[Episode 120457] [Episode 120457]Setsuna looked grimly at then. “Considering how our enemies are moving and how unbalanced we are at our new powers… I have no other alternative but to risk that…” she spoke.
“Risk what Setsuna?” asked Ami, a look of eager attention on her face. If anything, her thirst for knowledge had been only heightened by her darkstalker awakening.
“Use the Time Gates for training. There, time has no meaning. We can cram months of practice on an eye-blink. But…”
“But?” asked Ami. This sounds interesting... she mused to herself while watching intently her friend.
“But first, we will only be able to use about six months of ‘relative time' before we are forced to get back.” She replied. “Not my rules guys...” she interrupted their nascent protest. “That many high powered persons near the Gates are a security compromise. It has Security protocols I have no control over, and they WILL make us leave if we stay too much.”
“You make it sound as if it wasn't all, Setsuna.” replied Ami, still looking intently at her. Her keen intellect had already noticed certain reticence on the older Senshi voice, and processed it against her knowledge (albeit very little, granted, but there nevertheless) of the ancient Artifact. Conclusion: She was worried about something and not sure about how to tell.
You always were the most observant… thought Setsuna proudly at her fellow... no, sister senshi, capacity of rationalization, before answering. “I'm… not quite sure, but there might have some side effects from such accelerated training on you. I don't have to worry about it because of being the Gate's Keeper, but I can't guarantee that something else doesn't happen…”
Usagi smiled her usual optimistic smile, even if it had a few... naughty hints underneath now. “Don't worry Setsuna, we survived this far haven't we? We are family, we'll pull it through. We've always have…” She spoke, while smiling to those reunited.
The Senshi and the Guards smiled back. Their leader optimism could not be denied, neither her strength.
Nearby, the parents and Usagi's family watched, expressions of worry and pride mingling in their faces, though in Shingo's case, it was more of sheer awe and bewilderment (and maybe a touch of... not fear, but apprehension). He still had to truly get used to his new sister.
With a sigh, Setsuna turned to the others waiting. “Don't worry. There will be a flash of light and about ten minutes or so later we'll be back.” Raising the Time Staff in the air, she spun it around and in a flash, the temple's courtyard was vacant.
* * * * *
With the same flashing blink, ten minutes later they were back. But it was visible they HAD changed. They stood more … assured of themselves. More ... at balance, it seemed. Although they showed no physical difference (Except in Hotaru's case. She seemed healthier than before, almost like a normal girl her age.), it was evident that they were more ... mature.
The elder Hino and Millennia got closer, followed by the rest. “So children, how did it go? All well I take it from what it looks.” Asked the old priest.
Ikuko watched her daughter worriedly. “You ok, honey?” she asked. She had never seen such an… adult expression on her child's face. She had early decided that, no matter what Usagi's origin was, she STILL was her daughter. And she still loved her regardless. But she could not help but worry about meeting her 'biological mother'. She was a SUCCUBUSS, and a demon QUEEN! How would... no, could, they relate to each other?
Rei smiled impishly to them. “Wanna take a look?” she asked smiling. Usagi's happy grin a mirror of hers.
“Why not?” was Millennia's reply, grinning back. This should be fun! She thought.
The group took a few steps back. And the show began…
“Makai Moon Power, MAKE UP!” (Spoke mother and daughter in unison.)
“Makai Mars Power, MAKE UP!”
“Makai Mercury Power, MAKE UP!”
“Makai Venus Power, MAKE UP!”
“Makai Jupiter Power, MAKE UP!”
“Makai Saturn Power, MAKE UP!”
“Makai Uranus Power, MAKE UP!”
“Makai Neptune Power, MAKE UP!”
“Makai Pluto Power, MAKE UP!”
“Makai Guard Power, MAKE UP!” (also spoken in two voices by Umino and Naru.)
Mamoru never had a changing phrase so he kept to himself, just following the others' cue.
