-Chapter 20-
Playing With Fire
Qirin Rapids Falls
Kat openly sobbed, curled in the dirt as Wynmacher rubbed her back comfortingly. Lara looked at her daughter, visibly torn.
"There, there, Kathryn..." he soothed. "Everything is going to be alright."
"It's gone..." Kat wept. "It's all gone…"
Wyn winced, turning to Lara. "I'm at a loss, Lara… I want to say something, anything, but… it all just feels hollow..."
"She lost an important part of her life, Wynmacher," Lara remarked. "Something precious and irreplaceable."
"I know..." Wyn sighed. "I cannot believe Head Guardian Locke would do something so..." He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I should have seen the signs. He was acting strangely the entire time."
His fists clenched. "Lara, please look after Kathryn. I need to speak with..."
"No." Lara stood up, looking serious.
"Lara?"
"You stay here. I will speak with Locke. He's acting this way because of me. So this is my mess to deal with."
Wyn was about to protest, but held his tongue and simply nodded. Lara nodded back, then made her way down the path Locke went. Both failed to notice a figure watching them from the shadows, grinning maliciously.
-X-
Meanwhile, Locke sat further down the river, completely and utterly defeated and broken. Looking at his reflection, he heard Kat's words echoing in his mind. As he did, a second reflection joined his own. He sighed, not even bothering to turn to his ex-wife.
"Have you come to yell at me too?" he asked resignedly. "If so, you have every right."
Lara paused. He wasn't wrong, but… No, this was not the time for such things. It would only make things worse.
"You have some explaining to do, Locke," she replied.
A moment passed before Locke sighed. "...I made peace with it," he replied. "Back when we split up… I... I made peace with it. It hurt, but I did. Because I thought, at the time, that the decisions I made, however awful, were ultimately necessary to protect the future. I told myself that I would accept full responsibility for the consequences of my actions, and accept whatever outcome with dignity and grace." He paused, looking mournfully at the two echidna reflected in the water. "But... even after all this time..."
"You held out hope," Lara realized. "Hope that one day... we could get back together"
"...Yes… I knew the odds were slim… impossible, even… But ever since the return, the impossible has been happening almost every day. I knew things would never be the way they were, but it could've been a new, brighter chapter of our lives. Then, he came along. Wynmacher…" He shook his head. "I knew - in my head - it was foolish. We parted years ago and on horrible terms. It was only natural you would move on. But in my heart... The way he looked at you... spoke to you... held you... and you, him... Seeing you two so happy together..."
His fists briefly trembled. "It broke me."
"Locke…"
Locke held up a hand. "I'm not blaming you for this. This is my fault. Even after all this time, I'm still the same stupid, selfish old man I've always been. I hijacked Kathryn's trip. Let my selfishness ruin everything. I let my pride put my family in danger. And worst of all... I have done something unforgivable and irreparable to our daughter. This is all my fault. I should have stayed at the shrine..."
"Locke…" Lara took a seat next to him. "This is as much my fault as it is yours."
Locke turned to Lara in shock. "What!? No! Lara, that's absurd!"
"I knew you were jealous, Locke, and I was flaunting Wynmacher. I was showing you that I was happy. That I had moved on. More than that... I wanted to watch you squirm. To show you what a good partner is like. To show you what you threw away… It was petty and wrong, and it made everything worse."
Locke shook his head. "Lara, no. You didn't sabotage the race. You didn't cause this."
"Maybe not, but I did make it possible." Both of them sat in silence before Lara spoke up again. "We're apologizing to the wrong person."
Locke nodded. "Agreed. As soon as she's settled down some, we're going to sit down with Kathryn and try to make things right."
-X-
Back at the falls...
Kat sniffled, wiping her eyes as she leaned against Wynmacher.
"I never should have come back..." she lamented. "I should have left the boat alone… Why did I ever think this was a good idea?"
Wyn shook his head. "Kathryn, do not blame yourself. You had no way of knowing this would happen."
"I should have… Locke has been acting cagey since day one. I should have kicked him from the party the moment he showed up in those damn wedding robes." She sniffled loudly. "But, I didn't... And now Mama and Baba's boat is..."
She choked up. Wyn just held Kat tighter, trying his best to console her.
"Kathryn... I..." His eyes widened as he saw a glint of light. "GET DOWN!"
Wyn threw himself and Kat to the ground as a slash of light rushed by. It flew over them, but suddenly, a large rock formation was cleanly sliced in two samurai style, much to their shock.
"What the fugg?!" Kat exclaimed.
"Such speed!" Wyn's eyes narrowed. He suddenly spun around to catch an incoming blade attack.
"You..."
"Impressive..." Rantao mused. "It seems there's more to you than just being stupid and loud."
"Rantao!?" Kat exclaimed. "Where did...? When...? How the hell did you find us!?"
"As much as I'd like to tell you, Winters, I'm afraid that's going to have to wait until after you're on death's door. Now..."
Rantao vanished in a spark of electricity.
"What!?" Wyn let out. "Where did she–!?" His question was answered when he felt his spines tingle, prompting him to shove Kat out of the way just in time for Rantao to dive down from above, wreathed in yellow lightning. Wyn raised his hands just in time to intercept the lynx's electrified fists, which struck him in the wrists, sending sparking qi coursing through his body.
"YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"
"Wynmacher!" Kat cried.
"Bakame!" Rantao cackled. "That attack contained the full power of three lightning bolts! As we speak, it's cooking you from the inside out! And once you're dead, Winters will…!"
Rantao felt something grab hold of her wrists. Confused, she looked down, only to gasp as it turned out to be Wyn's gloved hands.
"What!?"
Wyn let out a warcry as he began spinning Rantao around. With each revolution, he grew faster and faster, the Raiju screaming as they rapidly gyrated into a sparking yellow blur—a yellow blur steadily glowing orange and then red. Then, he released, sending her flying into the bamboo, her electrical aura discharging in a small but loud explosion.
"Wyn…?" Kat asked in concern.
"Worry not, Kathryn!" the Guardian replied. "That barely even tingled!"
To his credit, aside from some mild electrical burns on his wrists, Wynmacher was largely unscathed from Rantao's attack, something the lynx noticed when she bounded out of the thicket.
"Impossible!" she shouted. "You should've been burnt to a crisp!"
"Ha!" Wynmacher slapped his chest. "I am a Guardian of Angel Island! My body is one million percent muscle! And more importantly…" He flexed his arms, causing his whole body to spark with red electricity. "You are not the only one who commands the thunder."
"Chaos energy…" Kat whispered.
"Now, go! Thunder Arrow!"
Wyn pointed a hand at Rantao, causing all the lightning in his body to fire out as an electrified beam. At the last second though, Rantao leaped out of the way, barely avoiding the attack.
"Thunder Arrow! Thunder Arrow!"
Wynmacher continued firing off electrical blasts, but Rantao's ninja speed allowed her to avoid each of them, albeit just barely. The lynx struggled to stay on her toes up 'til the eighth arrow, which was when she was hit. It only grazed her, just a light singe, but it stunned her enough that it forced her to stop.
