Calm Before the Storm
After Zoe's outburst, those present moved to the living room and sat in total, uncomfortable silence. Shu and the others stayed near Zola, almost suffocating from the tension and their own nerves. They weren't sure how to handle a problem that wasn't theirs, with people they didn't know. But their loyalty to Zola is what kept them put.
Takashi and the two newcomers sat around Mariko, who silently cried to herself. She'd been ignorant of her daughter's feelings for all those years, and couldn't help but blame herself. The blue haired girl had a reassuring hand on her shoulder, silently telling her it wasn't her fault.
Eventually, Zola rose to her feet. "I didn't realize how much trouble my return would bring, and I apologize." she swallowed past the thickness in her throat. "Now that Kluke's awake, I think it's time we should go." Shu and his friends looked at her in disbelief, but no one objected to her decision.
Takashi, however, didn't have any trouble. "You can't do that!" Zola looked at him, surprised. "If you leave you'll only confirm what she said. If you have any chance of fixing your relationship with her, it's while you're still here." He stared at her eyes. "If you leave, you'll lose her for good."
"She's made it clear she doesn't want anything to do with me. I don't see what else I can do."
"So you're just gonna give up? Just like that?" Takashi glared at her. "It's bad enough you stayed away all those years, but now that you're back you don't even care enough to try and make things work with your own sister?" Zola glared at him and opened her mouth to argue, but he stopped her. "No, I'm your friend, Zola, but in all those years you were gone I-" He gestured to the blue-haired girl besides him. "-we had to fill your role. Zoe's our little sister, too. And friend or not, I'm not gonna let you hurt her anymore. So you're not going anywhere until you two settle things." He took a deep breathe to calm himself down.
Zola clenched her fists, trying to keep her emotions under control.
Shu looked at his friend and leader, and couldn't help but feel pity for her. "Zola, maybe you should-"
"Shut up, Shu!" Zola snapped, turning to throw him a harsh glare.
Shu flinched back, having never received that look from her before. His reaction prompted Kluke to stand up for him. "Zola!" She cried, matching her glare.
Zola's expression quickly changed from one of anger to shock, realizing her actions. "I..." Zola closed her eyes, and quickly composed herself. Without a word, she walked out of the room and left.
"This isn't good." Bouquet commented, looking at the stunned Shu.
Marumaro nodded. "Marooooo..."
With Zola's departure, the tension in the room doubled. The younger kids shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do.
Takashi, noticing their discomfort, spoke up. "I don't mean to make you guys feel awkward. You can relax around here. I just-" he sighed, looking towards the door. "I know it'll be better for everyone if they make up. Running away doesn't solve problems, but unfortunately it's what both of them like to do." He chuckled. "They are related, after all."
"We've just never seen her act like that." Jiro explained, glancing with slight concern at Shu.
"Everyone acts different when emotions are involved. Look, if she says or does anything unusual, just don't take it to heart. She probably doesn't mean it."
"This..." Mariko started, causing everyone to look at her. "This is all my fault. I'm a terrible mother."
"Hey," The blue-haired girl said softly. "No you're not. Zoe didn't want you to worry about her. She loved you too much to cause you anymore pain. She didn't come to anyone about this. It was something she wanted to handle on her own."
"I should've known something. I'm her mother-"
"-and she loves you, no matter what. No one can read minds. If she didn't want you to know, you weren't going to." she said. "You can't blame yourself, Mariko." She wrapped her arms around the older woman. "And when Zoe gets back she'll tell you the same thing." To herself she thought: But who knows when that'll be...
She ran. Even when her legs started to burn, when the rain started to fall, she kept running.
She finally came to a halt when she almost tripped from her legs giving out. With her hands on her knees, she tried to catch her breath. Why.. Why can't she just hurry up and leave so I don't have to go through this anymore? She dropped to her knees and placed her hands on the ground. "Don't they understand that I can't be near her? It hurts too damn much."
Nobody's forcing you to do anything, Aibou.
