Author's notes:

Nothing much to say, despite that I just did not feel like waiting this time – right into the next Arc!

Enjoy!

Chapter 23 – Awakening

Strong winds were bending the grass on the wide meadow called the Green Sea by the people who lived nearby, because the grass that bent to the will of the wind almost looked like the waves of the sea. Atop one of the countless small hills there sat a sole warrior, having her back leaned against her blade, which she had impaled the ground with. Her curly, shoulder-long hair was played with by the heavy gusts of wind. Her silver eyes were filled with regret as well as sadness, as she was looking nowhere. She could feel two Yoki nearing her, and she knew who came and wherefore. A slight smile appeared on her face, as the two of them had come close enough for them to be visible to the naked eye.

The warrior walking in front was a short, pig-tailed warrior, wearing a bright smile on her face. On first glance one would have mistaken her for a teenaged girl, not older than fifteen. She was, however, at that time, the Organization's Number 7, infamous amongst her comrades for rumors of her having killed off higher ranking warriors in order to take their positions. Those rumors, though never proven true to the higher ups of the Men in Black, earned her her name: Backstabbing Liara. Behind her, slightly right, another, significantly taller warrior with countless braids and a stern expression on her face was walking. For about one year and a half the both of them had been inseparable partners, something that, due to their effectiveness, even the Organization had approved of. The second warrior's, the Number 8's way of fighting was unique in every sense. She had developed a technique that allowed her to manipulate the air around her using Yoki, which enabled feats like changing direction in mid air, creating winds strong enough to mess with her opponents movements or even to scientifically extend the range of her attacks. The latter two were rather recent achievements, but due to her ability to fight in the air she had gotten the name Skydancer Anna.

"So the two of them are finally here" the warrior sitting atop the hill whispered into the wind. She sighed, got up, pulled her blade out of the ground and then, without sheathing it, turned towards her two comrades that were approaching her.

The two of them stopped, a good three meters away from her, Anna staying behind Liara. The other warrior then also, just like Liara, put on a bright smile and joyfully greeted her comrades: "Anna, Liara, how fancy meeting the two of you here! I was just finished with my mission when I noticed the two of you heading into my direction, so I decided to just wait for the two of you. So, what's the news? Still alive and killing, backstabber?"

"My, my" Liara answered in a similar manner to her comrade, "I told you it's bad to spread such rumors, Tattletale! Things like that hurt peoples' images, you know?"

Tattletale Lisa, at that time the Number 6 of the Organization, was, as the name suggests, known for her habit to tell everything to everyone. And, for reasons unknown to that day, she has always been in on everything. However, as much as she enjoyed meeting her comrades and having a little chitchat with them, at that day she just could not help it but be unpleased about who she met.

"But, Liara, you do have to understand that I, in my whole life, never have told someone about something that was not true, you know? It's really not nice of you to accuse me of spreading rumors. Things like that hurt peoples' images, you know?" Lisa responded with a slightly mocking undercurrent, making Liara's left eyelid twitch, and continued: "After all, Liara, Anna, what would you go out of your way for to do with me" she made a short pause, perfectly sensing in the Yoki of her comrades that she was right on the mark, and continued in a more honest tone: "if it wasn't killing me to claim my rank?"

A bead of sweat ran down Anna's left temple, but Liara's smile turned into a smirk, as she, not changing her voice much, answered: "He, what else to expect of you. Since this is clear already" she drew her blade, as did Anna, "we can go right to the killing, can we?"

Right after finishing her sentence Liara released all of her Yoki into her legs for but a moment, while Anna made a leap forwards, ending up approximately two meters above Lisa, with Liara suddenly appearing behind the latter. "My" Lisa said, suddenly a rather bored expression on her face, and made a quick step forwards, what led to Liara's horizontal blow as well as Anna's attempt to impale Lisa from above by jumping downwards from a bit of air she had solidified to clash with each other. Having her own blade knocked aside by Liara's attack Anna briefly lost balance and fell to the ground, hitting it first with her shoulder. "Don't slack!" her comrade shouted, vanishing again, this time to reappear left to Lisa, while attempting to stab right through her, what the left handed warrior easily prevented by effortlessly parrying the attack. Before she knew it Liara's face was hit by Tattletale's right knee, what send her flying backwards two meters, making her land on her butt. Anna had gotten back to her feet and, even though she was half a meter away too far to hit Lisa, slashed at the height of the latter's neck. Realizing that Anna was extending her range by compressing air at the tip of her blade to extend it, Lisa simply ducked under the attack, dashed towards a taken by surprise Anna and slammed her right elbow right into to side of her ribcage. Cracking sound could be heard as the Number 8 also got send flying to ungently land next to where Liara was about to get to her feet again.