"And that was just a taste of my power!" Wyn declared. "What say you to that, feline fiend?"
"Not bad…" Rantao panted, slouching over as she clutched her arm. "Until you, nobody has ever managed to lay a finger on me. And here I thought this was going to be easy."
"So, do you surrender?" Wyn asked.
Rantao's breathing steadied as she slowly lifted her head, revealing a vicious, predatory grin.
"No…"
She drew her sword, the blade pulsing with lightning as soon as it left its scabbard. She held it high above her head, before slowly moving it in a circle.
"Raiju Ninpo: Hi-Ougi…" she recited. "Haohran no Jikkennba!"
Rantao thrust her blade into the ground, causing pillars of lightning to erupt. Wyn and Kat braced themselves, expecting it to be some kind of area attack, but to their surprise, not a single bolt struck them. Instead, the pillars just stood there, forming a circle around them. Then, the pillars formed a web of electricity between each of them, forming a literal electrical fence around the trio.
"The lightning… it's locked us in?" Kat let out.
"What is this sorcery?" Wyn demanded.
"Haohran no Jikkennba. The Proving Ground of the Conquering Storm," Rantao explained and translated. "It's one of the Raiju's greatest techniques. A sealing jutsu that completely cuts off anyone unfortunate enough to be caught inside from the outside world."
"Feh! A giant fence of lightning!" Wyn laughed. "Let us see it stand up to this!"
Wyn turned around and grabbed one of the lightning walls, his own hands sparking. However, as soon as he touched it, his entire body lit up as he twitched and spasmed and screamed in pain. After a few seconds, he was pushed back, blackened and smoking.
"Wyn!" Kat cried out as the echidna got up.
"I am fine, Kathryn…" he gritted out. "Just… a little crispy."
"Weren't you listening?" Rantao replied. "Anybody caught in the Proving Ground is trapped. The only way out…" She punched her fists together, causing her to spark with electricity. "...is to be the last one standing."
"A lifebind…" Kat replied with a grimace. "She's infused the lightning with her spirit. It won't go away unless she's defeated."
"Then that is exactly what we will do!" Wyn declared, punching his own fists. "We accept your challenge, Yamaneko Rantao!"
Rantao grinned. "Good."
Rantao raised her hand, performing a "come at me" motion, but before Kat and Wyn could react, two of the lightning pillars surged, causing another wall to form in the middle of the arena, splitting in half. Kat on one, and Wyn and Rantao on the other.
"What the…?" Kat blinked in confusion. "What's going on?"
"Come, harimogura! You and I have a score to settle from yesterday!" Rantao declared.
Wyn blinked. "We… do?"
"From the forest, when you struck me. Don't tell me you've forgotten already?"
"Wait, what?"
"Hold on, I thought I was your target!" Kat cut in.
"You are," Rantao clarified. "But, thanks to your Guardian's meddling, my client has decided to finish you off himself."
Kat perked. "Your client?"
"That would be me."
Kat paused as she heard slow, methodical footsteps. She turned, instinctively reaching for a bat that was no longer there.
"Do not bother. You are unarmed, remember?"
Kat turned to see the incoming attacker, her jaw dropping in shock.
"No way..."
"Hello, gaijin," Flare greeted.
"Flare…?" the redhead uttered in disbelief. "You're Rantao's client!?"
"Hrrrm…yes," the Entei grumbled. "I literally just said that."
"Flare? As in the brother of the pheasant girl you met during your sabbatical!?" Wyn uttered in shock.
"B-But…Why!?" Kat demanded. "I-I saved your sister! I saved your kingdom! I saved your fugging life!"
Flare nodded. "Yes, you did. And under normal circumstances, I'd have been content to let you go about your life on your filthy little island with your filthy echidna family." His eyes narrowed. "Had you not decided to steal my treasure from me."
Kat grimaced. "Cinder left you of her own will. Hell, you banished her yourself."
"I'm not talking about her! That little, orange wretch has dishonored me far too many times. She can rot for all I care." Kat snarled at Flare's disparaging of her friend. "No… I'm talking about my treasure. Suzaku's Royal Treasure. My family's treasure. The Flame."
Kat paused. "The Flame?"
"During my traitorous sister Ember's coup, a massive phoenix wreathed in multicolored fire was spotted flying over the kingdom. With a single flap of its wings, it obliterated almost all of the enemy's forces, including that damnable ryu Zan. Everyone thought it was a miracle, that the gods intervened to save them from evil. But, I knew better. That was no miracle, that was my treasure, finally returning to its rightful home." He pointed at Kat, specifically at her tattooed arm. "A treasure that somehow ended up in your filthy hands!"
Kat's eyes widened as she clutched her arm, to the confusion of Wyn.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Kat defended. "This is my power! The Master Emerald awakened it!"
"Do not play stupid with me, Winters," Flare sneered. "You can pass it off as whatever you want, but I'd recognize my treasure anywhere."
"It's not your treasure!"
"Yes, it is! You stole it from me!"
"Whatever I took was freely given!" Kat snapped before recoiling in shock, covering her mouth as Flare grinned evilly.
"I knew it," he replied.
"Fugg…" Kat let out weakly.
Suddenly, Flare materialized in front of Kat in a flash of light, sword drawn and ready to strike.
"FUGG!" Kat jumped backward, narrowly dodging. By the Ancients...
"Finally..." Flare clenched his fists, his grin and voice growing more unhinged. "After all this time… years of searching… years of plotting… years of waiting… Suzaku's Flame! The Power of the Phoenix! It's finally within my grasp!"
Kat was seething, pulsing with rage. She began to see red as she stared Flare down, outraged that the arrogant emperor had attacked her home, hired Rantao to kill her, and cost her her family's boat, all for such an inane, selfish reason.
"Sorry Flare, but my power is just that. Mine. "
"Damare!" Flare snapped. "That power belongs to the Suzaku Empire! My empire! And I will have it!"
"What are you talking about!?" Wyn demanded. "Kathryn's power is...!"
Flare swung his sword, unleashing a wave of fire that barely missed the echidna.
"Stay out of this, harimogura!" he snapped. "Rantao! Deal with this dirt-eating sky rat!"
Rantao grinned savagely. "Gladly."
She readied her blade as she stared down Wyn.
"This will not end as you intend it, shadow warrior," Wyn told her, raising his fists.
"No... it will end even better!"
-X-
Meanwhile...
Dulcy frantically flew overhead, Jian and Cinder on her back.
"Come on, can't you fly any faster!?" Jian snapped.
"I'm going as fast as I can, Jian!" Dulcy shot back.
"Well, it's not fast enough! If we don't find Kaitian soon, she'll...!"
"I know!"
"Will you two stop!?" Cinder cried. "I can't focus!"
The dragon and tiger winced as Cinder frantically looked down. "Sensei, where are you?'
