Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

Kab2

Here is a look at other character from my collection, I hope you like it

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15 June 1189

Koromogawa-no-tachi residence, Hiraizumi, Mutsu province.

"It looks like the end is near." said a figure standing beneath a bridge, lots of weapons carried in his back, dressed as a monk.

"It seems so, old friend." said another figure acompanying him, shorter than the first, dressed in armor from that time and a youthful face, a katana at his side and two tantos on his other, with an intense gaze flowing from his bright blue eyes that denoted a hardened veteran of war.

"Hah! I may be older than you but I'm still in my good age. But my lord," Benkei said, turning serious."I don't think neither or us will be alive tomorrow morning, but I won't let them pass this bridge, you still have a wife and a son under your brother's 'care'."after saying that he picked an spear and placed in front of the bridge, he struck the solid floor with its handle, producing a distinctive sound. "I'll swear by my honour that I'll fend them off even if there's no life left in me. Go to the inner chambers and work your way out killing all of them."

"I know that you will do it, I'll remember this last act of service from you, may the Kami take pity of your opponents' souls." Saying this the younger man patted the older's right shoulder "And I hope that Hachiman welcomes you in his hall of warriors, maybe we will meet there once again. Sayonara, Benkei."

"I hope so too, I still need to collect my thousand blade from you, Lord Yoshitsune. Now go, they won't take long to arrive and I'll give those traitors a piece of my mind." with nothing more to say, Benkei proceed to guard the bridge, Yoshitsune left the brigde to retreat to the inner chambers of the residence feeling guilty.

'Why I didn't follow Yuuki-Sensei's advice? Why I followed my brother blindly?' he believed him when he said that this undercover operation would finish with his return to his brother's side as a subdued enemy, pledging loyalty again to him and raising Yoritomo's popularity and his own's cost, but he didn't mind as his only wish was be at Yoritomo's orders, he even left Shizuka and his unborn child in Yoritomo's care at Yoshino's mountain before coming back to Mutsu, but now he knew the truth, thanks to Fujigara Tadahira.

Tadahira's brother, Yasuhira, and Yoritomo were conspiring to do and assault at night and kill them while sleeping, at first Yoshitsune didn't believe him, but things went wrong when one of Yasuhira's retainers tried to kill them both, Yoshitsune disarming him and when he interrogated the man he confirmed what Tadahira said, but it was too late, Yasuhira's men were positioned around the building to prevent his escape.

Yoshitsune would be lying if he said that it wasn't a shock for him, but when he accepted that his brother wanted to kill him some things clicked in his head, Yoritomo has used him to kill his opponents one by one, like Kiso no Yoshinaka until only one remained, himself, and now it came his turn.

He quickly writed a letter for Shizuka and trusted Tadahira to deliver it to her, as his brother's men wouldn't kill Tadahira if he lied about his reasons to be here.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, he went through a corridor when he heard Benkei shouting.

"I am Saito Musashibo Benkei, retainer of Minamoto no Yoshitsune. Come across this bridge if you dare to confront me, by my honor I swear that you shall not pass!"

'So they are here' thought Yoshitsune cursing himself once again, after a little while he reached his destination, the inner chambers where his first wife and their daughter were waiting for him.

"Otou-san!" said their daughter embracing him.

This broke his heart for what he had to do, but if he survived this, he will atone for what he is forced to do now.

"Husband" said Sato, his wife. "How are the siege going?" she was hoping for good news, but Yoshitsune's face told her that it won't be the case.

"Very bad my love." said Yoshitsune "Only me and Benkei are still alive, and he is fending off the traitors as we speak." then he kneeled and embraced his wife and his daughter "I'm so sorry" he began to cry "I couldn't keep my promise; if I wasn't so blinded by my brother this may not have happened" unhooking two tantos that he had prepared earlier, he passed them to her wife. "I won't plead for forgiveness, but in the case I survive, I will atone for this, always remembering you until the day we'll meet again".

"Please don't cry my love" said Sato lovingly upping him with her hand in his jaw. "You have no guilt for what is about to happen." Yoshitsune opened his mouth to protest, but Sato silenced him putting her finger in his mouth. "My only wish now is that you survive and be happy with your other wife, as even if we don't do this, we'll be killed, so as a last insult to Yoritomo we will deny him this 'pleasure'." after this she gave him a parting kiss that they knew will be the last. "We will be waiting for you in the other life, so stay strong."

Retreating to their room, they left Yoshitsune alone with ghosts, he prepared to meet his opponents ready to kill them all.

After what it seemed hours, he heard some noises approaching the chambers, noises that he recognized as steps from more than one person.

'So Benkei has been slain.' thought Yoshitsune sighing internally. 'Sayonara, my friend, we will meet again in the other side.' unsheathing his blade, he adopted his usual stance in battle.
"Usumidori, lets bathe in the blood of our opponents" said to his blade.

And shortly after, people from Yasuhira's personal army started to enter the room he knew would be his dying place.

Applying all his knowledge and talent, he confronted everyone that entered, parrying, slicing and jumping to avoid damage and killing as many as possible.

But even as talented as he was, the sheer number of them brought him down.

He knew he will die here now with certainty, but he was determined to try to escape at least, In this was working until a commanding voice from outside the room said "Stop the hostilities."

The samurais that were alive retreated while Yoshitsune was stunned at the voice. "What are you doing here, 'brother'? Your appearance here would undermine your goals because your position." said with a exausted voice.

From the door Yoritomo appeared, followed by the traitor Yasuhira, who broke the promise with his father Hidehira to shelther Yoshitsune. "That would be true if someone knew that I was here, Yoshitsune" he sighed "Who told you the plan to assassinate you during your sleep? A lot of men have died here that shouldn't have."

Not wanting to betray Tadahira, he told him a half truth. "One of that traitor's man slipped his tongue and tried to kill me, so I defeated him and confirmed your plan to kill us, so we took defense." 'well, that's the truth from a certain point of view' thought Yoshitsune.

"Who was?" asked Yasuhira "I need to know to punish his family for all this mess"

Glaring at him Yoshitsune said with a voice that could freeze the water "Traitors don't have names rat, so I don't know how he was called before."

Squealing, he hid behind Yoritomo, who said "Enough chitchat for now, brother, I have come with a proposal that-"

"Proposal?" Yoshitsune said cutting Yoritomo "Kill myself to boost your popularity? Let myself captured to be executed in public? No 'brother', this time you can't convince me to follow your plan."

"Well" rebated Yoritomo, "You don't want anything to happen to the wife I have in custody, right?"

"What do you mean with that?" asked a surprised Yoshitsune 'I know by her letters that she is fine and our son too, what is he plotting?'

"I have a rider two cho from here in an advantageus position, waiting for me to come out of this house, if you come out of the house or a soldier gives with a certain signal, his orders are to go as fast as possible to Kamakura and kill your family.

"You wouldn't... no, of course you would, what do you want?" said Yoshitsune resigned to his fate.

"It's simple, you will commit seppuku as a way to defend your honour, it's the least I can do you, that way your wife and son will remain in the same state that they are now."

"Do you swear by your honor and position that what you stated is true?" said Yoshitsune, he knew that if Yoritomo agreed, that would be the best he could do for them, given the circunstances.

Nodding, Yoritomo said. "I do, I will stick to what I said earlier until my death."

Exhaling a relieved sigh, Yoshitsune looked at his brother "Very well, I'll do it now, please retreat while I do it."

Agreeing, all of them left the room except those who Yoshitsune killed. 'So this has come to it' taking Usumidori by its edge, he cut his belly open, as the ritual demanded. 'I'm sorry Usumidori that the last one you killed under my command was myself'.

After a while, and with the death's door approaching, Yoritomo, Yasuhira and their men entered again the room, and after viewing that his part of the deal was done, they began to search the other rooms.

"I'm sorry my lord." Yoshitsune heard a soldier reporting as his fingers where going cold. "His wife and daughter are dead"

"What a pity." he heard his brother anwering "I would have used them as a public execution for rebelling against the Emperor"

'Good' thought Yoshitsune 'that way their honor is intact, sorry Sato' he closed his eyes as his breath was becoming thinner.

And then with his last seconds of life he heard Yasuhira asking Yoritomo "What would you do with his other wife and son?"

Yoritomo believed that he was dead already or he wouldn't asnwered like he did.

Laughing he said "Them? I will do nothing, as his son is dead and his wife is pending a public judgment that will sentence her to die."

'What?' Yoshitsune began to feel something similar to rage, but much powerful 'He said that they will be safe! Wait...' And then he found the trick in what he fell, the letters from Shizuka were dictated by Yoritomo to make him think that his son was still alive, and Yoritomo's oath is true, they will remain the same as they are now, one dead and other sentenced to death.

"Curse you" he said in a whisper as the power he felt helped him to regain his strenght.

"Curse you" he said as he began to move getting up despite his wounds.

"What? is he still alive?" Yasuhira said. "Quick! kill him at once!"

"CURSE YOU!!!!" Yoshitsune yelled with a force that freezed all the presents.

He didn't feel anger, as he passed the threshold to feel it. Instead he felt a calm peace that dictated his movements.

Approaching Yasuhira, he grabbed him by the neck and lifted him from the ground. "You traitor, You will lose all what you tried to keep, and then your life will be slain." tossing him against a wall, he confronted Yoritomo. "Brother, you will achieve what you are looking for, but after that you and your male sons will meet your fate, each one worse than the former."

But as soon as the last words left his mouth he felt a sudden pain in his neck.

*********************

5 August 2014

Matsudaira Yoshi suddenly got up screaming from the recurring nightmare that she just had.

'Again that memory' she thought as cold sweat dropped from her forehead.

Not long passed as the door of her room opened to see a worried Matsudaira Yori.

"That nightmare again, Yoshi?" Yori said as he sat in her bed.

Hugging him, Yoshi spoke. "Hai Aniue, now I know that they are the last moments of my other life, but I'm feeling the same things as the first time I had this dream"

Patting her head, Yori calmed her "And I told you that you are not in fault for what happened, what happened happened. He brought it upon himself."

"I know." said Yoshi now calmer "but I feel bad now for what happened to Tadahira and my cousins, they didn't do anything to me, what if--"

"Stop" commanded Yori "I said this a lot, but it looks like you don't believe me, what you did wasn't a curse per se, it was a prophecy turned curse, even if you died without telling that, It would have happened."

Visibly flattened, Yoshi only relied on her cousin as her emotions normalised.

"You know" Yoshi spoke "I was surprised when I read the Gikeiki the other day, they said it has written in the Nanboku-cho period, but they told almost exactly what I remember from my past life."

Yori raised an eyebrow at the sudden topic change, but he realized that she only wanted to put away the dream chatting about other things. "That's interesting, do you have a theory why is it so similar?"

Sitting straight and letting go of her cousin, Yoshi explained her thoughts, that what they had from that period was possibly a transcription of older documents that had their origins in someone who travelled with them.

"And that is my theory" finished Yoshi. turning melancholic, she added. "I think it is right because some passages have a peculiar way of writing that reminds me of Shizuka."

"I see." said Yori thoughtful. "Normally we shouldn't be able to confirm or deny it, but if Yasutsune-San is really the reencarnation of your past life Sensei..."

"She would know as I told Shizuka to take shelter there, and it is confirmed that she survived, so when the rabbit is out the hole..." said Yoshi with expectation.

'At least she is cheerful again' thought Yori. "We can ask her, and for my part I have to ask her for Tsubaki, I want to know about her life since we parted ways until now."

"Heh." smirked Yoshi. 'I wish I had a father like him'

"Anyway" said Yori getting up from Yoshi's bed. "I'm making breakfast today, you can take a shower meanwhile."

After eating breakfast, Yori had to go looking for a new apartment in Yokosuka, as his job there will begin in September.

Yoshi got her bokken and went to the backyard to practice and put her thoughts in orden.

Standing in position she began her practice.

"Ichi!"

As the routine swallowed her body, her mind drifted to the recent events, she will transfer to a new school at the end of the month, that was certain as they couldn't afford to go her earlier school, she was sad, who wouldn't be at the loss of the people who have accompanied during all those past years, but their duty to pay their debt to Yasutsune-San was first.

And looking at this from another perspective, she may end in the same school as one of the two finalists. It would be too much to hope for them both to be from the same school, though Yoshi qualified for the nationals in her old school, if she could meet them before the nationals it would be fine, she wanted to learn as much as she can from them.

"Ni!"

Thinking about her plans of future, when their debt is paid fully, she would first honor all the people she killed by Yoritomo's orders in her first life, apologizing in their tombs if they are know or in the place they fell down, in November this year she will go to Kamakura to place flowers in the black stone that marks where Yoritomo's residence was for her son, as well as visiting Yoritomo's grave, in June of the next year she would go to Hiraizumi to honor Sato and her daughter in the day they died.

"San!"

It was a shock that her actual brother (really cousin, but after all this years of living together she considers him her brother more than Yoritomo was in reality) was in fact the famed Minamoto no Yorimitsu reincarnated, this fact actually helped her to come in terms with her past life, as he passed the same chaos as her when his memories awakened.

They were together since their parents died, and helped each other when difficulties surged, except that time when his memories surfaced, he was afraid that he was becoming crazy, but he didn't said anything to not worry her, this bit of info had to wait until she got her own issues with her past memories.

"Well, that's good for now" said Yoshi finishing her practice.
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Well, I hope you like it, suggestions and comments are always welcomed.

 

[darthcourt10]

Sidestory - Snippet 17: Lord Khuzdul

My apologies for the long delay. We are at the endgame now. Only one chapter left to resolve the Enver situation.

* * *

As Yavuz finished speaking, Mustafa Kemal's face fell to his hands. Yavuz heard soft swearing under his breath, as his shoulders dropped in despair. Muavenet turned to him, awkwardly patting his back a few times, then stood up and like an overgrown cat, wormed her way between his arms and into his lap, hugging him.

The destroyer's warmth and the low hum of her turbines seemed to calm the man down. His hands first dropped to her shoulders and then to her back, hugging the small warship to his chest. Still, when he looked up, Yavuz flinched at the almost broken look on his face.

"Paşam, don't look at me like that," she said, her voice almost begging.

"And how," the old general sighed, "was I supposed to look, Yavuz, with evidence of my colossal failure laid in front of me? When it is made abundantly clear that in the end all I have done is almost for naught, and I failed to see the fell ambitions of those around me? When I see now that I managed to break my nation so badly, that half of them today wish I failed completely, and the other half does not understand why I did everything I did?"

Yavuz shook her head. "I… I cannot say anything to refute what you say, Paşam… All I can say is… all is not lost yet. There are people, who still hold fast to your ideals. We just… were too few to change anything." She looked down. "If things were left to the natural flow, in a generation or two at most… things would have changed for the better." She hesitantly looked into his eyes. "But… sadly, things cannot be left to the natural flow."

Mustafa Kemal raised an eyebrow. "You have something to say, so stop chewing on it."

"Paşam… before this mess, I was already looking for you. I was just looking in the wrong place, apparently. I secretly summoned Bandırma and Savarona – don't worry, they are safe and away from the influence of that man and his cronies. Ali and his friends spirited them away, they are civilian ships after all, and they are living safe if secretive lives in Izmir. But the reason I was looking for you was to get your blessing," she blushed, "and maybe use your image as a bit of a boost. Because I knew one thing the current administration of this country does not – the masquerade that hid the magical side is collapsing. It is a wonder it is still going, and at least here, it is only through monumental effort by everyone involved. However, it is not long for this world… and if I know anything, I know that this government is entirely unsuited to handle a crisis at that level. And any mishandling would turn the thing into a bloodbath. So… to prevent further bloodshed… I intended to take over the country."

Mustafa Kemal sighed. "It is ihtilal then. You yourself said the ones before made things worse. You will have to be very careful how you handle this."

"I have my plans, Paşam. I believe I can succeed… I have to succeed. It is just that," she looked unsure, "I am just… not sure how to fix things so that this sort of thing does not happen again. And… I am afraid I might fail to resist the temptations once I am there."

Mustafa Kemal looked at the young looking woman sitting across from him, that felt both new and familiar. He examined her face carefully, and finally reached across the table, drawing a small mew of protest from the destroyer in his lap, and laid his hand on Yavuz's. "You are not selfish, Yavuz. That's the important thing here. What you want is not power for power's sake… It is not in your nature. But… from what you have told me, the country is fundamentally broken. It will not be quick, it will not be easy. Still, if anyone can do it, you can. Sadly, maybe it is the nature of our national spirit. We look for leaders. If this country needs a leader to look up to, I don't think she can find anyone better for the job." He smiled. "Muhtaç olduğun kudret, damarlarındaki asil kanda mevcuttur."1

Yavuz blushed. "Sir I…"

"Come on now. Go fix my nation. Leave me to my retirement. If you need any advice, you know where to find me. But I think I worked myself to an early grave one time too many already."

~ ~ ~

After a few minutes of chatter that moved on to lighter topics – prompted by one very serious destroyer proclaiming that it was enough about heavy topics, and people should stop interrupting Paşa's breakfast, before promptly turning around and again starting to spread butter and honey on pieces of toast for him with the careful attention of a bomb technician, without moving out of his lap – Yavuz got up to check on the others. Waving to acknowledge Mustafa Kemal's request to "ask that damn doctor of yours if I can at least smoke or have some coffee, if I cannot drink at all", Yavuz opened the glass doors of the patio to walk inside, where the rest of the group was waiting in the living room of the villa. She was met with light laughter as Lokman palmed his forehead and grumbled about "stubborn old boots".

After the laughter subsided, Schehrazade spoke up. "I have made some calls. We have a safe place for him to stay, and also making arrangements for a liver transplant to be handled in Mayo Clinic."

Lokman nodded. "I have a few students there. I can contact them to smooth things over. However, can we be sure of getting a liver in time? Even with magical intervention to ensure rejection is avoided, the liver itself has to come from somewhere."

Schehrazade nodded. "Indeed, but it seems they have found some magic to actually clone a healthy liver."

Lokman grinned. "Now this sounds interesting. A learning opportunity as well. After his liver is fixed, he will be okay until I provide him the Elixir to make sure he stays healthy this time." He shook his head. "I'd rather not say this, but as long as he doesn't go overboard, he can have a few cigarettes and a couple cups of coffee. No more though." He turned to Ali. "And you watch him closely over the next few weeks. He is known to ignore medical advice."

Yavuz smiled. "So the temporary bodyguard gets a warning but the permanent future one doesn't?"

Lokman laughed. "Your little destroyer is scary enough, that I don't think he will dare to disobey."

~ ~ ~

A few hours later, afternoon sunlight found the entire group in the shade of the trees down at the garden, sitting around a steaming samovar. After a sip of the tea, Yavuz leaned forward and looked at Korkut.

"So, you said you were looking for potential sites?"

Korkut nodded. "Yes. I had a few people looking into various battlefields. The most promising is the Afyon one. The date is close, and it is more positive than the others. Sakarya was very desperately fought, and the forces were smaller. Same with others – much smaller forces. But Afyon is large, well-established, and Kocatepe is remote enough we can actually hide the activity without too much fuss." He turned towards Mustafa Kemal. "Paşam, there is one more thing… we have discovered a ghost on the slopes of a nearby hill… called Çiğiltepe. We believe he can help."

Mustafa Kemal put his hand over his eyes. "It seems today is the day I am reminded of my failings. Reşat Bey is one of my greatest regrets. If this may give him a measure of peace, and relieve his undeserved burden… I say we should go for it."

Yavuz was thoughtful. "All said, how will we get an army all the way from Afyon to Erzurum? I don't think piling them in planes is an option."

Sinbad smiled. "That's where I come in." He scratched his neck in embarrassment. "Or rather, my… fleet." He resolutely ignored the knowing grin Schehrazade gave him. "I commanded more than a few steamships over the years. And for some reason, most of them decided to come back to me. Since your soldiers will be spirits," he turned to Mustafa Kemal, "they can be transported in their holds. The travel would not be very comfortable, but brief. Just a short hop with a portkey."

Mustafa Kemal shook his head in amusement. "You know, I feel more and more pissed that nobody clued me in about the possibilities of magic. We could have used stuff like this during the war."

Murat laughed. "Well, there were two sides on that front as well. My mentor during the academy was a member of the Karakol Cemiyeti during the war. He told me a lot of hair-raising stories of getting military supplies out of the storehouses of Istanbul under the noses of British and French wizards."

"I remember Yavuz mentioning how long lived you magicals tend to be," Mustafa Kemal said, laughing. "Is he still around, by chance?"

Murat grew somber. "Sadly, we lost him a few years ago, Paşam. A gûlyabani took up residence in Karacaahmet2, with a small army of ghouls under it. A smart and vicious bastard. Liked to go after children in the wards of the nearby hospital. It was a tough fight, and killed many good men. In the end, Ziya took it and a good chunk of its army with him with a large fire spell."

Mustafa Kemal nodded. "My condolences. He was a hero, and I hope his sacrifice will be recognized properly when this is over, alongside many others you lost trying to keep people safe." Yavuz nodded in assent.

After a moment of silence, Korkut continued. "When Sinbad's ships arrive, we will move on to Kocatepe and perform the ritual." He thought for a moment. "When we reach the appropriate point, I would like you to address them and appeal to them. If we are lucky, they will come, for one last battle."

Mustafa Kemal nodded. "They will come. I know my soldiers. They did not shy away from Greek machineguns, they will not shy away from Enver's deceived corpses."

- - -

(1) "The strength you need is present in the noble blood flowing in your veins." Last sentence of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's Appeal to Turkish Youth.
(2) Karacaahmet Cemetery, historic cemetery on the Asian side of Istanbul, in the Kadıköy district. Largest cemetery in Turkey, covering over 750 acres.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Things To Do In South Dakota When You're 'Dead' (VIII)

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

6 August 2014
Spoiler: Awakening in A New Life

Kemal Mustafa woke up after his surgery in a soft hospital bed. Inside his gut, a well-hidden fear unclenched itself and faded.

He had remembered the blood-soaked despair of the field hospitals of the Great War.

This modern building of glass and steel, sunlight, fresh air, and clean equipment was like a vision of Paradise on Earth compared to what he had known and experienced in the past.

With that he sighed in relief and marveled in the world that he had found himself in as he thought of his experiences up to this point.

"Good morning." The quiet soprano voice came in Turkish and he looked over to see Delilah de Breuil sitting in a chair by his bedside reading a well-worn leather-bound book. His eyes briefly focused on the title Terrible Swift Sword by Bruce Catton and his eyebrows raised.

"Good morning. Is that a good book?" He responded as she closed it on her finger to mark her place.

"It is," she said with a wan smile and nod, "one of the better books about the Civil War in fact, which is why I'm rereading it. The subject matter is a matter of significant personal interest to me since I lost Uncle David at Gettysburg. I find as I get older that it forged me into what I am today." She poured him a glass of ice water from a pitcher nearby. "I was a young girl then and didn't understand at the time why Uncle David left me and never came back. Later, when we came to the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg, I found meaning in his sacrifice in the words spoken there."

He nodded, remembering standing at Anzac Cove in April 1934 to dedicate the cemetery to allow the brave men -- his soldiers and their opponents both -- to rest there side by side and get meaning from the terrible and great events that he had been a small part of. Events that had reborn his beloved country in the blood of those who sacrificed their futures for it. "I have found that the honor rests with they who served and sacrificed more than they who led and commanded, often."

Delilah nodded solemnly and spoke with tears in her eyes. "Freedom and liberty is so unutterably precious because of the terrible cost demanded of us who uphold it. And yet, the value of it in our own lives is such that the cost is willingly paid, for life without it is not truly living."

He nodded wordlessly in response and the silence lingered. Finally he spoke once more. "Where is everyone else?"

Delilah responded as she sipped her own glass of water. "Zamarad went ahead to my ranch to make final preparations and will meet us in Rapid City with the car. Ali's checking us out of the hotel that we stayed in while you were in the ICU. Lokman is handling your release paperwork downstairs with the senior staffers that he knows. Normally it would be a week or more of no-maj hospital stay but he and I cheated more than a bit in that regard. Healing spells are wonderful things. As is a large donation to their operating budget to silence questions along with us signing a document to waive their liability in case you fall ill. You won't of course, but lawyers are lawyers the world wide."

He barked a laugh and his fingers traced a new scar on his abdomen. "And the new liver?"

She smiled. "Lokman can give you the medical details, but the summary is the surgery was smooth. The new liver's functional and while he plans to stay with you for a few more days, in his experience there shouldn't be any major complications." She smirked. "Zamarad is preparing a welcoming feast for us, both adana kebab as well as some of my halal venison. Zamarad is Maliki and got a ruling upon that point even though I'm generally the hunter of the family."

Lokman spoke up as he walked inside. "We're clear to depart." He tapped the badge and nameplate on the labcoat which he was wearing over a suit. "You're my outpatient now."

Kemal stood with some help. "Do you want a wheelchair?" Delilah asked.

"No. I'll walk out." Kemal said, before slowly walking out of the room and down the hall. He stopped at the nurses' station to thank the staff before departing, marveling inwardly at the technology apparent.

Outside a red rental minivan was waiting with Ali standing beside it. Delilah slipped into the driver's seat and grinned at Kemal in the passenger seat. "Next stop Rochester Airport. I Portkeyed to the ranch yesterday and flew my Cessna down here rather than use magic openly to transport us since Mother mentioned that they are working on their detection grid. So you get to fly de Breuil Air Taxi."

Kemal looked over with interest, "You are a pilot too?"

She chuckled. "I always have liked to fly, going all the way back to being a Chaser on my House's Quidditch team in school. Oh sorry, It's a wizarding sport. It's like soccer except done while flying with brooms. Kind of. So after the Second World War, I bought a small aircraft and got a pilot's license in my copious spare time. Live long enough and have enough money and you get to indulge your hobbies. I fly, my sister Jackie sails, my other sister Colombe gets into massive trouble that is," Delilah's voice became higher pitched and acquired a French accent for the next words, "'Not My Fault!' and my nieces play hockey, play piano, and brood respectively for fun."

Kemal hummed thoughtfully. "So tell me about your family please?" Behind Delilah, Ali and Lokman leaned forward with interest.

"Well where to begin?" Delilah said absently as she merged onto the interstate. "You met my parents back at home. Father... Norimune spent the first three centuries or so of her life running around the world getting into trouble. And getting into romantic entanglements. That's where we all came from, Father has... had a nasty habit of not realizing that her love was pregnant before shit happened to rip them apart."

Delilah sighed deeply as she continued, "Colombe, my oldest sister, was born in 1707 when Father was working as a mercenary in Europe and fell for Julie d'Aubigny hard according to what Mom and then Colombe said. Unfortunately Julie died in childbirth, which hurt Father severely. So she didn't return from the battlefield to be there for the funeral. Instead, Colombe was raised and adopted by one of Julie's friends; Marquis Jean-Francois du Chasteler who was her Papa. When Colombe found out later that she wasn't his child after all and her father had apparently skated out on her -- although Father had no idea of the pregnancy or her existence at all! -- she swore bloody revenge and spent the next centuries trying to track Father down. And got into a lot of trouble in the process before finally mellowing out a bit."

Lokman grimaced and nodded, "I can attest to that. She has passed through our area of interest a few times and every time was spectacularly messy, albeit in ways that did solve a problem. Then in 1994 I was doing some charity work in Rwanda when the country blew up and she stopped a mob from burning my clinic to the ground and massacring my patients. She left me so much work patching up the survivors of the assault though!"

Delilah laughed. "That's Sis all right! The first time I met Sis was in 1927 after she stopped a bunch of bigot scumbags from a lynching in Louisville. By violating the Statute of Secrecy in ways I had not dreamed were possible. Sis has never let the rules stop her from doing what is right. Her heart's in the right place but her methods leave a lot to be desired. Then in 1723 Jackie was born; her mother was a fellow pirate Father met then. I think that relationship may have been the rebound romance from Julie. Unfortunately Sally Gray got caught while pregnant, gave birth in prison, and then died soon afterward without Father knowing. The records are hazy as to whether she died of natural causes, or she got executed. Jackie decided to do the pirating life too when she grew up, and gradually went legitimate as a privateer and smuggler. Well, legitimate for Jackie is a relative thing!"

Delilah turned off onto the airport approach road and spoke quietly in a controlled voice. "That's where I come in. Father and Mother met in the early 1850s in San Francisco and well, I happened. However there was a bad fight between them with Father misreading Mother's conversation with Grandfather so Father stormed out without knowing Mother was carrying me. I of course only know a little about this, Mother... doesn't like to talk about it and I only met Father a year ago."

The revolver sighed deeply and then continued, "As it turned out the family started getting together then." Delilah chuckled and shook her head before continuing "Mother was trying to track down Father to mend ties, and instead stumbled across Jackie shortly after I was born. So I grew up with my older sister acting as an Aunt. Also unknown to us at the time, Colombe was busy running around China chasing after Father while Father was in America. Sis linked up with a Chinese magical named Wei Yuying and got her pregnant accidentally right before getting her out of China one step ahead of some nasty magicals who wanted Yuying and her family dead. So I wound up going to wizarding school at Ilvermorny and butting heads with my half-Chinese Canadian niece Wei Ying without knowing our relationship. It's a wonder we didn't throttle each other to death back then."

She parked the van in the rental lot and got out. "We finally had our paths cross Sis' in 1927 in the aftermath of her little temper tantrum in Louisville. Mainly because Jackie got drunk and hit on her, that's Jackie for you." Delilah grinned at the shocked looks on everyone's face, "After that things settled down a bit until we finally went to Japan to track down Father in 2013. Except for World War II. And the Cold War. And that mess in Iran. Ok, got tolerable then. Colombe had her piano manifest and get adopted in 1990. That's Claire, who is a total sweetheart. Then her dagger trophy from World War II manifested early last year. That's my youngest niece Ehren who is...." Delilah trailed off, clearly searching for words. "A good person, one of the bravest people I have ever known, and doesn't deserve all the shit her origin throws on her. You'll meet them all eventually, I suspect."

"I...see." Ali cleared his throat and spoke slowly. "That's quite the story, Delilah."

Delilah shook her head with a smile as they walked to the civil aviation terminal where her plane awaited. "As I said, live long enough and things happen in your life.

Everyone nodded in agreement as they continued their journey.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- The Muse decided that I must write more WAFF/fluff today.

Things To Do In South Dakota When You're 'Dead' (IX)

Rapid City, South Dakota, USA

6 August 2014
Spoiler: A Flight To South Dakota

Delilah swallowed down bile as her Cessna Turbo Twin 320E SkyKnight began the initial approach to her home airport. Idly she made a mental note to try to figure out what kind of a virus she had picked up to give her such a sensitive stomach and sore breasts the last week or two. The hot flashes were also a bit annoying. I'll make an appointment when we go into town day after tomorrow if it doesn't clear up, she told herself.
Spoiler: Del's Plane

The flight from Rochester had been pleasant with clear visibility and scattered puffs of Cumulus clouds as they flew over the endless prairie through a bright blue sky. Five thousand feet below them all was gold and green with the massive fields of wheat and corn and the dark brown dots of cattle herds that had made the Great Plains the breadbasket of America.

For a brief moment her eyes watered and the view outside shimmered to the darker green of the tall-grass prairie that this once had been and the brown dots of a herd of cattle below them became the flowing brown river of one of the great buffalo herds, tens of thousands strong as they migrated to another grazing pasture. For the briefest instant the decades fell away from her and once again she was a wide-eyed girl of fourteen who was following the broom that her blood sister flew to the sacred lands of the Oglala Dakota and to a day that would change her life forever. To her left she could see the darker black-green of the pine forests of the Black Hills under the gray-white clouds of a summer thunderstorm.

Delilah blinked away tears as the familiar tone of the radio beacon for her home airport filled her earphones. She flipped the switch on the control panel and spoke into her microphone. "November Three Two Zero Delta Baker to Rapid City Alpha Tango Charlie, requesting altitude and approach vector."

A crackle of static sounded and then the drawl of the air traffic control filled her ears. "Copy November Three Two Zero Delta Baker. Circle and hold at angels six with a fuel status over."

Delilah glanced at her altimeter, airspeed, artificial horizon, and performed a visual sweep automatically just as Hank Johnson, the retired World War Two pilot who had taught her how to fly a muggle plane in 1958 had drilled into her. Habits save lives and take lives, his ghost reminded her as she finished her check. "November Three Two Zero Delta Charlie climbing to Angels Six to Orbit, Fuel Status is three five minutes until bingo fuel, Rapid City, over."

With that she leveled off at six thousand feet, performed one additional check to insure that she was not sharing the sky with anyone that could collide with her at her assigned altitude -- since Rapid City Air Traffic Control was not in the seat next to her! -- and then flipped the transmission switch to intercom. She spoke over the buzz of the twin turbojet propellers as she began a lazy fuel-conserving circle. "This is your hostess speaking. Once we get a landing assignment I'll be landing at Rapid City. It shouldn't be long now, I'll keep you informed."

Twenty minutes later, Delilah began to taxi to the hangar that she rented from the airport. Her face lit up with a smile as she saw the familiar fiery red hair of Zamarad next to the ground crew as she applied the brakes and killed the engines. She hugged her love around the waist as the Ifrit leaned into her embrace, feeling her heart warm and ignite.

"How was the flight here?" Zamarad asked as they walked to the gate to the parking lot.

Delilah smiled and squeezed the Ifrit's hand. "Lonely without you. You look a little pale. Is something wrong?"

Zamarad frowned thoughtfully. "I'm a little off my norm, honestly. I have really been craving some nice hot, spicy, and dense hardwoods ever since Eid, even though they give me... well... indigestion normally. And I'm a bit sore and keep getting headaches."

"Hmm," Delilah thought as she rubbed her chin with her free hand before yawning. "That flight took more out of me than I thought. Tell you what. I have to run into Custer to speak to Alondra day after tomorrow. I was thinking you would come along with an avatar to talk to her as well. We can swing by Dr. Varnell's place and make an appointment for a checkup then?"

"That sounds like a plan." Zamarad agreed as they stepped outside and walked down the sidewalk to the parking lot. "I parked over here this time. Go ahead and take a nap, I'll drive."

Neither Delilah nor Zamarad saw the visible double-take FBI Agent Alondra David did as she noticed them through the plate glass of the floor to ceiling windows in the baggage terminal where she waited for her suitcases. The FBI agent curled her lips in a smile at the sight of the two women she had last seen apparently dead on an island offshore from Kingsport Maine and chuckled as she grabbed her first suitcase. "Small world it seems. I suppose that I have quite a bit to look forward to day after tomorrow."
--------------------

Sákpe Mázasu Pteyúha (Six Bullet Ranch)

Black Hills, Southwestern South Dakota, USA

Zamarad parked the 2003 Ford F-150 SuperCab (with subtle space expansion charms in the passenger cabin to allow it to seat six easily and space expansion charms in the bed for hauling) in front of the ranch buildings and let the dust from the dirt and gravel access road settle. She then nudged the sleeping Delilah awake. She then turned to their guests. "Here we are, welcome to Six Bullet Ranch."

With that she hopped out and Delilah followed suit. The Muramasa waved her wand and animated their bags. "You said that a welcoming meal is laid on love?"

Zamarad smiled. "Indeed it is. I have had an avatar slow-cooking it all day. "

Everyone licked their lips.

Ali walked closer to Delilah and Zamarad. "So this is a game ranch?" He asked curiously as he hefted his rifle case.

