Hola, minna-san! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in quite awhile. And
here I thought that I had finally broken that habit... oh well. Here's the
next chapter! There's a surprise in it as well as a new character so read
on, but oh! Thank you's first, so here goes:
JASON Q: What??? I'm sorry sweetie, but as much as I'm sure I'd like to believe it, I don't speak a lot of Japanese! *wails* I can sing it though, so maybe that counts for something...? And don't we all feel sorry for Ogata? *cackles evilly* Thanks for the review!
LITTLE RABBIT F/LRPLI: That's in part two... so keep reading until it comes out! Arigato!
JAMFASE: You said please, so here you go! Thanks!
MUGEN: Hi you! *huggles* I will put up the pictures on a site sometime in the future, but I won't say when, because I'm such a flake. *hangs head* And I'm glad you liked your picture of Sakuraryu! I'll be sending the next one as soon as I can get it scanned. And update! Both stories or else! *growls*
ANA DIAZ: Thank you dearest! Don't worry, you and Seiya kick some serious butt... don't remind me... lots of battles coming up... but I promise, you'll look good no matter what!
THE INSANE OTAKU AKA CATERFREE: Oh yay, a new reader!! I'm so happy! Do you mind if I hug you? *huggles* You so rock, just like all of my readers out there! I am so glad you love my story! I hope you keep reading. And wait no more; here is the next chapter, so please, get to reading! Thanks for the review!
Okay that's all for now. I don't own Angelic Layer or any of it's affiliated characters; CLAMP does. All O/C's belong to me; don't use them, especially since they're based on real people that I know. So on to battle six: lights, camera, and ACTION!
*BATTLE 6*
Over the next month, Madison built up her skills as a Deus. From the moment she could fully operate Celeste, she took every opportunity she could to strengthen her skills.
During her first practice session, she discovered that she had made Celeste's body especially flexible. It was a discovery that she would need in the long run of contests and challenges ahead of her.
On a sunny fall day, Madison was on her way to run errands downtown for her mother. She had chosen to wear a white sleeveless top underneath a pair of navy-blue and white striped overalls and blue Converse All- Stars, all more or less matching her pixie blue bangs. Her shiny ponytail swished across her shoulders and the straps of her favorite corduroy bag were buckled across her chest.
During the walk, a huge banner on the common of an open-air market announcing a walk-in Angelic Layer contest caught her eye. She had Celeste in the chest pocket of her bag and impulsively decided to try her hand at a public match.
She had practiced with Tia and Destiny a few times, but she was eager to test her skill against another opponent, preferably an experienced one. She took Celeste out of the pocket of her bag, sat her on her left arm and walked over to the entrance of the store over which the banner was perched.
"Excuse me, where do I sign up for the contest?" she asked a woman in a casual business suit. The woman peered at Madison for a second then nodded.
"Right here!" she said brightly. She looked at Celeste and confirmed her authenticity.
"Wait a second dear; you'll be announced in a moment," the woman said. She motioned for Madison to follow her to a table where a Layer was ready and waiting. An older girl wearing a striped minidress sat on one side of the table, her angel perched on her arm wearing a peacock inspired battle costume in emerald green and sapphire blue and an interesting array of feathers. The woman picked up a megaphone and began talking.
"Okay folks! We have a challenger! What's your name, young lady?" The woman boomed into the megaphone.
"Um, I'm Madison Williams," Madison said, a bit shakily.
"And what's your Angel's name?"
"This is Celeste."
"Have a seat sweetie," the woman whispered in a stage whisper. Then she put the megaphone back to her lips.
The woman whipped back around to face the audience. "All right everybody, time for some action in the Layer! Marguerite vs. Celeste! Deuses ready..." Both girls put on their visors and switched them on.
"Angels to the Layer..."
"Marguerite, let the grace of the peacock be your wings!" said the girl. Marguerite leaped into the Layer, gracefully landing on her feet.
"Celeste, let the power of the moon guide you to victory in the layer!" Madison said. 'Pretty good improvising for a moment's notice,' she thought smugly. Celeste stood up and back-flipped into the layer from Madison's arm, landing lightly on her feet.
