When Shadows Rise
Chapter 17
Aki stared at what was left of Seiya. The mistress of pain, had died in pain, that was obvious. "This tool was flawed Aki," Kaneda hissed from behind him. "Now you see why you don't rely on tools." He waved a cloaked hand and the body dissolved, the room fading back into the shadows that made it.
"You have that other Kouhei, I expect better results this time."
"Yes, master," Aki answered. When he felt Kaneda fade away he lifted fingers to the bridge of his nose. "This is shit." He turned and strode to his own chambers. Steve was waiting for him there., the surfer wanting out of his bargain. Too bad there was no way out of a bargain with shadows. "Time to pay the piper Stevie boy."
"Like you had Seiya pay?" His voice was harsh. "I didn't sign on to be torn apart."
Sighing heavily, Aki turned back to him. "That was her own fault. Our pretty friend had impulse control issues. If she had left the little one alone, your buddy wouldn't have gone all ape shit on her ass. But that is the past. We have new information about the possible location of the guardian. You need to go to these locations." He gave Steve a map and instructions.
The next few days had the Kouhei and Star knight regrouping. While magically healed, too much damage can add up. The days gave the new pairings a chance to know each other better.
While the new couples learned about each other Shayla and Uhanzee along with the senshi kept an eye on the target shops. Usagi and Minako were enjoying stopping at Ukyo's shop for lunch every day.
Shayla enjoyed meeting with the ancient Amazon. The herbal remedies she put together would be useful to Hana and Suteko if she could get them to drink it. Both women had been healed but she could see signs that they weren't sleeping. Magic can heal the physical wounds but torture leaves more than phiysical damage it leaves mental scars.
"Nihao, elder." She bowed to Cologne, who smiled.
"Did it work child?"
Shayla shook her head. "Neither of them would take anything. They will not admit that it is an issue."
Nodding, Cologne hopped out from behind the counter. "It is time you take me to see them child. I understand why she feels she can't come here but she cannot fight the enemy if she is not in peak form. Neither of them can."
Shayla debated for a long moment, but really she agreed. Bringing the ancient one to her patients would be good. There were things that she could teach them all. ":All right, Hana and Suteko should be at the dojo this morning. The guys are doing their best to keep them safe."
The ancient Amazon winced internally. If she knew Ranma's sister that was not going down well. "Men are keeping Suteko safe" I doubt she is pleased with that. She must feel her honor is being questioned."
Uhanzee turned from his discussion with Mousse. "You do know our Knight well honored Elder." He smiled. In the short time he had spent with the Star Knight it seemed she was very self reliant and not happy with being coddled.
After giving orders to her family.. She turned to the two Kouhei. "Take this," she slung the bag at Uhanzee, who caught it readily and she hopped out of the shop.
*******
Back across town Hana and Suteko were lightly sparring. Suteko wanted to ensure that her tiny friend would be able to get out of any hold. While hard to slip out of the grip of a much bigger opponent, it wasn't impossible. Being not much taller than her friend there were tricks she could teach. She had roped in Samuel to be the attacker. Gregor would have been better but he was refusing to spar with Hana, afraid to hurt her. While Suteko understood, it was a bit silly.
They were breaking to allow a class of the outers with Gregor to practice. The classes had taken on urgency after the happenings of the previous week. Everyone was treating them both with kid gloves and while it was understandable it was also frustrating. There was a good chance that the missing Kouhei traitor and the Shadow general would turn up at one of the places she had staked out. Hanging about the dojo was keeping her from being where she might be needed.
After bowing to the mat and Hana, she headed to the kitchen, smiling for the first time all day. The change in the relationship between Gregor and Hana was sweet to watch. While not blatant, there were signs for those with eyes to see. A small blush or a secret smile, only for each other. Shaking her head she had her own smile. In the past month, pairings had changed the Kouhei. She had been told they were reckless, angry and at times cruel but everything she had seen showed them as solid, strong and honorable in their own way. More likely to rely on their non-magical skills, they tended to get too close to the battle at times. She needed to teach them techniques like her brother used. The problem being that her own training in chi magic was spotty. She pulled her powers and used them automatically, an extension of both her early training and her powers as a Star Knight. What came naturally was harder to teach than techniques learned with sweat and time. If she stopped to think about what she did nothing would happen.
