GammaTron: *Hiding behind an orichalcum-made wall with SZ, flinching with each slashing 'CLANG' that hit it* We are sorry, okay?! Seriously! Put the brush down, woman! *ducks behind the wall again* Hi, folks. Uh...Long time no see. We decided to come back, but uh...Sonia's livid we took so long.
SZ: Yeah...very much so.
Sonia: *growls in a wolf-like manner*
GT: We blame real life and a lot of different things going on.
SZ: Like games or new stories.
Sonia: SHANNARO! *more slashes hit the wall*
GT: And also me working at night on weekdays. I'm kinda glad for this thing going on since it gives time to touch on old stories.
SZ: Aye...though I may not have as much time myself soon. Gonna try and make video games again.
GT: Cool. Anyways, we don't own Megaman nor Ookami. We do own OCs used in this. *a paper bomb as big as both of us lands between us* ...Clever lady.
SZ: AHH!
*BOOM!*
"That's odd…" Sonia whispered, pacing a bit as she looked at her VG Hunter, "I tried calling sensei, but she's not picking up…"
=Maybe she's taking a night to herself and turned off her VG Hunter= Lyra noted.
"Maybe...especially after what happened the other day," Sonia stated, her ears drooping.
=True. While I'm glad that man won't be around anymore to hurt another woman or young girl, Miyuki seemed to really rely on him= Lyra frowned.
"Hai," Sonia nodded.
=Hmm...I guess you'll just have to practice on transforming on our own= Lyra noted.
"At least all this flipping is helping me improve my balance…" Sonia sighed as she moved to the center of the bedroom and did a backflip, "..." she felt her head and rear, touching the wolf ears and tail, "...Phooey."
=Remember that she said you need to not think about anything while changing= Lyra reminded.
"I can't help it," Sonia pouted.
=...Could it be you're thinking of those outfits you kept that weren't destroyed by all those rats in the fitting room to try on Geo?= Lyra asked, making Sonia's ears and tail shoot up.
"N-n-n-nani?! Iie! Iie!" Sonia argued, shaking her head with her cheeks glowing pink, "Ah mou...I can't stop thinking~"
=...Why not do something relaxing to help clear your mind?= Lyra suggested =Maybe play your guitar? I'll set the volume down to the lowest it can go that will let you hear it while letting the others sleep=
"...M...Maybe…" Sonia whispered before sniffing at herself, "...Maybe a nice cool shower will work, too…"
Omega-Xis narrowed his eyes. Issun narrowed his own back at the FM-Ian. Geo just looked between the two while tilting his head. Omega-Xis reached out...and plucked the top card off a deck in the center of the table and turned it over, revealing a Spade of Ace that he placed beside a Spade of 10, Spade of King, Diamond of King, and Club of King. Issun grunted as he flipped up the two cards before him, revealing Diamond of 10 and Club of 10.
"Three Kings," Issun stated.
"Heh," Omega-Xis smirked, flipping his cards to reveal the Heart of King and a Heart of Ace, "Four of a Kind." they looked over at Geo, "Come on, Geo, show 'em."
"I don't really get this," Geo muttered as he flipped the two cards on his side, revealing a Spade of Jack and Spade of Queen.
"ROYAL STRAIGHT FLUSH?!" both exclaimed before facepalming, groaning, and falling onto their backs.
"...So I did good?" Geo asked.
"Y...yes. You...dang it!" Omega-Xis snapped as he slammed his claws on the table, knocking over the pile of pieces of candy in the middle.
"You are a super lucky guy, Geo!" Issun exclaimed, jumping around with his EM radiation a bright yellow, "Maybe we can use that luck to find another Fudegami for Sonia-hime-sama tomorrow!"
"You're over exaggerating," Geo deadpanned, "But...who knows? We might be able to find one tomorrow."
"All I know is that it better be in some cold place," Omega-Xis huffed, "Getting real tired of the heatwave that happens when she gets 'em."
"Well of course that would happen! Sonia-hime-sama is the reincarnation of Amateratsu, the Goddess of the Sun!" Issun argued, his radiation turning red as he hopped angrily.
"I don't think that'll happen soon," Geo noted.
"Huh?" the two looked at him.
"Well, I've noticed that Sonia and Lyra only change when they find two," Geo noted, "And the last time, she didn't heat up like she did the time before that. All she got was a headache and now she understands animals."
"I still need to ask her what that chihuahua down the street keeps sayin' t' me," Omega-Xis recalled.
"Why?"
"Because I swear that thing is giving me the stink eye while wanting to bitch-slap me hard in the face while screaming 'You EEDIOT!'"
"...This is about the time we had to deliver stuff because our fighting some viruses messed with the delivery system for the post office, isn't it?" Geo deadpanned.
"...maybe."
"Baka-Ryu…"
"Gnat…"
"Guys…" Geo warned, holding up his VG Hunter and Star Carrier.
"We'll be good," both gulped.
"Good…" he sighed as he put them down, "Hopefully, tomorrow will be a good day."
Miyuki just stood outside her bedroom window, an empty look in her eyes as she held a hand against the glass. Her brother...he was alive and in the hands of the enemy. And in order to save him...she would have to go against everything she was taught...she would have to go against her comrades...she would have to go against her student.
=M...Miyuki?= Frost spoke from the VG Hunter =A...are you okay?=
"...No," Miyuki replied, "I'm not…"
=...you're really going to do what my...my sister says, are you?=
"...I...I have to," Miyuki replied as she looked over at a photo on the wall, showing a much younger Miyuki cuddling a small child with both sporting big smiles, "Otherwise, my brother…"
-flashback-
"Onee-chan, I did it! I did it!" a small child sporting Miyuki's hair color cheered, a cat-themed mask over their face, as he and a ten-year-old Miyuki with her own fox mask over her face were in a small clearing.
"Oh? You did? Wanna show me?"
"Uhn! Uhn!" the child nodded as he jumped up and a puff of smoke went off before a kitten with the boy's hair color as its fur color appeared, "Nya!"
"Oh! Kawaii!" Miyuki cooed, hugging the kitten who struggled to get out.
"Nya~" the kitten whined before Miyuki let him go and turned into a tinier version of her current fox form, "(Onee-chan~!)"
