"Eh?! You'd be willing to do that, Ryôko?!" A smile. "Arigatô!"
"Tariko-chan, please. It was my pleasure," Ryôko Mendô replied. She and Tariko were conversing via cell phone, the latter currently in the living room of the Moroboshi home, a map of Tomobiki spread out before her and Hiromi. Around them was a scene of organised chaos. Negako sat at the head of the table, sipping a cup of tea, looking quite relaxed. Suikô Kajin sat beside her, also enjoying tea and now fully recovered from the "punishment" Negako had given her the previous evening. Muchi had gone to work. Kinshô was busy in the kitchen, now preparing snacks and drinks for everyone, with Mioko doing the delivering to the various groups. Tariko's younger sisters were running around helping the construction crews recently hired by the estate of Nagaiwakai Moroboshi to knock down the fences between the original property owned by Muchi Moroboshi and the three neighbouring properties so that the land could be expanded and a connecting building built in the square between the four houses. Lum, Benten and Oyuki sat around the table as they watched Hiromi scan the map, making notes on a pad next to it. Also present were Kenseki and Teikô of the Ten Attendants, who were keeping open cell phone links to their friends at Chôjô's home base to get updates concerning the activities of the several hundred Niphentaxians currently loose in Tomobiki and neighbouring districts. "The Kuroko are currently at Tomobiki-chûô station; they'll receive the people from Rakuyô and have them come to the estate. Asuka is sending the Kurotenshi down to the station soon to receive the tôshi from Kyoshô; we'll place them there."
Tariko looked at her sister. "Rakuyô to the Mendô estate, Kyoshô to the Mizunokôji estate," she called out. "We can probably direct the smaller groups and the Kôshi Kasshi to the town parks since Yoshû's heading to the school with Seito."
"I'll make sure mobile kitchens are sent out to give those people something to eat," Ryôko promised them. "Otô-sama just received a call from the Prime Minister's office. The Mendô Clan forces have been temporarily nationalised, ready to be called out at a moment's notice, as have the Mizunokôji Clan forces. No doubt to reinforce what Self-Defence Force groups are coming into Tomobiki to support the police and the Men in Black."
A nod. "Okay, fair enough. Let's hope we can keep all the tôshi separated from each other. With the way some of those hotheads think, one bad word and we'll have a huge rumble in the middle of town for Ni to handle BEFORE we deal with the Niphentaxians."
"We'll just have to prevent that. I'll call if something happens."
"Hai."
The link was cut. At that moment, Teikô lowered her phone. "My Empress, update from Chôjô. Scan of all Niphentaxian agents in Tomobiki and environs complete."
"Report," Hiromi asked as the aliens in the room tensed.
"No potentially troublesome activity. They have noted the arrival of the forces of Seito and Yoshû, but believe it to be some sort of interschool competition. They are also concerned about what they term a 'special supply run' they were expecting today which did not arrive. Calls into space have produced no answers."
"That fleet Negako took out yesterday," Benten stated.
A nod. "Most likely, Benten-san."
"Any communication with our friend in Nippara?"
Teikô tensed on hearing Negako's question, and then she shook her head. "Negative."
"Have them scan the group located to the north of Yuzumi's home."
Everyone blinked. "Why, Negako-san?" Lum asked.
"There might be a potential problem there," the grandmaster stated.
It is a nondescript home that had attracted Negako's ki senses. No different than the other homes around it in this residential section of Tomobiki. Rarely touched by the curious events that had rocked this town since the First Tag Race over a year before, it had never attracted any serious attention by outside authorities, which made it more than perfect for the small team of alien agents that now called this place their base.
"So this is all that is happening?" Tsui asked.
Shaskaar nodded. "Hai, Commander. It appears that the complete student body of one school from outside Tôkyô-to and the majority of another school, also from outside Tôkyô-to, have come to the Holy Citadel to participate in some sort of interschool meet. We could have tried to gain more information…"
He waved her off. "We cannot violate the sanctity of the Holy Citadel, as much as we cannot the Goddess' Blessed Residence. I'm aware of that, Shaskaar. It is of no real concern. We can learn of this event when the Holy Company add to their Sacred Writings this week." He then perked. "Any news from the supply fleet?"
The silver-haired, grey-eyed twenty-something shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Commander. Last signal we received from them was some time before that energy blast was launched into the heavens from the Tarôzakura hill, when the Great Evil was reported slain."