"ANGELIC FIGHT!!!" Marguerite didn't waste a second in attacking. She immediately rushed Celeste, catching her completely off guard. Marguerite slammed into her and Celeste barely managed to stay in the layer by shifting her weight at the last second. Madison was shaken; her angel had taken a hit and almost had a Layer out!
'So this is what it's like to battle an experienced deus. But that was too close! I have to focus on Celeste or I'll lose!' Madison thought, clenching her fists then taking a deep breath to calm herself and refocus. Marguerite charged again, a blue-green streak with her arm cocked back for a punch. Celeste dodged and scored a kick to Marguerite's chin. The peacock angel quickly recovered and the two angels went at it, blow for blow.
The battle had gotten to a stalemate, and Madison knew she had to do something. 'I can tell by the way she hits that Marguerite is probably a power type. Celeste should be faster, so I can use that to my advantage.' But how? Then an idea came to her.
Celeste blocked a punch and darted around Marguerite, dashing towards the other edge of the layer. The other angel followed suit. Celeste stopped near the edge of the Layer and stood her ground. Madison crossed her fingers anxiously. She knew that if her plan didn't work, Celeste would be out. 'But I can't think of that now. I have to believe in Celeste.' Madison set her face and prepared to put her plan in action.
Marguerite charged at full power at Celeste, her fist pulled back for a hit to finish the battle. Celeste took on defense and was able to catch Marguerite's fist before she connected. Surprised into trying for another punch with her other fist, Marguerite was powerless as Celeste caught it and threw herself on her back, flinging Marguerite over her head and out of the Layer, straight into her Deus' lap.
"It's over! Celeste takes the win! Congratulations, Madison! How do you feel?" the woman exclaimed as Madison retrieved her angel.
Turning to the woman with Celeste in hand, Madison was shocked to find that she couldn't find anything to say. All she could think about was the rush she'd gotten while battling Marguerite and her deus. It was totally exhilarating; if she hadn't been hooked on Angelic Layer before this, she certainly was now.
"Awesome!" she exclaimed suddenly.
The woman laughed. "And there you have it. Excellent match girls!"
The crowd applauded. Madison turned to see her former opponent getting ready to leave.
"Hey wait up!" she exclaimed. The girl turned and smiled as Madison ran up to her.
"I'm sorry you lost. Is Marguerite okay?" she asked. Looking from the angel on her arm to the gray-eyed girl in front of her, the girl nodded.
"It's nothing I can't fix. Congratulations on winning." They shook hands, but Madison still looked a bit sad.
"Hey. Don't feel bad. I don't. Everybody loses sometimes." Madison looked at the girl questioningly.
"Oh yeah," the girl said correctly reading Madison's look, "I've lost some battles, but I've won a lot more. To me, what really matters isn't whether you win or lose, it's what you learn in battle that counts."
Wise words. Something for me to remember, Madison thought. Then she remembered her manners.
"I didn't ask before; what's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Maria, and it was a pleasure to battle with you. Maybe we'll battle again sometime."
"Yeah. And oh, I love Marguerite's battle costume. Bye Maria, and good luck with Angelic Layer."
"Same to you Madison. Later!"
Maria skipped off and disappeared into the crowd. It was then that Madison suddenly remembered the reason why she was out this morning: she had errands to run!
"I can't believe I almost totally forgot! I'd better hurry!" she exclaimed, quickly placing Celeste back in her pocket, and scrambling to get back on schedule.
~*^*^*~
While Madison went on her merry way with her victory foremost in mind, another girl took Angelic Layer a different way: as a means to escape.
Living in a Victorian district in downtown San Francisco wasn't half bad, but try it with a grandmother who was as old-fashioned and strict as the district's founders, and it could get a lot worse. However, Nicole St. James had learned long ago to deal with her situation.
It was a known fact that Elizabeth St. James and her daughter lived under Amanda Perris's thumb. Elizabeth was a somewhat frail creature, delicate in constitution, but strong in mind. She was lovely to look at, with a porcelain complexion and long dark waves of hair framing a sweet face. A truly gentle soul, Elizabeth was not a match for her mother in body, but had no trouble outwitting the elder woman in other matters.
