Every ending is a new beginning: the trick is knowing how.
The threesome walked up the tower, heavy of heart with Naoko's defeat. Keiko had regretted not figuring it out sooner, and didn't make lunges at the demon silhouettes that appeared on the sides of the tower. Tetsu and Karin couldn't comfort her.
"Keiko, I know it was bad, but you have to let go."
"I can't… Naoko trusted me… and I killed him."
"You've come a long way, Keiko. I remember the day we stormed Hana Valley together."
"That was different. He was opposing me. Naoko just got in the way."
"…I miss fired up Keiko."
"So do I," everyone else, including Keiko, said. But there was no turning back time. There was slowing it, but no turning back.
"So, you come at last."
"Yasha… you have taunted me. You have deceived me. You have made me kill my best friend. For that, there can be no return."
"Those were all necessary. The Dark Lord was vanquished at the hands of those good-for-nothing sun gods. So, as a little repayment, I'm crushing each and every pebble they strove to protect. And everyone they helped.
"But you fools saw the light, and were brainwashed by it. My demonic monstrosities fell at the claws of your fierce rampage. But I did have a Plan 'B'. I retrieved all of the demons you slew from their corpses, and as of now, I have the power of all the demons of the world!"
"Tetsu, take this." Keiko passed Tetsu the Thunder Edge. Karin swished the Tundra Beads experimentally. Keiko hit her wolf form, and the Solar Flare appeared on her back. She howled. The goddess of the sun had returned. Very much vengeful…
Yasha began the fight by destroying the arena. Tetsu didn't really have much hope. Karin had basic flight, and could hope to attack. Keiko was just wall jumping, and Miya handled the Celestial Brush. Keiko used her Guidance technique, and Tetsu managed to reach the arena.
Yasha's next form was a furnace. Keiko was on Deluge duty, and the other two couldn't see a thing. Miya went through the fire willingly, and slashed Yasha's face.
His next form consisted of three wheels that acted as treadmills: Keiko, Tetsu and Karin made no progress to reach him. Karin jumped, threw an exorcism slip, and stopped the machine. It made a sequence of loud noises, and the fight changed.
It was now a huge mecha. Keiko ducked, weaved and swished, but there was no closing in. Tetsu blocked some of the mecha's appendages with the Thunder Edge, but Keiko had a different plan.
*ZAP*
"Foolish mortals… there may be only one way to beat you four!" Yasha split into four clouds. Each one went through one of the four heroes, and formed into a murky shadow of themselves.
Issun! Issun! Where's Issun? Tell me where Issun is! Dark Miya called.
Focus, Miya. This will make you proud. The sword belongs in my hand. Dark Tetsu suggested.
Eh. Just keep me out of this fight and I'll be good. Dark Karin sighed.
Who cares about that? Get it my way and you're toast! Dark Keiko was dangerous.
"This."
"Is."
"Going."
"To."
"Suck." It was like the four were reading each other's minds, how synched that was.
"Hey, buddy!" All eight heads turned to the speaker.
Do you mind? We are about to have a battle here! Dark Keiko admonished.
"It's rude to copy someone else's style! I, Issun, the Seventh Celestial Envoy, take it upon my trusty sword Denkomaru to help those in need!"
"Issun… After all these years?"
"Miya!" The two bugs, gold and green, met in mid-air, and rolled around a little.
"Do you mind? We are about to have a battle here!" regular Keiko admonished.
"Sorry. Ahem. I, Issun, the Seventh-"
"Heard it.
Issun, Miya and Dark Miya squared off in a tiny duel. Dark Miya split, and copied Issun to make the fight somewhat fair.
Somewhat, in that Dark Issun was more interested in flirting than fighting. The two Dark Poncles were crushed, and the real Issun got in some flirting of his own.
Karin and Tetsu decided to fight Dark Karin together. The girl was a threat, even if she didn't want to be. But they greatly overestimated her. She was handily defeated, and…
Dark Tetsu and Dark Keiko teamed up. To gang up on Keiko. And there was to be no help.
And Keiko has no temper. Did I mention Keiko has no temper?
Let's start with a bang. Dark Keiko, naturally, had Keiko's brush techniques… and wasn't averse to opening with a Cherry Bomb. Keiko didn't even get to dodge. And then Dark Keiko used partner attacks and agility to rival Ninetails in perfect tandem. Luckily, Keiko could use the Veil of Mist, to… slow him down to the point where Keiko got glancing blows. Meanwhile, Dark Keiko's Providence Crystals had a much larger accuracy rate. About the only area Keiko excelled in was brush skill countering. And then Dark Keiko decided it wasn't enough.
She cancelled out the sun.
How do you like that? Dark Tetsu asked, grinning as if she had used the fabled Sunset brush technique. No matter the caster, Keiko's accuracy rate had gone to zero. And Dark Keiko's to one hundred. Keiko, after several blows, tried her Sunrise technique.
…It barely worked. Keiko had apparently hit Dark Keiko to do so. Keiko tried out her own combo, but it wasn't enough.
Proving the boss was stupid enough to repeat the tactic was, though.
NONONONONONO! Dark Keiko cried out.
WHYWHYWHYWHY? Dark Tetsu wailed.
"At last… it is over…" Issun murmured.
"…Finally, I can return to being a normal Oina girl."
"Not quite, Keiko. You see… we have been trying to clear the Celestial Plain for a while now. I'm technically down here to inspect the new goddess to see if she's up to snuff."
"…Sure. Why not. Who's coming?" Keiko had this way about her. Miya, Tetsu and Karin all chose to come along, instantaneously. Karin even put her arm around Keiko.
The end... of another story. It's been so long since my last closing. And even then, that was an in story closing... wait... I don't close, do I?
Like the quote says: each ending is but a beginning. And by the way, that's the only quote I actually penned (or typed, as the case may be) myself. The others were all made by others. If that makes sense.
Anyway, I can focus exclusively on Mystic Amber. Perhaps I can make up my mind on the title, now. I had the suggestion of keeping Mystic Amber, because of how long it takes for the other title to become relevant, but the other one sounds more... poetic. In case I haven't mentioned it, it's Cursed Summer.
Leap before you think!
