Hello!
It isn't like me to write a chapter this short, but it's a fight scene, and you guys like fight scenes ^^. And I want to apologize for the shoddy writing for last chapter. Really, I should've looked over it more carefully.
And for those who were waiting for another ArchAngel, get ready *wink*
Chapter 8:
Twins
-------------------------
Tokyo's Championship Arena was pulsating with pumping music, grazing spotlights, and crowds. The sheer size of the dome dwarfed Piffle Princess in comparison. Akiko tugged Sayoko's arm as she led her to a pair of empty seats. Sayoko was in total shock.
"Incredible!" Sayoko gasped at the awesome surroundings. "It's huge! I'm really going to battle here, Akiko-chan?"
"Hai. You've passed the Regionals, so you're officially in the National tournament. But there are a couple of new rules. Each battle has a 10 minute time limit. If the limit expires, the Angel with the lowest damage points wins. The Nationals consist of ten rounds, and the SemiFinals five. The Finals... well, you don't have to worry about that now. "
The lights dimmed, music stopped. A wave of silence hushed the crowd.
"Welcome, minna, to the First Round of The Nationals!" the announcer's voice boomed. "Known to her fans as the Mermaid of The Layer, our first Deus has come back this year to reach the top. West Corner -- Deus Kaerino Umi, Angel Arashi!"
Flicking back her seagreen ponytail, Umi smiled proudly to the crowd. Her marine blue eyes shined beautifully in the spotlight; her smooth skin practically glistened. There wasn't a boy in the room who wasn't in love with this Aqua-haired Angel.
"Our second Deus is still a rookie, but has already earned a reputation for her SunDance attack and compassion for opponents. East Corner -- Deus Namida Youkou, Angel Solana!"
Youkou looked anything but compassionate. With cold saffire eyes, pale skin, and short hair blacker than night, the Deus exuded an intimidating air around her. She marched toward the Layer, the chains hanging from her baggy pants clanging her boots, and climbed into her seat. The eggshaped ovals ascended into the air.
Below, the Layer tranformed into a massive volcano, smoke and steam piping from its crusty surface. Lava bubbled within its core, some of it oozing out in small streams.
"How will these Angels fare on a volcano on the verge of erupting? Deuses, any contact with the Lava will result in a Layer Out. Now, Entry Angel!"
Umi stood up first. "The Ocean's Power knows no bounds. Master of the Seas, Arashi!" Arashi broke into the Layer, spinning, and landed softly on a cracked boulder. Flat blue hair to the shoulders, cobalt eyes, Arashi possessed the same sophisticated air of her Deus. She wore a tight seablue tanktop, with sleek pants and matching high heels, all embroided with green jewels.
Youkou glared at her own Angel. Do as I say, for once, she hissed in her mind. She raised her in the air.
"Bring forth the sun! Shine your rays upon this dark world, Solana!" Solana leapt out of Youkou's hand and entered the Layer. With heavenly grace she twirled gently to the ground, skirt flowing, gems twinkling. Her long blond tresses, crowned with small suns, were tied loosely at its ends. Golden suns also dangled from her bracelets, anklets, and collar. An orange sash looped over her red wraparound skirt, matching her offshoulder top. Solana bowed toward her Deus, and waved cheerfully at the audience.
"Angelic Fight!"
Solana took out a small hand drum and beat out a catchy, playful tune. Arashi leapt up with a spinkick; Solana easily deflected it with her drum. The blue haired Angel bounced off the volcano's side, flew above her, and struck down with a crushing punch. But Solana, dancing carefree, merely skipped aside. She blocked Arashi's blows with fluid movements, still keeping in step with the rhythm. This was her specialty move -- the SunDance, a fluent gyration of the body, but also a powerful offensive and defensive shield. Solana never attacked, but was never hurt either, for her SunDance utilized her opponent's weakness and turned it against them.
Arashi couldn't beat a speedtype like Solana in agility, but she could in brute force. The lightweight, powertype Angel clamped her hands together and pounded the ground, crumbling the earth and splitting the ground beneath Solana's feet. Solana flipped away as hot lava spewed from the crack, and curved her body to avoid Arashi's flying fist. She landed soundly on one foot.
Sayoko's eyes were fastened to the match. Solana's way of fighting... it was more like an artform, with its careful precision and smooth motions. None of Arashi's attacks connected, and it was already halfway into the match. There was something oddly familiar about the blond Angel, but Sayoko couldn't recall what.