Instinct, whether from this life or from ancient times, made her unable to explain things clearly. She needed a chi master, or at least something who had some knowledge of chi attacks who could teach the Kouhei.
Wrapping a towel about her neck, she turned toward the kitchen. A nice cup of tea would relax the tension she still felt. She smiled down as Persephone and Demeter twined about her feet, slowing her. "Something up ladies?"
"You need a nap Suteko-sama. You haven't slept in days." Demeter softly nagged.
"I have had some. Jaeoh makes sure of it." Suteko was careful to keep her voice level. She had been being lectured about this since before Hana was taken.
"But not good sleep. Nightmares make for broken rest." Added Persephone, scoldingly.
Suteko stepped back and snapped. "Stay out of my bedroom ladies. How much sleep I do or do not get is personal." She stepped past the two beasts. "Jae has made sure I get enough to function."
"It is he and your friends who are worried child." Came a familiar voice from her past.
Suteko froze in the doorway, stunned. Sitting in a place of honor with a steaming cup of tea was Cologne. The ancient Chinese Amazon matriarch who had once taught Suteko much about herbs and healing. Proud, secretive yet kind to a lost daughter of an ancient clan. One of the people who had supposedly had Suteko wiped from her memory. "Sensei?" Her voice came out quiet and weak to her ears. She bowed deeply to hide her confusion and the desperate hope in her eyes.
"Yes, child," the elder took pity on her one time student. "Come sit, it has been too long since we chatted."
Suteko got up and slowly took a chair near Cologne. "I would have come but…"
"But you thought I didn't remember you?" Cologne was being uncharacteristically kind but this child was not like ex-son-n-law and his friends. She had been attentive, lonely and special. How special she had not known back when they were last together.
Suteko nodded "After I …woke up…I tried to contact…."
Cologne took pity. "It is true that your brother and the others were affected by your mother's curse. I was far enough away that it only partially affected me. "She puffed her pipe a few times. "By the time I managed to shake off the curse, you had moved away to school.. I kept an eye on you till you left Japan."
"How are they?" Her voice was soft, tentative.
"They are safe, Suteko. Have been much safer than you have been."
"I have been fine, Sensei."
"But you haven't child." Cologne tapped Suteko's hand that was clenched into a tight fist. "You have been through too much since you left Nerima. Taken many blows, had many heart wounds. And now the damage is catching up with you."
"Who told you, sensei?' Her voice dropped to a dangerous level. All the coddling since she came back was getting on her nerves. And somehow this elder she had not seen in more than 7 years was telling her how she should feel. She pushed away from the table. "I am fine, Cologne. Healed of all damage." She started to leave the room when Jaeoh came in and rested a hand on her arm. She paused and trembled for a moment before sighing and relaxing.
"Interesting," Cologne thought. Suteko had started to glow as she got angry, a bright white aura very different than the one her brother had. The simple touch by the Korean boy had calmed her. "And this must be Jaeoh?"
Suteko nodded as he slid his arm about her. "Jaeoh, this is Cologne. She runs the cat café and is a wise Amazon sensei."
"The one who taught you herbs?" Jaeoh rubbed his fingers on Suteko's back soothingly. He had felt her rising anger across the dojo. Since the healing and magic he could feel her when strong emotions were involved. Like her empathy had been passed to him.
"She…remembers?
"That is obvious, is it not?" Cologne puffed away. "I have come to offer you help with training these young people child." She looked over Jaeoh, taking in his steady eyes and his protective stance. This young man was the match for Ranma's sister. If the pretty gajjin was right he was the reincarnation of the Chi Master prince. While Ranma was this generation's heir of the chi master and the shadow gate, this man was at one time the true master. Ancient legends had the two forming the gate between them and sealing it shut.
"So tell me how you are training the Kouhei, children." It was best , cologne decided, to go obliquely at her true mission. They settled down, about the table and talked. As the day flowed into evening she was introduced to the rest of the Kouhei and the Minervan senshi. These young people each had tragic tales to be told but they had overcome them. Warriors who fought for mankind. Cologne had been intrigued when she had heard of these young people. So different from Ranma and his friends. She had followed the news. The senshi were mostly silly girls who became strong warriors, worthy of induction into the amazons. The Kouhei, the dog soldiers, who battled for and against themselves had only two female warriors. One who was rumored to be mad and the other who was a mystery.
