The Lord on high looked down on the guardians and saw they were doing well. Even the Fire Guardian's power was increasing despite the seed of hatred in her heart. Heaven looked down upon the guadrians with favor. They were doing well.
Michael and Garbriel stood at Eden's entrance, talking. "I believe it is time for the fifth guardian to be revealed," said one to the other. His companion nodded. "Then I shall go, since you must guard the entrance to Eden," Gabriel stated. Michael nodded and watched Gabriel go.
The angel left the realm of Eden and entered intot he world of human dreams. He passes through many of them until he found the dream of a guardian. He smiled and entered into the dream, explaining to the boy his mission, his job, his guardian.
Lucifer watched with hatred as the watcher seemed to take in the information rather well. Sending up a demon to devour the angel had not worked last time, but then again, Lucifer had sent a relatiely weak and incompetent minion. Maybe he could not stop this boy from finding out about his nature, but, Lucifer could, however, make it so Gabriel could never find another watcher or guardian, and, in the process, maybe Lucifer could turn this next guardian against the watcher. Maybe even send her to her grave.
"Joe-billy!" Lucifer summoned a demon of higher standards. A large figure stalked out of the raging fires. The creature's skin was a dark wine red and its eyes were bright and evil. Large fearsome bat wings protruded from its back and sturdy claws grew on its hands and feet. A long spikey tail whipped behind it, feeding the fires. Lucifer smiled, yes, Joe-billy would definitely be the one
Joe-billy arose in the mortal world, seeking a cursed angel. He caught the scent and followed it to a thatched house. The demon passes through the walls and caught sight of the angel as he flew toward heaven. Joe-billy set off after Gabriel knowing full well that he himself could not enter back into heaven. Gabriel soared through the gray nighttime clouds and Joe-billy lost sight of him. The bat demon paused, unsure of what to do.
Gabriel swooshed down behind Joe-billy and drew a flaming sword of death, one such as Michael had. He sliced down and with one swift stroke sent Joe-billy back to the fire from which he had emerged.
Lucifer watched the battle from Hell, enraged with the incompetence of Joe-billy. Ther would be no tomatoes for dinner. Lucifer sighed, there was nothing to be done about Gabriel for the moment. But there was something to be done about the next Guardian. When Gabriel had struck Joe-billy, information of who the next guardian was and what she would be the guardian of had passed through the fire sword and Joe-billy to Lucifer's mind. The ruler of Hell put on his shroud of darkness and rose into the mortal world.
The sun was rising as he approached the of the Earth Guardian. He smiled an aweful evil smile. He approached the house and clouds blotted out the rising sun. A woman came to the door. Lucifer looked at her. She had long purple hair and royal purple eyes. She was well over thirteen, or so her body suggested. Lucifer smiled, she would be a keeper. He approached her and noticed something strange. This guardian was not looking beyond him or through him. She was looking directly at him. Lucifer stopped dead in his tracks.
"Who are you?" The Earth Guardian asked. Lucifer stayed quiet. She took a step toward him. "I can see you very well. Its no use being queit and trying to trick me into thinking you are not there," she said without a blink. This was an unanticipated detriment. Lucifer stepped toward her, as his sly nature returned.
"I am God," said he. The Guardian shook her head and made eye contact. "You are most certainly not God. I know that to be true. You are not of this earth either, I can tell that by the way you came from the core of the earth," The Guardian continued. "Oh, so what do you think I am?" Lucifer asked slyly.
The Guardian stood tall, she would not be like the rest of them. "I believe you are from Hell. YOu may very well be the ruler of Hell for alll I know. But there is one thingI know for sure," She paused for dramatic effct. "And what is that?" Lucifer asked. "That I could very easily be the only human on earth who can see you, and I know how to destroy you. I know how you will lose and I know when. I know why you came here, to my house. You came to turn be against those whichi I will be working with. But what you did know is what my brother and I share dreams. What you didn't know is that my brother is my watcher. What you didn't know has given you away. Do you think I could not see that battle between Gabriel and your demon creature?" Lucifer growled and sank once more into the earth.
He would catch her offguard. O-ooh someday. But for now, another alien attack wouldn't be so devastating to them. He'd give them a stronger weapon. An . . . enhanced cherima anima. Lucifer smiled an aweful fanged smile and disappeared into the alien's dream.
Chapter five: Earth Magic
Earth magic is the magic of growth, rebirth, and death. It celebrates life as it comes and enjoys it while it remains.But when death comes, it is not a shock because whatever is dead is dead and death cannot be undone.
Zakuro stood at the door of her house with her brother, Toshino. They were twins in appeareance and might as well have been in spirit. They did not share any irregularities besides sharing dreams and having premonitions of danger. Because of this Angel Gabriel had entrusted both of them with the sight. the sight was the ability to see the demons and monsters of the underworld.
