SD Gundam Fan Fiction ❯ Tenmei: Hinomoto Botsu ❯ Chapter 7: Akujin ( Chapter 7 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: May-VeggieGirl1 
Anime/Manga: SD Gundam Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.19.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 622 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: SD Gundam Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Suspense | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 02.19.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 622 | Status: Completed
Tenmei: Hinomoto Botsu
By: May-VeggieGirl1
sdkjdaakasjdasdsdakjadjsd >_o Ow. Yakubimaru, Nankyokumaru, Kimajimaru, Araebisu, Moriko, Chimimouryu, Leyon, Gala, Zyran, and Hikyuu (C) me. Daja and Raidon (C) Melady. Mmkay? If you wanna use any of them, thats fine as long as you ask the respectable owner of the character first. Got it?
I don't own SD Gundam Force.
Sorry I missed the update last week, a lot going on. Well be happy, it's a long chapter. The other chapters will start becoming less confusion... hopefully. 6_6 Since we're finally moving away from the main introduction to get to all the action. Feel free to ask any questions on the World Discussion Board if you don't understand something. Or even better, LEAVE A REVIEW and I'll answer it on the board if it doesn't put a surprise or foreshadowing in jeopordy. :]
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"The statue is different," Shute repeated, staring at the statue with interest. "What makes you say that?"
"The," Baku paused, recalling his first, an only, encounter with the stone- when Kiba had shown him the shrine. "The wings were wrapped around from the waist down, and..." He pulled his hands closer to his chest and looked away in thought. "And the mouth was open."
"I've been here all week," Cobramaru commented, sneering. "And nothing has changed from what it looks like now." Baku shook his head and glared at snake, wondering if should trust him now.
"I saw it a few weeks back, it wasn't like that." Mokinmaru exchanged a glance with Bakuhamaru and walked over to the statue beside Shute, inspecting it.
"There isn't any hinges in the stone, nor any alterations in the stone's structure. It looks like it has been untouched for centuries-"
"But it definitely is different," Baku protested, shaking his head. Zero sighed, removing his hand from Baku and turning to float away.
"How does that matter anyway? Maybe someone stole the one you saw last. It's not our problem." Captain looked down at the grass, agreed, but began to wonder what it could lead to. One mystery, and now another, but there were vague connections. Cobram was here for the last week investigating a ninja attack, he claims, against Genkimaru a few weeks back. Since a few weeks back, Baku claimed the stone has changed. And a ninja had posed as Baku to break into Lacroa? Mysteries with tiny connections, none that made any sense, but, perhaps, if looked at as a whole... His green scanner flipped down over his eye, reading the stone.
"It may be, but it may not," He answered and Zero groaned, realizing now his team wasn't going to drop this so easily. Baku glanced at Zero for a moment with a hidden smirk. Normally I'm the one impatient.
"What is this shrine for anyway," Shute asked and looked over at the musha gundams. They all remained silent, looking at each other expectantly, and after a while of negotiations through simple glances, Baku shrugged. Shute sweatdropped, staring at them dead pan. "None of you know?"
"I'm sure you all could ask the Ichidou's host, who lives in the building." Cobram pointed a sharp thumb over his shoulder back to where the pagoda was nestled in the trees and tall grass. Captain suddenly snapped his head up, eyes shruken.
"The shrine has an energy reading," He reported, voice deep and serious. "...There are two, in fact, one very low that is familiar to my scans." Grappler slid his eye to the stone warily but mostly uncaring.
"Does it now? All fear the mighty rock," He snickered, Destroyer also chiming in with laughter that was a bit too bolsterous.
"Dahahaha, rock no go boom!" Kijumaru sent a glare at them for their immaturity of the situation and it shut them up quite nicely. Mokin moved his large arm out to brush Shute and the Zakos away from the statue, for their safety. Captain continued to try to measure and analyze the unfamiliar energy as Zero flew over to it, now concerned.
"Familiar? You've never been here though, right Captain?"
"Yes... but I'm unable to match it at the moment."
"It is possible," Bakuha began, folding his strong arms. "That a calm spirit with mountain earth attributes could move the stone perfectly by asserting their energy into the stone..."
"Why would anyone do such a thing to a shrine," Baku hissed in return, eyes narrowed. The mere thought disgusted him. Ichidou were sacred grounds, he believed to tred upon them was an honor enough but to dare defile it was low and wrong. Captain sighed, unable to gather anything more from the statue, and, after staring at it so long, Zero frowned, frusterated with it.
"That's not the only thing that can alter it perfectly," He brought his hand up into the air and Baku flinched, already knowing what he meant.
"Zero! Don't," He threatened but the elegant Light Mana ring had already appeared, dropping down his enchanted sword and shield. The knight clutched the Vatras sword, gathering his magic into the silver blade and pointing it down upon the statue, the blue essence beaming out from the tip and striking through the statue. It sat as usual for a brief moment despite the strong power around it then, suddenly feeling the affects, changed all at once. The hard wings curled down to their natural place, secured against the body, and the jaw snapped open. In all of the magical effects, something remained unseen as Zero lowered his weapon, glancing over his shoulder at his friends.
"Did it look something like this before?"
"Zero," Baku yelled, steaming mad. "What are you thinking, messing with a shrine like that!?" The knight stared at him sourly, shrugging.
"I only restored it to the way you described."
"Messing with it at all is disrespe-" The musha paused, finally setting eyes on what was not visable before in the glimmer of magical glow. Shute gasped as everyone else also stared, bewildered and amazed. Zero's eyes furrowed at everyone's sudden reaction and turned back around to the shrine, only to freeze at the sight before him.
"The spirit egg?!"
Three shadows moved quickly up the mountain, the one ahead darting in and around branches as the other two accompanying flew. Claws scraped the bark as the first shadow leapt into another tree on hands and feet, pausing. The two behind also slowed to a halt as the first shadowy red eyes flickered back to glance at them.
"Why did you stop?"
"Chimi-sama has just informed me that we're going to be running into an unwelcoming party, hmm."
"How big?"
"Not too large, but enough of a nuisance, hmm. The Gundam Force, along with the Genki Energy Squad."
"Who?"
"Genkimaru's team of Cobramaru, Bakuhamaru, Mokinmaru, Kijumaru, Haganemaru, Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf, Destroyer Dom, and three zako soldiers," The first shadow recited perfectly. "Hmm."
"You're sure about that?"
"Yes," The eyes narrowed, hissing. "I will provide a distraction, hmm- go immediately for the prize. Chimi-sama will take us away from here once you have what is needed to break the Universal Seal."
"You don't have to tell us that."
In an instant, they began to move again, only rustling the leaves.
Zero stared, frozen in shock, at the crystaline orb held neatly and firmly between the snakelike fangs of the statue. The stunned silence hung over the entire forest as all eyes remained fixed on the new, deep indigo colored spirit egg.
"What is it," Genki asked with a raised eyebrow, scratching his rump without a care. No one answered, but Captain's green eyepiece flashed more information for him.
"That's what the familiar energy was," He reported as Zero sheathed his sword in his shield slowly, starring at the egg wide-eyed.
"By Mana! What on earth is Fenn doing here?!" Baku turned to Cobram, swords drawn in a moment and pointed threateningly at him.
"Liar! You said no one had been through here! That you were here for a week and this statue has been unchanged!" Cobram looked down and shook his head, going through his mind and questioning himself.
"I had nothing to do with this! But... perhaps... you're right." He sighed completely perplexed. "I don't understand. Maybe... the ninja who had come through here and placed that object in it had..."
"Had what," Baku pushed, lacking patience now like Zero. Cobram only continued to look away from them and the katana, lost in himself much less the rest of the world with a look of sheer confusion. Genki's eyebrows lowered, frowning out of disappointment and mostly for concern of the ninja.
