Epic Battle

Chapter 4: Dark Roots

Ryou woke up from a mid day nap with the idea that Ichigo was in some sort of danger. His fears turned to restlessness as he paced the floor. Keichiero looked in. "Is something wrong?" He asked. "I don't know. I have this feeling that Ichigo's in danger," Ryou answered. "That's not good," Keichiero commented. Minto, who had been walking by and had heard most of the conversation, opened the door all the way and said, "Wait a few minutes, Retasu and Yuki should be home any minute with Ichigo and the groceries." Ryou made an annoyed grunt and began pacing again. Minto and Keichiero, having nothing else to do, stood there watching him.

Ryou was not set to any sort of rest when Retasu and Yuki came bursting in through the front door, panting. Minto and Keichiero stepped fully into Ryou and Ichigo's room to make space for Retasu and Yuki. "Ryou . . ." Retasu panted. "The sky's . . . gone dark," Yuki gasped, trying to regain his breath. "Ichigo . . . taken away . . .Kisshu," Retasu gasped, then dropped the groceries on the floor as she fainted. Yuki glanced at her. "Not . . . good," He commented as he too took to the blackness of unconciousness. "Minto, Keichiero, alert the others. I'll take care of Retasu and Yuki," Ryou commanded. Minto and Keichiero nodded and dashed out of the room. Ryou dragged Retasu up to Ichigo's bed and laid her down on it. Ryou dragged Yuki's body to his own bed across from Ichigo's and placed him in it. Then he dashed off for the front door.

Outside, he met the others. "Something's wrong and we have to find Ichigo. We're going to the market and see where we go from there," Ryou said. Ringo, Minto, Zakuro, Berry, Purin, and Sango transformed. "Come on, let's go save Ichigo!" Minto cried and flew off toward the market. The rest of the guardians followed with the watchers behind them. They were into the town and Minto suddenly came to a screeching halt. "Stop!" She shouted. Purin and Ringo, who had been right behind her, collided into Minto.

"Guys? What're you doing here?" A familiar voice asked. Everyone looked up. Ichigo was in the arms of the Blue Knight. "We came to rescue you, but it seems as though he's taken care of it. But now we need to defeat whatever's causing this darkness and heat," Minto explained. The Blue Knight landed near Minto and Ichigo hopped down beside him. "Well then, what're we waiting for?" Ichigo asked. "Good, let's go!" Minto said and took off again. Ichigo ran up beside her with the Blue Knight. "Minto, do you know where we're going?" Ichigo asked. Minto shook her head. "I don't have the least idea," She confided. "All right. Turn left," Ichigo directed. The group quickly changed direction. Now Ichigo's eyes could see the faint outline of the object she had seen before. "It's straight ahead," Ichigo said. "Whatever you say," Minto commented. "Hey Minto, can you speed us up a bit?" Ichigo asked. "Sure thing," Minto replied. She raised her sais in front of her face and shouted, "Whirlwind!" as her silver and sapphire sais glowed, she hit the ground. Winds rushed up around them and behind them, speeding their travel and fairly lifting them off their feet. "This is cool, na no da!" Purin exclaimed as she caught up with the fire and air guardians.

They jumped up atop a large building and were soon running and leaping across rooftops, leaving the watchers to find their own way. The black thing loomed ahead and the girls saw that it was a large cocoon. Ichigo's balls burned brighter as she prepared to attack the cocoon. They swirled around her, leaving bright trails in the dark. "Blaze!" She shouted. The balls went zooming toward the large black cocoon, but another voice shouted, "Windy thunder fan!" Thick blazing crackles of thunder struck from the sky above and dissapated Ichigo's attack. Her red orbs turned bright gold, then smoking black. They trailed back to her.

Minto flew up in the air and Purin rang her tambourine and shouted, "Whirlwind!" The air coursed through her veins, striking her cold, but the cold also gave her a new vivacity. A wind swirled around Purin as she jumped up ito it and flew up to Minto. "This is an interesting development," Pai commented as he descended through the black omnious clouds.