Tsui blinked, and then he smiled. "We will definitely have to confirm that," he stated, a delighted cackle in his voice. "All of the Faithful will rejoice to know that the Goddess is finally free of Moroboshi's evil." He stopped before scowling. "But we must learn more of this Tariko Hana woman." A hum. "Could she actually be the Great Evil in disguise, perhaps? A chameleon, maybe…?"
"We could try to scan the Sacred Writings tonight, Commander…"
Tsui grunted. "No. Pay it no mind, Shaskaar. We can learn more when comes the proper time to view the Writings. Try to keep communicating with the supply fleet. If we don't get through to them, we'll send a packet message to the Homeworld to request a new one as soon as possible." He made a dismissive wave. "You may go."
The woman straightened herself. "Hai. Excuse me, please."
She turned to leave, and then halted on hearing his voice, "Shaskaar?"
She looked at him. "Hai?"
"You are performing your duties well. In time, you may reclaim your former position. But remember, the influence of evil can come from any direction, even if was not unleashed by the Great Evil." Tsui's eyes narrowed. "Learn from what we discovered about the apostate Fungi. Do not allow such to happen again."
Shaskaar tensed. "Hai, Commander. Excuse me, please."
With that, she slipped on her shoes and walked out of the home, turning up the street to walk to the house several doors away. While the team she belonged to numbered a couple dozen, they were not quartered in the same location. Given the propensity of worshippers of the Living Goddess to wear the uniforms of those of Her Holy Company who learned from her at the Holy Citadel, it was quite stupid for a whole group of people — including those who were far older than what would be seen as normal for high school students — to weak gakuran and sailor fuku and NOT go to school.
For the woman born Shaskaar bedai-Iyake and who was known to her few Terran friends by the name "Shasta Ianson" (she pretended to be Swedish though she only spoke Japanese and English), she had chosen the look of a young, energetic businesswoman, someone who could be mistaken as either a professional secretary or a junior executive in one of the foreign companies that did business in Japan. It still amazed her at times, how gullible the people who lived around her and her co-workers — the last remnants of her own independent observation team — actually were. To them, Shasta Ianson, Mackenzie Shatner (born as Makasai dai-Shishya) and Connie Sanders (born as Koeko dai-Saihyos) were three of the reasons why Westerners, despite their strange ways, could be accepted with open arms even in a homogenous country like Japan.
Approaching her current residence, she pulled out her electronic key lock to open the door, and then she stepped inside. "Tadaima," she called out.
"Okaeri nasai, Shasta," the caramel-haired, hazel-eyed, bespectacled and tomboyish Makasai called out as she peeked out from the kitchen and then she winked on seeing the annoyed look on her leader's face. "Sierra-square…?" she asked.
"Delta-square," Shaskaar said in return, winking at her friend. It was a phrase in English that described their situation quite succinctly: SSDD (Same Shit, Different Day). "Where's Connie?" As a rule, they always used their Earth names even when in their own base of operations. You never knew when someone might try to listen in.
"Upstairs with Semina and Motoko," Makasai said with a frown, and then she added in a whisper, "Motoko's almost due. What are we going to do with her?"
"Help her, of course," the commander replied, her own voice lowering in response. "Lum-sama would frown on the idea of innocent children being slain for any reason. Besides, even if the report I gave Trent…" — That was Tsui's Earth name, Trent Reynolds — "…states it, he doesn't care that two of the Seven Battle Schools have suddenly deployed almost en masse to the Holy Citadel." She took a deep breath, and then nodded her thanks as Makasai handed her a cup of tea.
"But if the others learned that Motoko's giving birth…?"
"We make sure they don't," Shaskaar stated as she gave her friend an even look.
Makasai nodded. Footsteps then echoed from upstairs. "Okaeri nasai, Shasta," Koeko said as she walked into the kitchen. "Usual garbage?"
A nod. "Hai. How are they?"
A sigh. "I'd give Motoko another week," the black-haired, blue-eyed woman replied, closing her eyes as tears flowed freely down her cheeks. "I just wish we could find some way to communicate to Motoko's and Semina's friends, tell them what's happened."
Shaskaar shook her head. "You know we can't, Connie."
"Still…"
"I know," the commander breathed out. "I feel the same way. I never dealt with Avalonians before that production line was brought here from Phentax Twelve and we enacted the plan to have back-up observers ready to step in just in case Moroboshi called down that whatever-it-was he unleashed on the Holy Company four weeks ago to destroy us. But we must remain faithful. The elders of the Church are worried now, especially given how much the True Faith has spread amongst our kind." She closed her eyes. "I so want to believe…!"
"So do I," Makasai whispered as she clasped her hands underneath her chin…
Several blocks away…
"Altogether pretty decent people, these three," Kakin mused.