"Cobramaru..."
"Perhaps the ninja was so skilled with illusion that I had severely lost sense of time and place while under the spell's influence," He tried to reason, but it still pained him to accept. Was this the same shinobi who decieved Kiba, knowing which shinobi to feign practice under? Was this the same shinobi who perfectly mimicked Baku to steal Fenn? What hidden skill and mastery of knowledge was this that the country was not aware of and, furthermore, were they with Kiba and Genki's assailant? Baku mulled over Cobram's reasoning and nodded in acceptance, understanding that this mysterious ninja must be tracked down immediately, and sheathed his swords. Zero, finally composed from his initial shock, still watched Cobram carefully.
"Well, what's most important is Fenn is found and back with where he belongs." The knight turned back to the statue and reached into the mouth, wrapping his fingers around the egg when suddenly, upon touch, the indigo color brightened and stirred. Before Zero had a chance to question the strange reaction, he was given an abrupt jolt as it shot some sort of energy before he could instinctively reel back from it. He gasped and clutched his hand, trembling from the unusual blend of sensation like the instant freezing properties of dry ice with the painful flash of electricity shooting through his circuits and searing in him. Shute tensed at the spectacle as the Zakos backed further away from it, Mokin stood his ground waiting on edge for anything more. But the flash of light in the egg had died down to a calm stirr again and Shute moved around Mokin to his friend's side.
"Zero?!"
"I'm okay," He breathed with a shudder, flexing his fingers and looking back at the egg upset. The spirit egg had never acted in such a way before, even when Tallgeese had possessed it in his hands at one point... So why was it behaving as such to him? He knew Fenn was there, the fluttering feather in his soul told him, but such aggression? Did Fenn not see him as his caring, just master? Shute followed his gaze, mimicing his frown.
"But... Fenn..." Zero curled his hand into a full fist as he suddenly felt his confusion quell into anger, he sharply turned back to glare at the entire party behind him for answers.
"What happened here!? What did this statue do to Fenn!"
"It rejected you, Zero," Captain replied, eye scanner still investigating the entire event as Zero growled.
"I know that so why!?"
"It didn't accept you it looks like, duh," Genki shrugged. "Get over it." It was Baku's turn to twitch as he pulled out a paper fan and snapped it open.
"Idiot, don't say things you have no idea about!"
"Behhh!" Genki blew a raspberry and hid behind Cobram in case Baku decided to carry out his threat. Cobram shook his head at Zero.
"I'm sorry, I have not a clue."
"Well," Zero grabbed his sword again and turned toward the shrine, raised. "I am bringing Fenn home regardless of it's current residence!" Baku quickly jumped between him and the stone, glaring back as fiercely and blocking the sword with his fan despite it doing very little to stop the blade.
"You are NOT breaking the statue to get Fenn out!"
"Watch me!" Bakuha turned to Mokin and narrowed his eyes.
"Stop them!" Kiju responded first and darted in between the two Gundam Force members as Mokin grabbed them both with his large hands and held them still the best he could as they struggled in his grasp.
"Let me go!"
"Why'd you grab ME," Baku whined. Hagane peered at them from the crack of his spiked orb casing.
"We can't allow you to harm the statue since no one here knows what value or significance this Chimi has to Ark. It's very well possible if you destroy it you'll unleash all hell upon Ark."
"Ooooh, that sounds interesting," Zapper whispered the comment to Grappler and Destroyer.
"And it's plain disrespectful," Baku grumbled sourly as Zero seemed to cool down, lowering his sword to sheath it again.
"Very well then. Cobramaru, you said we could ask about this shrine to the keeper? In that building?" Mokin lowered Zero and let him go but held fast to the kicking and screaming Baku.
"ZERO, you are not going to ask the host just to destroy it! Doesn't anyone here understand the concept of sacred grounds?!"
"Yes," Cobram answered, completely ignoring Baku's shouts of protest. "And there must be some reasoning the shinobi had chosen this ichidou in particular."
"Then it's reasonable we investigate," Captain nodded. "We'll go, you stay to watch over the egg."
"Yeah, yeah," Genki said, feeling somewhat bored but interested, and tucked his hands behind his head while following Cobram behind Captain and Shute catching up. Zero flew shortly behind as Baku kept struggling in Mokin's grasp.
"Let me go!"
"Ask nicely," Mokin joked but quickly did as he was told when Baku flung the paper fan at his head.
Upon the floor sat an oval shaped dish of still water. It sat simply in the center of the room, nothing anywhere remotely near it and nothing disturbed it for it sat with dignity and seeming purpose. Forest green eyes watched the surface of it attentively but not focused, for there were thoughts of what was below that surface of calm and beauty, for an insignia laid inside the bowl. A dark insignia, but the water remained unmoving.
Then, a single ripple echoed out from the epicenter and the eyes snapped out of their dazed thoughts, rising from a knealing position on the floor.
Who knew why the water said what it did.
The Gundam Force along with Genki and Cobram approached the entrance again from the back, the early afternoon sun still shining through the trees and touching the beautiful golden laces of string in the rock and building. Zero floated up to the building first, friends right behind, about to fly up the stairs when Cobram’s eyes darted up to the temple’s doors and, in a sudden movement, jumped backwards into the shadows of the trees. Shute, Baku, Genki and Zero heard the movement turned to stare at him in the darkness perplexed as Captain kept his head forward to the temple’s door. The door slid open and the others turned to see who was coming down also before they had a chance to ask. A female mech, looking quite similar to a gundam but not nearly as bulky and far too delicate, stepped forward wearing a deep green and dull white kimono wrapped neatly under the obi and with silver colored laces and swirls on the bottom of it. She came outside into the light, slipping on her clog sandals. They watched her grace for a long time as she never looked up at the posse, continuing normal business as if they weren't there, sweeping the outside wooden floor.
Her eyes trained on the ground wavered in slight suspicion though she still refused to glance at them. Their eyes boring into her made her somewhat upset and slightly nervous on top of it. Hardly anyone visited this shrine in the first place, much less in a large group. She closed her eyes, focusing on her meditative movements only and blocking them all out.
Shute finally took his eyes off of her and glanced at Zero and Captain. “Well?” Before any of them could take an initiative, Genki was resolute to take action himself, ascending the few steps up to the temple's door then crossed his arms while looking at her suspiciously.
“Hey lady–“ Baku snapped and leapt up the stairs, grabbing Genki from behind in a headlock as he began to kick and scream to get away from the other musha’s arms.
“Be polite, gaki!” The other three out in the open sweatdropped as Zero shook his head, saddened by the incident.
“You speak of manners when you, just a moment ago, were staring quite rudely at her, Bakunetsumaru.” The red musha’s eyes narrowed as he snapped his head over in Zero’s direction, giving Genki enough time to break from his grasp and land roughly on the floor. The shake finally broke the female mech from her trance as her eyes opened alarmed and looked over at the two mushas a few feet from her. She stood there defensively as Baku scratched the back of his head and looked away, embarrassed at the young lord’s behavior and even his own, though he’d never admit it.
“Ah,” He bowed to her before looking back up into her forest green eyes. “I’m sorry for our intrusion but we have some questions about the shrine.” The upset look in her eyes did not waver as she stood there holding the broom tightly.
“You mean the Inshi. And I’m sorry, Gundam-san, but this isn’t some tourist attraction.” Baku’s eyes widened as Genki whistled lowly. Cobra stepped out from the trees next to Shute as the boy pouted and whined.
“Please, can’t you tell us anything?” The women’s head turned to the ones on the grass out front and paused in obvious confusion of Shute.
"It's very important, mi'lady," Zero picked up again but sensed he shouldn't approached from her defensive position. "You see-" Before Zero's problem could spawn into words, Baku snapped, briskly walking over to her and obviously beaking that personal space border that Zero was concerned about.
