Note: this chapter takes place after Eternal City Crystal Tokyo chapter 75, where Alicia and Subaru assisted in freeing the League of Non-Aligned World's embassy from terrorists.
Magical Atoner Lyrical Alicia
Twenty Five
"To be honest, I'm a bit disturbed that the woman we rescued set the whole thing up," Alicia noted, disgusted.
They were out at the hot springs at the Hinata Inn, her and Subaru relaxing in one of the heated pools. They were alone for now, the residents mostly being out on the Saturday afternoon.
"At least we rescued the real hostages," Subaru noted.
"True," Alicia brightened.
Gently Subaru noted, "You were expecting things to be black and white, but even here it isn't always so."
Alicia let herself slide under the hot water, then came back up, shaking out her long hair. "I guess I'm naive?" she admitted.
"Nothing wrong with that," Subaru hugged her.
"Am I interrupting?" Yoko Urashima noted, the sexy manager emerging from the steam to settle in a nearby pool.
"No, it's fine," Alicia answered, blushing a bit.
"I saw you on the news, that was very impressive," Yoko added. She grinned, "And what's this I hear about a knighthood?"
"Oh lord," Alicia rolled her eyes.
Subaru just laughed. "She hates that," she added.
"Could be worse," Yoko noted, "we used to have a Gods Cry Swordswoman here. She'd be challenging you immediately."
"That's been a thing too. The whole kendo club at our school is chasing me to fight them," Alicia griped.
"Get it over with and just kick all their asses," Yoko suggested.
"You have remarkable confidence in my ability to win," Alicia noted wryly.
"I've seen you fight," Subaru noted, "you'd win."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Ah, Commander Asagiri. I didn't expect to talk to you," Veronica Aston-Martin said, a bit surprised.
"Your request kind of hit my desk after various folks passed the buck," Priss Asagiri admitted.
"Ah. Is it going to be a issue?" Veronica asked.
"I guess I want to know why you're keeping tabs on Alicia Testarossa?" Priss demanded.
"For her own protection," Veronica said calmly. "In case something does happen, I want to be in a position to mobilize whatever resources I can to help."
Priss looked startled, "She's in that much danger?"
"Fate Testarossa made a LOT of enemies in her life, some of whom had heirs. There's also the whole mess involving the Saint Church here," Veronica admitted.
"I got a briefing on the Church, including the xenophobic aspects. So, fair point," Priss finally conceded. "I'm not going to give her personal information out, but I can notify you on the public stuff she's doing."
Veronica nodded, "Thank you."
"I am expecting a favor in return, at some point," Priss told her, then signed off.
Veronica sighed, but couldn't really argue with that. "Nene," she called her aide in.
Nene Scaglietti came in, the pretty blonde dressed in her usual woman's suit. "I got the link from Commander Asagiri," she reported.
"It's not everything we hoped for, but it'll do," Veronica noted. "Any issues at her school?" she asked curiously.
"Una's keeping a eye on her," Nene noted. "She'll contact me or our office if anything comes up." she added, smirking.
"What's so funny?" Veronica asked.
"Alicia apparently has a fan club," Nene noted, "they saw Una watching her, figured she was one of them and told her about it."
Veronica chuckled, "How bad is it?"
"There's about thirty, a mix of boys and girls," Nene revealed.
"And Alicia's unaware of this?" Veronica asked.
"Apparently!" Nene chuckled.
"Any news on a new Ambassador for the League?" Veronica asked as she changed the subject. Nene had been stationed on Earth for longer than she, and was better connected to the diplomatic rumour mill.
"No, and no one's expecting anyone soon," Nene noted. "Especially after she vanished after leaving Earth," she added.
"Running away from her bosses," Veronica agreed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"SHIELD!" Alicia gestured, blocking the energy bolt. Leaving her shield hanging in air she raced towards her attacker, surprising her.
"Ack!" Sailor Ares yelped, jumping back to avoid a swing from Bardiche.
"Lightning!" with a gesture she rained electrical bolts on her.
Ares waved up, condensing moisture in the air and generating an ice shield that grounded the bolts away from her.
'Nice," Alicia thought just as Ares charged, sword in hand.
Alicia switched Bardiche to sword mode, and the blades struck together violently. Ares pushed, and shoved her backwards by superior strength.
"Eep," Alicia used her flying ability to counter the pressure, then freed up one hand. "Light!" she blasted Ares in the face.
"GAH!" Ares staggered backwards, blinded.
