The guardians had done their jobs well. Lucifer would not succed. Five had already found each other. Only three more remained. The sixth was about to be found. Gabriel was summoned and told what to do. He said it was good, and he spoke true. Angel Gabriel flew down to earth in a dream. He told the watcher about the Guardian team. The watcher agreed and Gabriel went back to heaven. He reported the good tidings and the Father above took this all in. Gabriel sat quietly at the edge of the clouds of heaven to watch the story unfold, for no one truly knew what was to happen, excepting the Lord Almighty.
Lucifer watched from below in his lair. He would not do anything yet. He would wait and watch, but only for a time. This new guardian would be defensive magic, he was sure. Maybe spectral? Ah, this onewould be stronger. Even, if only because they had the strongest defensive magic. Ah well, he would have to find the next one, hopefully before she gained her powers. He could then exterminate her and strip her of her powers. But where was the watcher? Lucifer watched quietly the happenings of the new earth. He watched all night until the sun dawned. "Well," said he, "it would seem as though Gabriel has beat me to the catch." He loomed up from the bowls of the earth and penetrated the crust. He silently drifted and roamed the earth, searching for the first watcher's house.
Chapter Six: Spectral Magic
This is the magic of defense and protection, increasing your ability to avoid taking damage and mitigating the damage that you do take. Spectral Magic focuses on defense, with some counterattack.
Ringo Akai and her older brother, Mashio, were walking down the apple blossom path. "So, let me get this straight, I, Ringo Akai, can do magic?" She asked. Mashio shook his head, "No, you can do Spectral magic. There's a difference." Ringo rolled her eyes. "Fine. So, how do I use this 'Spectral' magic of mine?" She asked. "Well, we should find the other guardians. After all, you're only number six. There are five others," Mashio pointed out. "So, where do you suggest we look?" Ringo asked. "Supposedly, you know," Mashio told his sister. "But I don't know where we're going. This doesn't help me!" Ringo rolled her eyes. "Fine, let's go that way," Mashio said, pointing down the path.
"No, let's go that way!" Ringo said, pointing down the other path. "But I thought you said you didn't know where we were going," Mashio whined. "I don't. I just think we should go that way. And you have to listen to me because, apparently, I know this stuff," Ringo told her brother. Mashio controlled himself and took his anger level down as he walked.
After a few hourse they arrived at the place. It was a rather expanded place. At one point it seemed as though it might have been one pleasurable little house. Creamy coloring and blooming garden and such. However, it seemed as though rooms had been added on. There was one with a purpl-ish tint to it and another which was a yellow green. There were two shrubberies a few feet from the door, making a small path. Ringo and Mashio walked up the path and stopped at the door. "Are you sure this is the place?" Mashio asked Ringo, who nodded concurrently. "Are you sure you didn't get mixed up or something?" Mashio asked.
"She seems quite sure," came a voice from behind. Mashio and Ringo spun around. Behind them stood a boy with reddish hair. A hyper girl jumped over him. "Konnichiwa! I am Purin and this is Kyou! What are your names?" Purin asked. "Well, I am Mashio and this is Ringo, my sister," Mashio didn't get far before Purin interrupted him. "So you're the sixth guardian right, na no da!""Uh, if that's what you want to call it, then, yeah," Mashio answered. "Not you, stupid, the girl," Kyou put in. "I am the sixth guardian, and I control the spectral magic!" Ringo proclaimed. "You don't have to shout it," Kyou complained.
Ringo's shouting, did however, bring all the rest of guardians out, excepting Minto, who was taking an afternoon shower. Ichigo and Ryou came from out back, where they had been honing Ichigo's skills. Retasu, Yukitto, and Keiichiero came in from the kitchens, arguing over recipies. Zakuro poked her purple head out of the window and looked out. She then vanished back inside and came back with her brother. They watched everyone coldly from the window. Steam wafted out of Minto's room, which was conveniently stationed near the door. Minto's voice rang out along with the steam, "The rainbow colored wind is being blown . . . The melody I could hear before sunrise continues . . . The birds fly toward the eastern skies . . . After the night of the storm . . ."
Ryou walked up to Ringo and Mashio and shook their hands. "I am Ryou, and welcome to my house. I'm sure you've already met Purin and Kyou. This is Ichigo, Retasu has the green hair, Yukitto is standing by her, the tall guy next to her with the long brown hair is Keiichiero, those two in the window are Zakuro and Toshino and Minto is in the shower," Ryou introduced them all. "Come on inside, I will show you to your room."