“Inshi! This is an inshi?” She backed away cautiously from him, her eyes fiery with defiance and yet the hiding instinctive terror knowing inside. She wasn’t stupid; she knew she couldn’t take on a samurai, no matter who they were. But Baku didn’t catch her fear, only concerned on the riddles of the shrine. “Well!?”
“H-Hai. The shrine is for the akujin, Ark’s First Taiko, Chimi-sama.”
“Akujin,” Cobra quietly repeated under his breath in question as Genki’s mouth dropped open a little. Zero turned his head to Cobra tucked back at his side.
“What is an akujin?” The words fell on Cobra’s deaf ears as his eyes fell to the ground, hardened and lost in thought.
Baku only stared at the women in disbelief and there was an awkward silence that fell over the hushed mountain. Finally, Baku erupted. “Chimi ga akujin!!? Jodan desho?!” Finally getting the nerve, and feeling enough pressed nerves, she glared back at the accusation. Why would she joke or lie of something like that?
“Iye! Seimei Chimimouryou,” She said austerely, poking her face up to his own, chocolate brown eyes to her summer green eyes. For another long awkward moment they stood like that, inches from each other, one in anger the other in outraged confusion. Then Baku’s eyes soften, either accepting the words or never hit with them at all as he took in a deep breath, chin tucking slightly lower though eyes remained fixed.
She smells just like this forest.
Shute watched with, if even humanly possible, increased interest from just how close the two were now physically and eyes brimming with childish possibilities. Zero also seemed interested, but not in a positive way as Shute obviously was as he made an irritated sound towards both of them. Genki sat on the wood and held his feet, mouth closed and eyes on the ground.
“Chimimouryou… But that’s plural!” His words snapped the women back into reality as she visibly tensed, noticing how close she had put herself to the gundam samurai. Hiding her blush as quickly as possible and jerking away to include more personal space between her and him, she kept her hands gripped tight and almost shaking on the broom.
“Yes. Because he is the akujin of the chimimouryou, and that is why he is known as it’s very embodiment, as Chimi-sama,” Her voice remained firm and Baku finally snapped out of his own look, scratching his head furiously in frustration of the new information.
“Ahhhh! What the heck?! He represents all the spirit?!”
“Any day now we could have a translation as Fenn sits an egg,” Zero growled impatiently at the musha gundams in general only to have the voice from behind finally resolve the confusion.
“This shrine isn’t for just any normal deity.” Zero’s teal eyes turned back with Captain and Shute to Cobram, still watching the grass below. “It’s an inshi, a shrine for an evil deity.” Shute frowned.
“Evil? So Ark’s first gundam emperor was…”
“Not just wicked, but, if she’s not playing around with me,” The women glowered at Baku again. “Then he was an akujin too, an evil god.” Captain shifted his gaze to the women also.
“He’s an evil god of the chimimouryou? Which means?”
“The evil spirits of rivers and mountains,” Baku translated with a sigh. “Ookusama, what is the story behind this inshi built for him then?”
“I have a name and it is Moriko,” Moriko said, having enough being called “she” while folding her arms and sizing them up, again pausing longest on Shute. “And I told you, this isn’t some tourist attraction.”
“Of course it isn’t, you just told us this is a shrine to an evil god,” Shute pointed out while walking forward and resting his elbows on the wooden floor. “But we need to know the story to figure out why that rogue ninja would steal Fenn and leave it as some offering here.”
“And what exactly happened to Fenn,” Zero murmured quietly to himself. He really felt disappointed that he had not been there for the feathered dragon when it was abducted, who knew how Fenn was really doing like that now, and his regrets could be seen from his sagging shoulders. Captain looked over at him and nodded.
“It’ll be alright,” He reassured. Moriko glanced over them again shrewdly. “Please, Moriko,” The Neotopian gundam asked politely, bowing slightly. She looked down on him then glimpsed back at Baku, who, for once, left his seriousness remain silent.
“Very well,” The women mech sighed while taking quiet steps forward over to the edge of the floor, resting the broom against an elaborate, smooth cut wooden pillar. “Very long ago, back before the Dark Axis and beyond any scholar breathing today, Ark had finally emerged out of a civil war thanks to the gundams when one named Chimi rose up against the emperor one day and murdered him in his own palace- claiming the position as the new emperor. Without any regard for the country or for the people, he threw it into another civil war, one that forever crippled the human population of Ark. He openly called it Ark’s genocide.”
The word genocide sent a shiver down Shute’s back and he swallowed, his stomach clenched. What a horrible thing to do, and for what reason in the end? Just how many did he kill? Shute shook the thoughts from his head, smiling back at Captain’s concerned gaze on him. Thank goodness he doesn’t have to worry about Neotopia ever facing something so tragic.
The motion had not gone unnoticed by Moriko though as her green eyes shifted to him.
“You’re the first human to ever have visited his shrine.”
“I could see why,” He replied dryly.
“So why was this shrine created at all if he was such a horrible guy,” Genki asked while rocking lightly on his rear, still holding his feet. Moriko leaned back a little, mulling the thoughts and information in her head for a moment before continuing.
“Many of the royal gundam guards under the human emperor continued to serve under Chimi despite his traitorous acts because they called him their god, even before he had forcibly taken the throne’s seat. Also why his father had named him Chimimouryu in the first place, because he knew his son would be their supposed god. Though they all knew of his divinity, they also realized openly that he was tainted through the soul. Believing that he truly was a god who would not reincarnate and yet knowing of his malice…”
“They built a shrine so his evil would not seep into the world,” Cobram finished for her, piecing it together. She looked at him and nodded.
“So it would not poison the rivers and mountains… Yes, that is correct.” Baku squinted his eyes baffled while crossing his arms.
“Well, no one knows for sure right? Maybe it’s just his trapped soul in there unable to reincarnate?” Captain moved closer to Zero with a dangerously serious look in his eye.
“That wouldn’t explain that strange energy within the Spirit Egg in the mouth.”
"The shinobi's offering is too strange... and for a compartment to actually come from altering the statue. It doesn't make sense, what good comes from putting this egg in there," Cobram mulled to himself. Flinching a little, Moriko accidently knocked the broom off of it’s rest causing it to smack loudly onto the floor. Silently in the shadows a yard or so away the oncoming party slowed and hid cautiously during the clamor of the wood. Raidon stayed in front of Daja with his floating tub, pulling out imbuned quills and drew them back, just to be ready. But the female ninja with them shook her head, keeping a clawed finger over her mouthplate to ensure their cooperation in keeping the quiet. Raidon lowered his bow, but kept his fingers tight, Daja also readily armed with his hammer. The noise brought everyone’s attention along with the eerie silence to Moriko as she looked honestly shocked for the first time. Startled, she found a voice.
“W-What offerings? There are no offerings at this inshi! There are no compartments!” Cobram turned to stare off at the direction of the stone, narrowed eyes.
“The jaw of the tablet opens revealing a small compartment. Perhaps it wasn’t always opened or noticed because most wouldn’t want to leave offerings to an akujin, but it could be something only those who believed he was a god had known and designed it for. And a ninja would discover it typically.”
“Or an ulterior motive, which is very probable considering where this ninja has chosen to place it,” Captain warned, also following Cobram’s line of view. Hikyuu watched them all closely and listened openly, smiling beneath her mask.
#It seems they have found the egg, Chimi-sama.#
#They do not know? It is good, master. I shall do as you say.#
She lowered herself close to the ground ready, claws scrapping the dirt ever so slightly. Daja took note and nodded his head to Raidon, it seems their distraction would arrive soon.
"Then what do you propose we do then? I cannot remove Fenn by normal means and we cannot destroy the shrine now."