"Yes they are! They're putting up such a fuss that I won't talk to her, or try to be best friends with her. None of them understand how I feel! Nobody cares how I feel about it!" she screamed. "She's back and that's all that matters. And I'm the only problem because I refused to welcome her back with open arms! Nobody realizes how much it hurts- I-!" She choked on her words. The tears spilling out of her eyes mixing with the rain water on her face.
Amaterasu remained silent, allowing his User to cry in peace. He summoned himself and loomed over her, shielding her from the rain.
At the same time, Zola was taking a stroll through the rain as well. Her mind filled with the echoes of her sister's and Takashi's words.
"You're just gonna leave again!"
"Those kids that you picked over Okaasan and I!"
"Zoe's our little sister, too. I'm not gonna let you hurt her anymore."
"If you leave, you'll lose her for good."
Zola pressed her hands against the sides of her head. I can't handle all these emotions. They're overwhelming me. Her hand unconsciously gripped the hilt of her sword. The only thing I know how to do is fight. I locked my emotions away for a reason. I can't let them distract me now.
"Neechan!"
Zola gasped as the voice of her younger sister rang through her mind. Suddenly, the image of a younger Zoe waving with a big grin on her face forced its way into her mind's eye.
"Neechan!"
"What're you up to now?"
She squeezed her eyes shut. "No, no... not now."
The splash of a puddle behind her made her jump, and she instantly composed herself. Turning around, she came face-to-face with Jiro, who stared at her with a blank face.
"Something the matter, Jiro?" she asked, keeping her tone nonchalant.
He stared at her for a moment, and looked down. "You're aware of what happened in my village, right?"
The question threw her off. "Yes."
He looked back up at her, eyes stone cold. "Then you know I'd give anything to be in your position right now." Suddenly, Zola felt like she couldn't breathe. She knew how sensitive Jiro was concerning his family, and prepared for him to start screaming at her.
But he didn't.
He sighed, and crossed his arms. "Though I will admit that your sister is being extremely difficult, even with the...special circumstance that it is. That's just how it can be. Your sibling is supposed to be the person you can trust the most, so it hurts a thousand times more when that trust is broken." He looked away, partially embarrassed. "I just... thought you might've forgotten that. But, whatever your decision is, I will follow it."
Zola blinked, surprised at the maturity Jiro was showing. She knew the boy when overboard trying to pretend he was grown up, but in this instance, she knew it was genuine. She gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Jiro."
General Rogi sat in his chair overlooking the control room. Through the giant windshield in front of him, he could see Hoshamu village rising in the distance. A smirk spread across his face as he thought about crushing the last strings of family Zola had left. He figured he'd leave her alive long enough to see the village burn, and all its people perish.
The smirk quickly turned into a frown as he spotted a colorful speck on the ground. "Zoom in. There on the ground."
A screen appeared on the glass, showing a picture of the area. The picture grew until it clearly showed a young girl on the ground, and hovering over her was-
"A Shadow?" General Rogi mused. He didn't recognize it, and there had never been any reports of Shadow users from Hoshamu. "Prepare to land." His men quickly scurried to carry out the order. He narrowed his eyes at the screen. Who are you?
A soft buzzing sound reached Amaterasu's ears, making them twitch. "Hmm?" He looked up at the sky and, to his horror, saw a giant battle ship descending towards them. The Grand Kingdom logo unmistakable.
He swore. His User's chaotic emotions had interfered with both of their senses. "Aibou!" Zoe looked up, and upon seeing the aircraft, instantly composed herself. She wiped the tears off her face and immediately got into a defensive stance. Amaterasu noticed. "You're going to try this on your own?"
"Why not? I've never been unable to handle them before." she said. "Besides, this might finally calm my nerves for a little while."
Amaterasu couldn't disagree, unfortunately. "Very well."
It took only a few minutes before the ship landed in front of them. Zoe watched with caution as a lone tall, blonde man emerged from the ship. His attire was different from any Grand Kingdom soldier she'd fought before. He must be some big higher-up or something.
Amaterasu, however, didn't find the same humor. He might be someone a lot stronger if that's the case. You may want to reconsider taking this one on by yourself.
We don't know that yet, though, do we?
General Rogi grew bored of the continuous silence. "Who are you?"