"(You were just too cute to not hug)," Miyuki giggled, "(Come on! Let's go play!)"
"(YAY~!)" the kitten cheered as the two ran all over, mock-fighting with one another.
-end flashback-
"I can't lose this chance," Miyuki narrowed her eyes.
Frost whimpered, 'I have a really bad feeling…'
"I see...so you haven't seen her in a while," Ace noted once Geo and Sonia were at HQ late in the afternoon a few days later.
"No, and I'm getting worried," Sonia replied, "We were supposed to practice yesterday on helping me with these…" she motioned to her tail and ears.
"Sonia even tried contacting her, but the number's been blocked," Geo added.
"That is concerning," Ace noted, "Acid, can you detect any signals from her VG-Hunter?"
=Analyzing= Acid replied =The last known signal was from the Grizzly Peaks resort. There is a wrestling event going on there=
"Geo, Sonia, you two head there to see if she's still there," Ace ordered.
"Roger," both replied.
"This is worrying," Issun noted from Geo's shoulder as they ran off to go to Grizzly Peaks, "Miyuki-san being like this is weird. Is she still trying to get over what happened with her former boss and all his dirty business?"
"I hope not…" Geo whispered, "Last thing Sonia needs is blaming herself for what happened…"
"I can hear you two, you know," Sonia spoke.
"Gah! Sonia-tenshinsama's ears are so sensitive!" Issun panicked.
=Heh heh...you got scolded, gnat= Omega-Xis chuckled.
"No I didn't, baka-inu!"
"Guys, I'm alright," Sonia assured, "I'm just worried about finding sensei."
"...we'll find her," Geo assured, putting an assuring hand on her shoulder, "I doubt she was kidnapped...I mean she is your sensei afterall."
"...Hai," Sonia nodded with a smile.
"Hey, what is this place we're going to, anyway?" Issun asked, sitting on Megaman's head as the two Wave Change humans went along the Wave Roads.
"The Grizzly Peaks Resort," Megaman answered, "It's a vacation spot located in the mountains."
=Last time we were there, we took down this Yeti bastard that was causing avalanches to make the place shut down= Omega-Xis added.
"Yeti?"
=Big white furry gorilla=
"Oh! An inverted Hibagon!" Issun noted.
"A what?" Megaman asked.
"A Hibagon is a black creature with white hands and large white feet, standing about five feet tall," Issun explained as he pulled out a scroll and painted a sumi-e of what he was describing, "They kinda look like gorillas with huge noses, large deep glaring eyes and are covered with bristles." he finished and tapped it with his hammer, making it grow to full size and Lyra Note caught it.
"Wow. That is kinda intimidating," Lyra Note noted.
"Oh it was. And this Yeti sounds almost exactly like it."
=Given it was from that Mu place, it was= Omega-Xis snorted.
"MU?!" Issun exclaimed, nearly falling off.
"You know about Mu?" Lyra asked.
"Yes! Skye found some really old scrolls that talked about it and that back when this country was known as Japan, the Kami banded together to beat them away from here but good!" Issun informed.
"Eh?" Lyra Note blinked a few times.
"Yep! They may have had advanced technology, but there is a saying: 'Magic must defeat Magic,'" Issun replied, "The mystical powers of the Kami of Japan were too much for the advanced technology of the Murians."
=...heh Well we were too much for them as well= Omega-Xis smirked =We took down their god using those Three Tribe Artifacts combined=
"Y-wait. Three?" Issun repeated, "But...There were five Tribes."
"Excuse you?" Lyra asked.
"Yeah. From what the scrolls Skye found said, the Murians were of five Tribes: Saurian, Zerker, Ninja, Pirate, and Angel," Issun informed.
"Wait...so...there were two more?" Megaman blinked.
"Seems like it," Issun shrugged before he noticed snow falling, "Eh? But it's summer. Why's it snowing?"
"We're getting close," Lyra Note replied as the two stopped to look out at a large snow-covered ski resort, "See? This is Grizzly Peaks, a famous ski resort that uses EM Technology to create snow for a year-long resort."
"Oh~" Issun awed, "Wait...So they changed the weather here? But what about the nature that was here before that?"
=Huh?= Omega-Xis pondered.
"The birds, the animals, the trees. What about them?" Issun asked.
"That is true…" Lyra Note noted.
"I read about it. The trees here are all natural evergreens," Megaman explained.
"That one may be true, but what about the animals that don't like the winter weather that used to live here?" Issun asked, "Animals are just as important to nature as trees are, but if one is to survive...it needs the other being able to survive the environment it's in."
"A balance of sorts," Lyra noted.
"Exactly," Issun replied, "Honestly, if there was a Guardian Sapling here...How long has this been a thing?"
"The all year snow? About ten years now," Megaman replied.
"Ten years?! Ohh...If there was a Guardian Sapling here, the disharmony of the land caused by this constant winter weather would probably make it revert to a sapling and cause the area to be engulfed in darkness like in that forest near Alohaha."
"Or that garden before we met you," Megaman recalled.
"Exactly!" Issun exclaimed while crossing his arms over his chest, "Nature exists in a balance. If the balance is disturbed too much, discord will form. It may all look neat and amazing, but you have to also think about what happens with those that live here long before the structures: The spirits of the land and the animals and plants. While things may seem fine for now, eventually the repercussions will make themselves known and they will do so with a force that cannot be ignored."
"...That's...actually a good point," Lyra Note spoke, "A lot of things could happen sooner or later."
"True," Megaman agreed, "Though...We'll have to talk about it later. Right now, we need to find Miyuki."
"Hai."
=The winner is the Snow Kyuubi, Miyuki Nanaya!= the announcer called out as Miyuki got off her opponent, dressed in her wrestling gear as she stood up =Give her a round of applause for...l-leaving the ring without waving to the crowd?=
Miyuki said nothing as she stepped out of the ring, grabbing the offered robe as she avoided looking at the cameras and crew. As she walked out, she grabbed her VG-Hunter from a table before stepping outside, letting the cool air hit her skin as the sun started setting.
=M-Miyuki…= Frost spoke up =D...Did you not like doing th-that?=
"I can't even enjoy one of my favorite activities…" she sighed, 'Knowing Sonia...she'll be here any moment to search for me…'
=...Miyuki...I…=
"Sensei!"