Delilah smiled. "It started out as one when I picked it up in 1879. Officially I was going to raise cattle, prospect for gold, and hunt. Unofficially, I'm holding some of the sacred places of magical power of the Lakota who lived here before me in trust and also giving those of them who work here a way to earn a honest day's living. Giving them back the respect and pride that the white man tried to break." She scowled at the last.

Zamarad picked up the conversation as they sat in hand-carved wood rocking chairs on the deck. "Then when I came along in 1946 we shifted the business model somewhat. My father gave us as a wedding gift several of his Al Khamsa Asil Seglawi mares who were expecting their firstborn." The Ifrit smiled happily at the memories. "That's why I have the bags of summer apples in the bed of the truck. Treats for my children!"

Delilah laughed and squeezed Zamarad's hand. "It was a royal gift indeed. Zamarad has the best in show awards from the stockman's association to prove that us 'rich New York socialite outsiders' know our horses. And she has the awards for horsemanship at the Rapid City Rodeo to show her skill in barrel riding and bronco busting. I'm more the calf roping type myself when I participate. We have used Emir Rayhan's gift as breeding stock alongside the Appaloosas that I had inherited from the Lakota and the Six Bullet Ranch is known for the quality of our Arabian, Anglo-Arabian from some Thoroughbreds that we bought, Appaloosa-Arabian, and Appaloosa horses that Zamarad breeds and raises as our primary expert. Or as we think of them, our children. I assume that you all can ride?"

The Turks nodded with broad grins. "Indeed!"

Delilah smiled. "Good, but first dinner. I am led to believe from our conversation last night that our patient can have two drinks to wash down the red meat tonight, Lokman?"

The elderly physician wagged a finger as Kemal's eyes gleamed. "Two but no more! Not until you are properly well!"

Delilah nodded. "Then let me introduce you all to the pleasure of a good Tennessee double distilled sour mash sipping whiskey!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Having gotten changed at the Nagato-Potter apartment, Hachi was currently walking alongside Harry in her civvies. Which, in this case, was a pair of jeans with a tank top due to the hot weather. Hachi would not deny that she was rather pleased with how Harry kept glancing at her as they walked and chatted while holding hands, because the fact of the matter was that she was extremely pleased. Eventually, she tilted her head a bit at hearing one piece of information, "Umitsubame-San lives in Kyoto, Harry-Chan?"

With a embarrassed chuckle, Harry rubbed the back of his neck, "Hai? She does as a matter of fact."

Frown on her face, the Subgirl furrowed her eyebrows some, "Were you going to use the Vanishing Cabinets to go to Ume-San's and Sakura-San's home?"

Blinking, Harry was silent for a few moments before shrugging, "Actually? Not really." At her look, he waved his free hand around, "They're still back in Kyoto and no one is at their home here in Yokosuka right now. I don't want to bother them as they're getting to know their whole family either."

Slowly nodding, as that was rather like him, Hachi still frowned some, "So how were you going to get there and back then?"

A frown on his own face, the teenage wizard scratched his neck, "I was just going to fly there and back." Seeing her surprised look, he smiled a bit, "I haven't had the chance to fly recently, so..."

Only sighing, it was Hachi's turn to smile a little, "That sounds just like you, Harry-Chan." Her frown returned a few moments later, "Are you sure that you're okay with me driving then? It might be a bit and you could fly..." Then, she blinked as her frown became thoughtful before she turned to him, "How long would it have taken you to fly there?"

More than a little amused, Harry chuckled, "Actually? My broom goes from zero to about a hundred and fifty miles an hour in just a minute. And the top speed is about two hundred miles an hour at most, which means that it would have only been at most two hours to get from here to Kyoto as the crow flies. I also mapped out the whole route from here to Kyoto as well." Suddenly, something occurred to him and he glanced at Hachi, "Hachi-Chan...? Is there a way to store your car onboard?"

The blonde haired Submarine considered it before humming with a nod, "Hai, while some might lash them to their decks when walking around normally, I can put it in my hanger. A bit of a tight fit, but... not that hard, why..." Realizing what he meant, Hachi blushed some, "Are you thinking of flying there with me?"

With an unsure smile, Harry gave a nod, "Hai? I mean, it would be a few hours, but... we could get there quicker."

Not saying anything, Hachi considered what she had just been told for several moments before smiling, "I wouldn't mind that, Harry-Chan." Internally, she continued, 'It also means that I will be holding onto you the whole way as well...'

Unknowing of her thoughts or thinking much of the way that the Subgirl was blushing, the teen continued to chat with her as they walked until they reached the parking area. It took a few moments, but Harry tilted his head as he looked at the car in front of them, a VW Beetle, "You have a Beetle, Hachi-Chan?"

Giggling a little, Hachi nodded as she squeezed his hand, "Well, both RO-Chan and I. Her sisters sent it to her as a gift and she's shared it with me since I like German engineering like her." She then gestured towards it, "It's a diesel model actually, which makes it better."

It took only a few moments, but his eyes widened a touch, "Wait, does that mean that you and RO-Chan..."

Understanding what he was asking, Hachi smiled, "Use diesel from our fuel tanks? Hai, it works great in the engine and we don't need to worry about paying for gas, which helps. All we need to do is eat something and we make it up fuel wise. Not to mention that the amount of fuel it takes is, well... basically nothing."

Just nodding, though he was looking it over, Harry blinked, "Huh. It is a nice car though."

Lips twitching, the Subgirl hummed, "Hai, especially to drive around in. We're both happy to have it and it also gives us a way to get around." A sigh escaped her lips as she shook her head, "Taigei-Nee-Chan is not always around, so we need our own way around and either RO-Chan or myself is around for the others. Also, a lot better than taking the trains."

A twitch appeared in Harry's eyebrow and his voice became a growl, "You haven't had... issues with chikans, have you, Hachi-Chan. Because if you have..."

In reply, she waved her hands, "No, no, no trouble at all, Harry-Chan." At his nod, she internally sighed, 'Not that I would tell you... or that we dealt with them ourselves.' Coughing at his suspicious look, Hachi gestured at the car, "Right! How about we get inside so that I can drive you back home to get your broom then?"

Even though he was still highly suspicious, Harry gave a nod and a smile, "Sure, that sounds good." Getting inside, he buckled himself and glanced around, "Huh... this is a nice model."

Settling into the driver's seat, Hachi hummed as she adjusted the chair, "Hai, it really is. RO-Chan's sisters all pitched in a little bit of money to buy it for us, so they got one of the better models." Noticing Harry watching her, she blushed a little, "Um, something wrong, Harry-Chan?"

With a blink, he shook his head, "Ah, nothing. Just wondering why you're adjusting the seat."

Hachi blinked at that and gave a chuckle, "Well, RO-Chan was the last to use it and she's smaller than me, so she had the chair closer to the steering wheel. Had to adjust it for myself after all."

At that, Harry nodded a little, "Makes sense." Shortly after, Hachi began to drive the car back towards the apartment where Harry lived, "So anything interesting happen lately?"

Glancing over at him, the Submarine smiled a little, "Hai, as a matter of fact." Seeing his interested look, she continued, "There's word that they laid down a new Submarine class, this one designed to refuel us Subgirls when out at sea. It's one of those projects we're getting some help from Saint Brendan's with as well as with some help from a few magicals who worked with the magical navy back in the war. Mainly since they're going to use magic to increase the size of the kitchen and such among other things like increased fuel compacity. It'll have an airlock so that we can enter and leave underwater, and we'll be able to rest inside as well as eat." Turning on the road, Hachi adjusted her glasses some, "Taigei-Nee-Chan was happy since rumour has it that they might name the first one after her."

For a few moments, Harry considered that before tapping his chin, "Huh, considering that mythological animals are the ones the new Submarines are named after, they might use Ryuuhou-Chan's name as well."

That made Hachi blink for a few moments, "Now that would make sense actually." Head tilted a little, she frowned in thought before nodding, "Oh! There's also those new Coastal Submarines being built."

Interested, the teenage wizard looked over at her, "Coastal Submarines?"

With a hum, Hachi nodded a little, "Hai, they're something of a project between Japan and Germany. It's going to be announced in a week, but... they're the result of us combining technology and skills from both nations. From what I heard, we'll use them in the Sea of Japan mostly while Germany is looking to use them inshore and in the Baltic. They're supposed to be utterly silent underwater thanks to new technology and able to stay under much longer than a normal diesel."

Rubbing his chin, Harry snapped his fingers a little, "I heard about those actually. Wasn't there something about special forces as well?"

At that, the Subgirl shook her head, "No, that's a different project to help insert Special Forces onto Abyssal held islands and those are Midget Submarines. The first of those ones are going to launch soon, they're also fully electric as well with a three thousand mile range." A small grin appeared on her face and she chuckled, "The Abyssals won't know what hit them."

That made Harry nod some in agreement as he remembered hearing about said project. Soon enough though, they reached the apartment building and Harry went inside to grab his broom. Once outside, he let go of it beside him where it hovered, "So, about ready?"

Softly giggling, Hachi gave a small nod, "Give me just a moment, Harry-Chan." She placed her hands on the hood of the car and, for a brief moment, space seemed to twist in a way that hurt Harry's eyes to observe as well as cause an odd itch in his brain for a second or two. But then, the car was gone and the Submarine held up her finger for a few moments before nodding, "Okay, they have it secured in my hanger, Harry-Chan."

Lips curling into a smile, Harry held out a motorcycle helmet to her, "Here, we're going fast so best have something to protect your face. Also got a radio for it as well."

Happy, the Subgirl put on the helmet as Harry did the same for himself before waiting for him to get on the broom. Then, she swung her leg over it and sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his middle. Unknown to her, that made Harry flush a bit as he could feel her body pressed up against his from behind. Meanwhile, Hachi gave a nod, "Okay, Harry-Chan, all ready."

Taking a deep breath, Harry attempted to ignore the older girl pressed into him and turned on his radio before informing the Base Air Control that he was taking off. After a few moments, he got the all clear and kicked off the ground, rapidly rising into the sky. It did not take him long to reach the height he wanted and he glanced at the wrist computer he wore before feeling a tap against his stomach and spoke over the short range radio built into the helmet, "{Hmm? Something wrong, Hachi-Chan?}"

Behind him, Hachi shook her head a little, "{Not really, Harry-Chan, just wondering how high we are.}" She looked around in curiosity, "{We're pretty high up.}"

As he turned the broom in the direction he wanted, the nearly fourteen year old chuckled, "{We're about nine thousand feet up, Hachi-Chan. And clear from here to Kyoto for top speed.}"

Feeling the broom pick up speed, Hachi only nodded a little, "{Understood, Harry-Chan.}"

Once more, she glanced around and sighed a bit even as she snuggled up to Harry from behind. Normally, the Subgirl would have been somewhat worried at being so high up. Yet, her trust was so absolute in the boy she was flying with that she wasn't bothered in the slightest.

Granted, she could not help but wonder how various civilian air control would handle things after the Statute fell. After all, brooms, flying carpets, and the like were as common in the magical portion of the world as cars and motorcycles were in the non-magical. Not to mention things like flying horses, gryphons, hippogriffs, and the like. And then one had to consider beings like Tengu and Raiju.

The Subgirl could not help but pity whoever had to deal with that mess.

Rather than think more on that, however, Hachi decided her best plan was to hold herself close to Harry as they flew through the air. Part of her was thankful that due to the height that they were at, the air was cooler than down below. Which meant that the normal summer heat and humidty was not present. However, it was simply nice to take a flight with Harry and Hachi made note to do it more often as they chatted over the radio. An hour and forty minutes, Harry gave a nod, "{Okay, we're about fifty miles outside Kyoto, Hachi-Chan. So I'm going to bring her down.}"

Behind him, the Shipgirl smiled, "{Not a problem, Harry-Chan.}"

While he could have done a dive, Harry instead slowly spiraled downwards as they descended towards the ground below. Keeping an eye out, the teenage wizard spotted a country road and set down on it gentle. He did wait until Hachi got off to do so himself before rubbing his legs a little and taking off his helmet, "Ah, that's much better."

Taking off her own helmet, Hachi gave him a nod before smiling, "Hai, but that was still a nice trip." Internally, she did some calculations before nodding, "We were making about a hundred and ninety miles an hour the whole way here, weren't we?"

Lips curling into a smile, the teenage boy chuckled, "That's right, or there about. About three hundred and sixty miles from Yokosuka to here as well." Watching as, after a minute or two, Hachi brought out the Beetle, he gave a nod, "You hungry for anything, Hachi-Chan?"

Much to his amusement, Hachi had a bright smile on her face, "Hai, I would not mind eating something. My treat?" At his sheepish nod, she gave him a smile, "Good to hear." About to turn to her car, she paused a bit as Harry moved in front of her, "Hmm?"

Scratching his cheek, Harry smiled a little, "Just wanted to thank you, Hachi-Chan. For coming along with me."

With that, he pulled her close and kissed her. It went without saying that the Subgirl practically melted into said kiss as she placed her arms around his neck with Harry's around her waist, 'Oh yes, the other girls need to hear about this... and we have to talk with Ume-Chan and Sakura-Chan as well as Natsumi-Chan...' Pulling back, she took a deep breath before opening her eyes, "You know, if you want to thank me some more... I don't mind it."

Unable to help himself, Harry laughed lightly before giving her another kiss.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- And here we go with the long-awaited 'Del comes clean' moment. One more chapter after that happens and it's back to the Ehren Heavy Stuff.

Things To Do In South Dakota When You're 'Dead' (X)

Custer, South Dakota, USA

8 August 2014
Spoiler: Custer, South Dakota

FBI Special Agent Alondra David glanced at her internal chronometer as she walked down the street of the small town.

1830

Half a hour until she was to meet 'Del' for the planned meeting to find out more about the Magical World for the US Government so Uncle Sam could hopefully bring MACUSA into the fold with a minimum of disruption and trouble. Which by all the signs would be desperately needed sooner rather than later.

Reports of undead armies clashing in Turkey.

A vanished cargo plane containing bullion over Africa that CIA was certain had been hijacked through paranormal means..

That recent cellphone video out of Beijing that looked like a magical martial arts movie that would give Hollywood wet dreams. While the official claim was that it is a viral movie marketing promotion, Alondra had to laugh, especially since the overheads had watched an impossible storm form from nowhere over the Forbidden City at the same time..

A magical WMD bunker in Japan discovered by schoolchildren and a construction company VP (who was also one of the legendary swords of Japan!) and had to be cleaned out by the JGSDF with JMSDF shipgirl support, including some of her sisters and cousins in PACFLEET.

That report of undead stockpiled to fight the might of America on the plains of Kyushu made Alondra get very thoughtful about some memories of quiet hushed private conversations among her officers and crew back when she was a ship and not a girl. She remembered whispers of 'odd phenomena' and sea stories that she head heard aboard her during the Battle of the Atlantic in hushed voice among some of her senior chiefs. For if the Japanese... and the British who had Number XIII Joint Commando during the War according to the files of one Major Delilah de Breuil's assignment buried in the Pentagon until she had managed to drag them to light... and MACUSA who were apparently working hand in glove with OSS and CIA in the 1940s with de Breuil's name on yellowed documents... all had magical weapons programs, what the hell were the Nazis doing with their notable interest in the occult? Or the Magical Communists later?

Alondra was afraid of finding out how deep this rabbit hole went and what was at the end of the tunnel.

But she was afraid of the consequences for the nation that she loved even more than her personal fears.

And she had token the oath of service as a Marine, a FBI Agent, and then a shipgirl. An oath that bound her in fetters of love, honor and loyalty stronger than her anchor chains.

Besides, she smirked, she was getting more pieces to the jigsaw puzzle. One more piece had dropped into her lap just yesterday.

She had elected to arrive in Custer a day early to check into the local motel, and then poke around a bit. Thanks to her birth on the Gulf Coast in 1943, she had a Texas accent if she chose to manifest it and it was easy to fall into the patter of a out-of-towner checking on the cattle business out here for her family back in Orange, Texas. The fact that she had packed a ten-gallon hat helped too with that cover.

In addition to the Buglin' Bull Restaurant and Bar, the main street had several other 'wet your whistle' establishments. Taking advantage of the minor factoids that the FBI had given her an expense account to play with for this working vacation, her hull displaced 1590 tons, that there had been a still aboard in #2 Fire room to make 'torpedo juice', and that two of her crew faeries were from rural Wyoming, Alondra had decided to take a 'liquid lunch' with a bar crawl as the 'friendly but naive out-of-towner' to see what the residents had to say about Miss De Breuil, who supposedly was a local.

Bar #4 (the Gold Pan Saloon) was where she hit the jackpot. And the burgers were pretty good too in her humble opinion.

To her cowboy faeries singular lack of surprise, there was a wall full of hunting photographs there with the hunter posing with a variety of elk, deer, antelope, bison, and even a grizzly bear (Alondra mentally tipped her hat to that weathered fellow). In fact one of the proud sportsmen photographed was clearly that of a rookie hunter judging by the blinding 'I can't believe I shot it and look how BIG it is everyone!' smile on the lightly tanned pale blond late-teenage girl posing with her rifle next to a very large now mounted dead antelope head on the tailgate of a pickup truck outside the taxidermist's office surrounded by a small crowd of locals.

A teenager who was standing next to a beaming Del who was giving her a smug grin filled with -- dare she say it -- parental pride. And with a VERY familiar Civil War revolver prominent in a tooled leather holster along with a Bowie -- identical to the one Alondra had in her hold to return to it's owner -- on the other hip of her gunbelt.

That was proof enough, the ensuing conversation with the bartender and a group of regulars starting with asking "Damn that's a fine pronghorn, how's the hunting for them out here?" in her Texan accent got her the four-rounds-of-Budweiser-and-Wild-Turkey local take on the life and times of Mrs. Delilah De Breuil over the next two and a half hours.

Mrs. De Breuil apparently owned and ran her own horse ranch outside of town up in the Black Hills; said horses being of notable quality. The Six Bullet Ranch was a joint business with her friend from New York, a Mrs Emma Alnaar who was a Lebanese-American business partner of Mrs. De Breuil. Emma was also highly regarded by the locals who informed her in no uncertain terms that she was 'good people not like those sumbitches responsible for 9/11' and supposedly was hell on hooves doing barrel racing and bronco busting at the rodeo.

The overall impression was that 'Del' and "Emma' were local pillars of the community who were viewed as 'one of them' despite being semi-absentee landlords who made their money back East in the Rotten Apple.

Which dovetailed with Alondra's suspicions about whether or not the chase was for a wild goose.

Movement down in the parking lot caught Alondra's eye and she watched two redheaded women hop out of a dark red Ford F-150 pickup truck. She immediately visually identified them and her smile lit up her face.

Del -- Delilah 'de Breuil' -- grinned and laughed at something that 'Emma' said to her as the two, dressed casually in flannel shirts, blue jeans, and boots, approached where Alondra waited just inside the door.
Spoiler: A Dinner Confession

The Brazilian-American shipgirl's lips curled and she walked to the door and pushed it open for them. "Damn, Del, Emma, you two are the liveliest corpses I have ever seen!"

Delilah's eyes widened and hardened for an instant before she bowed her head. "Alondra. Sorry I'm running a little late. I needed to make a doctor's appointment while I was in town. I think I picked up a virus somewhere. Can I introduce my friend Emma?"

The other redhead bowed and extended her hand, her smile a flash of white and her palm hot against Alondra's. "It is good to be able to speak to you, Alondra. Delilah has said many good things about you, and I regret that I have not been able to meet you before now."

Alondra smiled back, quenching the momentary spike of panic as she remembered this person manifesting as a monstrous dragon of flame larger than her hull at Kingsport who had thrown the Abyssals there into panicked flight from her fury. "The pleasure's mine, Emma. I believe you said something about a private dinner?"

Delilah walked with her across the main floor of the bar to a private side room outfitted in Western style with a stone hearth. As 'Emma' entered it, the charcoal suddenly flared to life, bent toward her, and then returned to cheery red coals. "Indeed I did, I recommend the steaks here."

Alondra smiled. "I love a good Porterhouse. Also, drinks are on me. You two saved the lives of everyone in Kingspor--" She broke off at Del's sharply raised hand.

As Alondra watched in interest and her Faeries took notes, Del pulled an actual magic wand from somewhere and scribed glowing symbols in the air with it. Meanwhile a flame flickered to life over Emma's fingertip and danced in intricate Arabic calligraphy. Finally the two nodded. "Clear. We're secure."

Alondra breathed a sigh of relief. "Things are that bad, Del?"

Del sat down and shook her head. "I don't think so... It's not good, but I should still be off everyone's radar. So you got Kingsport handled?"

Alondra nodded and sat across from Del. "We did. Tina's people mind-whammied those who didn't want to leave, but about two-thirds the town bailed out with us and got resettled in Arizona under our Witness Protection Plan. Property damage was near-total but no fatalities and no serious injuries for the civvies. My shipgirls got beat to shit until your friend Emma bailed their asses out of a deep dark crack before we got overwhelmed."

Emma gave a smile and the coals in the hearth danced. "I'm Zamarad bint Alnaar actually."

Alondra thought out loud. "Zamarad...Emerald in Arabic...hence Emma. And 'daughter of fire'...because you're a jinn."

Zamarad's smile widened and she nodded as she sat beside Del.

Alondra smiled. "I do hope this place pours your favorite cocktails because I promised myself I'd buy you both all your drinks, or pour them out on your graves, for all that you did that night when I met you again. I owe you two massively for everything you have done. And I'll try that Elk Poop Nitro Stout local IPA microbrew."

Del sighed and ran her fingers through her hair after their salads and warm yeast rolls came. "I just hope that you think that way after dinner. And I'll have a Jack Daniels Old Fashioned. Black label if they have it."

Zamarad spoke up. "Margarita with Grand Marnier." She reached over and took Del's hand and squeezed it reassuringly, resulting in the other redhead giving a grateful smile filled with some unspoken message for her friend.

Del then took a deep breath as the door closed after their dinners and drinks were served. "Right. I suppose it's time to take the plunge. If Sis can do this shit to come clean, so can I. If you have that recorder and camera, turn it on and get ready to transcribe for the record." Del's face was set with the expression that Alondra associated with her crew standing to their duties while torpedoes in the water headed for her from the U-Boats that she had hunted.

Alondra notified her faeries and then nodded as she spoke crisply. "FBI Special Agent Alondra David, shipgirl of USS Pillsbury making this record. Date 8 August 2014, time 1913, location Buglin' Bull Restaurant Bar and Grill in Custer, South Dakota. I'll start the Miranda procedure now, Del."

Delilah nodded her head. "I understand but, I shall be formally waiving Miranda and all associated Fifth Amendment rights against self incrimination and Sixth Amendment rights to legal counsel for questioning for this statement I am going to make." Her voice was quiet and controlled.

Alondra nodded, and pulled out a copy of the Miranda questions, reading each of them off, then handing Del the waiver form to sign and date to allow what she was about to say be used against her if she was judged to have violated US Criminal law. Del signed, dated, and then handed her copy to Zamarad. With that Del placed her wand flat on the table and slid it over to Alondra as she took several deep breaths.

Her calmly determined leaf-green eyes met Alondra's brown. With that, 'Del' began to speak in a voice full of steel. "My name is Delilah Naomi de Breuil-Muramasa. I'm the only daughter of my mother Jèzebel de Breuil, and my father Muramasa-no-Norimune who also fathered my older half-sisters Colombe du Chasteler and Jacklyn Fox. I was born in 1855 and graduated 11th in my class in Ilvermorny on July 1st 1872. Upon graduation I joined the Magical Congress of the United States Corps of Aurors as a recruit, and my current rank as an Auror is Colonel with one hundred forty two years of service. I was seconded to the Magical Information Bureau, our intelligence branch, on November 3rd of 1872 and my current MIB rank is Special Agent, code named OCELOT. Mother... Jèzebel has been running a conspiracy within MACUSA since shortly after my birth called the Winters Network and I'm her Chief Agent and primary field operative. Our primary objective has been to ensure that when the Statute of Secrecy falls that we can integrate the Magical and Nonmagical worlds with a minimum of disruption along with ensuring full civil rights for sentient magical nonhumans."

Del took a deep breath and visibly braced herself before speaking with clear effort. "Like myself and Zamarad."

Alondra's eyes widened as she realized what it was taking for Del to say these words. The naked moral courage to stand in front of the cold scrutiny of justice and give a full accounting for her actions which clearly had obeyed the spirit of the law much more than the letter.

Delilah took a deep breath and visibly fought with herself for a long moment before pulling out her revolver body butt first and laying it on the table. Pride sparkled in Zamarad's flaming eyes as Delilah tapped her finger on the revolver. "I am actually the spirit of this weapon. Norimune... Father... is the spirit of a Japanese nodachi blade forged in 1511 and when she impregnated Mother, my true body formed at her bedside when she gave birth to me. By current applicable MACUSA law, what I just said is enough to send me and Mother to the Death Potion and Zamarad to the Reserves for the rest of her life." With that she slid the revolver over to Alondra.

Alondre cut off her impulse to swear as she realized her suspicions about the revolver were proved correct. Clearly this was taking everything that Del -- Delilah -- had to make this confession and she wouldn't want to break her focus. Her face paled and she took a gulp of her stout beer instead.

Delilah raised her eyes from contemplating her true body to look deeply into Alondra's eyes. "I'm turning myself in and going to give you a confession of all that I have done that I can now speak about because the geases on me that prevent me discussing classified MACUSA, MIB, and Winters Network matters were shattered by my near-death at Kingsport."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- One more after this and then we flip back to Ehren. As for Del, beware the fury of a patient near-sociopath Muramasa.

Things To Do In South Dakota When You're 'Dead' (XI)

Best Western Buffalo Ridge Inn, Custer, South Dakota, USA

9 August 2014
Spoiler: Delilah Comes Clean

FBI Special Agent Alondra David unlocked the door to her hotel room, walked inside, then thumped down to sit heavily on the bed. The shipgirl stared blankly at the open hotel door for long minutes before one of her faeries manifested to walk over and close it for her. He looked into her staring eyes for several seconds. "Drink of water, ma'am?"

"P-please Chief," Alondra whispered. She took the plastic cup from him with hands that were shaking slightly.

Alondra took a long unsteady gulp and then Chief Rohmer's faerie patted her on the back. "Hell of a thing you know. Delilah might be still thinking that she's going to jail but she's going to get the Medal instead. Consensus among the boys in our bull session as we listened in is that she's going to wind up with a statue for everything she did, her and her mother both. Shitfire, even Sonarman Parker said that he'd buy her a drink and he's Mormon and as straight-laced a Momma's boy as they come. Didn't even drink coffee back in the Big One and never cussed. You need anything from me before I board and we set the midwatch?"

Alondra shook her head and gave a slightly stronger smile. "Just pass along my thanks to the crew, Chief. It won't hurt to double-check that the tapes, transcripts, video, and associated documents are secure and undamaged. We absolutely have to keep the chain of custody intact for this one!"

Alondra closed her eyes as the Chief re-boarded her hull and once more gave an awed whistle at the memory of the storage shed that she had just come from.

The conversation with Del -- Delilah -- had been enough of a shock to the system for one day. Eventually the serving staff had to notify them that the bar closed at midnight (halfway through Delilah talking about the plan that MIB had implemented to summon the shipgirls of paper design studies to deal with a MACUSA WMD vault of 'fuck the world' Dark Artifacts locked away for use in World War III on a phantom island deep inside the Abyssal-held territories in the Pacific) and bundled them out for another hour and a half of conversation here in her hotel room before the confession broke up and Zamarad helped the exhausted Delilah to their truck to return to the ranch.

Alondra had not gotten any sleep after they left as she reviewed her notes and recordings of the interview. Or perhaps more accurately the confession, for confession it was. She could tell that the weight of these secrets had weighted on Delilah for over a century, and the tired smile that the revolver gave her at the end was a thing of beauty to be treasured forever.

Alondra stared into Delilah's eyes as the stream of words and revelations finally began to taper off. She then reached into her hull and pulled out Del's wand, and her revolver body. "Here. Just promise me we pick this up tomorrow so you can get the rest of this all off your chest." She pressed the weapons into Del's unresisting hands. "Go, get some sleep, organize your thoughts and we continue with the storage shed that you mentioned with the documents. Just give me a chance to drive up to Rapid City and get a search warrant sworn out first. Yes, I know that it's your property, but we are doing this one by The Book so it will be airtight, bulletproof, and gold-plated in court when we nail the bastards you couldn't touch before to the jailhouse wall with railroad spikes for the shit they did."

Her eyes found Zamarad's, and then she pulled out a severely damaged shotgun with a new sling attached to it and a sheathed Bowie Knife. "Hang onto these too, Delilah. You left them behind in Maine in some of the Abyssals you took down. I'll call you when I get the warrant and a forensics team from the field office to tag and bag everything."

Delilah's thankful and relieved smile lit up her face like a sinner released from Purgatory would have looked when the key turned in her prison door.

Alondra chuckled to herself as her shocked thoughts began to review the memories of today.

It had turned out that District Judge Reynolds in Rapid City was one of the members of the US Judiciary who had been read into the DELTA GREEN group (Alondra suspected that it was no coincidence as she stood before him) as a law clerk for Chief Justice Rehnquist. So her sworn statement about this being evidence about MACUSA misdeeds along with the videotaped statement that Delilah had done was more than enough to get his signature on a search warrant.

Which promptly hit a gold strike all over again.

The space-expanded storage facility that Delilah led her and a forensics team scrambled from the South Dakota FBI office to was packed floor to ceiling with reams of documents describing MACUSA's dealings, organization, policies, and much more. All neatly labeled with notes in Del's handwriting on the document boxes for things such as 'Bureau of Magical Species Control 1880-1910', 'Magical Information Bureau 1945-1948', 'Auror Work 1900-1908' and glimmering with what was explained to her as protection and preservation charms.

Alondra had laughed when the first thing she saw when the door rolled up was a handwritten letter with a pink post it note that said 'read this first!' on a wooden school desk in the middle of the only clear space in the building. A letter that a blushing Delilah explained was intended to be her apology, explanation, and last confession in the event that MACUSA had caught her first. With the rest of the shed, a work of over a century of accumulation of data, being her last 'fuck you and the broom you flew in on too' from beyond her grave to the enemies that she had fought for her whole life.

It didn't surprise Alondra that Delilah explained that she actually owned this storage company through a front and had lobbied for Judge Reynolds to be assigned to sit on the Rapid City bench along with two other DELTA GREEN cleared justices in anticipation of this day.

With that Alondra and her team went to work photographing, cataloguing, securing, and then packing away in her hold every document present for later analysis and delivery to the poor District Attorneys who would be assigned this block of cases.

That caused Alondra to give a weary smile and she pulled out her cell phone as she sat on the bed. She dialed her number and after a few rings a familiar voice answered the phone.

"FBI Director's office this is his secretary Nancy Evins."

Alondra gave a smile. "This is Special Agent Alondra David working on DELTA GREEN. When the director returns please let him know that 'there's gold in them thar hills' in South Dakota. Full details to follow when I get back to DC and brief him, but we hit the mother-lode on my assignment. The Attorney General will want to have a working group of attorneys assembled to go over this document dump, and I mean that literally."

"Understood, when will we see you back?"

Alondra drummed her fingers. "I'll fly back to deliver the documents and master copies of the interviews tomorrow, but there's a lot more to tease out of my informant, so I want to head back here. The full debrief... months maybe?"

"I'll let the Director know to keep you on this special tasking then."

"Understood and thank you. Goodbye."

With that Alondra ended the call and flopped back on the bed with a goofy smile. She barely had the energy to make flight reservations from Rapid City and set her alarm for tomorrow before passing out from happy exhaustion.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- Ok, cranking this out ASAP to stop the 'Bash MACUSA' ITG hateboner/Whitehall derail. AGAIN. Next post from me will be flipping back to Ehren's kidnapping and run that through. Then I'll pick up Dead in South Dakota once more.

Things To Do In South Dakota When You're 'Dead' (XII)

Sunrise Storage Company, Custer, South Dakota, USA

9 August 2014
Spoiler: Delilah's Contemplation

Delilah sighed as she watched while another box of documents that she and the Winters Network had accumulated was sealed with evidence tape by the FBI technicians and then handed to Alondra to store under guard in her hold. She leaned against Zamarad's warmth as the operation proceeded without her input and whispered. "I never expected to feel so empty on this day, love."

The Ifrit guided her to a pair of folding chairs that had been set up around the corner along with a table containing the wrappers from the fast food run a hour ago for the team and took a seat to cuddle her. "Because you have been pushing this stone up the mountain for so long, Shaelat ruwhi. You have finally pushed it over the top and now don't know what to do without it."

Delilah laughed faintly and stared at her hands. "I came back to be with you and yet... I don't know what to do now with myself apart from that. Hide what I am from others to protect Mother. Graduate Ilvermorny and become an Auror to work within and change the system for the better. Use mercy and justice to uphold the law. Fight for the soul of America as a member of MIB. All the off-the-books work. Establish relationships with my sisters... and then nieces. Fight in the Big One and then the Cold War. Fall in love with you and marry you. Fight for civil rights for the no-maj and within MACUSA. Track Father down and get her to talk to Mother once more to mend that hole in our family...."

She watched her hands open and close absently. "And last and finally and hardest, perhaps, come clean and face judgement for my actions. Equal justice under the law, just because I am what I am and did what I did doesn't mean that I should get a pass on what I did. What I had to do." She sobbed in exhaustion. "And now... what? What good is a revolver when the guns finally fall still after the battle's won?"

Zamarad placed a burning finger on her lips. "Now? Now you handle the responsibilities of the day, my love. You still have to help Kemal adjust to things and keep him safe. You have your responsibilities to the Lakota, and to our niece to train her to be a medicine woman. Once the Statute falls, there will be work to do more openly than before to secure the prize that you fought for and won, but for now, you have earned this moment of peace."

Delilah hugged Zamarad and sobbed into her blouse. "I don't deserve you, flame of my heart! How do you know the right thing to say when I am like this?"

The Ifrit returned the embrace. "And I do not deserve your fire of conviction and heroism in my turn. But love is not what we deserve, but what a gracious God gifts to us in His Infinite Compassion." She gently patted Delilah's hair. "And I am sure that He shall see you resting after your labors and give to you a worthy task for your skills to fulfill."

As if on cue, Delilah's cell phone rang with the sounds of Frank Sinatra singing the theme from 'New York, New York'. Delilah flipped her phone open. "Hello Mother, semi-secure here. I'm at the storage shed with Alondra." Automatically she cast a privacy ward out of habit.

Jèzebel's voice responded. "That's good. Any problems on your end?"

Delilah shook her head. "No, Alondra got a search warrant and is directing a forensic team to clean it out. Kemal's been reading from my library and exploring the Internet to catch up on things, and Ali was watching over him plus Zamarad has an avatar present to keep an eye on things."

Zamarad leaned in. "Mother-in-law, Kemal is recovering well and after a late lunch he, Ali, and I shall take some of the horses for a ride around the grounds to get some fresh air."
Spoiler: Notification

"Good good." Jèzebel said, then sighed deeply. "That said, I have some news. Last night someone attacked Moulbaix and kidnapped Ehren. Your sister's leading a rescue mission and has a pretty good idea as to who's responsible. She told me to tell you that she saw the Blade from the Sleeper's Tomb, whatever that means." Delilah's face turned ashen as the words sank in and her mind whirled. Then her face turned purple, her eyes turned icy, and her fist tightened on her phone

Jez suddenly cut off as Delilah swore vilely in Arabic before flipping to English for the next stream of invective. "That pigfucking Nazi cocksucking motherfucking slave-owner!!"