The Angels were now leaping from stone to stone in a river of flowing lava. Solana purled on her leg, faster and faster, her body glowing white, until her silhouettes spun off and encircled Arashi. Instead of one Solana, there were now five, all dancing in unison.
"Amazing!" shouted the announcer. "Solana has just performed her second signature move, Sol Reflection! Can her opponent find which one is real? Let's find out!"
Both Arashi and Umi closed their eyes, as the laughing Solanas pranced lightly in a circle. A moment later, Arashi lurched forward at the one at her left. But this Solana disappeared under her touch, and Arashi fell right through toward the burning liquid.. and stopped. She looked behind her. The real Solana had grabbed her arm and was holding her upright. Arashi stared in confusion. Solana simply smiled.
"Angel Solana has once again rescued her opponent from certain doom. No wonder she is called the 'Angel of Compassion'!"
Youkou clutched her hands into a white knuckled grip. Dammit, she did it again!
"Arigatou, Youkou-san," Umi said with a sincere bow. Youkou glared icily.
"Shut up! I'm tired of playing games. This ends now!"
Sayoko glanced at her shoulder, where Apollo was intently watching the battle. Suddenly, the realization struck her. Solana's SunDance reminded her of Apollo's fight with Cathleen. Her tumbles, twists, leaps and steps were just like his. Her eyes jumped from Apollo, to Solana, to Apollo again. Same blond hair. Same green eyes. Same style of fighting.
My gosh, they're identical! she gasped. They could pass off as twins!
The ground quaked; streams of lava burst from the core. The volcano was erupting. Arashi and Solana fought hand-to-hand, Arashi using all her might, Solana dodging with her drum. Admist the black smoke, the blue haired Angel flung one last kick. Solana dodged deftly. But as Arashi landed, her heels slipped on some loose rubble, and plummeted into the crimson flames below.
"Layer out! Solana wins!"
"Ne, wasn't that cool?" asked Akiko. "Solana wasn't hit by any of Arashi's attacks. She's pretty nimble."
Umi picked up a slightly bruised Arashi from the Layer. She extended her hand to her opponent. "Well done, Youkou-san. I hope you do well in the next rou-"
An enraged Youkou slapped Umi's hand away. "Don't give me that crap," she seethed. "I would have destroyed that pathetic Arashi of yours if it wasn't for my stupid Angel." She shoved aside a stunned Umi and stormed out the Arena, her hand painfully swinging Solana by the hair. A confused crowd murmured.
()*()*()
Youkou raged insanely down the empty corridor, cursing madly through clenched teeth. "You stupid, stupid, STUPID ANGEL!" the girl screamed in a highly hysterical voice. She seized Solana's legs and began thrashing the doll against a trash can. "You dumb doll! What the hell is wrong with you!? Why won't you fight!? I could have beat the crap out of Arashi if it wasn't for you! You stupid piece of garbage!"
"Yes, Namida-san. Make her fear you." A voice snickered behind her. Youkou whisked around, noticing a tall slender woman smiling at her. She wore a casual red speggetti-strapped top, and worn jeans. Red highlights streaked her jet black hair, which partly hid the Angel slouched on her shouder.
"What the hell do you want?" Youkou fiercely muttered. The woman laughed almost condescending, her black eyes piercing through her heavy bangs.
"I understand. I had an Angel just like yours. Disrespectful. Rebellious. Had a mind of its own. But I soon changed that. Now she's nothing more than a puppet," she carressed the lifeless doll's tender face. "the way she should be."
Youkou recoiled from the Angel's blank stare. It wasn't like other Angels, whose eyes twinkled vivently like a human's. They were hardened, dead, a depairing color of pale green. This Angel was a broken shell, drained of its very essense, any spark of life wiped clean. It truly was nothing more than a puppet.
"Angels like ours need discipline. They need to know they are merely tools for humans, that without us they are nothing. And the only way to teach them is through fear."
Youkou glimped down at the huddled Solana. The blond Angel trembled uncontrollably in her hand, arms shielding her head, barely controllable terror concealed in her emerald eyes. The Deus was stunned speechless.
"But I.. I don't want her to.. be afraid of me," she stammered. The stranger chuckled again, and stucked a white card into Youkou's pocket. as she passed. "If you want to know more about controlling your Angel, call me."
Youkou's eyes followed the woman as she headed toward the elevator. The mechanical doors opened, and she proceed inside.
"Hey Miss, who are you?" Youkou hollared from the hallway. The black-haired Deus gave her lighthearted wink.
"Ankoku Tenshi. But you can just call me by my nickname," Tenshi snapped on concealing black shades. "Raven."