Chôjô blinked as she walked over to stare at the scrying glass her friend had constructed, now displaying an image of three alien women sharing coffee and having what seemed to be an emotionally-charged conversation. "Where are they?"
"Here," Kakin said as she pointed to a map of Tomobiki, indicating a specific location close to the border with Nerima. "Small sub-group of the operation controlled from this house down the street from their residence." She pointed that out. "All three of them are as loyal to their cause as the others we've scanned, but something seems to be driving them away from blindly following their friends. I wish…"
"Atsuko, scan the rest of the house," Chôjô ordered. "Let see what's there."
Kakin perked, and then she nodded as she manipulated the controls on the keyboard attacked to the scrying glass through a special processor she had designed herself using both modern technology and ancient magic learned by her past-selves. "Three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, dining area…! Wait!" she gasped. "Fourth bedroom, now with two other…!" Her jaw then dropped. "Gods! Look, Yuzumi!"
Chôjô leaned down to look, and then she gaped. "Those are two of US!"
The other Attendants perked on hearing that shout, and then they gathered around to gaze on the image there. "I recognise them!" Kôran then exclaimed. She was a former student of Rakuyô Senior High School. "The blonde was two years behind me at high school! She's Chôsen! Hôsen Ryofu's wife back in their first lives!"
"And the green-haired girl with the pigtails?" Fûsho wondered. "The pregnant one?"
More gasps filled the room as the eyes of the eight women there quickly confirmed that the girl they were seeing now lying on the bed and being tenderly cared for by Chôsen was indeed in the family way. And almost due, Chôjô's very sharp eyes were quick to detect after a quick analysis of the woman's bloated stomach.
"Ken'yô Teigen," Kôran answered in a hoarse voice.
Meanwhile, just outside of Tomobiki-chûô JR station…
"You're here to escort us to the Mendô estate?"
"Hai, Tôtaku-sama," one of the two masked Kuroko stated as they bowed to the assembled Rakuyô tôshi, all of whom had managed to stream through the exit gates at the station and were about to form up to march on Tomobiki High School when they were intercepted. "Our mistress, Ryôko Mendô-sama, is allied with Tariko Moroboshi-sama in the great cause that brought all of you here today. But we are also aware of the fractious relations between yourselves and your peers. To prevent any incidents, we will help you disperse to separate locations to prevent the possibility of unwelcome incidents that would see people unnecessarily hurt before you can deal with the true enemy."
Hearing that, Chûei Tôtaku blinked, and then she nodded after exchanging a look with Bunwa Kaku. "Well, if you're going to be so hospitable to all of us, I can't hardly see a reason to refuse," the mistress of Rakuyô then said, smiling.
"We also are preparing field kitchens for all of you," the other Kuroko stated. "No doubt, some of your schoolmates would enjoy an extra snack."
Chûei laughed. "Well, after hearing THAT, we CAN'T refuse!" She then turned, nodding to Kôdai Chinkyû to raise the school banner. "Warriors of Rakuyô!" she then screamed out loud enough for those still close to the station to hear. "To the Mendô estate! Our honoured hosts have promised food and drink for us there!"
A wild cheer of delight echoed through the crowd as the tôshi headed off down a side street, marching five abreast as they maintained some sort of class group order. Walking at the back end of the mass of students, Hôsen Ryofu and Bun'en Chôryô pulled up the rear, making sure no one ended up falling out and getting lost. While the blonde tôshi with the long guändäo looked quite upbeat, her aqua-haired friend was frowning. "Well, at least we're being treated pretty good," Bun'en mused, and then she gazed over to stare at Hôsen. "Hey, Shikuko! Get with the damned program, girl!"
Hôsen perked, and then she sighed. "Don't mind me, Haruka."
"You okay?"
The other tôshi moved to answer, and then she closed her eyes. "Haruka?"
Bun'en tensed. She HATED it whenever Hôsen started talking in THAT tone. "Yeah?"
"If anything happens to me, make sure Miyako's safe. Okay?"
Silence fell as Bun'en stopped, her grey eyes widening in shock and a growing sense of horror as she watched her friend and schoolmate walk on. After a moment, she closed her eyes, they now tearing as a pit of dread filled her heart.
"Oh, Shikuko, PLEASE!" she hissed out. "Don't tell me you saw Sekitoma…?"