"Language, Delilah Naomi!" Jez snapped at her daughter who took several deep breaths as she regained self control. Zamarad beside her was cursing in Arabic in turn in a voice like the sizzle of white-hot branding irons.

"I'm under control now Mother." Delilah said in an icy voice. "It seems the apprentice of the mage who enslaved Zamarad back in 1942 isn't as dead as I thought. Where do I meet Sis to correct that mistake??"

"You don't." Jez's words were blunt and final.

"Like hell I don't Mother! I wouldn't leave a plague rat in that fucking Nazi slave-owner's hands much less Ehren!" Delilah snapped back in a coldly determined voice filled with killing menace.

"Colombe already left. Norimune was here when I got the word last night and is going in your place." Jez said with matching steel in her voice, then softened. "I don't like it either, Del, but you are needed to bring the Network in out of the cold and time's critical since we don't know what he intends for Ehren. Considering the Dark Creatures he used to storm Moulbaix, it's nothing good. So Colombe grabbed everyone at hand and is hot on his trail now."

Delilah stared at the phone as her mind whirled while she locked her worry for Ehren, anger, and visceral steel-deep loathing for the Nazi responsible away.

She froze and focused to run the numbers coldly and analytically twice.

As much as she hated to admit it, she was off her game for a rescue mission and Mother was right.

Damn her for being right.

With that she raised the phone to her head again.

"Understood. I'll cover ongoing operations here. Mother... keep me informed, and tell Sis and Father if they call that I wish I was there to be with them. But I have faith in them to send that slave-owner to Hell and rescue Ehren." Delilah's voice was icy with her inhuman self-control.

"I'll let them know." A pause as Jèzebel sighed before resuming. "I'm sorry that I had to hold you out of this one, Del. Any other time I'd send you to put him into the ground. I know how much you hate him, you're using the s-word around me."

Delilah nodded sharply, her eyes cold enough to freeze helium. "Just be aware if they don't do the job on SS-Obersturmführer Helmar Wolff that we will when we're cleared. And we'll make it slow, painful, and messy. Slave-owning scum like him don't deserve anything less than my worst."

Jèzebel made a sound of agreement, "That's my girl! I'll keep you posted. Claire's safe and staying at friends, Ying's still in China, and Jackie's been notified and will cover Moulbaix for Colombe while she handles this."

Delilah nodded. "Anything else? As I discussed last night, I'm coming clean to them."

"Nothing here, I'll call you tonight to talk Del." Jèzebel said, then paused. "And Nori's right, we don't say this often enough to you. I'm proud of you Del, not least for having the courage to do what you're doing."

Delilah cried a little then whispered, "Thank you mother. I love you too."

"I love you and I'll see you tonight, Del. Keep up the good work. Goodbye until then."

Delilah hung up and then hugged the incandescently furious Zamarad as her fury ran its course.

Finally the Ifrit got control of herself and looked at Delilah. "Now what, love?"

Delilah poked at an empty Big Mac wrapper idly. "We wait, and waiting sucks."

"Truth, Shaelat ruwhi." The Ifrit cuddled into the pillar of her strength once more, feeling the cool determination and strength in Delilah's arms.

They sat there until the phone rang again.

Delilah picked it up. "Delilah de Breuil speaking."

"Hello Delilah, this is Doctor Varnell's office. We would like to schedule an appointment for you to come in and discuss the test results from yesterday's blood work...."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- Here's the long-anticipated Colombe vs. Vatipire arc over custody of Ehren.

Just to let folks know, yes, the villain is a truly terrible formerly-human being, but don't expect to see a cackling cardboard cutout Saturday-morning cartoon here. With that in mind, watch the ITG and derails and rest assured that Wollf will have justice find him out. That said, the prior story in this plot arc is found here to refresh memories: Die Schlacht von Schloss Moulbaix 3

Ehren Erwacht! (I)

August 8th, 2014

Castle Moulbaix, Belgium

"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956
Spoiler: The Relief Of Moulbaix

"Portus!"

Colombe snarled in fury and frustration as the blond sword spirit -- and where had she seen that aquamarine short sword before? -- vanished along with her unconscious daughter in the flash of a Portkey's discharge.

With that, the rapier turned to the relief party as they charged through the open doors to her castle. Faint sounds of battle sounded from upstairs. "Niobe! Hold the door here, don't let anyone out! If you see a bare-chested male African spirit, don't kill him!" Colombe ordered.

"Jawohl!" Niobe's casemated 105mm cannons swiveled on her rigging as a squad of her faeries armed with bayoneted Mauser rifles manifested.

"Toku, take Flynn and sweep left, I'll go right! Meet me at the back stairs!" Colombe snapped out as she headed up the grand staircase two steps at a time.

"Hai, Co-chan!" Toku said as a pink aura of blowing cherry blossoms surrounded her. Behind the Masamune, Flynn nodded and drew a pistol, his free hand glowing with a scarlet aura.

Colombe took a deep breath and flicked the wrist and fingers of her left hand in a precise pattern as she channeled her magical energies through the matrix that she was forming. "Chakrati of Arjuna!" A quartet of flaming rings surrounded her hand and wrist as she manifested one of her favorite general-purpose combat spells.

With that she advanced into the upstairs hall. Dead bodies of some bat-winged Dark Creatures littered the floor, but a knot of them were still fighting to get inside the door to her study.

Perfect!

With a snarl of fury she flicked her wrist to send the disks of flame screaming down the hall into their backs as she braced herself to charge. Red filled her vision as she rapidly shuffled through her mental arsenal for a spell that would slaughter these beasts without blowing this part of her ancestral castle apart.

"Ηλιακή φωτιά!"

With a roar, her invocation of Apollo Pythios caused her steel to ignite with bright golden fires as she flash-stepped toward her foes.

The apparent leader, a large black-skinned brute a head over the smaller spawn present, half turned at her cry only to get her blade impaling it in a perfect flèche running lunge through the body. It shuddered and spasmed as golden flames and smoke burst from its ears, eye, and mouth as the solar fires of Apollo burned it from the inside out.

Three of the smaller ones began to run away from her assault down the other corridor. Suddenly a pair of red-glowing bullets corkscrewed in, curving as they slammed into the trailing one which suddenly exploded. Then Toku was there in an eyeblink, cutting down the others with precise swings of her glowing steel.

Kasuyu and a black skinned and red-eyed African woman also covered with ichor and blood from their wounds met her eyes as they gasped for air in relief behind the wall of dead in the doorway that they had been fighting to defend.

"Mistress, we have a problem." The axe rumbled. "Ehren did not make it upstairs."

Colombe scowled and used a booted foot to slide the corpse of Third Brother from her steel. She snapped out a spell in Hindi and then nodded. "Castle's clear of other sentient life. Or what passes with it for these things. I saw Ehren get abducted. Portkey in the hand of a blond girl with a sword. What happened?!" Her eyes found Nongqawuse. "And who's your friend?"

The bracelet spirit bowed. "Nongqawuse. Kasuyu and Tokunotakai can vouch for my presence here as a hidden guardian to you and yours."

Toku spoke. "She is apparently given the ability to see the future. This was the danger you had to be held hidden for then?"

"Ewe." The African spirit bobbed her head.

"Wonderful." Colombe scowled and then headed downstairs with the relief force in tow.

Niobe looked up as they arrived. "So now what?"

Colombe scowled. "Now...?" she cast a spell as she walked outside and her eyes glittered.

Her face became murderous as she walked to where Cortana and Ehren had been and picked up a gold pin from the grass.
Spoiler: Wolff's Party Badge

She flipped it over and traced the number on the back with a thumb.

"One Seven two..." Her voice broke and tears fell as she read it off. "Two seven one." Her fist closed around the Golden Party Badge. "He was so proud of his SS Service Number and Party Number being the same, you know. Ehren has the same number etched on her hilt." She spoke half to herself with raw agony visible in her eyes.

Toku hugged Colombe around the waist as the Rapier's voice turned cold and controlled, as sharp and hard as her blood-soaked steel.

"Now? Now I'm going to track Helmar Wolff down and put an end to him once and for all." Colombe spoke in a merciless voice full of wrath. "I'm going to save my daughter from him."

Khohlo ea Marena a Mararo, Central Africa

August 9th, 2014
Spoiler: Ehren Awakes

SS-Obersturmführer Helmar Wolff sat on a carved wood chair as he contemplated the face of the pale blond girl asleep in the bed in front of him. Ehren slumbered peacefully, dressed now in a pure white modest cotton dress in place of her bloody and torn SS uniform. A bandage packed with magical healing herbs covered her cheek to mend the wound she had taken there form the claws of one of the Popobawa, and more bandages were invisible on her injured torso.

He then looked at the silent form of Cortana standing stiffly next to him. "Well done. Very well done. I am pleased. She did not cause too much trouble?"

Cortana hesitated then spoke. "She fought quite well. She killed Second Brother and many of the lessers before I was able to reach her and persuade her to surrender to me. She is dangerous, Master. Very dangerous."

He gave a beaming proud smile to the sleeping Ehren. "As is to be expected for one of the Herrenvolk(master race). She truly is a magnificent specimen of Aryan maidenhood. And you even returned my SS-Ehrendolch to me as well." His hand gently caressed the dagger at his hip as he returned to contemplating the face of his daughter.

"Your plans, Master?" Cortana said into the silence. The sword spirit's thumb rubbed the silver ring on her hand.

He pursed his lips in thought and then gently brushed a stray lock of freshly washed pale golden hair from Ehren's sleeping cheek. "Keep the Mask secure. I shall tend to it later and begin the preparations for the Ritual then. But more important than that, I shall bring mein Tochter to the Truth so she shall stand by our side as our child. You as the perfect wife, and her as the perfect daughter."

He looked at Cortana. "Release the enchantment upon her."

The sword nodded and waved a hand over Ehren's face. Aquamarine mist flowed from Ehren's temples into the elder sword spirit's hand. "Done. She shall awaken within the hour. With your permission Master?"

He smiled at Cortana and spoke to her firmly. "Go and relax. I shall call upon you when I wish for you to meet mein Tochter Ehren."

Cortana departed and Helmar Wolff sat in silence as the sphere of silver magical light illuminated his unmoving figure. Then he picked up from the bedside table the wand that had been taken from the sleeping girl and rubbed his fingers along the ebony wood. "Gifted in magical and martial skill both and able to preserve the beauty of your youth as That Woman did. I am so very proud of you, Meine geliebte Tochter." His contemplative voice was filled with paternal pride.

Ehren began to stir finally and he placed the wand back on the table.

Pale blond eyelashes moved as she blinked twice and then focused on the figure to her left.

Steel-blue eyes opened wide in shock.

Ehren swallowed, licked dry lips and then whispered in a little-girl voice.

"Vati?"

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Glancing at Harry as she drove, Hachi hummed a bit, "By the way, Harry-Chan?" When she got a nod to continue, she frowned a little, "Why didn't you continue on from Ume-San's and Sakura-San's home to Umitsubame-San's to pick up Kenshō-Chan? It would have been a lot shorter..."

Slowly, Harry nodded to give her the point before frowning, "You're right, I could have gone to pick her up. But..." Scratching his cheek, he grimaced a little, "I was a bit worried, though not for myself. Going straight from the Konohana clan compound, to the outskirts of Kyoto, and to a home well known to be where Kyoshu-San lives often to pick up someone that looks like a minature version...?"

It took a few moments, but the Subgirl also grimaced a little, "Considering that the Konohana Clan is on the rise, and you likely had reporters following you and the Twins? That... could create some rumours. Not true in the slightest, but... they would be enough to cause some trouble."

A sigh escaping him, Harry shook his head, "That was one of the things that I was worried about. And there's still the issue of the Tokyo Diet itself since I would not be too surprised if they had people following various politicians of interest in the Kyoto Diet in an attempt to discredit them. Probably following myself as well as Ume-Chan and Sakura-Chan when we were out and about the festival. Best not to give them any form of an excuse because I don't trust them not to try something. Hence the whole going the long run around."

Eyebrow raised, Hachi gave him a look, "Are you sure about that? Everything that I have read is that the Tokyo Diet is in a lot of trouble as it is. So you wouldn't have Aurors following you."

That caused the teenage wizard to grimace slightly, "You would be right... except who said that they would have Aurors following? Just having some... er... squibs following would be enough for them." Mutters came from Harry as he shook his head, "There really should be a better word for them... and who the bloody heck came up with 'Squib'?"

Lips twitching at the last bit, Hachi considered the question before nodding, "I think that, perhaps, Nonmajborn might be good."

Only shrugging, Harry shook his head before frowning, "But yeah, I sort of expected them to have someone following us. Pretty sure that I saw whoever it was at times." At the interested look, he shrugged, "When you see the same people, multiple times looking towards you, well, it's not that hard to figure out. Granted, the guys that follow Mum and I around whenever we go to one of those functions are a heck of a lot better, so that helps."

Unable to help herself, the shipgirl giggled a little. Mainly because it had always been hilarious to see an eight year old Harry asking Nagato what was with the strange men watching them, especially said people's reaction to being pointed out by an eight year old. Coughing a little, Hachi shook her head, "Perhaps, though that does make a lot of sense when you get down to it, I suppose." A frown appeared on her face as she drove, "Though I wonder how long the Diet will last for..."

Shaking his head, Harry frowned a little himself, "Not sure to be honest. But... hopefully it falls gently and slowly." At her look, he pressed his lips thinly together, "Considering the number of... problematic people? I'm sort of worried what would happen if the Diet fell at once, mainly because of where some of them might go."

Hachi considered that for a few moments before giving a nod as she gave him the point. Soon enough, the talk drifted into other directions, one of which made the Subgirl blink, "So you're thinking of starting up a D&D group with Nobu-San, Okita-San, and Uesugi-San?"

With a small nod, the nearly fourteen year old smiled before chuckling, "Hai, and Nobu-San at least is interested in it. Depending on how it goes... might be able to bring Natsumi-Chan and the others into it. All their characters are basically epic level, so..."

That made Hachi nod as she remembered, "Hai, which means that there's now the question of where they can go from there." Head tilted a bit, she giggled some, "Though I do remember that one time you were playing at that event and you made the substitute DM literally flip the table in anger. That was hilarious!"

Rolling his eyes, Harry huffed a little, "Guy was a bloody baka to say the least." Snorting, he had a scowl on his face, "Honestly, even the head DMs there told him he was being a moron and an arse. Seriously, giving my Paladin character strikes against alignment for having our rogue break into the building where innocent hostages were to scout it out? Because working with a rogue and having him do such a 'lawless' act was obviously something that went against being a Paladin."

Memory being dredged up, she hummed, "I remember, the Head DMs told him that there was nothing about such in the rules. And that in such a case, it obviously would not cause an alignment penalty because it was obeying the spirit of the laws if not the word of them. Besides which, when in a conflict, siding with good would work well enough, which scouting things out to prevent hostages from being killed was most definitely that."

A snort escaped Harry as he snickered, "Of course, that was when one of the other Head DMs for the event piped in that if they allowed it to stand, then having us bust down the doors like he expected would have done the same. After all, it would be breaking and entering as well under such ironclad rules." He then gave a shrug, "That was when he basically flipped the table and stormed out because we had been giving him issues the whole time..." A frown on the teen's face, he shook his head, "He was basically tossed from any further get togethers like that now that I think about it."

Head tilted to the side, Hachi chuckled as she remembered that before giving him an interested look, "If you do manage to get Nobu-San and the others... where would you have it?"

Glancing at her, the teenage wizard smiled, "Actually, an original world that I came up with and have been working with Natsumi and some others with." Seeing the interest, he smiled, "Basically? You got the outer world, Amasia, with the continents of Avalonia, Rodina, Baltica, and Laurentia along with various islands. But located on Avalonia in their portion of the Underdark is a cave known as 'Cruachan', well known for going deep underground, beyond even the Underdark, but is haunted by Demons and Devils, bound there by ancient magics. And once you're through it..." He waved his hand, "You find yourself standing on another continent, Cimmeria, which is within the hollow world, the molten core of the planet, surrounded by debris, hovering above, with vast slabs of rock moving over the surface and providing shade as a form of night. And ruins being visible on said slabs as well."

Eyebrow raised, Hachi imagined the sight that Harry just described and slowly nodded a little, "That does sound rather interesting, Harry-Chan. And it would mean that even beyond higher levels, you could keep things fresh and interesting for the characters."

Arms behind his head, Harry grinned, "That's the thought behind it anyways. There's more to it than just that, but... well, that's a secret~"

It went without saying that Hachi began to giggle madly at that before shaking her head. After a few moments, she glanced at him with a smile, "Well, if you start up any games, Hacchan would be interested in playing them."

Just smiling back, the teenage boy smiled, "I'd like that actually, Hachi-Chan. Besides which, I am trying to get some people at Hogwarts interested in it as well."

Several minutes later, Hachi checked their location before nodding as she slowed the car along the road. The place that they were going was on the outskirts of Kyoto after all. Still, it did not take them very long before they arrived and she pulled up the driveway that was there, "I think that this is it, Harry-Chan."

Checking his phone, Harry gave a nod, "Hai, this is the place." Soon enough, they were at the door and knocked. It took a few moments before the door opened to reveal Umitsubame. As always, Harry was struck by how much she resembled Juuchi... except with more normal clothes and a "Mom" style haircut as well as being a bit lankier. Bowing alongside Hachi, he smiled, "Umitsubame-San? I'm here to see Kenshō-Chan."

The spear's expression melted into a soft smile, "Not a problem, Harry-San. Please, come in."

At that, Harry bowed to her before stepping inside and taking off his shoes. Slipping his sock covered feet into the slippers there, he held up a bag with several boxes, "I hope that you do not mind, but we stopped by a place for some kaarage. I've also brought some other things as well."

Umitsubame sighed at that with a smile on her face, "Thank you, Harry-San. That is much appreciated." Turning her head, she took a deep breath, "KYOSHU! KENSHO-CHAN! NAMELESS! HARRY-SAN'S HERE!"

Within seconds, they heard a door open and feet come rushing along the halls as well as the sound of wheels. Kyoshu was the first one to appear and gasped, "Umitsubame! Umitsubame! The Muffin Man's here!"

Only sighing at her sister's reaction, Umitsubame nodded, "Hai, and he brought some food." Then she frowned some at seeing Nameless' amused expression, "... Where's Kenshō-Chan-"

Right then, the patter of feet was the only sound before said kogatana appeared with Kit-Chan in her hands... both of them covered in dirt, leaves and the like with Kenshō smiling happily, "Here I am, Umitsubame-Oba-Chan! Mou, I had to chase Kit-Chan!" Then she spotted Harry and rushed over, "MASTER!"

Lips curling into an amused smile even as the Muramasa spear facepalmed, Harry chuckled as he hugged the small blade spirit, "Good morning, Kenshō. Enjoying your stay so far?"

Eyes wide, Kenshō rapidly nodded, "Hai! Being with Okaa-San as well as Na-Kaa-Chan and Umitsubame-Oba-Chan is great! I've had a lot of fun!" Notcing how her aunt was reacting, she blinked, "Mou... what's wrong, Oba-Chan?"

Her mother was also frowning before she gasped, "Kenshō-Chan! Kenshō-Chan! You're all dirty!" She then blinked, "Mou... you're dirty? How did you get dirty?" In her wheelchair, Nameless was extremely amused before tugging on Kyoshu's sleeve and making a motion which made Kyoshu nod, "You should have a bath!"

At those words, Kenshō's eyes widened a bit before she backed up, "Mou... do I need a bath?"

Unknown to her, Harry was behind her with a smirk... that was until he scooped her up into his arms with her squeaking. Turning towards Umitsubame, he raised an eyebrow and the 'Momblade' sighed before gesturing, "Bathroom is down there, I'll make sure that some clean clothes for her are out."

Simply bowing, Harry smiled at her before chuckling, "Thank you, Umitsubame-San, we shouldn't be long."

Meanwhile, Kenshō had a pout as she was hauled off to the bath, "Mou..."

_________________________________________________________

Twenty minutes later, Umitsubame was examining the small box similar to what one would hold jewelry in with a raised eyebrow, "So this is a modification for the Owl Box?"

Arms crossed as she looked at the box herself, Hachi nodded, "Hai, Harry-Chan bought it after asking them about if they had something like that. Apparently, this was ordered a few years back, but they never went anywhere because the guy in question was arrested by the Aurors on suspicion of smuggling. So it never got bought until Harry-Chan bought it."

Humming, the Muramasa spear examined it as she glanced at the Subgirl, "For Kenshō-Chan, correct?"

Smile on her face, Hachi smiled back, "Hai, she can place herself inside of it and visit her Okaa-San whenever she wants." Her smile then became a smirk, "Granted, Harry-Chan bought some more just in case some smaller blades in his group wanted them."

For a few moments, Umitsubame considered that before nodding, "I'll have to ask to see if he can give me some for Suisei as well as Kensha so that they can come and visit when they want..." Internally, she was hoping that she was not blushing at her next thought, 'Or if I can manage to ask Carnwennan-Kun to come over...'

While she would never admit it, she did like the much older blade. Like her, he had the experience of herding cats of all sorts, thus could understand that. It helped that he was very easy going... Not to mention that considering that she noted he most definitely had very nicely toned body under his clothes.

The Welsh accent he spoke with also caused tingles of sorts as well, of the good kind.

Internally, her mind went elsewhere... Particularly one place, 'Oh, Carnwennan of the Clan Pendragon, you may be an immortal dagger with rippling abs, but you can still know love! Ah, take me away with you to the Welsh countryside to your castle...'

Meanwhile, in the real world, Hachi blinked a bit at a giggle that escaped from Umitsubame and shifted a little away, 'Wonder why she has that glassy look...'

However, thankfully for Hachi's sanity, the spear snapped out of her fantasy of Carnwennan in a kilt (for some reason, just that) as she rode behind him on a horse as he stole her away from Japan towards a stone tower in the distance at the sound of a squeal of laughter. Turning, Umitsubame quickly wiped a bit of drool away from her lips, "What is..."

She trailed off as a madly giggling Kenshō came running into the room as she dripped water everywhere as she likely had jumped right out of the bath. Behind her, Kyoshu was rushing as well trying to get her into a towel, "Mou! Come back, Kenshō-Chan! You're going to catch cold if you don't dry off..." Furrowing her eyebrows, Kyoshu gasped, "Umitsubame! Umitsubame! Kenshō-Chan might catch a cold!"

Facepalming, Umitsubame sighed though she had a small smile on her face as she muttered a bit, "At least it's not as bad as what the others get up to..."

Before she could do anything, however, Harry appeared from seemingly nowhere and scooped Kenshō, "Got you!" He then planted a raspberry on her stomach which made her squeak before wrapping her entirely in a towel, "Now, let's get you all dry and dressed!"

Even as the Kogatana squirmed, he continued to walk with her as he smirked. Noticing Hachi watching Harry with a blush on her face, Umitsubame turned away from observing Kyoshu try to dry Kenshō's hair with a raised eyebrow, "Hmm..."

Deeply blushing, Hachi coughed though she didn't stop watching Harry carry off the madly giggling, squeaking, and squirming Kenshō, "Um, it's nothing..." Internally, she was sighing as the sight was replaced by an older Harry with a younger, green eyed girl with messy, dirty blonde hair, 'He'll be a great Otou-San...'

Not long later, everyone was seated at the table as food was placed onto plates. Sighing, Umitsubame gave Harry a smile, "Thank you again, Harry-San. This saves me from cooking a bit."

In reply, Harry waved a hand with a smile of his own, "It's fine, besides which we still have the triple chocolate cookies for dessert."

Happily gasping, Kyoshu turned towards the Masamune beside her, "Na-Chan! Na-Chan! Did you hear that! The Muffin Man brought cookies!"

Lightly chuckling, the wizard winked at her, "That's not all I brought." At her confused "Mou", he chuckled again before biting into some of the fried chicken. Once he was done chewing and had swallowed, Harry looked towards Umitsubame, "Ah! Before I forget, I also brought that book of older potions for you. The one that you asked about."

Eyes lighting up, Umitsubame's smile widened, "Thank you, Harry-San. That will help my potion's research quite a bit." Taking a bite of her own chicken, she happily hummed, 'A lot actually considering things. Especially as those potions can be modified easily enough.'

Her smile softened as she watched Kenshō happily talk about all the fun that she had over the past few days with her mother. It made Umitsubame feel warm on the inside as a matter of fact. Despite how some might think, Kyoshu actually adapted very well to motherhood. She was helped by Nameless giving her some aid at times, though Umitsubame was surprised with how Kyoshu could keep on topic if it involved Kenshō.

That said, the Muramasa spear was also happy to know her niece. While she could cause trouble like any Muramasa, Kenshō seemed mostly to keep it to what one would think a young child would do. Something which was a major relief to Umitsubame.

And similar to what Kensha had said, if someone ever even attempted to harm Kenshō, Umitsubame would render them down to potion ingredients.

Unfortunately, the warm atmosphere came to end just as they were finishing lunch as they Harry, Umitsubame, and Hachi froze while Nameless' eyes widened at a bit that came over the radio that was broadcasting a meeting of the Tokyo Diet.

"{...So it is no great surprise that it has come to this then, isn't it? That as of now, Half of Japan now stands against us in Tokyo, a number that may yet grow in the coming days and weeks.

So. What is to be done? What shall we do to counter this blatant loss of confidence in our authority? Will we bow to it? Or shall we enforce it? If we enforce our authority, that will mean open civil war. ...I have a son old enough to be conscripted for such a war. Is that what you want? Will we send son to kill father? Father to kill daughter? Sibling to kill sibling? Is that how we are to prove that Tokyo is the true seat of government? Are we going to prove our love for our citizens by killing their friends and family? Is that what we want?

I don't. And I won't! Therefore! I motion to call a vote of No Confidence in this body! If passed, then I motion that the Magical Diet assembly in Tokyo is to be dismantled, and all authority and governance responsibilities, shall then forthwith transfer over to the Diet Assembly in Kyoto!}"

As someone seconded the motion and apparently the entire room descended into demands for votes right then, Harry shared a wide eyed stare with Umitsubame, already knowing that Hachi was contacting Yokosuka over her own radio.

Meanwhile, Kyoshu looked up from where she was wiping Kenshō's face, "Mou... why are people shouting?"

Glancing at the stunned Umitsubame, Harry stood up and cleared his throat, "It's nothing, but how about I give you all cookies?"

Eyes widening, the Sword of Faded Memories gasped happily, "Yay! Cookies!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- This is a very dark piece at the end, so subject/content warning applies. It wasn't fun to write, especially at the end. Yes, Wolff is a massive monster as were the Nazis, but no ITG or derails please!! He is going to get what is coming to him, and we get to see what kind of steel Ehren has in her.

Ehren Erwacht! (II)

August 8th, 2014

De Breuil Estate, Upstate New York

"No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks." — Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights of Men

The sound of the antique telephone in Jèzebel's office rang through the house. Muramasa-no-Norimune's ears perked up from where she had been talking to Jèzebel de Breuil over dinner. The elderly witch levered herself up and began to limp toward the stairs with a sigh. Norimune saw that and her brow wrinkled, then she suddenly stood too to follow the clearly hurting witch.

"Here, let me, Jez." Norimune said, suddenly picking Jez up in a bridal carry before heading up the stairs. She blushed as she remembered carrying Jez like this a century and a half ago. She determinedly looked ahead rather than down at the face of her old lover.

Unseen by her, Jèzebel bit her lip and blushed too.

At the top, Norimune set her down and Jèzebel glared at her with her cheeks pink. "We'll talk about that later, Nori." Jèzebel snapped before placing her hand on the cut crystal of the doorknob. A brief red mist filled the knob and then the door opened.

Norimune gave the desk a look full of memories and grinned slightly as she leaned against a bookcase next to the window.
Spoiler: Notifying The De Breuils

Meanwhile Jèzebel picked up the phone. "Winter Prime, report!" She snapped out as a quill and paper floated to her desk. Then her eyes blazed and her fist clenched on the handset. "Colombe, repeat that!" She snapped out as she waved her wand.

"Jez, SS-Obersturmführer Helmar Wolff reemerged. His minions just attacked Moulbaix and kidnapped Ehren. He also took a trophy of mine that apparently is a Dark Artifact that I had hanging on my study wall unknowingly since 1945. I know you grounded Del and Zamarad, but I need their help to rescue Ehren." Colombe's voice echoed through the room thanks to Jez's spell.

Norimune stiffened like she had just been shot. "Tell my daughter that I'll be right there!" she snapped out in a voice full of command as her eyes blazed. "No way I'll risk another grandkid!"

Jèzebel nodded to Norimune and tapped her desk several times with her wand. Part of the wood shifted and morphed into a model of the house and basement. She then covered the mouthpiece with her hand and spoke to Norimune, "Go, Nori! I'll disarm the traps between here and the Vanishing Cabinet for you. Just throw a pinch of Floo Powder in the fireplace down there to let me know to reset them!"

"On it, Jez!" Nori shouted as she sprinted out the door.

Jèzebel spoke into the phone. "Del and Zamarad are busy with other business in South Dakota for me. I'm sending Nori to you though in their place." She paused and then continued. "I won't send either anyway since Zamarad's pregnant and I won't see my first grandchild grow up without a father again. Del deserves better than that."

There was a long pregnant silence on the other end of the phone.

"You better not be shitting me, Jez."

Jèzebel chuckled. "No shit, Colombe. The best part is neither one know that Zamarad's 'burning for two' yet."

"I see. Father knows then?"

Jèzebel nodded as she spoke. "Yes, Nori knows. We were taking about how she can be there for her newest grandchild. She really wants to make up for... what happened before."

"All the more reason to bring Ehren back so she can be there for her cousin. I'll need someone to cover Moulbaix while I head out and give Miho Fujii a hand cleaning up and protecting my home until I return."

"I'll call Jackie, Colombe. She should be back in port soon." Jèzebel reassured Colombe.

Castle Moulbaix

Colombe hung up and then looked at the rest of her team. "Norimune's coming, Del's unavailable. Jackie will cover the castle. Flynn, I'd like to hire you to cover Moulbaix for a day or so until Miho and Jackie can get here."

The Hit Wizard nodded. "I can spend the time, just let me call Lucius first."

"Bon." Colombe handed Flynn her phone and then turned to Niobe. "If you can drop off some Faeries to help, I'd appreciate it. But you planned to go with us, correct."

The silver haired shipgirl nodded sharply. "I'll dispatch a boat crew to manage that along with a Maxim Gun. I am with you, I have my orders from Mein Flottenadmiral." She then paused. "Ehren used one of her hilt pins to contact Nimue, and she said that she had regenerated several others to be with Claire when she heads to Hogwarts. Could those be of use?"

Colombe nodded, still rubbing her former lover's Golden Party Badge. "Very much so. The Portkey is discharged, but I should be able to use this and Ehren's hilt pin to give us a location to search." She glanced at the silent Nongqawuse. "I did that once before to locate the shaman responsible for Kasuyu's enslavement back in 1902." With that she began to pace, her hand on her hilt.

A dozen Faeries dressed in Kaiserliches Marine uniforms with slung Mauser rifles formed next to Niobe along with equipment from her stores. The shipgirl snapped out in German: "{Locate Ehren's hilt pin and bring it to me, also fortify the castle!}" The Faeries saluted, then four of them picked up a machine gun and four others grabbed ammunition crates filled with cartridge belts for the machine gun as they double-timed inside. Tokunotakai followed to point out where Ehren's room was.

Fifteen minutes later Tokunotakai came out with a satchel of her miko supplies and a second one bulging with healing equipment for Kasuyu. The Miko then placed an ofuda on her forehead to show Flynn images of her memories of the Fujiis and Jacklyn.

Several minutes later, a scowling Norimune headed outside with one of Niobe's faeries in tow with Ehren's hilt pin.

Colombe looked at her father and took a deep breath. "Father. I'm glad that you're here. The Portkey that they used is discharged, but I can track the residual energies to get a rough location and then narrow it down. Then..."

The rapier took a deep breath and then spoke in steely voice. "Then I make amends for the mistakes of my past in blood. Let them fall upon my head and not Ehren's."
---------------------

Khohlo ea Marena a Mararo, Central Africa

9 August 2014

"Vati?"

Ehren's whispered hopeful question lingered in the air, then Helmar Wolff smiled at his daughter as emotions brimmed in her eyes and she teared up. He nodded and gave her a proud smile. "Ja, ich bin dein Vater."(yes i am your father) He stood up from the chair and beckoned to her.

Tears dripped from Ehren's eyes and she bit her lip, before climbing out of bed with a pained hiss to crush him with a hug. The shoulder of his SS uniform grew wet and he patted her head with his gloved hands as she wept into his strong and solid frame, sniffling as she did.

Finally she broke the hug and looked up into his face. "{I... I thought you were dead, Vati.}" She spoke in German as she gave a happy smile.

He handed her a handkerchief to let her wipe tears and snot from her face as his gaze grew distant and he rubbed the white glove on his hand "{I very nearly was slain that day. Your mother is of superior racial stock, after all, just sadly misguided. But as Der Führer wisely taught us 'Anyone can deal with victory, only the mighty can bear defeat'. Words of Truth that have sustained me in all my labors here.}"

He did not notice Ehren's face freeze momentarily and her eyes grow as cold as ice and as hard as steel.

One crystal tear escaped Ehren's self control in that instant to trickle down her cheek before her face changed back to a warm loving smile.

Ehren took a deep breath as she finished making herself presentable, and then smiled at him. "{Vati? May I ask a favor?}" She asked in a sweet little-girl tone.

He looked at her with a paternal smile. "{What is it, Tochter?}"

"{The dagger that you have. It was all I had of you so I kept it to remember you by after my childhood ended. I was curious and knew that my Vati would have wished for me to follow in his footsteps so I secretly studied what die Siegrune and der Parteiadler meant and learned the lessons taught by them as best I could. Mutti granted me that indulgence, and I would miss it greatly if you took it from me. Can I please keep your Ehrendolch with me?}" Ehren said while giving him her best effort at puppy-dog hero-worship eyes in a controlled loving voice while her skin crawled.

His hand touched her hilt and he visibly thought as she waited patiently for him to decide while she fought with her emotions.

Finally he nodded with an indulgent paternal smile. "{For now, yes, Tochter. You shall be trained to handle it and the significance of what it means, so you can bear it with pride and honor as the vanguard of the Herrenvolk as I have done before you.}"

She smiled happily for him.
Spoiler: Vati Trains Ehren

His face hardened as he placed the sheathed dagger on her bedside table. "{But this is a sacred charge, mein Tochter! You must carry it at all times in obedience to myself and Der Führer's teachings! Only the highest among the Herrenvolk with the purest blood and firmest dedication shall be permitted to hold this sacred trust!}" He barked out as his cold gray eyes with their red flecks examined her mercilessly.

Ehren braced herself to rigid attention at his unspoken command and her bare heels snapped together, stoically ignoring the red stain forming on her torso as one of her healing wounds opened and her blood gushed. Her chin lifted proudly and she snapped out in a firm voice. "{Zu Befehl, Obersturmführer!}"

Her face hardened as she struggled internally with controlling Grendel.

She desperately needed the sick, twisted, seductive knowledge of Naziism's lies to survive here as the apperance of something that was making her sick to her stomach until she could find a way to escape, but she had to do it without losing herself to the darkness within or displaying any hint of her true feelings to be ruthlessly purged or worse at the hands of her Vati and his sword spirit that she could never fight.

