The fire guardian appeared before the Ruler of the Heavens and Earth. The angels looked at her in wonder. None such as her had come before. The magenta haired girl stood up and looked around. An angel with short dark hair alighted before her. His dark eyes swept over the crowd before turning to Ichigo. "Come, you are to see his majesty," announced the angel. The other angels watched as he took the guardian's hand and flew up, leading her to Heaven's throne. The angel took the guardian of fire through an open door of pearl. He led her to the throne, and then stepped back. Ichigo gasped. An emerald shaped rainbow circled around the throne, shedding colored light. Lightening flash from the throne and peals of thunder resounded from it. Seven lamps blazed brightly before the throne. Also before the throne was a sea which was crystal clear and appeared to Ichigo as a sea of glass. The surface was smooth and no wave or currents trembled upon the surface. "Come," the mighty voice of the King boomed. Ichigo took a step onto the sea and found she could easily was upon it. She crossed the glass like sea step by step and her steps created ripples on the water. She crossed the cream colored clouds which created a path through the seven burning lamps. The fire guardian stopped at the foot of the throne and fell upon her knees. She lowered her eyes to the ground because of the strong light of the Lord.
"Do you have something to ask of me?" The lord's deep voice boomed. Ichigo replied, "Yes, Lord." "Then state your request, for, I shall give it to you. Whatever your petition is, I will grant it," the Lord commanded. "The aliens are attacking my home. I cannot defeat them and neither can the others. They are completely tired out and drained of energy. The aliens will destroy us and our home. This is my petition; this is my request. Please send us the next guardian, that she may help us defeat them in our time of need. Please, Lord," Ichigo begged. "Guardian of Fire, I will grant your request. I will give you the Guardian of Life and the watcher. And, because I send them, you will be healed and shall return to earth," the Mighty One commanded. Ichigo nodded and thanked the Lord. "Thank You, Lord Almighty."
"Come forth," He commanded. Two angels stood in Heaven before the Lord Almighty. One was a girl, long flowing silk blonde hair and clear deep pink eyes. Her skin was pale and she was about thirteen, for thirteen she had been when she died. The boy stood beside her. He had black silky hair and, like the girl, he had pale skin, although not quite so pale as her. Ichigo recognized him as the angel who had brought her before the Lord. The Famous One sat still on his thrown and looked down upon the two angels. "You are to go to earth as Berri and Tasuku, Guardian of Life and Watcher. Now go," Boomed the Lord. The two angels nodded and said, "Yes, Lord."
Tasuku took Ichigo's left hand and Berri took her right. They floated down through the clouds and into the nighttime sky. Ichigo looked around at the pale darkness about her. "It is the darkest hour," Tasuku observed. "The hour before the sun rises," Berri commented. As they flew closer to the ground, Ichigo noticed three bright red lights. They twinkled like stars and Ichigo sensed the Spectral Guardian's magic. The sparkles of light hovered next to Zakuro, Purin, and Sango. Tasuku and Berri flew through the walls of Ryou's house to the room Ichigo and Ryou shared. They set Ichigo down by her body and then let go of her.
Berri and Tasuku glowed green, brown, and gold as they became human. Berri was already in her guardian form. A deep forest green silk kimono clothed her. It was short with no sleeves, like Ichigo's guardian kimono. Swirling spirits were embroidered in gold thread on the green cloth. Green gloves flowed from the middle of her upper arm down. The fingers and thumbs had been cut off of the silk gloves, making them more like arm coverings. She held a large broadsword with a gold blade. Gold wings decorated the green jade hilt. "Lie down on your body," Berri commanded Ichigo. Ichigo carefully laid down on her body. Ichigo sunk into the body, and felt, for a moment, that she was still in it. "Hold still," Berri commanded once more. Ichigo tried not to move. Berri slashed with her sword and bright green lights flashed with gold sparks shooting out. Ichigo felt as though and invisible needle was sewing her back into her body. She tried not to scream out as the light and pain increased. Then, the world went dark.
Chapter 8
Life Magic
This is the magic of regrowth and healing, continuing the cycle of life as you make your way through the world. Life Magic focuses entirely on healing.