She had two fingers to her head as she scanned the forest before her eyes snapped open.
"Over there!" She pointed down toward a section of the forest.
"Dulcinea!"
"On it!" Dulcy spread her wings, rapidly descending. There, unconscious on the forest floor, was Bunker. "Oh gods..." Jian gasped.
"Bunker-sensei!" Cinder cried.
"Shifu!"
As soon as Dulcy landed, Jian and Cinder sprang off of her back, all three running for the downed tortoise.
"Shifu! Shifu, are you okay!?" Dulcy cried out.
"Obviously, she's not! Look at her!" Jian snapped, though sounding more frightened than annoyed.
"This is bad…" Cinder said. "She needs healing, now!"
"Cinder, none of us know any healing techniques!" Jian shouted.
"Or anything about treating injuries in the first place!" Dulcy added.
"No, but we could take her back to Kacchan's house, where there's lots of medicine and stuff," the pheasant replied plainly.
Dulcy and Jian paused, both beating themselves up for not thinking of that sooner.
"Bakame…" Jian uttered as she facepalmed.
"Right, let's do that," Dulcy said, but before they could do anything else…
KRA-KOOOOOOOOOM!
"Gaia below!" Dulcy shouted.
"Wh-What was that!?" Cinder cried out.
"Rantao…" Jian whispered in horror as she pointed. The other Shijin Warriors followed her finger, their jaws dropping in shock at the sight of several pillars of lightning flashing in the distance.
"What in the world is that?" Dulcy asked.
"The Conquering Storm's Proving Ground…" Jian explained. "We're too late, Rantao's caught Kaitian."
"Ohno… we gotta help her!"
"Cinder, no!" Jian grabbed her sister by the sleeve.
"Oneechan!"
"Once someone is caught in the Proving Ground, they're stuck. Nothing can get them out and nothing can get in. The only way to escape is to defeat the user."
"But Kacchan…"
"Kaitian can take care of herself," Dulcy assured as she lifted Bunker. "Right now, we need to get Shifu back to Jade and Julie-Su. If we don't, she'll die."
Cinder winced, clearly torn over being unable to help her friend.
"We'll come back for her," Jian spoke up. "As soon as Sensei is safe, we'll go back and help."
"H-Hai!" Cinder nodded.
"Now, c'mon, let's get going!" Jian said as the two hopped back on Dulcy's back.
"Jian…" Dulcy whispered worriedly.
"I know," Jian cut in, just as softly and nervously. "By the time we get to Kaitian's house and back here…it will already be over. But Cinder doesn't need to know that right now."
-X-
Qirin Rapids River
"What in Aurora's name was that?" Locke let out in shock.
"It sounded like thunder," Lara replied. "But, there's not a cloud in the sky..."
"Unless…" Just then, Locke's eyes widened in horror. "It's her! The ninja!"
"Kathryn!" Lara gasped.
"Dammit!"
"Locke! Wait!" Lara shouted as she ran after her husband.
-X-
Qirin Rapids Falls
Since she'd been unconscious through the whole thing, whatever Kat knew of Zan's attempted takeover of Suzaku she'd learned secondhand through Dulcy and the others. However, when they first told her what happened, she couldn't help but feel that some parts of their recollection might have been a little exaggerated. One of these parts was that Flare single-handedly took down an entire squad of soldiers on his own in one strike. After all, a smug, pretentious jerk like him, a master swordsman? Yeah, right.
Oh how wrong she was…
"UURYAAAAA!"
"Fugg!"
Flare swung his sword, Kat barely rolling out of the way in time to avoid getting her head sliced off, but not enough to avoid getting a cut on her cheek.
"Is this all you have to offer, Winters?" Flare demanded. "I expected more from a brat who felled a dragon!"
Kat grunted as she wiped the blood off her cheek. "Let's just say you caught me on a bad day."
She wished that was all it was, but Kat could tell that Flare's skill was legitimate even in her emotional state. His movements were precise and calculated, and not a single bit of energy was wasted. Then there was his sword. As far as royal swords went, it was…pretty underwhelming; an all-black design and rainbow flame pattern along the blade. But, it had been expertly crafted and carefully maintained, and he wielded it as though it was an extension of his own body. He was a smug, pretentious jerk, alright; but, he was a highly trained jerk.
"A bad day, hmmm?" Flare said with a grin. "Well then, it's about to get worse."
He rushed forward, readying his next strike. Another horizontal swing. High. This time, Kat ducked, dodging the strike perfectly before going into a sweep kick. After that, she'd knock Flare off his feet, pin him to the ground, and…
"Got you…"
He jumped right over the sweep. It was a ploy, and she fell for it.
"Hou'ohken…" Flare recited as he raised his blade over his head. "Tenhou Kouyoku!"
As he brought his sword down, the blade suddenly burst into flame.
"Shit!" Kat cursed, firing off a blast of flame from her hand, pushing herself out of the way just in time to avoid a huge, fiery slash. She tumbled and rolled a few feet from the sloppy nature of her evade, but was otherwise unharmed…physically, at least.
"Good Gaia…" Kat whispered as she stood up. "Was… Was that his qi?"
She watched as the flames billowed and danced, like the flapping wing of a phoenix; a display that was as beautiful as it was frightening.
"Oh yeah…" she gulped. "He's definitely a highly-trained jerk."
"A jerk, am I?"
Kat spun around, just in time to catch another swing from Flare's sword on her bracers.
"Fast on your feet and your head," the royal pheasant said. "It seems you really are a student of Master Bunker."
Kat felt her blood run cold. "What do you mean by that?"
"I was under the impression you were nothing but a barely-civilized berserker who only won through sheer brute force. But so far, you've managed to keep up with me. Then again… I am holding back."
Kat stiffened at that. "Holding… back?"
"There is no sense in wasting energy on someone who is not worth the trouble. But now…" Flare parried Kat's block before swinging his sword, vanishing in a flash of light.
"What the…!?"
Feeling another chill up her spine, Kat leaped to the side, just in time to dodge another swing from Flare's blade, the pheasant somehow appearing behind her.
"Now…I'm done fooling around," he intoned coldly.
-X-
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!"
"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!"
Wynmacher and Rantao were locked in combat. Both fighters deadlocked in a rapid-fire onslaught of electrified punches and kicks. Blow for blow, both fighters were evenly matched. Wyn's crimson fists met Rantao's amber feet every time, each unleashing a miniature thunderclap on impact.
"So, tell me, Guardian, from one warrior to another, how many lives have you taken?" Rantao asked.
"To have one life on your head is one too many," Wyn replied. "It is not something worthy of boasting."
"Not worth boasting?" Rantao scoffed. "It is the only thing worth boasting! A mark of strength! A showing of how many foes you've dominated! How many you've conquered!"
"And I take it you have conquered many?" Wyn asked.
"Thousands." Rantao grinned. "I have been killing since I was four years old."
Wyn's eyes widened in shock. "Four years… what kind of monsters would force a child to do such a thing!? That is horrible!"
