Generations: Crystal Senshi

Savagekitty

Chapter Two

My full name is Wangui Nbulungi Amina. I was born in to my mother, who dwelled with her people on the great planes of Africa. She was what some would call and African princess, though, among my people, there are no princesses. There are just great ones that serve the spirits and help our people thrive. I grew up happy, very happy, the oldest of 12 children. I would help my mother cook, wash, watch my siblings when Mother needed rest, and teach my brothers and sisters their school lessons. I was the only one who knew how to use a computer. My father had brought it home when I was three years old, and I knew it was a great thing to have, even at that young age. It connected us to others all over the world and allowed us to see past our small village and our small lives.

My father was a game warden for the animal preserve that was established near our village. Sometimes, I would go and help him, that's how I got my nickname of Lion. I love lions, they are great and powerful beasts that are smart and very clever. I was almost killed by a lion, but I was still unafraid of them. That's how my parents found out about my special gifts that allowed me into the Senshi School. I had wandered off from Father while we were checking fences in the preserve and a lion was hunting me. My father saw it go after me and as I turned, a wall of fire dances around me, sending the lion off in fear. My father was fearful also, thinking that I was burned. I wasn't. The fire merely tickled. He was in awe and I could see in his eyes, a little afraid of me. That night, I was taken before the Elders, my father showing them what he saw me do. They were fearful of me, but one, the oldest, saw that I had a great gift and there would be nothing less for me then to go to the Senshi School. I was seven years old.

Turning away from Leanne, settling her in the chair, I saw that Cally and Whitedove had gone. I wasn't surprised or hurt. They were young and such strong emotion was something they just didn't understand. Leanne sat down in the chair, running a hand through her short strawberry hair. Raven stood back her arms crossed, her bionic eye swiveling around in her head. It reminded me of something I had read once when I was a little girl. A book about witches and wizards that learned in a great school in England. They had a teacher that had a swiveling eye that saw through anything. I smiled, thinking of books and had to steer myself away from yearning to go back to my room and curl up with my new book.

Leanne was breathing easy now. I poured her a cup of water and set it before her, "Deep breaths now, that's it. Calming breaths. Drink that, it will cool you off. Now I know you're hurting, Anniee. I know. But for right now, all we can do is wait."

"She's right, Anniee." Raven said as she sat on the edge of the desk, crossing her arms, "This thing that struck your mother and the King down, we don't even know what it is yet. We need a plan of action, not going out half cocked, beating anyone and everyone until we find out something that might not even matter." She tapped her forehead and her eye swiveled forward, looking like a normal eye again, "I'm going to go find Cally and Whitedove. Artemis had said something to me about new uniforms. I want to see the ridicules getup they're trying to make us wear this year." She bent over Leanne after moving around the desk and hugged her around the shoulders, "I'll see you later."

We were alone and I stood across the desk from Leanne as she leaned back, closing her eyes, "Lionna, will you leave me alone for a few minutes?"

I bowed slightly, "As you wish." Out in the hallway, I wandered. I really didn't have anything to do and if I did go read a book, I would zone out for hours and I didn't like to do that, not unless it was my day off. I came out into the gardens near the World Of Roses display. This was not one of my favorite displays. Roses were very pretty but I was allergic to them and as I started to sneeze, I ran from the roses, remembering to avoid the exit in the future. I stopped to catch my breath outside the practice courts. Here, the guards, the 'knights' and the senshi all practiced when off duty. The knights were the special guards of the king. They were hand picked and trained special for his Highness. I peeked in to see who was there and saw Whitedove, Cally, and Artemis. Artemis was taking notes as Whitedove and Cally sparred against each other. They had just called on their weapons when I came in, standing next to Artemis. I studied the black uniforms they wore. The fabric looked poured on, and as I looked closer, it didn't even look like fabric. It looked like a kind of satin finished rubber, maybe latex. I raised an eyebrow at Artemis and he smiled, "The new uniforms. Liquid Skin."

Cally's weapon was a staff weapon, and so, it seemed, was Whitedoves. I knew better then that but from the casual onlooker, one might think so. Cally held out her staff, a five foot length of wood with colored grips in the middle. In one hand she spun it and then ran a finger along a length of the grip and two, two foot blades shot from both ends of the staff. Whitedove held her staff, a six foot length that looked like an old piece of driftwood as in it was not straight. She banged the butt of it on the floor and from somewhere, a three foot curved blade popped up. She looked like the Grim Reaper.

