Flawed Future
By Mardrena
Sage had barely stepped foot outside the comm. room when he heard a shrill wail from the direction of the infirmary. Alarmed, he crept along the wall and peeked inside, relaxing in relief when he saw Shannon's father Dr. O'Connor attempting to examine little Darius, all the while supervised by Dais and Danae. What's all this about? Poor kid thinks they're torturing him! Charles tried to no avail to examine Darius' eyes with a penlight. The newborn Thangien baby squirmed furiously and recoiled each time Charles tried to gently peel up an eyelid. Danae looked nervous and Dais looked tense. Sage frowned. On one hand it felt wrong eavesdropping, but on the other he felt compelled to listen and leaned away from the archway slightly as Charles shook his head in exasperation and slapped his thigh.
"One of the reasons this condition is difficult to treat is because cases are extremely rare: I'm talking a percentage of a percentage here. Now we've caught it early enough treatment is possible, but I would not recommend corrective surgery at his age. Even if we can alleviate the worst of the symptoms, more than likely he'll need protective eye-wear when he gets older. Maybe Coval at the Traedeskaton could give you better options…" Charles explained gently. Danae squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face against Dais' shoulder while Dais bowed his head and rubbed her back consolingly.
"I wonder if this is because of the journey to the Nether Realm…maybe something affected him during birth…." Sage muttered and stepped away from the archway, walking over to the Wall Boulder.
"Doubtful, given Yulie and Mia suffered no ill effects during their stay years prior," Sage jumped, startled upon hearing the voice, and glanced to the side where he spotted Kaosu standing by the entrance to the residential hall. "Little Darius' aversion to bright light appears to be a trial etched in his father's blood, one he must strive to overcome as an adult." Sage furrowed his brow thoughtfully and glanced back at the infirmary. He remembered the young amethyst-eyed man he saw in his vision who intervened to protect a widowed Shannon and her daughter from a vengeful Black Hawk.
"Thinking about it now...it was a pretty drastic move, sending our friends and family into the Nether Realm. Even if it was just to protect Ryu, he's the only confirmed Armor Heir so far…"
"There were five Armor Heirs aboard the Argonauth." Sage blinked upon hearing that remark, but by the time he turned to the side, Kaosu had already retired to his room, the door whisking shut behind him. Sage frowned: sometimes he wondered if he just played cryptic for the fun of it.
"Hey, I brought you some coff-whoa!" Ryo nearly dropped the tray he'd been carrying upon entering Mia's study and finding nearly every corner cluttered with crates of documents. Past all this, Mia sat at her desk completely absorbed in her work at the computer, oblivious to his presence. Ryo cautiously raised a knuckle and rapped the door frame gently. Mia looked up sharply, a pen slipping out from between her teeth and clattering onto the keyboard.
"Oh! Ryo, I didn't see you there! The room's a bit of a mess at the moment…"
"I'll say...looks like Tanya used her Typhoon Blast in here…" Ryo muttered and made his way over to the desk, setting the tray down on a corner Mia cleared for him. "This all from work?"
"This? Oh, no, this is just research for a book I'm collaborating on with Reiou and Shannon's mother," Mia waved a hand dismissively and picked up the coffee mug and took a swig with the other. Ryo raised an eyebrow and surveyed the room again.
"'Just research'? It looks like you raided the Archives of Raaezen in here…"
"Ever since Dais and his mother returned from their little adventure they've opened up some about their pasts. Caroline agrees its time to tell the unsung story of her husband and Dais' father."
"Pffeh, she comes for a baby show then takes off dragging Dais along with her on a quest for the 'Fountain of Youth'," Ryo snorted and glanced back at the desk. A worn picture frame caught his eye.
"Hey, Florida's a nice place to retire: low taxes, idyllic beachfront property," Mia teased. She glanced up and noticed Ryo extricating the antiquated framed photo from under a sheaf of papers. "That took a bit of Reiou's 'Paladin techniques' to obtain: It's one of the last photos taken of the Silver Saviors together before they embarked on their final mission." Sticky notes of various colors obscured most of the photo and Ryo thumbed up the edges to get a look at the men in the yellowed black-and-white photo. "Toward the back you've got the senior members, Danae's father Aleksander Vanstandtvoort, Dais' biological father Gage Wendell, and Victor Avens…" Ryo's gaze lingered on the gaunt-looking man who seemed much older than either Aleksander or Gage. He had a nagging feeling he'd seen that face before but couldn't quite place where…
"The rest of the squadron consisted of dental-hygiene poster-boy Harwin, baby-faced brothers Phillip and Collin, that big lout Ellis, and two last-minute transfers: David Bahmert and Jacob Markham. I think I might've found the namesakes for Aurora's sons: Ph'li and Ko'li are Thangien versions of Phillip and Collin. It makes sense since Aurora and Azuro were the only ones old enough to have spoken to their father about his past. She probably meant it as a tribute to him…" Ryo listened absently as he peeled up the notes covering the last two members of the squadron, where Ellis had one muscular arm draped over David's shoulder in a seemingly playful manner.
"The Silver Saviors operated independently of the RAF and records of their flights were kept under the highest levels of secrecy. Their heroism shouldn't be forgotten, and that is why we're working so hard to bring their story to light and give these brave men the recognition they rightfully deserve," Mia continued. Ryo's breath caught in his throat, his brow wrinkling in confusion at first then shock. "Obviously Aleksander's heroics as the Far-Star-Traveler and Gage's antics as the Good Father Pirate need to remain under wraps, but their pasts as pilots would make an excellent historical nove-" Mia glanced up abruptly when she heard the door thump against the wall and saw Ryo had ran out of the room, taking the photo with him. "Ryo! What are you doing! I need that! Get back here! Ooogh…" Mia scooted out from behind the desk and wove her way around stacks of boxes.
Ryo sprang downstairs two steps at a time and found Anubis seated at the dining table enjoying the newspaper and a cup of hot tea and Tanya helping herself to a spartan breakfast of applesauce and marshmallows. "Where's Rowen?" Ryo demanded frantically.
"Sleeping in, as usual. Want me to call him for you?" Instead of using her wrist-com, Tanya leaned back in her chair. "HEY ROWEN!" She shouted shrilly, drawing an irritable glance from Anubis.
"What? I'm awake, I'm awake, jeez...can't a guy sleep in on a slow day…" Rowen grumbled as he made his way downstairs. He'd barely reached the floor when he recoiled and nearly lost his balance from Ryo all-but shoving the picture frame in his face.
"Rowen! Tell me if you see anything strange in this!" Ryo demanded. Rowen barely spared the yellowed photo a glance, his mind operating on half a cylinder currently.
"Nice picture. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to fix myself some breakfast," Rowen grumbled, half-yawning and shouldered past Ryo. Ryo sighed and walked over to Tanya.
"Sis, look at this and tell me if you're seeing the same thing I'm seeing," Ryo held the picture out for Tanya to see. She paused in eating another spoonful and leaned over, squinting. She looked annoyed at first then her face relaxed and her brow furrowed in concern. She glanced from Rowen to the photo.
"...When...when is this from…?"
"World War II. Please tell me you see the same thing I do!"
"Yeah...I do...it's...weird…"
"What the heck are you all yammering about!" Rowen snapped and glared over his shoulder.
"Morning all. What's everyone yelling about?" Sage greeted as he and Kento entered the room. Kento blinked and leaned sideways when Mia nearly ran into him on her way downstairs.
"Ryo! You shouldn't run off like that! That picture is a delicate historical artifact! You shouldn't handle it so roughly!" Mia scolded and approached Ryo. Ryo turned to her and held up the frame.
"Mia, what's wrong with this picture?" Ryo tapped the corner he'd shown Tanya. Mia raised an eyebrow but took the frame with both hands and peered at it. She blinked several times and looked up slowly. Anubis idly sipped his tea and glanced between Mia and Rowen, puzzled. The room fell silent save for the clattering and rustling of Kento raiding the kitchen pantry.