"It's how the Raiju Clan became the strongest warriors in Yurashia. We are born to fight. Raised to kill. And taught to conquer the weak!"
Wyn shook his head. "Then the Raiju are truly pitiful. True warriors seek to protect the weak, not subjugate them like animals."
Rantao's confident expression turned into a bitter scowl. "Pity this."
Rantao pulled back her leg, prompting Wyn to pull back his arm.
"OOOORRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"MUDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Both fighters attacked, each putting all their strength into one, powerful blow-
KRA-KOOOOOOOOM!
-which exploded, devastating the surrounding forest. The damage was contained only by the power of the Proving Ground's electric fence.
"Hnnhnn… Yeeeeeees… This is more like it!" Rantao gave a feral grin. "You're much stronger than Winters, Janjan, or any of their pathetic, little friends."
"You call it strength, I call it experience," Wyn replied. "Something you are sorely lacking."
Rantao raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh…?"
"From your appearance and the tone of your voice, you cannot be any older than twenty-five cycles, and I am being generous. And while you do possess skills, your attitude is that of a cocky greenhorn who has never known the taste of true failure in their life."
Rantao let out a dismissive grunt. "What can I say? I'm a prodigy."
With a quick flick of her leg, Rantao broke from her grapple with Wyn and immediately went back on the offensive.
"Raiju Ninpo… Raikaikyaku!"
Rantao charged forward with an electrified flying kick, but Wyn blocked it with his own electrified gloves.
"You will need to be faster than that, shadow warrior!"
"Only for the getaway," Rantao smirked as she leaped off of Wyn, leaving the echidna looking confused.
"Getaway?" It was then that he saw a faint, yellow flashing light, followed by a soft buzzing noise, like the "stat-ticks" Kathryn and the engineers would often complain of when their gadgetry was not performing properly. He looked down to discover that it was coming from his hands. Specifically, a small, pulsing cluster of electricity on the back of his right palm. One that was pulsing faster and buzzing louder with each passing second.
"Oh no!" Was all he had time to say before the cluster burst, electrocuting and blasting the Guardian high into the air.
"You're mine!"
Just then, Rantao materialized right below Wyn, allowing her to put him in a half-Nelson.
"Raiju Ninpo… Raitenraku!"
Wynmacher cried out in pain as both he and Rantao were enveloped in lightning. But while he was being painfully shocked, Rantao felt nothing. To make matters worse, they seemed to be falling faster; as if the lynx's aura was pushing them further toward the ground.
"No!" Wyn gritted out, trying to spark his aura. "Have to…break… free!"
"Hahaha! Struggle all you want, harimogura, you'll never break free," Rantao boasted. "I'm going to pound you into mochi. If I were you, I'd take a moment to apologize to your flea-bitten ancestors in Hell for your dishonor!"
"You… first…" Wyn gritted out, as his own body began sparking.
"What!?" Rantao let out in shock, before receiving a literal shock from Wyn's aura.
"This attack looks rather damaging, shadow warrior! But this positioning would hurt the attacker as well as the victim. Here…" Wyn slipped free of Rantao's grip in one swift fluid motion, then put her in a half-Nelson. "Allow me to demonstrate the proper technique!"
With a twist and a shout, Wyn broke into a spin, turning him and Rantao into a spinning, electrical ball of destruction that was rapidly hurtling toward the ground.
"No…" Rantao let out. "This… this is impossible! I am Yamaneko Rantao! I am the future Bride of the Conquering Storm! I am-!"
"You are a child," Wynmacher cut in. "An arrogant little girl who has grown far too comfortable on her unearned pedestal high up on her tiny, little cloud. Allow me to bring you back to earth."
Time seemed to slow as Rantao's gaze unconsciously drifted downward, the blasted soil filling her vision more and more… Closer and closer… Until…
KRA-KOOOOOOOOM!
The spinning, electrical ball of destruction fell to earth and burst.
-X-
Kat panted heavily as she quickly stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding a stabbing attack from Flare. Meanwhile, Flare was still burning at full power… literally. In the past few minutes alone, Kat had come to understand how he'd earned the title of Entei, Flame Emperor.
"Take this!" Flare shouted as he swung his sword, vanishing in another flash of light.
"Okay, how the hell are you doing that!?" Kat shouted, barely dodging another slash attack.
"My sword Goshiki Enchou has the power to burn through the fabric of space, allowing me to instantly travel anywhere I wish," Flare explained. "Like so!"
Flare swung his sword, vanishing into the light once more.
"Seriously!?" Kat shouted. "Okay, I know this is rich coming from me, but your powers are bullshit!"
"You are the only one who is shit, gaijin!"
A shadow appeared over Kat, signalling Flare was attacking from above.
"Hou'ohken…
Kat watched as Flare raised his sword upward, no doubt preparing another slash attack. Instead, he positioned the sword and stuck out his foot.
"Huh?"
"Tensousatsuchi!"
Flare's sword ignited once more, but this time, instead of simply wreathing the blade in fire, it shot out a jet of flame that propelled him downward at high speeds. Fire qi gathered around his foot, forming the shape of a raptor's talon.
"Dammit!" Kat cursed as she raised her hands at the last minute, just barely blocking Flare's attack in time. The Entei's burning talon pressed against her bracers, slowly pushing her back as sparks flew from the gold.
"Get… the hell… off me!" she shouted, unleashing a pulse of rainbow flame, forcing Flare off. Unfortunately, this did little to deter the pheasant, as he simply landed on his feet, while Kat was left battered and fatigued.
"You look tired, Winters," the Entei smugly uttered. "Perhaps you should lie down for a spell?"
"Are you… kidding? I'm just… whew… Getting warmed up!" Kat replied with a cocky grin. She was bluffing though, between this and everything that happened today, she was starting to run out of steam. She needed to bring this pompous pigeon down, and fast, otherwise…
Hold on… pompous. Arrogant. Full of himself. Yeah, that could work…
"Honestly, the only thing tiring here is you flapping your fat beak, ya birdbrain."
Flare's eyes narrowed. "Birdbrain? How plebeian."
"Well, it was either that or chicken, since you're obviously too much of a coward to fight me head-on with that flashing teleport thing you do."
"Why you little…!" Flare's eyes widened as he raised his sword.
"There!"
Unfortunately for him, his anger had caused him to leave himself wide open… a moment Kat was more than eager to take advantage of.
"Eat this!" She ran toward the pheasant, pulling her fist back as she socked him in the jaw with a brutal haymaker, sending him flying backward several feet, bouncing off the ground three times as he landed.
"Yes!" she pumped her fist. "Damn, that felt good!"
"You…"
Kat watched as Flare got up and faced her, giving her a good look at her handiwork; a sight that made her wince. She'd given the Entei a bloody beak, which was also sporting a prominent crack. But, as gruesome as that was, what really got her was his eyes. Kat knew Flare had a temper, he was a pompous, self-important jerkass; like Eggman, if he had feathers. But now, he was looking less like Eggman and more like… her.