The doors closed in front of her.
It isn't like me to write a chapter this short, but it's a fight scene, and you guys like fight scenes ^^. And I want to apologize for the shoddy writing for last chapter. Really, I should've looked over it more carefully.
And for those who were waiting for another ArchAngel, get ready *wink*
Twins
-------------------------
Tokyo's Championship Arena was pulsating with pumping music, grazing spotlights, and crowds. The sheer size of the dome dwarfed Piffle Princess in comparison. Akiko tugged Sayoko's arm as she led her to a pair of empty seats. Sayoko was in total shock.
"Incredible!" Sayoko gasped at the awesome surroundings. "It's huge! I'm really going to battle here, Akiko-chan?"
"Hai. You've passed the Regionals, so you're officially in the National tournament. But there are a couple of new rules. Each battle has a 10 minute time limit. If the limit expires, the Angel with the lowest damage points wins. The Nationals consist of ten rounds, and the SemiFinals five. The Finals... well, you don't have to worry about that now. "
The lights dimmed, music stopped. A wave of silence hushed the crowd.
"Welcome, minna, to the First Round of The Nationals!" the announcer's voice boomed. "Known to her fans as the Mermaid of The Layer, our first Deus has come back this year to reach the top. West Corner -- Deus Kaerino Umi, Angel Arashi!"
Flicking back her seagreen ponytail, Umi smiled proudly to the crowd. Her marine blue eyes shined beautifully in the spotlight; her smooth skin practically glistened. There wasn't a boy in the room who wasn't in love with this Aqua-haired Angel.
"Our second Deus is still a rookie, but has already earned a reputation for her SunDance attack and compassion for opponents. East Corner -- Deus Namida Youkou, Angel Solana!"
Youkou looked anything but compassionate. With cold saffire eyes, pale skin, and short hair blacker than night, the Deus exuded an intimidating air around her. She marched toward the Layer, the chains hanging from her baggy pants clanging her boots, and climbed into her seat. The eggshaped ovals ascended into the air.
Below, the Layer tranformed into a massive volcano, smoke and steam piping from its crusty surface. Lava bubbled within its core, some of it oozing out in small streams.
"How will these Angels fare on a volcano on the verge of erupting? Deuses, any contact with the Lava will result in a Layer Out. Now, Entry Angel!"
Umi stood up first. "The Ocean's Power knows no bounds. Master of the Seas, Arashi!" Arashi broke into the Layer, spinning, and landed softly on a cracked boulder. Flat blue hair to the shoulders, cobalt eyes, Arashi possessed the same sophisticated air of her Deus. She wore a tight seablue tanktop, with sleek pants and matching high heels, all embroided with green jewels.
Youkou glared at her own Angel. Do as I say, for once, she hissed in her mind. She raised her in the air.
"Bring forth the sun! Shine your rays upon this dark world, Solana!" Solana leapt out of Youkou's hand and entered the Layer. With heavenly grace she twirled gently to the ground, skirt flowing, gems twinkling. Her long blond tresses, crowned with small suns, were tied loosely at its ends. Golden suns also dangled from her bracelets, anklets, and collar. An orange sash looped over her red wraparound skirt, matching her offshoulder top. Solana bowed toward her Deus, and waved cheerfully at the audience.
"Angelic Fight!"
Solana took out a small hand drum and beat out a catchy, playful tune. Arashi leapt up with a spinkick; Solana easily deflected it with her drum. The blue haired Angel bounced off the volcano's side, flew above her, and struck down with a crushing punch. But Solana, dancing carefree, merely skipped aside. She blocked Arashi's blows with fluid movements, still keeping in step with the rhythm. This was her specialty move -- the SunDance, a fluent gyration of the body, but also a powerful offensive and defensive shield. Solana never attacked, but was never hurt either, for her SunDance utilized her opponent's weakness and turned it against them.
Arashi couldn't beat a speedtype like Solana in agility, but she could in brute force. The lightweight, powertype Angel clamped her hands together and pounded the ground, crumbling the earth and splitting the ground beneath Solana's feet. Solana flipped away as hot lava spewed from the crack, and curved her body to avoid Arashi's flying fist. She landed soundly on one foot.
Sayoko's eyes were fastened to the match. Solana's way of fighting... it was more like an artform, with its careful precision and smooth motions. None of Arashi's attacks connected, and it was already halfway into the match. There was something oddly familiar about the blond Angel, but Sayoko couldn't recall what.