And the changes... STARTED…
Light and Darkness exploded around Usagi's feet, shredding her clothing away as she floated a good two feet up in the air. Then it surrounded her floating, taunt perfect body in translucent ribbons, the play of light and shadows over it, sometimes showing, other times hiding, more enthralling than any teasing. Winds caressed her form with silky fingers, bringing a sensual moan of pleasure from her pouty red lips. Then, the ribbons suddenly wrapped themselves tightly around her body, forming a shinning white bodysuit with a plunging neckline trimmed in reddish gold (think a white version of Morrigan's leotard). A silver bat over a golden moon brooch stood between her perfect breasts, drawing attention to their pert perfection. Next, as Usagi kept turning in the air, the ribbons enveloped her trim arms, forming fingerless silver gray gloves with a ruby red trim in the end up to her mid-arms. Then, her toned legs were encased in dark fishnet stockings that ended in tight fitting flat-soled white with red and gold trim boots piped with golden moon and bat motifs that seemed to follow up the stockings. The ribbons then formed a small pleated yellow, red and blue skirt around her slim waist, with side slits that made it almost two pieces of cloth in front and behind. A deep scarlet sash circled her slim waist, falling to the right side. Finally, they flowed around her shoulders, forming slim looking dark blue shoulder-guards that somehow still reminded then all of her sailor outfit. A silver bat under a golden moon sigil graced her brown while golden bat motif earrings appeared. A slim dark velvet choker, festooned with a small diamond bat surrounded by twin half moons of gold graced her throat. Then, her winglets grew from her odangos and her fuller wings opened from her back, beating twice and surrounding her in a flurry of white golden feathers. She floated down on the ground, assuming a pose that reminisced all who knew Morrigan of her. Behind her, in a star filled night sky, a full silvery Moon shone, over which a golden bat motif appeared.
* * * * *
A pinkish red flare of power burst around the teen, lifting her up in the air and whisking away her clothing, exposing her nascent beauty to the eyes of the world (also making VERY clear that she REALLY was her mother's daughter…). A flock of red and gold bats surrounded her, forming first her bodysuit (now white fine chainmail). Next came her gloves and boots (closer inspection would reveal that they now had a definite metal hardness look to them). Finally, her fuku formed, a steely glean to it. A tiara, donned with a silver bat over a full gold moon graced her brow. Full red bat wings opened on her back, as well as small winglets on her odangos. As she floated down, posing similarly to her mother against a silver bat over a red moon, her fangs could be seen in a feral impish smile.
* * * * *
Incidentally (or maybe not…) by this time, Shingo passed from extreme nosebleed right after watching Chibi-Usa , er, Lilith, change. His father wasn't any better, holding his nose and breathing heavily. Ikuko was blushing scarlet herself and thinking over and over that she MOST DEFINITELY wasn't attracted to her daughter! Nope, not at all…
* * * * *
Flames and hot lava exploded from the ground, burning away Rei's clothing and returning her to her efreet form, as she was raised into the air. Hot lava flowed like water over her slim body, forming a metallic bronze looking suit of body armor with golden shoulder pads, in which the sigil of Mars shone over her left breast in blue white heat. White-hot flames enveloped her arms, turning into golden metal slim gauntlets (like something out of Saint Seya) that went to her elbows, also encased in metallic protectors. Then, fine ash covered her waist, forming a pleated ash gray fuku. A thin silvery belt cinched it. More lava exploded, this time covering her legs and forming bronze metal flat-soled boots. A wisp of flame surrounded her brown, becoming a polished silvery steel tiara with the sigil of Mars in red enamel, only this time, it was more of real head protection than beauty fashion. Finally, from the lava flows grew a slim looking metallic spear than looked like it was made of pure flame. As Rei took it and spun it into a ready position, looking a lot like a flaming ancient roman warrior, the symbol of Mars made of hot magma showed behind her, illuminated by the heat of the lava flows.