They flew at each other, blade meeting blade in a clash of sparks. I flinched, loathing that sound, and I always have loathed it. Artemis passed me a cup full of black liquid. I looked at it and then him, "What is it?"

"The Liquid Skin. Its what they're wearing. You drink it."

I made a snorting noise through my nose and crossed my arms, "And Hell froze over, when? I'm not drinking that."

Artemis shrugged, "Its your choice, Lionna."

I watched my friends battle each other. Opal and Peridot were going at it like wild cats, like each had something to prove. I was amazed to see that when one landed a blow, it didn't do anything to the fabric of the uniform. Opal rolled out of the way of an attack, rolling up to her knees, screaming. She held her staff in one hand and in the other, she made her hand into a claw as she screamed louder. The air around her hummed and then I saw the crystals forming. They became as large as lawn darts and flew at Peridot. The Indian woman laughed as she whipped her scythe back and forth, knocking the crystals away from her and she called out, the air buzzing. Her words became the chanting song of her people. The ground around Opal burst with vines as thick as my arm and wrapped around her. Opal struggled, cutting at the vines but it was no good. She was trapped. Opal yielded and Peridot released the vines. The floor also seemed to fix itself. With so many senshi powers, the palace architects had to design a place that would not be damaged.

I applauded them, "Good show! I never saw cloth do that!" I went to them, looking at their uniforms and whistled, "What kind of cloth is this?" I felt Opal's skirt between my thumb and index finger. It felt like stiff silk, but it was woven much tighter and finer. It shrank in my fingers and I saw that Opal was now Cally and Peridot was Whitedove.

Whitedove grinned, "Not a scratch, its like the old days when senshi had to use words of power to transform. It feels awesome, a rush! We don't have to change clothes to fight, they are just there, like our weapons are."

"And when we need to communicate, our earrings can change into little receivers and transmitters. I still don't know what that space in the back is for…" Cally butted in, looking at Artemis.

I looked at him also and he smiled, his secret that we weren't going to know. I shrugged, "Well, I'll try it." He passed me the vile, with that grin still plastered to his face.

I looked at the black liquid in the vile and blanched. Whitedove chuckled, "Better to get it over with, like a bad tasting medicine."

"Thanks for the encouragement." I growled and tossed my head back. Grimacing once the fowl tasting liquid slid down my throat like cold oatmeal, I waited. I felt it in my stomach like a rock and looked around at the others, "When is this sup… Ouch…"

I doubled over, cramps ripping through my middle and then needles piercing my skin. I fell to my knees, my eyes wide in shock. They began to water as I couldn't blink them. I opened my mouth to scream from horror, but no sound would come out. Then as suddenly as it came, it was gone. I panted on the floor, hugging my middle. Whitedove touched my shoulder, kneeling by me, "It's ok now. It's all done. That was the worst."

I looked at her, my eyes still watering, but I nodded, standing with her help. I towered over her when I stood full height and looked down at myself. Same uniform as Cally and Whitedove had, though, my colors were the light yellowish of a topaz with a hint of golden orange. The cloth covered every inch of my body, hardened soles with a slight heel served as boots, I had gloves I could remove with wide cuffs, a style I liked. Cally held up a compact she carried in her purse. I usual hair that was rolled into dreadlocks were ended in topaz beads. A slight yellow eye shadow covered my eyelids and a glimmer of yellow shimmer over my lips. I was surprised, I didn't like makeup, but I didn't mind this.

"How do I change back?" I asked, a little scared of what I had become. Cally shook her head, "Nuh uh, I wanna try my hand." Her uniform crept over her skin, It went over her head like a hood, twisting her long hair into a braid down her back, as she turned, I saw metal pieces in her hair like spikes, down the braid, discouraging anyone to grab her hair. She tossed her compact at Whitedove and clapped her hands together, her staff appearing in her hands. I blinked. I was a senior senshi, she had the nerve to challenge me? No, I would let it slide and as I did, I fisted my hands and crossed them over my head and behind. Up and over, my weapons were in my hands. They were like round blades, with a sunburst like blades around the edges except where I places my hands, which was wrapped in topaz colored leather.