Ichigo sat up, feeling dizzy. "What just happened?" She asked, rubbing her head. "Come on, we've got to heal the others," Tasuku said and gestured for Ichigo to lead. Ichigo walked across the hall to Ringo's room. She twisted the knob and opened the door. The trio walked in and Mashio looked up at them. Ringo was exhausted. She was laid out on the bed, asleep. Berri walked up to her. "Who're you?" Mashio asked warily. "She's the Guardian of Life," Ichigo answered as Berri slashed at Ringo with her sword. "Hey!" Mashio jumped up. "What're you doing!" He yelled. Ringo rubbed her eyes and sat up. She smiled and bounced out of bed. "What'd I miss?" She asked. Mashio stood dumbfounded and Ichigo, Ringo, Berri, and Tasuku left the room. "Hey! Wait up!" He called and jumped up after them. A great rumbling overtook the house. Ichigo gulped. "He's back."
Zakuro, Purin, and Sango stood as straight as they could, being in an earthquake and drained of much of their power. Kish appeared with a large monster, five ravenous heads topped a woman's neck and torso. Instead of a waist and legs, there was a snake's tail with razor sharp scales. The arms were sticky tentacles and the hands were merely five claws attached to the end of them. The eyes of each head burned bright fluorescent red and long sharp fangs protruded from the mouth. The first head roared loudly, emitting needles of atomic energy which would incinerate anything it touched. Zakuro ducked out of the way. Purin somersaulted over it and Sango side stepped the attack. The bright green blue attack burned a hole in the door and continued down the house.
Ichigo led the way through the kitchen and dining room to Purin and Kyou's room. She opened the door, but no one was there, so she left and opened a door on the left. She looked in the room and recognized it as Zakuro and Toshino's room. No one was there either. Ichigo walked down the hall and turned left. She opened the first door on the right and found Yukitto sitting near Retasu, who was lying on the bed, totally drained of power. Berri stepped up to the bedside. "Who are you?" Yuki asked. "She's Berri, and she's going to heal Retasu," Ichigo informed him. Green blue needles burst through the wall in a shower of ashes and splinters. "EEEEEE!" Ichigo and Ringo shrieked. Yuki pushed them all out of the way and the attack burned a hole above Retasu's bed. Berri hurriedly stepped around Yuki and slashed Retasu. The water guardian opened her eyes and smiled. She groped about for her glasses and found them. She put them on as a bright aqua gold light pulsed from outside.
Sango raised her ice sword and shouted, "Heart of Ice, level up!" Her sword floated above her hand and thinned out into an aquamarine wand. The scent of fresh snow surrounded the area and the temperature dropped a few degrees. The top of the wand spread into a hoop with a gold snowflake in the center. "Snow stream!" Sango shouted as she grasped the wand again. The gold snowflake spun in the hoop and glowed bright pale aqua. A boulder of snow and ice formed and flew at the monster; it hit one of the heads, causing the second head, the one which was hit, to roar loudly. Fire emanated from the mouth, careening toward Sango. The ice guardian leaped up, dodging the attack, and slashed with her wand, freezing the head. A clawed tentacle raised to slash at Sango, but Zakuro jumped up and shouted, "Terra Katanas!" Her sais flashed and the embossed roses lit up. She slashed at the monster's tentacle, neatly slicing it off. Zakuro cleanly alighted on the ground next to Sango. The monster let loose a ROOAAAAAAR and two clawed tentacles burst through where one had been cut off. Zakuro and Sango looked at the monster in fear. It raised its scaly snake tail and brought it down on Zakuro and Sango. Zakuro held up her katanas as though to ward off the oncoming doom. Purin screamed as the scaly tail smacked Zakuro and Sango. The monster writhed in pain as a purple electric shock ran through its body. The bottom five feet of the tail exploded revealing a shield formed of rose thorns, charged with an electric current.
Retasu thanked Berri as she quickly slid out of bed. Yuki followed the group out as Ichigo led them out and down the corridor. She turned the knob of the last door on the left. Minto lay in bed, holding a cup of tea. Keiichiero sat by her side, drinking tea. Berri smiled and walked up to Minto. "Who are you?" Minto asked. "I am Berri, guardian of life," Berri said. Minto noticed the others. "You healed them?" Minto asked nodding to the small crowd behind her. Berri nodded. Minto set her cup of tea on its saucer and let Keiichiero hold both cup and saucer. Berri raised her sword and slashed Minto. Minto felt excruciating pain, then she felt energy welling up inside her. As Minto jumped up, Ichigo pushed her back down as razor sharp scales and acid blood crashed through the wall. Ichigo leaped for the door, but ended up knocking everyone down. Berri dropped to the ground and crawled behind the bed post. She pulled Minto down beside her. A scale zoomed by and rested in the wall, nearly slicing Minto. Two more slashed by Berri's head and acid blood scattered near the larger group. Once it was perceived that the flow of acid blood and scales had stopped, Minto and Berri cautiously stood. The others stood also and looked out the hole.
"Come on!" Ichigo shouted and jumped through. The rest followed. Mashio, Yuki and Keiichiero joined the other watchers by the willow tree. Ichigo, Minto, Ringo, Berri, and Retasu ran over to Purin and witness the shield of thorns protecting Zakuro and Sango. "Blaze!" Ichigo shouted and threw her flaming balls at the monster. The balls left some scorch marks as well as melting the ice on its second head. The third head roared and shards of crystals and glass flew out of the mouth at Ichigo. Kish's eyes widened and he teleported above Ichigo, locked his arms around her, and teleported out. The crystal shards flew in the space Kish and Ichigo had been moments before. Kish reappeared behind the monster. He floated above it, carrying Ichigo. "Hey! Let me down!" she shouted. "Aww, is that the thanks I get for saving you?" Kish asked Ichigo. The pink haired guardian glared at him. "I think I'll just keep you up here with me for a while," Kish decided. "Whaaaat!" Ichigo screeched as the fire balls returned to her. They orbited around both Ichigo and Kish.
Crystal shards flew from the monster's third head again, aimed at Minto and Ringo this time. Ringo twirled her ruby baton and shouted, "Absorption!" A large red sparkle floated from her baton and the scent of apples filled the air. The sworl of sparkling red light met the attack of crystal shards and the shards vanished. Ringo's baton pulsed brightly and Ringo tossed it in the air and shouted, "Absorption, level up!" The baton glowed red and flattened out. Ruby sparkles surrounded it and blinked like stars. A ruby rimmed mirror glowed and dropped into Ringo's hands. The third head blinked and glared at the red light. Laser beams shot out of its eyes and Ringo held up her mirror and shouted, "Reflect!" The laser beams ricocheted off the mirror and sliced off the monster's right tentacle. The laser fried the edge where the tentacle had fallen off and prevented it from growing back. All five heads roared in pain and the tail thrashed.
The fourth head was a lizard head with a snake's tongue. Retasu and Purin stood before it. "I'm gonna send a wave at it and you should charge it with lightening to strike the monster," Retasu commanded Purin. The monkey girl nodded. "'cause water conducts electricity, right?" Purin asked. Retasu nodded affirmative and raised her castanets. "Tsunami Rush!" Retasu shouted. A giant wave hurtled toward the snake head. Purin raised her sais and shouted, "Lightening Strike!" Giant bolts of lightening struck the water as it connected with the reptilian head. The snake cried out in pain, releasing a poisonous gas. Minto lifted her sais and shouted, "Whirlwind!" The sais glowed and four strong winds pushed the acid out of the way. Then she twirled in the air and shouted, "Sylph Call!" Hundreds of tiny blue wind spirits appeared before her and rushed toward the reptilian head. They dragged the breath out of it and suffocated the snake head. It turned brown, withered and fell of the body. "Quick, strike it with a thunder ball before the head can grow back!" Minto shouted. Purin nodded and raised her sais, "Thunderball!" She shouted. A ball of thunder and electricity formed between the points of her sais and zoomed toward the monster. It burned the flesh where the fourth head had fallen off. Then Purin crossed the sais in an 'x' and shouted, "Lightening Strike, level up!" The sais glowed and pulled out of Purim's hands. The scent of chocolate pudding and bananas filled the air and bright golden yellow sparkles drifted through the surrounding air. The sais molded together and formed a gold rimmed tambourine which dropped into Purin's hands.
Berri warily stood before the fifth head. It had slimy rubber skin and large red eyes. Berri would've sworn it had been taken from a frog. It opened its mouth and spit out green goo. Berri jumped up and dodged. She somersaulted in the air and landed on the monster's nose. A clawed tentacle came toward her and she jumped backward off the nose before the tentacle could reach her. The monster cried out in pain as the tentacle hit its face. More green goo splattered out. Berri dodged the first two piles, but the third hit her, pinning her to the ground. She struggled, but found she could not get up. The monster prepared to spit more on her face, thus suffocating her. Berri's eyes widened in fear and she struggled. "HEEEEELP!" She screeched.
Zakuro and Sango quickly left the shelter of the dissolving thorn shield. Zakuro spotted another guardian about to be annihilated by the fifth head. She leaped over in two bounds and slashed the green goo holding her down. Berri jumped up and dodged as the monster spit more green goo. Berri looked at Zakuro and asked, "How're you holding up?" Zakuro nodded. "I'm doing as well as I can!" And she jumped up to slash at the monster's fifth head. Berri ran up to her and as Zakuro rose, she cut her in two with her sword. Zakuro's eyes widened and she felt excruciating pain. Then . . . there was nothingness. Zakuro pulled herself together and felt herself power up. "Yeah!" She shouted. "Terra Katanas, level up!" She yelled and clapped her katanas together. The scent of irises and violets filled the air and purple sparkles surrounded the glowing katanas. They molded together and the blade became wider. Zakuro caught the gold veined opal hilt of the broadsword and, as she approached the face, she shouted, "Rose Blade!" The chrome blade of her sword glowed bright pink and Zakuro slashed the monster's head in a zigzag. The head fell apart in three pieces.
Sango stood below the monster's scaly tail and the first head turned toward her. It sucked in air, then blew out, sending pins and needles of bright green atomic energy toward Sango. Sango lifted her sword, but the red sworl of light rose from her side and absorbed the attack. The red sworl of light then vanished in a shower of red sparkles. Zakuro and Berri joined her as the monster heaved in again. The green needles of atomic energy exploded toward them and they dodged. Berri slashed at Sango with her sword. Sango tucked and rolled beneath the attack. She stood on her feet and shouted, "What're you doing!" "I'm trying to restore your energy," Berri explained and pulled Sango into a jump as more needles hurtled toward them. "By slashing at me with a sword!" Sango cried. Berri nodded and Sango rolled her eyes. "Fine!" Berri slashed Sango, who immediately felt the power up. "Hey Sango! Freeze the head off the monster!" Zakuro shouted. Sango nodded and raised her aquamarine wand. She jumped in the air and slashed at the first head, encasing it in ice. "You two, go rescue Ichigo, I'm going to go help the others!" Zakuro shouted. Berri and Sango nodded and jumped in the air. "Purin, go with them!" Zakuro shouted. The monkey girl nodded and took off. "Retasu, you're with me!" Zakuro shouted.
Berri jumped and twirled in the air. Gold and emerald wings sprouted from her back in a flurry of green and yellow dust. Berri stuffed her sword in its sheath and flew down to Purin and Sango. She grabbed their wrists. "Hold on!" She shouted and flew them up to Kish. "Put Ichigo down!" Purin yelled at the green haired alien. "No way, she's my koneko-chan," Kish replied and held Ichigo possessively. Ichigo stopped struggling and warned Kish, "You better do as they say." Kish smirked. "Or what? The winged girl will slash me with a sword that can't kill people?" Kish taunted. Berri tossed Purin in the air. The monkey girl tapped her tambourine twice and shouted, "Star Shower!" She banged Kish on the head with her tambourine and pushed off him, catching Berri's outstretched hand. Hundreds of little sparkles emanated from her tambourine and floated toward Kish. "Oh, I'm so afraid of a bunch of little sparkles," Kish sarcastically commented. The little sparkles gathered around him. He held Ichigo tighter. "Hey, Kish," Ichigo groped for his attention. Kish looked down at her. "What?" "The tighter you hold onto something, the quicker it will slip through your fingers!" Ichigo said. She raised her arms and sucked in her breathed. The fire guardian fell out of Kish's arms. Berri swung Purin out and Ichigo and Purin caught each other's wrists. Berri was pulled down toward Ichigo and Purin under their combined weight. The sparkled floated behind Kish, then exploded into a shower of stars. A cage of lightening formed from behind him and surged forward, forcing Kish's back side against the bars. Then Kish screamed as though a million little swords had been run through his spine.