"I think we'll call this match," Hotaru Tomoe called, the purple haired woman serving as a informal referee. They were training in a massive gym in the Crystal Palace, where powerful shields kept their combat from leaking outside.
"You all right?" Alicia asked, hurrying over to Ares' side.
"Gah, that hurt!" Ares growled. "That was totally fighting dirty," she added, blinking away the temporary blindness.
"As someone once said, 'If you're not cheating, you're not trying hard enough,'" Alicia noted. "Do you need a healing spell?" she offered.
"No, my vision's mostly back," Ares said. "OK, wanna keep sparring?"
"Ok," Alicia said. "I have to remember you're superhumanly strong too."
"How did you match that?" Ares asked, curious.
"My flight ability to push back, plus magically strengthening my body," Alicia explained.
"Go!" Hotaru gave the signal.
Alicia switched tactics, "BIND!"
"Hey!?" Ares yelped as her arms and legs were caught.
"Bardiche, maximum spread! Fire!"
THOOM!
Ares was thrown backwards, smoke actually curling off of her Sailor Senshi uniform. "Wow," she managed, dazed.
"Lightning!" Alicia followed up, blasting her.
Too stunned to block this time, Ares was blasted AGAIN.
"Okay, I'm calling this fight," Hotaru ordered, noting Ares was too dazed to continue.
"I'm still impressed by how tough you all are," Alicia noted as Hotaru helped Ares up.
"Ooooh, wow," Ares shook herself.
"Now, you won't spar, though?" Alicia addressed Hotaru.
"My powers have been growing steadily since the late twentieth century," Hotaru noted calmly. "The only reason I'm even active as Sailor Saturn any more, is that I'm unusually good at fine control," she explained.
"And if you lost control?" Alicia had to ask.
Hotaru shrugged, "I could split the planet."
Alicia looked at her blankly a moment, then looked at Ares. "She's serious?" she asked.
"Completely," Ares said, nodding.
Alicia nodded then addressed Hotaru, "Right, no sparring."
"And I think I've gotten beaten up enough for one day," Ares noted ruefully. "I'm clearly not used to fighting a mage."
"Glad to help," Alicia said, "I'm not used to fighting someone that much stronger than me. Hence the blasting you away..."
To be continued...
Magical Atoner Lyrical Alicia
Chapter 26
The time rolled around for the annual TSAB visit to Crystal Tokyo, and once again Signum was heading it up. This time, however, they weren't chasing Lost Logia or mystery girls from a thousand years ago...
The black haired woman was waiting by customs, along with a minion, both dressed in women's business suits. "Miss Signum," Veronica Aston-Martin smiled, offering her hand to the taller woman, "it's been awhile."
"Just Signum," she smiled back. "How have things turned out?"
"You've dropped me into one situation after another," Veronica chuckled.
Nene Scalietti was talking with the other officer who had accompanied Signum, Ms Olivia Fiat. They didn't have any luggage either, other than Signum carrying a data archive to pass on to Minako Aino, Lady Venus.
"No serious troubles, I hope?" Signum asked.
"Thankfully no," Veronica conceded, "just the usual local political issues. You've been getting my reports?"
"Yes," Signum nodded as she remembered, "the Khannite wants our ship tech, and some Jurai lords want Devices."
"Both of which need to be handled carefully," Veronica agreed as they walked through the busy facility. Thankfully they didn't need to go through customs, due to their diplomatic status.
Midchild had rules about releasing Device tech, and the TSAB didn't want people getting their ships. There was also issues around how Crystal Tokyo might react to them doing either thing, too. It might destabilize the entire region.
"I've got an encrypted briefing on developments in the local dimensions," Signum added, "nothing too urgent, you can review it later."
"Understood," Veronica put the small device away. "Why did you ask me to meet you, though?" she asked curiously.
Signum nodded, "There's someone I want you to meet... we usually wait until someone's been here a year or so before introducing you."
"Really?" Veronica raised an eyebrow. She continued cautiously, "I take it it's someone rarher important?"
"... relatively so," Signum said evasively, "We'll teleport there." She turned and gestured to her waiting aide.
"Yes ma'am?" Olivia asked.
"Accompany Nene, get my quarters set up. We should be back there in two hours or so," Signum said briskly.
"Right," Olivia nodded.
Using her Device, Signum teleported them out.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Subaru Yagami waved to Alicia Testarossa as they met by the school gates. She gave Alicia a thoughtful look, "You're frowning."