He probed her with his eyes for endless moments as she fought a lonely desperate battle against her darkness within her soul while using every iota of her self control to assume the same position of proud, confident, fanatical belief that her Vati had in SS-Junkerschule in 1937 for his instructors.

Finally he gave her the ghost of a thin, cold smile. "{Now, let me test you upon your understanding of National Socialism, so I can begin to correct the wooly-headed lies that your Mutti has filled your head with. The fact that you studied the truth in secret is good, but we shall see. We shall see. What is the Jew, Mein Tochter?}"

Ehren, still at rigid attention, instantly responded with words that seemed to burn on her tongue. "{According to Der Führer in Mein Kampf, the personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew, Obersturmführer!}"

"{Sehr gut!}" His eyes glittered as he surveyed her proud and strong form as the first drop of red blood from her wounds spattered the stone of her room. "{Next! How does the bacillus of the Jew infect the stronger races?}"

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Eyes closed, Kyoshu happily chomped down on the warm cookie as Kenshō sat in her lap doing the same, "Yum!"

Also happily eating a cookie, the little Kogatana nodded, "Hai, Okaa-San! Master makes the best cookies!"

Beside her, Nameless shook her head before wetting a napkin with her tongue. Reaching over, she wiped at both their lips before biting into her own cookie with her own hum of enjoyment. After all, they were very good cookies!

That said, she did glance over to where Harry, Hachi, and Umitsubame were talking as the radio was still going nuts with what had happened. She... would be lying if she said that what she had heard did not worry her. Not that she was able to say anything, but still. While her memories were foggy still despite the help, there was the issue that she somehow knew that things could go very, very bad in the next few hours depending on what happened next.

Of course, then she glanced over at Kyoshu who was happily eating another cookie with Kenshō doing the same in her lap.

Right then, somehow, Nameless knew that things would turn out okay. Perhaps not perfect, but perhaps well enough as it was. Instead, she reached over and patted Kenshō on the head. Even if she could not do much, she could pat the cute blade on the head and get giggles from her.

Looking over at her, said daughter of Kyoshu smiled at her before going back to her cookies with gusto. There was a lot of them after all and, to her mind, best not to waste what her Master had baked! And she was most certainly not a waster!

It helped that they were really, really tasty!

Meanwhile, Harry was softly talking with Umitsubame who was on her phone with a grimace on her face, "How bad?"

The spear glanced up at him before shaking her head, "Nothing as of yet." She glanced at the radio and let out a soft hiss, "But it could be very, very bad indeed. Chisuheri wants to know if any of us could be at Zuchi to help out just in case. And she's already contacted both Honjo and Kotegiri just in case as well. Unfortunately..."

Harry glanced towards the three blade spirits enjoying cookies, "You would need to bring along Kyoshu-San, Nameless-San, and Kenshō as well."

Just nodding, Umitsubame rubbed the side of her head, "Hai, but as much as I hate to say it, what might be best is to keep them away from there for now. But I don't have anything else..."

She trailed off as she noted the wizard becoming thoughtful. For her part, Hachi glanced at his face before giving a small nod herself and turning towards Umitsubame, "I think that Harry-Chan has an idea or two, Umitsubame-San."

Glancing towards Kyoshu and the others, Harry lowered his voice, "If you want, we can watch over them until you're done. And since the... blade box is here, we could get Goldie here to help out."

For a few moments, Umitsubame considered that before giving a small nod, "That... would be helpful." She looked towards Hachi for a few moments in thought, "And they would be rather safe with both of you. But they could be a handful."

A slight smirk on his face, the wizard shrugged, "I'm used to trouble and such."

That got a snort from Umitsubame as she knew what he meant. Finally, however, she sighed and gave a nod, "I think... I think that could work out very well actually. And it should only be for a few hours." Glancing at the kitchen, she gave him a slight smile, "But just in case, I should show you where everything is so that you can make up some dinner if I run late."

It did not take long for Umitsubame to show Harry around the kitchen, and he mentioned some dishes that he could make, which she nodded about. With that done, he snapped his fingers suddenly, "I almost forgot!"

While he quickly made his way over to the backpack, the spear raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Hachi, "Forgot? Forgot what?"

Grin on his face, Harry looked towards Kenshō, Kyoshu, and Nameless, "I have something here for Kenshō as well as Kyoshu-San and Nameless-San." As the Blade of Faded Memories as well as her daughter came close, he pulled out his surprise, "Panpakapan! These are for you, Kenshō-Chan, Kyoshu-San!"

Upon seeing the plushies, the Kogatana bounced in place excitedly as she threw her arms wide, "Okaa-San! Okaa-San, look! Goldfish!"

Eyes wide and a bright smile on her face, Kyoshu took the bigger of the two plush goldfish which was offered to her, "Hai, goldfish!" Spinning, she presented it to a grinning Nameless who seemed like she was almost about to giggle madly, "Na-Chan! Na-Chan! Look! The Muffin Man gave me goldfish! Mou... is this a prize?"

Lips twitching a little, Harry grinned as he brought out the last gift, which was a blanket with dragons on it, "And this is for you, Nameless-San."

Gleam in her eyes, Nameless took the blanket and cuddled it for a few moments before holding it out to Kyoshu. Said Muramasa gasped before pointing at the blanket, "Umitsubame! Umitsubame! Look! Na-Chan found Mizuchi! Mou..." She furrowed her eyes and looked at her blanket, "Wait, is the blanket a prize for finding goldfish or is the goldfish the prize for finding the blanket Mizuchi... Mou... I'm confused."

Expression one of fond amusement, Umitsubame gave Harry a look before patting Kyoshu on the head, "Well, all three are gifts, so I think that you all won prizes."

Her eyes wide, the Blade of Faded Memories gasped before throwing her hands in the air, one of them holding her plush goldfish, "YAY! WE WON PRIZES!"

Rather than say anything, Umitsubame shook her head. After a few moments of watching Kyoshu dancing around, the spear cleared her voice, "Kyoshu, the others need for me to go and talk with them for a bit. Harry-San as well as Hachi-San will watch you until I get back, okay?"

Blinking, Kyoshu considered that before her face lit up, "Oooh! Does that mean that the Muffin Man might make us some more yummy treats?"

Unable to help himself, Harry laughed a little before nodding, "I'll see what I can do in that case."

With a sigh of relief, the spear nodded a little before hugging Kyoshu followed by Kenshō and then finally Nameless, "I'll see you in a few hours."

Once she was out the door, Harry turned to them with a thoughtful look, "So, any idea as to what we should do?"

____________________________________________________

Evening had fallen by the time that Umitsubame had returned though she had brought with her Suisei, Chisuheri, Akutoku, and Juuchi as well as Tsukiakari. Honjo and Kotegiri were also there. Upon entering, the spear sniffed a bit and blinked, "That... smells delicious."

A chuckle made them turn as Goldie appeared with a slight smirk, "Umu, it should indeed."

Her eyebrow raised, Tsukiakari felt her mouth water a little as she recognized the smell, "Did you make some of your honey cakes, Goldie? Because that is what it smells like."

Lips curling into a smug smirk, the Roman blade nodded, "I have indeed, Tsukiakari. For after I arrived to help the Praetor, one of the things that came up was food." She gave a small bow towards Umitsubame, "I hope that you do not mind."

Just smiling, Umitsubame gave a soft sigh, "I'm actually thankful because that means that I won't have to cook or anything." She gave a sniff herself, "Hmm... do I smell curry?"

Right then, Harry poked his head into view and nodded, "Hai, I made some curry since it was simple."

That got him nods and the Muramasas and Masamunes walked in. As she walked into the dining room, Suisei noted what almost looked like a round, brown cake without icing. She did note that what looked like honey was drizzled on top, "Is this the honey cake?"

Placing her hands on her hips, Goldie smiled proudly, "Indeed it is, Umu! Just like what my first Praetor enjoyed and what the Gods were said to enjoy as well." Looking around, she leaned forward a bit, "It is much quicker to make, however, now."

Needless to say, that made Suisei very intrigued before she turned to the much older blade, "What sort of ingredients are there for it, if you don't mind me asking?"

As it turned out, the Roman blade was very much pleased by the question and ticked off on her fingers, "Honey, eggs, and flour. It is a good dessert once one has had Cena!"

Blinking, Suisei frowned a little, "Just those three ingredients? Really?" At the nod, she hummed in thought, "Would it be too much trouble if..."

Lightly laughing, Goldie shook her head, "I do not mind sharing it, my young friend! For it is from Rome and thus should be shared! As all Roman things!"

Juuchi just sighed before noticing something, "Master? Any idea where Kyoshu, Kenshō, and Nameless are?"

In reply, Harry's lips twitched a little and he nodded towards where the bedrooms were, "After they had their dinner, they went and fell asleep. I think that they're rather happy today."

Everyone shared a look before making their way to Kyoshu's room and peeking in. Upon doing so, their expressions all softened as they took note of the three blades sleeping in the same futon, Kenshō being between Kyoshu and Nameless while covered with said Masamune's new blanket. And both Kenshō and Kyoshu held their stuffed goldfish close with smiles on their faces.

Slowly closing the door, Umitsubame nodded a little, "I think that maybe you should stay the night, Harry-San and take Kenshō-Chan tomorrow."

A smile on his face, Harry nodded in agreement and told them that he had already called Nagato.

It should be stated, however, that they all enjoyed the honey cake.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- This is a very dark piece as Ehren hits the Dark Night of her Soul, so subject/content warning applies here!! Yes, Wolff is a massive monster as were the Nazis, but no ITG or derails please!! Again, the night is darkest before the dawn.

Ehren Erwacht! (III)

August 10th, 2014

Khohlo ea Marena a Mararo, Central Africa

"Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him." –- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment

Ehren staggered into the small bathroom hewn out of the living stone and closed the door behind her.

She breathed in and out harshly as she leaned against the door before removing her sweat and blood stained dress so she could fold it neatly for the servants -- slaves-- to launder. Her underclothing and sheathed dagger were placed separately and neatly along with the bandages and poultices on the slowly healing wounds from the claws and fangs of the Popobawa. Several fresh bruises dotted her face and torso. Then she scribed privacy wards on the door with her wand while silently thanking Cousin Draco for demonstrating this spell for her while she had stayed at his house.

How long ago that seemed to be!

It was like a dream that vanished when she reached out her hand to grasp it.
Spoiler: Ehren Endures

Trembling and naked, she staggered into the shower and turned the faucet with a savage yank.

Steam filled the air as the scalding water hit her skin.

Unseen in the flow of water from the showerhead were the salt droplets of her finally released tears.

She concentrated on keeping her sobs of grief, of fear, and of pain muffled so the water's hiss would obscure them.

She grabbed a bar of harsh pumice soap and began to lather up almost savagely as her shoulders shook with her sobs.

Her hand paused in cleaning up, then gently touched the slowly fading swollen dark purple bruise on her cheek.

Vati had hit her when she deliberately got a quotation wrong yesterday.

Unbidden the memory hit her with the same power that his fist had.
---------------------

She had detected the subtle tiny signs of puzzlement and suspicion appearing under his expression as she continued to parrot the filth of National Socialism as his 'good little Tochter'. She realized the danger that she was approaching, so she resolved to misattribute or mangle the next hateful saying he would force her to repeat for him.

"Der Führer said that 'the best political weapon is the weapon of terror. Cruelty commands respect. Men may hate us. But, we don't ask for their love; only for their fear', Obersturmführer!"

Red rage filled his eyes as her only warning. His unexpected punch to her cheek staggered her as it snapped her head so far around that she looked over her shoulder before she could jerk it back into the position of attention.

Somehow she had choked down her mad impulse to fight back, her hate-filled desire to grab her true body and use herself on this monster wearing her dead Vati's face before the stone-faced Cortana at his elbow cut her down.

Somehow she had kept her mask up in front of him.

Somehow she had done what her duty -- her true duty -- and her honor -- her true honor, never the perversion that he believed in of blind loyalty to a leader's führerprinzep -- demanded of her.

Her tears of mute impotent rage in that instant she briefly lost control of, however, before she could clamp back down.

Fortunately he mistook them as caused by the pain of the blow and 'womanly weakness'.

"Nein! Those are the words of the Reichsführer-SS, child!" He snapped out. "You must be perfect in doctrine, understanding, and leadership as one of the Herrenvolk must be!"

"Jawohl, Obersturmführer!" She forced out in a voice at the ragged edge of her fraying self control and self-discipline.

"Very well. Next..."
---------------------

Afterward in the endless speeches and interrogations to indoctrinate her she had been able to brace herself physically and mentally to keep the mask up better during his punishment for her 'sloppiness' when she made 'mistakes' to lull his suspicions.

Finally when she was visibly wobbling from weariness, hunger, and the blood flowing from her reopened wounds endless hours later, he relented as she gasped for air after the pushups that were the most recent test of her 'fitness and suitability'.

"Your understanding and racial fitness is acceptable. Barely. For now. I shall order that a uniform be readied for you. Get your wounds tended to, shower and rest. You shall be awakened in four hours for your morning exercise alongside me."

"Zu Befehl, Obersturmführer!" she croaked out.

Now she finally had a moment to herself.

A chance to let loose a small stream from the ocean that she had been holding inside as the pressure on the dam built.

Her grief for the Vati who she had loved once, and had fallen so far.

Her sad understanding that she would never be able to change his course from the plunge into darkness that she was witnessing.

Her hatred of the monster that she was trapped with, and the Ehren that she had to pretend to be to answer him.

Her worries that Kasuyu and Nongqawuse had died in the fighting she had heard upstairs as sleep claimed her.

Her fears that Mutti and Claire were unaware of the monster that was obsessed with turning her family into a warped image of his 'perfect Aryan world' no matter what he had to do to them to force them to fit.

Her vomit joined the water as she thought of Claire instead of her in this waking nightmare.


A͜ ̝̺̥͂͐͂ṉ̸̹̞ͅͅĩ̘͖̯̠̺̖̏̔̑̃̚͞ght̵͎̝͓̱͇͐̇̃ͥͤm͜a̲ͧr̐̀͌e ̑̇̓̈͡tͧͨͫ̏͢h̯a͔̹̞̜͍ͧ̒̾͂̃t͈̩̋̈ ̯̇ẃ̤̺̜̘̹̘ͬ͛ͭ͌̏͢aͭs̻̥͇̩̟͊́̿ͧ͒͝ c̸̫̻̳̻͋ͮ̄͆a͐ͩųͣ́̒ͦ̿̚s̩̰̟̤̻ͫ̆̅ͧ̚in̨g͙͓̗̻͔ t̶h̊́͊̿e̽̓̆̚ ̫̤̯̜̱ͅw̞ͪo͕͎͎̻̟̓ͭͧ̓̽̕r̶̼̹̯̪̜̃̑̄͌̐s͏̰͙̠̼̺͕̥tͥ ̾f̻͚e̙̾a̼̜̲͙̮͎̜r̩̥̺̯̫̖̲͗͒ͩ̓̿́̂ t͙͙͚̦͓̭̫ͯ̒ͩͧ͆̅̋h̹͍̝ͅa̶͔͉̜̘̥̠͊̄̓ͤͫͨt̬̞̔́̚ ̘̞͇̟̯̮͢ͅs̟̤͚̙̜͙̮͋ͭ̉̇͐ͤ̾he̠̣̲̯̤̬͇ ̩̭͖̘̻̺͈̏̑͌ͭ̓ͬ́k̔̆͂ͥ̅̾̀e̛̠͈̻pt̵̫͍͒̚ ̀͒́̋ͩͧhi͈̣̯̣̞̳̽̎ͭ̃̊̚d̻̯͙̥ͅd̫͉̳̼̭̪͐̎̒̆̄̀e̘ͩn̤̱ͨͦ̕ ̍ͭ͜a҉w͖̱͇̗̠̰͈̃ͫ̽̏̈ͫ͌́ả̏̽̇y͚̠͙͉̺̙̻̔̎̾ͬ͑̾̎͝ ̡̙̲͙̻̯̇ͨ̋̈́̌ț̞̼̣̱͕͒͊͐ͪ̈͆o̊͂ͭ͏ ̮̜̖̣̝̹̺̔ͮͮͪͬͧ̆g̗ͭ͞r͗̔̐ͯ̓ͮ̃͏͉̯̥͚͙̳̰o̿͏w̖͕̗̰͓̺ ͉͉̂͌c̶͓̲̳̦̙ͣ͑͌̌̚l̝̫͇̺͕ô̹͚̝̈̎s̵e̪̒ŗ͉̹͈͊̄ͦ̑ͅ ̠͓̉̽a̭͈ͫ̓n̦̬̾ͯ͞d ̞͉̼͙͈̜̦̓ͫͩ͒ͯ̌̄͠m̰̗͚̿̅̚or̦̗̘͇͐͑͗͛͝e̖̺͚̊̆̈͟ ̨͈͓̂ͨr̮͎̳͍̲e̫͙̍̊ḁ̠̞̬̞̫͎̄̒̅ͯͧ̀̈l͚̖͕ͩ̑̔ͮͅ ̸̭̗̟̲̋͑̌̚wi͓͖t͙̩͔͖̦͐ͣͥ͊̚͢h̉̍̍̀̍ ̴̯̪̰̘͇̤̒ͫ͐̓ͧͥè͚̭a͋̍ͨ̀ch͟ l͗ḯ̇̆́ͤė͚̤̞̘͈͇̞͆̾͐ͤ͑͛ ̵̽́ͮ̆͊ͨ̅tͧ͋ͯ̒ͨͪh̻͍͉͈aͩ͐̈́̓t͚̘̯̦̪ͤ̾̑̌͗̐ͅ ̵͇̺̗͈̤̜͉̏͛͊ͦ͂̍̀ș̱̱̙͔̦̤ͨ̆͗ͨͥͩͨhe̳̜͙ ͓̼̱̓̉͊s̗̺͋ͭp͖̜̹͖̘͔̀o̝̘̺k̨̘̥e̶ͦ͂̎͛̃ ̨̜̋


The recurring nightmare that always had caused her to wake screaming in horror in her bed before she crawled into Claire's bed for reassurance that someone loved her even then.

The dream that always began with her standing proudly in the railyard of Konzentrationslager Auschwitz gesturing idly with her riding crop for her subordinates to pick out which Untermensch would be allowed to work for the 'glory of the Reich' as slaves until they died from starvation, disease, and beatings.

And which ones were of no use and would be instead immediately sent to the waiting gas chambers and crematoria that endlessly turned human beings with all their hopes and dreams, loves and hates, possibilities and might-have-beens into clouds of blowing ash and soot.

Crematoria that she feared that Ehren in the black and silver of the Schutzstaffel would send Claire to with an uncaring flick of her wrist.

And worst of all, it was so easy to contemplate becoming that Ehren.

What good was fighting any more when no one knew that she was here, no one knew where she was, and she faced foes that were past her failing strength of mind and heart and will? Why keep lying and staining her honor when she could just refuse to speak and face the fury of the monster that she was under the command of?

She could just take that one small step into darkness, make it easier on herself, not struggle and resist just as much.

Or plant her feet here and defy him rather than try to dance another step along the razor's edge. Force him to destroy her rather than continue to falsely submit.

She could....

But she wouldn't.

Even if Vati broke her in the bitter end, she would never bend to him.

She would fight with everything she had for every priceless second to give her family and her loved ones a chance to act when she could not.

Even if it was hopeless.

Even if no one else would ever know of her torments.

Because she would know.

And Her Honor Was Faithfulness.

As Ehren finally bottled up her tears once more to prepare for bed, her red-rimmed steel-blue eyes saw an image form in a cloud of the steam from the shower as as gust of wind smelling of ozone and the clean scent of the Black Hills seemed to tickle her nose.

The ghostly breeze carried the faintest whispered echo of Claire playing Wagner for her Best Little Dagger Sister, causing the steam to dance with the ethereal notes, forming hazy visions.

Her Mutti's face filled with concern and love and worry formed. Then Kasuyu's solidity manifested itself next to Colombe as he placed a hand on her mother's shoulder reassuringly. Nongqawuse seemed to look into her heart with a penetrating glance. Next was Tokunotakai's serene confidence as her future stepmother nodded to her, one samurai to another. Niobe appeared next, her eyes filled with concern and worry paired with a righteous fury. Finally her grandmother's face, swam into being in the drifting steam giving her a proud cocky smile and a thumbs-up.

More followed in silent procession.

Aunt Del. Draco Malfoy. Zamarad. Aunt Jackie. Big Sister Ying. Grandaunt Jez. Johnston. Cleopatra. Ron Weasley.

All of them had the same message in their own ways in their own faces as the steam faded.

Endure.

You do not stand alone.

Help is coming.

With that Ehren's spine stiffened with renewed steel and her chin rose as she prepared for bed.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Grimacing, the man wrung his hands as he paced in the darkened room. Here and there various things were on display. Jars filled with various things, books shelves filled with handwritten notes as well as magic. And that was not mentioning the various magical instruments and the like. Glancing at the surgical tools on a table, he shuddered before turning, "You don't understand, Tenma-Kun, the Diet is-"

A young woman who looked like she was sixteen twisted around and snarled, "Do not call me by that name!" Still scowling, she adjusted her dress before flipping her hair over her shoulder, "Call me Kiran for now."

For a few moments, the older man stared before shuddering, "A-ah, right, sorry about that Te-Kiran-Kun."

Eyes piercing through him, Kiran scoffed a bit, "I don't know what you want me to do. So the Diet is falling due to no confidence? Because it was completely ineffective? It matters not to me in the slightest, Genka-Kun."

With a look around, Genka swallowed, "W-well... you were working on some projects for the Diet-"

More amused than anything, the teenage girl leaned against a desk that held various things, "Hai, through you mainly. Thus, none of them know that I am here or whom I am, correct?"

Catching the tone in her voice, Genka paled a bit and found himself perspiring, "O-of course not! Only I know where you are and whom you are, I swear-"

Upon hearing the floor squeak above, he flinched. Rolling her eyes, Kiran waved him off, "That's just my... Okaa-San..." That seemed to be a source of dark amusement for her before she chuckled, "She really won't be an issue as I have her under my control." Wand in her hands, the teen twirled it, "Funny really."

Just chuckling wearily, Genka patted his damp forehead with a cloth, "H-hai, funny. Ha..." Swallowing, he took a deep breath, "B-but surely, you understand what problems could arise. After all, without the Diet, there's no protection for your... projects regarding certain matters."

Frowning, Kiran glared at him, "That better not be a threat, Genka-Kun." When he shook his head rapidly and seemed more frightened while assuring her that it was not, she relaxed, "Besides which, I do not know why you came to me. Wouldn't the other project that you spoke to me about be better? The one using the powers from that one sword to manipulate shipgirls? From memory, that project was easily able to manipulate normal people back in the War via memory. Was even testing it on some useless sword. Use it in this case."

That caused a wince from the older man as he patted his forehead again before weakly chuckling, "Ah, well... um... we can't because, er... he's dead."

It went without saying that Kiran blinked at that and paused for a moment, "Dead?" Becoming thoughtful, she frowned, "Huh... did he attempt it on a shipgirl and it fail, perhaps?"

A frown on his face, Genka sighed and shook his head, "From what we know, a group with some of the Masamunes captured him and... disposed of him." Muttering, he shook his head, "Shame too, he was close and once it worked on shipgirls, we could fix things."

Simply ignoring that, the teenage girl hummed, "Not surprising, he was far too arrogant for his own good. Even back during the War." Then she gave him a raised eyebrow, "So, once more, why come to me?"

Opening his mouth, Genka paused and closed it. Then, he opened it again as he took a deep breath, "Because of your... skills. And the fact that with the Diet now coming fully apart, some of us may find the need to be hidden, as it were." A shudder went through him as he looked around, "Kotegiri is on the hunt, for both those like you and some of us whom were involved in things."

Extremely amused, Kiran giggled some which made Genka flinch, "Of course, the truth now comes out. But then..." Twirling her wand around her fingers, she smirked as she took a step forward, "Death has that effect on people. Very well, I am sure that we can come to something-"

The older man blinked as the teen seemed to freeze in place, "Kiran-Kun? What's wrong? Kiran-" He looked around the room, but couldn't see anything before hearing a dark giggle, "Who's there!?"

From a corner of the room, a pink haired Kitsune seemed to melt from the shadows with another giggle and a smile on her face which seemed to cause his heart to nearly stop as every instinct told him to run screaming and not look back. Two bronze colored eyes looked at him in the same sort of interest that one might give an insect... or, perhaps, how Kiran had looked at some of her projects. Said Kitsune was also wearing a low cut bluish-purple Kimono top that exposed quite a bit of cleavage.

Both that, as well as how her chest bounced and her hips swayed with each step, caused Genka to stare. That was, until he realized that she was right in front of him, "I-I... who... who are you?"

Noticing how his eyes kept looking at her chest, the Kitsune gave another giggle, "Mmmm, the name's Taiyang~" Briefly, her finger traced along his forehead before she hummed, "Sad."

Unable to fully drag his eyes up from the two mounds of barely clothed flesh which bounced, Genka managed, somehow, to glance up and meet her eyes, "S-sad? How?"

Her finger tracing along his jaw bone and then under it to the other side, Taiyang moved past him, "You don't have any useful information for me or my Master. A shame, I was hoping to have some fun."

Confused, Genka looked over at her though he noticed that she had his wand in her fingers, "Wha-"

Moments later, his eyes widened as a red line appeared where Taiyang had traced her finger along his neck which began to weep blood as it grew in width and depth. They were still wide as his head slipped off his neck entirely. Before the blood could spray much, or his head could hit the ground, his remains burst into a bright blue flame that burnt it all to a white, ashy powder.

Said pile of powder began to blow away in the draft once the flames died away.

Taiyang, meanwhile, didn't even glance at it or pay it the slightest bit of mind as she walked up to Kiran. Examining her for a few moments, she glanced at the wand before grabbing it in her fingers before pocketing it, "Hmm, I'll have to take it apart later to better look at these wands. Could be interesting." Noticing that Kiran's eyes were looking at her, she smiled a little, "Now, you, on the other hand... do have useful information for myself and my Master."

Lips curling into a smirk, she tapped the teenage girl's head, "Bitch!"

Gigging, Taiyang simply shook her head, "Not a bitch, that would be an Inugami, I'm afraid. Vixen, however~" Upon hearing Kiran mutter something and pause, she laughed, "Oh, right, your traps? Already taken care of. They were interesting because some were new, but not so because of their effectiveness. Quite nasty as well, such as the one regarding the woman above us."

Unnerved now, Kiran tried various other words, only for each one to fail as the Kitsune became more and more smug. Suddenly breaking out into a sweat, she gave Taiyang a fearful look, "Who are you... really?"

Another giggle escaped from the foxy woman as she practically bounced up to Kiran. Pressing herself against the teen's body, her eyes glowed a little as she nuzzled her under the chin, "Who am I? Well, as I said, I am Taiyang... the spirit of the Dao of Tamamo no Mae."

It went without saying that Kiran went ghostly white at those words and despite the spell, shuddered, "No... impossible... that sword was lost..."

Dark, throaty laughter came from Taiyang's mouth as she licked her ear and nibbled it, "Oh, not lost, never lost. Just... waiting, for my Master to return." Pulling back, she hummed as she considered the girl in front of her, "My Master, who has given me a mission that you could help me with."

While the dao went and began to examine some of the books, the teenage girl swallowed. She could get out of this, it just needed some time to do so, "O-oh? And how can I be of help to your truly great master?" Turning to her, Taiyang had a smile on her face before giving a bark of laughter. Barks that soon turned into howls of laughter as she had to lean against the bookcase to stay standing, tears coming from her face. As the laughter slowly faded, and despite the anger burning in her gut at the embarrassment and shame, Kiran grit her teeth, "What is so funny, Taiyang-Dono."

Flicking a tear away from her eye and still smiling, Taiyang giggled again, "Why, you of course!"

Once more walking up, sway in her hips, the Dao looked her in the eyes for several seconds. Despite herself, Kiran felt a shudder of cold fear coil in her gut, "W-what?"

Rather than answer, Taiyang hummed a bit as she pulled back, "Interesting... very interesting. You..." She pointed one claw tipped finger at Kiran, "Are a human, fully and completely. And yet, here you are using something akin to Kitsune-Tsuki. Overlaying another's soul with your own! How very intriging!"

Kiran felt her stomach drop out at those words and she could feel her heart racing... or, rather, her borrowed heart, "H-how...?"

More than a little amused, the foxy sword shook her head, "Because the eyes, my dear. Your eyes tell the tale of what is truly happening. You somehow figured out how to transform yourself into a spiritual entity, most likely briefly. After which, you took some poor girl's body for your own, it would seem." Cocking her head to the side, she smiled a bit, "And considering your previous words, it was so that you could cheat death! Clever, to an extent, I suppose."

Anger burning deep in them at those words, Kiran snarled, "Clever! CLEVER! I'll show you-"

Suddenly, Taiyang was there and placed a finger against her lips, "Shhh... enough of that. It was clever, but not enough to escape." Looking at the clock on another table, she sighed a little, "Ah, well... the night is getting on and I only have so much time! How nice of the Diet to distract not just my Master's daughters, but that Kote-Chan for tonight! Otherwise, I would have had to race her to you, I will have you know. And your friends from your old work... already visited one tonight." Reaching into her pocket, the dao pulled out an time turner, "Had one of these, presumably to help his research. Very interesting little thing, though he has no need of it now..."

With their anger now turned to complete and utter terror, the possessed teen looked into the two bronze eyes and felt the need to run. But they were unable to move or speak once more. That gaze however... it was like a great white shark meeting a barracuda that thought itself the greatest predator in the sea.

Giggling some, Taiyang pressed herself up against the frozen teen's body, revelling in the terror she could taste. With a hum, she wet her lips some and shuddered, "Oh, that! I like that! But... our time shall come to an end. Though I suppose that it is a good thing in that the woman upstairs will not only not lose her daughter, but finding her returning to her!"

And with that, she brought up her finger, slowly trailing along the other girl's cheek, up the side of the head, until it reached the middle of the forehead. Keeping it there, Taiyang licked her along the jawline until her lips reached Kiran's ear. Nibbling and sucking on the earlobe, she took a deep whiff.

Yet another shudder went through her and she smiled as her hot, moist breath ghosted across Kiran's skin before she spoke softly, gently... darkly, "Oh, and please do scream inside of your head. This will hurt you, a lot, and that always makes it even more pleasurable for this foxy sword."

Kiran barely had time to hear that before Taiyang's finger plunged into her head and the possessed teen's eyes went wide.

Three hours later, Taiyang removed her finger from the teen's forehead, somehow not leaving a mark behind. Humming thoughtfully, she tapped her chin, "So you believed that you would find a way to possess the body of a shipgirl or Abyssal?" Lips curling a bit, she tittered, "How amusing!" Leaning forward, the Dao looked into the now blank eyes of the teen, dried tear tracks staining her cheeks, "Not that is much of an issue now, I suppose."

For the next few minutes, she grabbed everything from the laboratory, making sure not to miss a single thing. The whole time, Taiyang hummed to herself as she skipped and bounced doing her work, completely unheeding of the small amount of ash on the floor or the frozen teenage girl. When she was done, she gave a small nod before smiling.

Of course, that was when Taiyang snapped her fingers, "Ah, right! Almost forgot!" Walking over to the teen, she placed her hand on the other girl's chest and gave a push. Instead of the frozen teen going backwards, another body shot out of her back and hit the ground bonelessly. Ignoring the girl, Taiyang stepped around her before examining the other body, which was that of an old man. Like the girl, he had a sightless gaze even though his chest rose and fell slowly. Just humming a bit, Taiyang leaned down and smiled a little, "Oh, my Master does thank you, though she was... displeased that the sister project you were involved in worked on her pelt, as did you! Still, you do deserve a reward~"

Moments later, the Dao ignored the blaze behind her as she grabbed the teenage girl. Then, she walked up the stairs with the limp body and opened the door before taking note of the older woman who was slumped in a chair, unconscious. Finger tapping her chin, Taiyang considered things before walking over and placing her finger inside the woman's head.

After a few minutes, Taiyang gave a nod, "There we go! Fixed everything, now you won't remember what he had you do!" Looking at the teen's, Kiran's, body propped up against the wall, she picked it up before walking over to the stairs and laying it there as if the teen had fallen down them. Using one of her nails, she made a cut along the head, blood oozing out before standing, "And there we go! Sorry that I had to hurt you, but it is for the best to cover up those nasty memories!"

With a nod, the foxy blade walked out the door and closed it before snapping her fingers. Just seconds later, she heard an older female screech out her daughter's name and the sound of her rushing to the stairs. With a happy smile, Taiyang giggled a little as she walked off into the night, "Busy, busy tonight! But the fun never ends~"

Several days later, Kiran opened the door to the basement before looking around. After all, her mother was worried due to her hitting her head apparently. Though the teenage girl had to admit, she was somewhat concerned as well what with a few months worth of memories gone. Her friends had visited her in the hospital when they learned of her amnesia, though according to them for a while there before her accident it seemed like she was an entirely different person.

That got a snort from her and she shook her head as she walked down into the basement and continued down the stairs, carefully, after turning on the light. For the past few days since she got out of the hospital, her mother had been practically hovering around her, completely worried. It did make her happy, but... Kiran had become rather frustrated as well.

Despite her accident, she was not made out of glass!

Grumbling a bit, she reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around. Upon seeing the shelves, and tables, she frowned a little, "When did we get those?"

Scratching her head, Kiran shrugged and looked around before noticing something. Quickly, she went back upstairs before returning with a broom and dustpan. Walking over towards a table, she looked down at the pile of what looked like white ash that was there before sweeping it into the dustpan. After dumping it into the trashcan, she went back downstairs to look around as she thought of what to do with the empty space.

Maybe turn it into a rec room for her and her friends to hang out in?

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- And now we flip the focus to Team Vatipire Lynch Mob~~ Wolff is a massive monster as were the Nazis, but no ITG or derails please, rescue is coming and Hell's coming with them (and dumpster fires)!!

Ehren Erwacht! (IV)

August 9th, 2014

N'djili Airport, Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of the Congo Central Africa

"Going up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine. The long stretches of the waterway ran on, deserted, into the gloom of overshadowed distances. On silvery sandbanks hippos and alligators sunned themselves side by side. The broadening waters flowed through a mob of wooded islands; you lost your way on that river as you would in a desert, and butted all day long against shoals, trying to find the channel, till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off forever from everything you had known once -somewhere- far away in another existence perhaps. There were moments when one's past came back to one, as it will sometimes when you have not a moment to spare to yourself; but it came in the shape of an unrestful and noisy dream, remembered with wonder amongst the overwhelming realities of this strange world of plants, and water, and silence. And this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect." -- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Spoiler: A Return To The Congo

Two women stepped out of the airport terminal into the tropical sunshine, dots of white in the teeming dark masses of the natives. The golden blond one on the right smirked smugly and spoke to her platinum blond companion in German with a faint Dutch/Saxon accent thanks to the long-dead servant who had taught her the language. "{Well let's get a taxi and check in at our hotel, Niobe.}"

Niobe nodded and then watched as Colombe haggled with the driver in a mix of French and Lingala, before handing him several dollar bills. "{Is it always this hot?}" She fanned herself with a palm to try to create a breeze in the muggy humid air as she stood there in her ankle length and long-sleeved Victorian traveling dress. Colombe, next to her was dressed in a lightweight cotton blouse and well-worn khaki pants.

