source of the energy Kazeko is looking for. He shouldn't be like that, not before discovering his true identity. He wasn't like that."
"I think Chronos has done more than he can manage to fix after all this get to an end."
"Agreed, Aleph."
"You said that there weren't ANY kind of youma that would try to conquer the world in that Timeline!" yelled Firebird, looking at the mirror.
"I did NOT say that, Firebird of Shine!" answered Moon Fox, yelling back and scrubbing his hands, nervous. "I just said that I couldn't find any youma or extra-dimensional being THERE. By the way..." And he gave an angry glare at the Guardian of Time, which stood behind them, holding the Time Staff. "What did you have in mind when you sent Kyn's essence to another Timeline? Are you aware that you've changed Tieko Aikawa's LIFE?! The essence of Mercury Destiny Kishi was meant to reborn in a girl in THAT Timeline, the one we came from! Where Tieko Aikawa was just a nickname and a pen name for her!"
"Would you calm down, Moon Fox?" said the deep and calm voice of Chronos. "No Timeline is safe and you all know that."
"That's true", said Firebird. "As it's also true that the Guardian of Time would sacrifice anything for Destiny's sake. I hope that her life is not included in that."
"It is not."
"That we'll see..." mumbled Moon Fox, turning back.
***
What used to be a kitchen was now a battle arena, with knifes and forks and everything else that had in it on the floor. On its middle, stood something that looked like a woman of white skin, silver hair and deep red eyes, with an evil smile on her face.
"Who... or WHAT are you?!" asked Arthur, trying to protect Tieko with his own body.
"I have already introduced myself, young man", the creature said, closing its eyes. "My, my, please don't tell me that we will have to begin all the 'evil-creature-against-good-guys' plot..."
"Err... I don't think that's really necessary", said Daniel, waving his hands. "But could you just tell us what are you doing here and why did you attack her?"
Kazeko blinked twice and stared at Daniel with huge eyes, with a sweat drop coming down from her head and laughed in amusement. "You are different of the ones I have met in other places, young man! You do have my respect and, for that, I shall answer your question before continuing my attack."
Everyone couldn't do anything but blink their eyes, not believing in what had happened.
"I am what other people would call 'youma'. In your language, though, I would be called a... 'monster', I think..." she began her speech; sitting in a gulf of wind she created and scratched her chin. "Where I came from, people call me 'Child of Wind'. I was sent to search for a strange energy that appeared in this dimension, but nobody told me why I had to do it."
"You just accept orders?" asked Kenneth, bending his head to the side.
"Why, yes. I am a member of Elite Army of my people and I must do what my superior orders me to. Everything in behalf of my dimension", answered Kazeko, looking at Kenneth without understanding why was he so surprised. "Any other questions?"
"Just another one. The last, I promise", said Martin, raising his hand. "Why were you attacking HER?"
"Oh, because SHE is the source of the energy I had to look for", she said, raising her shoulders. "Is that all?"
Everyone, including Tieko, nodded. The wind Kazeko was using as a chair vanished and she stood up again, looking at the small group. "So shall we settle this? You can choose, young girl, if you want to come with me by your own will or not."
"Can I? Really?" asked Tieko, surprised AND surprising the boys.
"I swear you can."
"In that case... you will have to catch me FIRST!" and she ran away from the kitchen, getting out of the building.
Kazeko's eyes grew big again and, in her surprise, she let the boys run away right after Tieko. After some seconds, she shook her head and sighed, cursing the fact of letting a common girl make fun of her like that.
***
"CHRONOS!!!" yelled Moon Fox, looking at the mirror. "Can you see what have you DONE?!"
"I have already told you not to worry. Don't you trust me?" and Chronos was still watching the scene, holding his Time Staff.
"I just hate when you say that... she's not ready to Make-Up, you..." mumbled the guardian of the Moon, closing his fist. "Aleph! Prepare yourself to send part of your essence to your counterpart!"
"NO! Can't you see that if we do that, all we will be able to do is call more youma to that dimension! Kazeko went there because her fellows felt an abnormality on their default pattern!" answered Aleph, holding Moon Fox's arm. "She will have to deal with it by herself."
"You're right... unfortunately, you're right, Aleph", and he sat by the table, picking his Silver Pen from his jacket. "But I still can do something."
The ink sparkled on the paper he was using to write some words. As a Destiny Kishi, Moon Fox had the power to change small parts of a Timeline's story, but only before it happened. He wasn't allowed to change what had already happened, but he could help his friend. That was granted by his power.
***
Soon Tieko got exhausted and stopped running as fast as before. She wasn't the athletic type of girl and neither were the boys who came after her, except Kenneth, who still had his tongue inside his mouth.
"I can't run anymore..." she said, sitting on the ground.
"Do you want to be taken as a carnival prize by her?!" asked Kenneth, grabbing her arm.
"I'm not prepared to run like that!"
"You'd better start getting used to it."
"What did you say?"
"I didn't say anything. Did any of you guys..." asked Kenneth, looking at the very tired quartet that was behind him. "... Forget it."
"So, are you ready to go with me? Our scientists are willing to study what kind of energy do you carry within your soul..." the creepy voice of Kazeko said, making everyone shiver.