"Perhaps I should try to remove it then," Moriko suggested and left her broom against the post again, slowly walking past Baku and Genki and down the stairs.
"Miss Moriko," Zero frowned. "The egg acted violently to myself and Fenn has chosen me as his only master. I do not wish to see you harmed for my cause-"
"It is not for your cause," She corrected sharply, her eyes on the forest still. "I am the hostess of the Chimi Inshi and it is my duty alone to my country and my family to watch over this ground." He bowed his head to her in respect and remembered his earlier threats to the shrine bitterly. How hostile and overprotective he has become. She had something equally important to protect in what he had nearly destroyed without a thought.
"I understand," Zero said and swallowed his shame.
"Then it's worth a shot," Shute agreed in a lighter mood and followed after her. Hikyuu narrowed her red eyes from her hidden place in the taller grass and drew a single black shuriken. Cobram froze in place, senses and body tight and ready from the very hushed sound of a blade. In an instant, he spun around to the forest, flinging several shuriken behind him as he moved his arm out to the side and jumped backwards. The stars flew past the trees and into the brush then produced clanks of metal, two of his stars deflecting in sight into nearby bamboo stalks with a hallow chunk sound.
The snake ninja knew they would return and was more than ready, but let his perception of the situation make him a little too confident. It wasn't just him verses the ninja, it was him and the Gundam Force, and even the rest of Genki's Squad around back.
There was only one kunoichi of Ark that could turn the tables here and Cobram shivered visably at the thought- one hand hoping, the other knowing of the dream and fearing it. The thought of the specific kunoichi fled quickly as Hikyuu chuckled low in the back of her throat, lunging forward from her hiding place with claws extended. She came upon Cobram, her attack blocked with his wrist guard armor, and he frowned as she purred a happy note, spinning to the side with a round house kick. Cobram ducked under it and drew more shuriken.
The rest of the party turned and the realization hit them all the exact moment the ninja moved. It was the ninja they were looking for. Hikyuu, still in air from the kick, took the hit in the back from the shuriken but suddenly transformed into a pile of bamboo cut up and tied with a string. Cobram didn't give a moment's glance to the replacement, his head shot up to her spring over his head, throwing several smokebombs onto the ground. The balls landed at his feet hissing thick, purple smoke as Shute stood in front of Moriko defiantly despite his shock.
"Wh-What's going on," She asked, terrified as she huddled behind Shute closely.
"Shute, incoming," Captain hollared as his green eyepiece picked up a movement going to them fast, turning on his jet boosters and sliding in front of them to block the attack. Hikyuu didn't have time for much of a followthrough as she found herself darting away from Cobram's attack from behind.
Raidon floated a little higher from their hiding place and saw around the smoke that the right side of the building was completely unguarded. He turned down to Daja who flew up next to him quickly without a word being passed between the two at all and both took off through their clearing. During the shock and confusion the ambush caused, Genki jumped in surprise and fallen over backwards, bouncing and falling down the stairs. Baku stared at the assualt on Hikyuu with wide eyes but shook it off, realizing Genki had disappeared.
"Genkimaru!?"
"Ow," He groaned and sat up from the ground, rubbing his head. The child blinked suddenly, seeing two figures fly towards the side of the building and pointed at them. "Hey!" Zero's eyes found them before they disappeared around the side of the building from sight, eyes growing small. Had they been flying? Without another moment's hesitation he took after them; Baku, still torn between the ninja and whatever Genki had pointed at, followed behind Zero for backup.
"Raidon," Daja shouted back at him, stopping dead in his tracks at the corner of the building and hiding around it, heaving his long and massive hammer from his side, ready. Raidon turned his head back to watch Zero and Baku whip out around that very corner, Daja already having channeled a deep crimson flame around it swung at them, making a direct impact with the winged knight. Zero skid backwards into Baku, knocking them both flat over completely, and Raidon faced forward to the statue again. Kiju, typically the first to move, skid between him and his objective and held his sword at ready.
"What are you-" But he didn't have a chance to find any justification as a seal of dark mana appeared in front of Raidon and he plowed right through the musha gundam, knocking him into Bakuha. Raidon stopped on a dime in front of the statue and dug his hand into the propped open mouth, wrapping his fingers around the glass-like egg to pull back flinching from the touch. Immediately on cue, he had felt that black energy burried inside and held his hand trembling from the sensation. Daja noticd and quickly flew away from the fumbling duo on the ground over to Raidon's side as he stared at the egg shocked.
"What's wrong?" Raidon took a deep, quivering breath and floated back from it, glancing at Zero and Baku.
"It has the same essence that I felt while around Chimimouryu. I don't think anyone without that shard is allowed to remove it, which would make sense. I'll hold them off." Daja nodded in understanding and grabbed the egg, feeling nothing odd about it other than the strong magical presence and flew up into the air. He grasped his hammer in his right hand, the left with the egg moved defensively over his chest and took off into the air, flying over the pagoda building.
"Watch where you're falling," Baku grumbled after Zero picked himself off of him and drew his swords. "Let's-"
"He took Fenn," Zero shouted, his eyes as large as dinner plates at he stared at the empty mouth of the shrine. Raidon drew back several arrows at once on the bow but spun and twisted upward, narrowly avoiding Hagane's barreling attack from the side. He turned the bow and shot down at Mokin, Zapper, and Destroyer before any of them could fire their distance attacks and flew after Daja. Zero gripped his sword tight and took off back around the side of the building again, Baku running after one more time.
Meanwhile, Hikyuu and Cobram took off into a heated battle of evasive ninja tactics and close combat movements against the other. Captain remained in place to protect Shute and Moriko, firing a rain of bullets upon any opening he saw that didn't conflict with Cobram. Shute frowned as he watched the exchange and finally shouted.
"Hey! Quit it!" Hikyuu paused while catching Cobram's fist, red eyes sliding over to him.
"What is it boy, hmmm?" Cobram also followed her line of vision then returned to her, flexing clawed fingers ready to strike again if needed. Shute blinked, a little surprised she listened so obediently, then returned to his seriousness.
"What are you doing?"
"A silly question for a silly creature," She purred and returned her gaze to Cobram, unabashed in sizing him up not as a ninja but as a male gundam. He quickly averted his eyes back to Shute, knowing better than to give a kunoichi a moment for sexual tricks.
"If that's so, why did you attack us? What are you here for?"
"Just a game," She shrugged and huffed, a little flustered that he wouldn't pay any attention to her attempts but not deterred as she growled seductively from Cobram's scoff.
"A game?," Captain asked, keeping his gun steady and unwavering.
"Playing with your heads, dear, hmmm," Hikyuu pushed forward while he was looking aside and brushed his forehead with a claw, scratching him lightly before he had moved back away. Captain's eyes furrowed as he fired again at her, Shute checking up on Moriko behind him as she seemed to flinch and recoil back everytime a round went off.
"It's okay," He yelled over the noise and grabbed her hand. "We'll protect you!" She opened her eye slowly at him and squeezed it shut again, clasping her hands over her sound vibration sensors on the sides of her head as Captain shot again, niping Hikyuu in the shoulder this time. She winced and skid back to a halt through the grass, jumping to the side from more shuriken and took off running again. Cobram ran alongside a few feet from her, glaring.
"You insist you're playing the game with us, but how do you know we're not playing the game with you?"
"Then you're playing along nicely, hmm," She smirked but tripped suddenly and looked down in surprise as Cobram's black armor tail lunged out from the shadows and wrapped around her leg. She slammed into the ground and Cobram pinned her down with a foot, turning her over so he can glare at her face to face.
"You spoke too soon." Shute smiled and Captain lowered his gun, glancing over his shoulder at Moriko.