"If by interesting, you mean dangerous, you got it right, bucko," Minto said. She raised her sais and shouted, "Wind Storm!" The wind swirled dangerously around Minto and gathered around her sais. The sapphire veins pulsed brightly with power. She twirled in the air and slash toward Pai, releasing what was now a dangerous tornado. It spun toward Pai in all its terrible glory. Then Purin summer saulted and banged her tambourine twice, shouting, "Star Shower!" The gold bells on her tambourine glowed an insanely bright yellow and small star shaped sparkles drifted off and toward Pai. They swirled into the tornado Minto had created and merged with it. "What are you trying to do? Blind me?" Pai asked in all seriousness. But as the tornado swirled around him, he raised his fan and shouted, "Windy Thunder Fan!" The thick bolts of thunder gathered at the fan and exploded around him, but instead of taking out the attack, it charged the tornado with powerful electricity. Lightening bolts shot out from random places, striking anything and everything in its way.

Pai's eyes widened and Purin's sparkles gathered around him. His fan changed color from bright yellow to icy blue. "Windy Ice Fan!" He shouted. Blue lightening gathered in the fan and swirled around him, forming a thick ice cocoon. The star sparkles formed a large cagelike structure around Pai, then power suddenly pulsed backward and blazed at the back, where a bright sword shot through, going to Pai's spine. But the attack hit the ice, shattering it and dissappearing. "No way!" Purin exclaimed. "Not good," Minto commented as the Wind storm abated and the thunder dwindled away.

Berry and Sango looked at Zakuro and Ringo. "I'm taking Sango up top, maybe we can do something," Berry said as she flapped her large feathery wings. Zakuro nodded. "Go, we'll cover for you," Zakuro said. Zakuro raised her royal purple jewel rose and Ringo raised her sparkling gem. "Whirwind!" The duo shouted. Minto's basic attack lifted them up in the air and they expirienced startling coldness running under their skin. Ringo involuntarily shivered. "It is the power of the wind," Zakuro explained. Ringo nodded and stood straight as the wind flew the upward, behind Berry and Sango. "Not so fast, old hags!" Shouted a peculiarly annoying voice. The shortest alien teleported in front of them. "We're not old hags, you midget!" Ringo shouted. "I am not a midget!" Taruto argued. "Yes you are!" Ringo shouted back. "No, you old hag!" Taruto's face began to turn red with anger. "Midget midget midget!" Ringo shouted. Taruto was hopping up and down on the air. "Suffocation Cocoon!" He shouted. A stormy grey ball of energy formed between his hands and shot out toward Ringo and Zakuro, taking the form of a cocoon. Zakuro threw her rose up in the air and shouted, "Iris Fold!" The rose mulitplied itself and slashed through the cocoon, unraveling the malevolent stormy magic. Taruto hopped up and down like a troll. The original purple rose flew back to Zakuro.

Berry and Sango flew higher and higher up toward the top of the cocoon. "Not so fast," Said a voice from beside them. Sango's head turned toward the voice, but Berry kept on flying, hoping to outrun the enemy. Kish teleported in front of them. "Didn't you hear me, I said stop!" He fairly shouted at them. Berry dodged around him and continued toward the top. Kish growled and shouted, "Dragon Swords!" Twin sword glowed and appeared in his hands. He flew after them, slashing as soon as he percieved they were in range. Sango lifted her feet and tried to dodge the swords. One cut into her pale aquamarine boot, nearly slicing her heel. She pointed her staff as Kish and shouted, "Snowball!" A hail of small rocks surrounded by snow drove down on Kish. He teleported out of the attack and appeared beside Berry. The angel girl barely cast a glance at him. "Time for you to learn the meaning of stop," Kish commented as he raised his swords to attack her. Berry looked up to the top of the cocoon and shouted, "Catch!" She swung Sango back and threw the ice guardian up in the air and spun out of the way of Kish's attack. Sango flipped through the air toward the top of the cocoon. She was zooming strainght toward the cocoon. She braced for impact, but then felt strong arms wrap around her. She opened her eyes and looked up into the icy coolness of the Blue Knight's eyes. She blushed and the Blue Knight set her down on top of the cocoon. "Nice catch, Masaya. Sango, are you all right?" Ichigo asked. Sango nodded and looked toward Berry.