Zoe crossed her arms. "That's a bit rude. Isn't it customary to give one's name before asking for someone else's?"
He smirked, deciding to play along. "I am General Rogi of Grand Kingdom's Independent Flying Squadron. I am also Nene's right-hand. I'm looking for a silver-haired woman by the name of Zola, and a few kids tagging along with her. She may be in Hoshamu village. You haven't seen her by any chance, have you?"
Several alarms went off for Zoe, but she did her best to stifle her reaction. Damn her! First she shows up and now she's bringing trouble. "I can't say I have. So you might have to resume your search somewhere else."
Rogi frowned, disappointed. "Very well, but then there's one more problem at hand. It wouldn't happen to have been you who killed a handful of my men the other night, would it?" Her silence gave him his answer. "Unfortunately, that's not a crime I can just ignore."
"Is that so?" Zoe said, preparing herself for battle.
Aibou, I don't think we should take this alone. If we go now and go fast, we should make it back in time to get the others.
Sorry, but there's no way I'm letting him get to the village. I'll stop him right here.
"Now, isn't this where you tell me who you are?" Rogi asked.
"Yeah, I'm the one who you're going to regret messing with!" She proclaimed, powering up. With a mental sigh, Amaterasu formed a ball of electricity and hurled it at Rogi.
Just before the attack made contact, a giant shield appeared before him in the form of his shadow, Valkyrie. She glared at the opposing Shadow. "I am my master's sword and shield. I am a blade who will cleave all who dare stand in the way of my master!"
"Geez." Amaterasu growled. "While you talk, can you stand still so I can at least punch you?" He pulled his arm back and threw his entire body at Valkrie. His fist collided with the shield, which stood firm.
"My shield is unbreakable." She gloated before swinging her sword at him, which he backed away just in time to dodge.
Zoe smirked. Maybe, but we can still get around it. Quick Blitz!"
Amaterasu smirked at Valkyrie before disappearing.
"What?" She cried out. He suddenly appeared right in front of her, and punched her with a fist coated in electricity before disappearing again. He reappeared behind her and landed another hit. Then another. And another. He continued the assault until he hit her hard enough to send her flying.
"Yes!" Zoe cheered.
Rogi frowned. "Don't get your hopes up. This fight's just beginning."
"Then bring it on. The quicker I kick your butt, the better."
Zola and Jiro returned to the house where everyone had stayed due to the rain. However, regardless of being cooped up together, the groups remained separated. Shu and the others relaxed and talked in the living room, while Takashi and his two friends hung out in the kitchen.
When Zola entered the room, Shu immediately looked away, which she noticed. She went up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch, but he looked up at her. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier, Shu. It wasn't my intention. Can you forgive me?"
Shu relaxed and shot her a smile. He nodded his head, prompting Zola to smile.
Takashi noticed the exchange and sighed. "If only she could do that with Zoe."
The blue haired girl, Senna, shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I don't see a point really. I mean she's gonna be out of our lives soon. All this is just unnecessary drama."
Takashi looked at her. "You don't get it 'cuz you're an only child."
She gave him a thumbs up. "Yup! And I love it. You guys and your sibling are nuts."
The younger boy, Henry, shook his head. "Well I mean Zoe's kinda your sister. Isn't that right, Niichan?" He nudged Takashi with his elbow.
"I guess," Senna replied, sipping from her drink. "but she's not that kinda sister. Zoe's the kind I can throw off a bridge and still eat her food the next hour."
Henry laughed. "That's exactly what a sibling is."
"How would I know? I'm an only child!"
In the living room, the group of Shadow Users were planning their next move.
"Contrary to what everyone here thinks, I'm not the law." Zola started. "Everyone has a say, so I wanna hear from everyone what they think should be our next move."
"You already know my opinion." Jiro said.
"I think we should train!" Shu shouted, putting his fist in the air. "Nene thinks we're dead, right? Then we should spend our time secretly getting stronger and stronger. Then we'll surprise him next time and take him down!" They all agreed with his statement.
