Sorry about this... I sent out the 'not quite fixed' version. Heres the
'pretty much fixed' version. Thanks for your time, folks.
***
"�Hello?"
The child was surrounded by a cool, deep blackness on all sides. Her only
means of support in this void, a small wooden pedestal, felt cold and dry
beneath her bare feet. She was illuminated by on overhead light that she
couldn't make out. The shadows it cast seemed to exemplify her now dirty
blonde hair and pale skin. Her eyes were partially cast in shadow, and all
that remained of her clothes consisted of a tattered green battle garb.
All around her, the young girl of about ten years could feel some kind of
presence. It was in the very air around her, yet she couldn't see it. She
was tired, hungry and frightened, but her battle training was still tuned
enough to tell her one thing; she wasn't alone.
As if to prove this fact, a woman's voice cut through the darkness, startling
the young girl. The voice was soft, calming and eerily mother-like. To the
young girl, it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
"Its all right. You're safe now. I won't let that monster torture you
anymore."
The child spun around, trying to see who was talking. She was trembling with
fear, yet still had enough control to assume a haphazard battle stance.
"Who are you? Where's Sensei? What have you done to him?"
The voice seemed closer now, and as the girl tried to focus on it, she
noticed a soft, blue light slowly pushing back the darkness around her. In
the dim shadows beyond her pedestal, the girl could see that she was in what
looked like an endless tower, filled with floating islands adorned with tall,
greenish things. She had known what those were at one time. Something� A
tree? Yes, that was it. They were trees.
She was in a giant nursery.
"You need not worry about him, that abomination can't hurt you as long as
you're in my care, little one."
The girl turned, and in the growing light she saw a tree centered in a giant
pond. Around the tree, tiny bits of energy danced like flotsam on the
surface of a pond. The girl was sure that the voice was coming from this
direction.
"What are you talking about..?"
The water before the tree started to gently ripple, then explode upwards in a
column, soaking the branches of the tree above it. When the water subsided,
a woman was left standing in its place.
The woman herself was beautiful. Her face was slender, pale and delicately
beautiful. Her soft eyes and warm smile looked as if they had been stolen
from some rare painting or even a goddess, only to be perfectly reformed and
amplified here. The woman's hair was a soft, silky blue that seemed to
stretch to her feet, which were standing on the surface of the water. To
complete the effect, she was clothed in an array of multi-colored robes that
were strangely dry.
The girl was frightened at first, then felt herself go numb. The pretty
woman in front of her was moving towards her� or was she moving towards the
pretty woman? The girl didn't know. She tried to move, but found she had no
control over her body. She knew that she was in trouble of some kind, but as
she approached the beautiful woman on the water the little girl felt her fear
just melt away. Something about her seemed to put the little girl's mind at
complete and utter ease. With the last of her curiosity, the little girl
weakly asked, "Who are you?"
With a voice that seemed to wrap around the little girl, the woman said, "I
am Tsunami, the ship of Jurai, and we are inside of myself. Tell me, what is
your name, little one?"
"Anata."
***
The Villains Crusade
Chapter Two: Getting to Know You�
By: BGlanders
***
It had been a good hour since Kagato had regained consciousness, and at the
moment he and his new associate were seated in what Misa had referred to as
the 'War Room'. It was a small side room to the bridge equipped with a
smooth, reflective black table and several holo-projectors which remained
hidden in the walls. Evenly spaced glow globes that dotted the sleek, purple
metal of the walls supplied the lighting, and the room itself seemed to give
off an air of seriousness.
Kagato sat in what would be considered the captain's chair. Misa, sitting
across from him, had her feet propped up on the table as the holo-projectors
showed the mad scientist and magical girl what their target would be. After
reviewing the battle statistics, Kagato gave his detailed scientific opinion.
"Impossible."