* * * * *
The elder Hino watched her granddaughter's change with a proud smile, while a tear fell. My daughter, my son-in-law…my wife... you all would be _so_ proud of her… he thought with mixed feelings. I'll watch over her for you, do not worry… I'll help her become the beautiful and proud queen she can be. Help her friends create a whole new world for humans and Darkstalkers... And one day, we will all be together again…
* * * * *
A blue flash of power, accompanied by a gust of snowy wind surrounded Amy, freezing her clothing to brittle ice while lifting her in the air. Suddenly naked as the flecks of clothing fell, she spun gracefully in the air as if dancing, her now snow-white body fairly glowing. A gust of snow fell all over her, forming her whitish blue bodysuit. Twin gusts spiraled up enveloping her arms, turning into bluish crystal ice armbands that went almost to her elbows. Snow pelted her long legs, coalescing into a pair of ice blue with white trim flat-soled boots. Another gust of rainy snow fell over her, turning into a short white with blue and silver highlights short-sleeved kimono and a silvery blue skirt slitted on both sides up to her hips. The kimono had a light blue sigil of Mercury within a stylized silvery snow crystal over her left breast, as a sash in many shades of blue cinched her fine waist. A fine, powdery snow fell, freezing together into a deep blue ice tiara. As she landed, another gust of wind flew around her hands, freezing into a translucent ice staff. She spun it around and brought it to ready as the snow-laden winds formed the sigil of Mercury against a frozen waste background.
* * * * *
Ami, we really need to talk… but I truly don't know how to even begin… thought Dr. Mizuno to herself. How do you talk to your daughter that her FATHER is ANOTHER woman!? A Yukki-Onna?! That she's NOT HUMAN?! She wondered worriedly.
* * * * *
Light shone from the ground, lifting Minako as her clothing exploded from her body. Her blonde strands flew in a nimbus around her, taking a golden cast that made then seem to be made of shinning light, through which her now pointed ears could be seen. Then, a golden nimbus surrounded her toned body, turning into a bright yellow chainmail bodysuit. White wispy cloth with silver highlights covered her, becoming a short toga like vest. A wide silver metal belt, emblazoned with the symbol of Venus within a starburst pattern in gold encircled her slim waist. Light strands flew around each other up her feet and legs to her knees, turning into laced golden sandal boots with golden metallic plates in front of her legs. Golden fingerless gauntlets tucked her hands and forearms up to her elbows. A light coppery metallic shoulder-pads and upper chest armor, also emblazoned with a gold-red Venus sigil over her left breast encased her, while a wide gold headband protected her brown. A short sword, a gladius that seemed made of white-yellow light, appeared on her right hand. Minako made a few passes with it through the air, leaving trails of light behind it as, at last, her many wings opened in her back in a shower of light and she floated down, posing against a background of a solar flare that formed the Venus sigil. Her eyes pulsed blue-gold with power, yet they managed to convey a dark impish humor in then as well as she smiled a slightly fanged smirk.
* * * * *
Aino Millennia watched her daughter with a prideful smile almost splitting her face in two. You will do us proud daughter! I know you will! She then smiled wickedly to herself. And... You will not be alone in this fight! she fiercely decided.
* * * * *
Bright thunder struck the ground, and Makoto flew up within many colored sparks. At some point up she simply broke away in pieces, turning into her swarm form. The untold thousands of jewel like spiders spun around in the air, forming a cocoon of web and lighting that seemingly hung there in a huge web floating in the air, within which a humanoid female form could be seen. Another thunder, this time a dark purple, almost black, struck, and the female form broke through the cocoon to raise herself in the web it was in. Through the flashing light and dark electrical storm, her eyes, a green jade without white could be seen. All four of then; a pair on a more normal location and another, on her temples. Four arms, ending in sharp claws firmed her. Long, ivory white fangs like those of a vampire peeked from her rosy smiling lips. Then, another spider swarm, riding the thunder and lightning came upon her. Circling around her body, they spun an electrical web around her firm, toned body, forming an emerald green bodysuit, highlighted with gold ‘lightning' designs. They crawled up her legs, encasing them in light green metallic boots with a gold web design in them that went to her mid-calves (like something out of Saint Seya). They divided and circled up her arms, creating fingerless green metal gauntlets that came up to her mid-arms (like Dragon Shiryuu from Saint Seya), all shot through with yellow lighting. They spun once more around her body, forming a bronze upper-chest and shoulder-pads that looked like metallic webs over her shoulders. The sigil of Jupiter in gold over a green enamel web design stood over left breast. A 3” high oval pink cabochon cut quartz crystal brooch stood between her breasts. Still spinning, they circled her slim waist and down, forming a red and rose sash over a green pleated chainmail skirt. Around her throat, a thin green choker, doted with a ruby rose shone, while in her head a metallic tiara spun, protecting her eyes above and under. Small rosebuds doted her ears. As she leapt down, assuming a battle stance, small, dagger-like blades, suffused with electricity shot from the back of her gauntlets, like a roman cestus. Behind her tall figure (taller than she used to be by a head and a half, at least, maybe even more), in a web covered forest background, lightning spun the sigil of Jupiter.
* * * * *
Dark violet light burst from the ground, whisking away Hotaru's clothes as she spun on the air like a ballerina. Then, globes of multicolored light that looked like will-o-wisps and fireflies flew all around her trim, pale white beautiful body, whose cast had suddenly taken a very strong ‘elven' appearance. Wispy violet surrounded her, turning into a purplish white bodysuit. Dark red twirled around her trim arms to the mid-arm, forming into violet gloves trimmed with sky blue at the end. Pale yellow flew up her toned legs to form into dark purple, almost black, laced boots. A veritable rainbow surrounded her, turning into a light suit of light violet chainmail torso and skirt. A wide leather belt, donned with a silver buckle with her Makai family's coat of arms cinched her waist, as the sigil of Saturn formed in blood red over her left breast. Pale blue crowned her brown, forming into a golden circlet that looked like a slim crown. Then, a hooded cloak that seemed to be made from pure darkness appeared on her slim shoulders, suddenly turning her into a pale womanly shape within shadows. As she sat down, the Silence Glaive materialized besides her. Taking it into her hands, she spun it above her head, causing a whirlwind of lights and shadows before bringing it to bear. Behind her, in a shadowed forest glade, violet glowing will-o-wisps formed the sigil of Saturn in the air.
* * * * *
The earth shook and buckled, finally exploding upwards in rocks and light. Haruka was flung up with the shock, beginning to spin in the air. Suddenly, she grew to almost 11 ft high, shredding her clothing away. Her skin turned scaly, darkening to a deep ebon, shot trough with liquid yellow stripes. Her proportions shifted, her torso and neck elongating while her legs bent forward and her feet became reptile claws. Her face, while still recognizable, got a distinct reptile cast as it grew into a short snout and her short blonde hair turned into a long white mane. A long tail sprung from her back as wickedly long talons grew in her hands and great pale yellow wings opened on her back. Then, white light washed over, turning into a white chainmail bodysuit. Twin globes of azure enveloped her forearms, encasing then in fingerless gold gauntlets. Wispy blue light surrounded her hips, becoming a dark blue chainmail skirt. A wide brass belt cinched her waist. Then, blue steel upper chest and shoulder pads formed, the sigil of Uranus in deep red enamel over her left breast. A headband in the shape of a long serpentine dragon biting his own tail circled her brow and dark blue metal protectors encased her legs. As she landed, the Space sword formed in her hand, enlarged to her Mistress proportions, then changed from its falchion shape into a broadsword. A HUGE, dragon-sized broadsword. Behind her, in a rocky landscape, the sigil of Uranus etched itself on a cliff face as she held the sword point up and energy flew through it.
* * * * *
A jet of water sprouted from the ground, raising Michiru and washing away her clothing. As her body floated within the watery column, her skin suddenly took a greenish cast, becoming riddled with fine scales. Her hands and feet sprouted webbed claws and a long fin parted her hair down the middle. Her now elongated pointed ears could also be seem, as the gills slits in her thin neck. Specks of multicolored lights flew up and down like schools of fish around her. Flowing around her body, silvery light formed bodysuit made of white with green trim scales. Two twin lines of greenish light snaked up her legs, forming dark-green laced sandal boots with metallic green protectors in the front. Dark blue specks flew around her waist to form a scalemail skirt of the same color, donned with a wide light brown leather belt with a yellow shell in the front. Golden lights surrounded her arms, forming gleaming gold armbands up to her elbows. Reddish lights turned around her torso, forming into a brass looking upper chest armor of a shell design and shoulder pads. The sigil of Neptune in red over a stylized blue wave shone in her left breast. A light blue and gold headband, slightly dented to accommodate the start of her head fin formed in her brow. As she flew out of the water to land, the Deep Aqua Mirror suddenly appeared spinning in the air, to shatter in a rainbow hued light. Light, which then spun and grew, forming into a crystalline trident, shot through with veins of gold and silver and donned with a pulsing oval ruby orb at the base of the prongs, tipped with arrow points of gold. As Michiru spun her weapon around to bring it to bear, behind her in a sea the winds whipped the waves' foam into the Neptune sigil.
* * * * *
An explosion of power shredded Setsuna's clothing as she floated up. Then, dark forest green vines suddenly grew from the ground, enveloping her body and beginning to form her new uniform. First, a whitish green with black stripes hard looking segmented bodysuit (giving the whole design an insectile look) covered her body. Then, the vines enveloped her arms, turning into a pair of light yellow gloves that looked translucent on her, like a thin flower petals rolled around her arms. Dark black flowers fell over her, turning into a leafy looking dark skirt. Little red buttons grew in her ears as studs, as a thin yellow vine, studded with white buttons grew around her head as a tiara, and new vines grew to form dark, almost blackish green boots. A dark red rose grew between her breasts in lieu of a gem, as dark thick green leaves expanded from her shoulders to form the ‘sailor look' and small dark buttons surrounded her throat forming a slim choker. As she stood on the ground, wispy thin insect wings unfolded from her back, beginning to rapidly beat with a humming sound. Her full black eyes glowed softly with power, as tree branch grew from the ground near her hand, and as she took it, it morphed into the Time Key Staff, only it now had a more … organic looking to it, looking as if made of polished white ash. A symbol of Pluto that seemed to be made from the vines that grew from the ground appeared behind her.
* * * * *
As power blew, both youths were suspended in the air, spinning slowly as their clothing vanished. Light surrounded their torsos, turning into a light silver with black highlights breastplate. On Umino, a dark blue bat shone over a golden sigil of the moon. On Naru, over a brown stylized fox face shone a light blue sigil of Mercury. Silvery headbands formed upon their brows, as their arms were encased in fingerless brass looking gauntlets to their elbows. Silvery gray chainmail pants appeared up their legs, just to be encased in black metallic boots. Umino's winglets and full wings grew as fur sprouted on Naru's arms and face as her ears changed and her tails burst forth. As they flew down, a red crystalline broadsword formed in Umino's hand, alongside a small round shield that seemed made of pure light. On Naru's back, an exquisite looking longbow appeared, as her hand closed on a beautifully etched staff. They brought their weapons to bear as the sigil of the moon, surrounded in a circle by the sigils of all other planets appeared behind them.
* * * * *
Mamoru bent and growled, as his body grew and changed amidst a great flare of power. Black and red fur sprouted over his body as his clothes shredded from a body suddenly way too big for then. His face elongated into a snarling wolfish snout, as a bushy tail sprouted from the small of his back and his legs bent, feet becoming taloned paws that ripped his shoes away. His arms bulged with muscles and fur as he raked the earth with his newly grown talons in a shower of sparks. As he stood tall (a HELL of a lot taller than before, actually!) once more, a black silver lined breastplate, reminiscent from his ‘Endymion' form appeared, along with shinning silvery armbands, and hip-guards and leg protectors (that also kept his pawns free), also in black and silver. The sigil of Earth, superposing a light brown wolf head silhouette, etched itself in gold over his heart. Mamoru turned his face up to howl powerfully to the skies as an image of the Earth viewed from the space superimposed of the earth sigil appeared behind him.
* * * * *
They were once named ‘Pretty Soldiers'. While pretty was still visible, it had (and would) become clear to ANYBODY who saw them that now they were, and would forever be, SOLDIERS. May the Kami have mercy on those who _dared_ to oppose them. For those new warriors were visibly RARING for a good fight …
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(Posted Tue, 05 Oct 2004 02:55)
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