The Angels were now leaping from stone to stone in a river of flowing lava. Solana purled on her leg, faster and faster, her body glowing white, until her silhouettes spun off and encircled Arashi. Instead of one Solana, there were now five, all dancing in unison.
"Amazing!" shouted the announcer. "Solana has just performed her second signature move, Sol Reflection! Can her opponent find which one is real? Let's find out!"
Both Arashi and Umi closed their eyes, as the laughing Solanas pranced lightly in a circle. A moment later, Arashi lurched forward at the one at her left. But this Solana disappeared under her touch, and Arashi fell right through toward the burning liquid.. and stopped. She looked behind her. The real Solana had grabbed her arm and was holding her upright. Arashi stared in confusion. Solana simply smiled.
"Angel Solana has once again rescued her opponent from certain doom. No wonder she is called the 'Angel of Compassion'!"
Youkou clutched her hands into a white knuckled grip. Dammit, she did it again!
"Arigatou, Youkou-san," Umi said with a sincere bow. Youkou glared icily.
"Shut up! I'm tired of playing games. This ends now!"
Sayoko glanced at her shoulder, where Apollo was intently watching the battle. Suddenly, the realization struck her. Solana's SunDance reminded her of Apollo's fight with Cathleen. Her tumbles, twists, leaps and steps were just like his. Her eyes jumped from Apollo, to Solana, to Apollo again. Same blond hair. Same green eyes. Same style of fighting.
My gosh, they're identical! she gasped. They could pass off as twins!
The ground quaked; streams of lava burst from the core. The volcano was erupting. Arashi and Solana fought hand-to-hand, Arashi using all her might, Solana dodging with her drum. Admist the black smoke, the blue haired Angel flung one last kick. Solana dodged deftly. But as Arashi landed, her heels slipped on some loose rubble, and plummeted into the crimson flames below.
"Layer out! Solana wins!"
"Ne, wasn't that cool?" asked Akiko. "Solana wasn't hit by any of Arashi's attacks. She's pretty nimble."
Umi picked up a slightly bruised Arashi from the Layer. She extended her hand to her opponent. "Well done, Youkou-san. I hope you do well in the next rou-"
An enraged Youkou slapped Umi's hand away. "Don't give me that crap," she seethed. "I would have destroyed that pathetic Arashi of yours if it wasn't for my stupid Angel." She shoved aside a stunned Umi and stormed out the Arena, her hand painfully swinging Solana by the hair. A confused crowd murmured.
()*()*()
Youkou raged insanely down the empty corridor, cursing madly through clenched teeth. "You stupid, stupid, STUPID ANGEL!" the girl screamed in a highly hysterical voice. She seized Solana's legs and began thrashing the doll against a trash can. "You dumb doll! What the hell is wrong with you!? Why won't you fight!? I could have beat the crap out of Arashi if it wasn't for you! You stupid piece of garbage!"
"Yes, Namida-san. Make her fear you." A voice snickered behind her. Youkou whisked around, noticing a tall slender woman smiling at her. She wore a casual red speggetti-strapped top, and worn jeans. Red highlights streaked her jet black hair, which partly hid the Angel slouched on her shouder.
"What the hell do you want?" Youkou fiercely muttered. The woman laughed almost condescending, her black eyes piercing through her heavy bangs.
"I understand. I had an Angel just like yours. Disrespectful. Rebellious. Had a mind of its own. But I soon changed that. Now she's nothing more than a puppet," she carressed the lifeless doll's tender face. "the way she should be."
Youkou recoiled from the Angel's blank stare. It wasn't like other Angels, whose eyes twinkled vivently like a human's. They were hardened, dead, a depairing color of pale green. This Angel was a broken shell, drained of its very essense, any spark of life wiped clean. It truly was nothing more than a puppet.
"Angels like ours need discipline. They need to know they are merely tools for humans, that without us they are nothing. And the only way to teach them is through fear."
Youkou glimped down at the huddled Solana. The blond Angel trembled uncontrollably in her hand, arms shielding her head, barely controllable terror concealed in her emerald eyes. The Deus was stunned speechless.
"But I.. I don't want her to.. be afraid of me," she stammered. The stranger chuckled again, and stucked a white card into Youkou's pocket. as she passed. "If you want to know more about controlling your Angel, call me."
Youkou's eyes followed the woman as she headed toward the elevator. The mechanical doors opened, and she proceed inside.
"Hey Miss, who are you?" Youkou hollared from the hallway. The black-haired Deus gave her lighthearted wink.
"Ankoku Tenshi. But you can just call me by my nickname," Tenshi snapped on concealing black shades. "Raven."
The doors closed in front of her.