"Rowen…this...this is you…" Mia whispered.
"Eh?" Rowen turned around, confused. Mia turned the frame around and kept the sticky note peeled up with her thumb, pointing at the lower right-hand corner with her index finger as she walked over to Rowen. Rowen blinked several times to focus and shrugged. "What, I don't get it."
"Look closer: You don't see anything unusual?" Mia pressed.
"*pfft* no," Rowen snorted dismissively and turned around.
"You didn't even give it a good look," Ryo argued and took the frame from Mia, intercepting Rowen as he tried to leave and all-but shoving the photo in his face. Kento returned to the dining room carrying his breakfast consisting of an armload of breakfast bars and walked past Ryo and Rowen on the way to an empty chair. He blinked when he spotted the photo, his legs moving ahead seemingly on their own while his head remained in place, a half-unwrapped bar clenched between his teeth as he scrutinized the photo briefly. He stopped altogether, dropping his granola goodies on the floor as he backtracked and snatched the frame out of Ryo's hand.
"DUUUUDE! Sage! What'd you do to your hair!" Kento exclaimed.
"I didn't do anything!" Sage scowled.
"It's a different guy from the one Ryo's pointing out, and like two-thirds less hair, but the face...he kinda looks like you," Kento remarked and walked over to Sage, holding the frame up beside his face and glancing from a startled Sage to the picture several times. Then he reached over with his free hand and grabbed the wave covering Sage's eye, lifting it up like drapes.
"HEY!" Sage squawked, none to happy about Kento grabbing his hair with his meaty hands. No one else noticed Mia run back upstairs to her study.
"There's a very small percentage of people in the world that bear an uncanny resemblance to complete strangers without being related whatsoever. You're just being paranoid," Rowen scoffed.
"Mia says this is the squadron Dais and Danae's parents flew with. It could a grandfather or great-grandfather of yours…the color looks a lot darker, but it's still the same style…"
"In Europe? Doubt it. I don't know what the heck you all are going on about, but you're crazy if you think I or a relative of mine has anything to do with Ander and Gage…"
"This is David Bahmert requesting immediate assistance!" Everyone paused upon hearing the grainy-sounding audio. They heard a click and a whirr briefly. "This is David Bahmert requesting immediate assistance! I had to make an emergency landing in a field along the coast of Ireland. If anyone receives this, Captains Vanstandtvoort and Wendell are missing. I repeat: Captains Vanstandtvoort and Wendell are missing! The remaining squadron and the Ark made it out safely-" *click**Whiirrrr* The others looked to the staircase where Mia stood holding a small tape-player in one hand, her mouth hanging open slightly in shock.
"This is a copy made of a distress call recorded by a radio station on an RAF base in England...I didn't think of it at first...but...Rowen...that's you. That's your voice, there's no mistaking it!"
Blackblaze jerked his head up suddenly, golden eyes widening in alarm. He flicked his ears under his helmet and rose to all fours. Whiteblaze stirred briefly and opened an eye a crack in time to see the Nether Tiger's tail disappearing out the door to Ryu's room. Ryu himself remained sound asleep in his crib, leaving Whiteblaze to wonder why his spirit brother would leave so abruptly. Ryu started squirming and burbling and Whiteblaze rolled to his feet and padded over, rising up and placing his forepaws on the rail. Ryu didn't respond to Whiteblaze's efforts to calm him by nuzzling his tummy gently. He hadn't seen Ryu this alarmed since the arrival of Roth and the other Thangien goddesses…
"This is just too weird. You don't suppose you have a secret past life you don't know about? You know, kinda like Anubis?" Kento asked Rowen as he, Ryo, Mia, Anubis, Sage, Tanya, and Rowen gathered by the dining table examining the decades-old photograph. Mia had pulled off all of the sticky notes and set them aside in a little pile. Cye had yet to emerge from upstairs that morning.
"This is hardly a joking matter, Kento. I might seem like 'one of you', but I retain the memory of my past life as a Dark Warlord and my deeds as a Ronin Warrior. As much as I've acclimated to the modern era, I am still a man bridging two worlds," Anubis growled bitterly. Mia frowned sympathetically, reading the conflict in Anubis' expression, remembering how they once tried to unravel the mystery behind his miraculous revival, and how the most far-fetched theory back then ultimately proved to be the most accurate. While his rebirth and restoration allowed him to reconcile with his modern past and connect with his biological daughter, Michelle, the thought of owing his life to the intervention of otherworldly gods greatly upset him. "Still, this on the other hand presents a far more disconcerting puzzle for Rowen...This could be an example of a grandfather paradox…"
"What, you swapping Shakespeare for sci-fi lately?" Ryo teased in good humor only to earn a scathing glare from the former Dark Warlord.
"Don't forget about Sage. Why the heck would the two of you show up in a picture from World War II? In the same group as Dais and Danae's dads no less?" Tanya argued.
"If this is supposed to be some sort of a prank it's a pretty complex one," Sage muttered.
"I...I...I believe I can answer your questions…" They all jumped in surprise upon hearing the voice at once like a soft whisper and a booming echo. A mass of light appeared out of seemingly nowhere near the far end of the dining table. Light flooded every wall and corner of the room. Ribbons of energy spiraled around a tall figure that materialized near the far wall. The streams pinched towards the middle, giving the appearance of an hourglass. The light gradually subsided, revealing features of the newly-arrived entity. A thin golden staff tipped with floating, spiraling ornaments appeared in a slender hand. Loose silken robes draped over the body and a short veil covered the back of the head. Shiny dark gray hair flecked with strands of silver flowed down the back and over the shoulders. The skin appeared slightly wrinkled but otherwise quite fair. The strange woman tilted her head back slightly before lowering her chin and relaxing her shoulders as the last bits of energy faded.
"I am the beginning of the story, its middle, and its end. I write what was, what is, and what shall be. My name...is Greytorata…" the woman spoke solemnly and opened her eyes slowly.
"...Are…are you a god?" Ryo stammered. Eyes with black irises and glowing white pupils regarded Ryo solemnly. She shared similar traits to the Four Queens, but she seemed far less imposing and hostile than Thanged's Goddess of Victory, Roth, or the Goddess of Righteous War, Witheren.
"Though I am of the same race as Thanged's Four Queens, I am not affiliated with them." Greytorata kept her mouth closed, broadcasting that last part through the air as a deep pressing boom. While the others remained transfixed by the new arrival, none of them noticed Blackblaze slinking down the stairs and along the wall. He seated himself and tucked his tail around his paws. Greytorata flicked a glance in his direction, the slightest corner of her mouth tilting up in a warm smile too subtle for anyone to notice. "I am older than thought, older than word. I bear fealty to a far greater Power. I...I...I know much about you, Ronin Warriors. I have been nearer and farther than you realize…"
"Morning all. What's all the commotion about-" the others glanced upstairs as Cye finally emerged from his bedroom. Cye had barely made it halfway downstairs when he recoiled upon seeing the strange woman standing in the dining room. Greytorata tilted her face towards him slowly.
"Cye Mouri, of the Torrent and Trust, also called Waverider. How good of you to join us."
She's...she's one of them! Cye scowled, remembering the Thangien goddesses Roth, Witheren, Eyurodin, and Ritho. He hadn't forgotten or forgiven Roth for nearly killing Kento just to "put him in his place". He clenched his jaw and glared daggers at the strange woman. Greytorata gave no indication of feeling offended or upset and remained completely calm. Cye tromped the rest of the way downstairs and took a place standing next to Tanya, glowering sullenly.
"Do you know anything about this?" Mia asked and held up the ancient picture frame.
"I do. A dark Power seeks to tailor history to suit their own ambitions. Were it but one upstart, I could dispatch them with ease, but they have divided their forces and scattered them throughout three pivotal moments in history. Indeed, I would not have appeared to you if I were able to resolve this without aid. I cannot leave my post unattended for long, but I can dispatch agents to serve on my behalf." Greytorata lifted her free hand and extended her index and middle fingers.
"You," she first pointed at Ryo and Kento. "You," she then pointed to Rowen and Sage. "And you," she pointed lastly to Cye and Tanya. "I will cast you back in time to intercept these shadowy beings and put an end to their tampering. Because you yourselves cannot alter time beyond what is written, you will have only your innate skills and strengths to rely upon. I will grant you the heightened senses needed to identify these agents of darkness in whatever form they clothe themselves. Armor cannot avail you in as delicate a situation as this. Secrecy and improvisation will be your weapons."
"Whoa, hold up there lady, you can't just snap your fingers and 'change time' or whatever! What you're describing would require energy on an order of magnitude beyond theoretical-" Rowen began. Greytorata ignored his prattling and moved her staff to the side, lifting her free hand slowly. The air around it seemed to distort, much the same way as it did when Roth and the other Queens exercised their powers. The air seemed to grow heavy all of a sudden. Greytorata splayed her fingers then pressed them together, flattening her palm forward. A barely perceptible ripple coursed from her hand.
"EPOCH SHIFT!" Before anyone could say or do anything, rings of light radiated from her hand. Ryo, Kento, Rowen, Sage, Cye, and Tanya found themselves unable to move, their faces frozen in shock. "Ryo and Kento, protect She who would become Ronin Warrior and ensure she seeks her destiny." Ryo and Kento vanished entirely.
"Rowen and Sage, into the heart of Mankind's bloodiest war, I thrust you. Safeguard the Far-Star-Traveler and the Good Father Pirate. Make safe their Flight into Fate." Rowen and Sage melted into light and faded from view.
"Cye and Tanya, your task is the most difficult, but most critical of all. Sow deeply the seeds of ambition, and ensure the Mild Man becomes the Dark Emperor." Cye and Tanya faded last and the ripples faded. "Find these meddling shadows. Find them. KILL THEM! Make them regret DARING tamper with MY DOMAIN! You will NOT return until your task is FINISHED!" Greytorata thundered, clenching her jaw and scowling angrily.
"Ryo!" Mia and Anubis cried to no avail. Blackblaze stared at the now-empty floor impassively.
Ryo came to when he felt tiny pricks on his left cheek. He groaned and brushed his face, dislodging the tiny grasshopper. The air felt cool and moist and he saw thick blades of grass when he opened his eyes. He sat up abruptly and glanced all around at the grassy fog-shrouded meadow. "Hello? Anyone there?" he shouted and glanced around frantically.
"I'm here, I'm here. Don't yell. I'm still dizzy from that Epoch thingie…" Kento mumbled and sat up out of the fog. "Hey...what's with the getups?" he asked and raised his arm, examining his chest and back. Ryo looked down and found himself similarly clothed in the medieval-style outfit he'd worn when the Ronin journeyed to Gurvangoth to hunt down Beastlord.
"Maybe its to blend with the timeline...where are we anyway? I heard something about 'protect she who would be Ronin Warrior'…"
"You think we're supposed to look after Tanya? You know, when she was a little kid?"
"I don't exactly relish the idea of reliving that part of my life. Besides, I doubt that's who Greytorata meant. Why send Tanya off on a mission if that were the case?"
"I wonder how come she got stuck with Cye…you ever think its weird how we end up in these sorts of situations, you know, given the tension between us?" Kento mused. Ryo whirled around suddenly.
"WHAT tension!? There is no tension between us! None! Whatsoever! I'm perfectly fine with you dating my introverted younger sister. I'm not tense in the slightest bit. DO I LOOK TENSE TO YOU!?" Ryo demanded and slashed his hands to the side swiftly, seething. Kento regarded Ryo timidly and blinked stupidly.
"...yeeeess…" he replied in a tiny voice. Ryo snorted and turned back around.
"Whatever. Let's get moving. Sooner we get this over with, sooner crisis can be averted and-" Ryo grumbled. Kento moved to follow but paused and stood stock still, eyes wide and eyebrows raised.
"Wait!...I hear something!" Ryo glanced over his shoulder to see Kento turn to the side. "C'mon, this way!" Ryo frowned in exasperation when Kento took off running through the brush. He raised an eyebrow when he thought he could hear sound as if from an instrument and Kento made an exaggerated dive into the bushes and peeked out at a clearing surrounding a cluster of standing stones. Ryo knelt down close by and discreetly pushed down a branch.
They saw flowing fiery red curls spilling over the back and shoulders. Dainty fingers played a set of bagpipes, but it didn't look like the big fat bloated ones Kento remembered from TV. It looked small, almost like a little purse. A woman sat alone on a short stone slab in the middle of the standing stones. She wore a tan blouse with a knit vest over her chest and a long dark-red dress and simple leather slippers. "I don't believe it...It's Mardrena Lockehart!" Ryo whispered.
"I knew this place looked familiar! I remembered the terrain from that one time Tanya went rogue and we had to chase her to Scotland! So that's what Greytorata meant: Protect she who would become Ronin Warrior...but I dunno...are we sure its her? I mean...she looks so...plain…" Ryo made a face and glanced at Kento. "I kinda was expecting like this swash-buckling adventur-ess…"
"Keep in mind, this is before she traveled to Japan and gained the Armor of Typhoon from the Ancient. Mardrena formed the lynchpin of the resistance when the Totalitary tried attacking. She convinced the first Ronin Warriors and Dark Warlords to join forces. Maybe that's why she's being targeted…" Ryo's eyes widened when he saw something moving through the bushes on the opposite side of the clearing. They saw several dark figures leaping soundlessly through the forest. "It's them! The shadows Greytorata warned us about!" Ryo hissed and rose to his feet.
"Mardrena! Behind you!" The woman glanced up in alarm and looked over her shoulder in time to see half a dozen black-skinned figures with glowing red eyes and jagged teeth. One rushed towards her, splaying fingers tipped with black claws as long and sharp as daggers. The woman tossed her bagpipes to the ground and reached for the right side of her skirt. Ryo heard the scrape of metal against stone as she rose from her seat. The woman let out a throaty bellow and from seemingly nowhere pulled a long iron broadsword from under the folds of her skirt and swung up, cleaving the advancing shadow from groin to head in one stroke then using the momentum of her swing to strike the next nearest one from the shoulder to the hip. The two shadows exploded into black oily liquid that splattered against the grass, hissing and steaming before evaporating briefly.
"Damn! I dunno what a swath is but she just cut one!" Kento remarked as the woman's actions caused the remaining shadows to hesitate. The woman backed up against one of the standing stones as the shadows resumed their approach. One of them slipped off to the side and behind the megalith, pressing its palms against the upper half and tipping it forward with unnatural ease. "MARD! WATCH OUT!" Kento shouted and dashed forward, pushing Mardrena out of the way of the toppling megalith. Mardrena didn't see Kento as she stumbled to the side. Kento braced his palms against it, but in his haste to save the woman, forgot he currently lacked the enhanced strength of his Armor. "Whoa! WHOA!" Kento yelped as the megalith sagged forward, seemingly burying him.
"KENTO!" Ryo screamed in horror at the sight. He glanced back at Mardrena sharply when she heard her cry and saw the shadows surrounding her, clutching her by her arms. "GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ryo shrieked and lunged, grabbing "folds" of one in his fists and pulling it away and delivering a savage chop to whatever passed for a windpipe to another. Claws raked across his sleeve, just barely missing his unarmored skin. Mardrena slashed up with her sword, lopping off the grasping arm then decapitating the offending shadow. Ryo placed himself between the shadows and Mardrena, but the shadows still had them outnumbered three to two.