"I am sorry my weapon startled you." Moriko nodded meekly, obviously timid and kept behind Shute still. Hikyuu smiled from under her captor, seeing Daja and Raidon flying over the roof of the pagoda.
"Hmm, game over then."
#Chimi-sama...#
The black puiples in her red eyes suddenly faded and she became completely still and relaxed on the ground under the other ninja. Cobram stared at her, startled by this sudden apparent loss of consciousness and leaned down, looking over the only cause he thought of from the shot to her shoulder. The moment he laid his hand on it for further inspection, Hikyuu's eyes became small and grabbed his wrist with a burst of unknown speed and strength. Before he even knew what hit him, she threw him off of her, slammed him into the ground, kicked off his tail snake, and sat on top of his chest.
"Cobramaru," Shute gasped in surprise and Captain raised his gun again. Her eyes returned to normal as she grinned with a purr.
"Ja ne, orochi no shinobi." Captain fired another shot but the blue bullet of energy never reached her as she disappeared into smoke.
Zero and Baku ran from the other side of the house, surprising Shute, Captain, and Moriko as Genki scurried over to Cobram to see if he was alright.
"What-" Shute didn't get a chance as Zero bellowed over him.
"They have the spirit egg!" And both gundam force members continued past, chasing after the duo down the mountainside and gaining speed on their heels. Suddenly the gundam in the floating drum spun around, unleashing a multitude of glowing arrows flying towards them. Zero held up his magic shield, guarding them as Baku leapt over.
“Zero! I’ll take the other, you get Fenn back,” He called while forming quick circles while in air. Zero nodded and took off above the canopy and swooped down upon the flying gundam. “Tenkyoken,” Baku called out, sending a flame flaming x down at Raidon. He quickly ducked down into the tub as it spun and glowed light, the flames spinning around it. Baku’s eyes widened as he landed on a log, watching as the flame changed from it’s x to a concentrated fireball, shooting back at him as the drum spun it off. “Fiend,” He cursed under his breath while jumping again, dodging his own flames that slammed into the trunk, lighting the brush nearby ablaze. Birds and animals began to cry and run from the fire wildly. Captain flew close behind with Shute and Moriko running after, dodging the paniced creatures.
"The forest," She cried but Shute shook his head, hand still wrapped tight on hers.
"It'll be okay! Captain and I won't let you get hurt!"
Daja glanced back at Zero closing in on him, Raidon trailing back dealing with the other gundam, and frowned. "Chimi, any day now," He growled to himself mostly and swung his hammer back, a great Dark Mana ring appearing behind him and a gust of wind surrounded him and the hammer. Daja swung the hammer down, the blast of wind breaking over the treetops as Zero held up his Light Mana ring shield. Finally the gust subsided and as if on cue, as Zero charged at Daja again to slash through the air a Lacroan cresent, the space in the sky began to crackle and sucked inside itself, a midnight black portal opened up right there behind Daja. It continued to grow and the force dragged him in, though he welcomed it, and Zero stared wide-eyed for a moment at it's sudden appearance.
"Wait, get back here," He growled and flew in right after Daja had disappeared into the pitch dark suction. Raidon glanced up from shooting more arrows down below on the samurai to see the portal and quickly moved to follow when the enchanted tub rocked backwards for a moment before tumbling forward. He glanced over the edge to find Baku clinging onto the side of it, following it's flight towards the portal.
"You won't get away, thieves!" Raidon moved to spin him off but just then got caught in the graviety of the portal's suction, immobilizing the tub as both him and Baku disappeared into it as well.
"Zero! Bakunetsumaru!" Shute let go of Moriko's hand and grabbed onto the straps of his jet pack, taking off into the air after them. Startled, Moriko grabbed onto Captain, not understanding that the dark hole they had disappeared into was.
"Don't leave me here to defend myself, I'm not a warrior," She cried and make an little yelp as Captain's thursters turned on.
"Very well then," He nodded and flew into the empty void. After he disappeared, the portal remained open, sucking in the wind and leaves from nearby and a Hikyuu moved out of a shadow, staring up at the vast dimensional rip and spoke to it.
"There will be no fun for them where they land, hmm, will there Chimi-sama?" After a minute, she smiled at the unspoken reply and leapt in, the portal caving in on itself as soon as she passed through.
~*~*~*~*
Review. >_T PLEASE.
By: May-VeggieGirl1
sdkjdaakasjdasdsdakjadjsd >_o Ow. Yakubimaru, Nankyokumaru, Kimajimaru, Araebisu, Moriko, Chimimouryu, Leyon, Gala, Zyran, and Hikyuu (C) me. Daja and Raidon (C) Melady. Mmkay? If you wanna use any of them, thats fine as long as you ask the respectable owner of the character first. Got it?
I don't own SD Gundam Force.
Sorry I missed the update last week, a lot going on. Well be happy, it's a long chapter. The other chapters will start becoming less confusion... hopefully. 6_6 Since we're finally moving away from the main introduction to get to all the action. Feel free to ask any questions on the World Discussion Board if you don't understand something. Or even better, LEAVE A REVIEW and I'll answer it on the board if it doesn't put a surprise or foreshadowing in jeopordy. :]
~*~*~*~*
"The statue is different," Shute repeated, staring at the statue with interest. "What makes you say that?"
"The," Baku paused, recalling his first, an only, encounter with the stone- when Kiba had shown him the shrine. "The wings were wrapped around from the waist down, and..." He pulled his hands closer to his chest and looked away in thought. "And the mouth was open."
"I've been here all week," Cobramaru commented, sneering. "And nothing has changed from what it looks like now." Baku shook his head and glared at snake, wondering if should trust him now.
"I saw it a few weeks back, it wasn't like that." Mokinmaru exchanged a glance with Bakuhamaru and walked over to the statue beside Shute, inspecting it.
"There isn't any hinges in the stone, nor any alterations in the stone's structure. It looks like it has been untouched for centuries-"
"But it definitely is different," Baku protested, shaking his head. Zero sighed, removing his hand from Baku and turning to float away.
"How does that matter anyway? Maybe someone stole the one you saw last. It's not our problem." Captain looked down at the grass, agreed, but began to wonder what it could lead to. One mystery, and now another, but there were vague connections. Cobram was here for the last week investigating a ninja attack, he claims, against Genkimaru a few weeks back. Since a few weeks back, Baku claimed the stone has changed. And a ninja had posed as Baku to break into Lacroa? Mysteries with tiny connections, none that made any sense, but, perhaps, if looked at as a whole... His green scanner flipped down over his eye, reading the stone.
"It may be, but it may not," He answered and Zero groaned, realizing now his team wasn't going to drop this so easily. Baku glanced at Zero for a moment with a hidden smirk. Normally I'm the one impatient.
"What is this shrine for anyway," Shute asked and looked over at the musha gundams. They all remained silent, looking at each other expectantly, and after a while of negotiations through simple glances, Baku shrugged. Shute sweatdropped, staring at them dead pan. "None of you know?"
"I'm sure you all could ask the Ichidou's host, who lives in the building." Cobram pointed a sharp thumb over his shoulder back to where the pagoda was nestled in the trees and tall grass. Captain suddenly snapped his head up, eyes shruken.
"The shrine has an energy reading," He reported, voice deep and serious. "...There are two, in fact, one very low that is familiar to my scans." Grappler slid his eye to the stone warily but mostly uncaring.
"Does it now? All fear the mighty rock," He snickered, Destroyer also chiming in with laughter that was a bit too bolsterous.
"Dahahaha, rock no go boom!" Kijumaru sent a glare at them for their immaturity of the situation and it shut them up quite nicely. Mokin moved his large arm out to brush Shute and the Zakos away from the statue, for their safety. Captain continued to try to measure and analyze the unfamiliar energy as Zero flew over to it, now concerned.