"You…" Flare seethed. "Disgusting… repulsive… ill-bred, gaijin whelp! You dare strike the King of Fire!?"
"Oh… shit," Kat whispered.
"You will BURN!" Flare screamed, his entire body igniting with flaming qi as he rushed at her.
"Double shit!"
Kat raised her hands as Flare came in swinging. Gone was the pheasant's previous poise and precision, replaced with pure rage and unbridled hate as he hacked and slashed at her with abandon.
"Die, Winters!" he shouted. "Die, Winters! Die! Die! DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!"
"Dammit!" Kat cursed. "He's totally lost it! What do I…!?" It was then that she felt something hot on her wrists, causing her to wince. "Agh! My arm? How did he hit me? My bracers are blocking all of his… my bracers!"
As soon as Kat saw her bracers, she recalled an assignment from science class. They were required to give short presentations on the uses and properties of one of the periodic elements. Kat had been assigned gold. She'd considered it a lucky break, as being required to wear bracers made of the stuff meant she knew most of the metal's properties already. It was heavy, but also soft and malleable… which gave it a low melting point. Something she instantly remembered as they began to liquefy on her wrists!
"No, no, no, no!" Kat cried out. "Flare, stop! You're gonna…!"
"DAMARE!" Flare screeched, continuing his onslaught. "The only sound I want to hear from your insolent mouth is your final, gurgling cries as you choke on your tainted blood!"
"Flare, please, stop! You're gonna…!"
KRR-RACK!
Despite the heat, Kat felt a chill run down her spine. She looked at the bracer on her left arm and nearly choked. It was sporting a large crack down going up the middle, several, smaller spiderwebs branching outward from it.
"No…"
The world seemed to go silent as the bracer shattered into pieces. The last thing both Kat and Flare saw before everything lit up in a brilliant prominence of rainbow light.
-X-
"Come on... where is it?" Locke demanded as he and Lara ran through the forest. "Blast these bamboo plants! Everything looks the same!"
"Locke, do something!" Lara screamed. "Where is Kathryn?! Where is our daughter?!"
"I don't know! Something is keeping me from sensing her!"
"What?! She's the most powerful Guardian, second only to our son! How can someone block her?!"
"Someone very powerful..."
"Who is that powerful?"
"Given the thunder and what happened at the village yesterday, it can only be the shadow warrior."
"The one that would have killed Kathryn if Wyn hadn't..." Lara perked. "Wait. Wyn. Find Wyn!"
Locke extended his senses before turning pale. "What!? I can't sense him either!"
"What?! How can that be!?"
"It doesn't matter. We have to hurry and find them! Before it's too late!"
Just then, there was a distant boom, followed by a massive flare of light. Both Locke and Lara had to shield their eyes, staring at the rainbow pillar as it slowly faded away. Having watched Kat train, they recognized the release of her power and knew exactly what it meant.
"Aurora..."
"Kathryn!"
Both of them ran off.
-X-
From within the electrical fence of the Proving Ground, a smoking crater had formed. It was neither deep, nor particularly large, but it was enough so that one would have difficulty getting out should they fall inside. Fortunately for the one who had made the crater in the first place, he had claws.
Wynmacher breathed heavily as he climbed his way out of the crater, the spikes on his gloves pounding into the earth with harsh, loud thuds.
"Yes…" he cried out as he climbed over the edge. "It is done! The shadow warrior has been vanquished!"
He turned to face said shadow warrior, who now lay at the bottom of the crater, out like a light, save the occasional jolt of electricity sparking from her smoking body.
"You are strong, young lynx. I can see why many call you one of the strongest in the Land of Rice and Dragons." His expression turned serious. "But that is only where you are strongest. If you desire true strength, turn away from this dark path you walk. Find a new path and something worth fighting for. It will not be easy, but with time and dedication, I am confident you will…HRK!"
Once again, Wynmacher noticed a flashing, yellow light and a "stat-tick" buzz coming from below. Once again, he looked downward to find it was coming from some electricity on his body. But this time, it wasn't a tiny cluster of electricity stuck to his hand, but a large blade of lightning sticking out of his chest.
"You were saying?" Rantao asked as she withdrew the lightning blade, revealing it to be an aura construct she had formed around her hand, allowing Wyn to fall to the ground, clutching a cauterized stab wound. "Great Gaia… you have no idea how much I wanted to do that," the Raiju chuckled. "Seriously, if there's one thing I hate more than weaklings, it's weaklings who make those idiotic anime speeches about 'protecting the weak' and 'fighting for your friends'." She dry heaved, making sure to stick out her tongue in an exaggerated fashion. "Tourists."
"H-How?" Wyn uttered in disbelief. "You were…" He looked over his shoulder and into the crater, just in time to see the blackened Rantao disappear in a poof of smoke. "A duplicate!?"
Rantao nodded. "I created it during our little freefall and switched places with it using a Substitution Jutsu. A basic ninja technique, and one you really should've seen coming. Still think I'm a weak, arrogant little girl, Guardian?"
"No…" Wyn let out with a harsh breath.
"That's what I thought," Rantao replied, a Chesire grin creeping over her face.
"You are much worse than that."
Only for the grin to vanish as soon as Wyn uttered those words. "What?"
"You talk of strength and honor and conquest, yet you only fight battles you know you can win. You lure your victims into traps to disable them. Strike only when they are at their weakest and most defenseless. All while hiding behind smoke and mirrors." He coughed up a cloud of smoke. "And you call yourself a warrior? Laughable."
Rantao scowled. "You know, someone once told me the same thing. Do you want to know what happened to her? She died."
"Then at least she perished with honor."
"She perished like a beast."
"The only beast I see is you."
Rantao stomped her foot onto Wyn's chest, right on his wound. "How dare you!?" she shouted. "I am Raiju! I belong to the mightiest ninja clan in Yurashia! The strongest in the world!"
"And why do you want to be the strongest?" Wyn asked. "Why spend your entire life seeking power?"
"Because power is all that matters," Rantao replied. "There are two kinds of people in this world, Guardian: the strong and the weak. And weaklings exist for one purpose: to feed the strong. To be sacrificed. Devoured! Conquered! EXTERMINATED! And as one of the strongest in the world, I am…"
"Nothing."
Rantao paused. "What?"
"Your clan… your strength… your life… it's all nothing," Wyn explained. "You live for nothing. Fight for nothing. And one day, you will die for nothing."
Rantao growled before stomping her foot on Wynmacher's chest, knocking both the wind and lights out of him.
"The only nothing I see here is you, harimogura," Rantao spat, pulling her hat over her eyes as she walked off to the side to wait for Flare to finish up. "Nothing. That's all you are… just like Hazuki."
-X-
Kat's House
Jade was not happy. She had wanted to be part of one of the Village Teams, not sitting around her best friend's house, guarding her deadweight brother alongside his pink girlfriend. She understood it was an important job, Master Bunker made that abundantly clear to her when they picked the teams; but that didn't mean that she liked it, especially when the only intruders they'd had, a group of snot-nosed kids.