"Room, don't we get two rooms?" Ringo asked. Ryou shook his head. "Sorry, there aren't enough rooms for that. Every guardian sleeps in the same room as her watcher. They do sleep in separate bed though and the rooms are quite large," Ryou explained. Ringo and Mashio sighed. "It looks like you two will get along quite well, you act like each other," Retasu commented. "What!" Ringo and Mashio exclaimed and hastily backed away from each other. "See, you just had the same reaction to Retasu's comment," Yukitto pointed out. "Come on Retasu and Yukitto, don't gang up on Ringo and Mashio," Keiichiero put in. Retasu and Yukitto walked in the house and travelled to the kitchen. Keiichiero followed them to make sure they didn't do anything strange to lunch.
Zakuro and Toshino pulled themselves back into their room and the steam stopped coming out from Minto's bathroom. A pair of blinds was pulled across the window as Minto stepped out. Purin and Kyou went into the backyard, where they had previously been. Ichigo followed Ringo and Mashio into the house. The four of them slipped off their shoes in the entry way and Ryou led them to the first door on their right. He turned the knob saying, "This is Minto and Keiichiero's room." he opened the door to let them see the room. As he did so, Minto walked out of the shower clad only in a towel. "EEE!" She screeched and banged Ryou on the head with a music box and slammed the door. Ryou rubbed his head and continued on.
He knocked on the door to the left. No one answered, so he opened it cautiously. "This is Retasu and Yukitto's room." Ringo and Mashio looked in and then stepped out. Ryou closed the door. Yukitto poked his head out of the kitchen, "Did you call us?" He asked. Ryou shook his head saying, "No." He continued on and led them through the dining room. He turned right and opened the first door on the left. "This is Zakuro and Toshino's room." Ringo and Mashio cautiously looked in. Zakuro was reading a book. She glanced up at them for a second or two and went back to reading. Toshino was napping. Ryou closed the door quietly and opened the door on the right. "This is Kyou and Purin's room," he said. Socks were lying all over the floor and bright splotches of yellow and red covered the walls. The beds were messily made and it was nothing like the other spik n' span rooms. "As you can tell, they fight much of the time," Ichigo commented. Ryou led them through the dining room once more and through the kitchen. "Hey Keiichiero, when's lunch going to be ready?" He asked. "Few minutes," Retasu answered for Keiichiero. Ryou nodded and moved on.
He twisted the knob to his own room and saying, "That side is Ichigo's." The right half of the room looked normal, but the left half was entirely pink, red, and strawberry themed. "What's wrong with my side?" Ichigo demanded. "Nothing, I'm just pointing it out," Ryou shrugged. Ichigo entered into the room and slammed the door. Ryou went across the hall to the left side saying, "This is your room. You have a bathroom, two beds, two dressers, etc. Lunch is ina few minutes." Ringo and Mashio entered. They looked around and Ringo shouted, "I call left side!" "What, but that's where the bathroom is!" Mashio complained. Ringo stuck out her tongue at him.
"Mashio! Ringo! Come on! Food's ready!" Ryou's voice echoed down the hall. The brother and sister hurried down to the table. Everyone, including Minto, was already seated around the wooden table and waiting to eat. As soon as Ringo and Mashio sat down, everyone clasped hands. "Our Father, who art in Heaven, we thank thee for our meal and for the task of which you have appointed us competent in completing. We pray that we might be able to continue our work and complete the job as you wished it to be done. Aid us with your strength and wisdom. Amen," Ryou prayed. Where each hand was joined, a white ball of light glowed. Ringo looked around in amazement as everyone echoed, "And let it be so." The group opened their eyes and let go of each other's hands. "All right, let's eat," Kyou said.
After lunch, Ringo and Mashio were helping Ichigo and Ryou clear the table when a large roar took over the place. Ringo dropped the wooden dishes on the floor. They landed with a large clatter. Ichigo and Ryou hurriedly placed thier dishes in the sink and dragged Ringo and Mashio outside to the training field. A large creature stood before them. It resembled a saber tooth tiger. It was ten times the size of a normal saber tooth and was ten times more vicious. It roared, causing an earthquaked. "Strawberry Metamorphosis!" Ichigo shouted. Ringo looked at her new friend and watched as she transformed. "Mint metamorphosis!" "Pudding Metamorphosis!" "Lettuce metamorphosis!" "Zakuro metamorphosis!" All the girls had transformed into long haired heroines with dangerous looking (and some not so dangerous looking) weapons. The watchers stood back, but not so far as to be out of strike range.