The gates of Tomobiki High School…
The Principal of the nine decade-old high school smiled as he watched students stream in past the front gate. He was currently accompanied, as always, by his wonderful friend Kotatsuneko, who was seated nearby (kotatsu present, of course), a tea tray out and a kettle already piping hot with something delightful for them to drink as they enjoyed the beautiful morning. "Ah, a wonderful new day to start a wonderful new week," he said as he walked over to accept the offered tea from the cat-ghost. "I pray that this weekend's interesting events won't cause too much of a disruption." He then perked on "hearing" Kotatsuneko's comments to that. "Hai. Moroboshi-kun's noble sacrifice — in ALL its respects — must be acknowledged. Even if it is done in secret…! Eh?!"
He then perked on hearing a considerable amount of voices — all female, he was quick to note — singing loudly from somewhere beyond the gate. At first confused as he tried to register the song, he then perked on recognising the theme to the popular late 1980s anime show Sailor Moon. Quite taken aback on hearing people — especially if some of them were students from HIS school, who were all quite modern and trendy in their outlook on life — singing the old song, he headed to the gate to look down the street. And then his jaw dropped in surprise on seeing what was now marching his way. "Oh, my dear!" he breathed out.
Others were gathered as they watched the scene of eleven Tomobiki High School girls, the three alien women who made the news on Saturday (along with a fourth he knew had not appeared on the news) — as well as the rather large porcine one had as a pet — leading a massive troupe of girls in white sailor fuku tops with blue skirts, they followed by a smaller troupe of girls all in white open-collar shirts, dark brown vests and dark green plaid skirts. And one of the girls in the white seifuku and a girl in the vest-and-skirt uniform was marching to either side of the alien warrior introduced as the Lady Kingch'eng on the news, all three leading the rest of the group behind them in a remarkable rendition of Moonlight Densetsu. He then focused on the two school banners being held up behind Kingch'eng-dono's pet pig.
"Seito and Yoshû…?"
"Ah! Pretty kitty!"
Everyone gasped as a lithe form in white and black leapt over the front fence of Tomobiki High School to land in a perfect sitting position to Kotatsuneko's right. The cat-ghost jerked on sensing who had just joined him, and then he immediately handed her a cup of tea for her to drink. The Principal looked over. "Friend of yours?"
Kotatsuneko nodded as the singing stopped and a voice called out, "Lord Headmaster?"
Blushing at that formal title, he turned as the raven-haired Noukiite introduced in the news as the Lady Kachnuk came up to him, bowing her head as she gave him a fist-in-palm salute. She was accompanied by the Lady Kingch'eng, Shinobu Miyake and the two ladies who had been walking alongside Kingch'eng-dono at the head of the large troupe of girls. Who were now streaming onto the school property, they being directed by class leaders to get off the main pathway and form up in columns on the grass under the trees. Noting that, he turned back and bowed formally to Kuohu. "Hai, Kachnuk-dono?"
"Heaven's most sincere blessings on you and all your staff and students this very fine day," Kuohu greeted him. "Our apologies for coming here with so many people today, but please be assured, there is a very vital and valid reason for this."
He took that in with a nod, and then he stared at the two girls in the uniforms of two of the infamous Seven Battle Schools. "And you ladies are?"
Gentoku bowed. "Sonami Koro. Class 2-2, Seito High School, Kôchô-san."
Môki bowed as well. "Komi Uma. Class 2-5, Yoshû Academy, Kôchô-san." She then straightened herself as she snapped her fingers. "Mioshi!"
A dusky-skinned girl with long black hair and brown eyes immediately doubled over, a wrapped gift about the size of a pizza box in her hand. As Reimei Hôtoku came up beside her friend, she turned and bowed to the Principal, presenting the box to him. "A present to the staff and students of Tomobiki High School from the staff and students of the Yoshû Academy and Seito High School, Kôchô-san," Môki stated. "To loudly and clearly demonstrate our sincerity concerning today's events."
After handing the tea cup to Kotatsuneko, the Principal took the box and unwrapped it. Looking inside after he opened it, he gasped in surprise, and then he nodded thanks to Môki. "A truly beautiful gift, Uma-kun. Why don't you and Koro-kun join us for some tea? You as well, Miyake-kun. Something tells me you know what's going on."
"Unfortunately, I do, Kôchô-san," Shinobu said with a grimace as she shook her head. "And you won't like hearing any of this, sir. Not one bit."
"I see…"
"Ah! Pretty bird!"
Hearing that, Kyekkyek perked as she looked at Kyech. "Eh?! Where, Kyech?!"