Alicia looked sheepish, "Ambassador Aston-Martin contacted me, apparently the TSAB has agents visiting."
Subaru blinked, "There's not going to be a fight again?"
"Hopefully, no," Alicia sighed.
"What's this about a fight?" Catrine asked, the slightly older girl's hair dyed a shocking pink this week.
Alicia and Subaru explained as her and Erica listened.
"Ah, Lady Signum," Erica Tenoh nodded, "I heard about her visiting from Moms too. If it helps, she's calmed down alot since her youth."
"I keep forgetting that your parents actually knew her a thousand years ago," Subaru noted, shaking her head.
"If Signum DOES jump you for some reason, I promise we have your back," Erica said to Alicia loyally.
"You just want to test your skills against her," Alicia noted wryly.
"Well, yes. But I bet we could get Sailor Ares and Princess Usagi helping us out too," Erica added, grinning.
"That would be a inter-dimensional incident," Subaru said firmly, "no. HELL no."
"Spoil sport," Erica laughed.
The group reached the main gates and headed inside the school grounds.
"Una's still stalking you, I see," Subaru murmured quietly to Alicia.
"Yeah, I know," Alicia sighed. "At least she appears to be harmless..."
Subaru wasn't that sure of THAT, but... she'd keep an eye on it. The first warning bell went off, and the group scurried to classes.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Veronica Aston-Martin felt a twinge of nervousness as they materialized in what she assumed was another part of Earth. She looked around, seeing they were on a small island, and that there was a residence nearby.
Her device chirped a warning. "There is a local teleport block over the whole island," Pallas calmly noted.
"The residents like their privacy," Signum told her. "The whole island is also invisible to scanners, via a hybrid of our and local technology."
"So who...?" Veronica asked warily.
"Come on," Signum ignored the question as she lead her towards a dock, where two (older?) women were relaxing in the sunlight.
The one woman had very light brown hair, nearly blonde, and was wearing a one piece swimsuit and a sarong-skirt. The other woman had silver hair in twin pony tails, also in a swimsuit though she had swimming trunks and a bikini. Both looked frustratingly familiar to Veronica, but she couldn't quite place them.
"Signum!" the first woman waved, smiling as she trotted over. "You couldn't have visited last year?" she scolded.
"Things were a little hectic, as you know," Signum shrugged.
"And this is?" the woman looked searchingly at Veronica.
"Veronica Aston-Martin, I'd like you to meet your multiple Great Grandmother, Vivio Takamachi-Stratos." Signum grinned.
"WHAT," Veronica yelped even as she finally recognized her.
"You enjoy springing that on people far too much," Vivio noted to Signum, who just shrugged.
"Don't faint, please," Einhart, the other woman, told Veronica.
Veronica swayed a bit, but managed to get over her shock. "I... honored Great Grandmother..." Veronica started.
"Please, just calling me Vivio is fine," she said, looking pained. "No one likes to be reminded how old they are."
"Vivio," Veronica repeated, looking rather disturbed. "I guess I'm just wondering how you ended up here."
"I left Mid after a group of Saint Church cultists tried to slaughter unbelievers in my name," Vivio admitted. "I decided my presence was doing more harm than good."
Einhart reached out to squeeze Vivio's arm comfortingly.
"We banged around dimensions awhile, long story. Eventually we ended up in this universe, where we assisted Queen Serenity during what they call the Last War," Vivio remembered.
"She tried to reward us with various things, but we just asked for this island, and some help staying undetected," Einhart added.
"And you've not been back to Mid?" Veronica had to ask.
"We visit, using illusions," Vivio admitted. "There's people we look into, and such."
"If there ever was a planetary level threat, certain folks on Mid know to call us," Einhart added, nodding to Signum.
Veronica looked at Signum, "So... why tell me they're here?"
"You're Earth Ambassador, technically their under your protection," Signum shrugged. "And if something DOES happen, you're stuck handling it."
"Oh joy," Veronica winced.
As Veronica was digesting that Signum asked Vivio, "Have you gone to see your Aunt yet?"
Vivio looked surprisingly sheepish for a thousand year old reborn Saint. "No," she admitted.
Signum looked surprised, "Why not?"
"I'm worried it's going to be really awkward," Vivio sighed.
"And she does look just like Fate-mama," Einhart added mildly.
"Ah," Signum nodded.
To be continued...
Notes: I had mentioned Vivio and Einhart were on Crystal Tokyo Earth earlier... I may or may not do a bit over in the main Crystal Tokyo fic on Vivio.