Berry ducked under Kish's next thrust and gathered her orbs. They glowed bright gold and melded together, forming a long shining sword. Kish raised his eyebrows, surprised. Berry slashed toward him and he parried, then struck. Berry slid to the side, dodging the blow, and slashed at Kish's feet. Kish flew up and Berry pursued him. He dodged through the darkened clouds and led her over by Pai. Then Kish swooped in front of Pai, and Berry flew closely after him, but screamed as an ice blast hit her. It exploded over her and encased her in ice. "Berry!" Minto and Purin shouted. Pai shrugged. "Not what I was aiming for, but it works all the same."

Then there was a rumbling as the cocoon began bulging and moving. Sango raised her staff and shouted, "Glacier Strike, level up!" small cracks appeared in the oversize cocoon as Sango was lifted off the cocoon. Her staff glowed bright aquamarine and floated in front of her. It split and formed itself, developing into four bracelets of pure ice. Two slid onto her slim wrists and the other two slid onto her ankles. Sango shouted, "Freeze!" Beams of white light shot out of the newly formed bracelets and one by one focused on the cocoon. Beams of black light were coming out from the cocoon now. Once all the beams of Sango's white light were focused, there came a large blast of aquamarine color energy. It blasted Sango back into Ichigo and the Blue Knight and threw all three of them back. The power surged around the cocoon and coursed through it, freezing the dangerous object. Sango then began to fall from the air. As she did so, white sparkles gathered around her ankles and mini wings of ice formed on her anklets. They glowed with an inner light and Sango stopped falling. She floated gently on the air and moved back up toward Ichigo and the Blue Knight.

Pai, Kish, and Taruto glared at Sango, each thinking devious thoughts at her. They zoomed up toward the iced cocoon. Instantly, the other guardians jumped up after them. Kish turned around and flew backwards. He pointed his swords at the pursuing guardians and shouted, "Dragon's Breath!" Fire spun out of the swords and blazed toward the guardians. Ringo dashed up front and held up her gem. "Reflect!" She shouted. The gem pulsed and red energy shot out and formed a small wall in front of her. The fire hit the shield, and was reflected back toward Kish. Kish, Taruto, and Pai dodged the firey column of death and Kish smirked at the guardians. "Thanks for your help!" He said. Ringo gasped and hit herself on the forehead. The fire struck the cocoon, completely melting it. Black mist slowly seeped into the air and curled upward like smoke. Black lights burst out of the cocoon, creating voids where the light struck and object. Ichigo leaped into action. The balls twirled around her, ablaze with her fiery power, fully recharged and ready to go. Purin felt fire rushing through her veins and zoomed up toward Ichigo on her whirlwind. Purin tossed up her golden tambourine and it hung suspended between Ichigo and Purin. Ichigo fire balls zoomed around the two in dizzying circles too fast for the eye to see. Ichigo and Purin clasped hands with each other and a fiery golden ball of magic formed between them. It grew out and around Ichigo and Purin, sealing them inside. But it kept on growing with Ichigo's fireballs creating a ring of fire around it. Finally Purin raised her tambourine and shouted, "Firelight!" The redgold ball exploded in a mushroom of light. The voids created by the black lights of the cocoon vanished and the malicious smoke dissappated. Ichigo and Purin hung in the air before slowly sinking to the ground, exhausted.