Nicole was a completely different creature. She bore a strong resemblance to her late father, having inherited his sooty black hair and smoldering dark eyes. Her skin was an olive hue despite the fact that she kept indoors most of the time. She was stubborn, clever, and very intelligent.
Not being a submissive child, Nicole's grandmother found it hard to deal with her. Nicole could be a model girl when the occasion called, but she had a knack for doing things she knew her grandmother wouldn't like, such as cutting off her waist length hair into a short bob and styling her hair so that her dyed red bangs fell across one eye. The style wasn't deemed as a suitable hairstyle for a young lady.
'Now that I think about it again, there aren't many things Grandmother would think suitable for a 'young lady' ', Nicole thought scornfully as she flipped through the channels on television. The room where she lounged was dubbed the drawing room. It had tasteful mahogany furniture upholstered in a beautiful bottle green brocade with pink and yellow roses, impeccably arranged on a large plush carpet that covered nearly all of the hardwood floor.
Arranging herself across a divan after her mother and grandmother had left to go shopping earlier, Nicole hadn't budged from her spot, not even after she had finished reading her latest book. Instead she opted to allow herself the privilege of watching television.
An Angelic Layer commercial came on, advertising the latest trend to hit America. Nicole's eyes were immediately glued to the screen.
An Angel Egg became visible as a light slowly faded in, and a mysterious voice said, "This is an Egg, an Egg filled with a dream. Within it lies the key to the realm of the Angels and... ANGELIC LAYER!!" The voice changed to one of an energetic game show host as the Angelic Layer logo flashed across the screen, giving way to the image of an Angel wrapped in her cocoon like wings. She wore a white outfit accented here and there in bright colors; the promo Angel in the American launch of the game.
Scenes from various battles, mostly in the Japanese tournaments, showed a bewildering array of amazing Angels in battle, totally drawing the viewer into its mesmerizing appearance.
"Get the game everyone's talking about! It's ANGELIC LAYER, now at a store near you!!!"
"Ahem," a chilly voice said behind Nicole's chair. She started and stood up to face her grandmother.
"Hello, Grandmother," Nicole said civilly, curtsying slightly.
"Don't you have something else better to do than waste your time on television?" the elder woman continued, regarding the girl from down her nose.
"No." At the pert comment, Grandmother frowned.
"Then I want you to practice your piano. You've been neglecting it," she said, briskly switching off the television set and shutting the doors of its cabinet.
Nicole was about to protest, when she caught sight of her mother shaking her head behind Grandmother, so instead, she said demurely, "Yes, Grandmother" and marched out of the room without another word. She went straight to the conservatory and practiced for an hour then retired to her room for the rest of the afternoon.
It wasn't so bad to spend an afternoon in one's room; especially if it had everything you liked, she reflected as she went to work on her Angels. Being a fan of computers, mechanics, and Angelic Layer, Nicole had built up a reputation amongst her guardians' circles for being an exceptional Angel maker. Angels made great gifts for both girls and boys. Having made over two dozen Angels for select customers, each with a specialty, she was considered an expert.
Personally, Nicole didn't see how anybody would want another person to create an Angel for them, but since it was the only way her grandmother would let her keep playing Angelic Layer, then she had no choice but to keep building them.
Her first Angel was her special one, an Angel named Raven. With her blood red hair and eyes of shifting sea colors, Nicole had built her for maximum speed and dressed her in a distinct outfit of black, red, and gold. In place of an Angel Cord, Raven had a black and gold chain fastened around her head with a blue-jeweled pendant resting on her forehead.
Nicole had her own Layer at home, and practiced whenever she got the chance. Still, although she would never admit it, she loved to compete in public competitions. She had the element of surprise in her technique, which never failed to win almost every match, except for one.
'But it's the Nationals that really count, Nicole thought as she worked on the wiring for a power-type Angel. Then I can show everyone that I'm always in control. And maybe Grandmother can finally understand that Angelic Layer isn't just a game to me; it's my heart.'