They both had dark purple hair and royal purple eyes. They dressed alike in the manner that their clothes were unlike those of everyone else. The pair always dressed in silver and purple. Their clothes were always suited to the weather although they seemed to wear only one thing throughout the year. Zakuro and Toshino had long since given up talking to the villagers. The villagers would never listen anyways.
A tremor went through the twins as they felt the oncoming storm of danger. Deep black clouds loomed on the horizon. they had come up much to quick for this to be ordinary. "Zakuro Metamorphosis!" Zakuro shouted.
A ryoal purple mist rolled in and surrounded Zakuro. Her clothes vanished into purple sparkles and a shining ninetail whip formed in her hands. The whip had a rose for the handle and was a deep purple. The ninetails were sleekand black with rose thorns liberally spread across them. The purple sparkles formed a purple kimono with black roses and crimson lillies embroidered on it. Purple and black irises wound their way around the sash with deep green leaves. The dark hued flowers seemed to grow on the kimono and rustle in the wind. Ears of the grey wolf grew from her purple locks and a tail of the same animal grew from her skirt. The mist dissolved into the air as the black storm loomed ever closer.
Toshino and Zakuro looked back in surprise as four girls and four boys ran up to them. The pink girl had a kimono seeminly made of raging fires and was part cat. The blue one had a kimono which glided in the wind with the winds seeminly captured and embroidered into the fabric. An energetic and hyper girl bounced up and down with a kimono of lightening and thunder. A quiet green girl had the serenity of calmed waters and a kimono from the sea. They all held thier weapons ready, fiery daggers, crystal wand, shining shield and dagger, and a jeweled sword.
"These are the others?" Zakuro inquired of her brother. "And their watchers," He confirmed, gesturing to the boys. Zakuro nodded and looked out to the storm. It was almost completely overhead now. "This is no ordinary storm," Ryou started. "It is probably created by the alien Kish, your opponent," Ryou conintued, but had no time to go further, for a monster loomed overhead.
It had nine heads, one of a lion, two of vipers, three of tigers, and three more heads from mutated cows. Fearsome dragon waings portruded from its back and clawed paws hung at its side. The creature's body was large and powerful. A green haired alien floated by its side. "Well, it seems as though you may have met your match today by the look on your face, Koneko-chan," the alien taunted. Ichigo boiled up. "My name is not Koneko-chan!" she shouted. Kish sighed. "If you do not wish to talk, then we can get straight to the fight. After all, I do believe that is what your purple friend here would appear to be in want of," he commented eyeing Zakuro. Zakuro shifted her whip from one hand to the other.
"You're on!" Ichigo shouted and held up her daggers, "Fire storm!" she shouted. Another layer of black clouds formed above the monster. It rained down fire and lava instead of rain and lightening. Ichigo's daggers lit on fire as she lunged at the dragon. Minto pointed her wand at the monster and yelloed, "Mountain Echo!" and let out a screech that would curl your hair as Ichigo hit the monster with her daggers. The monster and Ichigo flew back. Ichigo neatly sliced off the lion's head. She bounced back as two lion heads grew back in the severed one's place. Ichigo's eyes widened. The monster leaped up and Ichigo dodged just in time.
Purin stood up in front of them and held up her shield as the thing prepared to step on them. "Fortitude!" she yelled. The foot came down upon a shield woven tightly of lightening and thunder. The monkey girl then held up her dagger and lunged at the monster shouting, "Disable!" Lightening streaked from the small sword into the creature and monentarily paralyzed it as she plunged it into one of the heads. "Quickly Ichigo! Slice off another head and burn the skin so it can't grow back!" Purin shouted. Ichigo nodded and shouted, "Fireball!" The firestorm already over head grew larger and more violent as Ichigo sliced off a tiger head. Aball of fire neatly burned the skin to a crisp so the head could not regenerate and grow back.
The monster shook off the pain and began to move again. It let out a blood curdling roar and the guardians covered their ears. Kish flew down to Ichigo. "You've got to be better than that if you want to beat this monster," he taunted, and quickly backed away before she could hurt him in any way.
"Minto shoot it with your arrow!" Retasu shouted. Minto nodded and drew her wand. She pointed the bal at the monster. "Wind Arrow!" She shouted. A bright cerulean arow formed in front of the crystal bal land sped toward the monster. It made a direct hit and the monster toppled over. Kish slapped his forehead, "I knew I should've given it a better sense of balance." "Healing wave!" Retasu shouted while it was down. A giant wave o fhealing water sped toward the creature.
Suddenly and without warning, the creature dodged the wave. It splashed upon the ground where the creature had been and the creature let our a horrible roar. "Having trouble?" Kish taunted. Ichigo looked up at Kish, and then looked around at her companions. "Firestorm, level up!" Ichigo shouted. Her daggers glowed with fire and lengthened into a pair of katanas. "Mountain Echo, level up!" shouted Minto. She held the crystal end of her wand in one hand and the other in the left hand. The wand broke in two and each of the halves split into three prongs. They continued to form themselves until Minto held a pair of sais. "Lava Dance!" Ichigo shouted as Minto finished transforming.