"...Right on time," Miyuki whispered, her hair shadowing her eyes just as Lyra Note and Megaman landed near her, reverting to their human forms.
"We've been looking everywhere for you and Frost," Sonia noted in worry.
=Eh? M-Me, too?=
=Hai= Lyra nodded
"Miyuki, what's going on?" Geo asked, "We haven't been able to contact you or anything these past few days."
"We all really missed you!" Issun added, his radiation light blue, "So what's going on?!"
=...It's not because of that fat bastard, was it?= Omega-Xis asked.
"Mega!= the other four exclaimed with wide eyes.
=What?!=
"...It's...complicated…" Miyuki whispered, not daring to stare at them, "Gomen but...you need to leave...now."
"Leave?"
"Yes...please leave now before…" Miyuki paused, gritting her teeth for a moment.
"...S-Sensei?" Sonia spoke, cautiously taking a step forward.
"...Wave Change," Miyuki whispered, a tornado of ice covering her for a moment as she became Blizzard Kyuubi, "Gomen, Reincarnation of the Sun Goddess...but you and your comrade…" she raised her head, showing the cold empty look in her eyes as she made a hand sign, "Need to die."
"?!" the two tensed before they were suddenly blown back by a fierce blizzard.
"Ah! N-Nani?!" Issun freaked, holding onto Geo's hair to not be blown away, "What is she doing?!"
=She's snapped! I knew foxes were bad news!= Omega-Xis freaked.
"Transcode 003/004! Wave Change!" the two shouted before transforming and changing frequencies to get onto the Wave Roads.
"Nani kore?!" Lyra Note exclaimed as Blizzard Kyuubi got onto them.
"..." Blizzard Kyuubi held a hand up before thrusting it ahead.
The snow below erupted upwards and shot at the two in tendrils of frozen water, forcing the two to jump out of the way as the empowered snow shattered the part of the Wave Road they were on.
"Not good…" Megaman whispered, looking around the area, "We're at a huge disadvantage out here."
"...No escape," Blizzard Kyuubi whispered, placing a hand on the ground before a wall of ice blocked the entrance to the building, more starting to form around the area as they began to form into a large dome of ice, "Ice Craft: Birdcage."
"?!" the two looked around with wide eyes.
"Surprised?" she asked, "I've been practicing with Frost to master our change. As long as you remain in this cage I've created…" claws of ice began to form on her hands as her eyes became slit, "There is no hope of escaping this blizzard."
"Wait! Wh-Why are you doing this?" Megaman asked, "Can't we just talk this out?"
"Oh please…" a soft giggled came out as Vulpecula appeared beside Blizzard Kyuubi, "Talking is such a boring thing to do. Outside of pillow talk, that is."
"AHH! NOT YOU AGAIN!" Omega-Xis freaked, quickly hiding in Megaman's buster arm.
"Remember what was agreed upon," Vulpecula quietly spoke to Blizzard Kyuubi, "An intact Omega-Xis and the other three dead...and you get him."
"Him?" Lyra Note repeated, her ears managing to hear it, while Vulpecula changed frequencies to watch from the ground.
"...Understood, Vulpecula-sama," Blizzard Kyuubi whispered, raising her hands as three-pronged spears of ice began to form in the air above her, "Ice Craft: Partisan."
"?!" the two barely jumped out of the way as the spears shot at them and struck the Wave Road instead, instantly freezing it.
"Please tell me you brought some Custom Cards," Megaman whispered to Lyra Note, pulling out a few fire-based Battlecards.
"Hai, demo…" Lyra Note paused, pulling out a few BattleCards herself, "I need to be careful on who I summon with the character ones…"
=KILL THEM WITH RYNO!= Omega-Xis shouted.
"...Okay, no taking advice from Baka-Ryu right now," Issun advised, "Still can't believe that she would work with that crazy kitsune."
"...No. It's not willingly," Lyra Note spoke, earning their attention, "Just as she was leaving, I heard mention of a 'him'..."
"...Meaning she's being forced," Megaman realized.
"Boy, whoever this 'him' is must be really someone important," Issun noted before screaming, "GIANT ICE BALL OF SPIKES!"
"Giant wh-OH GEEZ!" the two yelped, seeing massive spiked balls of ice coming towards them.
"Predation; Fire Wave!" Megaman shouted, quickly predating the card and slammed his hand on the ground, causing a wave of flames to erupt from the ground and hit the ice, creating a wall of steam between them.
"...Ice Craft: Snowhawk," Blizzard Kyuubi's voice spoke as a large hawk made of snow and ice burst from the wall of steam.
"Ahh!" Lyra Note yelped as she and Megaman jumped out of the way, landing in the snow below to dodge the attack.
"Ice Craft…" Blizzard Kyuubi spoke as she jumped down and slammed a hand on the ground, creating a tiger that charged, "Tiger!" as Megaman and Lyra Note began to dodge the charging tiger, she thought, 'Gomen...But I have to do this...I can't lose him...not again!'
-flashback-
"Excuse me...Miss Nanaya?" a doctor spoke as he walked in, earning a younger, roughly seven or eight years at most, Miyuki's attention as she turned to face him from the medical bed she was resting on, bandages wrapped around her waist, lower right arm, upper left arm, the left side of her head, and her right leg fully in a cast.
"Yes, doctor?"
"I have some bad news...We did all we could, but...you were sadly the only survivor of the tsunami that struck."
"E-Eh?"
"We...haven't found the person you described as your brother. Rescue teams have called off the search due to it passing the one week mark. I'm sorry for your loss."
"?! N...no...no! Y...you're lying…!" Miyuki shouted, tears forming in her eyes.
"Once more, I'm sorry for what you've lost," the doctor apologized.
"...ah...ahh…" Miyuki began to pant, ice beginning to form around her as the doctor began to step back, "No..he...Mamoru...I….ahh…"
"Wh-What is…?" the doctor began.
"AAAAAAAHHHH~!" Miyuki screamed out, a powerful blizzard coming off of her as the wind blew the doctor right out of the room and knocking him out. Amidst the fierce snowstorm...the sound of grief...sadness...utter despair filled the room as Miyuki continued to cry her heart out, her tears turning into small ice crystals.