*END OF BATTLE 6*
What role will Nicole play in the Nationals? And is this the beginning of a successful career for Madison? Find out in the next chapter! Ja ne minna- san!
JASON Q: What??? I'm sorry sweetie, but as much as I'm sure I'd like to believe it, I don't speak a lot of Japanese! *wails* I can sing it though, so maybe that counts for something...? And don't we all feel sorry for Ogata? *cackles evilly* Thanks for the review!
LITTLE RABBIT F/LRPLI: That's in part two... so keep reading until it comes out! Arigato!
JAMFASE: You said please, so here you go! Thanks!
MUGEN: Hi you! *huggles* I will put up the pictures on a site sometime in the future, but I won't say when, because I'm such a flake. *hangs head* And I'm glad you liked your picture of Sakuraryu! I'll be sending the next one as soon as I can get it scanned. And update! Both stories or else! *growls*
ANA DIAZ: Thank you dearest! Don't worry, you and Seiya kick some serious butt... don't remind me... lots of battles coming up... but I promise, you'll look good no matter what!
THE INSANE OTAKU AKA CATERFREE: Oh yay, a new reader!! I'm so happy! Do you mind if I hug you? *huggles* You so rock, just like all of my readers out there! I am so glad you love my story! I hope you keep reading. And wait no more; here is the next chapter, so please, get to reading! Thanks for the review!
Okay that's all for now. I don't own Angelic Layer or any of it's affiliated characters; CLAMP does. All O/C's belong to me; don't use them, especially since they're based on real people that I know. So on to battle six: lights, camera, and ACTION!
*BATTLE 6*
Over the next month, Madison built up her skills as a Deus. From the moment she could fully operate Celeste, she took every opportunity she could to strengthen her skills.
During her first practice session, she discovered that she had made Celeste's body especially flexible. It was a discovery that she would need in the long run of contests and challenges ahead of her.
On a sunny fall day, Madison was on her way to run errands downtown for her mother. She had chosen to wear a white sleeveless top underneath a pair of navy-blue and white striped overalls and blue Converse All- Stars, all more or less matching her pixie blue bangs. Her shiny ponytail swished across her shoulders and the straps of her favorite corduroy bag were buckled across her chest.
During the walk, a huge banner on the common of an open-air market announcing a walk-in Angelic Layer contest caught her eye. She had Celeste in the chest pocket of her bag and impulsively decided to try her hand at a public match.
She had practiced with Tia and Destiny a few times, but she was eager to test her skill against another opponent, preferably an experienced one. She took Celeste out of the pocket of her bag, sat her on her left arm and walked over to the entrance of the store over which the banner was perched.
"Excuse me, where do I sign up for the contest?" she asked a woman in a casual business suit. The woman peered at Madison for a second then nodded.
"Right here!" she said brightly. She looked at Celeste and confirmed her authenticity.
"Wait a second dear; you'll be announced in a moment," the woman said. She motioned for Madison to follow her to a table where a Layer was ready and waiting. An older girl wearing a striped minidress sat on one side of the table, her angel perched on her arm wearing a peacock inspired battle costume in emerald green and sapphire blue and an interesting array of feathers. The woman picked up a megaphone and began talking.
"Okay folks! We have a challenger! What's your name, young lady?" The woman boomed into the megaphone.
"Um, I'm Madison Williams," Madison said, a bit shakily.
"And what's your Angel's name?"
"This is Celeste."
"Have a seat sweetie," the woman whispered in a stage whisper. Then she put the megaphone back to her lips.
The woman whipped back around to face the audience. "All right everybody, time for some action in the Layer! Marguerite vs. Celeste! Deuses ready..." Both girls put on their visors and switched them on.
"Angels to the Layer..."
"Marguerite, let the grace of the peacock be your wings!" said the girl. Marguerite leaped into the Layer, gracefully landing on her feet.
"Celeste, let the power of the moon guide you to victory in the layer!" Madison said. 'Pretty good improvising for a moment's notice,' she thought smugly. Celeste stood up and back-flipped into the layer from Madison's arm, landing lightly on her feet.
"ANGELIC FIGHT!!!" Marguerite didn't waste a second in attacking. She immediately rushed Celeste, catching her completely off guard. Marguerite slammed into her and Celeste barely managed to stay in the layer by shifting her weight at the last second. Madison was shaken; her angel had taken a hit and almost had a Layer out!
'So this is what it's like to battle an experienced deus. But that was too close! I have to focus on Celeste or I'll lose!' Madison thought, clenching her fists then taking a deep breath to calm herself and refocus. Marguerite charged again, a blue-green streak with her arm cocked back for a punch. Celeste dodged and scored a kick to Marguerite's chin. The peacock angel quickly recovered and the two angels went at it, blow for blow.
The battle had gotten to a stalemate, and Madison knew she had to do something. 'I can tell by the way she hits that Marguerite is probably a power type. Celeste should be faster, so I can use that to my advantage.' But how? Then an idea came to her.
Celeste blocked a punch and darted around Marguerite, dashing towards the other edge of the layer. The other angel followed suit. Celeste stopped near the edge of the Layer and stood her ground. Madison crossed her fingers anxiously. She knew that if her plan didn't work, Celeste would be out. 'But I can't think of that now. I have to believe in Celeste.' Madison set her face and prepared to put her plan in action.
Marguerite charged at full power at Celeste, her fist pulled back for a hit to finish the battle. Celeste took on defense and was able to catch Marguerite's fist before she connected. Surprised into trying for another punch with her other fist, Marguerite was powerless as Celeste caught it and threw herself on her back, flinging Marguerite over her head and out of the Layer, straight into her Deus' lap.
"It's over! Celeste takes the win! Congratulations, Madison! How do you feel?" the woman exclaimed as Madison retrieved her angel.
Turning to the woman with Celeste in hand, Madison was shocked to find that she couldn't find anything to say. All she could think about was the rush she'd gotten while battling Marguerite and her deus. It was totally exhilarating; if she hadn't been hooked on Angelic Layer before this, she certainly was now.
"Awesome!" she exclaimed suddenly.
The woman laughed. "And there you have it. Excellent match girls!"
The crowd applauded. Madison turned to see her former opponent getting ready to leave.
"Hey wait up!" she exclaimed. The girl turned and smiled as Madison ran up to her.
"I'm sorry you lost. Is Marguerite okay?" she asked. Looking from the angel on her arm to the gray-eyed girl in front of her, the girl nodded.
"It's nothing I can't fix. Congratulations on winning." They shook hands, but Madison still looked a bit sad.
"Hey. Don't feel bad. I don't. Everybody loses sometimes." Madison looked at the girl questioningly.
"Oh yeah," the girl said correctly reading Madison's look, "I've lost some battles, but I've won a lot more. To me, what really matters isn't whether you win or lose, it's what you learn in battle that counts."
Wise words. Something for me to remember, Madison thought. Then she remembered her manners.
"I didn't ask before; what's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Maria, and it was a pleasure to battle with you. Maybe we'll battle again sometime."
"Yeah. And oh, I love Marguerite's battle costume. Bye Maria, and good luck with Angelic Layer."
"Same to you Madison. Later!"
Maria skipped off and disappeared into the crowd. It was then that Madison suddenly remembered the reason why she was out this morning: she had errands to run!
"I can't believe I almost totally forgot! I'd better hurry!" she exclaimed, quickly placing Celeste back in her pocket, and scrambling to get back on schedule.
~*^*^*~
While Madison went on her merry way with her victory foremost in mind, another girl took Angelic Layer a different way: as a means to escape.
Living in a Victorian district in downtown San Francisco wasn't half bad, but try it with a grandmother who was as old-fashioned and strict as the district's founders, and it could get a lot worse. However, Nicole St. James had learned long ago to deal with her situation.
It was a known fact that Elizabeth St. James and her daughter lived under Amanda Perris's thumb. Elizabeth was a somewhat frail creature, delicate in constitution, but strong in mind. She was lovely to look at, with a porcelain complexion and long dark waves of hair framing a sweet face. A truly gentle soul, Elizabeth was not a match for her mother in body, but had no trouble outwitting the elder woman in other matters.