"Familiar? You've never been here though, right Captain?"
"Yes... but I'm unable to match it at the moment."
"It is possible," Bakuha began, folding his strong arms. "That a calm spirit with mountain earth attributes could move the stone perfectly by asserting their energy into the stone..."
"Why would anyone do such a thing to a shrine," Baku hissed in return, eyes narrowed. The mere thought disgusted him. Ichidou were sacred grounds, he believed to tred upon them was an honor enough but to dare defile it was low and wrong. Captain sighed, unable to gather anything more from the statue, and, after staring at it so long, Zero frowned, frusterated with it.
"That's not the only thing that can alter it perfectly," He brought his hand up into the air and Baku flinched, already knowing what he meant.
"Zero! Don't," He threatened but the elegant Light Mana ring had already appeared, dropping down his enchanted sword and shield. The knight clutched the Vatras sword, gathering his magic into the silver blade and pointing it down upon the statue, the blue essence beaming out from the tip and striking through the statue. It sat as usual for a brief moment despite the strong power around it then, suddenly feeling the affects, changed all at once. The hard wings curled down to their natural place, secured against the body, and the jaw snapped open. In all of the magical effects, something remained unseen as Zero lowered his weapon, glancing over his shoulder at his friends.
"Did it look something like this before?"
"Zero," Baku yelled, steaming mad. "What are you thinking, messing with a shrine like that!?" The knight stared at him sourly, shrugging.
"I only restored it to the way you described."
"Messing with it at all is disrespe-" The musha paused, finally setting eyes on what was not visable before in the glimmer of magical glow. Shute gasped as everyone else also stared, bewildered and amazed. Zero's eyes furrowed at everyone's sudden reaction and turned back around to the shrine, only to freeze at the sight before him.
"The spirit egg?!"
Three shadows moved quickly up the mountain, the one ahead darting in and around branches as the other two accompanying flew. Claws scraped the bark as the first shadow leapt into another tree on hands and feet, pausing. The two behind also slowed to a halt as the first shadowy red eyes flickered back to glance at them.
"Why did you stop?"
"Chimi-sama has just informed me that we're going to be running into an unwelcoming party, hmm."
"How big?"
"Not too large, but enough of a nuisance, hmm. The Gundam Force, along with the Genki Energy Squad."
"Who?"
"Genkimaru's team of Cobramaru, Bakuhamaru, Mokinmaru, Kijumaru, Haganemaru, Zapper Zaku, Grappler Gouf, Destroyer Dom, and three zako soldiers," The first shadow recited perfectly. "Hmm."
"You're sure about that?"
"Yes," The eyes narrowed, hissing. "I will provide a distraction, hmm- go immediately for the prize. Chimi-sama will take us away from here once you have what is needed to break the Universal Seal."
"You don't have to tell us that."
In an instant, they began to move again, only rustling the leaves.
Zero stared, frozen in shock, at the crystaline orb held neatly and firmly between the snakelike fangs of the statue. The stunned silence hung over the entire forest as all eyes remained fixed on the new, deep indigo colored spirit egg.
"What is it," Genki asked with a raised eyebrow, scratching his rump without a care. No one answered, but Captain's green eyepiece flashed more information for him.
"That's what the familiar energy was," He reported as Zero sheathed his sword in his shield slowly, starring at the egg wide-eyed.
"By Mana! What on earth is Fenn doing here?!" Baku turned to Cobram, swords drawn in a moment and pointed threateningly at him.
"Liar! You said no one had been through here! That you were here for a week and this statue has been unchanged!" Cobram looked down and shook his head, going through his mind and questioning himself.
"I had nothing to do with this! But... perhaps... you're right." He sighed completely perplexed. "I don't understand. Maybe... the ninja who had come through here and placed that object in it had..."
"Had what," Baku pushed, lacking patience now like Zero. Cobram only continued to look away from them and the katana, lost in himself much less the rest of the world with a look of sheer confusion. Genki's eyebrows lowered, frowning out of disappointment and mostly for concern of the ninja.
"Cobramaru..."
"Perhaps the ninja was so skilled with illusion that I had severely lost sense of time and place while under the spell's influence," He tried to reason, but it still pained him to accept. Was this the same shinobi who decieved Kiba, knowing which shinobi to feign practice under? Was this the same shinobi who perfectly mimicked Baku to steal Fenn? What hidden skill and mastery of knowledge was this that the country was not aware of and, furthermore, were they with Kiba and Genki's assailant? Baku mulled over Cobram's reasoning and nodded in acceptance, understanding that this mysterious ninja must be tracked down immediately, and sheathed his swords. Zero, finally composed from his initial shock, still watched Cobram carefully.
"Well, what's most important is Fenn is found and back with where he belongs." The knight turned back to the statue and reached into the mouth, wrapping his fingers around the egg when suddenly, upon touch, the indigo color brightened and stirred. Before Zero had a chance to question the strange reaction, he was given an abrupt jolt as it shot some sort of energy before he could instinctively reel back from it. He gasped and clutched his hand, trembling from the unusual blend of sensation like the instant freezing properties of dry ice with the painful flash of electricity shooting through his circuits and searing in him. Shute tensed at the spectacle as the Zakos backed further away from it, Mokin stood his ground waiting on edge for anything more. But the flash of light in the egg had died down to a calm stirr again and Shute moved around Mokin to his friend's side.
"Zero?!"
"I'm okay," He breathed with a shudder, flexing his fingers and looking back at the egg upset. The spirit egg had never acted in such a way before, even when Tallgeese had possessed it in his hands at one point... So why was it behaving as such to him? He knew Fenn was there, the fluttering feather in his soul told him, but such aggression? Did Fenn not see him as his caring, just master? Shute followed his gaze, mimicing his frown.
"But... Fenn..." Zero curled his hand into a full fist as he suddenly felt his confusion quell into anger, he sharply turned back to glare at the entire party behind him for answers.
"What happened here!? What did this statue do to Fenn!"
"It rejected you, Zero," Captain replied, eye scanner still investigating the entire event as Zero growled.
"I know that so why!?"
"It didn't accept you it looks like, duh," Genki shrugged. "Get over it." It was Baku's turn to twitch as he pulled out a paper fan and snapped it open.
"Idiot, don't say things you have no idea about!"
"Behhh!" Genki blew a raspberry and hid behind Cobram in case Baku decided to carry out his threat. Cobram shook his head at Zero.
"I'm sorry, I have not a clue."
"Well," Zero grabbed his sword again and turned toward the shrine, raised. "I am bringing Fenn home regardless of it's current residence!" Baku quickly jumped between him and the stone, glaring back as fiercely and blocking the sword with his fan despite it doing very little to stop the blade.
"You are NOT breaking the statue to get Fenn out!"
"Watch me!" Bakuha turned to Mokin and narrowed his eyes.
"Stop them!" Kiju responded first and darted in between the two Gundam Force members as Mokin grabbed them both with his large hands and held them still the best he could as they struggled in his grasp.
"Let me go!"
"Why'd you grab ME," Baku whined. Hagane peered at them from the crack of his spiked orb casing.
"We can't allow you to harm the statue since no one here knows what value or significance this Chimi has to Ark. It's very well possible if you destroy it you'll unleash all hell upon Ark."
"Ooooh, that sounds interesting," Zapper whispered the comment to Grappler and Destroyer.
"And it's plain disrespectful," Baku grumbled sourly as Zero seemed to cool down, lowering his sword to sheath it again.
"Very well then. Cobramaru, you said we could ask about this shrine to the keeper? In that building?" Mokin lowered Zero and let him go but held fast to the kicking and screaming Baku.
"ZERO, you are not going to ask the host just to destroy it! Doesn't anyone here understand the concept of sacred grounds?!"
