STRIKE GIRLS

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story.

Chapter 3: A Cat for familiar.

The news that I could detect the enemies at distance and confirmed that no troops landed raised the moral of our civilians. It also permitted us to mount veritable raids during nigh-time to replenish our stocks and significantly boosted our comfort: Along with enough generators, fuel, clothes, medicines, food and drinking water we had futons, functional toilets and showers now.

On the other side, the military weren't that happy. My sense was limited in range (I couldn't actually give a number yet) but it covered the whole island and around. Taking a few outings on the cardinal shore-points of Iwo Jima enabled us to discover that the enemy copied somewhat Operation Detachment: A ring of destroyers at the first exterior line, a few cruisers and one battleship near the shores and a single carrier, launching regular CAP, that turned around the island... At least if I interpreted well the intensity of each blip on my "spiritual radar".

A permanent cloud cover partly made of miasma, that I confirmed radiating "evil", cut any external communication with anyone, not even simple reception. Although our short-range equipment still functioned. The few com-specialists could even listen to the enemy channels but rapidly stopped: The gibbering sounds the Abyssals produced were akin to the sanity-damaging dreaded cult-songs of a Lovecraft novel.

Mio Sakamoto was categorical: If the enemy somewhat made a landing, we would be all slaughtered as our bunker and tunnel network weren't very protected against an infantry-style assault. And since we couldn't evacuate on our own, we needed to contact help ASAP. Mio, Shirley, and Yoshika were sure that their friends, who managed to escape on the evac convoy, were doing their best but clearing the inevitable political and logistical problems needed our voice to be heard.

Thus our current project: explore the southern airfield buildings and salvage all the communication equipment we could. Then a nocturnal transfer of that equipment into the tunnels around Mount Suribachi and ultimately into the command bunkers of the mount. Then repair the equipment and deploy, via the WW2 camouflaged gun-ports on the northern mountainside, an antenna which will be used to transmit a looped tight burst communication towards Japan with everything we had as data along with our call for help (of course).

It would be impossible to receive an answer, but Mio was almost sure that one full week should suffice to mount a rescue and the present military forces still had a few tricks to play to create diversions. Meanwhile, they would ready the few intact trucks and prepared the civilians for a fast evacuation.

So here I was accompanying a scouting party into the ruins of the South Airport during the night. I was essentially an "ear" for the group while they searched for materials and equipment still salvageable. I was silently grumbling because most have those fancy night-vision goggles and I was supposed to stay behind and watch for enemy activity.

As I scrutinized the silent night (a little creepy as few insects and animals made noise) my "evil sense" reacted to a small source nearby. It was so small that I couldn't have detected it until it was within my near area. I clicked my transmitter, making the units of the scouting party vibrated silently. The procedure called for me to send either regularly one short burst (standby searching), 2 short bursts (false alarm, resume) or 3+ short bursts (danger, get the hell out of here).

The moon was obscured by the Abyssal cloud cover (had to found a better name) but my eyes were accustomed to the dark and I could see enough. A pebble rolled on my right and I whirled in its direction, drawing my Nambu type 14 pistol.

I froze as in front of me was... a gray anthracite ten pounds cat..?

The animal was also surprised by me and stayed immobile. Its glowing... red eyes..?! were locked on mine. And then it talked with a warbling voice like a Goa'uld..!

"You..? I thought you were already dead. The broadside was confirmed exploding right on your arrival position."

My eyes widened as I suddenly understood that my head wound, responsible for my amnesia, was the result of enemy action and that, in a way or another, I was supposed to be here on Iwo Jima. If this was like an anime, there was also the possibility that I was a sort of enemy creation/modified clone sent to spy on humanity and betrayed by her camp... Yeah, right...

I maintained my weapon on it. "Explain yourself."

He sneered and chuckled. "Explain myself? To an inferior being like you? Funny, very funny."

He didn't do anything and yet the sensation of danger rose. I blinked as its shadow became visible and drew on the wall the silhouette of a... cat with 2 tails..?

"Nekomata..." I focused on it and its shadow. "... No... Not only a Nekomata... there's something else under the flesh and blood... What are you..?"

Its eyes widened and then shrank. "You see much... Too much... Too bad..."

I opened fire, an easy shot for me at this distance. The bullet stroke true but bounced on its fur. It laughed. "I possess a Nekomata, young idiot. Do you really think conventional weapons can hurt me?"

Possess? Conventional? I listened to my guts and rushed him. He was surprised and despite his stolen cat reflexes, I managed to touch it. "BEGONE!"

A white-pink aura burst from my hand and it screamed as a black vapor was ejected from its body. I took the fainting Nekomata in my left arm and pointed my Nambu while focusing my energy on it. The vapor condensed into a small floating blob of darkness with a glowing single red round gem or pupil-less eye.