Bouquet fidgeted with her hands. "Well, now that we're out of the clutches of death and for once no one's chasing us or trying to kill us, I was thinking maybe we could just enjoy that for a while. You know, no running for our lives or being too scared to fall asleep because we're worried about ambushes."
"I agree with her, maro." Marumaro piped up.
Zola nodded, and turned toward the last person. "And you, Kluke?"
The girl thought about it for a moment. "Well, personally, I agree both with Shu and Bouquet. But I also know there are probably more important things we should be doing. So whatever you think is best, Zola. I trust your judgement."
"You're right, Kluke. There are a few important things we need to do, but they tie in with Shu's suggestion of getting stronger. Plus, there's our current situation to take into account as well." She thought silently for a moment. "I'll give you all a definite answer tomorrow morning, okay?" They all nodded. "Until then, enjoy the rest of the day doing what you like." She glanced outside. "Though activities might be a bit limited..."
Zoe ducked under Rogi's sword and drove her electricity coated fist into his stomach, paralyzing him for a quick second. In that time she jumped and delivered a hard kick to his head, sending him on the ground. She leapt back a good distance to watch for a counter attack.
Rogi stood up and took a minute to catch his breath. He wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth. "I must admit, you're quite a strong opponent." Zoe smirked at the compliment. "But trust me, you haven't seen what I'm fully capable of."
Fall back, Amaterasu. The shadow, who'd been using a barrage of Quick Blitz's to wear Valkyrie down, retreated to his User's side.
"Fire the ship's weaponry." Rogi spoke into his earpiece.
The airship, which Rogi ordered away earlier in the battle to avoid damages, hovered in the air above the fight. Numerous gun-like weapons appeared out the sides and from underneath, and began to unleash fire.
"Uh oh!" Amaterasu commented. He and Zoe quickly scattered to avoid the bullets.
Rogi smirked. Once Zoe jumped in front of a large boulder, he quickly threw his sword, which caught the shoulder of her shirt and pinned her to the rock.
"Shit!" She cried, realizing all the bullets were heading for her. Amaterasu quickly moved in front of his User, and cast a field of electricity in front of him, protecting them from the bullets. "Thanks." she said, and quickly went to work trying to free herself.
"Cease fire." Rogi ordered, and the bullets stopped.
Zoe glared at him." So what now, you're gonna take me to Nene or something?"
He shook his head. "I don't have time to deliver prisoners right now, and I know you'll just cause more trouble for me if I don't get rid of you now." He started powering up.
Zoe's eyes widened as she realized what he had planned, and frantically tried to free herself. "Um.. Amaterasu? A little help here?"
"Sorry, if I move your dead." He answered, focusing to maintain the shield.
"At this rate I might be anyway!" she cried. She tugged on the fabric of her shirt. "Why can't I-!"
Amaterasu, noticing Rogi was about to cast his finishing move, did the very last thing he thought could save them. Moving closer to Zoe, he shielded her with his body and dropped the shield. He brought his hands close together, and started to form a ball of electricity between them.
"What are you doing?" Zoe asked him. "We don't know what attack he'll use! Do you really think you can counter it?"
He smirked. "That doesn't sound like you, Aibou. Isn't it usually you who comes up with a crazy plan around this time?" He glanced at her. "Your high-stung emotions are starting to make you pretty useless on the battlefield."
She narrowed her eyes and snapped, "What?"
"Air Iron Back Slash!"
The pair looked forward and saw a barrage of sharp, spear-like objects heading their way. Fast.
Amaterasu quickly launched the ball, but not at the attack.
He launched it into the sky.
Leaving themselves wide-open, Zoe and Amaterasu were hit dead on by Rogi's attack.
A flash in his peripheral vision caught Marumaro's attention. He looked out the window and saw the clouds in the distance flashing. He walked over to get a better look. "What's that, maro?"
Kluke, the closest one to him, walked over to look. "Hmm, I'm not sure. Maybe the beginning of a thunderstorm?" She turned toward the kitchen. "Hey, Shu, come check this out. It looks pretty weird."
Shu came over, but now everyone had been alerted. "Whoa, that looks pretty cool. Does that happen often around here, you guys?" he asked the village dwellers.