"Yes," Cobram answered, completely ignoring Baku's shouts of protest. "And there must be some reasoning the shinobi had chosen this ichidou in particular."
"Then it's reasonable we investigate," Captain nodded. "We'll go, you stay to watch over the egg."
"Yeah, yeah," Genki said, feeling somewhat bored but interested, and tucked his hands behind his head while following Cobram behind Captain and Shute catching up. Zero flew shortly behind as Baku kept struggling in Mokin's grasp.
"Let me go!"
"Ask nicely," Mokin joked but quickly did as he was told when Baku flung the paper fan at his head.
Upon the floor sat an oval shaped dish of still water. It sat simply in the center of the room, nothing anywhere remotely near it and nothing disturbed it for it sat with dignity and seeming purpose. Forest green eyes watched the surface of it attentively but not focused, for there were thoughts of what was below that surface of calm and beauty, for an insignia laid inside the bowl. A dark insignia, but the water remained unmoving.
Then, a single ripple echoed out from the epicenter and the eyes snapped out of their dazed thoughts, rising from a knealing position on the floor.
Who knew why the water said what it did.
The Gundam Force along with Genki and Cobram approached the entrance again from the back, the early afternoon sun still shining through the trees and touching the beautiful golden laces of string in the rock and building. Zero floated up to the building first, friends right behind, about to fly up the stairs when Cobram’s eyes darted up to the temple’s doors and, in a sudden movement, jumped backwards into the shadows of the trees. Shute, Baku, Genki and Zero heard the movement turned to stare at him in the darkness perplexed as Captain kept his head forward to the temple’s door. The door slid open and the others turned to see who was coming down also before they had a chance to ask. A female mech, looking quite similar to a gundam but not nearly as bulky and far too delicate, stepped forward wearing a deep green and dull white kimono wrapped neatly under the obi and with silver colored laces and swirls on the bottom of it. She came outside into the light, slipping on her clog sandals. They watched her grace for a long time as she never looked up at the posse, continuing normal business as if they weren't there, sweeping the outside wooden floor.
Her eyes trained on the ground wavered in slight suspicion though she still refused to glance at them. Their eyes boring into her made her somewhat upset and slightly nervous on top of it. Hardly anyone visited this shrine in the first place, much less in a large group. She closed her eyes, focusing on her meditative movements only and blocking them all out.
Shute finally took his eyes off of her and glanced at Zero and Captain. “Well?” Before any of them could take an initiative, Genki was resolute to take action himself, ascending the few steps up to the temple's door then crossed his arms while looking at her suspiciously.
“Hey lady–“ Baku snapped and leapt up the stairs, grabbing Genki from behind in a headlock as he began to kick and scream to get away from the other musha’s arms.
“Be polite, gaki!” The other three out in the open sweatdropped as Zero shook his head, saddened by the incident.
“You speak of manners when you, just a moment ago, were staring quite rudely at her, Bakunetsumaru.” The red musha’s eyes narrowed as he snapped his head over in Zero’s direction, giving Genki enough time to break from his grasp and land roughly on the floor. The shake finally broke the female mech from her trance as her eyes opened alarmed and looked over at the two mushas a few feet from her. She stood there defensively as Baku scratched the back of his head and looked away, embarrassed at the young lord’s behavior and even his own, though he’d never admit it.
“Ah,” He bowed to her before looking back up into her forest green eyes. “I’m sorry for our intrusion but we have some questions about the shrine.” The upset look in her eyes did not waver as she stood there holding the broom tightly.
“You mean the Inshi. And I’m sorry, Gundam-san, but this isn’t some tourist attraction.” Baku’s eyes widened as Genki whistled lowly. Cobra stepped out from the trees next to Shute as the boy pouted and whined.
“Please, can’t you tell us anything?” The women’s head turned to the ones on the grass out front and paused in obvious confusion of Shute.
"It's very important, mi'lady," Zero picked up again but sensed he shouldn't approached from her defensive position. "You see-" Before Zero's problem could spawn into words, Baku snapped, briskly walking over to her and obviously beaking that personal space border that Zero was concerned about.
“Inshi! This is an inshi?” She backed away cautiously from him, her eyes fiery with defiance and yet the hiding instinctive terror knowing inside. She wasn’t stupid; she knew she couldn’t take on a samurai, no matter who they were. But Baku didn’t catch her fear, only concerned on the riddles of the shrine. “Well!?”
“H-Hai. The shrine is for the akujin, Ark’s First Taiko, Chimi-sama.”
“Akujin,” Cobra quietly repeated under his breath in question as Genki’s mouth dropped open a little. Zero turned his head to Cobra tucked back at his side.
“What is an akujin?” The words fell on Cobra’s deaf ears as his eyes fell to the ground, hardened and lost in thought.
Baku only stared at the women in disbelief and there was an awkward silence that fell over the hushed mountain. Finally, Baku erupted. “Chimi ga akujin!!? Jodan desho?!” Finally getting the nerve, and feeling enough pressed nerves, she glared back at the accusation. Why would she joke or lie of something like that?
“Iye! Seimei Chimimouryou,” She said austerely, poking her face up to his own, chocolate brown eyes to her summer green eyes. For another long awkward moment they stood like that, inches from each other, one in anger the other in outraged confusion. Then Baku’s eyes soften, either accepting the words or never hit with them at all as he took in a deep breath, chin tucking slightly lower though eyes remained fixed.
She smells just like this forest.
Shute watched with, if even humanly possible, increased interest from just how close the two were now physically and eyes brimming with childish possibilities. Zero also seemed interested, but not in a positive way as Shute obviously was as he made an irritated sound towards both of them. Genki sat on the wood and held his feet, mouth closed and eyes on the ground.
“Chimimouryou… But that’s plural!” His words snapped the women back into reality as she visibly tensed, noticing how close she had put herself to the gundam samurai. Hiding her blush as quickly as possible and jerking away to include more personal space between her and him, she kept her hands gripped tight and almost shaking on the broom.
“Yes. Because he is the akujin of the chimimouryou, and that is why he is known as it’s very embodiment, as Chimi-sama,” Her voice remained firm and Baku finally snapped out of his own look, scratching his head furiously in frustration of the new information.
“Ahhhh! What the heck?! He represents all the spirit?!”
“Any day now we could have a translation as Fenn sits an egg,” Zero growled impatiently at the musha gundams in general only to have the voice from behind finally resolve the confusion.
“This shrine isn’t for just any normal deity.” Zero’s teal eyes turned back with Captain and Shute to Cobram, still watching the grass below. “It’s an inshi, a shrine for an evil deity.” Shute frowned.
“Evil? So Ark’s first gundam emperor was…”
“Not just wicked, but, if she’s not playing around with me,” The women glowered at Baku again. “Then he was an akujin too, an evil god.” Captain shifted his gaze to the women also.
“He’s an evil god of the chimimouryou? Which means?”
“The evil spirits of rivers and mountains,” Baku translated with a sigh. “Ookusama, what is the story behind this inshi built for him then?”
“I have a name and it is Moriko,” Moriko said, having enough being called “she” while folding her arms and sizing them up, again pausing longest on Shute. “And I told you, this isn’t some tourist attraction.”
“Of course it isn’t, you just told us this is a shrine to an evil god,” Shute pointed out while walking forward and resting his elbows on the wooden floor. “But we need to know the story to figure out why that rogue ninja would steal Fenn and leave it as some offering here.”
“And what exactly happened to Fenn,” Zero murmured quietly to himself. He really felt disappointed that he had not been there for the feathered dragon when it was abducted, who knew how Fenn was really doing like that now, and his regrets could be seen from his sagging shoulders. Captain looked over at him and nodded.
“It’ll be alright,” He reassured. Moriko glanced over them again shrewdly. “Please, Moriko,” The Neotopian gundam asked politely, bowing slightly. She looked down on him then glimpsed back at Baku, who, for once, left his seriousness remain silent.