Misa, who had been dividing her attention between the screen and the baton
she was twirling in her hand, yawned and said, "Nonsense! With the two of us
together we should be able to get in and do the job in two shakes! You worry
too much�"
Kagato sighed, mentally counted to ten, then responded. "And how, little
girl, do you figure that?" He gestured to the projection between them.
"This is the planet Jurai we're talking about! Even at full power I don't
stand a chance in hell at breaching their defenses, let alone fighting off
the Royal guards and to top it all off, what makes you think this ship would
last two seconds against the Imperial Fleet?"
Misa shrugged, and then gestured to the wall control panel behind her. "I
did my homework, Kagi old pal�"
"Don't call me that."
"�and boy oh boy did I learn a lot about you. How you've been on the GP most
wanted for the last five thousand years, how you decimated entire fleets
without even blinking and how you and your demon practically destroyed Jurai
seven hundred years ago, just to name a few headers. Honestly, what's the
difference this time?"
Kagato calmly took out his makeshift saber. When he activated it, the
familiar hum of an energy weapon, coupled with the warm sent of ozone
assaulted his senses. "Because," Kagato held out his left arm, then let the
sword graze it slightly, drawing blood. "I'm not immortal anymore. I don't
have my powers anymore. We don't have any powers to help us! This can't be
done, plain and simple. We would need nothing less than an entire army just
to get within a thousand leagues of the palace!"
Misa stared wide eyed at the open wound on Kagato's arm, then watched as he
deactivated his sword and headed for the door. "I'll be in the infirmary if
you need me. Please see to it that you don't need me for at least an hour."
With that, Kagato walked out of the room.
***
The training room was about thirty meters in height, width and breadth. Each
wall was equipped with various weapons, both projectile and hand held. The
floor was a maze of metallic sawhorses, bars, hoops and practice dummies. To
Misa, it looked like a quasi-futuristic Bond trap.
"While working in the infirmary I took the liberty of setting up this little
exercise via the ship's computer. I believe this should give me an accurate
picture of what you're capable of." Kagato pointed to a padded man-sized
practice dummy stationed in the middle of the room. "Here," Kagato handed
Misa what looked like a metallic sword hilt with several buttons near the
top. "Your task is to destroy the practice target. Begin."
After giving a weak laugh, Misa turned to the scientist and did her best not
to sound too demeaning.
"And what exactly," Misa held the saber handle by its end, letting it dangle,
"do you expect me to do with this little toy?"
Kagato repressed a snarl, and then silently took out his own saber. Before
Misa could blink, Kagato was on the other side of the room; his energy sword
already activated. As Misa watched, the practice dummy that was now between
them shuddered, then split neatly in two.
"That."
Misa blinked several times in silence before finally answering.
"Oh."
Kagato stood, his energy blade already deactivated. Without turning, he
addressed the magical girl. "Since you serve no obvious use to me as of yet,
you shall be instructed in the art of combat so as to aid me in our current
task. Now," as he spoke, the carved practice dummy sunk into a hole in the
floor as another, unscathed dummy took its place, "Show me what you can do."
Misa smiled, her baton already twirling in her hand. "All right then Kaggie
old boy, let me show you how it's done! CALLING MYSTICS!" With a flurry of
light and sound, Misa summoned what she considered to be a pretty good
on-the-spot demon. It was the energy saber she had been holding before, only
now much bigger, sprouting feet and arms, and a face to boot. The nose of
the creature was the saber's energy blade. "Now, Energy Saber Girl, destroy
that dummy!"
Before Kagato could comment, "Energy Saber Girl" charged forward, eyes and
nose both blazing with energy. With a mighty scream, the Love-Love Monster
sliced through the dummy's mid-section with its energy nose. When it was
done, Misa jumped up and down, clapping and cheering.
"Way to go, Energy Saber Girl! That will be all, thank you." Before the
demon could comment, Misa waved her baton, instantly causing the monster to
return to its normal form. The energy saber, now devoid of legs, clanged to
the floor.
