~~~ Guess whose back! ~~~~~ 3

Chapter Forty Two

Leea sighed as the group took off without her and White Blaze. She pet the big cat's head, "they're off to save the world again."

The tiger almost grinned at her, they do have that sense of morality about them.

"Why do you talk to me now?"

How could I not?

She smiled and fluttered her wings, he was a big flirt. She scratched his head and she felt him purr for her. She decided she was going to take a shower while they were out. She suspected things were going to get busy again, even though she was scared, she had hope that maybe it would bring back Hoshi. She

was worried about that. She tried to summon the armor that was bequeathed to her, but it never came to her calls. She hated it partially. She went upstairs and grabbed a towel and her soap. She couldn't take a shower in the house, her wings were just too big of a pain to fit in the narrow bathroom space. She grimaced as she remembered many failed attempts and many lost feathers. So she came up with an alternative. There was a stream a little ways from the Koji household where she would take her shower. The water was colder than she could even imagine, but she had gotten used to it.

The trip to the stream was quick if she flew, although the cold night air didn't give her much lift. She set her stuff on the side of the stream and saw the small waterfall that formed it. She slipped off her top and pants and stepped into the stream. The chilly water sent shivers through her and her wings, but she smiled as she grabbed her soap and lathered up. She felt the cool of the water run down her head, over her breasts, and down her voluptuous form. She fluttered her wings in the cool water and shook off the soap.

She saw something move in the woods and she turned as she clasped one of her arms over her breasts and reached for her towel to wrap around her.

"Hello," she called but she didn't see anyone. She shrugged and dried off and slipped her clothes on. She shivered and looked around, her hair was clinging to her neck and her face so she rubbed it real quick so it would be just a little damp.

She spread her wings, and the drops of water flipped off instantly. She looked around nervously and flew up, she felt uneasy about something. She flapped her wings heavily to hover above the forest. The moon was full and she could see far across the trees. She frowned as she looked around, she was being silly. However, she saw a white flash in a clearing in a field not to far off. She decided to check it out, she had nothing better to do with her evening. She landed close to the tree line, and she looked into the field cautiously. She saw a swirling mass of energy hovering in the field, and she gently placed a hand on the tree. The energy seemed to be stable, but she saw no one around.

CRRRRRAAAACCCKKKKKK

The ball grew bright extremely quickly and flashed. She closed her eyes and saw someone crash into the tree line on the opposite side. Someone else came out of the ball of energy, and she instantly recognized Raleigh but something didn't seem right. She was in her wolf form, eyes glowing a deep red as she sniffed the air. She was looking for someone, and took off after the form that was thrown to the other side of the clearing. Leea flapped her wings as soon she was sure the wolf was far enough away not to hear her. She flew up and she saw the wolf chasing something through the forest as she silently flew over head. Leea was thankful about that, her wings were quiet despite having to work harder with out thermals. However, she was no hawk, her vision was still human and could see far better in the moon light.

She felt her virtue light up, and she felt some strong emotion from the chase going on below her. There was fear, and someone felt so lost, but she tried to feel for Raleigh but all she felt was rage. It was even human rage propelled by a reason, just infinite anger that only armor can know. Another clearing came into view and she saw the figure that the wolf was chasing.

Baroness.

She was beaten pretty bad, her armor was broken and blood ran down a facial wound she had. She felt an anxiety come over, and she slowly let herself down. She didn't know why seeing that woman brought on such strong emotion but she felt. She felt ill, and so angry.

She closed her, and felt the anger wasn't from herself. Even though she should have been angry. She felt tears falling from her eyes and she began to cry.

Leea~

She snapped up at the sound of her voice.

There was just a soft vision of her best friend standing before her with a smile. She pointed to the field where she had seen Baroness and Raleigh.

Go to her~

"She killed you though!"

The girl only smiled and vanished into the wind.

Leea didn't know why she was listening but she was. Her spirit was still alive, and she was trying to lead her to her. She would have to listen even if it meant saving a monster who killed her. She got up to her feet and started running towards the wolf she could see in the distance.

She saw the wolf bite in Baroness's shin and try and drag her. The piece of armor popped off, so the wolf went in for a bite. Leea planted a kick directly on its head as it bit down. The wolf snarled and backed up. She saw her eyes glowing red, but she felt nothing of Raleigh. She gulped, the ronins had told her that Ruby's armor had possessed them. She felt the orb glow hot in her pocket and she pulled it out, it flashed with light and Raleigh vanished. She looked at Baroness, the woman profusely bleeding, and she knelt beside her, and laid her head on her lap.

She briefly opened her cat eyes, "the light."

"Shhhhh, you're with a friend now," she said softly as the woman's armor vanished and she passed out. Leea didn't think she could carry the large anthropomorphic being but she seemed to manage to get her back to the stream where she had been. She found her towel and dipped it in the cold water to clean her wounds. Did she bring Baroness back to Mia's home? She thought that was a dangerous idea considering how volatile and irritable any of the boys were. She heard a soft growl from the forest and saw White Blaze.