-end flashback-
"Battlecard Predation: Fire Wheel 3!" Megaman shouted before shooting out a wheel of flames that slammed into the ice tiger, evaporating it on impact.
"...Ice Craft…" Blizzard Kyuubi whispered, placing a hand on the snow before a massive pack of wolf heads came down towards Megaman and Lyra Note, "Wolfpack!"
=Why is the fox using wolves?!= Omega-Xis freaked =KILL IT WITH THE RYNO!=
"Not the time for it," Megaman replied, "Predation: Fire Wheel 2!"
Lyra Note pulled out her brush and the world turned sepia to her. She quickly made a circle with a line on part of it before putting her brush away. The world changed back and a large paper bomb the size of a bear appeared before her. With a grunt, she kicked the bomb at the pack of wolf heads at the same time Megaman fired a smaller wheel of flames. The two collided before the pack and let out a large explosion resembling fireworks that shattered the charging heads. Megaman quickly predated a purple plasma blade at the same time Lyra Note pulled out Lyra and barely blocked a barrage of ice spears aimed at them.
"She's not letting us get an attack in," Megaman grunted.
=Uh hello?! RYNO?!= Omega-Xis snapped =I want to nuke that backstabbing fox bitch!=
"No," Megaman replied.
=Oh, come on!=
"Misora-tenshisama, think you can summon someone?" Issun asked.
"I can try...but not sure who," Lyra Note admitted, currently looking through a few Summon Battlecards.
"Hurry!" Issun panicked, seeing several eagles made of ice coming for them.
"Gah!" Lyra Note yelped as one swooped at her and sent the cards into the air, "Ack! Uh-um…"
"Incoming!" Megaman called as more came at them while he began to fire at them with his buster.
Lyra Note scrambled and grabbed one, "Predation!"
A light appeared before her the moment the card was predated. As the birds approached, a massive blast of white-tinted liquid shot out of the light, tearing through them and made Blizzard Kyuubi make a shield of ice and grunt as the impact made her skid back towards the other end of the cage. The light dispersed, revealing a pair of child-sized figures with pitch black bodies and wearing white gloves, brown shoes, and had tea cups for heads with one having a red and white straw in his and the other sporting a bent blue and white straw and a large blue nose.
"Huh?" Lyra Note pondered.
"Yay! You chose one I made!" Issun cheered, his radiation yellow.
"You made one?" Lyra asked.
"Yep! It's for a game called Cuphead," Issun explained.
"Golly, Cuphead. When did we get invited to a ski trip?" the blue one asked.
"No clue, Mugman," Cuphead replied before looking at Megaman and Lyra Note, "Though I get the feelin' they're the invitees."
"Oh! Um...I apologize for summoning you, but we need your help with something," Lyra Note explained.
"You two didn't gamble with the devil, did you?" Cuphead asked as Mugman looked back where Blizzard Kyuubi was before his eyes widened.
"Uh, Cuphead…"
"Not now, Mugman," Cuphead waved him off, "Seriously, did ya? 'Cause let me tell ya, here's hoping you didn't."
"But Cuphead…"
"Not now, Mugman. Anyway…"
"AVALANCHE!" Mugman screamed.
"Ava-whaaaaaaa?!" Cuphead exclaimed once he saw the avalanche of snow coming towards them, "Oh that is not good."
"N-Nope!" Mugman yelped.
"Hold on," Megaman advised, grabbing Cuphead while Lyra Note held Mugman and barely changed frequencies when the avalanche struck.
For a few moments after it hit, nothing was disturbed. A distortion appeared on the top of the snow and the four reappeared.
"Whoa! What was that?!" Cuphead exclaimed.
"I feel all tingly," Mugman noted.
"It's complicated," Megaman explained, "For now, we can use your assistance."
"Sure thing!" Cuphead replied as Blizzard Kyuubi landed on the snow across from them, making several ice spears.
"Just another day, eh Cuphead?" Mugman asked.
"You said it," Cuphead agreed before the two held up their pointer fingers and thumbs...before semi-translucent colored flames ignited on their pointer fingers, "A brawl is surely brewin'."
"Showtime," Mugman added.
=They have cups for heads and their fingers catch fire...Gee, what can they d…?= Omega-Xis began before Mugman's left pointer finger glowed orange and he snapped the finger, causing a large orange ball of energy to shoot out at Blizzard Kyuubi, who made a shield of ice that shattered on impact =...Retracted=
"Gh?!" Blizzard Kyuubi grunted as she moved back, "I forgot she is capable of doing that…"
Cuphead began to rapidly snap his right hand's fingers, firing blue energy shots at a fast pace at Blizzard Kyuubi and making her jump out of the way only to be pelted by a barrage of smaller green shots in mid-air that Mugman fired from his right pointer finger. She managed to land on her feet and quickly made ice shields to block shots fired by Megaman and Lyra Note.
"Not good..I'm outnumbered four to one…" she whispered to herself before flipping over some shots from behind, 'I need to lessen the number's fast, but how? ...Will I have to use one of those techniques…?'
"Ready, Mugman?" Cuphead asked.
"Ready!" Mugman nodded before they bent down and aimed the tops of their heads at her.
"Kyu?" Blizzard Kyuubi pondered before her eyes widened as the liquid inside of their heads began to swirl and fired a pair of large blasts of pressurized liquid at her, "?!" she quickly jumped out of the way of oen before the other hit her, making her gasp out...before she shattered into ice.
"Whoa! What happened?" Mugman gasped as their attacks ended.
"An ice clone?" Lyra Noted pondered before Blizzard Kyuubi appeared just between the four, "?!
"Mu…!" Cuphead began before she grabbed him and Mugman by their faces.
"Ice Lock," Blizzard Kyuubi intoned before, in an instant, the two were frozen solid and shattered after a moment.
=Well that didn't last long!= Omega-Xis complained
"Ice Craft…" she slammed her hands on the ground before it shook...as a massive Eastern Dragon made of ice and snow emerged from behind her, "Dragon of the East."
"...Geo…" Lyra Note began in worry.
=RYNO NOW!=
"BattleCard Double Predation: Fire Bazooka 3!" Megaman called before both his arms turned into purple/grey volcano-like busters.