"Ye have my thanks fer takin' my side, lad, but I fear 'tis may be th' end o' us both," Mardrena drawled solemnly as the shadows closed in. Ryo grit his teeth, mentally scrambling for options.
"Step aside, Ronin Leader! Neither you nor the Geod will stand in our way!" one of the shadows hissed. Ryo scowled, wondering why the word sounded like "gi-odd" instead of "god".
All eyes snapped back to the fallen megalith when a groaning roar erupted from under the ground. The giant stone column shifted in place then rose off of the ground, grass and dirt flaking off of the corners. The surviving shadows watched aghast as a tall figure hefted the megalith overhead before slamming it down right on top of them as easily as driving a stake into garden soil, splattering the shadows into puddles of black fluid. "Yeah, see how you like getting buried," Kento-fully transformed- growled and slapped his hands together casually, brushing dirt from his palms.
"KENTO!" Kento blinked and looked at Ryo, who shrugged and held up his hands in exasperation.
"What? Hey, I had a freaking megalith fall on top of me! What was I supposed to do?"
"Stuff is going to fall on you, you should learn to avoid it!"
"Well easy for you to say! You're-uhhh…" Kento pointed a claw at Ryo accusingly at first before trailing off and staring to the side of him. Ryo blinked and glanced over his shoulder at Mardrena.
"...hi…" Ryo waved a hand weakly. "Um...you're probably wondering about my friend here. Well...you see, he's...he's from...um...he's a…uh…" Ryo stammered.
"He's one of th' Am Fear Liath Mor...a Gray Man o' th' Mountain…" she whispered in awe. Ryo and Kento exchanged awkward glances.
Just run with it.
"Yeah!" Kento replied and made a thumbs up before pointing at Mardrena and nodding matter-of-factly. The woman raised an eyebrow before sheathing her sword and pulling the folds of her skirt back over it, smoothing the cloth under her belt.
"Well, ye have my thanks. I dinnae what wights would want wit' me, but I owe ye all th' same."
Her accent is thick! It's worse than Cye's! Kento grimaced.
Dude! Ryo glanced at Kento sharply.
"I s'pose I shall be on my way," the woman stooped down to retrieve her satchel and bagpipes.
"We'll come with you!" Ryo blurted out. Mardrena eyed him skeptically. "Uh...well, we're on a mission! You see, our clan elders tasked us with hunting down these creatures. You might be a target of theirs, so it makes sense for us to keep watch." Mardrena weighed the offer then smirked.
"Very least I can offer ye food n' lodge fer th' night as payment."
"We'd be honored," Ryo bowed formally. Mardrena threw him a puzzled glance.
"My husband's estate's a ways o'er. Follow me, and bring th' wee beastie wit' ya." With that, Mardrena Lockehart turned around and took off walking, leaving Kento and Ryo staring after her.
"…did...did she just call me a 'wee beastie'?" Kento muttered and made a face.
"Yeaaaahh...Well...beats being called an ogre I guess," Ryo shrugged and followed.
"Hah, I know, right?" Kento chuckled and the two walked after Mardrena Lockehart.
Rowen saw a distant bright light at first as he slowly came to. He propped himself on his palm and felt gravel underneath. He glanced about and spotted Sage lying on the road behind him. He looked back forward at the light when he heard the distinct hum of a motor and as they approached, the bright light became two. Instead of slowing down to investigate the two men lying on the road, the vehicle accelerated. Rowen scrambled to his knees and tried desperately to rouse Sage. He glanced back at the vehicle and caught a glimpse of the drivers through the windshield.
At first glance they appeared like two young men wearing dusty military garb, but as Rowen blinked, he could make out the hideous shadowy forms beneath with red eyes and jagged teeth. "Sage! SAGE! Get up!" Rowen hissed and grabbed Sage by the arm. Both of them wore fatigues instead of Armor and neither had access to the enhanced agility of their sub-armors. The car closed the distance rapidly and Sage pushed himself up on hands and knees in time to see the grille bearing down on him. Rowen sprang up and caught onto the hood. He heard a thump coming from the grille and looked over his shoulder, horrified when he couldn't see Sage anywhere. "SAGE!" Rowen didn't have time to grieve as the shadow behind the wheel clawed at him over the windshield.
Rowen nearly lost his balance and grabbed onto the hood with one hand and clutched at one of the windshield wipers with the other, his legs dangling dangerously close to the front wheel wells. He wrenched the wiper blade out of its socket and let out a growling shout, stabbing the shadow in the chest over the windshield. The shadow in the passenger seat pulled out a long knife and tried to stab Rowen, but the vehicle swerved just slightly enough to startle it and Rowen leaned over the windshield, grabbing the wheel with his hands and lashing out to kick the shadow in the face with enough force to nearly pancake its head against the headrest. As the remains of the first shadow dribbled down off the seat, Rowen slid behind the wheel and snagged the passenger shadow's head with one ankle and drove his heel against its chin hard enough to snap the neck at a cruel angle. The body withered upon itself into a puddle of black goo in the seat that began steaming and shrinking.
Rowen mashed his foot down on the brake pedal and brought the vehicle to a screeching halt. He gave the controls a cursory glance before putting it into park. He sat there several moments, heart beating wildly. "Sage...Sage! Sage!" Rowen jumped out of the seat and ran over to examine the grille.
"...c-c-can...I...let...go...p-p-please…" Sage croaked from where he clung to the grille, fingers woven tightly through the metal frame and toes braced against the bumper. "I-I-In c-case you've forgotten, I-I've kind of had bad experiences when it comes to cars…" Sage whimpered, looking badly shaken. Rowen shook his head in disbelief and wiped his palm against his face, chuckling briefly.
"Yeah, you're clear. They're dead," he assured. Sage promptly released his mortal grip on the grille and landed on the road with a soft thump. Rowen leaned down and grabbed his wrist to help him to his feet. "Guessing those were the shadows Greytorata warned us about."
"Where are we anyway?" Sage glanced about. Only the headlights cut through the nighttime gloom.
"I'd say somewhere in 1940's England. Greytorata said something about a 'flight into fate' and 'mankind's bloodiest war'." Rowen walked walked over to the driver-side door and leaned in, examining the front and back seats. "Ah, here's something…" he picked up a pair of folders. "Looks like transfer and ID papers...and a map to a nearby airbase. They were impersonating some new recruits: 'Jacob Markham and David Bahmert'. We'll have to assume these identities if we're to complete our mission." As Rowen spoke, Sage circled around to the passenger side and opened the door and searched for the glove compartment. He popped it open and rifled through the contents. He let out a satisfied grunt as he found what looked like a small leather case.
"Sounds good. I'll be Jacob, you can be David," Sage stated as he tucked the case under one arm and searched in the back seat, rummaging between and under the seats.
"What? I don't sound like a David!"
"You don't have a choice. That's who you were in the recording," Sage argued and fished out what looked like a loose hubcap. He rubbed his sleeve over it, giving it a modest shine before nodding in approval. Rowen seated himself behind the steering wheel and examined the map. He remained so engrossed in studying the route the shadows had marked he didn't notice Sage walk off the road and behind a stand of trees. "Who do you think they work for, anyway? These things?"
"If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that dark goddess Eyurodin warned us about. She failed to destroy us with the spacequake. Maybe this is round two for her? Attack the past and destabilize the future? If their targets are Dais and Danae's fathers, that'd be the way to do it. Dais wouldn't have been reborn into the modern realm and Danae's family wouldn't be around to help us in all our big battles. These shadows might look like demons, but I bet they're some sort of complex mechanical construct designed for infiltration. They're pretty fragile, if you ask me. Doesn't take much to kill'em…"
Rowen raised an eyebrow when he heard a curious sound. He looked over his shoulder, trying to identify it: like a metallic snipping and soft crunching. His eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet and ran towards the tree he'd seen Sage walk behind. A small pile of golden hair sat on the ground with more bits drifting down. Rowen's jaw dropped when he saw Sage standing there facing the polished hubcap he'd mounted on a protruding branch. In one hand he held a small pair of scissors and used his free hand to comb his hair as he trimmed it bit by bit.