"What the HELL were you thinking?!" she demanded. "Some lady you never met or seen before offers you candy and you just do whatever she tells you!? Didn't your parents teach you not to talk to strangers!?"
"We're sorry..." the kids all said, looking up at her guiltily.
"She said she was friends with the Hunxue'er (1) that lives here," the first child said.
Jade's eye twitched, a vein popping in her forehead as she struggled to keep her temper under control.
"She said if we could wake up the red creature, we'd earn so much candy."
"Uuuuuuugh…" Jade pinched the bridge of her nose, turning away to angrily swear in Chunese under her breath. As this was going on, Julie-Su watched through a crack in the door.
"Wow…" she mused, a sweatdrop trickling down her face. "No wonder Kat put her here."
Just then, there was a loud thud from the garden, followed by a rattle and slam as the sliding door was thrown open. Dulcy ran in with Bunker in her arms, Jian, and Cinder on her tail.
"What the...!?" Julie exclaimed. "Dulcy? What-?!"
"We need help!" Dulcy cried. "Now!"
"What the...!?" Jade ran in. "Bunker-furen?!"
"Jade!" Cinder cried. "We need Kacchan's medicine! Sensei's hurt real bad!"
Jade nodded. "Shit, right! Bring her to the Infirmary!"
They brought Bunker to the infirmary, laying her out next to the still-unconscious Knuckles. Immediately, Jade began grabbing bottles off of the shelves and mixing some herbs together.
"Pray to Gaia I remember Wang-furen's lessons on herbology…" Jade kept mixing before handing Jian one of the bottles. "Okay, this should help the bleeding. Apply it to her wounds, then bind them with a clean cloth. I'll begin working on something to restore her qi."
"Right!"
Jian began applying the salve to Bunker's wounds. As Jade ground the herbs, Knuckles began to shift on his cot, groaning.
"Knux?" Julie ran over to him.
"Look out… Kat..."
Julie held Knuckles' hand. "Just hang in there, Knux. Your sister's a tough kid, she's gonna be just fine."
"No... Kat... danger…"
Julie looked worried. "What's going on? He wasn't like this before."
"Kai...tian..."
Everyone perked as Bunker stirred awake, breathing heavily.
"Kaitian... is in... grave danger..."
In the distant woods, lightning struck and fires burned, lighting up the sky…
-X-
Kirin Rapids Falls
"We're almost there! I can hear the falls growing closer!" Locke called out.
"Oh, thank Aurora!" Lara let out, only to freeze dead in her tracks at the sight before them.
"By the Walkers…" Locke gasped out.
"KATHRYN!" Lara shrieked.
Kat was on the ground, bleeding and burned. Her bracers were golden slag, abandoned in the mud. Standing above her, panting, disheveled, and looking very unhinged, was Flare the Pheasant.
"Well…" Flare scoffed. "If it isn't the filthy sky moles themselves..."
"You…" Locke glared at Flare. "Who the hell are you!?"
"That's none of your concern!" Flare snapped. "Just know that your daughter has committed a great ill against my house. One that will soon be rectified."
"NO!" Lara cried. "Get away from her!"
"I am Flare! Flame Emperor of Suzaku! I can do whatever I please! Especially when it comes to little thieves who steal the power that rightfully belongs to me!"
Flare readied his blade.
"NO!" Lara shrieked. "Not my daughter!"
"Consider yourselves fortunate... You are about to witness the rebirth of the Suzaku Empire!"
"Don't you dare!" Locke tried to force his way through the barrier, only to be repelled by an electric shock. "Such power..."
"Indeed." Rantao stepped forward, holding a battered Wyn.
"Wynmacher..." Locke managed.
"Aurora…" Lara gasped. "Wyn!"
Wynmacher looked up weakly. "Forgive me, Lara... I... failed..."
"Wyn…" Kat gasped. "No…"
"You bastards..." Locke cursed.
Flare scoffed haughtily. "This outcome was inevitable."
"Enough with the monologuing already," Rantao snapped. "We have the brat right where we want her. Hurry up and kill her so we can get out of here."
Flare grumbled, but acquiesced.
"Very well..." He raised the blade above his head, which ignited. " Moeagaru… Goshiki Enchou! "
With an ominous roar, Kat's fire was sucked out of her body and into the blade. She screamed, crumbling to the ground as her vibrant red hair turned dull.
"NO!" Lara shrieked.
"Damn you!" Locke charged at the wall, only to get shocked.
"Don't waste your breath!" Rantao gloated. "That lightning is entwined with my qi! Nothing can break that wall!"
"Your qi… Your Chaos..." That gave Locke an idea.
Locke focused, then thrust his hands into the wall, screaming in agony.
"Locke!" Lara screamed. "What are you doing!?"
"Saving... our... child!"
All eyes turned to Locke as he recited Tikal's Prayer. He sparked red, his eyes glowing a similar color before he ripped a hole in Rantao's barrier as if parting a curtain.
" WHAT?! " Rantao shrieked. "Impossible!"
Locke forced himself through the barrier, the wall slamming shut behind him with a boom. He then rushed at Flare.
"What!?" the pheasant squawked.
"Get the hell away from my daughter!"
Locke decked Flare right in the face, knocking him to the ground as the sword went tumbling from his hands. Immediately, the draining faded and Kat gasped, falling over. Her hair looked almost brown now and her eyes were listless.
Locke panted before running over to Kat. "Kathryn! Kathryn…please… say something…"
"Locke…" she wheezed. "I... feel so cold…"
Locke didn't respond. He couldn't. All he could do was stare at the nearly lifeless child lying before him, just like when she had returned from being captured by the Metal Overlord. Only this time, it was not the fault of some wicked machine, but his own. He did this. He made this possible. And now…
"Harimogura…"
Locke scowled at the sound of Flare's irate growling.
Flare slowly rose to his feet, scowling. "I hope you realize you are directly interfering in Suzaku's affairs! A crime punishable by death!"
"Don't pull that shit with me, boy," Locke shot back. "You're nowhere near your home country, or your jurisdiction! You're the one attacking Chun-nan unprovoked! You're the villain here!"
" Damare! I will not be lectured by a pathetic sky mole who lets his woman and children step all over him like a carpet!
Locke recoiled. "Excuse me?"
Flare scoffed, his face stretching into a twisted grin. "I know all about you, Guardian Locke. Rantao reported it to me. You let your ex-wife and son make a fool out of you. Allow her to walk off with another man without so much as a single objection. No wonder you jumped at Rantao's fake map to show up your woman's new paramour and fell for our trap."
Locke's eyes widened. "The map… then, this was all your doing!?"
"Yes…" Flare confirmed, his expression turning to one of contempt. "Honestly, I don't know which of you boils my blood more, dealing with your thieving daughter or watching her spineless father. If you wanted Lara-Le back so badly, there was a simple solution: put your foot down and make her come back to you."