The Chinese called them Fire and Wind Blades, and I was always teased because I was an African using Chinese weapons. But senshihood saw no nationality, my weapons chose me. I actually have several different sets of weapons I can use according to the situation. All Chinese hand weapons that come in sets of two. Nine Teeth Hooks, Mandarin Coin Blades, Deer Antler Knives, and finally, the one I love to use the most is the Heaven and Earth Blade. I call of that one the most. It was a long blade, almost like a sword, except it had two places for my hands at a good distance from each other.

Cally and I circled each other on the practice mats. She moved easily in her boots, as did I. I was in battle stance, she had yet to release the blades on her staff. I stopped and stood straight up my hands in the air with the blades together so they looked as one. I turned them flat and rolled myself into a front flip. I kept my legs together as I did it, something not many others could do and as I came up, I brought my blades up to block her staff coming down at my head. I twisted them, yanking the staff from her hands. It clattered to the floor behind me as I dipped to her left, swinging my blades to my right in a gentle sweep and I spun, bringing the blades up to use the blunt ends to knock her in the chin, but she sidestepped quickly and hand two crystal daggers in her hands. I stopped, facing her and we stood there, still as trees before she rushed me. Silly youngster, always rushing. I spun away from her, almost dancing. I crossed my blades behind my hack again and they changed, the metal warm under the leather wraps as I brought out the Deer Antler Knives. Smaller, quicker, thrusting weapons. They were only about three feet long and half a foot across. I crossed them before me and as she came at me again, I spun and pivoted on one foot, bring it around to her blind side and knocking her to the ground on her side.

She was up in an instant, panting. She came at me and we exchanged blows, she was tiring, I felt it, but I was not. I had more stamina because I worked very hard to build myself up. Finally, I grew tired of this dance and with her next punch, I allowed it to be absorbed into the blade I held, her hand slipping through the opening in the middle and I twisted it, trapping her. She had to move with the blade to avoid being cut, she had forgotten her uniform didn't take cutting blows easily anymore. I moved, making her turn her back to me and forced her arm up into her back. She cried out and fell to her knees. I placed a boot into the small of her back and forced her on her stomach, "Yield." I said, loud enough for Artemis and Whitedove to hear across the large gym room.

"I YIELD!" She cried and rolled on her back, panting, as I moved towards Artemis and Whitedove, my uniform melting away to what I wore before I drank the black Liquid Skin.

Artemis was smiling and threw an arm around my shoulders, "I'll buy you lunch. Good show."

I turned back to see Whitedove helping Cally up. I didn't feel sorry for the youngest senshi. She had a lot to prove and trying to prove herself by beating me wasn't a way to do it. I never lost.

Hours later saw me before the squad of senshi that looked to me for command while I was within the palace. I presented them with Liquid Skin and made it mandatory they drink it. It was a good uniform, good body armor, and breathed as we fought. Leanne watched this with silence, she had drunk hers only an hour before and agreed with my suggestion. As I addressed my girls, I noted out of the corner of my eye that the princess, Small Lady, was talking excitedly to Leanne. Leanne listened as a big sister would an annoying younger sister.

I dismissed my girls and I went to Leanne and Small Lady. She was so much younger then us. Though, technically, Small Lady should have been old enough to be senshi, but she was still ten years old. We were told she aged differently then humans, because she was of Moon Blood. Leanne's mother and her senshi colleagues were the same. Leanne's mother had aged four years while Leanne had grown up. I stood beside Leanne and Small Lady saw me, she shut up, scowling at me. I smiled politely, "Princess, should you be at lessons?"

"I should," She said, crossing her arms, "But I wanted to see Leanne. I wanted to tell her Papa is ok and will be ok, he's just sleeping."

I looked to Leanne and she looked at me, her eyes full of pain. She looked back at Small Lady, "Come on, Smalley. I'll take you back to your lessons and I'll even watch for a while, ok?"

I watched Leanne and the smaller girl walk down the hallway connected off the meeting area. Small lady had her mothers looks, her hair long and tied up into buns so she wouldn't trip over the long blondness. Small Lady's eyes always unnerved me, they weren't the blue of her parents, they were red. I never got an answer for that, and I had asked, at least once a year since I came to train as senshi.

I put it out of my mind. I did not want to have to deal with that question now, since I had bigger fish to smoke. I wanted the medical read outs on the King and Catherine, to find similarities in their illnesses. If I could find a connection, I could find the source, and I could see if its truly a darkened cancer that would swallow the world I loved. I hoped to the Goddess of the Moon that it was just a kind of flu they both picked up. Please, Goddess…