The Dragonspeaker pointed up. Eyes turned upward to see a beautiful red-plumbed bird about the size of an albatross circling lazily around the school. Seeing the strange glow around the bird, the other Noukiites could only gasp in disbelief. "Heaven's Gate! That's a k'ekseuk!" At'at'at' exclaimed, and then she stared at the Principal, her jaw hanging around her knees. "You people even have them here as well?!"
"Um, At'at'at'-san, what do you mean by 'k'ekseuk?!'" Gentoku asked.
"A phoenix."
Silence.
"A PHOENIX?!" Shinobu exclaimed as people stared wide-eyed at Kuohu.
A nod. "Hai. The symbol of resurrection amongst my kind, Shinobu. To be cleansed of the pains of the past and to begin anew, free to see out a new destiny. It is seen as a good luck charm for those about to engage in battle for righteous reasons." Kuohu decided not to add on that if a phoenix was ever seen before a battle, it meant that people were going to die even if victory was guaranteed. Given the brief time she had come to know Shinobu Miyake, the black-haired bandit slayer had learned that Tariko's former girlfriend was rather quite squeamish about those sorts of things.
"Does that mean we're going to win?!" Hakufu wondered as she and Ranma came up to them; the couple had trailed back to the end of the Seito/Yoshû column to make sure no one didn't stray off until they could all get to Tomobiki High School.
Kuohu nodded. "Hai, Lady Tsueko. Our chances appear much better."
"It's coming here also means that the power of love will be with us as well."
Eyes locked on At'at'at'. "Love?!" Gentoku asked.
"Hai. With the presence of dragons with us today as well, even in spirit…" — Here, she waved to Kyech in emphasis before pointing up to the circling bird. — "…it means that whatever relationships have been formed among those who have seen the Most Venerable Fire Lady currently above our heads will be truly blessed by the Angels of the Heavens themselves. A very good sign, indeed."
Gentoku's cheeks suddenly reddened. "R-r-Really?!"
"That's nice."
Eyes turned to gaze on Shimei Ryomô as she walked past them; the Nan'yô tôshi had also fallen back to the end of the column, trailing behind Ranma and Hakufu. "Mô-chan! Are you okay?" Hakufu asked as she ran over to catch up to her classmate. "What's wrong?"
Shimei gazed on her for a moment, and then she sighed. "It's nothing, Sonsaku. Don't mind me." She turned away. "I'll contact Shikei to find out where our people are."
With that, she headed off, pulling out her cell-phone to make a call. Hakufu watched her go, her eyes wide with confusion. "Mô-chan…"
"She's a terrible liar."
"You would laugh at that, Haneko-san? I thought you were better than that."
Unchô Kan'u tensed on hearing that voice, and then she turned to stare at Shiryû Chôun before she turned back to gaze on Shimei as the Nan'yô tôshi made her call. "No, it's not a laughing matter," the raven-haired woman said as she gripped Lêngyànjù. "She had a cousin that lived here in Tomobiki. She died sometime ago, but had fallen in love with Ataru Moroboshi beforehand. After her death, her spirit remained on Earth until Ataru-kun was called on to help fulfil her last wish, and then she was able to ascend to Heaven." A sigh. "Mimôko is still grieving over the death of one cousin, Kumomi. And by the end of today…" Her voice trailed off as she gazed on the circling Sekitoma. "…she'll grieve over the body of her other cousin."
Shiryû turned to "stare" at the circling phoenix. "Indeed."
On the Mendô estate…
"Ryofu-sempai?"
Hôsen Ryofu blinked on hearing that strange voice, and then she turned to see a freshman student from Rakuyô standing there, a mug of juice in hand and being offered to her. "Hai?" she asked, and then blinked as the younger girl handed it to her. "Oh, dômo," she said as she took the mug, and then she smiled as she then leaned over.
The wide-eyed freshman nearly fainted as the pretty senior student gently kissed her on the lips, and then she blinked as she reached up to touch her lips for a second. A squeal then escaped her as she turned and raced off, her mind rolling a hundred kilometres a minute as that tender scene replayed again and again in her mind. She kissed me! She kissed me! She kissed me! Oh, gods, Ryofu-sempai KISSED me! Wait until the others in the class hear this! She kissed me! She kissed me! SHE KISSED ME!
Hôsen watched her go, and then she turned to gaze once more on the distant glowing creature circling above what had to be Tomobiki High School.
"So, old friend," she whispered to herself. "It's my time again, isn't it…?"
As she headed off to drink the juice, she didn't notice the pain-filled set of brown eyes watching her go before they turned to gaze at the phoenix in the sky.
"Why…?!" Kôdai Chinkyû moaned as we…
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