With a broad smile, Misa gave Kagato the V sign and beamed. "How was that
for starters?"
Kagato looked first to the deactivated sword on the floor, then to the dummy
and finally to the grinning girl at the far end of the room. "�Interesting.
I guess you actually do serve a purpose after all. This changes things�oh
yes� hmmm�"
Kagato was lost in thought. 'So this little one is a sorceress, is she?
Well then, this might be to my advantage. It makes sense of course, the orb
said he was going to pair me with someone who was as familiar with evil as
myself, and of course he wouldn't have given me someone if they were useless,
not for the job we have to do, at least� Eh?'
Kagato snapped out of his inner monologue in time to notice the door at the
far end of the practice room closing, and Misa leaving. After looking around
the room one more time Kagato chuckled to himself, knocked on his head
lightly and headed out.
***
An hour later, Pixy Misa was standing outside the doors to the sick bay,
debating whether or not to enter. She had asked the mad scientist where he
was headed when she saw him in the hall, and he and told her "some important
research needed to be conducted." As the ship didn't come equipped with a
science lab, the med lab was the next best choice.
Just before she was about to turn around and head for the bridge, the sleek
metal doors in front of her hissed open. From inside, she heard Kagato say,
"It's rude to hover, little girl."
Kagato was sitting on the same operating table he had awoken on several hours
before. He was unconsciously rubbing his arm as his eyes danced across a
blindingly fast read out screen on the wall next to him.
Misa strolled in, her defensive 'I'm better than you are' attitude
practically dripping from her words. "It's also rude to sulk, little boy."
Kagato shot Misa a glance that could kill, then turned his attention back to
the readout panel. Before Misa could walk out, Kagato spoke up, His eyes
never leaving the readouts.
"I've been giving our problem some thought. Seeing as how an assault in our
current condition would be suicide, I've been looking at some possible
alternatives." Misa wandered over to where the scientist was sitting. Her
curiosity temporarily overrode her ego as she examined the display before the
good doctor. After realizing that it was moving far too fast for her to make
heads or tails of it, she decided to do what she was best at.
Talk.
"So tell me, Kagato, how'd you lose all your powers? Someone zap you with
some kind of energy sapping thingamabob or something?"
Kagato pushed some buttons below the readout. Instantly a flat screened
notepad and digital pen slid out from a slot in the wall. While watching the
readouts and writing on his pad, Kagato answered.
"How did you know about...?"
Misa pointed towards the display in front of the doctor. "Like I told you, I
did some homework on you."
Kagato nodded in remembrance, giving an "Ahh that's right�" before resuming
his staring contest with his readouts.
"�So?"
"Eh?"
Misa was sitting on a table across the room from Kagato, kicking her feet in
the air out of boredom. "So how'd you lose your powers? Someone zap you or
what?"
"Not quite."
"Then how'd you get so weak so fast?"
"I died."
"�Oh."
Kagato continued to work as Misa wandered around the infirmary, idly twirling
her baton and pushing buttons here and there out of sheer boredom. After
awhile, she remembered something that had been playing in her mind since
Kagato had woken up.
"Whose Anata?"
Kagato froze in mid scribble. Misa turned to look at him as he slowly put
the notepad down beside him. With a snap, the readouts stopped and the wall
slid closed, hiding the panel from view. Without turning, Kagato answered.
"How do you know that name?"
Misa could tell Kagato's mood had dramatically changed at her question, but
she wasn't sure what way it was steering. Cautiously, without any hint of
sarcasm or disrespect she said, "You called me that when you woke up,
remember? It was when you first got here�"
Kagato nodded. After several seconds he turned, sitting sideways to Misa.
For the first time since she entered the room, Pixy Misa could see the
scientist's face. She had seen his expression many times before, staring
back at her in a mirror. She knew what Kagato was feeling inside.