The ice dragon roared before it lunged right at them, expelling a blast of ice at the duo. Megaman aimed his blasters at it before firing a blast of magma from them at the blast of ice. The two attacks collided and created a wall of steam that the dragon went through and right into a large paper bomb that exploded like a firework, causing multiple cracks to form on its head. A cry went off before Lyra Note and Megaman swung down their arms, each having a blade made of flames replacing the hand. The two struck and cleaved the head of the dragon off its body that shattered the moment the head was separated from the body.
=Okay, she can make frickin' dragons...Can we please nail her fox ass with the RYNO?!=
"No," Megaman replied, "She's still our friend. We just have to get to her."
"Ice Craft…"
"?!" Lyra Note's hand shot out, pushing Megaman out of the way just before a small dome engulfed her and rose out of the snow enough to reveal it to be a sphere.
"...Crushing Bubble," she intoned.
"Crushing Bubble?" Megaman repeated.
"The ice is made so thick that only the sun itself could melt it," she informed, "And each minute that passes, the sphere will shrink until it's the size of a marble."
"...Only the sun itself could melt it.." Lyra Note whispered, overhearing that as she pulled out the Summon Battlecard for Team PUNch, "...how about something hotter than it in the middle of July?"
=...did you just pun?= Lyra asked, Sonia having dismissed her guitar form.
"...Maaaybe," Lyra Note replied.
=Sonia, look= Lyra noted.
"Eh?" Lyra Note looked to see an opening in the sphere, "Ah!" she got down and approached it only to frown, "It's too small…"
=I think you may need to change into a full wolf to fit into it= Lyra noted.
"EH?!" Lyra Note exclaimed, "B-But I can't do that!"
=She made the dome big enough to do a flip in it= Lyra noted =But it's small enough that you can't summon anyone=
"...Then...I only have one chance to transform," Lyra Note whispered, standing straight as she closed her eyes, "Just focus, Sonia...clear your mind…" for a moment, she kept quiet before groaning and scratching her head fervently, "GAH! I can't keep it clear!"
=...Maybe we're looking at it in the wrong way= Lyra noted before a soft music began to play into Lyra Note's ears =If this doesn't work...no, it...it should work=
"Eh?"
=Try focusing on just the music= Lyra informed =Focus on the music and the music alone. There's no ice around you. No me in your ear. Nothing is going on around you. All there is...is just this music that I'm playing=
"...Right," Lyra Note nodded.
"Gah!" Megaman grunted as he broke through several trees, ending up hitting the cage's wall and fell flat on his face, groaning.
"Ara, ara~! You nearly have him," Vulpecula noted in amusement, "Now end him."
"..." Blizzard Kyuubi stared at Megaman while her hand shook.
"Hmm...Not fully committed, are we?" Vulpecula noted before briefly changing frequencies, her return having her tails fanned out to one side, "I suppose I should remind you fully of what is at stake for you, hm?"
Her tails moved away and Blizzard Kyuubi tensed. Standing beside Vulpecula, bound in black wraps, was a young boy around Geo's age with shoulder-length hair the same shade as Miyuki's with grey, dull eyes.
"Mamoru…" Blizzard Kyuubi whispered before tensing as Vulpecula caressed his cheek to his chin.
"Yes. All you need to do is give me Omega-Xis while killing the filth he's connected to," Vulpecula encouraged, "You've already done in the pretender, so this is all that's left."
"..." Blizzard Kyuubi said nothing as a katana made of ice formed in her hand, "..." she prepared to move towards the downed Megaman when a light caught her eye, "?"
"Nani?" Vulpecula turned to see the dome was releasing a light, "Hikari da?" cracks began to form on the surface, "?!"
More cracks formed with each passing second. From each crack, light shined through and only grew stronger with each crack. After a few more seconds, a massive burst of flames dispersed the dome and snow around them and made them all block their eyes from the light aside from Mamoru. Slowly, the light died down as they lowered their eyes only for them to widen. Standing in the center of the dome was a wolf. The wolf's fur was a white far purer than even freshly fallen snow and seemed to give just a faint glow as if it couldn't hide in darkness. Crimson markings dotted its slender, strong frame, making a ring on its forehead with markings under the eyes, spirals just above its shoulders with the fur fluffed up to the point they resembled tiny wings made of 'fire' with more just above the back each paw. Its tail resembled the end of a paintbrush even having the tip a rich black. Yet what struck them the most was what floated just inches off its back. It was a mirror. A circular mirror made of a green stone with intricate carvings littering the back...all while it was set ablaze.
"B...Bakana…!" Vulpecula gasped, stepping back with wide eyes.
"Amaterasu no Mikoto…!" Issun gasped.
"The Goddess of the Sun…" Blizzard Kyuubi whispered with wide eyes.
"S…Sonia…" Megaman whispered with wide eyes.
The wolf looked around before their eyes laid upon Megaman. They stared at him for moments before looking at Vulpecula, then at Blizzard Kyuubi, and then to Mamoru before resting on Vulpecula once more. A growl built up in the wolf's throat before it unleashed a snarl. It snarled once more and it felt like the area shook.
"?! Th...this is…!" Vulpecula began.
The world turned to sepia for Vulpecula. She began to make a line through the wolf when a line shot through her. Her eyes widened as she cried out in pain while being knocked back, a diagonal groove in her chest armor. The wolf's tail twitched before the newly fallen night changed to dawn. The tail twitched again before four deep slashes sliced through part of the ice cage, causing it to slide out and crash onto the ground, letting out the morning sunlight into the cage. As it washed over them, Mamoru's form began to hiss before fading away, causing Blizzard Kyuubi's eyes to widen and her heart to clench.
"...That...was an illusion?" she whispered, a look of hurt growing in her eyes...then grief...followed by growing rage as her teeth began to turn to fangs, "Why that…"
"ARF!" she paused as she looked at the wolf, who was now before her, its eyes looking at her own.
"..." she exhaled slowly, pain in her eyes, "I'm so sorry…"
The wolf gently nuzzled her thigh before looking to Megaman. The tail twitched as a 'wave' of ink seemed to cover Megaman before it vanished, revealing his injuries and damaged armor were fully repaired. His eyes widened as the wolf walked up to him, tail swaying gently.
"...Is...that really you, Sonia?" he asked.