"Sage! What the heck are you doing!?" Rowen exclaimed. Sage glanced at him nonchalantly.
"What? It's too thick for me to slick down. You saw that photo. If we're going to play the role, we have to look the part," Sage replied calmly, taking the self-inflicted desecration of his hair in stride. Another lock tumbled down his shoulders. "You'll have to do something about your hair too. You had dark hair in that picture. You'd stand out too much otherwise…" Not even the signature wave over his eye went unscathed, since Kento had mentioned seeing both eyes. Rowen opened his mouth to protest then closed it and blew air out his nostrils.
"You're butchering it. Here, lemme help you," Rowen walked over and reached for the scissors. Sage surrendered them quietly and kept still as Rowen pulled off his green shirt and draped it over Sage's shoulders. He nudged Sage to the side and got to work trimming. "You've had it long all your life, must be strange having it cut so short…"
"It is. I just don't want Greytorata getting angry at us for not trying to fit in. What about you?"
"Ehh, there's gotta be something in the car I can use to cook up some crude dye. Won't be pretty but it'll work for the time being. Okay, that looks much better." Rowen grabbed Sage's arms and turned him to face the hubcap. "What'd you think?" Sage grimaced at his appearance.
"I look like you, except blond," he grumbled. Rowen gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder.
"Then it's an improvement!" he smirked cheerfully before reclaiming his shirt. The two walked back to the idle vehicle with Sage taking the driver's seat and Rowen settling in the passenger side. "I guess you're more comfortable behind the wheel of a car than infront, eh?" Rowen teased, eliciting an eyeroll from Sage as he started the engine and they took off down the road.
Cye stirred and peeled his cheek away from a cushioned surface. Sunlight shone through an open shutter, occasionally broken by the shadows of passersby. He blinked dust out of his eyes and sat up, bracing his hands against the floor, but his right hand brushed against folds of silk. He looked down and blushed, making a strangled croak in his throat when he realized he'd inadvertently touched Tanya's backside. The Lady Ronin had yet to rouse from unconsciousness. Cye glanced down at himself, noticing the antiquated finery they wore. He glanced around the small room with its modest furnishings of wall scrolls and potted plants. "Sow deeply the seeds of ambition, and ensure the Mild Man becomes the Dark Emperor"...what did Greytorata mean by that?
"THE *censored* IS THIS *censored*!" Cye flinched and looked over his shoulder at Tanya as she finally awakened and sat up on one side. The pink bands that normally secured her ponytails had vanished and her black hair hung loosely down her shoulders and back. "Whoever put this *censored* bathrobe on me is gonna-" Tanya started to open the front of the garment. Her eyes widened when she glanced down and promptly pulled it closed tightly and clamped her arms over her stomach. She whispered something through clenched teeth Cye couldn't quite hear at first.
"I'm sorry, what?" Cye raised an eyebrow, puzzled. Tanya bunched her shoulders and clenched folds of silk between her fingers, her knuckles going white.
"...I-I-I'm…not...wearing...anything...under...this…" she choked, her jaw quivering. Cye had forgotten how much of a prude she could be despite her coarse attitude. With any other person, in any other situation, the attire would look quite flattering, but Tanya looked extremely uncomfortable, almost nauseous. Cye grimaced uneasily and rubbed the back of his head.
"Umm...yeah...err...underthings weren't exactly...a thing back in the day...when are we anyhow? I'm not exactly a history buff, and I can tell we're in ancient Japan, I just don't know when…" Cye examined the room for anything that could give a date or location.
"What I'm trying to figure out is why the hell did we get stuck together? We don't exactly mesh well," Tanya found the ends of a sash and wrapped it around her waist snugly.
"I think I have an idea why…" Cye grumbled and scowled. "Greytorata saddled you with me as payback: because I mentally flipped her off when I saw her." Tanya regarded Cye wide-eyed at first.
"PAH HAH HAH! Brit's lucky to have a guy with as big a pair as yours!" she crowed.
"What!?" Cye squawked in protest. The two glanced toward the window when they heard excited voices from outside and shadows rushed past. "Something's going on out there...listen, you stay here while I go scout around. Just-try your best to look demure," Cye advised as he headed toward the door. Tanya fumed and blew air up through her bangs but remained kneeling on the floor while Cye slid the door open and crept outside, closing it shut behind him.
Greytorata apparently had deposited the two of them in a remote village. Civilians had gathered outside their dwellings along a main thoroughfare in anticipation of something. Cye crept along the wall, doing his best to stay out of sight and dashed between buildings, circling around and running parallel to the road, glancing back occasionally. It looked like a procession of some sort moving through the village. I don't recognize any of this...if I had to take a guess, I'd say we're almost a thousand years in the past...maybe even further! Cye pressed against a wall and peered around a corner, spotting a column of robed men moving down the road. They almost look like monks...but way different from the Clan of the Ancients...predecessors, perhaps?
Cye spotted a cluster of crates and barrels stacked against the wall. Greytorata may have denied them use of Armor, but he still had his training and agility and nimbly made his way to the tiled roof to get a better vantage. Sure enough, he could see robed men walking in double file, their garb not nearly as neat and sophisticated as that worn by Kaosu. Cye scooted close to a jutting corner, keeping low. All eyes seemed to be on the procession. The 'Mild Man'...could be anyone in a clan of monks...hellooo...* Cye blinked when he saw a lone figure at the end of the procession.
At a first glance it looked like an unassuming young man, but through the guise, Cye could see a shadowy black figure with glowing black eyes and exposed jagged teeth. The villagers only saw the human facade, but Cye could clearly see the monster underneath. He couldn't see any other shadows: a scout perhaps? Cye scowled and crept back down the roof, dropping down to the ground and tailing the procession as it moved out of the village proper and up a set of sloping stairs. Cye spotted cloth banners along the path and warding scrolls tacked to trees. They seemed to be heading towards a temple built atop a hill. The monks slowly filed through the gates.
Cye sprang out from the bushes and throttled the shadowy impostor from behind, dragging it off the path and into the bushes. Hisses, scrapes, and gurgles erupted from the brush before ending with a rattling hiss then subsiding altogether. Cye sprang back out, clad in robes with the hat pulled low over his brow and took the place at the rear of the procession with none the wiser. He spotted a handful of guards standing watch at the gate. A shudder went through his body as for a split second he thought he saw not mortal men wearing lacquered armor, but Dynasty Soldiers.
The monks began filing into rows in a well-tended courtyard lined with statuary and scrolls. Cye took a position towards the rear and did his best to look inconspicuous. All eyes remained on the entrance to the central structure. This is...definately way farther than a thousand years in the past...where the heck did Greytorata drop us?* Cye frowned, feeling uneasy about the surroundings.
"My brothers!" Cye's gaze snapped forward as a lithe figure strode out onto the porch. "Today marks the end of much work and preparation and the beginning of the final stage of our efforts. Soon, all of our labors will bear the fruit of peace, prosperity, and security for all the land during this tumultuous time!" The shrill proclamation came from a thin man with brilliant eyes. Cye thought he recognized Kaosu at first, but while the Ancient he knew looked ageless, this man looked quite different with dark grey hair flecked with white and wrinkles lining his eyes and mouth. An ancestor, most likely. "In this time of uncertainty, we must prepare for the future. We must build a pillar of security for our people and our land. Our finest artisans have finished their greatest masterpiece. Behold! The Guardian Armor!" the man stepped aside grandly and held his hands clasped over his waist as the doors slid open. A quartet of attendants emerged carrying something on a litter.