Colombe shrugged absently as they got into the rusting 1978 Honda Civic that was serving as a taxi. "{Sometimes it's worse. You get used to it over time. Thanks for picking up my Jeep, incidentally.}"

The shipgirl looked around at the chaotic bustle of the third largest city of Africa. "{I have the deck space for it and the gasoline cans for fuel. So now that we are in country, now what?}"

Colombe looked through the crowded streets. "{Once we get some privacy, you unpack the others from your captain's cabin and hand me back my true body. Then we use the hilt pin and portkey to get a better fix on where Ehren is in Central Africa and go from there. I wish that I'd had you along the last two times I was here, you are making things so much easier.}"

Niobe blinked. "{Easier?}"

Colombe frowned. "{Yes, easier. The first time I was here was in 1895 and it was a trap. I had to borrow a canoe to get out of town one step ahead of the law after I dealt with the Hit Wizards sent for me. Once I managed to figure out that my bâtard great-grandnephew Hippolyte was responsible I walked out to the Eastern coast.}" She spoke with considerable venom and then sighed. "{More or less, it took me the better part of three years to get to someplace remotely resembling civilization and I still don't totally know how I pulled it off. Too angry to die, I thought at the time, although I wonder if the prophecy Hachiman gave To-chan thirty years before that helped keep me alive. Second time I had to walk in from the south to free Kasuyu after my horses died. At least I was better equipped and prepared for that journey.}"

The French rapier barked a laugh as an elderly truck filled with goods piled haphazardly along with dozens of people clinging to the sides and perched on the top moved out of their way. "{I suppose third time's the charm for dealing with this jungle. Between my experiences, the hilt pin to divine a location, Kasuyu, Nongqawuse, and I speaking the local languages -- well some of them, there's about seventy different tribal dialects at least -- and the money I pulled from my accounts to hire guides, boats, horses, and other expenses plus the gear you have in your hold we'll find Ehren.}"

Niobe nodded and her jaw set. Meanwhile Colombe scowled murderously as she finished. "{Oh, we'll find Ehren.}"

Hotel Royal, Kinshasha

Colombe started to laugh hysterically at the sight of the massive bulk of the 1880s two-story stone building in all its decayed but still overbearing splendor. Niobe gave her a curious look as they passed armed paramilitary private security to approach the hotel. "{What's so funny?}"

"{In a moment. To-chan will want to hear it.}" Colombe responded, before turning to the desk clerk and using her platinum VISA and a bribe to get two adjoining rooms reserved for her and Niobe. With that they walked to the stairs and once inside the room, Colombe chuckled at the late colonial kitsch, clearly designed to impress credulous tourists.

Niobe handed over the rapier that she had stored before they drove to the airport in Brussels, then she pulled out a katana and nodachi from her hold. Norimune and Tokunotakai manifested from them and immediately started to perspire despite the best efforts of the fan and air conditioner in the room. Kasuyu and Nongqawuse were next to emerge from their true bodies. The axe grinned broadly as he poured water for the others who were casting cooling charms upon themselves. The bracelet stood as silently watchful as always.

Niobe turned to Colombe who was looking with interest at the stonework of the wall, tracing patterns on the worn granite stones. "All right, what was so funny about this hotel?"

Colombe turned in response to the question and began to laugh once more. "This was the brothel I was visiting when Hippolyte's hit wizards came for my head in 1895. Damn inconsiderate timing as well. I wonder how long it took them to fix the wall I blew out to make a hole to escape through? I can barely see the patch job they did."

Niobe began to giggle uncontrollably while Tokunotakai blushed scarlet to the roots of her hair. Norimune doubled over and pounded the table with a fist. "That's my girl! So, was it a good brothel?"

Colombe shrugged. "Been in worse for sure. Never came back here after the fight so can't say for sure since I got interrupted before I finished. Anyway enough of the past; let's get started."
Spoiler: Divining The Trail

With that, Niobe placed a map of Africa down on the table with a pair of straight lines shooting down the spine of the continent from someplace above and slightly to the left of center. Midway through the Dark Continent a pair of arcs intersected the lines, forming a roughly rectangular area covering most of the central area. Colombe pulled out a pushpin and stuck it into their location in Kinshasha.

"Right..." She picked up a small steel pin suspended from a silk string and began to chant in Arabic as she let it swing above the map as her eyes closed. A golden aura the color of her hair formed around the pendulum and Colombe's hand as five sets of eyes followed the movements of Ehren's hilt pin.

Suddenly the pendulum jerked to the right as if the pin had been pulled by an invisible string. It froze in midair as the golden aura turned steel blue with flecks of gold and then vibrated back and forth in a short, sharp arc.

The map glowed and a second set of straight lines connected by two arcs filled in on it, cutting the area bounded significantly into a chunk of the Congo.

Colombe's eyes opened and she grinned smugly. "Gotcha."

Kasuyu rumbled as he tapped the map. "North Kivu, Ituri, or perhaps Tshopo province. A sliver of Uganda too. Rain forest, swamps and mountains. Difficult, very difficult. Also politically unstable."

"Ewe." Nongqawuse nodded as she spoke quietly. "But we have a location."

Colombe leaned forward. "Indeed we do, and that's rather unexplored, or was when I was here before. One more Divination then. Niobe, can you hand me my geomancy supplies?"

The shipgirl pulled out a silk pouch inscribed with a Sri Yantra Hindu symbol composed of nine interlocking triangles, and then a beaten-copper bowl with a flat bottom inscribed with the symbols of the four elements around the circumference. Tokunotakai looked at Colombe curiously. "Co-chan, what's this?" Next to her, Norimune leaned in curiously.

Colombe paused as she set the bowl over the map and then carefully placed the swastika pin precisely in the center. "It's a form of foretelling, similar to the Chinese I Ching. The sacred ash makes patterns when I cast the spell that can be interpreted by an adept to glimpse the future." She smirked. "I learned how to do this in India and was using it to track Father down after I learned it."

Norimune coughed, "Considering you went the wrong damn way to find me at the time, I'm not confident, Colombe." Colombe shot her father a dirty look at the jab as Kasuyu coughed suspiciously.

Colombe sprinkled ash in a circle around the pin. She then looked at her smirking father and pointed as she snapped out with a scowl. "It worked, didn't it? We're in the same room and I resolved the matter of my oath to call you to account for Mother which is what I was looking for every time before when I used it. Now, hush, this one takes some doing."

With that Colombe began to chant in Dravidian, gesturing fluidly as sweat started to bead her brow.

As the others watched, the ash rippled and began to snake to form four single diamond-shaped clusters at each cardinal point as the northern symbol of fire illuminated with a red-white flaming aura. Fire flickered around Colombe's hands as she continued to chant.

Then the clusters to the east and south split into two equal clusters as the eastern symbol of Air blazed blue-white. The flames around her hands snuffed and ripples of mist formed around Colombe's fingers as her brow furrowed.

The southern cluster then rejoined itself as the Water symbol that it was oriented to flickered to life with a blue-green aura that rippled like the droplets of water forming across Colombe's hands.

Suddenly all four clusters moved as one, the Air cluster flowing into a single point as Water, Fire and then Earth, now glowing verdant green with hints of brown split apart. Colombe's hands were covered in vegetation briefly before she made a sudden cutting motion and snapped out in a voice of command. "Bas!!"

With that, the ash being used suddenly flashed to nothingness and turned to a small cloud of smoke.

Nongqawuse narrowed her scarlet eyes. "You Saw beyond the present in the patterns. What did you discern?"

Colombe frowned as she took a glass of water from Kasuyu and drank it then spoke in a strained voice as she wiped sweat from her brow. "Not as much as I would like. The first sign is Via, representing movement, travel, a road at the beginning. I believe that refers to us and our journey, and is somewhat positive under the circumstances. Then Carcer, the Prison which represents confinement, obstacles, escape blocked, which is a bad sign. Carcer is linked with Puella, the girl, which is a passive and constrained sign. Acted upon, not an active participant as opposed to the male Puer which is her inverse. That's probably in some way representative of Ehren. Finally, in conclusion I saw Rubeus, which is a bad sign indeed. Passion, deception, violence, destruction. Evil in all that is Good, and Good in all that is Evil as the nature of events are inverted."

Colombe shrugged. "Not that it mattered if it was all the negative signs in a row, I'd still go through with it. Let's grab some food from the hotel bar and grill and then see about acquiring transport upriver and finding out what the political situation is there."

 

[darthcourt10]

Lord Khuzdul

Well, this is more of an interlude, to set the scene. It did run a bit long, so I decided to post it. The rest will not be long in coming.

- - -

Meanwhile, a few kilometers east of Erzurum, at the village of Hızırilyas

Barbaros collapsed into the rickety wooden chair of the village coffee house. Her keel was aching. She felt like she just did a circumnavigation of the world, with a load of bad coal.

She exhaled, and looked over to the young auror sleeping slumped over a table across the room, a glass of tea cooling in front of him. She smiled. The young man, and his comrades, have been worth their weight in gold over the past week. While Barbaros herself, Turgutreis, the awliya of various tekke in the mountains, a couple of marid clans living near the various streams of the region, and surprisingly, a clan of vampires living in the nearby town of Oltu, had been their main force in containing the undead army, the handful of aurors that could be spared had been doing almost everything else, and running themselves ragged doing that. They were the ones who evacuated the half a dozen villages between Sarıkamış and here, the village of Hızırilyas, before they were overrun. They were the ones who found the ancient wardstones in various ruins dotting the region, to ensure the marid sorcerers can set up and maintain the wards that kept the city of Erzurum ignorant of the doom marching towards it. They were the ones who arranged safe holding areas for the displaced populace. Even though Barbaros found dosing whole villages with magical knockout gas, portkeying them to holding areas, keeping them asleep until this mess is over and then modifying their memories en masse distasteful, she clearly saw that they had no other options, not unless they wanted everything to be blown right open before anyone was ready.

She stretched and rose, deciding to make the most of her short break. There were only four shipgirls available to the combined forces – Demirhisar, Mecidiye, Turgutreis, and herself. While Enver's zombies lacked heavy artillery, they somehow managed to scratch together a lot of 75mm field guns. Barbaros remembered the report of the vampires about that one – the zombies gathered in a circle and started digging, and pulled, piece by piece, one of the field guns of the doomed 2nd Army destroyed during the battle that killed them out of the ground. It was bewildering, as the guns shouldn't have been there at all. Thankfully, so far, they have failed to conjure any of the howitzers and mountain guns the same army carried. However, the presence of those 75mm guns meant Demirhisar needed to stay at the back. However, that also meant the remaining three shipgirls had more work to do. So far, they rotated, two on the line, one resting. And it was her turn.

As she made to leave, Barbaros stopped. She glanced at the sleeping auror again. Quietly, she pulled one of the cots her crew used from her hull, and set it at the back, near the counter, out of the way of anyone that might use the shop. She then gathered the sleeping man in her arms, and laid him down on the cot, covering him with a blanket, again from her hull. The man did not even stir, completely out of it, thanks to his exhaustion.

She then walked out of the shop, grabbing one of the snacks set out for the fighters. It was simple, just a half loaf of fresh bread, stuffed with salty, hard cheese the region was famous for, and slices of tomato, but it felt like manna from heaven.

In the distance, a roar and a gout of flame signaled the position of one of the marid Sultans, cutting loose. She smiled. The powerful jinn were a godsend, anchoring the line almost as well as one of the shipgirls could. Not to mention how their households quickly set their logistics – nonexistent before their arrival – to rights. Still, as awesome to see one of the Sultans act like a living flamethrower of massive scale, they still lacked some capabilities the shipgirls possessed. Primary among them being indirect fire. And actual experience with military operations.

As she moved towards the makeshift repair baths set up in a barn nearby, she let her shoulders slump in weariness. Her belt could ignore everything Enver's zombies threw at him, but the state faithful soldiers were brought down to, and the daily sacrifices of those around her, wore down her soul.

'Please Yavuz… be quick. I don't know how long we can hold out.'

~ ~ ~

Down by the bank of Süngütaşı stream, a ways south of the village, Turgutreis was in the thick of things. Enver's forces were again probing the cordon they set up. The stream and its steep valley had been a blessing – they were finally able to actually stop the progress of the force at it. Turgutreis did not even want to think what would have happened if Enver decided to take a more southerly route. As it is, the first battle at the Hızırilyas bridges a little way to the north was a close run thing. They only stopped the undead advance by the arrival of the Kasımoğlu Marids, with Sultan Kasım leading them dropping on top of the undead horde like the wrath of God. They still lost dozens of dervishes, with far more still recovering behind the lines, wounded. The marids did not escape unscathed either – apparently, someone on the other side, probably the Shaitan Hızır suspected to be present, knew how to hurt the jinn. Sultan Kasım got hit by a bullet that streaked like a black star towards the end of the battle, and even though he survived, he was still comatose in a house at the village, watched over by one of his daughters, while the rest of his family held the line. She shook her head. She was worried about the rest of the encirclement. To the south, one of the two parts of their lines that did not anchor on a stream held a line of hills – barely bumps in the already very bumpy terrain – between the wider, larger Süngütaşı and smaller Saat Deresi. Turgut considered that part of their line the weakest link. To the north, between the villages of İnkaya and Süngütaşı, bands of vampires Hasan Aga brought with him made any breakout turn into a horror show. Behind the army, Şakirzade marids, a major clan of the Aras valley, had arrived to plug the gap at Saat Deresi and turned the valley into a charnelhouse.

As her secondaries blew apart another bayonet charge, she felt the familiar dismay at broken bodies crawling back together, with limbs moving like snakes over the ground to rebuild the zombies as they retreated. Her high explosive turned the zombies into mush, but something, some infernal force kept them going, kept them pulling back together, and they always came back. The bridges, the scene of Enver's initial attack, were long gone by now. Barbaros and Turgutreis, in their desperation, turned to their heaviest artillery, their 28cm guns, and blew both bridges apart. However, the fighting shifted south after that. Here, prep work for a new highway narrowed the stream with a high sided concrete channel in preparation for an overpass. Enver used his 75mm guns and some explosive charges to collapse the channel into the river, turning the location into a makeshift ford. Since then, attack after attack came over the rubble, and the wider, shallower section of the river just upstream. The small area was starting to look like the surface of the moon, or the landscape she remembered seeing in Gallipoli.

As she slapped aside another 75mm shell – where do they keep finding these damn things anyway – she watched in despair as to her left, a band of dervishes laid into another bayonet charge over the shallows. The zombies were thick as ants in the water, and even with artillery support from her and her machineguns on the heights over the bank, they still made it into the disused irrigation canal turned trench that protected them. Hand to hand fighting developed quickly, with dervishes using maces and scimitars fighting bayonet and club wielding zombies. The zombies were eventually pushed back, when one of the marids in the line made it to the section and started turning the zombies into charred husks with short, controlled blasts of fire, but as they pulled back under a hail of bullets from her Maxims, she could already see dozens of dervishes strewn through the trench, bleeding.

'They are endless, yet we keep dying. Yavuz, please. Whatever you are doing, do it quick.'

~ ~ ~

Mecidiye just wanted to sleep. She wanted Hamidiye here, she wanted her bed, she wanted to be away from the smell of death that overtook her everytime the zombies approached. She had long decided she hated land warfare. At least the Abyssals did not stink.

"Even keeping Hamidiye out of trouble is better than this," she groused.

She heard a laugh from the side. The male marid looked nothing like the jinn of stories, instead looking just like any other local villager, with a battered pair of slacks, a three day beard, and a faded ballcap advertising some agricultural equipment company. "Your friend, cruiser Hamidiye, right? The ship of Rauf Bey. I remember seeing her in Trabzon. Back when she was still floating, of course. Nice looking ship, but I have always preferred American engineering." He tapped the visor of his cap, with 'John Deere' emblazoned on it.

Mecidiye suppressed an entirely inappropriate giggle. Ekrem, one of the sons of Sultan Şakir, had been a great help and comfort during these days. The man was cheerful, competent, and stable. Even during the worst assaults, he managed to keep his cool, and even cracked a joke and two. Mecidiye could not even imagine how she would have coped if the wisecracking marid was not next to her when at times, she felt like she was holding the front together with her fingertips as people died around her.

Her marid companion turned towards the frontline, where a band of dervishes were turning back another probing attack with the help of two younger marids. "Seems stable."

"So far," replied Mecidiye, her eyes scanning the field, trying to discern enemy movements through the smoke. "After Barbaros blew apart the last massed attack, no attempt in force materialized. But we are still losing men," she glanced at the field hospital a few marids and awliya set up behind the crest of the hill, "and I am not sure how long dervishes will last. A lot came out of the woodwork, some from as far as Dersim, but we are still outnumbered, and we are stretched thin. If not for your father and Hasan Aga, we would have lost containment a week ago."

Another attack materialized out of the smoke, heading towards their lines, and her 120mm quick firing guns swiveled to meet it. Next to her, Ekrem muttered "Whatever Yavuz is doing, she better be quick. I don't know how long we will last."

~ ~ ~

Demirhisar was pouting again. She knew she shouldn't, she knew this was serious, she knew she should be supporting, but at this point the teenage destroyer did not care. She was a glorified forklift here, unloading supplies from trucks and trailers of agricultural tractors as they arrive. She intellectually understood that she was a prime target, whenever one of the shipgirls appeared on the field every gun Enver had turned on them, and that she wasn't practically immune to 75mm fire unlike her comrades, but her inability to help still grated on her fiercely.

She hefted another crate of supplies for the field kitchens, handling the almost quarter ton wooden box like it was a piece of cardboard. She huffed. She was, for want of a better word, bored. Frustrated and bored. And this rear area work did not help.

As she placed the crate on the ground and turned back to pick up another one, a hand fell on her shoulder. She looked up and into the blood red eyes of Hasan Aga, the elder vampire that brought his brood down from Oltu to help. They were surprised to see the undead, but grateful for their help. Their assistance, both in the form of night raids and the patrols of animals they controlled, made the more open ground at the northern sector of the encirclement as secure as it could get, and relieved at least some of the pressure on the other fronts. The tall, bulky, mustachioed ex-Sipahi looked her over. "Demirhisar, right?"

"Yes?" she said, unsure.

The vampire gave her a toothy grin. "Bored out of your mind?" he said. At her nod, he gave her shoulder a friendly smack, that would have sent a grown man to the ground. "Come on then. My boys can handle the unloading. You… well, I plan on doing some hunting. And well… firepower is always a bonus." He winked at her. "And additional firepower is always welcome."

As they walked down the road leading out of the village, Demirhisar focused on the face of the ancient warrior next to her. In the darkness, as he looked away from her, the cheerful look on his face fell away and he grew serious. She hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "How is the battle going?"

Hasan chuckled, and made to wave off the question, but hesitated and then stopped. "I forget, you are not a youngblood I have to keep pumped up," he said with a rueful smile. "The battle… is not going well. We are holding. We are sure there have been no major breakthroughs, and any small ones are being hunted in the mountains… but Enver's main force has swelled. Every day, our eyes in the sky are seeing more and more ancient corpses and spirits being pulled out of the ground." He waved his hand around, pointing towards the hills surrounding them. "These mountains… these are bloody lands. Death has been a close companion of these mountains for centuries. Enver has a lot of material to work with. And his forces are not really diminishing, even with the awesome firepower you girls demonstrate. And we… we are diminishing. We are losing more and more men with every attack. I just lost fifteen fledglings to a raid last night – they were ambushed on the way out. Fledglings cannot survive quick firing guns. Other fronts are not better. Even marids are taking losses. Sultan Kasım is still not awake, whatever hit him at that bridge." He sighed. "I know you want good news, my girl, but I have none I can give you, aside from empty platitudes."

Demirhisar reached up and patted the old vampire on his shoulder. "Yavuz will come through. She and the others. Yavuz never led us wrong."

The old vampire chuckled. "From your mouth to God's ears, kızçem. Hızır willing, they will come through." He laughed. "In fact, isn't he with them? Well, all we can do is hold on, with our very fingernails if necessary. And hope that they are quick."

~ ~ ~

Azhar kept pacing in front of the small table Enver used as a desk. He was fuming.

Enver looked up from the maps he was examining. "Can you please sit the fuck down?"

"And what? Watch you play chicken with the lowborn for another week? We are on a timetable you know."

Enver smirked. "Actually, I don't know. All you said was you wanted me to help you free your comrades. Not how. And your… cousins out there…" he needled, drawing an angry sneer from the man in front of him, "do not make my life easier."

"I gave you the tools to handle them. Yet you refuse to use them. Why? We could have broken through days ago. We have the superior force. Yet you refuse to use them."

"Use them, and then? Break through in one spot, at the cost of those ships turning most of my army into paste? Only for us to be hounded for the rest of the way and then get caught by whatever they are stalling us for on the march? No. This will take finesse. If I am going to break through, I am going to utterly break them. If I am to be done with this bunch, I want to be completely done. None of that 'live to fight another day'. I want to see their whole strength, and I want to break them on my knee, once and for all. It is not as if we are wasting our time here. Every day, my soldiers are digging more and more. My army is growing." He smiled. "Patience, my friend. Your labors will be rewarded. In time. We will break the traitors, and then, and only then, we will march. "

Azhar clenched his fist, wanting nothing more than to wipe the arrogant smirk off the face of that corpse. He whirled on his heel, and marched out.

Enver kept working for a few more minutes. After a few minutes of silence, one of his officers came in. "He is in his tent, paşam."

"Good. Get the Tatar here."

The officer left, and after some time, came back with a short, stocky, ruddy faced man. Enver rose to his feet in greeting. "Welcome, my friend. To be honest, I did not expect my resurrection to attract so much attention."

The man smiled and shook the former general's hand. "You are an impressive man, Enver Paşa. Of course the… organization I represent would be interested."

"So, how can I help you?"

"The question is more how we can help you, as you may have guessed. From what I have gathered you are not… satisfied with your current… alliances?"

Enver smirked. "Well, I do want the world intact so I can rule it, after all. Let's talk business. Reşat, bring some tea, will you?"

 

[darthcourt10]

SkyeFire

Yellowhammer said: Endure.

You do not stand alone.

Help is coming.
...right, so, I can't really respond to that post without falling into ITG territory. So instead, I wrote some Optionally Canonical Claire (and Jackie).
(on reflection, this probably doesn't work, b/c IIRC Claire is with the Malfoys and Jackie is at Moulbaix. Eh, call it alternate timeline shenanigans)
EDIT: Okay, Ctrl-Enter will cause the post to... post. Prematurely, if you typo it. Did not know that.
*-*-*-*

Everyone was gone.

Well, everyone useful. Which did not include Claire. After all, who takes a piano into a desperate battle against unknown odds?

Into a situation where a musical instrument would not simply be useless, but an actual burden?

Deep down, Claire knew she wasn't being fair to herself. But she didn't want fair, she wanted Ehren. She wanted her family, together where she could see them, and make music for them, and actually help.

Instead of pacing endlessly back and forth across Moulbaix's sun-dappled garden, making Aunt Jackie and Aunt Aomi and Miho and Chizuru and Mizuki worry about her, when it was Ehren and Mother and Grandmother and Mother Toku and Kasuyu and Niobe they should be worrying about instead of the useless, needy, clingy piano--

A deep "chuff!" interrupted the inward spiral of her thoughts.

She spun around, startled, to meet a pair of golden eyes. Wolf Mother stared at her with a distinctly unimpressed expression.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Claire burst out angrily, the tiny voice crying Ehren, Ehren, Ehren beating in her temples like a drum. "Everyone else can do something useful. But all I can do is music, and--" she slumped, staring at her feet. "No one needs music right now."

Fangs capable of shredding a mammoth nipped her nose, just hard enough to draw a single drop of blood. Claire clapped a hand to her nose, startled. Wolf Mother's head tipped in the direction of the castle, with a distinct air of do I really have to point this out, pup?

Claire slumped again. "I... I tried. I can't. I'm... I'm too tangled up, inside. When I tried, earlier, I just... I made things worse. The girls started crying for no reason, Miho got all pale and shaky... even Aunt Jackie stopped smiling! I just... I'm just... stuck." Really, she was starting to understand why wolves caught in traps would gnaw their own paws off, and it was an understanding she'd be much happier without.

Her lupine friend eyed her for a long moment with a considering air, giving Claire the uncanny feeling that she was being weighed. She felt her cheeks flush with shame -- she knew she was being childish, but she couldn't seem to stop--!

Those same fangs closed gently around her hand, and tugged. Claire followed, a bit blindly, still lost in the whirl of her thoughts. Wolf Mother led her across the garden, and up a small hill that gave a good view of the countryside, and released her hand.

"I... I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Golden eyes stared into her own mahogany for a moment, then turned to look, very deliberately, towards the south.

"But--! She can't hear me, she's too far away! Maybe if she had a phone, or--"

The unimpressed look was back. Claire had no trouble filling in the unspoken message: You won't know unless you try, will you?

Why did Wolf Mother sound so much like Mother, in her head?

Claire turned and looked south herself. Somewhere, in that direction, thousands of miles away... her little sister was trapped. In terrible danger. Injured. Hurt. Alone. Afraid.

I keep going on about how much I need Ehren... but what does she need right now?

The answer to that was suddenly, blindingly obvious: anything I can give. Anything.

There was a bang of displaced air as her true body appeared in front of her, and Wolf Mother gave a satisfied-sounding chuff as Claire seated herself and opened her keyboard.

Ehren... little sister. I don't know if you can hear me. I don't know if this will do anything to help. But I have to believe. I have to try. Please... please hear my voice.

As Wolf Mother seated herself comfortably beside Claire's bench, her shaman looked around the bright, sunny landscape. A few stray clouds scudding across the brilliant cerulean sky. Moulbaix's windows shining in the sunlight. The bees and birds making their own music in the background.

The funny little green teacher from the movies was right: Do, or do not. There is no try.

The sun moved across the sky, and Claire played.

Every canid near Moulbaix paused, and looked southwards. And Claire played.

A brief summer shower scattered rain across this region of Belgium. And Claire played.

The sun sank towards the horizon, the shadows growing long. And Claire--

Was interrupted. Rudely. Someone had grabbed her hands and was forcibly pulling them away from her keys. Claire felt a stab of real anger. Didn't this person understand how important this was? Not to mention how impolite it was to interrupt a musician caught up in the full throes of--

Then the stabbing agony in her fingers made itself felt, and her indignation fell apart as she curled around her abused digits.

Vaguely, she heard Aunt Jackie's voice snap "What? You got a problem, furball?" Followed by an amused "chuff!", and the sound of a long tongue licking someone from chin to temple.

There was a sense of lupine absence, and Aunt Jackie saying "Well, that happened." Then Aunt Jackie's attention was fully on her again, grasping her hands and gently massaging her fingers. "Claire? Claire, sweetie? Come on, baby, talk to me."

Aunt Jackie sounded... frightened? Why? Claire shook her head, trying to focus. "I have--" she gagged on an incredibly dry throat and coughed for a moment.

"Shhh, baby, just lean on me. Here, have some water." The rim of a cup touched her lips, and it was suddenly as if she hadn't had a drink in weeks. "No, no, small sips, small sips... that's it, that's my girl."

The world began to come back into focus a bit. "Aunt... Jackie? What...."

"Claire... you've been out here playing all day. Miho and the Imps tried to give you lunch, but it was like you never knew they were there. You had us worried, baby girl."

Aunt Jackie wasn't talking like a pirate. That meant things were serious. Maybe they should do some sea shanties together, that always cheered--

"Ehren!" Claire gasped as everything suddenly came back to her. "I have to keep playing, I have to make her hear--"

"No." Her hands were trapped in a gentle grip of iron. "Claire, sweetie, look at your hands."

She did... and seeing the source of the pain made it suddenly worse. The musician's callouses on her fingers were cracked, and split, and bleeding. There was blood on her ivory -- her own blood. She tried to make her fingers flex, and felt a stab of fear as they refused to obey.

Aunt Jackie scooped her up and headed for the castle. "Claire, I don't know what you were doing, but when you start hurting yourself, it's time to stop."

Claire let her head sag unwillingly against her aunt's shoulder. "Mother wouldn't stop," she grumbled petulantly.

"That's because your mother is an idiot, looking for a Spartan Funeral," Jackie snapped. "Same as Del. I used to think you and I were the only sane ones in the bunch, but I guess it's just me."

"...I'm sorry I scared you."

"...I'm sorry too, sweetie. I just... I saw you bleeding, and--" A sniffle. "What were you doing?"

"...trying to reach Ehren. I thought, if I pushed hard enough... far enough... she might hear me. It might... help... a little."

"Okay. Okay, I get that. But Claire, baby, Ehren wouldn't want you to hurt yourself for her."

"Why!?" Claire flared, suddenly angry again. "Everyone else fights, everyone else gets hurt to protect me, why am I the only one who's not allowed to bleed?"

Jackie paused, and looked down at the distraught piano in her arms. "Claire... that's not it. You've got it the wrong way 'round. We --the 'fighty ones' I mean-- we avoid getting hurt, right up until we can't. If we have to catch a bullet, or make an opening... we can only take so much damage, so when we decide to take it, it has to be calculated. A 'tactically valid exchange,' as one of my old teachers once said." Her eyes moved back to the piano still atop the hill. "We don't just throw ourselves at a wall over and over, waiting to see who breaks first. Mmm... well, maybe your mother, sometimes, when she's in one of her moods, but even she'll admit that she was just being stupid, after she calms down."

Jackie started walking again. "We don't have a tub of repair fluid to dunk your true body into, so we'll just have to bandage your fingers up the old-fashioned way. And some massage, you're gonna have cramps like you wouldn't believe. There was this one time, going around the Horn... twelve hours holding the wheel until we got to calmer waters, my First Mate had to pry my hands open one finger at a time, I thought I was gonna die! Had mummy-hands for a week."

The pirate-speak was sneaking back in, which meant Aunt Jackie was starting to relax. Claire felt herself relax in response... and then became aware of a new problem. "Um... Aunt Jackie?"

"What is it, my sweet piano siren?"

"Ummm..." Claire blushed hotly. "I really need to use the bathroom, but..." she waved one claw-like hand. "I don't think I can... you know...."

"Ah, no problem at all, m'lass! Why, let me tell you about this time when your Aunt Del was just a sprout, and while we were at sea she came down with the crud -- couldn't so much as get out of bed for days. I had to give her sponge baths, and 'tend to business' for her, and she hated it. By the by, she'll murder me for telling you about this, so don't mention it to her, but I gotta say, she makes the worst patient...."

Claire let the monologue wash over her, and settled into her aunt's grip. She'd have to let her hands heal first, then try again. More carefully, this time. Push her limits without smashing herself against them.

For as long as it took, until Ehren and everyone else was home....

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- As always, Wolff is a massive monster as were the Nazis, but no ITG or derails. The plot thickens!

Ehren Erwacht! (V)

August 10th, 2014

Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa (1300 miles upriver)

"The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil water-way leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast sky--seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." -- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Niobe grimaced in relief as she maneuvered through the crowds toward the dock on the river.

The flight into Kisangani had been terrifying.

The ancient turboprop airliner (her shaking engineer announced that it had been built in 1954) was overloaded with passengers and cargo, including crates of live chickens and a goat. Add in that as a shipgirl she would have preferred to sail upriver rather than fly and the resulting three hours of terror lasted for an eternity as the plane flew over trackless jungle.

Colombe, damn her eyes, had spent the flight napping apparently unconcernedly only to wake up as the plane began to descend to the runway hewn out of the jungle at this inland port at the base of a stretch of rapids.

Another divination with the pendulum while here had further narrowed down the location of Ehren to someplace northeast of Kisangani.

Which led to the next part of Colombe's plan.

They reached the stained concrete dock and the Frenchwoman began to haggle expertly with several merchants who appeared out of nowhere. Terms were met and a small fishing canoe was produced in exchange for a stack of bills. Colombe got into it alongside Niobe.

They paddled out into the broad mud-covered river and then Colombe grinned smugly at Niobe as she cast several obscuring charms as they floated downstream. "So, ready to do some real sailing?"

Niobe grinned back and then stepped onto the river as she rigged up, easily keeping pace with the canoe. "Oh, it's about time."
Spoiler: Steam Pinnace

Aboard her, her bosun snapped out orders and one of her steam pinnaces that she carried as picket boats was launched from her davits, manifesting next to Colombe with a boat crew on board. Colombe stood and caught the thrown line to be hauled aboard. "Good, because that canoe leaks and I'd hate to have to fight off a hippo attack in it. Once was more than enough!" With that she began more concealment spells.
Spoiler: Up The River

Niobe climbed aboard her pinnace which began to gather steam as they sailed downriver. The Kaiserliche Marine naval battle ensign fluttered proudly in the wind of their passage at the masthead as the pinnace built to full steam ahead and fresh coal and logs were tossed into the firebox by the crew. The shipgirl smiled proudly, remembering her first life under the Reichadler as she spread the glories of her homeland abroad.

Niobe pulled out the other weapons from her hull who manifested one by one. Toku looked around wide-eyed in impressed awe. Norimune rubbed her chin with a smug grin as she walked to the bow to catch the breeze in her hair. Kasuyu made a visual sweep of the water and then grunted in satisfaction. Nongqawuse silently walked to the fuel bunker and cast a Duplicating Charm to replace the fuel being used.

"Won't we get into trouble for being nearly invisible and not registered?" Niobe asked with curiosity as a shimmering magical veil of mist obscured them and they headed on.

Colombe shook her head. The Muramasa rapier then pointed to a massively overloaded boat passing them that was extremely low in the water. Niobe began to swear in German as Tokunotakai stared in disbelief. "They would be more pissed about us not paying bribes, honestly."
Spoiler: Boats On The Congo River

Niobe shook her head and muttered. "I don't.... words fail me. Das ist nicht in Ordnung."

Colombe scowled, joined by Nongqawuse and Kasuyu. "This place was run like a giant slave labor camp by the colonial authorities. We could have spent the time to try to improve things, but it was all about enriching the few while oppressing the many with the manacles, the whip, and the gun. It was poorly run when Belgium was directly involved and then when we pulled out...." Colombe sighed and shook her head as she watched the overloaded barge pass them and then resumed speaking in a voice filled with controlled anger. "What happened here sickened me then and still does now. We... Belgium,... and I include myself since some of my money and my family's influence contributed to what happened here, did terrible things and the stain still exists. Back a hundred years ago it was ivory tusks from elephants, and then rubber from the vines here. Now it is gold, diamonds, minerals but the culture we taught the locals has poisoned it. We destroyed rather than built and I don't know if it will ever be fixed."

Toku laid her hand on Colombe shoulder as the rapier stared into the jungle vacantly. Colombe finally placed her hand on Toku's and squeezed. "It's a hundred twenty five kilometers downstream to the Aruwimi River where we head east up toward the highlands. I'll take first watch and cast spells to watch for danger. Sandbars, crocodiles, and especially those damn hippos. Things are a menace. Then Kasuyu or Father can relieve me. Once we hit the Aruwimi's rapids, we start in overland, that's pretty clearly where Ehren is. Somewhere up there."

Colombe looked down the sluggish river. "In the Heart of Darkness...."
--------------------------

August 11th, 2014

Khohlo ea Marena a Mararo, Central Africa

Ehren buttoned her black and silver tunic and then examined her appearance in the mirror in her room. Brightly polished black jackboots tuched into black trousers with razor-sharp creases, white shirt with black tie, the siegrunen and single pip of an officer cadet on her coat collar.

Alles in Ordnung.

For a SS-Junker officer cadet.

She hid her scowl behind an impassive cool expression, and ignored the fatigue of the workout that Vati had done with her this morning. This was a necessary step, to gain the information that she needed to survive and cultivate the trust needed to get the resources to escape.