Molten lava swirled around Ichigo and shot toward the nine headed monster. It burned one of the lion heads to a crisp. The creature let loose a blood curdling scream. "Fortitude, level up!" Purin shouted. Her shield, dagger, and belt all glowed, they broke into sparkles which gathered and formed a staff in her hands. "Wind Storm!" Minto shouted as Purin finished levelling up. She leaped toward the monster and attacked with her sais. Stron winds whirled in her wake and followed her toward the monster. She pointed one sai at a mutated cow head and yellow, "Wind Arrow!" A glowing arrow shot toward the throat and severed the head. Minto flew out of the way as her whirlwind picked up the monster. It carried off the head and left the monster some feet away. "Fireball!" Ichigo shouted sealing off the wound. The monster screamed once more and stood up. "Healing wave, level up!" Retasu shouted. Her sword glowed and lengthened into a wand. On the crest were five marble sized crystal balls and on top of those was one large aquarmarine ball.
"Disable!" Purin shouted as Retasu's new wand stopped glowing. She banged the ground with her staff and lightening struck the monster from Ichigo's firestorm. Them monster lay momentarily paralyzed and Purin leaped to its side in two bounds. "Shockwave!" She shouted. A wave of bright yellow energy with lightening woven into it boomed like thunder and started out as though in slow motion, but, in the blink of an eye, sped up until it was going at almost the speed of light. The wave cut through the rest of the monster's mutated cow heads and it neatly severed an arm. It caused large cuts all along the rawhide skin of the creature. Purin jumped away as Ichigo yelled, "Fireball!" sealing off the heads.
Retasu took advantage of the monster's shock to point her wand at him and shouted, "Bubble Cage!" A stream of pretty chain links dashed toward the monster. It wound itself around the monster, binding it tight. "Are those bubbles?" Kish asked. Retasu sighed, "No, duh. That's why it's called a Bubble Chain." "Thank you, captain obvious," Minto added. "Hey, I didn't ask you," Kish commented.
"Enough of this, time to wrap this up. Rosewhip!" Zakuro shouted. She twirled and raised her ninetail whip above her head. The thorny lashes swirled out and in one flick of her wrist, she had lashed off the rest of the nine heads. "Lava Dance!" Ichigo shouted and sank her katanas into the heart of the creature. The firestorm she had created above condensated into molten lava which rained down upon the body, and raised the dust from the ground.
When it cleared Ichigo stood in the midst of a circle of ashes. "It's done," said she. "But look at the land. It's ruined and will be barren for a very long time," Minto mournfully commented. "But could Retasu fix it with her healing wave?" Purin asked. Retasu smiled. "Aye, that I could. If only I knew how." And, as she said this, Yukitto, her watcher, was given the knowledge of how. He stepped forward so that he stood by her side. "Minto, can you lift everyone up off the ground?" He asked.
"Use whirlwind to pick every one up," Keiichiero instructed. Minto nodded. "Whirlwind!" she shouted. The gusts of wind swirled up around everyone lifted them up. Minto flew up by the whirlwind to manage it better. Yukitto nodded. "Good. Now, Retasu, use your healing wave, but spread it all over the battle field. Send it rushing in all directions," Yukitto told her. Retasu nodded and shouted, "Healing Wave!" and, as the wave bursted from her wand, she spun around so fast that the waters were scattered and rushed over the battle field in a flood.
The waves of healing waters sank deep into the ground. Tall green grass grew and trees bore their fruit. The would have been barren land was now probably the most fertile. Yukitto smiled at Retasu. "Good." and Keiichiero nodded to Minto. "You did well," said Minto's watcher. Minto smiled and carefully set everyone down. They detransformed and Ryou went to talk with Toshino while Zakuro found out the group's history of the past few weeks.
When that had been done, Toshino and Zakuro went on a stroll, to talk together and discuss things. The sun was high in the sky as they walked beneath it. Silence reigned upon them. Finally Toshino spoke, "So . . ." Zakuro kept her gaze on the horizon. "Yeah . . ." replied she. "Do you want to join them?" asked her brother. "It would seem to be the right thing to do . . ." Zakuro trailed off. "What are your doubts, onee-sama?" asked Toshino. Zakuro sighed. "They are many, and they are few. However, I will go with them." Toshino let the ghost of the smile onto his face. "However, I must be able to come and go when I wish," Zakuro continued. Toshino sighed. "You always have had that right. I do not think Ryou will deny you of it. He seems to be one who would do that. Even more than you," Toshino added. Zakuro smiled. "Then, I shall let it be . . ."