Tieko had her face buried on Kenneth's chest, afraid of what would happen to her and to the boys. Kenneth still looked at Kazeko with anger and fear when something fell from the sky. It was a silver pendant with a strange symbol on it. A symbol that wasn't strange to him.
"Get it, Gin!" a voice ordered. "You know it's yours!"
And a girl landed by his side. A girl of short, blond hair and wearing strange clothes. She wore a long-sleeves violet shirt, long enough to reach her hips, with a thin silver belt, and black tight pants with light violet boots that weren't too long. She had silver gloves on her hands, a pendant on her neck and a silver straight tiara on her forehead. A small amethyst glowed in the middle of the tiara.
"Wha-?" gasped Kenneth, picking up the pendant.
"My, my... not another hero freak... I've seen so much in my life..." sighed Kazeko, looking rather bored.
"Well, I will be the last one you'll see in your life", answered the girl. "'Cause you will die today."
"If you could just imagine how many times had I heard that line too..." and the wind-girl yawned.
"So, if you are so bored with the 'hero-freak-against-the-evil-creature' plot, we can finish this quickly... VIOLET RAZOR STORM!!!" and a gulf of wind with small arrows made of violet energy went in Kazeko's direction, catching her defenseless.
Kazeko was lifted from the ground and landed some meters away from them. "You... you... you ruined my reputation! We shall meet again!!!"
"Hmpf... Seems like we've got a veeeery vain enemy here... hey... you guys are all right?" said the 'hero freak' girl, looking at the pale group who stared at her with big eyes. "Did I say anything that you didn't like?"
"Not at all..." said Tieko, when she stopped trembling. "Thank you for saving me and my friends."
"Don't need to thank me. That's what I'm supposed to do."
"Hey!" called Kenneth. "I think you have some things to explain here, young lady..."
"I expected that..." she sighed, going into the boys' dormitory... "Can we talk indoors?"
"Here we go again..." mumbled Rick.
***
People were all on the TV room, waiting for the strange girl start speaking. In the meanwhile, as nobody there had had breakfast, Tieko had managed to do some sandwiches to the gang there. She was starting to feel like a maid...
"OK, I think it's time for you to start explaining what the heck is going on here", said Rick. "I think we've had surprises and secrets enough for a morning..."
"Take it easy, Rick", she said. "Me name's Siren, but yeh know me better by the name of Catherin McKinnion."
"Cat?!" exclaimed Tieko, sitting next to her. "But why are you..."
"Everything on its time... first of all, I didn't hide this as a secret from any of yeh. I didn't know I was Siren either, I discovered it this morning, when this pendant fell on me desk along with the pendant I gave him", Cat continued, showing her silver pendant, that had another symbol. "This is the symbol of Saturn. Some voice in me head said that I had to get it and say 'Saturn Violet Power' to help someone who would be in trouble in the next hours after I got the pendant."
"And why did you give this to me?" asked Kenneth, still holding the pendant.
"Because the same voice in me head said I should. Yehr line is 'Jupiter Green Power'. I know it may sound stupid, but it worked on me..."
"Neat. So all I have to do is yell 'Jupiter Green Power!' and..." laughed Kenneth.
"Yep, that's it. And a green energy will glow from the pendant exactly as it is happening NOW and yeh will have yehr clothes changed to an uniform like that ye are wearing now, long-sleeves green shirt with silver belt on yehr black pants, that, thank God, are not as tight as mine, light green boots on yehr feet, silver gloves on yehr hands and a silver tiara... Hm... Looks more like a thin bandanna... with an emerald in its middle on yehr forehead", said Cat, smiling in amusement when she saw that he had transformed into a Guardian. "And presto! Ye are transformed into Jupiter Guardian, also known as
Gin of Jupiter."
"I didn't think that you were saying the truth..." said Daniel, hiding from behind the couch, having Rick and Arthur by his side.
"Oh, but I was", she grinned. "OK, time to go", and her transformation reverted to her usual clothes. "I've got to see how me dog is going..."
"You have a dog?" asked Tieko, standing up.
"Yes, a greyhound."
"Can I go with you? I don't think they're going to need anything by now..."
"And it won't be too dangerous, because you will be with a Guardian", said Martin, opening the door for the girls.
"Hey, how did you manage to accept all this craziness so quickly?!" asked Arthur.
"I've seen one Guardian transforming right in front of my eyes. I think I can accept that as a truth now. Can't you, Arthur?"
"Go figure... I'm going with them."
"Do as you wish", he answered. "I'm going to my room, excuse me."
***
Moon Fox, Firebird and Aleph stared at the mirror in amusement. They hadn't thought that the youma would be so easily defeated the first time. But that wasn't the biggest of their worries.
"Don't you think that Chronos' counterpart is too... serious and 'grumpy'?" asked Firebird. "The Martin we met wasn't like that."
"You said it very well, Firebird. 'The Martin we MET'. We can never forget that he changed a lot in this decades."
"I thought that his counterpart would be as the Martin from our Timeline, as Rick and Daniel are", he continued. "Could it be an effect from having part of Chronos' essence on his body?"
"It is", answered Moon Fox. "Tieko and Martin are the real source of the energy Kazeko is looking for. He shouldn't be like that, not before discovering his true identity. He wasn't like that."
"I think Chronos has done more than he can manage to fix after all this get to an end."
"Agreed, Aleph."