Mutti, please hurry, Ehren thought to herself as she closed her eyes and breathed in and out. As she opened her eyes, she stared in shock.

The mirror was reflecting her mother standing in the bow of a small ship sailing down a river in the jungle.

The war ensign of the Kaiserliche Marine fluttered proudly over her head with red, white and black, the Iron Cross and the crowned Reichsadler Prussian eagle causing her heart to swell with pride. Niobe stood there alongside Tokunotakai, Grandmother Norimune, and Kasuyu, all staring at the swinging pendulum in Mutti's hand.

Behind them all, Nongqawuse's scarlet eyes met hers and the African spirit winked before the vision faded. Ehren breathed a sigh of relief.

They are coming.
Spoiler: Morning Inspection

Then her ears heard the footsteps that she expected and she assumed the proper position for room and uniform inspection as her face shifted to the expected stoic military bearing.

Ehren's spine stiffened and she snapped to rigid attention as Cortana entered the room, dressed in an identical uniform same for the double pips of a Sturmführer. The elder sword checked off the details of her exacting inspection of her bed, uniform, and possessions on a clipboard held by a subordinate NCO. Then she paused and gestured to the NCO. "Wait outside for me."

Ehren's heart raced as the sergeant, black skin gleaming in black and silver wool marched outside.

Cortana looked her over and then her eyes unfocused and looked at the far wall. The sword spoke with some strain in her words in a monotone. "You should be honored, Ehren. Our Master intends to Embrace you to purge any lingering impure blood and grant the immortality that he has. This will also blood bond you to him as a loyal subordinate and beloved daughter. He only does this with the finest and most suitable humans, and it is a great honor to be initiated into his elite. For me... he had to use other means since the Embrace and blood bonding did not affect me after I swore my oath to serve him loyally as a weapon and to be the perfect wife and mother for his family. You... I am proud to have you as a daughter, Ehren."

Ehren's heart raced as the sword finished. "Be strong, do not show the pain, and show him and the rest how you are committed to the cause body and soul so he will be happy with you."

Ehren snapped to rigidly perfect attention and saluted Cortana. "Jawohl, Sturmführer! I shall not disappoint my Vater by flinching or crying out as he makes me one of the Herrenvolk!"

"Good, follow me, Cadet!" Cortana ordered and Ehren fell into step precisely one pace back and to the right. Ehren's eyes gleamed as one hand slid to the SS-Ehrendolch on her hip and caressed her hilt for an instant before resuming her perfect and precise military bearing.

 

[darthcourt10]

mikelima777

A quick, short thing about how the Greengrasses feel about the Malfoys going legit.

Greengrass Manor

It would have surprised some purebloods that at the home of the Greengrass family, Cyrus and Evelyn worked together to cook breakfast, both for themselves, and their elves currently busy tending to other duties in the manor. As it was, Cyrus had taken part-time culinary courses incognito, while Evelyn had learned how to cook from her mother and one of her oldest friends, a "muggle-born" that eventually moved to teach at the Orenda Institute of Magic, one of several Canadian schools not sanctioned by the ICW.

As Cyrus finished cooking rashers of bacon, a chime announced the arrival of a barn owl.

"Ah, must be a letter from FELIX."

He united a letter from the owl's leg, and fed the bird a slice of bacon.

"Thank you, Helena."

After watching the owl take off out of the kitchen window, he looked around, before taking out his wand and casting some privacy charms. Then he pointed the wand at the letter, removing a glamour charm that disguised it as a letter from his cousin Nigel.

"Intelligence report?" Evelyn asked.

Cyrus looked a bit surprised with both eyebrows raised.

"Well I'll be, Malfoy wants to go legitimate."

"Really? Mr. Lucius 'Imperious Defence' Malfoy?"

Cyrus drank from his mug of tea.

"Indeed.... hmmm... "

After reading more of the letter, Cyrus began to snicker.

"Cyrus?"

He passed the letter to his wife who started to read through it rapidly. She gently placed it down, then began to giggle, before laughing hard.

"So, Narcissa tore him a new one due to that Basilisk mess? Never mess with momma Black, Lucy! Then, his son turns out to be linked with multiple shipgirls... and then, after they meet their distant cousins from Belgium, Narcissa takes her son and company to go shopping at Harrods."

"Evie, look at what FELIX mentioned was the total bill."

She looked, then went to the floor holding back tears of laughter.

"Gahahahaha!!!!"

Her husband was no better.

"Oh Lordy, this is gonna be fun."

He grinned evilly.

"I think I found someone new to mine some salt."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- Well, here we go. Ehren and Vati continue their dance to the end. As always, Wolff is a massive monster as were the Nazis, but no ITG or derails. The plot thickens!

Ehren Erwacht! (VI)

August 11th, 2014

Khohlo ea Marena a Mararo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa

"But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion. I think it had whispered to him things which he did not know, things of which he had no conception till he took counsel with this great solitude — and the whisper had proved irresistibly fascinating. It echoed loudly within him because he was hollow at the core [...] his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad." -- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Ehren's eyes widened and she blinked tears away from the sunlight as she exited the stone-walled underground complex that had been her prison and barracks for the last days for the first time.

The valley beyond the gate that she had followed Cortana through was grass-covered at the base with wooded hills on either side rising up. At the far end, she estimated with a glance roughly half a kilometer distance, a trio of massive monoliths that appeared to be some gigantic standing human figures had been carved out of stone in a triangle.

Monoliths that had been bedecked by swastika-marked banners.

The valley floor was filled with rank upon rank of motionless uniformed soldiers in perfect geometric blocks on either side of a clear pathway to the reviewing stand at the far end.

Ehren mentally snarked behind her impassive face that she had seen far better in 1938 at the Nürnberg Reichsparteitag Großdeutschland. As impressive as the spectacle was, and it was impressive; it was a pale imitation, a pupil's copy of the master's attempt, a child's scribbling of his father's work, to what she had experienced under the choreography of Josef Goebbels and Adolf Hitler.

One pale-gold eyebrow elevated a millimeter above a steel blue eye at the sight of a dozen monstrous gray and brown mottled beasts with short thick legs like an elephant, massive bodies with a metal howdah on their back, and long necks and tails looming behind the blocks of soldiers.

That, at least, was something new and impressive. They looked like nothing so much as a blend of a dinosaur and the dragons that she had heard about in one of her school textbooks.

A glance out of the corner of her eyes showed three other individuals in matching cadet uniforms flanking her on both sides. It sadly did not surprise her that the one on her right was pale skinned while the two on her left were white and black respectively.
Spoiler: The Candidates Enter

At the command of 'Vorwärts Marsch!'(Forward march) she stepped off and began to goose-step down the cleared aisle in time with a band playing the Badenweiler Marsch.

As she marched ahead, her impassive face cracked for a moment. Her lips quirked as she felt the gazes of the massed soldiers weigh upon her and the others. Being exposed like this, like a small black ant crawling across a polished silver tray actually felt... strange. She then refocused as her eyes locked upon Vati, dressed in his SS uniform as he stood at the summit of a stone staircase behind a podium flanked by dignitaries and a honor guard.

Her steel-blue eyes hardened and her expression firmed up as she braced herself for the contest of Will ahead of her.

For a brief second she could hear the voice of the little green mentor from those movies that Claire loved to watch with her. "Do, or do not. There is no try."

With that ringing in her heart she stopped at the barked command. "Stillgestanden!"

As she stood at apparently perfect attention, her fingers twitched subtly in a slow pattern as her breathing shifted into a different rhythm.

What Miho Fujii had called 'the rhythm of a spider spinning her web' when she was taught this ancient art among the Jorogumo.

For while her mother, aunts, grandmother and eldest sister were better combatants on the fields of battle and facing their foes eye to eye, Ehren du Chasteler had her own skills and strengths to match any of them in her chosen field of struggle.

Vati's voice boomed in her ears from his position on the podium that she faced in front of multitudes as she concentrated on the gossamer-fine threads of magic that she was layering around her steel body one careful web at a time.

"The Day of our inevitable triumph nears! My warriors, soon we shall strike a sudden and decisive blow to topple the weak and corrupt government!"

Threads of magic woven into a web so fine as to be seen as invisible to the mage whose voice boomed in her ears.

"Our destiny is greatness! Our training, Will, and devotion is superior to all others!"

Threads of illusion and deception to be activated when the focus of the ceremony shifted from the monster haranguing the crowd to her.

"Behold the vanguard of the New Order! They have been rigorously screened for physical, mental, and moral perfection! They are the Herrenvolk!"

Threads of a desperate plan that would be put to the test soon.

"Nembo Etémé! Komm heraus!"(Come here)

As Ehren watched with razor sharp focus and interest, the muscular young white man to her right stepped forth and ascended the podium. He halted with a precise heel click and the shot his arm out stiff and straight in a perfect Hitlergruß(Hitler salute). "Sieg Heil!"

Vati returned the salute. "Sieg Heil!" He leaned forward, pinning her fellow cadet's gaze. "{Swear the oath!}"

"{I, Nembo Etémé, vow to you, Obersturmführer Helmar Franz von und zu Wolff, as Führer of the Reborn Reich in the name of the martyred Adolf Hitler, loyalty and bravery! I vow to you and to the leaders that you set for me, absolute allegiance until death! So help me God!}"

Ehren sucked in a breath at the words, the altered words of the SS loyalty oath which Vati had sworn with her upon his hip at midnight in front of the Feldherrnhalle in Munich as the torches blazed and guttered that night in 1937.

Words that had placed his feet upon the path that led to this monstrous evil that had festered and been nurtured here.

Words that she would be forced to swear with her lips, if not her heart and soul.

"{Good, Accept the Embrace!}"

She exhaled the breath as Nembo Etémé bared his neck for Vati to bite. He shook and shuddered, crying out in agony as red crept into his pale green eyes, his flesh grew slightly paler and his incisor teeth sharpened to fangs. Her diamond hard steel-blue eyes watched the process clinically as her fingers flicked faster and her hilt shone with witch-light as the final adjustments were made to the web of illusion and deception that she had woven as if she were a Jorogumo huntress.

Finally the convulsions ended and the new vampire snapped to attention. "{By your will Obersturmführer! Sieg Heil!}" He saluted Vati with another Hitlergruß before marching to one of four red robed female attendants waiting with beaten gold swastika inlaid goblets. He drank deep of the blood within and then about faced and assumed parade rest.
Spoiler: Ehren's Embrace

Ehren's heart thudded at the next words thundering through the rally.

"Ehren von und zu Wolff! Komm heraus!"

She snapped to attention and goose stepped to position in front of Vati. Gray eyes with swimming red flecks stared into her own steel blue eyes as her heels snapped together and her arm shot out to salute him.

"Sieg Heil!" She barked out with all the energy in her frame. Inside her mind, her brain translated the words that scorched her lips and tongue.

Hail Victory!

The victory that was engraved on her hilt in the dual siegrunen of the Schutzstaffel.

Aunt Del's voice whispered in her soul with words from the first day that she had met her favorite aunt. "You're like me Ehren, you know the importance of preparation, patience and timing."

"Sieg Heil!"

Vati's keen gaze tested her defenses, but with a signal effort of Will, she allowed no sign to leak through her self control save apparent eagerness and excitement hidden under her cool facade.

"{Swear the Oath!!}"

Ehren spared a instant to mentally whisper a prayer for forgiveness to Whomever was listening to her in her isolation. She felt the iron dice of war weigh heavy in her hand to be thrown in her next heartbeat to triumph or die.

"{I, Ehren von und zu Wolff, vow to you, Obersturmführer Helmar Franz von und zu Wolff, as Führer of the Reborn Reich in the name of the martyred Adolf Hitler, loyalty and bravery! I vow to you and to the leaders that you set for me, absolute allegiance until death! So help me God!}"

Tokunotakai's voice whispered in her soul as the last hateful syllable left her lips, 'Remember Ehren, duty is heavier than a mountain but death is lighter than a feather."

Vati's gaze was heavy upon her. But his judgement of her was lighter than the awful weight of her duty and honor she carried another agonizing step up her Golgotha.

"{Good! Accept the Embrace!}"

She unbuttoned her collar as he moved to loom over her.

His shadow fell over her as she shifted her head to expose her neck for his gleaming fangs.

She felt the hot wind of Vati's scorching hungry breath on her neck as her heart hammered like the forge that had given her birth.

In the space between two heartbeats, Mutti's voice whispered in her ears with the words said to her that she had locked away to be forever treasured in her innermost heart of hearts.

"You are loyal, honorable, dutiful, protective, faithful, and valiant. As much as it tears my heart asunder to see you like this, as much as it hurts, I cannot deny that you are a du Chasteler. Ehren du Chasteler. My daughter. I just wish that Papa could have been here to see you, to guide me so that I would not make the mistakes that I have made."

Her steel blue eyes gleamed with unshed tears as her skin broke and Vati tasted her blood.

 

[darthcourt10]

baofengyu

The Mandate Pt 8
"Manipulation is done through propelling events...or selected ones into motion."



Court of Inner Harmony, Hidden Ministry, Beijing
2 August 2014, 6:17am

Daji sipped her tea as she stood at the balcony of the Ministry and watched the people. There was a quiet stoicism about them, the ability to weather change no matter how abrupt or disruptive.

"My Lady, we should go back inside. There is a storm coming."

Daji hid her smile behind the cup.



Beijing, 6:26am

Odd storms springing up was nothing new. The citizens of the city were used to the constant changes that seemed to crop up whenever something happened, or the Central Committee decided to change another law or enact some activity to improve morale. No, the people quickly moved about their day to day lives with no concern for the changing weather, and Rain, Thunder, and Lightning was of no consequence.

Then a part of the Forbidden City exploded.

The storm intensified to near hurricane levels in moments, with torrential rain creating almost a barrier to movement, driving the citizens indoors or underground, and yet a few adventurous souls did the only thing they could think of. Massive bolts of lightning seem to strike the city at random.

They pulled out cellphones.

Unbeknownst to them, one of the lightning strikes struck a rather innocent looking building.

A building that held a key component to the 'Great Firewall' of China.

In a moment of 1.21 gigawatts of magically enhanced lightning overloading every breaker in the old building and shorting out nearly every UPS, one layer of Central Committee censorship was stripped away from the internal servers. The external ones that controlled access to the rest of the world, however, remained intact. Mostly.

They had a mission.

Their master ordered them to Shenyang to find out if the theater General was open to an offer from their master, and perhaps put someone more…open to suggestion in his place should he prove intractable.

Unfortunately, the General was very well protected, and his disgust at their offer was plain for all to see. There was something…familiar about that old man. Something that made them remember a time of war and rebellion. A fox demon. A serpent. And a Treasure that was lost.

There would be time to investigate in the future once they completed this mission and relayed their findings and thoughts to their master. If the old man was truly one of the lost Treasure Guardians, then Xiao himself might have to make the journey north and 'convince' the General whose side he truly belonged.

So they pooled their power once they reached the outskirts of Beijing. The atmospherics were already conducive to a storm, and it did not take too long to bring it to the level of a severe thunderstorm. Moments later they tapped into the Jetstream and ramped the storm up further.

The first strike was at the Hidden Ministry in the Forbidden City.

They all knew it would be difficult to kill the Vixen right off, but a secondary effect of the attack was to kill as many of the magicals in Beijing as possible to weaken the Vixen's powerbase.

Another secondary attack was directed towards the Central Committee meeting room in the People's Hall. It might kill Minister Cai, might not, but the intent was to show their master's displeasure at the Minister for getting involved and disrupting the slow process he initiated to bring the last of the PLAN under his sphere of influence.

Fanatics were always useful, and the right coaxing, the right conditioning, a fanatic's focus can be shifted to serve a new purpose.



Daji set her teacup down amidst the rubble and looked up. The rain pelted her mercilessly, but she was not afraid of the weather. She could feel the Hidden Ministry reeling from the attack, those that survived the destructive strike trying to get some semblance of order and structure back to order to respond.

She let her 'wand' fall into her hand from her sleeve. Originally belonging to Wei Xiao, the wand was more of a prop than an actual tool, as her power did not really require such tools to use.

She stepped forward on the ruined balcony, her sense detecting her enemies above her in the air, in their element. They had the advantage in this battlefield, but Beijing was her city.

Perhaps…

She leapt up, almost apparating into the middle of their formation and instead of a burst of magical power directed at one of them, she spun in place before using gravity to bring down a kick that landed right into the neck/shoulder joint of Rain. She lowered her center of gravity as she dropped, following the falling Rain to the heart of Tiananmen Square.

An elemental master whose domain was water was a grave threat. One not to be underestimated as so much of the human body WAS water.

Fortunately, Daji was not human.

The elemental master cratered the ground when he impacted and Daji flipped way to balance herself on a post. Lightning flashed as one of the Elementalists descended, followed by a burst of wind that heralded the arrival of the third.

All three wore plain brown cloaks, with huge straw hats upon their heads that masked their faces. But she knew who they were.

The air master pulled out a pair of hook daggers.

The lightning master pulled out a pair of Emei and begun spinning them in the palms of his hands.

The water master rose to his feet and pulled out a pair of rods with iron claws affixed.

Daji covered her mouth with her sleeve and giggled.

She dropped the wand.

As she lowered her hand, a pair of fans fell into waiting palms and she flicked her wrists.

The fans snapped open.

The lightning master stepped back.

Daji slid a foot forward, raising her hands with the fans pointed towards the earth.

These masters were technically 'human', but countless years of dark magic have warped them. Changed them.

Bound them to a deathless sorcerer.

What shriveled hearts that remained in their chests would not be fit for the insects to feast upon.

They were outclassed, but they thought they were relevant still.

The wind howled.

The rain scoured.

The lightning crashed.

She attacked.
Spoiler

This was a dance. The Storms may have called the tune, but Daji changed the beat. A bolt of lightning cast at her deflected by the fan towards his ally, the razor-sharp edge of her fan forcing another to bend backwards, only to have the ignominy of her foot planted into his crotch.

She danced around the incoming attacks, sometimes deflecting, sometimes evading.

Each strike was measured and precise, just enough force to cause some damage, but nothing that would be a crippling or killing blow.

This served to enrage them further.

Manipulation was an art, and Daji was a master.

They lashed out blindly with their power, seeking to pin her down. The southern wall of the Forbidden City exploded outward as a massive lightning strike pushed Daji out into the street, her fans redirecting the bolt into the sky.

Fingers of lightning danced around her as she extended one foot behind her to brace herself.

The few people that dared peek out saw a woman, some of them knew her by sight, being attacked by three men using what could only be described as magic.

The air master put his palms on his chest and took a breath before flipping his palms around and shouting, sending a concussive blast outward.

The force knocked her off her feet, the shockwave throwing her through a car and into the window of a coffee shop, her arms and fans extended and in a blur of motion.

Behind her several frightened civilians watched as she kept the worst of the broken glass and debris away from them.

But the attack had a secondary effect.

The spell that masked her true presence failed.

Daji took a deep breath and shook herself, ethereal ears and tails emerging into the open. Her eyes shifted to an animalistic shape and color, and the hint of fangs behind her mouth.

She could feel the shift in mood her presence caused. There was a combination of fear, terror, shock, surprise, and…arousal?

She sighed quietly.

Humans.

Well, there is no point in holding back now, she thought.

Water droplets shot forward like arrows.

If she defended herself, the humans behind her would die.

If she defended the humans, she could take a grievous blow that might injure her.

She looked down and smiled.

She did both.

With her foot she kicked up a fractured table and launched it forward, while her fans wove a defensive spell that protected the humans from the attack.

She brought both fans together in a snap and channeled her power, thrusting them forward.

The table exploded outwards and she followed right behind it.


ICW HQ, Geneva, 6:58am

The eyes of many wizards and witches were fixed on the massive magical presence registering in China. The first true cracks in the Statute happened when Verdun nearly awoke, and now Beijing. They could not tell what exactly was happening yet, but their divinations where hampered by the spells put in place by the Maoists nearly sixty years ago, but should the event continue to propagate it might surpass the Verdun Incident.

"Do have any Aurors in China?"

"We can't contact anyone in the Hidden Ministry sir," A witch replied. "They suddenly dropped off the Floo Network just as the incident began, and other forms of wizardry communication have been spotty at best since those monsters appeared on the sea and the Chinese activated the Barrier."

"This is not good. Do we have any assets available?"

"We do have an unconfirmed report of a Canadian Auror in the area sir."

"Anything from Japan?"

"No sir, they are still dealing with the fallout from the Bunker incident. They can offer no help in this."

"Damn. Get any available Auror ready to go. We may have to attempt a mass breakthrough of the Barrier to get this incident under control."



East Chang'an Street, Beijing 7:12am

Whatever advantage they thought to create in forcing Daji to reveal herself was negated when the water master used a civilian to attack her. Yes, there were some witnesses present to the battle, of which she was actively trying to limit the collateral damage. It was her city after all.

She caught the human and spun him gently into a bench at a bus stop, dancing to the east to draw any further attacks away.

She cartwheeled through the air, passing over the combination air/water blades that threatened to bisect her, her tails coiled as she landed on the ball of her left foot and spun.

She built the spin into almost a pirouette and used the momentum to close the distance to the lightning master and struck at him with a passing fan.

He bent backwards to avoid the bladed weapon, only for Daji's tails to smash into his legs and flip him into the air.

A final spin brought her fan right into his midsection.

The impact cratered the street.

He spat a streamer of blood into the air.

She flipped backwards as the two raced to their fallen comrade.

She landed on the hood of a car and shook her fan before folding both and replacing them in her sleeves.

The trail of destruction from their battle was very evident, and even she wondered what their endgame was. If this was just a simple attack why did they linger?

Her senses expanded.

Then she understood.

All those cursed communication devices.

They want her on film, to show China that monsters exist, but their actions could easily be spun in a different light.

This may make the war much more difficult to win for the chosen successor, but that was their problem. She was just the arbiter.

The three launched a combined attack using their powers.

A simple enough effort to evade the attack.

Unfortunately, the humans behind her were not so lucky as the blast struck a building, shattering the brick and steel and sending a massive sign tumbling towards the ground where a group of humans huddled beneath an awning.

Daji leapt backwards into the air and caught the sign and swung it, using its velocity and adding to it to send it careening towards the trio.

Then she felt another presence.

You certainly took your time…

She landed gracefully and sat on the roof of a car, her tails gently waving despite the storm around them.



Dexian Road, Nanchangyi Village, 7:31am

Ying took a deep breath as she approached Beijing. She had seen hurricanes before, but never one that was so far inland, and so massive in scale and intact. Already the wind sheer was getting dangerous to fly in, but she had no choice. Her mobile phone dinged as a message arrived. Followed by another, and another, and another, but she paid them no mind.

She fought the wind as it forced her down into the suburbs of Beijing.

Then she realized her stealth spell had failed as countless people stared at her as the raced by.

She hid her face as best she could, not so much worried at being seen by no-majs, but more to hide her embarrassment. She should have checked for magical defenses around Beijing, but those that were not gawking were running for cover at the storm. She was thankful that she wasn't wearing her uniform.

Although, she thought. If she was wearing her uniform it could be passed off as a mass-hallucination.

She saw the lightning strikes and angled broom towards them. The weather was horrific to fly through, but she did not let it stop her. She set her broom's charms to automatic as she arched a building, then jumped off. Her breath caught as she watched a full sized sign get caught and casually tossed back at the three sorcerers on the ground. She hit the ground between the combatants and slowly stood up.

Daji clapped.

She cast a side glance at the Fox Demon before turning her head to stare at the three.

"I am pleased you finally decided to join us Daughter of MEI Yuying," Daji spoke, her voice rolled through the storm without hinderance.

The sorcerers seemed to be taken back.

"Allow me to introduce you to the ones responsible for your maternal grandparent's murder."

Ying's heart stopped.

Her breath caught in her throat.
Spoiler

Ying stood.

Her sight was awash in red.

Her mother's flight from China was a nightmare to listen to. The Taipingists were in open revolt against the Emperor. Even with her father's help it was no sure thing. In the mundane world it was two armies clashing, with no defined front lines, no overall strategy. Yet in the magical world it was much, much worse. Nonhumans were purged mercilessly. Anyone who did not kowtow to the 'new order' was killed. Ancient, respected bloodlines were erased and lost to the world. Even the most gentle were not immune from the violence and hatred. Hong Xiquan's enforcers murdered the Guardians of the Treasure in a brutal fashion, seeing to take by force what is always offered freely to the chosen few.

It was the great sin of the Taipingists.

To try to force the Mandate into their hands.

Their fall at the hands of the Qing only reinforced the belief that the Qing were rightfully the Heirs of the Mandate, until they too fell as all Dynasties inevitably do.

Ying held her sword out, parallel to the ground as she faced the three.

Her feet dug in.

The pavement cracked.

The storm above seemed to falter, as if unconsciously mirroring the change below.

With a flick of her wrist, Ying spun the hilt of her body out, and launched it towards the three.

Her body, tense, catapulted after her true body.

The sword hilt struck the water master and staggered him back a step.

Then Ying was there, her hand catching her hilt and flipping in mid air to execute a perfect ax kick that caused the water master to bounce head first against the pavement.

Her sword floated in her palm, swinging out towards the air master while thrusting a leg out in a side kick towards the lightning master.

Her food smacked him right in the jaw.

He did not look impressed.

Yet she did not relent, following up with a series of strikes forcing the lightning master to defend with his Emei.

Control the flow of the battle, Ying thought.

She thrust forward with her sword, flipping the blade vertical to send a slap against the weapons of her opponent, and used the kinetic impact to add to her own momentum to evade a hook knife strike towards her back.

As her blade slide free she parried a spinning blade strike from the newly risen water master.

Entangle them.

They were all fast. In the martial world, speed often determined the victor. And in this battle, they were all evenly matched.

But those that focused too much on one path lost sight of others.

And the three had been pursuing their abilities for so long they lost something vital. Make no mistake they were strong, true masters of their arts.

Use their strengths against them.

Ying danced and slid in a disjointed pattern, forcing the three to attempt to match her movements and causing them to get in each other's way. Use the Wuxing.

Lightning corresponded to metal.

Rain corresponded to water.

Air…

Air was the true threat. For air was not part of the Wuxing.

No, Air was greater.

Air was Qi.

Earth to Water. Fire to Metal.

Daji laughed.

She saw the vixen's expression in the reflection of her blade despite the storm. Her estimation of the three was correct.

The air master shouted.

The water master leapt.

The lightning master charged.

Ying let her blade drop and she spun around in a circle, trailing sparks, two fingers at her lips as she whispered. She slid back out of the circle and flicked her sword out, sending the circular mix of asphalt and earth out like a demented slinky.

The water master was caught by the arching earth column and smashed into the ground.

Less than an arm's length away she flicked the sparks on her sword out.

"DEFLAGRATIO!"

The stream of fire detonated in front of the lightning master. The blast was in part similar to that of hitting a brick wall for the man, and his defense was sorely tested as the flames and heat pushed him back until he was left sitting dazed and stuck in molten asphalt.

The air master stood unscathed.

He leapt into the air.

Ying ran.

She caught a blank wall and ran right up the side and used it to launch herself airborne.

Blades sparked as they clashed.

The natural order of the weather began to take hold once again.

Without the conscious effort by the three working in concert, holding a hurricane level storm so far inland was proving impossible as the normal local conditions worked to break the storm up.

Ying spun on a flat trajectory, her blade weaving as it blocked, parried, and attacked the twin hook knives of the air master, his own body seemingly floating along.

His power over Qi was immense.

She could feel it pulsing with each strike, but even he had limits.

She just had to find them even as her own reserves were wearing thin.

They landed, blades locked together.

A simple test of strength that was not so simple.

His eyes looked down briefly at her true body.

Then he saw it.

The writing.

The OATH.

And it was so much more than that. He looked up at Ying's eyes and then back at the blade.

He knew.

She could see it in his eyes that he knew exactly how the Oath was written.

Exposure to even part of a Treasure left a mark. It was a simple fact as decrees stamped with the Seal carried the same weight as if the Seal were present.

And weapons written with the Writing Set carried its own power, an effect that was doubled as it was backed by a God.

His foot caught her in the midsection, and he used a Qi enhanced blow to knock her back and break contact.

He moved faster, using his own reserves of Qi to blast through the earthen column to free the water master and grab him by the cloak to drag him along in his flight. The lightning master followed, and Ying watched the three retreat.

She absently swung her blade to shake the water off before resheathing herself in one smooth stroke.

Then she noticed them.

People.

With cellphones.

She cringed inwardly. This was not good at all, and she had no time to cast any disguise spells. And yet, she knew that she was only part of their focus.

Footsteps approached.

A scent of earth and pine mixed with the damp, mustiness of fur.

She straightened and turned.

She stood toe to toe, eye to eye with Su Daji.

And she was not afraid.



Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, John C Stennis Space Center, 7:35am

"Sir, we're getting some odd readings centered in China."

"Hong Kong?" The Officer of the Day nodded to the TV. That fog bank was unreal.

"No sir, there's a hurricane sitting on top of Beijing right now."

"What?" The officer turned from the TV to look at a monitor.

"I'll be damned," the OD said. "Any word from NOAA?"

"We got a FLASH from them two minutes ago. This storm just appeared out of nowhere."

"Weather doesn't just appear."

The tech handed over the satellite photos, each with the timestamp prominent.

"This one did."

"Shit." He looked back at the TV. "I have a bad feeling about this."



National Security Agency Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland (Thx Yellowhammer)
5 August 2014, 9:34am

"What do you have for me?"

"We backtracked the origin of that viral video that flagged our DELTA GREEN monitoring filters. It is a compilation of six cellphone videos from Beijing that were witnessing an apparent fight between paranormals. Also the overheads in NRO caught repair vehicles in two sites noted from the videos to be damaged in the fight. According to SAMSON, this kind of physical boosting beyond human norms is one of the techniques that the Chinese magicals developed and specialize in."

A finger pointed to the slow-motion movements of a cloaked Wei Ying running along the side of a wall as if it was level ground before kicking off it to rocket into one of the men to duel him midair impossibly.

"All this gives us a 92% confidence assessment that this is legitimate and describing an incident that happened in Beijing approximately 72 hours ago during that unexplained storm."

"Shit. Implications?"

"The Great Firewall took damage during the storm to one of the primary buildings monitoring and controlling internal file and video sharing. It is going viral all over Baidu, Youku and Toudou video sharing. Between the raws, supercuts, and the inevitable memes, music videos, parodies and so on it's out there and no way they can stop it any more than the Hitler Downfall parodies, just muddy the waters. That's the bad news."

The analyst looked at his boss. "The good news, sir, is that it has much less penetration into the wider internet. It's on the Dark Web and getting limited play on YouTube, Vimeo, and so on, but the spread is slower thanks to the language barrier and the fact that the external controls on information leak out of China were not breached as much. Our suggestion is to use botnets to explain it away and discredit it as viral marketing for a future martial arts film."

"I'll call GCHQ and the other Five Eyes to coordinate that. We need to delay this as long as possible, according to orders from the White House. Monitor the spread and get the data packaged and scrubbed for outside analysis branches to pick over for capabilities.

The Director of the National Security Agency and head of US Cyber Command rubbed his temples as he finished. "Keep up the good work John. I'll stream further resources to your monitoring of the situation in China, that seems to be the priority now with the political instability they are developing resulting in leadership contact networks shifting around two diametrically opposed poles." He took a deep breath as the visual display of phone calls, electronic messages, and known social contacts among the top ranks of the Chinese government morphed over time from a unified spiderweb into smaller and denser networks with fewer and fewer individuals with a foot in both camps. "God help us all if it turns into an actual civil war."



Kanmusu Joint Operations Center, The Pentagon, 10:31am

The staff at the KJOC had several monitors going at once both recording and analyzing the battle in Hong Kong, with several Drones that were vectored into the area to both record and monitor the situation. On another screen was an even odder video, one that was apparently streaming directly from Beijing. The video was spotty, grainy, obviously taken on a cell phone, but it showed something none of them expected to see, and potentially more damaging than the 'Blue on Blue' event in Hong Kong. The fact that this long to get to the video was something either the Three Letter Agencies came up with or something else at work.

"Get me Alondra Davis," The Chief of Staff ordered.

"Yes sir," His aide replied. "We've also received both verbal and written orders from the President in regards to the updated International Kanmusu Operational Arms Treaty."



Meanwhile in London

Hermione sat with the other shipgirls assigned to Hogwarts as the reports of the battle in Hong Kong were distributed. The battle in Beijing was of no consequence to them, but they were all shocked and dismayed at the violence that they were shown. Shipgirl vs Shipgirl was always joked about, but now it was all to real. She pulled her knees up to her chin and made herself small.



Neville Longbottom sat with the Orion sisters as they watched the battle footage of Hong Kong yet again, this time with their Faeries diligently taking notes. They were all veterans of Jutland, and while none of them ever expected to face other Kanmusu in battle due to the continued Abyssal threat, the battle in Hong Kong dispelled any thought of it ever being an impossibility. Yet even old battlewagons such as they could be a threat to their more modern sisters as proven in the video.

"They used magic to get close," Neville commented. "They used a magical fog to hide their approach until they were ready to strike. That in and of itself is a violation of the Statute, but I don't think many people thought about it that much considering."

"Impressive fire control for pre-dreadnoughts," Orion remarked.

"All things considered," Thunderer leaned back. "What has your grandmother in such a state Neville?"



Somewhere in Europe

Colombe looked down at the video streaming to her phone from Beijing. She clicked a button and smirked as she turned back to her wardrobe to decide what to pack for her trip to Diagon Alley to shop for Ehren's wand. Definitely going on my lock screen. I'm glad that I subscribed to that website for viral video alerts.



Black Hills, South Dakota

That recent cellphone video out of Beijing that looked like a magical martial arts movie that would give Hollywood wet dreams. While the official claim was that it is a viral movie marketing promotion, Alondra had to laugh, especially since the overheads had watched an impossible storm form from nowhere over the Forbidden City at the same time..

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Grimacing as the Komatsu Light Armored Vehicle hit get another pothole, mud and water splashing around the wheels, the driver glanced around the darkened woods even as branches scraped along the vehicle's sides. Internally grumbling, he squinted a little to see better in the rapidly darkening evening. With a glance at the back, he turned to the man beside him, "How much further?"

Lips curled a bit, the man tapped the touch screen in front of them, "Not far, just two kilometres up this road after the branch off."

Frown on his face, the driver bounced a bit as the vehicle hit another rut in the road, "The hell? There's nothing there but an old mine. What could you want there?"

A grunt from behind made him pale a little before realizing it was a chuckle from the older man, "What indeed? Just remember that for a while, you see nothing, son."

With a glance at the man in the back seat as well as the two others, the driver gulped, "Yes, Sir." Internally, he shook his head as this was beyond his pay grade. He did look at the man beside him as he had a nasty scar alongside his face. Though it was odd as according to him, it was just a few weeks old, though it looked younger than that, 'Wonder what gave him it?'

Sure, scuttlebutt claimed that something big had gone down a few weeks back. And there were reports of some old terrorist cell having tried to reactivate some old biological weapons from the Second World War when stumbled upon by some teens just outside of Yokosuka. But it couldn't have involved that, right?

Right?

Just shaking those thoughts off, the driver concentrated on the road as the vehicle attempted to fishtail in the muck. It did not take him long before the headlights illuminated a wall of trees that had grown across the road. Feeling a tap on the shoulder, he turned to look at the other man as he nodded and pointed, "Slow down and head straight through them."