Then there were the Star Knights. A small group that she would have overlooked but for Suteko. Even in a city the size of Tokyo the going on of magical young people was noticeable by those in the know.
She wanted to talk to the child alone but first she needed to speak with the one known as Sailor Kouhei Time. She had not been introduced. The shy young woman was one of the two who needed treatment. "Jaeoh would you mind bringing in Hana?"
Lifting a brow he bowed. "As you wish elder." The ancient one was both creepy and deeply interesting. Suteko hadn't told him a lot about this woman, just that she was kinder to her than her demeanor would leave people to believe. That and that she taught her some of her herbalism and healing. As he left the room he saw her place a hand on Suteko's and speak softly, "Stay child."
Suteko had hoped she had distracted the old one with introduction but she should have known better.
"Tell me, Suteko. Have the memories given you new gifts?"
Suteko blinked confused for a moment. "No. Not so far but I haven't had much time to sort through them." She stopped and blushed. Some of the strongest memories flooded her when she was alone with Jae.
Seeing the blush, Cologne smiled. "Ancient history likes to repeat itself in many ways. Your Light powers are a reflection of your ancient powers. I would like to see a demonstration of how they work." She nodded to Jaeoh as he brought in Hana.
The small dark Kouhei as usual hid behind her hair but Cologne saw more than a shy, quiet girl. She was a triple image. The young woman before her, like Suteko had a mixed aura. One side held the Kouhei and the other something like the aura of the senshi.
"Did you need me for something Sensei? Hana bowed polity
"Please sit," She waved Jaeoh out of the kitchen. "We need a little girl talk here." The smile she sent toward Jaeoh was truly scary.
He looked to Suteko, who shrugged. Girl talk from Cologne usually meant a training session of some type. The bag next to the elder held the scent of herbs. Some she recognized and some she didn't. She sent a final glance to Jaeoh and then sighed as he headed out to spar with Gregor. Turning back to Cologne, she waited patiently.
After a long moment puffing on her pipe Cologne spoke directly to Hana. "You have never slept well have you child?
Hana blinked, then shook her head slowly. "It is not an issue honored grandmother. I can always find time to rest."
Cologne laughed pointing her clay pipe at the surprised young woman. "Always find time, yes, yes you can child." She turned to Suteko, "But you, grandchild don't have your friend's option." She held up a silencing hand. "Don't deny it to me child! I can see the effect of what both of you have gone through has had. Anyone with 'sight' could see that you both are suffering from night terrors." She narrowed her eyes. " Can see holes, here" she pointed at Suteko's temple, then her navel, "here and even here," she pointed to her leg. "Your center is ragged and unprotected." She turned to Hana. "And you child.," she pointed to head, heart and diaphragm. "you are leaking energy."
Hana looked to Suteko, whose eyes were closed. She was taking deep, slow breaths, her hands resting loosely on the table before her. Hana wasn't sure if she was angry or calm till she spoke. "Okay so you came back to do what exactly, Sensei.?" Train the Kouhei or mother us?" She opened eyes that glowed in the darkening shadows. That is they did till Cologne rapped her on the skull with her pipe.
"You are acting like ex-son-in-law girl. Where is your control? Which type of example are you for Hana here?"
Suteko let out a whoosh of breath as she winced and then chuckled. "That bad Cologne-sama?" She shook her head, hiding her eyes under her long lashes. "All right, give me your poison. I obviously need rest."
"What?" Hana looked back and forth confused before Suteko gave her a half smile.
"I know confusing. The wise one here was my brother's teacher for a while and well he isn't the best student of things not physical."
Cologne chuckled. "We could talk all night of his stubbornness but you both need to heal your auras and a good night's sleep , Protected. Go, set up a place." She smiled," You can even include your young men. I think they need to be within sight of your both." She smiled. "Young Jaeoh has been standing just outside with this massive bear since we started talking."
Suteko looked over and tried not to laugh. It was true that Gregor looked like a bear, looming over Jae's shoulder. Hana moved out past Jaeoh with a nod and stood in front of Gregor. The big man narrowed his eyes at the elder. Never one to trust easily, this Amazon elder raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He was unconsciously growling. When Hana placed her hand in his the growl snapped off and he looked down to his woman and tried to hide the sudden goofy grin. "What's going on Mouse? This old ghoul picking on you?"
Suteko lifted a brow at Gregor's words. His choice sent a brief stab to her heart. His words echoing her brother's favorite term for Cologne. "Please Gregor, Cologne is a wise elder. Here to help us all." As she spoke, Suteko realized she had been acting like her much younger self. Back before she learned to trust others. When had she lost that?
"What do you wish us to do?" Hana asked softly.
Cologne gently urged her into a lotus, easing all four young people into a meditative state. It was Suteko's strong belief that let the others follow the elder's lead. Her empathy was no longer latent Cologne had discovered. A true, sending and receiving empath with hard won shields. She took the lead, allowing her aura to rise, making the room glow. To the watching eye it was clear there was damage. The extent was more than Cologne had let on.
The root of chi powers came from the soul and the outward manifestations known as aura. Ranma and his friends had mastered the outward control of their chi in different ways. Using depression, anger and confidence, they channeled immense power. Suteko, not as wild and flamboyant as her brother could not tap the energy in the same way. The wound in her aura made it a wonder she could channel energies at all.
Pulling herbs from her satchel with hands that flew, Cologne made four mixtures. Mixing them rapidly into a fine paste, she then darted about, quickly applying dabs between the eyes of the two men before touching Hana at head, heart and diaphragm. She moved then to her once student, pausing to study her closely. The mixtures for the men had put them in a more relaxed and acceptant state. Not controlled but more willing to listen and learn.
"Stretch them out please boys." She gestured. Gregor moved to Hana's head, letting her rest on his folded knees. Cologne moved to her side and leaned down, whispering. "Sleep safe child. Your bear will protect you always." Gregor's eyes darted from Hana's relaxed face to Cologne's. He searched her eyes and nodded. She sat back and mumbled something in Chinese that he could not understand. Briefly Hana flared purple and he could see ragged holes that slowly closed over and then Hana drew a soft breath. Her whole being seeming to surrender a burden and relax. The black shadowy energy dissipated and she relaxed into a true sleep.
Next she turned to Jaeoh and Suteko. This time the holes in the aura were sharply defined. The healing done before had cleansed the body of the shadow poison and healed the burns and tears of the flesh. And it seemed that the time with Jaeoh was starting to heal the heart of the forgotten child but her aura was showing wounds long overlooked.
Jaeoh was no novice to aural sight. He had avoided looking out of a sense of privacy for the woman whose head rested in his lap. Watching as little Hana produced a deep purple glow he saw a second Hana seeming to float above her body. An older, wiser and more powerful self that was and somehow was not Kouhei Time.
He turned his eyes back down. Suteko's aural self looked even worse than she had after being in Pain's hands. All the wounds seemed healed but he could see the white light leaking from her temple, her leg and below her navel. The last was what worried him the most.
Instead of applying her salve herself, Cologne handed the jar to Jaeoh. Silently he nodded and with light fingers spread the ointment on Suteko's temple. Cologne exposed the flat belly and the faint scars that lay there. There should have been no scars left after magical healing and that bothered both the elder and the Kouhei. Jaeoh slowly worked the salve into the skin with light fingers. Silently they had agreed to wait on the leg. If the first two wounds were not dealt with the leg would not matter. The ointment seemed to sizzle on the scar. More than a shadow blade had done damage and the essence of the herbs fought it. Jaeoh lightly tested the bond he shared with Suteko. New and untried, it let him know she was in a deep trance. That trance kept her from reacting to what was going on with her body. He looked up at the old woman as she let out a small gasp.
"When?" She asked.
Sighing, he answered. "Five years ago, after she left Japan." Jaeoh knew that Suteko had kept this to herself for all those years. The past month had her having to bare her soul too often for his comfort, and he knew that she would rather no one learned just exactly what she has been through.
The Amazon in Cologne grew both angry and saddened. This child of her heart had gone unprotected back to her birthplace. She had not had time to teach her how to protect her center from that sadly too common crime. If she had been born Amazon instead of Wairen, she would have been trained how to separate the mind and soul from the body. Rape still happened, even to the strongest warrior and without help it damaged the center. The anger in her soul matched that of the reborn prince. "You will need to be a partner, not protector with this one Prince."