"Sorry, Liara" Lisa said in a menacing voice, turned around to face her and added: "but I guess not today."

The Backstabber had gotten back to her feet again and had a grim face. 'Stronger than I thought she'd be' she thought. She glanced at Anna, who held her left side, and asked: "Broken?"

"Two or three. No big deal" Anna answered an got back up.

"Really" their opponent said, slightly smiling again, "too afraid to go all out on me, aren't you, Liara?"

The latter looked a little shocked as she thought: 'she can't possbily know about it!'

"I mean, honestly" Lisa said while her eyes turned golden, "aren't you enough of a monster already to care whether you awaken or not?"

At that Liara instantly jumped to release enough Yoki to distort her face, charged right at Lisa just to be blocked, yelling "what do you know?"

Anna leaped away, shouting "Standby?"

"Sixty!" Liara shouted back, leaping back, too, to let her legs go berserk again, making her vanish. That time she kept on using her own unique technique, something she had called Random Dash, for more than just an instant like she usually did, leading to her randomly appearing and disappearing somewhere around her target, trying to slash her whenever she appeared closely enough to her.

Lisa was able to either dodge or parry all of Liara's attacks, while, as if she had known that technique for ages, explaining it: "Quite impressive, that you can actually manage to stay on the ground while releasing all of your Yoki in your legs. I mean, they are basically kicking around randomly – whoops, that was a close one – and yet you don't end up leaping into the air, where you'd be an easy target. Also, that you do it continuously, just how focused do you have to be? If it wasn't for the lack of controllability of this technique it'd be even more dangerous than the Elegant Step, I tell you! Though" here she had to chuckle, "Hysteria would probably give you a lecture on how unsightly your technique is."

Liara suddenly pulled back from Lisa, realizing that her Random Dash would not get her anywhere. While breathing heavily she said: "Really, you, how is your defense this air-tight?"

At that Tattletale laughed heartily for a moment.

"What's so funny?" Liara hissed.

"Oh, no" Lisa said while calming down and wiping away a tear from her right eye, "it's just that you could have killed me already, but are to afraid to do it."

"So you do know?" Her opponent asked in a demanding manner.

Tattletale took a few deep breaths. Completely calmed down she answered smiling: "Well, you did cross your limits after hearing of Neerie and Vanessa, isn't that right?"

Shock hit Liara, even though, at that point, she was already expecting Lisa to know about it.

"Surprised? Really, I am Tattletale Lisa, there is nothing I don't know. But, I am really surprised, Liara" she said.

"Why would that be?"

"You, who has murdered several times without hesitation, a gruesome monster no different from any Yoma or Awakened Being, why would you be afraid to take the final step to awaken and kill me? Do you really still care about your promise with two who are not only dead, but also had long before forgotten about it?"

"They had NOT forgotten!" Liara shouted at Lisa angrily.

"Well, are you sure? But they are dead and yet, my dear, you are still going on, killing who is above you. But is it to fulfill a promise? I daresay no! I will put it simple, Liara, so you can follow me. "

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" she screamed, released even more Yoki, dashed towards Lisa, who, slightly surprised, did not get away completely and got glanced at the right side of her ribcage.

"Yes, yes!" Lisa shouted while leaping away. "Show your true colors already, monster! That's exactly what you are! You don't kill for a promise or anything else! You, my dear Liara, you kill for nothing but the pleasure you gain from it!"

'It's time' Anna mused, as Liara crossed sixty per cent of her Yoki – and right after her limits.

Author's notes:

After having thought about several ways to get to a certain point of the story I actually went back in time (shame on you if you didn't notice:p). Be prepared to learn more about Liara and Anna in the next update(s).

Thank you for reading and reviewing!

kstefan88