Only blinking as he at least slows down, the driver gave him a look, "Drive through them?! There's no way this vehicle is getting through that brush and I don't even know what is on the other side!"

Chuckling, the other man patted him on the shoulder and grinned, "Something unbelievable, trust me."

At that, the driver frowned as he looked into the mirror, only to see the older man in the back give him a nod. With a sigh, he slowed down to nearly a crawl and headed for the brush at the end of the road even as the medallion hung around his neck bounced. He flinched a bit just as they were about to hit a tree...

When the tree and brush vanished.

Rapidly blinking, the driver stared at the open area before him which was a hive of activity. Just... not human activity. Something proven when a female Kitsune with three tails motioned him towards an area with various vehicles. The fact that behind her stood a makeshift guard shack was not lost on him either even as he followed the gestured directions, "Uh... what the fuck?"

Grin on his face, the other man clapped him on the shoulder, "Welcome to the other side, things have just begun get strange. Ah, there's Captain Itami! Stop next to him."

Still boggled at all he was seeing, the driver didn't say anything, simply nodding.

Pulling up beside the JGSDF Captain, he came to a stop and allowed the man beside him to get out. Said man opened the doors to the back and came to a salute as did Itami, "Sir!"

Just stepping out, the General returned the salute, "Captain Itami, at ease." When the Captain relaxed, he nodded at the JASDF Officer which stepped out, "Allow me to introduce Colonel Sakuma, he will be liaising for the JASDF." Once the two men saluted each other, the General gesture forward, "If you will, Captain."

With a nod, Itami smiled, "Hai, if you will follow me. And please don't mind the noise much... they're rather busy."

Eyebrow raised, Sakuma nodded, "I can see." At a buzz, he watched as an ultralight that looked like a small plane took off from a nearby field, "They're using ultralights?"

Following his gaze, Itami nodded a bit, "Hai, they have used them for reconnaissance against Abyssal forces and will be performing overwatch for some of the Reserves to keep an eye out for any issues."

Utterly silent, the Colonel stared at him for a few moments before looking on as another ultralight taxied onto the makeshift runway, "They performed recon in those... against Abyssals?!"

Grimace on his face, Itami nodded, "The Abyssal troops, anyways." He gestured at one, "From what I saw, they got a lightened sheet of three inch steel wrapped around the bottom with various spells making it more like six inches. Enough to protect the pilot and magical sensor operator. They... still lost a number."

Expression becoming serious, Sakuma turned to him, "And each and every one of them will be honoured when the day comes, you can trust me on that." Running a hand through his hair, he frowned a little, "What sort of sensors, by the way? Crystal balls?"

Lightly chuckling, the Captain shook his head, "No, mirrors and cameras. The mirrors use some form of divination." He then gave a shrug, "They're using those while flying just outside the perimeter of the wards surrounding the Reserves still under the control of the Tokyo Diet. Mainly to keep an eye out for any increase of magical activity."

It went without saying that each of those there understood what he meant and simply nodded.

Paying the conversation half a mind, the Major General was watching as various uniformed Yokai in animal form piled into one of the Kei vans that were there before taking off. There was even one or two that vehicles that looked like someone had shrunk a LAV down to kei vehicle size. Then a rumble made him turn and blink at the sight of one of the small "Tanks" that the Yokai had used. Even now, it was driving up a ramp into a trailer while two more waited their turn. Eyebrow raised, he frowned slightly, "Hard to believe that they fought Abyssals in those."

Gaze following his, Itami nodded a little, "Hai, it is. But they were effective." Pausing for a moment, he cleared his throat, "Speaking of, Sir..."

Lips curling into a slight smile, the higher ranked JGSDF Officer hummed, "Do not worry, Captain. The first dozen Scorpion IIs direct from the assembly lines in the Philippines are in a convoy heading for Kyushu. We already have twenty of the Yokai Tankers who have trained for them and they should receive them within a month. In exchange, Japan will gift them with two dozen rebuilt M-60-120S as part of the payment."

Itami gave a small nod at that as he remembered seeing the "Light Tanks" that Japan was getting for the Yokai. As long as the Statute was in force, the Japanese government could not hand over any modern tanks used in the JGSDF. Some people might notice after all that some went missing and ask questions. Which meant that they needed to get... creative with things. One example was how some Type 74s were listed as "Destroyed" and quietly handed over to Yokai in the Yokai Self-Defense Force. Another was the M-60-120S, which was basically an old M-60 rebuilt with some improvements including a turret from a Abrams. Due to the war sucking up resources, Japan had bought a few hundred obsolete M-60s for the upgrades/rebuilds and sold them at cost to various Southeast Asian countries which gave them quite a bit of firepower to use against Abyssals cheaply.

About six had, of course, "Fallen off the back of a truck" and this gifted the Yokai with firepower just in case.

However, what they had been most pleased with was the Scorpion II which were brand new and an modernized version of the old British FV-101 Scorpion. At around ten tons, they were a really small tank as far as he could see. From what Itami knew, after Blood Week, due to the fact that the British no longer produced them and need, they had shipped what tooling remained to the Philippines who still used said vehicles. With help of Americans and British as well as some Japanese who could be spared, they set up a small factory in Luzon that produced a version using modern technology that was sold throughout Southeast Asia.

Thus, when the Yokai admitted that they wanted something smaller, and more easily transportable than a MBT, the Japanese government quietly made a deal for three dozen of the small tanks. Officially, they were bought for "Testing". In reality, they would be handed over to the Yokai who were pleased. Slight expansion charms made it more roomy on the inside for the crew and the 90mm gun gave it some punch.

Shaking his head, Itami internally chuckled at the image of a group of a Kitsune in animal form with his fox head covered by a helmet sticking his head out a hatch as it drove past when he visited one of the training areas.

With a sigh, however, the Captain gave a small nod, "They'll he happy to know that they're going to be here soon." A grimace crossed his face at one memory, "We could have used them at the Bunker."

Only nodding as he grimaced himself, the General sighed, "Hai, they would have been useful there." Rubbing his chin, he hummed, "Though, from what I heard, it did inspire some people..." Voice lowering, the Officer looked at Itami, "Still, the sooner we get them out of those death traps, no matter how well they have done, the better."

That got him a nod from Itami as he would not disagree on that fact.

It did not take them very long to reach what had been the old Administration building for the mine when it had been active. Now, it instead served for the main HQ for the Yokai militias. As they entered, the Major General took note of the activity of those going back and forth. Unlike what the movies had one believed, there was no rushing. Instead, they moved quickly and with purpose as they went back and forth with orders and new information. As they walked past, those who could saluted the members of the JGSDF and received ones of their own. Something that both the JGSDF and JASDF Officers approved of. Entering the main room where the Commanders were, they noted Tsubaki look up before the Oni snapped to attention and saluted, "Sir."

With a small nod, the General smiled and saluted back, "Commander Dōji." He then held out his hand to shake hers, "A pleasure to finally meet you."

Somewhat surprised, Tsubaki took the hand and applied only as much pressure as the General did as she shook it, "The same, General Yamazaki." As they let go of the handshake, she glanced around and noted more than one Yokai was surprised, "Sorry about the business."

Rather than be insulted, Yamazaki laughed a bit, "No need for that, it speaks well of your people." Chuckles dying away, his expression took on a tiredness, "Especially with what is happening."

Lips pressed thinly, the Oni gave a nod, "Agreed." Running a hand through her hair, she sighed a little, "We knew that this was coming, but we expected them to hold on for at least another two weeks or so, hopefully to the end of August before it fell apart." A dry chuckle escaped from Tsubaki's lips as she shook her head ruefully, "But plans never survive, I suppose. And this is just kicking us all in the nuts."

Once more, Yamazaki laughed a bit at that, "From your lips to the ears of the Kami." His expression became serious, "How bad?"

Considering the question for a few moments, Tsubaki frowned, "At the moment? Not that bad. Kyoto is sending out teams of Aurors and we're providing assistance where we can. At the moment, our worry is more the Reserves. There is also the possibility that some... factions... might cause problems until things are stabilized."

At that, the General nodded with a scowl on his face as he could well imagine he knew what factions she was talking about. Everyone was worried that some groups, realizing what was happening and what could happen as they would be left out in the cold, might cause trouble. There was at least one report of a group of former Tokyo Aurors taking potshots at someone in Hidakagawa, only to be stopped by Kyoto Aurors.

With a deep breath, Yamazaki placed a briefcase he carried with him on the table where there was a clear spot and opened it to reveal some sheets of paper, "Here, this is for you."

Eyebrow raised, Tsubaki took them and looked over the papers before her eyes widened a touch, "These are radio frequencies and codes!"

She was not the only one who turned to the General among the Yokai, even as he nodded, "Hai, they are." Standing a bit straighter, he gave her a look of respect, "We've cleared those channels for your use as well as the rest of the Yokai Self-Defense Force. Same with the codes we've devised, we hope that it can be of use and help for you in communicating amongst yourselves." Yamazaki then gave a nod towards the papers, "At the bottom are special codes as well. If needed, not that we expect them to be as we have full confidence in your abilities, you can request assistance from the JGSDF and we'll provide it as much as we are able to without causing too much issue."

Opening his own briefcase, Sakuma removed a similar group of papers, "And these are radio channels and codes for any fliers you have. As with the JGSDF, we'll provide what support we can."

Slightly smiling, Yamazaki hummed, "Right now, if you have need, we can, ah, help with any traffic issues that could arise under a disguise of a surprise exercise."

Grin on her face, Tsubaki chuckled and the other Yokai also smiled as they agreed before they got back down to work.

 

[darthcourt10]

K9Thefirst1

Back in... I think it was December, I gave Harry a speech a certain someone in the Tokyo Diet could given when he decided it was time to bring it down. In a recent chapter, the tail end of that speech was used. So, with a little help from the others from the PM we use to discuss things relevant to Moriko and Hachiko (which, given the latter's familial ties to those deeply involved in Tokyo's bureaucracy, that means that area of discussion spills over), I have polished that speech, given it context, and I now offer it to everyone else to cite when they want to discuss the eminent transfer of power. Complete with a handy map of the prefectures that defected or threaten to.
------

Magical Chiyoda Ward, Diet Building of the Magical Diet of Japan


The House of Councilors was packed, every seat was filled. Not only with the members of the House, but with members of the House of representatives, the Press and civilian spectators. For months, discontent at the Magical Government of Japan had been growing, and accelerating in recent weeks due to very public mismanagement of government responses, while the Anti-Diet in Kyoto was proving again and again to be more and more competent, so much so that prefectures were starting to defect! The most recent embarrassment was how the Diet had proclaimed through the mainstream media that the Reserves would collapse into Anti-Human anarchy should they relent and let Kyoto manage the ones in their areas of control.

This turned out to not merely backfire, especially how it flew in the face of the government's story about how the Reserves were peaceful, clean, and well-managed, but it also highlighted Tokyo's own dishonesty when the expected uprising never came.

And now an emergency session was called, due to recent referendums where not just two or three prefectures, but entire Islands defected. Something thought impossible not a year ago, was happening before their very eyes.

The whole day, the House had seen one Councilor after the next make speech after speech, all of them following the same general Party line: That this was but a momentary rebellion, nothing would come of it, only the radicals and anarchists and secret Scourers were involved, it was a Muggle Plot, it was a Youkai Plot, there was even a member of the lingering remains of the Neo-KPT raving about it being an American Plot before his grandson helped the old man down from the podium.

In general, it was all the ramblings of the desperate and the deluded, and none of it actually did anything to address the issue at hand. It was half-past eleven in the morning. They had time for one more voice to be heard before an official debate on what course of action the Government should take. With the bang of his gavel the Speaker of the House called up the last name on the agenda.

"The House recognizes Councilor Ito, of Saitama Prefecture. You have four minutes."

The Councilor, about fifty years old, with a receding hairline but with his full head of hair still, walked up to the podium, even as the bulk of the chamber groaned and scoffed at the sound of his name. Still, a bang or two of the Speaker's gavel quieted them down. Barely.

Ito pulled out his speech and donned his spectacles. With a small cough to clear his throat he began the speech that – unbeknownst to him, his audience, or the multitude listening in over the Wizarding Wireless – would alter Japan's destiny forever.
Spoiler: Councilor Ito

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Assembly, friends and colleagues, citizens of Wizarding Japan. I speak to you now, as our Government faces a terrible crisis. A crisis, not seen in this country, since the dark days in the Bosin War, and the Meiji Restoration. Faith in our Government is at an all-time low and falling."

At once, the room quietened to permit the use of the pin drop cliché. All listening could sense that this was not going to be more of the same.

"Instead, more and more the radicals and malcontents in Kyoto, traitors who have turned their backs on the legitimate seat of government of our nation, are being raised up as this country's head by our own citizens, and is seen as the true source of political power. At midnight last night, Hokkaido defected. A short time ago, the prefectures of Kyushu all defected as one. This marking the first time in history, when an entire home island of Japan sat under the command of another regime. And now with Hokkaido, that makes a full half of our Archipelago Home divided. And much as it pains me to say this... They are well and truly right to do so!"

All at once the chamber was full with a dull roar of shock, outrage, and surprise. Councilor Ito, who had long stuck to his position appointed to him by his constituency even as others cut their losses and defected to Kyoto, had long been known for being motivated by principal rather than comfort when it came to the Youkai. But never before had he directly attacked the government itself. After all, it was unthinkable for someone, once they had reached a position of power, would attack the very ladder that put them there.

"Yes assembly members, I say they are right! Just look at this past year if you were to blind to see it! Hokkaido left to the wolves of an Abyssal invasion? A peaceful, lawful demonstration agitated into a bloody riot through Auror incompetence? And not even a month ago, an Abyssal attack on Tsushima, abandoned. Innocent civilians, murdered, while politics forced those that could have helped them to sit on their hands for half a day! And that was further delayed by them investigating the estates of representatives and councilors when they should have been seeking out the dead and wounded at the site of the attack!

"And what do they do when they finally arrive, hours after the enemy returned from whence they came? When they found noble, selfless good Samaritans working to save and preserve life? Did they join in the activities to serve and protect the community, as is an Auror's primary calling? NO! They disrupt and deliberately undermine ongoing rescue and recovery operations! Medical personnel pulled from dying patients! Rescue workers put under arrest while in the very act of lifting a collapsed house off of a trapped and dying family!

"And this on top of a standing order that is as blindly inflexible as it is infuriatingly incompetent! Ever since this war started, the Yokai - law-abiding, hard-working, citizens-"

"DAMN MONSTER-LOVER!" came the one intelligible cry from the roar of outrage from the bulk of the assembly, loud enough that for moments even the Speaker's gavel could not be heard.

"YES! Yes I said citizens!" the Councilor cried when the roar died down some, "They have lived side-by-side us from the beginning, and while yes the Reserves have a vitally important purpose for the more dangerous varieties, the very fact that many members of those same races are permitted to live among us is more than proof enough that they are equally deserving of being treated as any other citizen! And when these upstanding citizens volunteer to put their very lives on the line, to serve and protect Japan from these Abyssals alongside our Auror forces, freeing up hundreds of hands to cover so many vital tasks, they are rewarded with arrest and summary imprisonment in the reserves. A system I have repeatedly provided proof and protest over its inhumane treatment of residents, even before Blood Week!"

The chamber is silent again. Ito, visibly exhausted as the wave of emotion passes him by, looks around the chamber, looking more than a little weary and disheartened.

"…Why am I here? Why are any of us here? What is the ultimate purpose of Government, if not to do good? I have been told, by my officials, that doing Good is not the role of government. Rather, it is to provide Order and Stability, assurance that we shall be here tomorrow.

"But what is the point of Order? Will Order provide food for a community raked by famine? What is the point of Stability, if mothers fear for their children when they go outside to play? Why should a father care about Order, if his business is destroyed because the Aurors are too busy focusing on minor infractions, while ignoring the more important needs? We've just become a giant gravy train. Corruption at every-"

Suddenly, an official from the Councilor's office rushes in. From where she stands next to her father in the back of the room, Naomi Miyata's eyes narrows in thought. Ito covers the microphone as he and the aid talk, the younger man holding out a sheet of paper. The Councilor, visibly shaken, grabs the paper, allowing a soft cry of 'my gosh!' to be picked up by the mic as he goes over the paper.

"Ladies an-" the mic whines in protest while the Councilor clears his throat. It wouldn't do for an Elected Official's voice to crack like a school boy's, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I have just been informed that, as of..." he paused long enough to look at his watch. "Five minutes ago, the list of Prefectures defecting or threatening to defect to the Kyoto Shadow Government has been updated.

"Along with the prefectures of Tsushima, Iki, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Okinawa, Okayama, and Yamanashi, the Ryukyu Islands and the Izus, we now have confirmation of Hyogo, Toyama, Hiroshima, Gifu, Fukui, Yamaguchi, Nagano and Aichi Prefectures, and the entire Tohoku region, declaring allegiance to Kyoto. In addition, Ehime, Kanagawa, Ibaraki, and Saitama – which contains my own constituency – will be holding referendums today. With the polls closing at sundown tonight.

"I do not believe I need to inform those listening that, should the last three prefectures confirm the referendums, and defect to Kyoto, that will mean that the city of Tokyo will be totally cut off from the rest of the loyal prefectures of Japan. Nor do I believe that I need to belabor the point of the implications of that state of affairs. As for myself... I find myself both emboldened, and terrified. Not simply for myself, for I find myself abandoned by my constituents! I was voted by them, to serve the Diet in Tokyo, and I have striven to represent their interests in this august body for many years, and now they are telling me that I - or perhaps some replacement - may very well serve them better in another city..."

The Councilor had another pause, hand over his mouth as he stared at the sheet of paper. Then, in a fluid motion, he stood up straight, and looked around the assembly chamber, a small but strengthening expression of stern fortitude in his face. And in the back of the room, Shigeru Miyata groaned and covered his eyes.

"Father?"

"Don't look now Naomi," the old civil servant said, "but the Councilor has gotten one of his bright ideas…"

"And they may yet be right!" Ito said in a loud voice, banging his fist on the podium, "For when Tokyo abandoned Hokkaido, Kyoto stood up to defend that island. While the Aurors of Tokyo were too fearful for their careers to dare do their duties without first seeing to the private properties of government officials, Kyoto was driving off the enemy, and tending to the wounded, seeking out the missing, and burying the dead! And while Tokyo wastes precious time, energy, and resources in locking away Yokai for the crime of helping their fellow citizens in dire times, Kyoto welcomed their help and put them to work, as any responsible government ought! The very actions I have championed, and have been defeated time and time again, Kyoto carries out without question!

"Therefore, it is no great surprise that it has come to this then, isn't it? That as of now, Half of Japan now stands against us in Tokyo, a number that may yet grow in the coming days and weeks.

"So. What is to be done? What shall we do to counter this blatant loss of confidence in our authority? Will we bow to it? Or shall we enforce it? If we enforce our authority, that will mean open civil war. ...I have a son old enough to be conscripted for such a war. Is that what you want? Will we send son to kill father? Father to kill daughter? Sibling to kill sibling? Is that how we are to prove that Tokyo is the true seat of government? Are we going to prove our love for our citizens by killing their friends and family? Is that what we want?

"I don't. And I won't! Therefore! I motion to call a vote of No Confidence in this body!"

At that, the House of Councilors was filled with the murmurs of shock and surprise, and even of scheming at what the implications of this bold and courageous action would be.

"If passed," Ito continued, "then I motion that the Magical Diet assembly in Tokyo is to be dismantled, and all authority and governance responsibilities, shall then forthwith transfer over to the Diet Assembly in Kyoto!"

"I second that motion!"

As one, hundreds of heads turned to the Observation gallery, to see Representative Naito standing tall, hand in the air. And like some secret signal was given, the House of Councilors erupted in anarchy, with some Councilors seconding the motion themselves (as Naito's didn't count, given that he was from the House of Representatives), others decrying it, others just trying to motion a recess for them to get something to eat dammit all. But soon enough the chaotic roar faded into a rhythm, and that rhythm crescendo into a chant. A chant that would topple a government.

"Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now! Vote now!"


------

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- Dumpster, Dumpster, burning bright, in the jungles of the night.... (Yes, the Bad guys are very bad people but will get what is coming to them so no ITG/Derails please)!

Ehren Erwacht! (VII)

August 12th, 2014

Malafé S.A. Special Facility #1, Pirayú, Paraguarí Department, Paraguay

"He struggled with himself, too. I saw it -- I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself." -- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Spoiler: A Crystal Ball Call

Sieglinde Böhmer-Malafé rubbed her aching eyes as she sat down at her desk in her private office.

She didn't know how the bitch had done it, but La Paloma had escaped her for now.

For now....

She scowled and resolved once again to make the bitch suffer for killing her family members.

But she had other things to deal with today, as much as she regretted otherwise.

Her ally Helmar Wolff was due to speak to her about another shipment of the ingredients for the potions that kept her young and healthy.

Not that she would dare breathe what the Mokéle-mbêmbe blood was actually used for.

With that she tapped a code into her crystal ball. She would want maximum security for this conversation. Sieglinde had few illusions about how much the Nazis were hated now, even if some of their ideas about racial supremacy and the natural right for the strong to rule the weak had merit. Unlike Helmar who in his stiff-necked Prussian stubbornness had never realized that the world had changed and he was a relic.

She smirked as she thought about her old acquaintance who she had first met in 1936 when she was in a Bund Deutscher Mädel(Association of German girls) troop camped one set of tents over from his SS Cadet platoon for the Reichsparteitag(Nazi party convention) rallies. You never truly forget your first, she mused, even if he was the kind of lover who did everything precisely in Ordnung. Pity, really, that he had been disgraced according to the rumors she heard as a member of the Ahnenerbe-SS and then vanished during The War before making contact with her again from his base in Africa a decade later.

Still, time to butter him up.

With that thought, she sketched the activation glyph, adjusted her black mourning dress and saluted the two figures in the crystal with a Hitlergruß before speaking in German . "{Heil Hitler, Helmar.}" She noticed a face she had never seen before standing stiffly one pace back and to the right of Helmar's chair. Sieglinde's eyes noticed the red-flecks in her steel blue eyes, the immaculate SS uniform, and sighed mentally. That's Helmar for you.... "{New aide?}"

Khohlo ea Marena a Mararo, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa

Helmar Wolff smiled at Sieglinde through his crystal ball as he returned the Hitlergruß. "{Heil Hitler, Sieglinde. Actually not. This is my daughter Ehren. Isn't she a perfect specimen?}" He cocked his head at the black clad SS officer standing stiffly at his elbow. "{Go ahead and greet Sieglinde, she is an old ally of mine. We met for the first time in 1936.}"

Ehren braced to rigid attention. "{Jawohl, Vati!}" Her arm shot out in a Hitlergruß and ivory flashed from her fangs as she spoke. "{Heil Hitler, Sieglinde! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance! I look forward to working with someone who shares the Führer's vision as Vati and I do!}" She snapped out in a coolly precise voice before falling silent once more.

"{Heil Hitler. I never knew that you had a child, Helmar. My compliments. Just the one?}" Sieglinde responded.

"{Just the one. I don't suppose that you have any racially pure sons of the right age and lineage for my Ehren to wed? You of course are of superb stock and I have heard many good things about the pureblood family that you married into. The last I heard César was as of yet unwed, after all.}" Wolff responded genially.

Sieglinde scowled murderously and shook her head as tears fell. "{That bitch La Paloma assassinated my César two weeks ago and escaped! My only grandson unless and until Sertorio and Maria have another child.}"

Wolff scowled, "{A great shame. You by chance do not have a face to put to the killer? I shall make inquiries and whatever I find shall be passed along to you so you can get revenge.}"

Sieglinde nodded sharply, then tapped her temple with her wand. A ribbon of memory formed around her wand and then she touched it to the crystal ball. "{I don't know how she escaped my manhunt.}"

Ehren leaned forward, her eyes intent as she watched Estelle flee across the parking lot, pursued by a golem as spells and bullets filled the air. A Cruciatus curse hit the black clad woman to no effect and Ehren's gaze sharpened. Then her eyes widened as Estelle suddenly leapt backward, to use her dagger to cripple and then kill the pursuing Grendel before making her escape. She nibbled her lip in thought. as one hand touched the hilt of her Ehrendolch.

"{Tochter, what is it?}" Vati's words sounded in her ear, disrupting her concentration as she picked the memory of the escape to pieces. Ehren braced to attention automatically.

"{Vati, I am not positive, however I believe I may have deduced something of that foe.}" Ehren said slowly as she visibly thought. "{The maneuvers she performed in combat are similar to those of Mutti, ja? The blade she carried is an antique as well and was far more effective than normal in defeating her foe, whatever that was.}"

"{A Grendel, Ehren. We used them in the War to make good use of Untermenschen. Sieglinde has shared the secrets of their construction with me.}" Wolff spoke as he surveyed his daughter with an impassive gaze. "{Proceed.}"

Ehren nodded sharply. "{Zu Befehl! Regardless, it is not impossible that she is the spirit of a weapon similar to Mutti. If so, it is likely that it is the dagger, which is an enchanted antique and was not visible when she took the helicopter. Since you said that was no body found in the crash site for the helicopter and no tracks, that may have been a decoy while she left the secure area through another means in the confusion.}"

Sieglinde's gasp was audible through the crystal ball and shock filled her face, followed by rage.

Wolff gave a warm approving smile to Ehren. "Sehr gut!"

Ehren's position of attention radiated pride.

With that, Wolff turned to Sieglinde. "{Such a good Tochter I have.}"

Sieglinde gave Ehren a nod filled with respect. "{A very good Tochter indeed, Helmar. Such a good girl. She would have made a good match for César. Still, to business....}"
------------------------

August 15th, 2014

Aruwimi River, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo

A steam pinnace chugged upriver against the current as dense jungle and swamp passed on either side.

Masamune-no-Tokunotakai, dressed in the light silk of her Miko robes, stepped out onto the deck and nodded to the spectral faerie helmsman who was steering them up the hidden and Unplottable tributary that the divinations had guided them to.

Toku looked around, sipping a canteen of water, before approaching Nongqawuse, who stood like a obsidian statue in the bows as she stood watch, casting spells to warn for rocks, mudflats, or sandbars that might sink their boat.

"I'll relieve you, Nongqawuse." Toku said quietly.

"Ewe." The African bracelet said. "Be warned, I sense... something powerful. We are near."

Toku nodded and leaned in as they passed the skeletal carcass of a hippopotamus that a collection of carrion fowl were picking at. "What is it?"

Nongqawuse shook her head as she leaned on her throwing spear. "I do not know. This country is new to me."

The boat steered around another bend into a larger stretch and the Blade of Hachiman tensed.

Something was wrong....

Even the jungle sounds were muted.

Toku's hand found her hilt as her blue-green eyes flickered from trees, to clumps of grass, to the water, to the solitary hippopotamus in the shallower brown-green water to the port side of the pinnace, to the river on the far side.
Spoiler: Hippo!

Then her instincts screamed as her head moved to the right.

Toku's head snapped around to the left and locked on the not-hippopotamus as four eyes blinked in place of the not-hippopotamus' nostrils and eyes.

The surrounding carrion birds suddenly took flight from the trees.

The 'head' of the Hippopotamus and the front half of it's 'body' split into rows of jagged teeth as the head of the monstrosity that it was a part of exploded from the water at the end of a serpent-like neck thicker than the mightiest trees.

Magical terror slammed into Tokunotakai with the force of the Sword of Hopelessness as the four eyes focused on her and the boat that she was in.

Nongqawuse screamed in fear. "Mokéle-mbêmbe!!"
Spoiler: Mokéle-mbêmbe

 

[darthcourt10]

MagisterAurelius

Still working on my next Ship of Fools update, but since I have to run an errand to chauffeur for an unhappy puppo with glands needing expression in a bit... here's a brief little interlude between an ancient fossil of the Tokyo Magical Diet and a grandson who erred badly in his hobbies of amateur kidnapping and petkeeping.
*-*-*

Holding cells of the Kyoto Department of Magical Law Enforcement - Kyoto

Imada Hayato looked up as he heard footsteps down the hallway. Surprise registered on his face as his grandfather, Councilman Imada of the Tokyo Diet, had stopped before his cell.

"Grandfather! I was wondering when you'd set things right and get me out of this pit of yokai-lovers." Hayato grabbed the bars eagerly, only for his wonder and surprise to fade as his grandfather skewered him with a look.

"Oh the irony of your words brings such a feeling to this old man's heart, you idiot boy." Hayato reeled back from the sheer venom in his grandfather's voice. "Your accusation of your captors of being yokai-lovers is rather entertaining, considering what they are charging you with, is it not? Your father at least had a miniscule sense of self-preservation to try to hide his activities. I don't pretend to understand why you needed to destroy my reputation and career in the manner you did..."

"Because you didn't lift a finger to avenge the injustice that bitch put my father through! So I did and..." Hayato was cut off by the icy words spat from his grandfather's lips.

"You utter fool. Your father was too stupid to take the hint, so he had to be given some way to redeem his honor. I called in many favors to have things happen as they did. And the thanks I get? The ungrateful child grows up to partake in his father's vices and double down. But then again, maybe blood does tell after all. Didn't you bother to think that maybe your father died to protect an even worse secret? After all, why did you always seem to never have any human female companionship, hmmm boy? Or should I say, hanyou-boy?"

Hayato reeled back in shock, eyes wide in horror. His grandfather's flat voice followed him, gloating.

"Oh, now the yen drops at last! You have one last task to perform before I completely wash my hands of you. Did you manage to bring forth any other offspring that you hid away? Don't look at me like that, that's why things have taken this long without you getting a trial. Your last little "pet" you were caught with? I suppose congratulations are in order, you managed to extend the family name. Perhaps this child will not attempt to destroy the honor of my house like you and your father."

"Help me grandfather..."

"No. Even if I wanted to, I can no longer even help you choose the garden to atone. The Diet has dissolved and I no longer hold office. Any more children? No? For a final piece of advice. I doubt you'll pull it off, but at least make a decent attempt at suicide. For your own personal honor at the very least. Sayonara."

The sounds of his grandfather's footsteps receding down the hallway rang in Hayato's ears long afterwards.

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

Okay then. You have not idea how tempting it is to call this something like... Jericho or something. Maybe, instead, let's go with...
A Path, Chosen

-----

Odd as it was to say, Olivia McKay actually held a certain respect for Shipgirls.

They were dangerous, of course. Any mystical being, even guardian deities such as them, were dangerous—history was full of fickle hearts and false promises. But they did the Duty where no human could as of yet, and Olivia had no doubt that they risked just as much in doing so. If nothing else, that commanded respect.

(As of yet, of course, still had effect, and it was not certain how things would turn out once humans stood on level ground with their oceanic assailants, so while the Duty had not brought her into conflict with Shipgirls Olivia was still trying to find a way to combat them)

Even if she did not, though, there was no way that she could turn someone with a search warrant out of the house without appearing the least bit suspicious. That meant that she would have to guide the errant searchers—and when one had a good enough handle on how minds, human or not, worked, the right words could have you calling left right and thinking it your own idea. Which, in turn, meant that she hoped the Shipgirls would stay in one place while she navigated the hallways of the massive compound that the McKay women called home.

Fortunately, they did.

"Mrs. McKay?" one of the girls looking around the sitting room snapped to attention from her examination of the decorations. Olivia frowned—while there was nothing wrong with looking, the odd artifact was mixed in here and there just in case they were needed. If the Shipgirls were able to sense their presence… well, she had acted the part of an eccentric collector before. She could do it again if she needed to.

"Indeed," she said gruffly (one of the perks of old age—she could speak exactly as she wanted, and no one would give a shit). "An' ye two?"

"My name is HMS Monarch," the speaker replied, nodding respectfully. "And this is my sister, Orion."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," the redhead added.

"Ah'm sure." Olivia's lip twisted. "Soo, this is all a wee bi' excitin' fer me. Wud either o' ye explain wha' this business abou' a search warran' is?"

Orion stepped up. "We recently received word of… allegations against your person, regarding a potential child abuse case."

What.

Was this Gil? Trying to escape the Duty? The girl's mind was so shattered, was it even possible? This could be problematic.

"Ah see. An' who was i' tha' brought this ta yer attention?"

"It was… your granddaughter, actually."

The little bitch. She would have to play this off.

"Gillian said tha'?" she laughed, shaking her head. "Tha's takin' things a bi' far, e'en fer her."

Orion and Monarch exchanged a look. "You mean," the later said as she tasted the idea, "that your granddaughter would… fabricate such a story. As a joke?"

"Likes a laugh, tha' one," Olivia nodded.

The Shipgirls exchanged another look. Monarch seemed to be digesting the thought, giving it its due thought. Orion, on the other hand, seemed to have spit it back out the moment it touched her tongue. She would be a somewhat harder sell.

"Be that as it may," the Shipgirl finally replied, "no matter the origin, or the object, such allegations must be taken seriously. And there is a preexisting civil case, which I am afraid does not look good for you."

Damn Richard's whore of a sister. After the incident with the House Elf, Anna had developed an inclination towards running away to her aunt's apartment in London. After the third time she actually got there (which the then eleven-year-old had accomplished by literally walking cross-country over a period of weeks if not months), Victoria Lester had gotten it into her head that something was wrong with the way her niece was being raised and taken it to court. The venture had been a failure for Olivia, but she'd learned the value of stacking the deck in her favor afterwards.

Anna hadn't been able to escape the Duty, of course, but she refused to give it its due place in her life. Look how that had ended for her.

"Right ye are, Ah s'pose," Olivia shrugged. "Well, in tha case, leh's nae be keepin' ye o'er long. Where d'ye wan' ta see first?" She paused. "By th' way… wouldnae this sort o' thing be fielded by th' constabulary?"

Orion blinked. "We were in the area, ma'am. Decided to help out."

"O' course, o' course. Noo, where tae first agin?"
-----

Orion reached down and flicked on the headlights.

"So," Monarch said, pressing her fingers to her forehead, "That… that was Olivia McKay. I didn't expect her to be so…"

Slimy, Orion finished mentally. "Unsettling?" she provided aloud.

"I… suppose that is a good word," Monarch nodded, her expression disturbed. Mentally running through excuses to get into the repair baths, Orion suspected—not that she hadn't run down a few herself. "Augusta told us her share of horror stories about the woman, but I honestly felt like she was exaggerating. No one can be that… that. Can they?"

The Longbottom matriarch's enraged rant the very moment "that McKay woman" was mentioned didn't exactly instill Orion with the thought of "horror stories," but maybe Monarch saw things differently.

"So you didn't believe a word out of her mouth either, did you?" she asked brightly.

"Why would I?"

Orion smiled humorlessly. Before she could open her mouth to respond, the faint jingle of her mobile phone began to ring through the car. Monarch glanced over, catching her eye, and reached down to take the device.

"Hello, this is HMS Monarch, answering HMS Orion's phone. Is something the matter?"

Orion listened as she "hmm'ed" and "I see'd" her way through the conversation, thanked the caller, and hung up.

"The coroner?"

"He just arrived at Scotland Yard," her sister confirmed. "Apparently they told him that they want to consult him about a serial killer case."

Even without Mrs. McKay's behavior, shuffling them around the house as quickly as possible, pretending that maybe, just maybe, she was hiding something else in another room, and (very interesting in Orion's eyes) doing her damnedest to ensure that they stayed away from a specific section of the cellar floor, it was hard not to give stock to Gillian McKay's story. And with access to the legal files, Olivia herself was just one of several avenues of investigation.