(Hey, I'm sorry to put this in the middle, but this is really important. The second story Guardians: Epic Battle will have the continuing in it. It'll be up when chapter 1 is ready)
Minto and Ringo dodged another crystal shard attack. Zakuro and Retasu alighted next to them. "Need some help?" Retasu asked. "Sure thing," Minto affirmed. Ringo smiled gratefully. The four stood against the third head defensively. The body turned toward them and the second head focused on them also. "Zakuro, do you think you and Ringo can take this head?" Minto asked. Zakuro nodded affirmatively. "Come on, Retasu! We can take the fire breather!" Minto shouted to the water guardian. Retasu nodded and bounded to Minto's side. The third head let loose a shower of crystal shards at Retasu and Minto. Ringo dashed in front and held up her mirror shouting, "Absorption!" The mirror glowing red and the shards were sucked into the glassy surface. "Thanks, Ringo!" Minto called as she held up her sais. "Wind Arrow!" Minto shouted and her sapphire and silver sais glowed. A medium sized silver arrow pulled itself together in a flurry of mint leaves. It burst through and shot toward the second head. The monster let out a stream of fire. Minto's arrow and the fire stream collided with a large explosion of glowing mint leaves and fiery rain drops. The third head of the monster turned to help the second, but Zakuro leaped up and shouted, "Terra Katanas!" Her attack missed its head and sliced off one of the horns on its shaggy head. Red eyes glared at her and laser beams shot out of its eyes. Ringo vaulted up and flashed her mirror. "Reflect!" She shouted. The laser beams reflected off the mirror's surface and burned two holes through its other horn. The monster roared and batted them back with a tentacle. Ringo and Zakuro screamed in pain as the five claws cut them.
Berri, Purin, Ichigo, and Sango touched the ground in front of the monster and looked up at Kish. The cage vanished in an explosion of lightening and Kish dropped to the hard earth at their feet. Zakuro and Ringo flew by and crashed to the ground. "Zakuro, Ringo!" Ichigo cried and ran up to her friends; she bent down to help them up. She pulled Ringo and Zakuro up. Zakuro looked up at Ichigo and saw a sinister red glow where her heart should be, it was small, but looked like it was getting bigger. "Ichigo, do you feel all right?" Zakuro asked. Ichigo looked puzzled. "Yeah, I'm fine." Zakuro looked down at Kish. "What happened to him?" she asked. Zakuro watched the red light grow three times the size it had been as Ichigo looked at Kish's fallen body. "You saw what he did!" Ichigo exclaimed. Zakuro sighed. Lucifer, what has he done? Zakuro wondered as she looked at the red pulse. "Come on, we've gotta finish off this monster," Zakuro said. Ichigo turned her attention away from Kish and the red light shrunk four sizes. Zakuro took this in. A healing wave could fix it . . . Maybe? She wondered.
The monster turned to Minto and Retasu. "Tsunami Rush, level up!" Retasu shouted. Her castanets glowed and strechted together, forming a watering can. The scent of fresh rain dampened the air and the emerald and gold watering can sparkled in the air. Retasu jumped up and shouted, "Emerald Dream!" Emerald waters flowed from the spout of the watering can and landed on the ground in front of the monster. Giant tendrils of water sprouted up and twisted around the monster like a thick rope. The monster struggled and writhed inside the watery prison. The watery prison sparkled and froze to an icy aquamarine blue as Sango slashed it with her wand.
Pai rose from the ground and picked up Kish. He teleported out as the block of ice which was the montser, exploded into a million fragments.