Jaeoh looked down at Suteko's face. Relaxed, in the trance state, the tension lines were eased, making her look younger. He knew she was strong but he was man enough to admit he wanted to be the one to defeat her enemies and be the hero. Luckily he was adult enough to know that it would take working together to defeat Kaneda. Her light powers alone would not finish the Shadow Master, that she knew from hard experience.
Once the ointment had sunk in the aura power flared brighter. Almost blindingly white in the small room. Forced to look away for a moment he saw that Gregor was looking back and forth. The big man was trying to be the strong and reliable second in command and the protective lover. "Relax," he mouthed to Gregor before turning his eyes back to Cologne. He aural sight showed him a much younger, prouder woman. The Amazon matriarch had once been like Suteko, a warrior for light but her culture had restricted her to protecting only those within her valley home.
Following some inner knowledge he held one hand over his lover's belly and called his own power. The green flame seemed both brighter yet cooler against the bright white filling the room. He had not used the dragon fire as other than a weapon before meeting Suteko but he tried to repeat what he did back during her fight with the Tengu. Slowly the green flames licked off his palm to blend with her glow. As he watched the green spread over the holes in her aura, slowly forcing the leakage back. The glow was growing warmer as it moved across her body. His other hand softly caressed her temple and the wound there closed slowly till the leakage stopped. Suteko's breathing hitched for a moment and then sped up.
Gregor moved from his kneeling position to slowly scoop up Hana. His inner alarms were starting to go off as he watched the other couple. Hana was out of it but she seemed stronger. Whatever the old woman put on her seemed to help but he wanted Hana out of this room. The knight was glowing like a bomb ready to explode. He slowly moved them out of the room. He whispered, "Later," and headed out. Uhanzee was standing guard and opened doors for the big man. Hana continued to sleep as he placed her in the passenger side of her car and then folded himself into the driver's seat. "Only for you, Mouse." He grumbled softly. He then drove off into the gathering night.
Uhanzee scanned the streets. The night seemed empty but nothing was ever what it seemed in Tokyo. He stepped back into the Dojo, closing the door silently. "Gregor should have Hana at their place in ten minutes," he spoke into the new communicator given to him by Pluto. Without waiting for a reply he headed back to the kitchen to await the elder.
Jaeoh continued the slow feed of his dragon fire into the aural damage. The patch on Suteko's temple was clear and healed completely. Her lower body was slow going. Her aura would flare brighter each time his energy flowed over the wound. The damage was condensing, the hole growing smaller as the light grew stronger. Her body was fighting the patch, like a volcano it kept pouring more and more energy out to overlap his green power. Finally after a long, breathless time and flare after flare of blinding white light the tear was reduced to a single slash across her belly. The faint scar gleamed pure and as he lay the last of his dragon fire as a gentle balm across it, she arched off the floor, body quivering, then slumped back as the slash closed. The sizzle as it did sounded too much like frying meat and the spray of dust/ash was startling.
Jaeoh heaved a tired sigh as he feather stroked Suteko's cheek. Turning his black eyes to Col0gne, he lifted his brows. She nodded, "That is enough for tonight. She should sleep peacefully now."
Neither the elder nor the Kouhei leader remembered the remaining leg tear. They softly spoke for a few moments before Cologne wearily climbed back onto her staff. "Both children should rest peacefully now." She relit her pipe and gestured. "Put yourself to bed boy. This should keep both of our walking wounded down for the full night." She grinned as she hopped toward the entrance way. "Sleep will boy. The morning will be quite a workout for you and the bear boy."
Jaeoh blinked as he scooped up Suteko. "A workout?" he shook his head and into his apartment in the back. Tonight he was too tired to puzzle out the elder's vague comments.
He passed Shayla, who was tidying up the kitchen. She smiled and spoke softly. "Once Uhanzee is back from escorting the elder, we will head over to Suteko's for the night. You too need to sleep." She too was smiling with a glimmer of humor in her eyes.
Jaeoh nodded and entered the bedroom, easing the door shut with his foot before laying his mate down. Yawning hugely he lay down at her side and joined her in a dreamless slumber. Across town Gregor did the same with Hana.