"She was my pupil. I found her, I don't know how, but I did. She was alone,
dying, desperate� I don't know why I took her in, but I did. It was through
her I was learning meaning in this world, but now�"
Misa nodded, taking a step forward. "They took her, didn't they? The people
we're going after."
Kagato nodded. "I don't know why they stole her from me, why I'm alive or
even why I accepted this impossible mission, but I do know this; to give up
is the unforgivable sin, and I can't give up on her being alive. Not yet,
anyway�"
When Kagato turned to face Misa, she saw that the contempt and scorn he had
held in his face earlier seemed to have vanished, at least partially.
Whatever the case, she knew he wasn't spiteful towards her at the moment, and
that was good enough for now.
"When I saw you, you reminded me of her. I guess I was a bit shaken at the
time. I apologize." Misa nodded. Both paused for a moment, letting the
silence do the talking. Finally, Kagato decided it was his turn.
"So tell me, why exactly are you here?"
Misa looked up, her mind already drifting off. "Eh?"
Kagato stood and walked over to a small square hole in the side of the wall.
After pressing some buttons, two cups of steaming, brown fluid appeared.
Taking on in each hand, the doctor turned to the magical girl. "I was
thinking while my arm was healing. I know you're evil otherwise you wouldn't
be here. I also know you have considerable power or can conjure entities to
that effect, and that you had some kind of revelation in your life. So tell
me, what did you do that was so horrible that you've been chosen to be my
assistant?"
Misa paused, thinking about what had let to her being there. She thought
back to her life on earth, battling that blue-haired sap Sammy, the rush the
feel of battle gave her, the joy of watching Sammy fight for her life, Rumia�
Other memories started to creep in. Misa tried not to think about them, but
the more she tried, the faster they came. She remembered her friend, Sasami.
She remembered that she was Misao, the weak. She remembered her parents
that were always there but never around. She remembered the loneliness, the
tears, the�
Misao.
She remembered the separation. Misa was Misao and Misao was Misa, but now�
Misa shook her head and forced back a tear. "Let's just say I was a feared
and respected villain where I come from and leave it at that, okay?" Misa
was doing her best to put on a false front of confidence. Kagato didn't buy
it, but nodded anyway. Without really thinking about it, Kagato offered one
of the cups to the young girl. Misa accepted the cup, drinking the thick,
brown liquid. She wasn't sure exactly what it was, other than good.
"Fair enough. Now if you don't mind it's time to see what you're capable of,
little one." Kagato turned, downed the contents of his cup, tossed it into a
waste bin in the corner and headed for the door. Misa, somewhat confused,
followed suit.
"Excuse me? What are you talking about? We don't have time for sparing, and
besides I really don't feel like exerting myself today, besides, don't we
need to get going to Jurai or wherever it is we're going?"
Kagato started down the hall, not bothering to see if Misa was following.
"Not yet. First we need to pick up something on a brief stop, but after that
we should be ready."
"A brief stop? For what? Hey now you're not actually thinking of trying to
storm that palace, are you? Come on! You said it yourself, we would need an
army just to get close to the dumb place! What are we picking up, anyway?"
"An army."
Misa stopped deadpan in the hall, staring at the back of the good doctor.
She was in no mood to take orders from a second rate scientist who couldn't
even use magic, and now that they were heading somewhere, a somewhere that
she had no knowledge of, she wasn't about to take anymore orders, not until
she got some answers anyhow�
"Hey now, I think I'm entitled to a little more info than that!" Misa was
half-chasing the scientist down the sleek metal corridor, complaining under
her breath all the while. Kagato ignored the sulking Magical Girl as he
rounded a corner and arrived at the ships elevator.
"Tell me child, where are my quarters?"
Misa was so absorbed in her complaining that she nearly ran into the mad
scientist's back. "Huh? What's the deal? Are you gonna just nap while we
have a job to do?"
Kagato turned and glared at the girl behind him. "As a matter of fact, yes.
We've got a good six hours before we arrive at our destination, so I would
suggest getting some rest."
