To Soar

The next day, the six brides and Haku got up reluctantly; having spent much of the night awake to watch out for Inferno. And the only reason they did get up was Yubaba was screaming, angry about the new dents she'd seen in the garden after the last duel with Inferno. Ayame muttered something about the old crone putting in a security system in the future; she was usually grouchy even if getting enough sleep.

"And another thing!" the witch called, "My sister is hear to see you Haku! You deal with her because I can not!" With that, she stormed down the hallway. Everyone looked extremely disheveled and were mentally planning some really deep curse to put on the grouchy bathhouse owner in the near future. However, they all got up and prepared to meet with their new ally, hoping to get some help.

"Granny! It's me,Chihiro!" the girl called as she ran into the other room. Zeniba was quite surprised to see the kindly human girl, thinking she'd died all those years ago. However, she could well sense the newfound Spirit powers flowing through her. It was easy to guess what happened considering they asked her to help out with Inferno. She could see Haku's anger; he would make that beast pay.

Zeniba spoke through tears of joy, "It's good to see you again child. Only…now you're all grown up. And with new powers as well. Don't worry; I will help make sure that Inferno never separates you from Haku again. It must have been frightening; thinking that you would never get away from such a monster. With my spells, we can find a way to fight him." She dried her eyes; relief washing over her.

Hana looked over. "That is what we were hoping. You are a powerful enchantress; there are a great deal of magical tomes in your possession that might prove useful. Inferno is a monster who treats women as his toys. We do not wish any to suffer as we did; we wish to stop him before he strikes again."

"Well spoken," Zeniba commented, "You truly are a strong woman. I will make sure that we get the drop on Inferno. In fact, we'll set a trap. I can create an illusion of your images by changing the forms of stones or small mammals. When he takes the bait, we will strike with our power. Though I believe you should each think carefully about your moves. Inferno is still a strong opponent, even if we trap him."

"If we consider the basic facts, each of us alone is powerless against Inferno. The only time a singular attack hurt him in any way was when Haku was angered at Chihiro's pain. However, if we work as a team, then nobody can touch us. I will summon rose petals to blind Inferno. Ayame can call forth the shadows to confuse him just as Yume feeds him illusions. Kaze will strike with winds, and Kira can call forth the beasts of the forest. Finally, Chihiro and Haku can use their water powers to gain the upper hand. For like all Fire Classes, Volcano Spirits are weakened by the coolness of the waters," Hana said.

They were sitting in one of the tubs, knowing very well that there wouldn't be anyone inside of these rooms until later in the evening. Why Yubaba had allowed them to hold their meetings in her bathhouse was beyond even them; though they all believed she would do anything to get him away.

Kira muttered, "As usual Hana, you come up with a boring plan. Where's the hand to hand combat? Where're the punches and kicks and bites? And where's my time to lay the smackdown on that jerk for taking me away from my family!" After a confused Chihiro gave her a look, Hana explained that Kira happened to be obsessed with human television, and had long since taken a shine to wrestling.

Kaze sighed. "But it is the safest. Working together, as Lady Zeniba told us, is the only thing that can defeat someone like Inferno. He is much more powerful than each of us individually. Or…do you wish to return to being his captive? I'd love a good laugh at the very thought of you wearing a skirt."

"That's not funny Kaze!" screamed Kira, "You know I can't stand frilly crap like that! I like my tunic and breeches thank you very much! And I'm plenty strong; I've been training over a thousand years to get my revenge when the time came. But you party poopers are always ruining my fun before it starts."

"It is called caution; Kira. You know that if we were to attack head on, he would be able to defeat us. Inferno is the type that must be outwitted; he isn't a quarter as bright as he is strong. You all have to stop this petty fighting and work as a team. Honestly…do we have to leave the two of you out of every single battle? Neither of you are calm enough to let go of your emotions and think," Yume interjected.

Both girls, in a rare act of togetherness, screamed, "Yume! Shut up! I know what I'm saying and can handle myself in a fight! You're not my mother!" Upon realizing what had happened, the two turned their heads in anger with a loud "harrumph!" Hana and Chihiro were giggling; but softly so they wouldn't be able to hear it. It was the one thing they'd never been able to cure, the girls' competitive natures.

Hana kept silent a few moments more. She knew that in a time like this, it was key for the duo of hotheads to cool down. "Anyway, we are setting the plan in motion tomorrow afternoon. That gives us the day to rest up and get ready to take immediate action. Then…Inferno is going to pay for his crimes."

"Freedom at last," Ayame added, "I'll be able to return to my beloved Yami." She immediately noticed the stares of each of the girls; out of all the original five brides, they wouldn't have pinned Ayame as the one who'd formed an emotional attachment. "What…so I'm in love. Is that a crime I didn't know about!" She gave them all a hard glare; one that froze the very hearts of her enemies to the core.

"Nothing wrong with love. It's just that we didn't think you were the type. Nothing personal Yame, but you do have quite a sharp tongue," Kira commented. She then saw the even sharper sword that was positioned in her friend's hand. "There's nothing wrong with that either; it's just the way you are Aya."

Ayame demanded, "You'd better call me 'Ayame' if you know what's good for you. None of this 'Yame' or 'Aya' stuff. It's 'Ayame' and nothing else. I have no need for a nickname." With that, Kira jumped behind Chihiro and Haku, knowing that the duo could make a killer team if Ayame tested them.

At this moment, Hana reached her breaking point. "There will be no more goofing around from the likes of you! Honestly, this is too important to argue over. We are going to rest up before we face that devil tomorrow! And you know that when I get this mad then you all are in some serious trouble."

Except for Chihiro, they all knew that an angry Hana was a scary Hana. So they all meeped out their apologies before she went hyper. Then, the brides scattered around the bathhouse to relax before the big day. They didn't return until the evening when the team took a nice bath together; hoping to ease their tensions before the final battle. But nobody knew what the next day would bring to their eyes.

Teefa's Last Words...

Heh, writing the girls was fun for me. In fact, the five's personality quirks are based on people I know, except they don't fight this much and I kind of added in a more Rhapsody-esq argument cuz I was happy to beat the game and see the story in two days. It's really taking a single quirk and then transforming it into a personality.