Nicole was a completely different creature. She bore a strong resemblance to her late father, having inherited his sooty black hair and smoldering dark eyes. Her skin was an olive hue despite the fact that she kept indoors most of the time. She was stubborn, clever, and very intelligent.
Not being a submissive child, Nicole's grandmother found it hard to deal with her. Nicole could be a model girl when the occasion called, but she had a knack for doing things she knew her grandmother wouldn't like, such as cutting off her waist length hair into a short bob and styling her hair so that her dyed red bangs fell across one eye. The style wasn't deemed as a suitable hairstyle for a young lady.
'Now that I think about it again, there aren't many things Grandmother would think suitable for a 'young lady' ', Nicole thought scornfully as she flipped through the channels on television. The room where she lounged was dubbed the drawing room. It had tasteful mahogany furniture upholstered in a beautiful bottle green brocade with pink and yellow roses, impeccably arranged on a large plush carpet that covered nearly all of the hardwood floor.
Arranging herself across a divan after her mother and grandmother had left to go shopping earlier, Nicole hadn't budged from her spot, not even after she had finished reading her latest book. Instead she opted to allow herself the privilege of watching television.
An Angelic Layer commercial came on, advertising the latest trend to hit America. Nicole's eyes were immediately glued to the screen.
An Angel Egg became visible as a light slowly faded in, and a mysterious voice said, "This is an Egg, an Egg filled with a dream. Within it lies the key to the realm of the Angels and... ANGELIC LAYER!!" The voice changed to one of an energetic game show host as the Angelic Layer logo flashed across the screen, giving way to the image of an Angel wrapped in her cocoon like wings. She wore a white outfit accented here and there in bright colors; the promo Angel in the American launch of the game.
Scenes from various battles, mostly in the Japanese tournaments, showed a bewildering array of amazing Angels in battle, totally drawing the viewer into its mesmerizing appearance.
"Get the game everyone's talking about! It's ANGELIC LAYER, now at a store near you!!!"
"Ahem," a chilly voice said behind Nicole's chair. She started and stood up to face her grandmother.
"Hello, Grandmother," Nicole said civilly, curtsying slightly.
"Don't you have something else better to do than waste your time on television?" the elder woman continued, regarding the girl from down her nose.
"No." At the pert comment, Grandmother frowned.
"Then I want you to practice your piano. You've been neglecting it," she said, briskly switching off the television set and shutting the doors of its cabinet.
Nicole was about to protest, when she caught sight of her mother shaking her head behind Grandmother, so instead, she said demurely, "Yes, Grandmother" and marched out of the room without another word. She went straight to the conservatory and practiced for an hour then retired to her room for the rest of the afternoon.
It wasn't so bad to spend an afternoon in one's room; especially if it had everything you liked, she reflected as she went to work on her Angels. Being a fan of computers, mechanics, and Angelic Layer, Nicole had built up a reputation amongst her guardians' circles for being an exceptional Angel maker. Angels made great gifts for both girls and boys. Having made over two dozen Angels for select customers, each with a specialty, she was considered an expert.
Personally, Nicole didn't see how anybody would want another person to create an Angel for them, but since it was the only way her grandmother would let her keep playing Angelic Layer, then she had no choice but to keep building them.
Her first Angel was her special one, an Angel named Raven. With her blood red hair and eyes of shifting sea colors, Nicole had built her for maximum speed and dressed her in a distinct outfit of black, red, and gold. In place of an Angel Cord, Raven had a black and gold chain fastened around her head with a blue-jeweled pendant resting on her forehead.
Nicole had her own Layer at home, and practiced whenever she got the chance. Still, although she would never admit it, she loved to compete in public competitions. She had the element of surprise in her technique, which never failed to win almost every match, except for one.
'But it's the Nationals that really count, Nicole thought as she worked on the wiring for a power-type Angel. Then I can show everyone that I'm always in control. And maybe Grandmother can finally understand that Angelic Layer isn't just a game to me; it's my heart.'
*END OF BATTLE 6*
What role will Nicole play in the Nationals? And is this the beginning of a successful career for Madison? Find out in the next chapter! Ja ne minna- san!