Cye's breath caught in his throat when he saw the gilded suit. Pearl, bronze, and gold leaf adorned the shoulders, waist, and helmet. The faces of benevolent spirits decorated the knees and the center of the wing-shaped plate mounted on the chest. Two curved silver crests jutted up from the top of the helmet. A set of six blades jutted out from the back and two smaller swords rest in the 'mouths' of the spirits adorning the knees. The hair on the back of Cye's neck stood on end when his eyes fell upon the face mask. Despite being empty, it seemed almost smug, reminiscent of the old Inferno Armor.
"The final blessings must still be cast and the Armor properly infused before a champion can be appointed," another voice spoke, this one stentorian compared to the other. Cye's gaze snapped to the side and he spotted another monk stride forth. The hair looked lighter than the previous speaker and he stood nearly a full head taller. His face looked more deeply etched with age but he carried himself proudly with a deep chest and broad shoulders. He smiled and tilted his wide chin up slightly. "What we have wrought will stand as the greatest defense mankind has against the evils lurking beyond our lands, and indeed beyond this Mortal Realm. No invader nor demon shall withstand its might!" The monks assembled didn't throw up their hats or cheer but instead bowed and uttered solemn prayers. Cye hastily bowed his head and mumbled idly but kept glancing up from under the brim of his hat at the gilded armor and the tall man. It made sense to him now. It made terrible, numbing sense…
"Sow deeply the seeds of ambition, and ensure the Mild Man becomes the Dark Emperor..." Cye gulped, feeling sick at the thought as he gazed upon the Armor and the man standing proudly beside it. Thangiens would refer to him as Ouagli the Demon King, but Cye knew him by a different name…
The rickety wooden doors creaked open as Mardrena pushed them inward. "T'aint much, but I hope ye find it to yuir likin'," she purred as she gestured inside the stable. "Oh...one thing…" Ryo and Kento paused as they prepared to walk past. Mardrena turned to face them and placed a hand on her hip. "...Why d'ye keep callin' me Mardrena? My name 'tis Murdina…" Ryo's eyes widened in alarm.
"Uh...well...uh...that's...that's just how our elder pronounced your name...you know, when we set off on our...mission…" Ryo threw an accusing glare over his shoulder at Kento and elbowed him sharply. Kento shrugged apologetically. "Murdina" raised an eyebrow skeptically before waving dismissively.
"Bah. Settle in an' make yuirselves comfortable. I'll bring ye some neeps n' tatties."
"...What's a 'neep'?" Ryo asked, bewildered.
"…What's a 'tattie'?" Kento made a face. Murdina returned shortly with wooden plates heaped high with a concoction of pulverized turnips and potatoes that smelled quite heavenly.
"Ohhh…'neeps n' tatties'…" Ryo remarked as he and Kento seated themselves on the straw-strewn floor of the shed. Murdina presented them with their plates and utensils.
"An' an extra special treat fer ye two: Haggis!" Murdina set down a small steaming kettle filled with small lumps of meat wrapped in a translucent lining.
"...what's 'haggis'?" Ryo blinked uneasily.
"OOOOOHH! Spiced sheep stomach cooked to perfection!" Kento beamed, looking like a giddy kid despite being in Avatar form, drawing an awkward glance from Ryo.
"I'll be takin' my leave then. My husband...will be home shortly," Murdina averted her gaze, sounding almost hesitant before shutting the stable door behind her. Kento had already tweaked one of the lumps out of the pot and deposited it on his plate.
"Hey, you want some?" he pointed a claw at the kettle.
"...I'm good," Ryo nodded, grimacing, and Kento helped himself to another pouch before digging in to his meal. He'd need the extra calories in his state… Ryo took a hesitant bite of his meal and raised an eyebrow, humming in approval of the modest dish.
"This is so cool, we get to meet her before she became famous!"
"And it's our job to make sure she's able to. We were lucky this time around. It's going to be difficult without our Armors. At this point in history, Talpa's staging his second invasion. The Nine are already in use halfway across the world."
"What about our AnimArmors? Couldn't Greytorata at least let us use those?"
"I don't have my insignia ring, do you?" Ryo held up his hand and splayed his fingers. Kento looked down at his ring finger.
"Hmm...guess Greytorata removed it…but how come? No one should be using them, right?"
"...they haven't been created yet!" Ryo frowned thoughtfully and shook his fork at Kento. "Remember what Kayura said? The Continentals were intended to be a counterbalance incase the Dark Warlords couldn't be convinced to defect. I'm betting you were still able to transform because that's a physical ability, not a magical one. That should come in handy, at least. You'll be able to detect them."
"Uhh...yeah...about that...um...I can't sense them…" Kento paused in eating a mouthful of haggis.
"Huh? What do you mean 'you can't sense them'?!" Ryo demanded sharply.
"I can't!" Kento admitted and shrugged. "Unless they're right on top of us, I can't hear or smell them. It's like…" Kento set his plate down in his lap and raised both hands, holding his palms close together. "They're there...but they're not, ya know what I mean?" He moved his hands from one side to the other. Ryo averted his gaze and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Like they don't quite exist in reality…"
"The only time I can really smell them is when they're dead."
"Really? What do they smell like?"
"Well...it's weird…but...well...they...they kind of smell mechanical…" Kento remarked, wrinkling his white eyebrows. Ryo frowned, not sure what to make of that.
"That's another thing that bothers me...what Greytorata said: 'I am of the same race, but not affiliated with them'. 'Gods' don't have 'races': They're gods!"
"Well some do. In other mythologies, y'know. There's storm and earth gods."
"...Maybe...but something just doesn't fit right. The shadows attacking Mard-uh, Murdina said something weird. They didn't call Greytorata a 'god', they said 'gi-odd'."
"You caught that too? What do you suppose they meant by that?"
"I'm not sure...but that's not the first time I've heard that…There's no such thing as a Thangien 'Goddess of Time' that we know of..." Ryo blinked and glanced up when he noticed Kento stiffen in his seat suddenly. "What's up?" Kento didn't answer and set his plate to the side. Ryo thought it unusual Kento would abandon a meal half-finished. He glanced from Kento to the doors and wrinkled his brow, puzzled. "What, are the shadows attacking Murdina again?"
"I'm not-" Kento began and rose to one knee and narrowed his eyes. He looked alert but not alarmed. "Sure…" Kento mumbled and frowned. Ryo couldn't hear anything from where he sat.
Ryo jumped in his seat-nearly upending his plate in his lap-when Kento sprang to his feet abruptly and let out a bellowing shriek, eyes blazing white. Animals deeper in the stables stamped about in their enclosures, echoing his distress. "What!? What's happening?" Ryo demanded.
"HE HIT HER! THAT BASTARD! I'LL KILL HIM!" Kento roared, claws splayed, hair bristled, and body tensed ready to plow straight through the stable walls.
"Kento, stop! Whatever's happening, if it isn't shadows, we can't interfere!" Ryo argued. Kento looked on the verge of going into his "berserker" state.
"BUT HE'S HURTING HER!" Kento snarled, rattling growls issuing from his throat.
"Kento, calm down. Please," Ryo ordered sternly. Greytorata wouldn't appreciate Kento ripping Murdina's asshole husband to pieces, however justified. Kento seemed to wrestle with himself, his body shaking and his teeth bared. "Kento, sit down. Kento…" Ryo felt embarrassed talking to Kento as if chiding Whiteblaze, but he couldn't think of any other way to stop him. "Kento, please. Sit down," Ryo reiterated. Kento's growling abated and his eyes dimmed, but his pupils remained contracted. Eventually reason won over rage and Kento relaxed and slowly sank back onto the floor. "Jeez, Kento! Don't do that! You can't go off like that!" Ryo scolded.
"I KNOW! I know!" Kento raised a hand and waved at Ryo, squeezing his eyes shut. "It's just...you didn't hear what I heard…" Kento muttered. Just because she forgot to pick some stupid herb! Kento ignored his unfinished plate-he couldn't even think about food after hearing what just happened. He frowned sadly: it would break Tanya's heart to see her mentor like this….