Henry scurried over to the window, a bit of fear seeping into him. When he saw what they were looking at, his fears were confirmed. "We need to go, now!" He didn't wait for the other two before he bolted out of the house.
Zola was now concerned. "What was that about?"
Takashi and Senna both looked, worried about what had alarmed Henry. Senna simply shook her head. "Of course she is."
Takashi looked at Zola. "You guys should probably come with us." He and Senna followed Henry out. "We'll be back, Mariko!"
Zola, confused, turned to her team. "Let's go find out what's going on." They quickly followed the pair as to not be left behind.
When they got outside, they saw a Shadow in the form on a white hypogriff with Takashi and Senna on its back. It quickly flew off with them in tow.
Shaking off her surprise, she turned to Shu and Marumaro, who nodded back to her.
Killer Bat, Saber Tiger, and Blue Dragon quickly caught up to them.
Takashi grinned. "Aren't you guys a scary looking bunch?" He laughed, eyeing Killer Bat in particular.
"Would you kindly tell us what's happening?" Zola asked.
He nodded. "When you three looked at the flash, did you happen to notice a bright blue circle?"
Shu and Marumaro shook their heads no, but Kluke spoke up. "Actually, yeah. It was sort of hidden in the clouds, though."
"That's right." he said. "That's Zoe's flare. The blue circle is what distinguishes it from a thunderstorm, like you thought it was."
"Why would she cast it?" Zola asked.
"That's the thing," he said. "She rarely does."
"Which means the dumbass got herself in some serious trouble." Senna growled. "She always stumbles into some kind of trouble the second I take my eyes off her! Unbelieveable!" Takashi merely laughed at her grumpling. She glared at him. "Why're you laughing?"
"It's funny to see you so worked up."
"Shut up!" Her response only received more laughter from him.
The group noticed something small and black in the distance. "Oh, hey." Takashi mumbled. "I thought he'd be going faster."
"Catch up to him, Soratsu." Senna told her shadow, who obeyed her order and picked up speed.
Soon they were side-by-side with Henry, who was on the back of his own dragon shadow.
Shu stared in awe at the bigger, black dragon with a double set of wings. "So cool." Blue Dragon merely scoffed at his User, and vigorously shook himself, disorienting both Shu and Bouquet. "Ugh. What was that for?"
"Hmph!"
"We're getting closer." Senna announced, receiving everyone's attention.
"How do you know?" Kluke asked.
Senna was silent for a moment, and then her expression changed to one of panic. "And it's not good, we need to hurry!" The shadows picked up speed, with Soratsu leading the way.
Zoe used all her might to pick herself off the ground, but only managed to prop herself up on her forearms. She could feel every cut in her skin; cold with blood, and burning like hell. She looked up and glared at Rogi, who looked down on her, a smug look plastered on his face. He began to slowly walk towards her, taking his time in a show of arrogance. In his path, Zoe noticed a pair of tattered googles on the ground, and realized they were no longer on her head. An angry flame smoldered in her as she knew what he would do once he came across them.
Sure enough, without even stopping his stride, Rogi stomped down hard, shattering them.
"You...bastard!" She growled.
Rogi drew his sword, and pointed it straight at her. "Tell me, are there any other Shadow Users in Hoshamu Village? Answer me honestly and I might let you live."
Yeah, right. "How am I supposed to know?" she lied. "I was supposed to arrive there today, I've never been there be-."
"Hornet Pierce!" Rogi jumped back from the sudden attack, and was surprised to see the very woman he was looking for.
Zola jumped from Killer Bat and landed in front of Zoe. She knelt beside the younger girl, her eyes scanning the wounds all over her body. Zola felt a small anger build within her, knowing exactly which attack had caused those wounds.
"Um..." Zoe started to feel uncomfortable with the older woman's silence.
"Zoe!" She looked over to see her best friend rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"You are not fine! Look at you!" Henry screamed.
"Henry, I-" Zoe silenced herself when she caught sight of a familiar blue haired woman coming up behind Henry. Senna glared down at the smaller girl, who hastened to pick herself up. "Senna, I-"
"We'll talk later." She said, harshly, before turning toward Rogi. "Who's this guy?"