As Kagato boarded the elevator, he nodded to the young magical girl standing
before him. "It would probably do you some good to get some sleep as well.
I'll need your powers at their peak very shortly."
Misa was about to comment, but at that moment the little voice in her head
kicked in.
'Sleep good. Get sleep.'
"Sweet dreams, Kaggi-pooh! I'll see ya in six!"
As the elevator doors closed, Misa swore she could hear Kagato muttering
something about murdering children.
***
Kagato's room was a small, egg-shaped purple area that offered one bed, a
table, two chairs and a window showing the light of the stars as it bended
around the ship. With a word, "Lights" the room was illuminated with a soft,
purple-yellow glow. Sighing, Kagato laid down on the black, twin-sized cot
and let his mind drift. After making a mental note to ask the child why the
entire ship was purple, Kagato closed his eyes and slept.
Misa's quarters were what she affectionately referred to as 'her Suite'.
They were about five times the size of Kagato's, and decked in purple shag.
Stretching out on the gigantic, ultra-poofy king size, Misa yawned and
mumbled something to herself about being beautiful before the Gods of sloth
seized her mind, causing her to drift off.
SIX HOURS LATER�
About six hours later, an explosion that took out the ship's navigational
system and a fifth of the rear outer hull aroused Kagato from his nap.
Without even taking the time to rub the sleep from his eyes, the scientist
bolted from his bed and headed for the bridge.
As he got there, Kagato did a quick mental inventory of the several hundred
blinking lights and messages that adorned the ship's main control panel.
Cursing under his breath, he punched in a command to stop the klaxons that
had been blaring ever since the scientist had been risen from his now usual
nightmares.
"Computer! Status report!" As Kagato scanned the holographic lists that
appeared instantly before him, Pixy Misa sleepily stumbled in the door behind
him.
"What happened? Did we hit something?" In mid yawn, she heard Kagato say,
"No, someone is shooting at us." Misa was now wide-awake and focused on the
scientist's every word.
"Computer, give me a visual on our attackers." Before the pair, a hologram
appeared showing a sleek, black ship that appeared organic. To Misa it
appeared as if the ship had been carved rather than built. Bewildered, she
looked to Kagato for an answer, only to find him smiling.
"Wonderful. We're here."
Before Misa could ask where "here" was, Kagato turned to address her. "Pixy
Misa, if you would be so kind as to dispose of this nuisance for us?" Kagato
gestured to the ship on the screen before them. Misa nervously chuckled.
"Sure. I'll just go out there and ask them to leave. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU
MEAN, 'DISPOSE' OF THEM?"
Kagato, still slightly smiling, eyed the ship on the monitor. "That ship,
Ms. Misa, is a Scouter class vessel. Its shields and hull are far to dense
for this ship to disable, however�" Kagato punched some numbers into the
panel before him. Instantly a new holo-screen appeared next to the cruiser,
showing a rather large piece of purple debris. "..I do believe your 'magic'
should be more than adequate for the job."
Misa looked to the floating wreckage from their ship, then to the Scout.
After mentally weighing the situation, she turned to Kagato and smiled back.
"On second thought�" Misa stepped back and began twirling her baton.
"CALLING MYSTICS!"
***
On board the alien vessel, a crew of about twelve sat on the oaken bridge,
overlooking the tiny craft that had dared to enter their sector of space. In
the center of the bridge sat what would have constituted as the captain. He
was robed in red and black attire, sporting what looked like several large,
black cotton balls on his shoulder. Idily he gauged the pathetic craft that
his ship had already blown a large chunk from. Half-sneering to himself, he
gestured for his gunner to finish the job.
The gunner moved to comply, but as he did he happened to glance at the
holographic display, then froze.
The large chunk of debris was moving.
To be more precise, it was 'swimming' with giant purple fins that a moment
before hadn't been there. Also, the gunner noticed that the debris had grown
eyes and a tooth filled mouth to go with said fins.