"...What the hell did you use on your hair?"
"A mixture of motor oil, shoe polish, water, and sap."
"...it stinks to High Heaven…"
"Well considering this is an airbase, it should blend in just fine with the smells here, okay Mister Courteous?" A sentry standing watch at a gate station raised an eyebrow when the vehicle rolled up to the striped bar. He made a face when he noticed the battered condition of the hood, grille, and windshield. "Had a bit of a mishap on the road here," a young man with dark hair shrugged.
"Ah, yup, gots ta be careful out there 'specially at night. Les jus see yer papers," the sentry came around to the driver side where a young man with short golden hair handed over two folders. They'd taken the precaution of removing the photos of the deceased impostors. "Everythin's in order. Saviors' barracks is at the far end of the strip. Third on the left. Capn's out at briefing, they'll be over shortly," with that, the sentry stepped out of the way and the striped bar gate lifted up jerkily, allowing the vehicle to proceed. They passed by a number of parked aircraft with several of the smaller fighters adorned with colorful paintings. One looked like St. Michael the Archangel-spear in hand- descending upon a coiled dragon with short black hair and a tiny moustache. Another looked like a stylized version of a Byzantine seraph with one pair of wings spread behind the back, the second draping over the shoulders, and the third folded infront of the waist of a humanoid figure holding aloft a flaming sword. They came to a stop infront of a building marked with the emblem of a silver angel holding a trumpet.
Sage cut the engine and the two "recruits" took out their things and stepped onto the pavement. "Here goes nothing…" Rowen muttered and the two walked over to the door.
"Bah, I don't see why Gage bothered gettin' transfers this late."
"Well Merck's still laid up in th' infirmary, we need someone'll pick up th' slack."
"All I says they better be good, last thing we need is a pair of wet-behind-the-ears-" all eyes inside the barracks turned to the door when it swung inward and two young men stepped inside. The young man with short golden hair sneezed abruptly and rubbed his nose with his shirt cuff.
"Hi!" the young man with short black hair greeted cheerfully and waved.
"Ahh, ya must be the two new guys! We was just talkin' abouts ya. Name's Harwin! Pleasure!" a reedy-looking man extended a hand in greeting, grinning with a mouth full of teeth seemingly ready to leap out of his gums at a moment's notice. Rowen returned the gesture heartily.
"David Bahmert," he offered, using the assumed identity.
"Jacob Markham," Sage added as he extended his own greetings.
"Seems like these two'll fit in jus fine aroun' here, right Ellis?" Harwin grinned over his shoulder at the burly rusty-haired man big enough to make Kento look skinny. Ellis harrumphed irritably.
"Heeeyooo!" Rowen jumped when he felt something behind his back and looked over his shoulder to see a young man tweak something out of his rucksack. "New guys were gracious enough to bring us a book brimmin' with buxom belles!" the man leaned over to an identical-looking young man and flipped the magazine open and held it sideways. Ellis sauntered over and leaned close.
"Those two jokers are the Twins, Phillip n' Collin," Harwin stated as the three pilots ogled over the pilfered magazine, appraising each page.
"Hey, you're not so bad after all, kid," Ellis complimented and glanced at Rowen.
"That's not mine!" Rowen squawked, blushing.
"David, I didn't know you were the type," Sage teased.
"Lay off, Sage!" Rowen snapped angrily. Sage grimaced and Rowen's eyes widened in realization.
"'Sage'?" Harwin raised an eyebrow. Rowen sputtered for a moment.
"Eh, it's my nickname for him. He's always jawin' about doom n' gloom an' such," Rowen drawled, laying it on thick and casually jerked a thumb at "Jacob".
"'The battle is always darkest before the dawn. Dangers within are more perilous than those without'," Sage rattled off cryptically. Harwin seemed to accept that and nodded.
"Hey, you're from State-side, right? Where ya from? New York?" he asked.
"Osa-" Rowen began before Sage gave him a not-so-subtle jab in the ribs. "…Brooklyn."
"There's two bunks down at th' end there. Don't mind Victor, I'm sure he'll appreciate the company," Harwin gestured into the barracks where a dour-faced man-easily twice the age of the other pilots-leaned against the far wall. Rowen and Sage walked over and set down their things, offering a brief greeting to Victor who seemed entirely disinterested with the antics of his fellow pilots and remained brooding in his own corner of the barracks.
"That was far too close. We can't afford to slip up like that," Sage admonished under his breath.
"I know, I know...It's just weird…" Rowen admitted and glanced at the Twins and Ellis still engrossed with the pin-up magazine. The doors to the saviors swung open and the pilots nearest the entrance scrambled to stand at attention. Victor peeled himself away from the wall as well.
"Saviors!" a deep voice boomed. Rowen and Sage jumped to their feet and saluted along with the rest of the pilots. "SIRS!" The others barked in unison. Sage leaned forward slightly to get a look.
He'd only ever heard stories about the shrine on the grounds of the House of St'lur, but Aleksander Vanstandtvoort seemed every bit larger-than-life as his likeness in stone. He kept his brown hair trimmed short and sported a neat handlebar moustache. He had his flight jacket zipped up halfway with the furry collar draping over his broad shoulders. An embroidered patch portraying St. Michael adorned the chest. His hair grazed the top of the doorway as he sauntered inside with another man beside him.
Sage could definitely see the resemblance seeing Gage Wendell in person. He sported pale blonde hair and shrewd icy blue eyes. Despite being shorter than Aleksander, he looked no less intimidating. If Dais inherited audacity from his mother, Gage no doubt contributed his cunning. Gage's eyes roved about the barracks before settling upon the two new "transfers". Sage's breath caught in his throat when it seemed their gazes locked and he nervously turned his gaze forward.
"At ease," Captain Vanstandtvoort waved lazily and the pilots relaxed, remaining at attention and keeping their arms behind their backs. "We'll be heading out tomorrow as soon as the cargo's assembled. Make sure everything's in order and your crafts' operating at peak efficiency," Aleksander stated as he walked down the aisle. He spotted a corner of the pin-up peeking out from behind the Twins and rolled his eyes but said nothing. "Cavaliers'll be flying backup with us." An audible groan arose from the other pilots. "Yes I know Gartlett's an idiot, but orders are orders. Stay focused, first and foremost-" Rowen blinked in mild surprise when Captain Vanstandtvoort came to a stop right infront of him. Rowen found himself fidgeting slightly as he had to look up at the man who stood nearly half a head taller than he. Aleksander leaned close and peered down at Rowen, scowling. Rowen gulped.
"….Son, I highly recommend taking yourself a shower. Your hair is greasy," Aleksander growled sternly then pivoted and walked back up the aisle. Rowen nodded awkwardly and muttered under his breath. "And it stinks to High Heaven!" Sage fought down a snicker. His gaze flicked back towards the door and he frowned when he saw Captain Wendell hadn't taken his gaze off of them. "Newbies!" Rowen and Sage jumped where they stood, startled. "Your designated craft are in the hangar. You might want to give them a once-over, familiarize yourself with them. They're Warhawks, a bit different from what you've flown previously." Rowen and Sage nodded dumbly.
"The Hellcat," Gage drawled, drawing a startled glance from Sage.
"Command's ordered a photo-op before takeoff, so make yourselves presentable in the morning. Dismissed," with that, Captain Aleksander Vanstandtvoort exited the barracks. Most of the other pilots quickly returned to their previous antics. Captain Gage Wendell had yet to leave, however, and his icy glare remained fixed on the two "transfers". He slowly turned to follow Aleksander, but something about the look in his eyes made Sage and Rowen feel uneasy.