Orion found the expression "more than one way to skin a cat" vulgar, but she could not deny that it fit the situation perfectly.
-----

It had not hit Olivia until after she had seen the two Shipgirls out the front door that there were other paths of investigation that they could take. She cursed herself for not having seen it sooner.

Despite being in fairly good shape, walking up and down the house had still taken the entire afternoon. She was sitting in the armchair in the sitting room, taking a moment to consider the best course of action.

Legally, she was fucked. The question was whether to take it to court and fight it out, or take the girl and go to ground.

The one would allow her a fighting chance to keep her freedom.

The other would definitely allow her to keep the fight going and have the latest McKay ready for training in a semi-timely manner.

She knew where the girl was, of course. Even with her mobile damaged or lost, the implanted tracker had placed her in one of the London safe houses her mother had set up and she had ordered maintained. Going in and getting her—while not simple, by any means—was doable.

The one had a non-zero chance that she would lose access to the girl before she could bear a daughter.

The other… given the presence of Shipgirls in the manor, there was a non-zero chance that she would have to fight them.

Olivia McKay was not generally one to make such choices. The Duty had to be carried out, and All or Nothing gambits like this had a way of playing out poorly. But even as she seethed at it, she more than aware of her situation—there was no choice but to take one or the other.

"Ma'am?"

Olivia closed her eyes, breathed out, then slowly opened them.

"Higgins."

The butler was silent, awaiting her command.

"Prepare some o' th' men. We'll be flyin' intae London a' half past." The problem of the Shipgirls… it didn't hurt to test a theory. "An' prepare th' Cockspur Arrow fer use."

An All or Nothing Choice. Even if things didn't pan out, there was nothing but to meet the consequences head on.
-----

And there that is. Maybe, next week, I'll finally be able to do something with Faraway Harbor. Though I am having fun with the Dana snippets...

Well what do you think, sirs?

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- And here we go, time to start the endgame (Yes, the Bad guys are very bad people but will get what is coming to them so no ITG/Derails please)!

Ehren Erwacht! (VIII)

August 15th, 2014

Aruwimi River, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo

"We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness" -- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness
Spoiler: A River Engagement

Nongqawuse screamed in fear. "Mokéle-mbêmbe!!"

Tokunotakai stared deeply into the beast's four ebony eyes as it exerted its monstrous will to paralyze her with the magical terror that was one of its weapons. Terror that could and would slay the weak in their tracks and paralyze the strong to become helpless for the poisonous breath and rending fangs to finish off.

Gimu...

Ivory fangs sparkled in the tropical sunlight as the beast known as 'He Who Stops The Course Of Rivers' in Lingala loomed over the boat like the shadow of Death.

Gimu wa...

Masamune-no-Tokunotakai's hand was frozen a hairbreadth from the sharkskin and silk of her hilt as her blue green eyes looked into those of a beast that was old when she was but iron sand and charcoal awaiting the Pure Smith's forge. Her spirit grappled with the crushing presence that hungered to devour her.

Gimu wa yama...

These monstrosities had other names.

Gimu wa yama yori...

To the Babylonians this was the mušḫuššu, the beast that Marduk vanquished to prove his right of kingship. A beast that would be immortalized upon the Ishtar Gate of Babylon that now rested in a museum in Berlin.

Gimu wa yama yori mo omoi...

To the Egyptians the ever-hungry serpent monster Apep, personification of chaos and evil which threatened the solar disk of Ra each night as it traveled down the river of the Underworld where Apep had its lair.

Gimu wa yama yori mo omoi, shi...

To the Russians, the multi headed dragon Zmey Gorynych was a threat to their fairest maidens and princesses, which it would steal off to be devoured.

Gimu wa yama yori mo omoi, shi wa...

There were many other legends of these personifications of Chaos and their endless hunger...

Gimu wa yama yori mo omoi, shi wa hane...

Cartographers, wiser than they knew, marked unexplored and unknown territory with 'Here Be Dragons' as a warning to the overly bold and foolish.

Gimu wa yama yori mo omoi, shi wa hane yori...

Dragons existed in legends, true.

Gimu wa yama yori mo omoi, shi wa hane yori mo karui!

But also, no matter the culture, no matter the name, no matter the power of the beast who threatened humanity in the legend that was spoken of about the evil chaotic beast....

Duty is heavier than a mountain; death is lighter than a feather!

So Did Dragonslayers.
---------------------

Masamune steel flashed like lightning in an iaido strike as Tokunotakai blurred into action at the moment her will overcame that of her foe.

The Mokéle-mbêmbe exhaled a cloud of green-black venom toward the boat as Tokunotakai leapt off the deck into the air.

The Seven Virtues of Bushido shone forth on her steel as she struck with a serene calm smile upon her face.

A razor slash of air from her blade's passage cleft the lethal cloud, splitting it to flow on either side of the boat before it could harm her friends.

Toku landed on the river's water as gently as a cherry blossom petal and began to dance across the water without even a ripple to mark her passage.

Norimune, Kasuyu, Niobe, and Colombe emerged from the cabin at a dead run, blades in hand only to stare in awe at the battle between Masamune and Mokéle-mbêmbe.

Toku gracefully pirouetted across the water past a strike of the fanged head and black blood spurted in an arc as she hamstrung the Mokéle-mbêmbe with a precise strike to a foreleg.

The beast roared with rage that shook the boat like a leaf in a hurricane as the water that was its domain boiled and surged.

Everyone on board grasped for handholds as the boat bucked and heaved like a wild thing in the river's wrath.

Tokunotakai was unaffected as she glided across the churning waters like a floating blossom as she slashed once more to cripple the hind leg on the side an instant before backflipping away from a strike from the tail that would have smashed her flat.

The legs collapsed and the massive creature rolled toward the Masamune like an avalanche.

Toku, impossibly, sprinted up the crushing bulk of the scaled body as if it was level ground and then ran from spine to spine down the writhing neck as the four eyes locked with hers once again.

Venomous hatred and hunger met a will forged by one of the most legendary smiths of Japan and honed by centuries of spiritual exercises, self-discipline, and study of the Way of the Warrior.

The Mokéle-mbêmbe lashed out.

Masamune steel flashed in a single precise and perfect killing stroke.

Black blood painted the water once more.

The white dove symbol of Hachiman shone on the tsuba of the Masamune of the Warrior's Virtues as she took flight once more.

The severed head of the Mokéle-mbêmbe fell to sink into the river that it had ruled as the massive headless body thrashed and spasmed in its death throes.

Toku landed on one foot on the bow rail of the boat as gracefully as a dove taking roost to be with its loved ones. She cleaned and then resheathed her steel before turning to the disbelieving faces of her frozen companions. "I do believe that the way ahead is clear. Shall we proceed?" Toku said gently as she calmly walked to Colombe.

"I really do wish to see my stepdaughter once more." Toku finished before reaching out to grasp her love's gaping jaw with a gentle hand to close it for Colombe. Then she continued her walk to the hatch into the boat's cabin with a small calm smile on her face.

Colombe gave a shaky nod as the boat began to move ahead.
---------------------

Khohlo ea Marena a Mararo, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa

The duty officer's steel-blue eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of the change on the magical map in the defense headquarters that was her current responsibility and duty to monitor.

An icon had just changed from black to red on the outer perimeter, showing that one of the bound Mokéle-mbêmbe that prevented unauthorized access to the hidden valley had just been slain.

A Mokéle-mbêmbe that had been enslaved to the Will of the Master of the valley who even now was prepared to use the Imaski yoThixo ome-ezine to tap into the entity who was shackled here with chains of magic to spread his shadow across Africa.

Empowering him to boost his expression of the Führerprinzep(leadership principle) to control more and more lesser minds, to forge them into a entity of one will and multiple bodies under the command of the Herrenvolk -- such as she -- who would work as one to establish the racially pure society symbolized by the swastika banners hanging here. All done thanks to their innately superior characteristics.

As it always would have been in the mad dreams of Adolf Hitler.

Posterity will not remember those who pursued only their own individual interests, but it will praise those heroes who renounced their own happiness.

Ehren's lips opened and her ivory fangs flashed in a smug grin. One hand traced the siegrunen and Hakenkreuz on her hilt while she gathered her magical powers.

Es ist Zeit.(It's Time)

The warning icon turned back to a cool black as she cast a web of illusion over the icons in that quarter to keep them the color that represented normal status.

As Ehren finished, she heard footsteps approach.

She about faced and looked at her relief at Cortana's elbow.

"Your orders, Sturmführer?" She asked as her fellow officer took over monitoring the map.

"Follow me. Your Vati wishes his whole family present to witness his apotheosis in front of the Three Kings in Stone." Cortana said. "The dawning of a new day is on hand."

Ehren fell in one pace behind and to the right of Cortana as they marched down the passage. "Jawohl! I cannot wait to see Vati and Mutti together for his big day." Her lips twitched in a smug smirk unseen by all before she schooled her expression to cool professionalism matched by the hint of ice in her cool voice.

"I cannot wait."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Sitting at his desk in the darkened, silent room, Ito poured himself a measure of firewhiskey from a bottle into a glass filled with enchanted stone cubes that were always cold, a gift from his son. With a sigh, he sat back and stared at the glass not saying anything. Even when the door opened, he didn't move, just... sat there, looking at the glass of alcohol.

The clearing of a throat made him blink as he came out of his thoughts as he noticed who was there, "Ah! Naomi-San! Come in, come in." He gave a chuckle that was somewhat weak before the smile on his face faded away and his voice became quiet, "Come on in."

Eyebrow raised, the magical bureaucrat walked in, followed by her father. Frown on his face, Shigeru glanced at the untouched glass before looking back at the politician who looked like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, "Ito-San."

Glancing at him, Ito's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile, "Shigeru-San." With a sigh, he shook his head a little, "Here to lambast me for my rosy tinted views? And how I will go down as the one who caused the dissolution of the Magical Japanese government? One that has stood since the Occupation?"

It went without saying that Shigeru glanced at his daughter, who shrugged in return as she looked at a loss at what was happening. Clearing his throat, he turned back to Ito, "I would not dream of doing such, Sir."

Once more, there was a slight twitch of the lips on Ito's face before he wagged a finger at him, "Ah, there is a lie. Perhaps we shall make a politician of you yet."

Pressing his lips thinly, the older bureaucrat took a breath before letting it out, "I would think not." Moving forward, he looked over the other man and saw the stress lines on his face, the far off look in his eyes. Suddenly, Shigeru came to the realization that something was going on here. Something that he did not know about, "What happened?"

With a blink, Ito looked over at him, "Hmm? What makes you think that something happened?"

Just raising his eyebrow, Shigeru glanced at the glass before frowning, "For one thing, you are not a drinker. But even then, you would not waste a glass of fifty year old firewhiskey. For a second... you have that look in your eyes."

Not answering him right away, the politician turned and looked out the window. From where he was, he could hear various people rushing around the Diet after the vote that had happened... a vote that he had spurred on, "Do you think me a fool, Shigeru-San? Naomi-San?"

Rapidly blinking as neither bureaucrat expected that answer, they shared a look before Naomi cleared her throat, "No, Sir, we don't. We... just want to know what happened."

Chest rising and falling, Ito once more seemed to gather his thoughts together, "I think... I prevented a far greater tragedy than the fall of the Diet."

Utterly lost as to where this was going, Shigeru turned to his daughter before looking back at Ito, "A tragedy, Sir?"

Slowly nodding, the Diet member rose from his seat and walked over to his bookcase, "Hai." Briefly scanning the books, he plucked one out and opened it, "Do you know how the No-Maj side of the American Civil War started?"

Even more confused than her father, Naomi shook her head, "I'm... afraid that I do not. Though why that matters is also something that I am at a loss to consider."

Humming, Ito looked at the book for a few moments before closing it with a snap. Then, he held it up, "A fascinating book, I was gifted it by MACUSA Auror many decades ago. He was a No-Majborn, you see." Waving it around, the politician continued, "The American Civil War really started when the Confederate States, not wanting to recognize the lawful government, attacked a fort manned by the Northern States. According to the book, it galvanized the North, made them fight rather than seek peace."

All of a sudden, a few things clicked into place and Shigeru felt himself pale a little, "Civil war... you mentioned a civil war as if..."

With a glance towards him, the politician nodded, "As if it was a possibility? Hai." Placing the book back on the shelf, he sighed a bit before turning towards the window, "... Three weeks back, I was at the Silver Ryuu, I assume that you know of it?"

Eyebrow raised, Naomi glanced at her father before nodding, "Hai, it is a somewhat high class resturant with a bar. Popular among the Diet members."

Ito gave a hum as he looked out onto the darkened city of Tokyo, "Indeed, I..." Pausing, he seemed so tired in that moment, "In a nearby booth, Aizawa was sitting with his group. You know of him, yes?"

Despite it not being a question, the two bureaucrats gave an answer in the affirmative. The man was well known in the Diet for being... vocal... about certain matters. Not just the Yokai, as he was one of the ones who wanted the harshest penalties on them. But also Kyoto as well. Where some called them traitors to the Diet, he went a step further and declared that they were outright criminals and thus should be tried for treason. If anything, in recent weeks, he had become even more vocal.

His eyes narrowing slightly, Shigeru frowned, "You heard something."

Slowly, Ito nodded as he sighed, "Hai, I did." Clearing his throat, he straightened his back, "They were discussing what to do if things reached a... tipping point. And he had one of his men from the Aurors there. If things got far enough that there was no way out... they would hold a vote in the Diet. One to arrest the leadership of Kyoto, even in their homes. They would also arrest those in the JNHRO as well as the Yokai Militias, with lethal force authorized as some 'Would not come quietly.'"

Completely pale, Naomi had a horrified expression on her face, "They... that would cause... they couldn't have been serious, could they?"

Turning, the politician gave her a sad smile, "I hoped that they would not, but... as the weeks went on, I noticed him and the others meeting more often. And he pushed for some people connected to him to be placed higher in law enforcement." Walking over to the chair, he placed one hand on the leather, gripping it tightly, "Right there, in the chamber, upon hearing that news and mentioning it... I saw Aizawa in his seat with a smug smile as he spoke to one of his fellows beside him, said man nodding. The Diet was about to panic..." All strength seemed to drain out of the man as he walked a few more steps and slumped into his chair, "I have been a politician for a long time, and hope that I have served my constituents well. Right then, I realized what would happen when I stepped down, the Diet would want a plan. And someone who claimed to have a way to fix it..."

Fist tightening, Shigeru grimaced, "He would have gotten the necessary votes for his plan, which would have gone through. Of all the..."

Running his hand along his head, he thought back to various things he had heard. Yes, Aizawa was a problem, but he was not as powerful as he thought and thus he did not give him much mind. Looking back, he realized that there had been whispers of how some politicians had plans to solve the current issue of Kyoto taking more and more of Japan. And a number of bureaucrats who thought like Aizawa were also those that had helped with the insane idea of dropping the Reserves in Kyushu and elsewhere into Kyoto's lap, hoping that the crisis that would occur, no matter how damaging, would fall upon Kyoto. As well, he could remember the few reports he had heard, of Aurors, who he knew were connected with Aizawa's faction, having been arrested by Kyoto when they went after certain persons.

Internally cursing idiots, it took everything for Shigeru not to make it become external. Hand rubbing his face, he sighed, "They were going to do it, the mad men."

Hands on his desk and clasped, Ito closed his eyes, "That... is what I believe. And whether or not it would have worked? I do not know and in that moment... I knew that I could not take the chance." Taking off his spectacles with shaking hands, he gently cleaned them, "I couldn't take the chance. And so... and so I..." The Diet man placed his glasses back on his face even as he had a haunted look, "And so I cast the Killing Curse from the wand held to the Diet's head rather than risk it. Fool, I may be, and may history judge me." Placing his face in his hands, he softly sighed, "I will be written as the one who killed the Diet."

Naomi glanced at her father who was looking out the window with a haunted look in his eyes. She did not know what was going through his mind at that moment, after all he had lived through the last war and saw the government fall. Clearing her throat, she took a deep breath, "Sir, I... do not believe that you were a fool, not in this case."

Blinking, Ito had a look of surprise on his face, "You... do not?"

From where he stood beside her, Shigeru smiled grimly, "Nor do I, Ito-San. One way or the other... today was the day, I think, where the Diet would fall." Internally, he shivered a bit as he knew what the response to such a plan as Aizawa's would be. Reaching up, he rubbed his neck where he swore phantom steel, sharper than a razor, touched, "One way, or the other."

Only nodding at that, the politician seemed at a loss, "I, uh, see. Well..." Looking around, he turned back to Naomi before clearing his throat, "H-how goes, well, securing things here?"

With a slight nod, Naomi took a deep breath, "Well enough, we're clearing the offices out and will transfer everything to the Prefecture Office within a few hours. It will be a tight fit for a time, but we'll manage."

A small bit of life came back to Ito as he smiled slightly, "That's... that's good, I suppose." Looking around his office, it struck him that it might be the last time he might see it this way. With a slow nod, he drained his glass of whiskey before clearing his throat, "Well, I... should be doing something then. Such as packing up."

Both bureaucrats just nodded before taking their leave, neither commenting on how Ito sat back in his chair staring at things.

It was only when they were outside that Shigeru softly whispered to his daughter, eyes making sure that no one was within listening range, "When you can, contact Hachiko and let him know that things are fine and..." He paused for a moment as he remembered something, "And perhaps it would be best if he spent the night with his Otouto at his girlfriend's house. I have some things to look over."

Understanding what he meant, Naomi nodded slightly as she whispered back, "I'll do the same."

Shigeru watched as she disappeared among the bustle of clerks and the like before taking a deep breath and turning. After all, he had to talk with some people and confirm a few things. And, depending on what he heard, he might need to twist a few arms. But he would get to the bottom of things soon enough.

And he would have a list ready, if needed, for a visit that could occur.

___________________________________________________________________

Night had long since fallen as Naomi appeared not far from where her nephews lived before looking around. Quickly, she made her way along as she headed to their apartment, attempting to assurage the worry she had the best that she could. Earlier, she attempted to contact Hachiko over the telephone, only to get the "Answering Machine" with his recorded voice telling her to please leave a message. Twice more she attempted to get in contact with him, only for no answer.

It went without saying that she was getting worried.

Which is how she found herself here, visiting their home after a quick stop at her own. Reaching their door, part of her noted that the windows were dark, but that didn't mean anything, right? Right? Despite the knocks, there was no answer and she swallowed a bit of the lump in her throat before pulling out the key that Hachiko had given her just in case. Hands shaking, she opened the door to the darkened apartment, finding no one there.

Using the light at the end of her wand, she quickly made her way through the apartment checking for any sign. But there was none at all anywhere she looked. Part of her was relieved that there was no signs of a struggle. Another part of her became more worried because it was not impossible that some of those who had issues with her father could set things up to make it look like there was struggle.

She took a moment or two to calm herself down before looking around again, "Where might he have gone... right, his girlfriend's." Pausing, Naomi remembered that she never really got an address for where said Okami lived, except "On base" in Yokosuka. The address was written down, but that was back at her own home. Glancing around, she noticed the small phone book that Hachiko kept next to the phone and went over before opening it. Written in her nephew's neat penmanship were various names alongside numbers and addresses.

Finger trailing along the lines, she came to a stop at one and nodded before picking up Hachiko's phone and dialing. On the third ring, a gruff, female voice came over, "{Hello? Who's this calling and why are you calling from Hachiko-Chan's number?}"

Already feeling relief, Naomi took a deep breath, "I'm Miyata Naomi, I'm Hachiko's Oba-San and... and I'm at his home wondering where he is. He's there, right?"

Despite being on the phone, she could almost hear the eyebrow raising, "{That's right, he is. Why? Did you think he was kidnapped or something?}"

Just slightly embarrassed, Naomi cleared her throat, "Well... I was worried about such, yes."

There was a pause before she could hear a mutter and then Hachiko's voice came over the phone, "{Oba-Chan? What... wait, is this about what is happening with the Diet? And what did you say? Moriko-Chan is laughing hard enough to cry!}"

Right then, all the stress and worry left her though her embarrassment rose, "Hai, I tried calling earlier and there was no answer." Hearing an odd sound, she raised an eyebrow, "Hachiko, are you okay?"

Much to her bemusement, Hachiko's voice came through with an almost squeak to it, "{H-hai, I'm fine.}"

Unknown to her, Moriko had begun to nibble on his ear with a grin on her face which was making his squirm against her.

Back in the apartment, Naomi ran a hand through her hair, "Right, well... it's good to hear from you still, Hachiko..."

Hearing her trail off, she could hear Hachiko mutter something and get a mutter back, "{If you want, Oba-Chan, you could come and confirm face to face. We'll clear it with base security as well so that you can come on base as apparating is not... advised.}"

That last bit made her blink in confusion, 'Not advised? Why...' A thought occurred to Naomi, but she didn't voice it, "That would be much appreciated, nephew." With another thanks, she hung up and took a deep breath before leaving the apartment, though she locked the door behind her and apparated to a spot a block from the base. Not too much closer, however, she blinked as she looked around with wide eyes, 'Anti-apparation wards... and over the whole base! But who...?'

Remembering that some shipgirls did, indeed, have magic, she shivered a bit as she considered just how powerful said spells might be.

Quickly shaking off such thoughts, she reported to the gate for the base and, a short time later, found herself dropped off in the residential section of the base. Looking around at the buildings, she gave a small nod to herself. While Naomi had seen them from a distance, she had never been on a military base. All she had to go on for life on one was stories from the previous war her father sometimes mentioned.

And, she had to admit, she was impressed with what she had seen. Everything was well ordered and clean. The buildings themselves were well kept with yards neat and tidy as well. Not long after entering the residential district, she was dropped off at an apartment and said goodbye to the MP who had driven her there (though, she did give him more than a once over as the young man was very good looking). After entering the lobby, she contacted Moriko over the intercom and was buzzed in, something else that made her internally nod in appreciation at the security that was mentioned.

In fact, she even spotted a security guard at the desk watching her as she walked across the floor to the elevator as well as a number of cameras.

Needless to say, she was impressed and internally nodded to herself as she waited in the elevator to get to the proper floor. Exiting, the elevator, she quickly made her way down the hall to the door before knocking. After a few seconds, there was the sound of a lock being disengaged and the door opened to reveal Moriko standing there.

Despite seeing pictures and video of the Okami in question, Naomi found that meeting her in real life was quite different. For one thing, the witch had to crane her head back, just slightly, in order to meet the amber eyes of the other woman. And there was also a presence to her as well, which was only reinforced by the muscles that were visible under her skin as well as the littering of small scars here and there. As well, there was also an air of protectiveness to her.

Shaking it off, Naomi cleared her throat, "Ah, Moriko-San, I presume?"

Eyebrow raised, Moriko gave a nod with a slight smile before speaking in a contralto voice, "That's right."

The She-wolf then turned to the side to reveal Hachiko who walked over and hugged her, "Naomi-Oba-Chan, come in." As she did so, he had a worried look on his face at how tired she seemed, "Are... is everything alright?"

Giving him an exhausted smile, the witch nodded as she hung up her cloak, thankful to have it off for even a few minutes, "Hai, everything is fine and so is Otou-San, Hachiko-Chan." Running her hand through her hair, she sighed, "Just... a lot to do." Looking around, Naomi blinked some, "Where's Aki-Chan?"

Light chuckles escaped from Hachiko as he gestured at a nearby room, "He's laying down right now on a futon that Suzume-Chan pulled out. They kept him busy and we played a game of Machi Koro before he went to bed." With a glance towards Moriko, who nodded, he guided his aunt to the kitchen table where Moriko's sisters sat, "Have a seat and we'll get you some food."

Almost as soon as her rear touched the chair, Naomi let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you, though I hate to impose."

From where she sat, Sachiko waved her off, "It's not a problem, and..." She lightly blushed as she looked at her older sister, "You'll be family eventually."

That got a small smile from the bureaucrat as she nodded, "It seems so, still hate to bother you." Moments later, a plate full of some rice dish she couldn't identify was in front of her which made her blink, "Um..."

When she looked up, she got a knowing look from her nephew, "I know you, Oba-Chan. Neither you nor Ojii-San have had anything to eat for the past few hours, have you?"

Right as she was about to answer, Naomi's stomach did so in her stead. Something that made the older woman blush before sheepishly chuckling at the triumphant look her nephew gave her, "Well... some food would not be out of line." Turning her attention to the food, she took a sniff and was met with the scent of spices and other things. Already, her mouth began to water, "What is this? I haven't seen a dish like this before."

Placing a glass of water beside her, Suzume smiled a little, "It's a dish from the American south called 'Jambalaya'. Louisiana-San, an American Battleship, makes it and cooked this up earlier this evening at the mess hall. It's delicious."

Hachiko gave a confirming nod at that, "It is, we all had dinner at the mess hall earlier and we brought back some. There's a bit that you can take back for Ojii-San as well so that he has something to eat as well."

Out of the corner of her eye, the witch spotted Moriko giving her nephew a look of lust as he spoke. Part of her remembered that, like their animal counterparts, Okami were very much into taking care of family/the pack. Internally, Naomi chuckled a little, 'If you're not careful, nephew, you might be aching in the hips tomorrow.' Outwardly, she gave a sigh before smiling, "Thank you, I'm just glad that you and Aki-Chan are alright. So you heard the broadcast, I take it?"

In reply, Hachiko shook his head, "I didn't, Moriko-Chan however heard it and gave a call to the library to let me know."

Slightly surprised, Naomi turned to Moriko who gave a shrug, "Hachiko-Chan told me that he had family in the Diet, so it concerned him. I figured that he might not know and so he needed to right now."

Once more, Naomi gave her a nod as her opinion of the Yokai raised a few notches, "Thank you for that."

When she turned back to him, her nephew had reached over and gave Moriko's hand a squeeze, "Which I'm thankful for." Turning back to his aunt, Hachiko continued, "Anyways, I asked that either her or Suzume-Chan came over and picked up Aki for the day, just so that he would be safe. I mean... the anti-apparation wards and the like over the base means that no one can just sneak onto it. And even if they did..."

Understanding, Naomi smiled thinly, "They would need to get through a rather large number of shipgirls and military to reach him. Good plan, nephew." Breaking apart her chopsticks, she took some of the "Jambalya" in front of her between them and took a bite. Almost immediately, her tastebuds were assaulted with the dish's taste and she began to quickly, though neatly, devour it much to the amusement of her nephew. Every so often, she took a sip of water to wash it down, 'Ah, much better than I expected.' Needless to say, it did not take her very long to finish it and once she was done, she leaned back a little with a sigh, "That... was quite good."

Lips twitching, Hachiko gave a small laugh before placing a tart in front of her topped with berries, "Here, have something for dessert."

Amused, his aunt gave a small chuckle, "Thank you, though I think that you're going to spoil your Oba-Chan." Taking a bite, she let out a small hum of delight and, like the food before, it rapidly vanished before she swallowed, "Ah... thank you once more."

Only nodding, Hachiko smiled before his expression turned serious, "How are things..."

Knowing what he meant, Naomi gave a small sigh, "In a word, chaotic. Both myself and Otou-San will be burning the midnight oil as it is in regards to what is happening. We don't want things to completely fall apart and there's floo calls and the like to be made with Kyoto. So likely we'll be late working."

Eyebrow raised, Moriko glanced at the clock which stated that it was quite late already, "Hmm..." Then she gave a small nod and scratched her head a little, "Right, um... just to let you know, we got a call from our superiors, mine and my Nee-Sans." Seeing the worried expression, she waved her hand, "Nothing important, they simply asked that, if possible, you have a visit with them soon. Someone named Oda Kotegiri might be there and wants to talk with someone competent."

At that last bit, Naomi relaxed and gave a slight chuckle, "I'll inform Otou-San, though it might be a day or two at most." After a few more minutes, she got up and sighed, "I should be heading back to the Diet since I can't be away too long, Otou-San tries his best, but he is quite old after all. Despite what he thinks, he does need help."

Her nephew just nodded and grabbed two styrofoam containers which he held out to her, "Right, well... this is the food for Ojii-San. Let him know that we're okay and that we're hoping the same for him."

That only got him a nod and a smile from Naomi before she hugged him, "I will. And you be safe as well with Aki-Chan, alright?"

Crossing her arms, Moriko gave a low growl, "They'll be safe, we'll make sure of it."

Just looking at her, the witch seemed to examine her for a few moments before smiling, "I can believe it." She then gave the somewhat surprised Moriko a hug, "Thank you."

Shortly after, she got into another MP car and was taken to the gate before apparating back to the Diet. Part of her was happy that no one commented on her leaving since they assumed that she had gone for takeout due to the containers she held. And while surprised, Shigeru was pleased with the food as well as how his grandchildren were safe.

 

[darthcourt10]

mikelima777

March 20, 2014

HMCS Shannon, near the edge of Canada's Economic Exclusion Zone, Off Nova Scotia

Commander Greengrass leaned on the railing as he watched the aircrew on the flight deck prepared an E-2C Hawkeye for takeoff. The ex-US Navy radar aircraft was being leased by the Canadian government as Canada relearned how to operate a full-sized aircraft carrier. While operating the "stopgap" conversions and the Prince-class Light Aircraft Carrier had helped, there were still aspects that needed relearning since the original decommissioning of Bonaventure.

Greengrass hummed along as Elton John's "Rocket Man" was being played on the ship's speakers. Once again, Shannon was showing her appreciation for the British music scene. Though yesterday at lunch, she had played some Canadian classics from the Tragically Hip and Rush. Greengrass watched lazily as HMCS Toronto cruised a few hundred metres away, just aft of the shipgirl corvette Toronto. It appeared that the corvette was talking to her namesake frigate, having spent some time recently deployed with the Norwegians. The Toronto was one of the survivors of Blood Week, though her extensive repairs made her unique as she had been fitted with some of the radar and weapons of the Hamilton-class frigates. Down below in the hangar deck, a maintenance crew was working on Commander Greengrass' fighter aircraft. There was a hiccup last flight with one of the flight computers, and so the technicians had opened up the aircraft and removed the faulty computer for a thorough diagnostic.

After debates in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Canada had selected the CF-188E/F Super Hornet and CE-188G Growler as the combat and electronic warfare aircraft for the Canadian conventional carrier program; this program eventually led to the Shannon-class. Assembled by Boeing Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the aircraft was significantly improved compared to the original USN Super Hornets. Conformal fuel tanks were fitted, along with reshaped engine intakes to reduce radar cross-section, a Canadian-designed integrated weapon targeting and jamming pod, avionics derived from fifth-generation fighter aircraft, as well as other features specific to Canada's needs. Like the original CF-188A/B Hornets, the Super Hornets had a false canopy painted, as well as wing fences to improve manoeuvrability.

HMCS Shannon was continuing her Sea Trials, which provided a lot of information on her performance on the water. There were a few glitches and hiccups discovered during the testing, many of which were diagnosed by engineers and corrected at sea. Experts from BAe, who had supplied the basic design, and representatives from other companies that were part of the consortium that created the Shannon-class, were also on board to see what other areas could be improved. Within a week, she would be returning to Saint John Shipbuilding for more significant adjustments and tweaks as a result of the feedback and troubleshooting. After some final adjustments, the hope was to commission HMCS Shannon by either Canada Day or August 3, the anniversary of HMS Shannon (1806)'s completion. Most of the changes were being added to the blueprints for the design and would be implemented during the construction of the second of the class, to commence by the end of summer 2014. Among the officers, there was a pool on what the new carrier was going to be named. The leading bet was Bonaventure, with some joking that like her predecessor, she was going to be the crazy one of the Shannons.

Like many modern warships, the Combat Direction Centre was filled with computer monitors as well as large flat-panel multifunction displays that could play the news or critical combat information. To some, the arrangements in Shannon's CDC appeared to be somewhat inspired by the bridge layout of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek. In the Combat Direction Centre, the duty officer, Lieutenant (N) Brian McAllister, was deep in thought as he supervised the personnel in the compartment.


In 2005, as he was in High School in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Brian's family got the devastating news that his older brother, Simon, as well as the crew of HMCS Halifax, FFH 330, were missing and presumed lost after their frigate vanished in the middle of combat with what became known as the Abyssals. He vowed to avenge his brother's sacrifice and after attending university, he entered the Canadian Forces and worked hard to prove himself. Yet, the events of last year had stunned everyone in the Royal Canadian Navy, when HMCS Regina was discovered to have survived blood week. Most of her crew managed to survive thanks to members of the Fleet of Laughter, the Wardens, whom later enlisted into the Royal Canadian Navy. He was faring rather well with naval boards and was showing promise for command.

Some like Lt(N) McAllister, was a bit unsure about having Abyssals join them, but words of their actions to save Regina and her crew, plus the Fleet of Laughter's sacrifice defending Unalaska also brought out sympathy and understanding. That they stood against their own to save the humans led to a great deal of respect for their actions. Video of the leader of the Wardens' transformation had gone viral and was the subject of many conversations aboard the carrier, some of which commented that the former XO of Regina was a lucky SOB. McAllister still found it a bit shocking that all those abyssal's were willing to actively serve in a human navy. He also felt a pang of faint hope that somehow, HMCS Halifax was not sunk after all.

He was suddenly jolted from his memories by the Petty Officer 2nd class working at the communications station.

"Sir, I'm picking up a faint radio signal along with SOS in morse code. I'm trying to clear up the interference."

"Let's hear it."

From the speakers in the compartment, they could barely hear it among the static. But what was said startled McAllister.

"Thi...er Majesty's Can....ifax...Foxtrot....otel...ree Three Zero. We are stranded on unknown isl..."

"Sir, I'm trying to get a fix on the origin of the transmission."

"ship was damaged...barrier that prevented contact...helped by mer...helped us survive... tried to repair...damage to our ship...iesel engine finally got... can send short transmission...damn...breaking up... will try to send out call tomorrow..."

The radio filled up with white noise.

"I'm sorry sir, I couldn't get a fix before the transmission broke up completely."

The Lieutenant whispered faintly,

"Brother?"

*******

Comments? Questions? Suggestions?

 

[darthcourt10]

Barricade

*For this post, please revert your screen to the Spacebattles default color theme, or it'll look funny*

--------------------------------------

"So, Princess, mind explaining something?

"I Yamato, have have consistently told you to not call me 'Princess'. Now, beyond that, explain what?"

"Why do you keep adding that artwork every time you post on SGO starting since last month? I mean, we know its you from your handle, but that's a bit overkill."

"Artwork, what artwork?"

"Well, I guess its artwork, at least according to SoDak and the net trolls she hangs with, but to me its just a bunch of squiggly lines and a bad 'connect the dots' for adults."

"Lines? Connect the...? Enterprise-san, what are you talking about?"

"Wait, you honestly....here, let me show you. Just need to log on, annnnnd go to this topic here that you made a response in, and.....that. What, is that?"

"....."

"Yes, that."

"Hiya Enterprise, Yamato-san, what's goin....oh. Oh my. I think I picked a wrong time."

"....!!!"

"Hi, bye Yahagi. Now about that imag.....Oh shit, she's gonna blow. DUCK AND COVER!!"

"AOBA-SAN, GET IN HERE NOW! I KNOW YOU BORROWED MY FORUM PASSWORD, YOU LITTLE TROLL!! FIX THIS NOW!!"



Displayed, for all to see on the mess hall PC, or at least once the room stopped shaking from the foghorn decibel level scream of mortified flagship rage, was a a fairly good ASCII rendering of a piece of art that virtually anyone born in Japan after 1974 would know of, just as vividly as the national flag.