"General Rogi." Shu spat with disdain.
"He's Nene's strongest General." Zola elaborated. "Usually he's with the rest of his squad, but it appears he's alone."
Senna threw a sharp glare at Zoe. "You took on Nene's strongest General by yourself?" She spoke slowly, but with a dangerous tone. Zoe opened her mouth to protest, but Senna cut her off. "Quiet! Sit right there, and don't move. We'll take care of it from here." Zoe bit her lip, but did as she was told and plopped herself on the ground. She kept her eyes on the ground, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Zola observed both in worry and amazement. Zoe obeyed her orders, an action she didn't know the girl was capable of. But it was obvious it was out of fear, and Zola felt slight anger at the fact that someone was using fear to control her sister. However, knew it wasn't her right to say anything, not was this the time. She'd have to voice her concerns later.
Rogi observed the situation he'd found himself in. Six Shadow Users, a mysterious boy, two girls, and one injured, and two of the Shadow users were Zola and Shu. I'd hate to admit defeat by retreating, but I have to admit I didn't come prepared for three extra Shadow Users. He looked Zola in the eye. "I'm afraid I didn't come prepared for a fair fight, so we'll have to continue this another time." He climbed onto Valkyrie. "Enjoy it now while you can, Zola."
"What?" Shu cried as Rogi retreated. "You're just gonna run away?!"
"Leave it, Shu." Zola told him. "If we can avoid a fight with him, we should."
"That was pretty anti-climactic." Kluke commented, yet relieved to avoid a fight.
"He'll be back, though." Jiro said, reminding every one about the grim situation.
Zoe stood up. "If he comes back, we'll be ready for him." Her confidence disappeared when Senna turned around to face her. She stepped back. "Uh, I mean..well..."
Shu and his friends were confused to see her so fidgety, used to seeing her completely opposite.
Senna slowly walked up to Zoe, who tensed but didn't try to flee. With a quick movement, a loud *Clap* sent Zoe sprawling to the ground. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Senna exploded. "Do you realize you could've been killed? In fact, you would be if we hadn't seen that flare!"
Zoe put her hand against her red cheek. "I didn't know he was that strong..." She spoke, but her tone was laced with defeat. She knew her protests never meant anything to Senna. "All I was concerned about was making sure he didn't get to the village. He was looking for them," She nodded to Zola and her friends. "and that's where he was going."
"It doesn't matter!" Senna shouted. "If you'd gotten us he wouldn't have had the chance to do anything before we took care of him. You can't afford to be stupid like that, Zoe!"
Zoe sighed. "I know. I...wasn't thinking."
"Well that was obvious! I don't want you pulling anything like this again! You understand me?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good!" Senna turned on her heel and stormed off.
When she was out of sight, Bouquet spoke up. "Is everyone always yelling at each other here?"
Takashi gave a weak chuckle. "No. Things are just really tense. And Senna's...weird."
Henry offered Zoe his hand, which she silently took. When she got to her feet she almost collapsed again, but Henry managed to catch her and keep her standing.
Kluke's nursing instincts kicked in, and she instantly started looking Zoe over. "These are really bad." She touched a nasty looking area on Zoe's back, invoking and loud yelp from the girl. "We should get you back to the house and patched up."
Zoe looked at her bewildered. Hadn't she almost gotten into a brawl with this girl mere hours ago? "Um, don't worry about it. I actually have a doctor who I see after a fight." She tried to back up, but she couldn't move with Henry holding her still. "We should, um...go?"
"I'll go with you guys." Takashi said. He looked back towards Zola. "We'll meet you guys back at the house, okay?" Zola nodded, and watched as the three departed.
She was unsure what to make of anything she just witnessed. Not to mention the sudden storm of emotions that were awakened within her. And with General Rogi's eventual return; she knew she had a lot to think about.
To break the silence, Shu's stomach growled. While the other children glared at him, Zola let out a laugh. "Dinner sounds good right now, actually. Bouquet, would you mind preparing something when we return to...my house?"
Bouquet, surprised, smiled. "Of course!"