The wolf gently nuzzled his cheek. Turning around, the wolf snarled once more at the rising Vulpecula, a hand over the gash in her armor as she stared at the wolf with wide eyes.
"Masaka! You...You can't be! You can't truly be Amaterasu's reincarnation!" Vulpecula denied, shaking in shock and rage, "You're just some...some two-bit hack that got lucky! You can't be her!"
The wolf gave another snarl as the area shook once more. The tail twitched and streams of flames shot from the shield and struck Vulpecula, making her cry out in shock. Another twitch and whips of water struck her without hesitation, cracking more of the black armor that made her body. The wolf crouched before charging at her...with flowers growing wherever her paws touched while dispersing the snow.
"?!" Vulpeula tensed as she leapt high into the air, "No...I won't die to you here!"
A tail twitch and the pond between them suddenly erupted, making a platform of water that the wolf ran up the spout and reached up to her. The mirror suddenly shot out and slammed right into Vulpecula's face, causing her to crash into the ground. The wolf landed and began to twist its body around, the mirror repeatedly slamming into Vulpecula with each twist. Vulpecula managed to block with her tails and jump back, only for the mirror to glow and change into a set of six gold magatama the size of the wolf's legs with blue markings of them. The wolf twisted her body once more and the beads formed a whip that slammed into Vulpecula. Another twist and another slash of the 'whip' went off, knocking her into the air. The wolf jumped into the air and the beads glowed and transformed into a long blue double-edged sword with the handle seemingly detached from the blade with a ring of clouds connecting the two. The blade moved on its own and slashed down hard, causing sparks to fly from Vulpecula as she was knocked through the ice cage and sent skidding back several dozen meters.
"The Divine Instruments!" Issun exclaimed, stars replacing his eyes.
"Divine Instruments?" Megaman repeated.
"Yes! Reflectors, Rosary, and Glaives," Issun explained, "Each one with their own powers that Amaterasu could command with ease. This...this can truly mean one thing..."
"Hmm?"
"Misora-hime-sama truly is the reincarnation of Amateratsu!" Issun cheered as Vulpecula slowly got up, holding a hand over the deep slash in her form.
"Rrr...Onore…" Vulpecula growled before swinging an arm up, "Hibagon!"
The ground began to shake at that. The wolf tensed before jumping back, landing between Megaman and Blizzard Kyuubi just as a large black fur-coated arm with a pure white hand emerged from the ground and slammed down where the wolf had been. Another joined it before a towering gorilla-like beast emerged, standing three times as tall and wide as Taurus Flame. It looked down at them with glowing red eyes peeking out from around a large nose before letting out a roar, showing several rows of teeth in its mouth, before slamming its fist down on the ground and a pulse of black and red energy coated the interior of the cage.
"Have fun~" Vulpecula waved before vanishing.
The wolf just growled before Blizzard Kyuubi held a hand up.
"No...let's face it together...my student, kyu," she whispered before leaping up, doing a flip in the air before she landed in her fox form. Only...her tails were now split into nine as ice formed on the tips, "(This is new…)"
"I think it's because you changed while Wave Changed," Issun noted, jumping off Megaman and landing on the wolf's head, "Ya haven't done it before while combined with Frost, have ya?"
"...no. I have not," she admitted before standing ready, "Ike…"
The Hibagon roared before uprooting a tree and threw it at the three. The wolf's tail twitched before the tree was cut cleanly through the middle and let the two animals run along the split middle towards the big brute. The Hibagon attempted to swing at them only for a barrage of plasma shots fired by Megaman with his buster arm replaced with a blue gatling gun-like blaster to nail him in the face.
The nine tailed kitsune vixen leapt off her part of the thrown tree, jumping high in the air before coming down in a spinning curled ball, moving right past the Hibagon's attempted swing before her ice-covered tails dug hard into its chest, making it roar out in pain before the vixen leapt off his chest, letting the wolf come charging in, mirror once more in place on its back with the blade.
The Hibagon threw a punch at the wolf, only for the mirror to move before her and expand quickly to the size of the swung fist, making a shockwave from the impact. The mirror changed back to normal size as the wolf landed on the arm. Her tail wagged and several paper bombs appeared above the Hibagon and landed on its body, all exploding like fireworks on impact. It shook it head, shaking off the shock before attempting to slam its fist down on the wolf, only for three of the vixen-each one with three tails- blurred past it, leaving an x marked slash across its back and chest before the three combined back into one with all nine of its tails. The Hibagon roared, staggering back, when the wolf's tail wagged again. Instead of bombs, however...the trees themselves suddenly shot out vines that ensnared and tangled the Hibagon, forcing it to fall over. The sound of something hitting the snow made it look up...right into the spinning barrel of a RYNO held by Megaman. If people weren't confused on how the sun had suddenly come out or the cage of ice on the mountain, it only brought more confusion when they heard music blaring along with gunfire going off. The Hibagon, its face littered with holes and fires burning on the fur around its face, let out a groan as it began to go limp. The wolf's tail twitched before the flames suddenly erupted and engulfed it for a moment, causing it to let out a noise before fading away, leaving behind a massive garden of white and blue flowers that seemed unaffected by the snow and ice around them and several demon fangs that Issun was quick to grab and store away while the barrier faded away.
"Phew...That's a relief," Issun sighed before the wolf's tail twitched and the sun vanished, replaced with the night sky and moon, "Ah! When did you learn that, Ammy?"
"Ammy?" Megaman repeated.
"I don't know. It just felt...like I should call her that when she's like this," Issun replied, earning a bark and waggy tail from the wolf before she looked out to the top of the mountain the resort was on, "Huh? What's up?" At that, Ammy ran off towards the summit, "AH! HELP! RUNAWAY OKAMI!"
"Ahh! Wait up!" Megaman called out as he ran after them.
"..." Blizzard Kyuubi said nothing before changing back to her 'human' state and began to follow.
At the top of it, the two found Ammy before a large rock stuck in the ground, growling.
"What's wrong?" Megaman asked.
Ammy's tail flicked and the two jumped at the rock was cut and fell into the hole that it had been blocking. Ammy ran and jumped into the hole, all with Issun screaming and holding onto her fur. Megaman and Blizzard Kyuubi shared looks before they followed suit. While they fell without worry of harm from the fall due to their EM bodies, Ammy was repeatedly hopping off the walls the slow her momentum until they landed in a large chamber with a small sapling in the center of a frozen puddle with several unlit torches in the area.