Ichigo held her katanas high and jumped into the air. "Firestorm!" She shouted. Dark clouds formed and drops of fire pelted down on the tiger. Ringo covered her head with her hands. Minto jumped up and shouted, "Mountain Echo!" Her voice amplified and the pressure of it forced the monster up and back. It did and sumersault and landed on its feet. The monster surged forward toward the mews, but Purin jumped in front and held up her staff, shouting, "Disable Fortitude!" Pale yellow and white lightening bolts shot out of the sword at the oversize saber tooth as the tiger crashed into the shield of electric currents and lightening Purin had put up. "RAAAAAAWWWWWRRRRR!" It screeched and stood up. It bounded toward the girls and Retasu took her wand. She ran up to the monster and jumped behind it. She did a half spin in mid air and pointed her crystal wand at the monster shouting, "Bubble Cage!" A stream of pretty chain linksunleashe ditself at the monster andboundit tight. Retasu pulled it back on its hindquarters using the momentum she had gained from her jump. The saber tooth roared and broke free of the chain. Zakuro raised her thorny whip and shouted, "Rose Whip!" The beautiful, but deadly, whip wound itself around the creatures feet and tripped it to the ground. "Lava Dance!" Ichigo shouted. She crossed her katanas in an 'x' formation and sliced at the monster. Molten lava swirled around Ichigo and shot toward the monster, causing it to writhe in pain.
It let out an earsplitting screech and the mews covered their ears. "Ringo, transform!" Mashio shouted to his sister. Ringo nodded and shouted, "Apple Transformation!" She was enveloped inside a red mist hinted with the scent of apples. Ringo's clothes glowed and vanished in a shower of sparkles as the ghost ofa transparent humboldt penguin jumped into her. A new kimono grew upon her. It had ruffle sleeves and ended right above her knees. The kimono was embroidered with glowing cherries and apples and her hair turned a bold crimson red. A gold sword appeared in her hand. The double edged sword was decorated with rubies shaped like apples.
Zakuro raised her whip above her head and shouted, "Rose Whip, level up!" her whip glowed and shortened into a sceptre with a blooming violet rose on the top, as the whip transformed, Retasu jumped up and shouted, "Bubble Cage, level up!" Her wand glowed and split in two. Each half grew three prongs and she ended up with a beautiful pair of sapphire sais. Purin lifted her shining weapon as Retasu finished and did a summersault as she shouted, "Fortitude, level up!" Her staff glowed and shrunk until it was shaped like a wand.Yellow glass stars swirled around the topaz ball at the top of the gold wand. Minto jumped up and twirled in the air and shouted, "Mountain Echo, level up!" Her weapon blazed a brilliant blue and lengthened into a long wood staff. The wood was white and softer than most wood. Two thick veins of aquamarine ran and twisted up the long staff. Ichigo tossed her katanas in the air and they rolled up into balls. They lit on fire and Ichigo held out her palms. The balls stopped right above her outstretched hands. The six girls stood before the mountain cat and Kish.
Ichigo threw her balls up in the air, ready to attack. She opened her mouth, but Kish teleported behind her and pulled her up in the air by her wrists. "Hey, let me down!" Ichigo screeched and struggled to get away from Kish. "Isn't that cheating, or something?" Mashio asked Ryou. Ryou shook his head. "It's a little complicated," He answered Mashio.
Minto held up her staff and shouted, "Wind Dance!" The winds swirled up around her and turned a deep sapphire blue and deep forest green. Small pieces of sharp glass, pointy needles and other projectiles formed in the wind. They rushed at the giant saber tooth, slashing and swirling around it. The winds abaited, revealing a large cat with small cuts and bruises bleeding all over it. Kish hovered above the monster, keeping a firm grip on Ichigo's wrists. Purin raised her wand and shouted, "Thunderball!" The glass stars from her wand rushed in a sphere in the space in front of the topaz orb. A large ball of thunder with crackles of lightening zooming around it quickly grew. The stars escorted the ball of thunder to the monster at hyperspeed. The stars expanded at the last second before impact and returned to Purin's wand. The electrifying thunderball exploded in the monster's face, causing it to roar in pain. "RRAAAAAAAWWWWR!" Zakuro held up her scepter while the monster was distracted and shouted, "Ivy Scepter!" Long vines of ivy sprung from the blooming violet rose and acted as a nine tail whip. She lashed at the monster while it was blind. It shrieked out louder and was thrown back. Ringo raised her double-edged apple sword and ran up to the wounded monster. She shouted, "Evasion!" and jumped up on top of the monster, slashing at Ichigo. A collective silence filled the area.
Ichigo found she was able to suddenly break free of Kish. Kish looked surprised, but quickly twisted his expression into a smirk. "Smart thinking, new mew," Kish commented. Ichigo tossed her balls in the air and alighted on the ground shouting, "Blaze!" The balls fire was tuned up and they suddenly became bright firey orbs, twice their original size. The balls leaped toward the monster, as though an invisible wind pushed them. The balls circled around the monster in unlevel circles, moving in and out to a rhythm no one could hear. The monster lit on fire and all everyone saw was a black silhouette. The balls slowed and their flame dropped to normal as the sillhouette shrunk, and finally they floated back to Ichigo as the saber tooth became what it had been before Kish had messed with it.
Zakuro and Toshino twisted around to see a dark cloaked figure. It had pale skin and luminiscent eyes. Lucifer, they thought. The dark ruler smiled, as though sensing their thoughts. He glanced at the alien Kish and vanished, like wisps of wind.