"What do I do?"

The beast hopped down to them and saw how torn up she was, he seemed to look over her wounds. Some were slices, a few looked like burns from acid even. He sniffed the being slowly, and growled, I smell Warlords.

It didn't make much sense to Leea, they weren't that close to Hoshi, "but Blaze, why would they do that! I understand Raleigh, she was suppose to protect Hoshi, but the warlords?"

They may have not had much choice, the armor of Rage is an extremely scary armor. It can communicate with the others as well as control them. Ruby is probably enraged still.

Leea nodded like she understood but she thought that sort of violence was senseless. It would do no good to kill Baroness, it wouldn't bring Hoshi back. She brushed her messy golden hair out of the way. The Trickster was very beautiful underneath all of her wounds. Her fur was soft, and gleamed where her silver blood hadn't stained it. Her dress was torn to shreds but still covered her completely. She soaked her towel again, rung out the blood on it, and then started to clean some of the burns. They looked worse than the cuts and bites, they almost boiled her flesh. She placed the clean rag on the wounds, and Baroness grabbed her hand suddenly.

Leea looked over at the being, she was grabbing her hand tightly, "you're okay, I won't hurt you."

Baroness let go but didn't say anything as she cleaned her wounds quietly.

"I don't blame you for anything," Leea said as the being watched her slowly rinse out the towel. She placed the cold water to her head and the warrior cringed. "I don't know who gave you your duty, but I don't blame your for doing it. You are a warrior after all."

"I don't remember who gave me the order, it was so long ago," Baroness said as she watched her with her red gold eyes. She reached out and brushed the golden hair from her face, "what was she to you?"

"The spirit who was possessing her was no one to me, but the body belonged to my best friend."

"Best friend," she paused to look over the winged girl curiously. "She was precious to you then?"

"Yes."

Baroness cringed as she cleaned a wound that look like it was festering, "why do you help me then?"

"I don't hold grudges," she said softly as she propped the being's head up a little better. Her ears were torn a little bit, "who did this to you?"

She looked away, "the warlords, and Raleigh..."

"It's Ruby, isn't it?"

"She's furious," she said softly, "the armor of Rage is completely in control. While you may have sealed the nether realm, it only protected the ronins."

Leea's eyes glittered in the moonlight, and she looked at Blaze who was sitting nearby silently. He did talk to her, but he was still a very silent creature who didn't seem to offer any help in any situation. She slowly ran her hands on her fur, "how did you come through if its sealed up?"

"There are distortions," she paused as looked up at her seriously. "Parts of the nether realm have vanished or have become wasteland where violent shadows roam. Ruby tried hunting me down, but I was able to avoid her through these distortions, but her wolf finally caught me."

Leea felt her tear filled eyes overwhelm as she felt the need to hug the being. She sobbed silently into the beings furred shoulder, but then she felt her orb light up again. She reached in her pocket and it glowed with its virtue of empathy and she saw the virtue light up on Baroness's forehead. It read compassion. A light poured out of the orb and her wounds closed. She heard White Blaze huff in annoyance.

Baroness sat up and looked at her wounds, "ironically, I haven't been able to heal any wounds since you sealed up the nether realm."

"Good thing I can," she smiled through her tears as the orb's light died down. "Too bad I can't figure out how to use the armor."

"Perhaps, it doesn't wanted to be used just yet," Baroness said as she sat up and looked at the winged girl who was starring at the glittering orb. She knelt down on one knee in front of her and bowed her, "I owe you my life...what is your name?"

"Leea Lucus."

"I owe you my life, Lady Leea Lucus, and if in my power I will protect you," she paused and twitched her ears and tail. "I'm not sure if me being around you will be acceptable, it seems your ronins are not to fond of me."

Leea hugged the anthropomorphic figure and smiled, "just help me find my Hoshi, and we'll call it even but how are you going to live among human beings?"

She paused and she summoned her orb. It was damaged and cracked, but it sparkled ever so slightly and her anthropomorphic form began to change shape into a beautiful young woman. She was still the same height, with slightly tanned skin, and her eyes changed to a golden brown. Her cheek bones were high, and her face was slightly rounded. She was a striking goddess even her human form.

"Well, damn," Leea said with a smile. "But that's not really laying low."

She smiled softly at the young lady, her teeth still looked sharp, "I will be okay, and I'll be around."

Leea watched as the girl took off into the forest and disappeared. She saw Blaze starring up her and she said, "what?"

The tiger shook his head and starting walking towards the house. She was worried about Raleigh now and how Ruby's anger is in control of the warlords now. She forgot to ask about Kayura, but she was hoping the girl was okay. She climbed onto White Blaze's back and they started to head back toward Mia's home.