"A Guardian Sapling? Down here?" Megaman blinked before Ammy barked at him, "Huh? Ammy bumped his side with her head until a BattleCard fell out, "Ah. What are you doing?"
"I think she wants ya to light a torch," Issun noted, looking at the BattleCard to see it was a Fire Wheel 1.
"Oh! R-right," Megaman nodded, "Predation: Fire Wheel 1!"
With that, he fired at one of the torches, igniting in. Ammy's tail wagged and the flames suddenly jumped out into trails that shot along all the torches, igniting them all. The heat of the torches melted the frozen water. The sapling twitched before it quickly grew into an unbloomed tree. Ammy's tail wagged and the tree suddenly bloomed with white cherry blossoms. The tree began to glow before letting out a pulse. On the mountain, flowers began to blossom amongst the snow, all in various complimenting colors for the pure white snow and green evergreens. Ammy let out a howl as the tree's glow faded.
"How did you know one was here?" Megaman asked.
Ammy looked at him before giving a bark. She jumped up and the two blocked their eyes as she let out a bright light. The light faded and they saw Sonia and Lyra lying on the ground, both passed out...with Sonia's tail and wolf ears gone.
"Sonia!" Megaman gasped, rushing over to Sonia.
"Mmm...mmm…" Sonia mumbled, her eyes fluttering open a bit, "Geo…?"
"Sonia, are you ok?"
"I...think so…" Sonia whispered as she began to rub her head...before blinking a bit, "...Wait. My...my wolf ears are missing."
"Ow...my head…" Lyra muttered as she got up.
"You did great!" Issun cheered, "You finally transformed and it was so cool!"
"I...did?" Sonia asked.
"You don't remember?" Megaman asked.
"I...Iie," Sonia shook her head, "All I remember was focusing on music while doing the flip and then nothing."
'Nothing?' Blizzard Kyuubi thought upon hearing that, '...Could it be possible Amateratsu channeled through her?'
"Ah! Sensei!" Sonia exclaimed, managing to get up and hugged her, "You're alright!"
"...No...I…" Blizzard Kyuubi whispered, her ears flattening, "I don't deserve to be your sensei...not after what I tried to do."
"Not the first time a friend has tried to kill me," Megaman shrugged, "And I don't hold it against them, so why should I hold it against you?"
"I was that friend," Sonia admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, "I got threatened into compliance and one thing led to another."
"...That 'person' Vuplecula was holding hostage was my little brother Mamoru," Blizzard Kyuubi whispered, small tears beginning to trickle down her cheeks, "Two years ago, we were on a trip to the beach when a tsunami hit...I was the only survivor and his body was never found. When she appeared and claimed to have had him...I had some hope in my heart...but if I wanted to see him again...I had to kill you."
"?!"
"...But when the illusion was dispelled…" she paused, forcing back a sobe as more tears fell down, forming into ice crystals as they fell to the ground, "I...I'm so stupid. I'm a member of the Oina Tribe...and yet I fell for an illusion...I even attacked you, my student...the very reincarnation of Amateratsu...I...I'm nothing but scum…"
=...Th-that's not true= Frost spoke.
"Kyu?" Blizzard Kyuubi spoke as Frost popped up before her.
"It...It's not true," Frost stated, "Miyuki...you...you're an incredibly kind person who cares d-deeply. No one wanted a th-thing to do with me because my s-sister never let me have a name...and yet y-you treated me like another person...You gave m-me my name. I...I owe you so much."
"She is right," Megaman noted, "You're a great person and tend to try to see good in everyone you meet."
"Hai. You didn't hesitate to train me after I proved myself, and...well…" Sonia began, a soft blush growing on her cheeks as she gave her a kind smile, "Even if it hasn't been that long, I...already see you like a big sister to me."
"?! B-big sister?" Blizzard Kyuubi whispered with wide eyes.
"Hai," Sonia nodded, "At least...You act like how I think a big sister is supposed to be like. You've been looking out for us, helping with things you've learned through being older than us.. You've even taught me things I never knew I could do. I..." she paused before hugging Blizzard Kyuubi, surprising her a bit, "I'm so happy to have met you…"
"..." Blizzard Kyuubi said nothing as she stood there, her hands shaking a bit...before she dismisses her transformation and returned the hug, "Me too...Misora…" she whispered, the tears not stopping as she held her close.
"This is so sweet…" Issun sniffled, wiping a tear from his eye while sitting on Megaman's head.
=...ugh...let's go. My ex left a bad taste in my mouth pulling that crap= Omega-Xis muttered.
"Speaking of...Where are we?" Lyra asked.
"Seems that while you two were Ammy, you knew that there was a Guardian Sapling down here," Issun noted, "We're inside of the mountain that the ski place uses."
"Wait, really?"
=Yup...I'll admit you kicked that yeti's ass as a wolf=
"Hibagon," Issun corrected.
=Whatever. I still got to finish it off with the RYNO=
"And aren't you glad I saved it for later?" Megaman asked.
=No. You should always go with the best chip first!= Omega-Xis argued, making Megaman and Lyra roll their eyes before blinking and looking up, seeing a light.
"Another constellation?" Megaman pondered.
"Eh?" the Oina and unofficial Oina pondered before looking up, seeing several stars in the sky.
"Sonia, you're up," Lyra noted.
"Hai," Sonia nodded, taking out her brush while looking at the sky.
The world turned sepia to her once more. Holding her brush up to the sky, she saw three spots empty in the sky. Quickly tapping them with her brush, she put her brush away. The ink turned into stars, completing the constellations. The area rippled, transforming into the mountainous region littered with clouds. In the sky, a rockhopper penguin that was pure white with white cloud-like fluff on its flippers with several red markings on its body slid down on its belly towards them. On its back was a piece of wood with an orange and yellow square flag attached to it while three baby penguins like the big one held onto its tail. The penguin slid around them before landing before them...before the three baby penguins let go of the tail and slid off and hit Megaman, knocking him over with a yelp. The older penguin facepalmed and tried to not look at anyone.