Minto, Zakuro, Sango, and Ringo stared around them in shock. The sunlight had been restored to them, but then they looked around for the cocoon. It had burst the same time as the light had exploded and now only shreds of it remained. Instead, a giant moth stood atop the ground. It screeched for all it's worth as the light it was greeted by. The guardians covered their ears and almost joined the bug in screaming. Kish, Pai, and Taruto smirked. "When this poison anima takes flight, earth will be covered in poison, killing all life on the planet," Taruto said. Then Ichigo felt arms around her waist. "All except Ichigo," Said Kish as he teleported with Ichigo up into the air. The fire guardian was too drained to do anything about it except say, rather slowly, "Kish . . . you baka. . . . Put me down." Kish swung her legs up and placed his arms beneath her knees so he was totally supporting her. "Sad to say, Koneko-chan, but you cannot have your way if you want to live," Kish said, not at all apologetic. Ichigo groaned menacingly at him and crossed her arms, attempting to look cross, but failing miserably at it. "Let her go," The Blue Knight commanded Kish. Kish held the fire guardian tighter and turned away from the protector. "You four! Go after the moth!" The Blue Knight shouted to the four remaining guardians. Zakuro nodded and turned to face the giant predatorial insect.

Kish teleported above the dome, into the sky. The Blue Knight followed in pursuit. "Cerulean Lightening Flood!" He shouted. Kish held Ichigo protectively as the destructive powers hovered over him. He looked back up at the Blue Knight and found the boy's roots turning black. He looked over at the protector's eyes and found them glazed over with red. Kish smiled maliciously. He dodged under the storm and flew beneath the alien protector. "Give Ichigo back!" The protector raged. His eyes fully took on an evil flourescent red. His body arched back as his stormed raged behind him. His hair, once so long and fair, turned a dark evil black and his skin paled to an ivory white. "Ah, so now you show your better self, your dark roots," Pai commented as he joined Kish.

Gabriel looked down on earth with his fair haired companion. "This presence. It is not the banished one," Gabriel said firmly. "No, Lucifer is not the one down there," The companion agreed. "But what could it be?" Gabriel asked. "Maybe it could have come with the aliens," Gabriel's comrade mused. "Either way, as angels of the Lord we are bound to stop it. It is interfering with the protector and with the guardians. Come, we must go down," Gabriel decided as he stood. He extended a hand toward his friend. "Is the rest of the Inner Circle coming?" Gabriel asked. His compaion shook his head and took Gabriel's hand. "Only Justice," The blonde replied. Gabriel nodded, pulling his friend up. "Then he will know where to find us," Gabriel commented. The blonde one nodded in concurment. "That he will. Now friend Gabriel, let us go," The compaion said. Gabriel nodded and the two angels took off toward earth.

Lucifer sat upon the darkened clouds, brooding. He had not ordered this. This was not what he wanted. This was not what he had told them to do. He'd told the aliens to wait until his command and that then a plan would be revealed to them. His brow furrowed and her tought. "Apparently, this . . . third player is not of our kind," Lucifer said to himself. He watched as the fully transformed Deep Blue turned to him. His bright red gaze focused on the ruler of the underworld and the ruler held it. "How dare you consider me as one of your kind," It hissed. Lucifer was taken aback. No one had ever spoken to him like that before. The tone was so authoritative, so . . . commanding. This was not good. Lucifer stood and the clouds around him, which, for a few moments, had been white and puffy with sunshine, darkened to a near black and they floated down to Deep Blue.

"How dare I?" Lucifer asked. "How dare you. This is not your domain. Leave this place, for it belongs to me!" Lucifer commanded. The alien's piercing gaze hardened. "This planet is not yours. By right it belongs to our race. We were here before humans set foot on earth," Deep Blue replied. "No, you were not. I was here at the beginning of time, at the beginning of life, and you were not. You were nowhere amongst the creations. You were nowhere on the earth. I see everything. I know what happened back then. I know what these puny humans shall never remember. You do not. You are not of this earth. You do not belong here. Now go!" Lucifer commanded the alien. But the blue clad alien ruler did not move a hair. "This planet rightly belongs to the cyniclon race, and we will take it back," He simply said. Lucifer's eyes bulged with anger and his face turned a new shade of red. The ground rumbled and the ground exploded as creatures from Hell flooded onto the earth's surface. Gremlins and goblins, devils and snakes. They all flooded onto the earth's crust, ready to wage war against the aliens.

As they prepared to attack, a new voice entered the game. "Lucifer, peace!" Shouted a masculine voice. Lucifer looked up at the clouds of the storm behind Deep Blue and saw the Angel Gabriel, and two of the inner circle descending from Heaven.