Tanya had found something to tie up her hair and remained kneeling on the floor when Cye pushed the sliding door open and closed it behind him. "Geez, Cye? You mug a monk or something?" Cye flicked a glare at her. "Nevermind, forget I asked…" Tanya grimaced, noticing the haunted look on Cye's face. "So, what's it look like out there? What are we dealing with?"
"Those poor fools...they have no idea what they've created...they've poured their hopes and wishes into creating what they see as the ultimate good...they have no idea they've created ultimate evil…"
"Created what? What are you talking about?" Tanya pressed as Cye sat down opposite of her.
"These are ancestors of the original Clan of the Ancients. We're nearly fifteen-hundred years in the past...and there is a man out there...who is destined to become Talpa…"
"'Ensure the Mild Man becomes the Dark Emperor'...So that's what Greytorata meant… Without the original Armor of Darkness, the Nine wouldn't exist, and the Mortal Realm wouldn't have the Ronin Warriors as a line of defense. Okay, sounds pretty cut n' dry. We just keep tabs on Talpa-in-training and make sure nothing happens to him, then." Tanya shrugged nonchalantly.
"How could you say something like that?! Do you have any idea what this means!"
"'Sow deeply the seeds of ambition' seems clear to me. That's our mission, like it or not," Tanya shrugged and wrinkled her brow, shaking her head solemnly.
"To HELL with the bloody mission!" Cye sprang to his feet and lashed his arm to the side. "I'm sick of these situations where there's 'no choice', 'no other way'! There's an innocent man out there we're expected to corrupt, just to 'preserve the timeline'?!"
"Cye...we literally have no other choice! Without Talpa, the Ronin Warriors wouldn't have been able to fight off the Totalitary when they first attacked."
"Maybe the world would be better off without us! For all we know, the Enemy were drawn to Earth by our Armors in the first place! Things might be different for you since you and Mardrena were the only ones who ever wore the Armor of Typhoon," Tanya opened her mouth to speak but Cye didn't seem willing to let her get in a word edgewise and she closed her mouth when he kept ranting. "But do you have any idea how much blood stains the history of the Nine! How many people lost their lives protecting and wearing those-those things! Maybe the world would have turned out differently if there was no Talpa, no Dynasty, no Armors! Maybe we wouldn't have so many enemies crawling out of the woodwork hell bent on attacking everyone we love just to get to us!
"Those misguided fools created their 'Guardian Armor' with the hope that it'd protect them! Don't they see? It's an unending cycle! The pursuit of power for the sake of security just invites greater threats! They're feeding the very evil they claim to oppose! I don't care what that witch Greytorata says! I'll have nothing to do with any of this! Damn her! Damn the 'gods' for thinking it's their 'right' or 'duty' to meddle in the lives of mortals! Damn the 'mission'! I refuse to believe there's 'no other way' or 'no choice'! Not this time!" Cye clenched his fist.
Tanya remained seated and regarded Cye quietly before making a face. "Okay, I take back what I said earlier about you having a pair…" Cye snorted and turned around in a huff, folding his arms over his chest. "Fine, you want to just sit on the sidelines, be my guest. I'll just have to complete the mission myself," Tanya began and rose to her feet, tripping on her gown briefly. "It'll be hard in this getup, though...if you want to stop me, you're welcome to try, but I'll still kick...kick...kick your...your…kick the...crap..." Cye raised an eyebrow when Tanya trailed off and he heard a thump on the floor behind him.
"….Tanya…? Tanya, are you okay?" Cye turned around slowly, frowning. His eyes widened in dawning horror when he saw Tanya lying on her side on the floor. Her body flickered like a faulty TV signal and her eyes stared ahead, her normally vibrant bronze-brown eyes blank.
"...Cye…" she croaked from the back of her throat, too weak to even move.
"Tanya!" Cye screamed and rushed to her side, trying to put a hand on her shoulder only for his fingers to pass through as her body crackled again like grainy static. She's...she's fading out of existence! Oh no...what...what have I done!?
AOD Soundtrack
1. Goddess of Time-Creation of Earth-Thomas Bergersen
2. Cutting a Swath-Moondance-Nightwish
3. Bad Experience With Cars-I'm Shipping up to Boston (Instrumental)-Dropkick Murphys
4. The Guardian Armor-Path of Honor-Groove Addicts
5. Neeps n' Tatties-Lexie's Dipstick-Tartanic
6. The Silver Saviors-Rocky Road to Dublin-The Dubliners
Kento raised his arm to block the incoming slash. He let out a gurgling shriek when the black claws tore straight through his hardened flesh.
"I want you to tell me exactly who you are and what the hell you're doing here…" Sage's eyes widened in shock when Gage drew his sidearm and aimed center-of-mass at Rowen.
Cye glanced over his shoulder at the displayed Armor before shaking his head and returning his gaze forward, wondering why he felt drawn to it.
Ryo's jaw dropped when Murdina pulled out a hook-shaped needle that looked more suitable for stitching leather than skin.
Gage tensed, dreading the hot stinging pain. He opened his eyes and looked to the side to see Sage aiming past him, his eyes fixed on something towards the ceiling.
The man put a hand on the shoulder plate, his face glowing with the pride of a parent with a child. Did the man corrupt the Armor, or the Armor corrupt the man?
Past in Peril
Author's Notes
Roth's parting jab at Cye wasn't necessarily a Fourth Wall Break. This is Greytorata, and we've actually already met her before. She is first referenced in Foes From Another World Ch. 30 as being "older and more powerful" than the Four Queens put together. She makes her first full appearance in Fight Alone Ch. 6 where she is revealed to be the creator of the Prophecy Wall and Blackblaze's silent partner behind the scenes.
This is the first time in a good while I've posted multiple chapters simultaneously, but I felt it'd be better to lay out everything all at once to make it easy to follow along between segments of this mini-arc. These chapters were partially written in some form many years ago, but I had trouble finding a spot for them. They had to occur after the appearance of Roth, but before Spectra, so it made sense to plug them in the middle of Spacequake.
Time travel here follows the "Dragonriders of Pern" rules where certain events are fixed in history, requiring specific intervention to complete the loop. Examples include Lessa bringing the missing weyrs forward, Jaxom rescuing Ramoth's egg, and AIVAS' revelation that Project Overkill had already been set in motion with the Long Intervals.
Ryo and Kento's mission is patterned after the old-school sword-and-sorcery movies of the 80's/90's. Rowen and Sage's segment is an homage to classic military films such as my personal favorite, "Memphis Belle". Funnily enough there's actually official YST artwork depicting the guys in military uniform with Cye and Sage playing cards, Rowen chilling in the back, Ryo sitting at the table observing, and Kento cleaning his nails with a knife. Cye and Tanya's theme is loosely based off of "fish out of water" anime such as Inu-Yasha and other period-pieces.
There's such a plethora of background material that just never made it out of Japan and its a tragedy. As best I've tried to piece things together to fit with the official history, to this day I keep stumbling upon stuff that even Theria's YST Archives doesn't have. It seems like every time I find a site with good information it just poofs and vanishes. There was one site called "Enter the Nether Realm" I found years ago that had lots of screenshots and episode analyses and I bookmarked it and it just up and vanished out of the blue. Another site called "Welcome to Edo" with a lot of lore about the Message Armors shut down seemingly the next day after I found it.
I happened across a site called Toy Prison which seems to have a lot of cool merchandise info and artwork, but its in Japanese and using translate is kind of weird...I had written the scene where the human Talpa is introduced years ago, but when I came across a book cover for one of the old prequels, there's a picture of a man who looks very similar to how I imagined him. The guy does pretty good artwork and I wish I could contact him and commission some pieces.
Summer Camp 2023 is just around the corner, hard to believe so much time's passed. In the downtime between events I've been busy touching up older artwork and making new drawings. I still plan on posting chapters on my World Anvil page and Aftermath has already been written out and can technically be posted at any time, but I don't want to run into a situation where I'm so caught up doing a rewrite of the rewrite that the current story isn't progressing.