Locke gritted his teeth. "You bastard... she's a person, not property!"
"She's a woman! She doesn't know up from down! As the man, your word is law! She would be lucky to be considered property. The same goes for the girl."
Lara looked utterly offended. Rantao scowled at Flare but said nothing.
"Big words coming from the one relying on a woman to get a leg up on Kathryn," Locke retorted.
Despite her pain, Kat couldn't help but snort.
"Rantao did so under my orders… Which she failed at miserably, thanks to your bumbling oaf of a second," He tacked on, giving the aforementioned two a sneering side glare. "Besides, she isn't my woman, she's a weapon. A tool."
Rantao let out a feral hiss in response.
Locke shook his head in discontent. "And you call yourself a leader. You're pathetic."
Flare snarled. "What was that?"
"You're pathetic. A worthless ruler. How long have you spent here chasing a child? A little girl? And for what? Her Chaos given power? The power she earned?"
"Power she stole!"
"That girl is many things, but she is not a thief." He pointed a spiked glove at the pheasant. "You're the thief here. Not only that, but you used me to bring harm to my family, and for that…" His eyes briefly sparked with Chaos. "You will pay."
"Enough!" Flare's qi flared up. "I will not be insulted like this!"
He snatched up his sword, rushing at Locke.
"And I will not let you hurt my daughter!"
"Locke, no…" Kat wheezed. "He's too strong!"
Flare brought his sword down in a vertical flash, only for Locke to catch it in his hands, stopping it cold.
"What!?" Flare screamed before Locke punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him.
"You forget who trained you and your brother, Kathryn," Locke said with a small smirk. "I might not be familiar with Yurashian fighting styles… But I am still the Head Guardian. And I can handle some arrogant, overgrown bluebird."
" Ki...Kisamaaaaaa...! "
Locke punched Flare again, knocking him back. He rolled back, coughing up a small amount of blood as he did.
"You... You dare strike... an Emperor!?" the overgrown bluebird demanded in disbelief. "I... I am of divine blood!"
"Not any divine I recognize."
"Then allow me to enlighten you!" Flare ignited his sword before swinging at Locke, unleashing a wave of flame.
"Fire? Please..." Locke stamped his foot, causing a hunk of rock to appear in front of him, blocking the fire.
"An earth-user!?" Flare gasped.
"Ha!" Locke punched the rock forward, sending it flying at Flare, who cut through it with his sword.
"Fool! Goshiki Enchou is indestructible! It can cut through anything, and nothing can break its-!" Flare was cut off when Locke came running forward, forcing him to throw up his blade in time to block the Echidna's punch.
"If you have time to boast about your weapon, then fight with it!" Locke ordered, putting more force behind his fist.
Flare seethed, not only from Locke's insolence, but also from his strength. The echidna was beginning to break through his defenses.
"Rantao! Help me!" Flare commanded.
Rantao crossed her arms, making no move to do so. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just a stupid tool of a woman. Surely you don't need my help… Flare-sama." Her voice dripped with mock deference as she uttered the Entei's name and honorific.
"Rantaaaaaaaaaao!"
Locke continued his assault, leaving Flare on the defensive.
"You used me! Tricked me! Manipulated me into hurting my family!"
"Twas your own fault for being a pathetic, gullible fool!" Flare snapped before forcing him back. He stabbed his sword into the ground, causing a pillar of fire to erupt at Locke. Locke pounded the ground, creating a wall to block it.
"Damn... I need to do something about that blade..."
Hearing a slashing sound, Locke rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being sliced in half along with the wall.
"As I said, you're a fool!" Flare shouted. "My sword is an Ancient Weapon that has lasted since the time of the Ancients! You think it will break so easily?"
He unleashed another flaming slash at Locke, who dodged.
"It might not… But what about the man wielding it?"
Locke pounded the ground, unleashing another earth attack that Flare sliced through.
"Are you that dense!? I told you, my blade can cut...!" He suddenly lost his footing, stumbling.
"To be able to use your sword, you need to be able to stand on the ground." He made his move as Flare tried to regain his footing.
"You...!" That was all Flare had time to say before Locke punched him in the face.
"Return Kathryn's power to her!" Locke demanded as he struck again. Flare tried to strike back, only to twist his ankle as a small hole opened up beneath his foot. "Now!"
"I will... not!" Flare tried to strike again, only to be overwhelmed by Locke's brutal assault.
"Return. Kathryn's. Power!"
As Flare was getting beaten down, his body began to glow, until...
" ENOUGH!" His aura practically exploded, knocking Locke back. "I will not be humiliated like this! I am Flare the Pheasant! Emperor of Suzaku!" He stared down Locke, and then his eyes fell on the prone, listless Kat. "And you will pay for your insolence!"
Locke prepared to fight, only for Flare to unleash a fire attack at Kat, looking right into Locke's eyes all the while.
"No!" Locke rushed to Kat's side, summoning an earth wall to shield her from the attack. Unfortunately, Flare continued releasing more waves of flame, each more intense than the last.
"What's it going to be, Guardian Locke!? Defeat me or protect the girl? You can't do both!'
Locke continued defending, beginning to sweat as Flare kept ramping up his power.
"Kathryn..." he panted.
"Locke..." Kat weakly lifted her head, dull eyes meeting his.
"I... I am sorry… For ruining your trip... for what happened to your parents' boat… For failing you… I know... that there's nothing I can do to fix this...but..." The rocks were beginning to crack.
"Locke..." A tear rolled down her cheek.
"Kathryn... I love you..." The wall broke, but Locke jumped in front of the ensuing firestorm, screaming in defiance and pain alike as it struck him head-on.
"LOCKE!" Lara and Kat screamed as the firestorm finished, leaving Locke blackened and crispy.
"Is... that... the best you've... gooooooo...?" Locke wheezed before falling over, smoking.
" Bakame. " Flare scoffed as he loomed over Kat, kicking Locke aside. She was still, her hair blocking her eyes. "Now Winters… Prepare to join your pathetic father in Yomi-no-kuni!"
Flare readied his blade. " Moeagaru...Goshiki Enchou!"
Once more, there was an ominous roar as Kat's power drained away into Flare's Goshiki Enchou.
"Yes…" Flare whispered reverently at the sight of the prismatic flame. "Heavenly fire… Vermillion, amber, viridian, cobalt, and violet! It's even more beautiful than I imagined. And it's mine! All mi–!"
KRACK!
"What?"
Flare eyes widened as cracks formed along Goshiki Enchou's blade, each one letting out a hissing cloud of steam.
"What… is this!? What's happening to my…AAAH!"
Suddenly, the blade exploded in a burst of colored light. It was a massive burst, one that blew everyone back, destroying Rantao's lightning field and surrounding everything in rainbow flames. Flare was thrown back before managing to get back up.
"N ...Nan desu ka...? What just... happened?"
He looked down, seeing his sword in pieces, the emperor only holding a hilt and an inch of the broken blade.