"Ahh...Amaterasu, Goddess of the Sun, Origin of all that is good, and mother to us all,"the penguin spoke as it looked down at Sonia, "I have been watching you for a while now, unsure of if I should become involved or not. However, it was through that observation that I saw how much you have been guided and have guided those around you, bringing out the light in others and they, in turn, bringing your light further out. I see your heart and recognize that it resonates with mine. You now have the power of Guidance to guide those who are pure of heart!"
"Um...Hi," Megaman greeted as the trio of baby penguins looked at him.
"O mate of grandmother Amaterasu! We are the Young Michigami, born to the Spirit of the Brush," the trio spoke, "While our father watched her, we decided to watch you. We have seen how you aide others in need, even if they are not aware of that need or try to hide it only for you to learn of what they want to hide and guide them out of it. We see your heart and recognize that it resonates with ours. We give to you Guidance to let you guide those in need."
"Huh?" Megaman blinked at that before the penguin and the Michigami triplets turned into spheres of lights that went into the two with the larger going into Sonia and the area turned back to normal.
"Oh! That was Michigami, the Fudegami of Guidance!" Issun noted, "The Brush Technique, Guidance, can let one 'guide' others to wherever they make a trail."
"Huh?"
"Use it on Baka-Ryu!" Issun informed.
"What? Me?" Omega-Xis asked, popping up beside Geo.
"Just use your brush and draw a line to wherever you want him to move," Issun noted.
"Oh please, like I'll just do that," Omega-Xis snorted, "If they can get me to move, then I'll give the RYNO BattleCard to the fox over there."
"..." Sonia blinked before using her brush to 'draw' a line from Omega-Xis to a pile of snow about to fall from the open hole above them.
Omega-Xis tensed the moment Sonia put her brush away and the world resumed its normal color. He flew over where Sonia had drawn the line to...and the snow fell and landed on him.
"GAH!" Omega-Xis yelped before a few moments of silence followed until his head poked out of the snow, "What the hell?!"
"Wow...that worked," Sonia blinked.
"Oh that will be useful," Lyra noted before going over to Megaman and took the charging BattleCard, "And I'll take that…" she then gave it to Miyuki, "...and here you go."
"Gah! My RYNO…" Omega-Xis whined.
"Hehehehehe...He sounds like a puppy that got its bone taken away," Issun snickered.
"SHUT IT, GNAT!"
"Baka-Ryu!"
"...Let's go home," Miyuki spoke, a smile on her face..
"So...She used an illusion to get you to comply with her demands," Ace noted with a frown as Miyuki nodded.
"With how she is now, her illusions have become so strong that they seem to be the real deal instead of just illusions," Omega-Xis frowned, "I'm not surprised she fell for it."
"Kitsune are known to be masters of illusions," Miyuki explained, "The most notorious being Ninetails."
"Ninetails?"
"A dark kitsune that was said to be able to take on the form of priestesses to try to kill the ruler of Nippon in different eras," Miyuki explained, "Yet each time, she was exposed and killed."
=...Wait. Then how does she come back each time?= Lyra asked from Sonia's VG-Hunter.
"The body may perish, but her twisted soul constantly reincarnates," Miyuki explained, "It's possible that Vulpecula is just her latest reincarnation."
"...SO MUCH NOPE!" Omega-Xis stated before going into the VG Hunter and locking it behind him.
"...Actually there is also something that makes me worried," Miyuki whispered, "The Water Dragon."
"The what?" Ace raised a brow.
"The Guardian God of the oceans of Nippon," Miyuki explained, "...At least...it used to be before it was said Ninetails fought it...and corrupted it."
"Corrupted?" Sonia asked.
"No one knows how she did it, but I think whatever she did caused her to become weak enough to be killed that first time," Miyuki noted, "It vanished around the time my tribe's village vanished."
"...Why suddenly bring this up?" Geo cautiously asked.
"Because I fear that if Orochi's servants and Vulpecula truly is the Ninetails' latest reincarnation...then there's a chance the Water Dragon will reappear as well," Miyuki noted.
"Ulp," Issun whimpered.
"You may want to keep an eye out for reports of vessels being attacked," Miyuki advised Ace.
"Gotcha," Ace nodded, "Still...Get some rest. You've had a lot of stressful days, so go take a bit of time off."
"Right," Miyuki nodded.
"And congrats on not having those ears and tail anymore," Ace noted to Sonia, "Bet that's gonna save on shampoo."
"I've had to start buying in bulk since it took an entire bottle," Sonia replied, "So, yeah, I'm glad for it. Plus if I miss my ears and tail, I can always transform again."
"Oh? Care to show?"
"Sure!" Sonia beamed as she flipped and a burst of flames covered her before dispersing, revealing a much smaller Ammy, lacking several markings with the red heart marking on Sonia's chest now on her chest with the small mirror floating on her back, "Arf!"
"It's different from when you first changed," Geo noted, kneeling down, "Maybe you need Lyra to make the bigger version?" Ammy licked him in the face, "Ah! S-Sonia!"
"It's Ammy in this form!" Issun declared, once more on Ammy's head as said wolf barked in agreement.
"Wow! Ain't you adorable," Ace chuckled, earning a chuff from Ammy before she flicked her tail at him, causing ink to splatter on his face, "Gah!"
"Guess she only likes Geo when in this form, kyu," Miyuki whispered before Ammy nuzzled her leg.
"Guess not," Geo noted before Ammy jumped and changed back in a burst of flames, now having her ears and tail back before doing it again and losing them.
"I really like this," Sonia giggled.
"Gh...gah...stupid...wolf…." Vulpacula panted, staggering into her hut as she collapsed onto the floor, her hand over the gash, "That...it shouldn't be possible...she broke through my illusion so easily..."
"Milady!" Karasu called as he entered before his eyes widened, "I will bring the healer at once, milady!"
"Such a...loyal bird…" Vulpecula noted, managing to roll onto her back to better hold the gash, 'Still...How did she do it? How did she pierce my illusion? ...Was it because of the sunlight she made? Could it be...that runt truly is the Sun Goddess reincarnated?' "Next time...you will die...Amaterasu."
GT: Phew. Glad we got that over with. Sorry for such a long wait, folks.
SZ: Yeah. Real life...and new stories and such caught up with us once more. Furhterm-*collapses*zzzzz
GT: Well...Read and Review, folks.