The gunner also noticed the debris was moving towards his own ship.
"Um� Sir? We might have a problem�" The gunner swiveled to address the
Captain, who incidentally was also watching the swimming junk head towards
his ship. Before the wreckage got too close, the captain snapped to his
senses and turned to his gunner.
"Private, I don't know what that thing is, but I order you to open fire
immediately!" The gunner complied, swiveling in his wooden chair and taking
aim at the creature. One moment, its gaping jaws filled the screen. The
next moment, a volley of missiles bombarded the thing, sending up a momentary
cloud of fire. As the crew of the black vessel gave up a cheer, the gunner
watched as the giant fireball subsided� only to reveal a set of now much
closer gaping jaws filling the screen.
Frozen with terror, the gunner could only look on as the giant metal
fish-thing proceeded to take a bite out of the forward cannons.
***
>From the bridge of their vessel, Kagato and Pixy Misa watched as Misa's
latest Love-Love Monster, "Space Debris Fish Girl", chowed down on the
now-crippled Scouter. Kagato looked to the beaming Magical Girl, nodding his
head in approval. "Impressive."
"Thanks." Misa watched as Kagato's hands danced over the control panel.
Slowly, the Scouter disappeared from the view screen, only to be replaced
with what looked like blood red clouds floating aimlessly through space.
Slightly unnerved, Misa stared at the clouds, asking the scientist, "So what
is this place?"
"This is the Soulless Sea, an area known for its violent and destructive
inhabitants. This is one of the few areas of space not claimed by the Jurai
Empire or any of its lesser houses."
Misa watched as the ship glided on through layer after layer of red mist.
"So why are we here, exactly?" Kagato smiled and pointed at the view screen.
"To acquire our army."
Misa looked and gasped. Three Scouters quickly emerged from the red mist
surrounding the tiny purple craft. As Kagato brought their own ship to a
halt, Misa felt a tiny ball of fear forming in her stomach.
"Um, Kagato? I don't think I can get all three of them before they destroy
us." Kagato patted the Magical Girl on the head, instantly causing her face
to twist with anger.
"Not to worry. They're here to talk, not fight."
As if to emphasize his point, the bridge suddenly echoed with a booming, male
voice. "Unidentified vessel, lower your defenses and prepare to be boarded.
If you resist, we shall open fire."
Misa looked to Kagato, who was now patiently standing by the control panel.
Half frightened out of her mind, she shakily asked, "Um, aren't we gonna do
something? I mean, are we gonna fight them here, or..?"
Kagato shook his head. "Not at all. Don't worry, child. I have a plan."
Misa nodded as the sound of approaching footsteps from the hall beyond the
bridge reached her ears. "Yeah, okay, so what's you plan?"
The doors behind Kagato slid open, revealing several men garbed in dark red
uniforms, each carrying what appeared to be bos. Calmly, Kagato put his
hands on his head and turned to face his captors.
"We surrender."
Misa face-faulted as the guards surrounded them both. As she was led away
from the bridge, she couldn't help but think that the mad scientist in front
of her truly was insane.
***
In a world that could have been a billion light years away one moment, then
right next door the next a woman sat amidst her shadows, watching the mad
scientist and the magical girl through eyes that could see more than eyes
should be able to. With a sigh, she watched as Misa and Kagato were led to
their ship's transporters, Misa's expression radiating death all the while.
With a gesture from the woman, the vision was gone, replaced with the image
of a planet surrounded by a crisscross of tree-like defenses, each one
seeming to shimmer in the starlight.
All the while a thought ran through the woman's mind, something that she
hadn't dared to think for what could have been countless millennium; then
again, for her it might have been only yesterday.
"Sister, what has become of you?"
***
Kagato & Co. belong to TV Tokyo, AIC and Pioneer
All C&C to BGlanders@aol.com or Ronoken@aol.com, please
I have a page! www.geocities.com/tokyo/gulf/6417