"No! My sword! I-Impossible! Goshiki Enchou is an Ancient Weapon! NOTHING can break it!"
The flames continued to swirl around them all, then funneled in on the shards of the sword. As the hilt began to heat up, Flare dropped it with a pained shout. The shards liquefied in the blaze, lifting off the ground and joining the swirling mass of flames, along with the gold from Kat's molten bracers.
"Flare... what the hell is going on!?" Rantao demanded.
"I…" He swallowed fearfully. "I don't know..."
Slowly, in the center of this multicolored firestorm, a new blade began to form. Rather than an elegant katana, it was a simple, humble jian. The gold mixed into the blade itself, forming a fire pattern along its edge.
"My… My sword…" Flare whispered. but before he could even think of attempting to grab it, the blade shot away from him, into the outstretched hand of Kat. The flames poured into her eyes, nose, and mouth, her wounds closing and her tattoo glowing. The color returned to her hair as it burned into a rainbow blaze, flickering above her head. She stood up, her eyes solid flames as rainbow wings sprouted from her back.
"You…" Flare whispered, his fear turning to rage. "What do you think you're doing with my sword, you–!?"
"Enough…" Kat hissed, stopping the Entei cold. It did not sound like Kat's voice, but like someone was speaking over her. Just like when she had bested Zan.
"What... What is this!?" Flare and Rantao looked on in shock and awe. "What are you!?"
Kat's head snapped toward Flare, one of the flaming wings snapping out. He was smacked hard enough that he ended up crashing into a tree. She then turned her attention to Locke, the other wing gently brushing over him. Those flames licked across his body as if burning away his wounds. Soon, Locke is fully healed. Kat smiled as Locke's condition improved.
"I don't know what the fugg is going on, but I'm ending this!" Rantao charged at Kat, who just grabbed her by her face
" I remember you. I remember what you did."
Her hand burst into flames and there was the unmistakable smell of burning hair and flesh. Rantao screamed in pain as Kat's hand unleashed a small, bright fire burst, blasting her back. The ninja rolled back before collapsing, the area around her eyes burned black. Kat's gaze then fell on Wynmacher, who was staring at her.
"You... are not Young Kathryn," he realized.
Kat just put a finger to her lips, the flames washing over him and healing his wounds as well.
"You…" Flare scowled as he got up. "What do you think you're doing!? What have you done to my sword!? How are you wielding it!?"
Kat didn't respond.
"Say something, damn you!" He ran over, trying to grab the blade, only for it to burn his hands as soon as he touched it. Despite this, he continued to pry it from her grip. "That blade... is mine! It is unworthy of your filthy hands!"
" No… " Kat said, calm but cold. "You are the unworthy one. You are nothing but an arrogant thief. Unworthy of this blade. Unworthy of your title. Unworthy... of Suzaku."
"I... am the Entei! Scion of the Phoenix! I am of divine blood!
Again, Flare tried to take the blade, only for his hands to burst into flame. He recoiled, screaming in pain.
" All you are is a lie, built on the blood of innocents. No more."
Kat raised the blade and swung it, causing Flare and Rantao to be consumed in a flash of light.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Flare screeched.
A streak of light flew away into the distance. The two assassins were gone, leaving only Kat and the echidnas. Slowly, she lowered the blade, which began to liquefy in her hands. The liquid metal crawled up her arms, surrounding her wrists to form bracers similar to her old ones, but with silver mixed with gold. The patterns were also different, the edges lined with flames and a phoenix spreading its wings in the center. As they settled around her wrists, the flames around Kat died and she crumbled to the ground. Her hair was bright red once more, but she was unconscious.
"Kathryn!" Lara rushed over, catching her before she fell. She perked as she heard Locke moaning and stirring, slowly opening his eyes.
"Uuuuugh…" he groaned. "My head..."
"Just how much of that fruit wine did I drink?" Wyn pondered as he rose to his feet.
"Locke!" Lara cried in relief. "Wynmacher!
"I am alright, Lara dearest," Wynmacher assured. "Not so much as a scratch remains."
"But that's...impossible…" Locke mused. "I know I was burned alive."
Lara looked down at Kat in utter bewilderment. "Kathryn...Just... what are you?"
-X-
Meanwhile...
Somewhere in the forest, a clearing had been devastated, like a meteor crashed. At the end of this path of destruction was Flare. The pheasant groaned, slowly coming to. He was badly battered and beaten, his ponytail undone and kimono in tatters.
"Ohhhhh... my head..." he groaned. "Where... am I? What...happened?"
He perked in remembrance. "That's right! The gaijin! That damned brat... somehow stole my blade! I've got to… AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
As soon as he attempted to get up, he felt a searing pain in his hands, the worst he'd ever felt in his life.
"What the devil!? My hands feel like they're... they're..."
He looked down and almost threw up. His hands were blistered and severely burned, the feathers gone and scaly skin charred, hints of bone showing through the wound. He could barely twitch his fingers, which were tipped with broken, partially melted talons. He backed up into a tree, hyperventilating in horror as he stared at his mutilated hands.
"My... my... my hands! SHE TOOK MY HANDS!"
"Flare?"
Flare perked. "Rantao? Rantao, where are you!?"
"I'm over here..." she got up, rubbing her head. "Dammit… Is it dark already? How long was I out?"
Flare raised an eyebrow. "Dark… out?"
"Yeah, I can't see a damn thing," the Raiju groused. "Use your qi to give me a light."
"Rantao…" Flare replied worriedly. "it's not even sunset. The sun is still high."
"What? What are you talking about? It's pitch black! I..." Rantao bumped into a tree. "Itetetetetetetetete! Dammit! Stupid tree!"
Rantao finally turned to face Flare, who gaped in shock and revulsion.
"Oh gods..."
"What? What's wrong?"
"Ey...Eyes.."
"Eyes? What are...?" She looked in his direction, revealing the burnt, blackened skin extending around the upper half of her face and across both eyes, which had been essentially seared shut. She felt around her face, her fingers making their way to the charred flesh. She prodded at the closed eyelids, gaping in horror.
"My eyes... they're...It's not dark... I'm blind!"
"I'm going to be sick…" Flare promptly spun around, retching on the ground.
"Winters…" Rantao yowled. "That little bitch! She burned out my eyes!"
"You think that's bad?! She burned my hands to the bone...literally!"
"I'll kill her! I'll slit her throat! I'll-!" Rantao tripped on a rock, falling. "Damn it!"
"Wang Kaitian…" Flare clenched his fists as tightly as his mutilated hand could manage. "You will pay dearly for this… I swear it… I will rain down every agony, every violation imaginable, upon you. I will parade your cold body from every corner of Mobius, and personally feed your soul to the vilest filth in Hell! THAT I PROMISE!"
He struck the tree in a rage…
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
…only to break his hand.
Author's Note:
(1): Official term for a mixed-race child.
And thus, Flare and Rantao are defeated. All that's left now is to answer some questions... and mend some bridges. But that's for next time. For now, don't forget to R&R.