“Very well,” The women mech sighed while taking quiet steps forward over to the edge of the floor, resting the broom against an elaborate, smooth cut wooden pillar. “Very long ago, back before the Dark Axis and beyond any scholar breathing today, Ark had finally emerged out of a civil war thanks to the gundams when one named Chimi rose up against the emperor one day and murdered him in his own palace- claiming the position as the new emperor. Without any regard for the country or for the people, he threw it into another civil war, one that forever crippled the human population of Ark. He openly called it Ark’s genocide.”
The word genocide sent a shiver down Shute’s back and he swallowed, his stomach clenched. What a horrible thing to do, and for what reason in the end? Just how many did he kill? Shute shook the thoughts from his head, smiling back at Captain’s concerned gaze on him. Thank goodness he doesn’t have to worry about Neotopia ever facing something so tragic.
The motion had not gone unnoticed by Moriko though as her green eyes shifted to him.
“You’re the first human to ever have visited his shrine.”
“I could see why,” He replied dryly.
“So why was this shrine created at all if he was such a horrible guy,” Genki asked while rocking lightly on his rear, still holding his feet. Moriko leaned back a little, mulling the thoughts and information in her head for a moment before continuing.
“Many of the royal gundam guards under the human emperor continued to serve under Chimi despite his traitorous acts because they called him their god, even before he had forcibly taken the throne’s seat. Also why his father had named him Chimimouryu in the first place, because he knew his son would be their supposed god. Though they all knew of his divinity, they also realized openly that he was tainted through the soul. Believing that he truly was a god who would not reincarnate and yet knowing of his malice…”
“They built a shrine so his evil would not seep into the world,” Cobram finished for her, piecing it together. She looked at him and nodded.
“So it would not poison the rivers and mountains… Yes, that is correct.” Baku squinted his eyes baffled while crossing his arms.
“Well, no one knows for sure right? Maybe it’s just his trapped soul in there unable to reincarnate?” Captain moved closer to Zero with a dangerously serious look in his eye.
“That wouldn’t explain that strange energy within the Spirit Egg in the mouth.”
"The shinobi's offering is too strange... and for a compartment to actually come from altering the statue. It doesn't make sense, what good comes from putting this egg in there," Cobram mulled to himself. Flinching a little, Moriko accidently knocked the broom off of it’s rest causing it to smack loudly onto the floor. Silently in the shadows a yard or so away the oncoming party slowed and hid cautiously during the clamor of the wood. Raidon stayed in front of Daja with his floating tub, pulling out imbuned quills and drew them back, just to be ready. But the female ninja with them shook her head, keeping a clawed finger over her mouthplate to ensure their cooperation in keeping the quiet. Raidon lowered his bow, but kept his fingers tight, Daja also readily armed with his hammer. The noise brought everyone’s attention along with the eerie silence to Moriko as she looked honestly shocked for the first time. Startled, she found a voice.
“W-What offerings? There are no offerings at this inshi! There are no compartments!” Cobram turned to stare off at the direction of the stone, narrowed eyes.
“The jaw of the tablet opens revealing a small compartment. Perhaps it wasn’t always opened or noticed because most wouldn’t want to leave offerings to an akujin, but it could be something only those who believed he was a god had known and designed it for. And a ninja would discover it typically.”
“Or an ulterior motive, which is very probable considering where this ninja has chosen to place it,” Captain warned, also following Cobram’s line of view. Hikyuu watched them all closely and listened openly, smiling beneath her mask.
#It seems they have found the egg, Chimi-sama.#
#They do not know? It is good, master. I shall do as you say.#
She lowered herself close to the ground ready, claws scrapping the dirt ever so slightly. Daja took note and nodded his head to Raidon, it seems their distraction would arrive soon.
"Then what do you propose we do then? I cannot remove Fenn by normal means and we cannot destroy the shrine now."
"Perhaps I should try to remove it then," Moriko suggested and left her broom against the post again, slowly walking past Baku and Genki and down the stairs.
"Miss Moriko," Zero frowned. "The egg acted violently to myself and Fenn has chosen me as his only master. I do not wish to see you harmed for my cause-"
"It is not for your cause," She corrected sharply, her eyes on the forest still. "I am the hostess of the Chimi Inshi and it is my duty alone to my country and my family to watch over this ground." He bowed his head to her in respect and remembered his earlier threats to the shrine bitterly. How hostile and overprotective he has become. She had something equally important to protect in what he had nearly destroyed without a thought.
"I understand," Zero said and swallowed his shame.
"Then it's worth a shot," Shute agreed in a lighter mood and followed after her. Hikyuu narrowed her red eyes from her hidden place in the taller grass and drew a single black shuriken. Cobram froze in place, senses and body tight and ready from the very hushed sound of a blade. In an instant, he spun around to the forest, flinging several shuriken behind him as he moved his arm out to the side and jumped backwards. The stars flew past the trees and into the brush then produced clanks of metal, two of his stars deflecting in sight into nearby bamboo stalks with a hallow chunk sound.
The snake ninja knew they would return and was more than ready, but let his perception of the situation make him a little too confident. It wasn't just him verses the ninja, it was him and the Gundam Force, and even the rest of Genki's Squad around back.
There was only one kunoichi of Ark that could turn the tables here and Cobram shivered visably at the thought- one hand hoping, the other knowing of the dream and fearing it. The thought of the specific kunoichi fled quickly as Hikyuu chuckled low in the back of her throat, lunging forward from her hiding place with claws extended. She came upon Cobram, her attack blocked with his wrist guard armor, and he frowned as she purred a happy note, spinning to the side with a round house kick. Cobram ducked under it and drew more shuriken.
The rest of the party turned and the realization hit them all the exact moment the ninja moved. It was the ninja they were looking for. Hikyuu, still in air from the kick, took the hit in the back from the shuriken but suddenly transformed into a pile of bamboo cut up and tied with a string. Cobram didn't give a moment's glance to the replacement, his head shot up to her spring over his head, throwing several smokebombs onto the ground. The balls landed at his feet hissing thick, purple smoke as Shute stood in front of Moriko defiantly despite his shock.
"Wh-What's going on," She asked, terrified as she huddled behind Shute closely.
"Shute, incoming," Captain hollared as his green eyepiece picked up a movement going to them fast, turning on his jet boosters and sliding in front of them to block the attack. Hikyuu didn't have time for much of a followthrough as she found herself darting away from Cobram's attack from behind.
Raidon floated a little higher from their hiding place and saw around the smoke that the right side of the building was completely unguarded. He turned down to Daja who flew up next to him quickly without a word being passed between the two at all and both took off through their clearing. During the shock and confusion the ambush caused, Genki jumped in surprise and fallen over backwards, bouncing and falling down the stairs. Baku stared at the assualt on Hikyuu with wide eyes but shook it off, realizing Genki had disappeared.
"Genkimaru!?"
"Ow," He groaned and sat up from the ground, rubbing his head. The child blinked suddenly, seeing two figures fly towards the side of the building and pointed at them. "Hey!" Zero's eyes found them before they disappeared around the side of the building from sight, eyes growing small. Had they been flying? Without another moment's hesitation he took after them; Baku, still torn between the ninja and whatever Genki had pointed at, followed behind Zero for backup.
"Raidon," Daja shouted back at him, stopping dead in his tracks at the corner of the building and hiding around it, heaving his long and massive hammer from his side, ready. Raidon turned his head back to watch Zero and Baku whip out around that very corner, Daja already having channeled a deep crimson flame around it swung at them, making a direct impact with the winged knight. Zero skid backwards into Baku, knocking them both flat over completely, and Raidon faced forward to the statue again. