"Again?!"
The small group of Avalonians, now dressed in the waitress uniforms that Tampopo often preferred her workers to don when they helped in the restaurant, all nodded. "Hai, Tampopo-sama," Ikusawa Kyōko stated. "There is an emergency and Ataru-sama and his bond-mates are now proceeding to Tomobiki High School. From what Ataru-sama told me before we came down, he and Hiromi-sama will finally deal with the observers of the Church of Lum currently within Tomobiki and its surrounding municipalities tonight."
Hearing that, Tampopo sighed. Much that she was truly happy that her current ward had finally learned how to take full responsibility for his actions, she still ached at the idea of having the responsibility to protect the entire PLANET placed on the shoulders of a boy of only SEVENTEEN! Still, she could feel great pride at how much Ataru had progressed ever since he returned from Okusei and began making plans to leave his parents once and for all time, not to mention permanently deal with the woman then calling herself "Redet Lum" and claiming she was his wife.
Oh, well…
"Get your pads, girls. Let's go to work."
"Hai!" the Avalonians all chanted as they headed behind the counter…
Meanwhile, at Tomobiki High School…
"So you sensed the Venerable Sakurambō's confusion over recent events, then decided your best course of action was to immediately seek him out and provide whatever comfort you could?" Hiromi asked the small group of Niphentaxian-form Avalonians currently seated around Cherry. Everyone was now in Class 2-4, with Ryūnosuke (helped by Ataru's lovers) rushing to and from the cafeteria to provide snacks and drinks for the visiting tōshi from four schools. "Were you not ordered to remain clear of them, Reimi-san?"
"Hai, Hiromi-sama, we were," the tomboyish blonde woman — she had introduced herself as "Tokiwa Reimi," but indicated no native Niphentaxian name despite the fact that she (and those of her group) all had the unique Niphentaxian tapered ears — said with a nod. "Still, during the week we have filled in for our masters' due to their absence from their posts, we have discovered how glaringly inefficient the whole matter of intelligence gathering for the Faithful truly is."
"Given how dependent the Faithful are concerning the need to gain proper intelligence from the Holy City, we realised that direct contact with those who interacted with Lum-sama the most would eventually be required," Amano Shiho, the younger-looking of two very pretty sisters who sat to both sides of Reimi (her older sister was Midori), stated. "That is permitted under extreme circumstances. We believe the current set of circumstances now governing all your lives does fall under that definition."
"So you're willing to learn the truth about everything, right?" Shinobu demanded.
"We are, Shinobu-sama," all seven girls in Reimi's group chanted as one.
Surprised by that friendly response — those who were in the know concerning the Church of Lum had long been warned on how stubborn and obstinate the Niphentaxians were when it came to facing those who desired to directly challenge their worldview — Shinobu then sighed as she stared at Hiromi. "This is the break we need."
"True, but it still doesn't guarantee that revealing the truth will do anything to change minds among the 'faithful,'" Hiromi advised her friend. "Remember how much I warned you about how things were censored and strictly rationed by our current guests' late 'masters' before information is given to the normal people in the Union. You saw it yourself when you finally saw your 'book' in the Book of Lum."
A sigh. "True."
"'Late masters?'"
Eyes locked on Takamine Chiki, a pretty girl with short-cut black hair, sparkling blue-grey eyes and glasses. She sat to Midori's left. Sensing the briefest hint of concern deep within the other woman's heart, Hiromi sighed. "Most of the observers that were assigned by the Church to Tomobiki and its environs are dead now. Six ships of the Volunteer Earth Defence Force intercepted them near Neptune late Sunday night as they were travelling back to their posts. When it was discovered that there were those of our sisters serving as slave engineers in most appalling and degrading conditions, Hōsen-dono here…" She waved to the tôshi in question. "Became most incensed."
Silence.
"You killed OnĐ-sama…?"
The Avalonians in the room all looked horror-struck as they stared tearfully at the aqua-haired warrior from Rakuyō, who was currently being comforted by Tariko. While some of the tōshi present didn't bat an eye at hearing that Hōsen had been involved in such a massacre, others were thunderstruck. "Ryofu-san…how bad was it?" Gentoku asked, her eyes awash in tears at the idea that such a pretty and quite nice woman like Ryofu Hōsen would get herself involved in something like THAT.
A sigh. "It sickened me so badly that I rediscovered how to do a warp spasm, Ryūbi-san," she replied as she then glanced at Kan'u Unchō. "Kan'u can tell you about that."
Unchō blinked. "You mean like when…?"
"Our past-selves fought at Hǔláo Pass."
Unchō stared at the other woman, and then she shuddered. "Ye gods…"
"I saw them myself."
Eyes locked on Ryomō Shimei, who was currently seated at the head of the room to Hiromi's left, with Sōsō Mōtoku to the reborn emperor's right, holding his place as current chief advisor to her. "How bad?" Taishiji Shigi demanded.
"Starved almost to the point where they would probably fit in places like Auschwitz, Itsuku-kun," Shimei replied as she gazed on Yōshū's top fighter. "The only thing that kept them alive was their regenerative abilities; it's practically the same as what Wolverine has." She sighed. "Even the healer Hiromi summoned from Noukiios to look them over after Shikuko cut down all their masters believes it'll take years for them to fully recover, both physically and psychologically, from what they've endured."
The tōshi all shuddered on hearing that. Despite their past histories and their own personalities, there were certain moral codes they all followed. "Next time you run into these creeps, Hōsen, make sure you invite us to the party," Shigi snarled.
"All of us," Unchō added as Chōun Shiryū and Chōhi Ekitoku both nodded in support.
"Hopefully, it'll come soon," Hōsen stated.
"So part of your overall plan is to see the Avalonians finally free, correct?"
People gazed on Shiba'i Chūtatsu before turning back to Hiromi. "Quite correct." A sigh before she stared on Kyech, who was seated at one corner of the room, enjoying tea and nikuman, with Sekitoma now perched on her shoulder. "«Truly beloved friend, with your kindest permission, would you mind…?»" she asked in Nouki-e.
A nod. "It's alright, Hiromi."
A nod in return, and then Hiromi rose, walking over to place herself beside the Dragonspeaker. Standing to attention, she then bowed, giving everyone the standard Noukiite left fist-in-right palm salute. "Honoured friends, brothers and sisters, I present to you all my beloved friend, named Eyu-P'ye Yesu-Kyech when she was born in this life, though she was allowed to affirm her place as one of the Flower Youth of Noukiios and thus was renamed Seu-P'ye Yesu-Re Hechnich'-K'ekhech. She grants you all the right to use her personal name, 'Kyech,' when you address her directly." She then closed her eyes. "She is Avalonian in body. And in spirit, she is tōshi."
Silence.
"You mean we're not alone…?" Gakushū breathed out, his eyes wide with awe.
"I am not exactly like you, Tsukuhito."
Eyes locked on the Dragonspeaker as she stood, walking over to gaze up into the dark eyes of the warrior of Nan'yō. "I do not understand, K'ekhech-dono."
"I was only resurrected once after the end of my first life in AN 2008," Kyech reported. "That is 1117 BCE as you tell time. I can sense that you, Tsukuhito, have lived at least fifteen lives since your first passing from the mortal world in 197 AD."
"Are those like you the same way?" Rikuson Hakugen asked.
Kyech gazed on the freshman from Nan'yō. "Hai." She then blinked.
Silence fell as everyone watched them stare at each other, and then Kyech smiled as she reached over to gently rub the younger girl's head. "Kech. You are Kech."
More silence.
"What do you mean by that?" Hiromi demanded.
"I think I know."
Eyes locked on Ataru as he walked over to the blackboard and quickly scribbled down the characters 陸遜伯言 there in a column. Beside that, he wrote a string of Noukiite characters beside it. Once that was done, he began to draw lines between certain characters to the four kanji of Hakugen's battle name. "Seu-Kyang…" he said as he drew a circle around the family name and linked it to the "riku" kanji. "Yesu-Hech…" he then added as he drew a link to the "son" kanji. "Hechnich'-K'uongkech," he then finished as he linked that to "Hakugen."
Kyech nodded. "Kech." She then looked around before she started pointing out other people. "T'yekp'it'," she said as she pointed at Shūyu Kōkin. "Hep'p'yech," she then said as she indicated Hakufu. "Seup'it'" went to Mōtoku. "Ch'esyuk" went to Gentoku. "Kuohu," she then said to Unchō before she blinked, and then she giggled.
The raven-haired tōshi from Seito blinked. "What's so funny?"
Kyech pointed to the bladed polearm in Unchō's hand. "What is your weapon's name?"
"It is known as either Seiryūengetsutō or Reienkyo," Unchō replied.
"'Green Dragon Crescent Blade' or 'Frost Fair Blade,' correct?"
A nod. "Hai."
Kyech giggled again. "Kuohu's weapon is the Chuokkyet-e," she said as she indicated the beautiful guāndāo. "The 'Frost Blood Blade.' It was dipped in the blood of a green ice dragon, the Unnamed Guardian of the T'ach'uk Mountains, to whom Kuohu did a great favour for in her first life serving K'uongno."
Unchō took that in, and then she chuckled. "I really have to meet this person."
"What a most profound set of Revelations!"
Eyes locked on the Avalonians in the middle of the room. People were quick to sense the excitement they now felt. "What do you mean?" Lum asked.
"Why, isn't it obvious, Lum-sama?" Chiki asked. "The truth of what happened to you, Benten-sama, Oyuki-sama and Ran-sama is quite obvious. That proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ataru-sama is truly Your Beloved Darling and not the 'Great Evil' as many of the Faithful now see him as. Once that is revealed, any anger directed at Ataru-sama concerning what he did to Hensō last week would have no meaning as he did, in the end, stand for your desires and your friends' desires to have your lives back."
"It's not that simple, Chiki-san."
Chiki blinked, and then she gave Hiromi a curious look. "I do not understand."
"If it is revealed that Lum is now an Avalonian of all things — a SLAVE, in other words — to Ōgi and his friends back in Lumukyō, they will waste no time in trying to either kill her or subdue her," the reborn emperor warned. "The society you serve is a society that approves of chattel slavery. ANYTHING that is done that will upset the order of things on Phentax Two is suppressed immediately, with dire consequences to the 'infidel' or 'heretic' that tries to do something to make lives better for you and everyone else." She scowled. "Look what they did to Ganzo-sama."
The Avalonians all gasped. "You spoke the FORBIDDEN NAME!" Midori cried out.
"Who's Ganzo?" Shigi asked.
"Ganzo dai-Louc," Ataru answered. "He is, to the Niphentaxians, what John Brown was to the future citizens of the Confederate States of America back in the 1850s."
"Do not speak that name!" Shiho pleaded. "It is forbidden to speak the name! We will all be punished for even HEARING the Forbidden Name!"
The tōshi all blinked on seeing the Avalonians — all of whom seemed to be very nice, caring and quite friendly people all around — suddenly collapse on themselves in mortal fear. "How could they do that to these people?!" Gentoku asked, her eyes tearing in sympathy as she stared at them.
"They're dictators, Gentoku. Much like Tōtaku was in his first life. Anything that could provoke rebellion must be crushed," Unchō advised.
"Damn straight about that," Benten snarled.
Gazing on the poor girls before her, Hiromi then sighed before she stared at Mōtoku. "It appears we have no choice now," she then admitted.
A nod. "Agreed, Kyōrei-sama. If your enemies are so firmly entrenched and so sure of themselves that any hope of making them compromise is useless, there is only one thing to do." A smirk. "The Fire Strategy. Raise the black flag."
Hiromi sighed. "Agreed." She then faced the Avalonians in the classroom. "Ladies, where are the controlling mechanisms for all the sensor units and mobile probes the Church uses to obtain the draft copies of the Book of Lum?"
A sniff. "They're at our places of operations, Hiromi-sama. Why?" Midori asked.
"You will take us there so we can destroy them."
"YOU CANNOT!"
Eyes locked on Chiki. "And why not?" Hiromi asked. "The Church of Lum, given the way it is structured and what its leaders have clearly demonstrated they are capable of doing to hold onto the power they possess over their 'faithful,' is anthemia to all living beings on the planet Earth, if not elsewhere in the galaxy. I will not…"
"You cannot destroy the sensor units, Hiromi-sama," Chiki said.
"And why not?" Mōtoku asked.
"Because if they are destroyed, Torusuke-sama, a cobalt bomb with a yield equivalent to twenty gigatons of trinitrotoluene, now buried underneath an apartment block here in Tomobiki used by the senior observers, will be detonated," Reimi advised in a voice that chilled everyone. "The President will not permit any attempts at blocking any access to the diaries of any of Lum-sama's friends that live here, much less observing events in Tomobiki. Of that, there will be no compromise."
Silence.
"A cobalt bomb?" Tariko gasped as jaws in the room all dropped in horror on hearing how big such an explosive actually was.
Ataru sighed. "He's not making it easy, isn't he?" he muttered.
"Hiromi."
Hiromi gazed on Oyuki. "Kaep' and Prince Sheko must be informed of this immediately," the former princess of Neptune advised. "The placing of a 'sky burner' weapon on any planet is forbidden under multiple treaties. This might be the thing that will finally make the Federation act when it comes to the Niphentaxians."
A nod. "Agreed…"
Outside Colorado Springs…
"So they call you 'the Mad Prince' because you finally realised that the 'normal' way of doing business on Yehisril — especially if you're bucking for a promotion — isn't the smartest thing to do when you're in a war situation."
"Aye, Jonathan, you are correct," Sheko said as he nodded his thanks to the airman who handed him a cup of tea. The members of Stargate Command had been quite surprised to learn that the Yehisrite overlord had taken quite a liking to the way Noukiites preferred their tea: with a teaspoon of red chilli pepper powder — etanuk in the native tongue — to spice it up. "When I slew Haramko all those years ago, I was an arrogant fool who believed that killing his way to the supreme post in the realm was the right and proper thing to do. After all, I was virtually undefeated, both as a warrior and as a leader of warriors. Why shouldn't I have taken the throne?" A sigh. "And then five years later, Zeus showed me otherwise."
"Your sisters," Samantha Carter said.
"Aye." A smirk. "Who knows. What would my life have been like had they survived and I never heard of the Goa'uld?" A shake of the head. "It sometimes haunts my thoughts, especially when I would be better off asleep." Another sigh. "Not like the Mikado."
"He made his choices, Sheko," Kaep' advised.
"He did. And he will die from those…"
"My Prince!"
Everyone turned as Izonba ran into the room and went to her knee before him. "What vexes you today, child?" Sheko asked.
"A signal from the Lady Hiromi, my Prince," she said as she gazed up at him. "She just made a terrible discovery concerning the Niphentaxians and their affairs in Tomobiki."
"What?!"
"A Sky Burner, my Prince."
Silence.
"WHAT?!" Sheko thundered as he bolted to his feet. "Lady Pizalna's Fleece Laces! I knew Ōgi was a lunatic, but I never thought him THAT mad! What has the Lady Hiromi discovered?! Does she have the necessary tools to remove it?!"
"She is presently contacting the Heirs of the Karollans aboard Haida as we speak, my Prince," Izonba reported as the members of SG-1 were told what had just been discovered by a whispering Kaep'. "The Regiment founded by this world's Jewel Warrior has a team that specialises in alien explosive devices; they often aid Lord Zacharias' people in dealing with things like that which often vex the people of this world."
"We will render all aide we can!" Sheko ordered. "Find anyone aboard the Eternal Oath that are expert in such things and send them immediately to the Lady's aid!"
A deep bow. "At once, my Prince!"
As Izonba raced out of the room, the members of SG-1 were on their feet. "We better head back up to the Arizona," Jack O'Neill said. "Carter, contact SG-21. They're expert in alien explosives! We'll need them to help out!"
"Right away, sir!" Sam called back.
As people sprang into action, Sheko watched them, and then he exchanged a knowing look with Kaep'. The Noukiite imperial chancellor nodded in understanding as we…
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:52)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.