A glare, radiating pure hatred, focused on me. "You dare..! I'll dissect... no, vivisect you for that insult. We'll meet again, young Miko." It disappeared like cold vapor in a warm area.

I signaled 2 bursts to the searching team before I examined the limp Nekomata. Oh dear, feeble pulse and breathing, low temperature and I was almost sure its spiritual energy was almost completely drained.

I put it under my blouse to share my body warmth and slowly focused my healing aura. I didn't want to purify it.

An amber eye with the classical cat-pupil opened and looked at me. He chuckled with a deep male voice that reminded me of actor Ian McKellen. "And why is such a beautiful young girl looking at handsome me as if I was dying... Oops, I am dying..."

I cringed as I could feel its life-force ebbing under and despite my healing energy. "My name is Kagome, Kagome Higurashi." 'Yes, it is the name I choose... It is important to acknowledge my name now... But, why..?' "You're a wise creature of this world Nekomata-san. Can't you do anything? Don't you have 9 lives?"

It sighed. "The magic-user that possessed my body took his lion share of my energies... More than I had lives and the few methods I know need locations or ingredients not present on this forsaken island."

I closed my eyes. "I'll maintain my power then. Use it as you need. Can you tell me why he possessed you?"

Its laugh was less forced. "Would you believe he simply needed to discretely see what is happening on Iwo Jima and I was the nearest resident spiritual life-form he could reach." It closed its eye. "He wasn't really there... Everything of him was concealed, obscured, diverted, disguised... He didn't want to be identified, that for sure." It frowned and opened both amber eyes. "... maybe... Maybe there is something..." It turned to me. "Would you accept a used and old tomcat like me as your familiar?"

I looked at him flabbergasted. "Are you serious?! The ultimate promise that you would share everything with one another? Senses, emotions and even time... This is not something to be done lightly. It's permanent. You'll be nothing more than a servant and for as long as I live. The only thing you'll win is your continuing existence and perhaps revenge on the one who stole from you." 'How the hell do I know that..? Too many Dungeons & Dragons..?'

It chuckled. "You're a strange one, Kagome. You remind me of another I met in Japan. You obviously know your way in mystic matters and yet you're holding a spiritual being near your heart and you know I could feast on it to regain enough life-force. Yes, I'm dying and I could just do that despite your kindness."

I narrowed my eyes but didn't let it go or change the output of healing energy. "Yes... Yes, you could do it, so why aren't you?"

It sighed and gazed into the night sky. "Bad karma and too much negativity already in the air even if revenge is on my agenda. I think he was thriving on or absorbing the negative energies around here... Too much possibility that he or those around him have a hand in this situation. You know that those abominations are not natural, don't you Kagome?"

I felt the blood fleeing from my face. Not natural... Of course, the Abyssals weren't natural... They were products of either a what or a who and not a natural cycle or phenomena of our Earth... And world domination or destruction was amongst the goals of... Let's call whatever they are "Being X" for now. Arpeggio of Blue Steel demonstrated it: Without the oceans, Humanity, as it was actually, would shrivel and perhaps perish.

I looked at... him, yes, it was a him. Then at the ocean nearby and the night sky. "It will change us, right? We would take a step on one path and one path only. Many future branches but no longer meaningful choices after that..."

I felt him relax in my arms. "Yes, Kagome... No privacy, no secrets and no longer alone... Even in death we will be linked, be one... Me, the Familiar and you, the Witch."

A pale solitary moonbeam crossed the miasma cloud and illuminated us. His amber eyes were shining. "Continue after me. Tie now the Silver thread." His claw pierced the skin of my right palm.

'Those words... The old ritual from the Western world..?' I looked at the life-giving fluid as a sort of current made of strands of spiritual energy whirled around us. "Tie now the Roots of our veins." I didn't know where the words came, I shouldn't have. Despite knowing the origin of the ritual, I was sure I didn't know the precise words and yet I followed them with my heart.

Our palms and foreheads joined as he continued. "The Holly, so that we may not be separated."

"The Ivy, so that we may not come apart." I felt both my spiritual being and my life-force meld with his as we continued together.

"Tie to the Yew tree seven times.

Until the day the Snake spits out its tail."

The whirlwind of strands of energy became chains as his amber eyes gazed into my blue ones. "Kagome, give me a new name. Take me by your side."

My soul looked at his and my heart opened. "Come, Kira."

The metaphysical chains tightened and bound us forever with a final glorious metallic sound.

Kira looked at me with his glowing amber eyes and jumped right through my flesh and blood into my inner being. I felt the cat ears and tail forming on me and I opened my blue cat-eyes on a night that was now like the day for me or rather us.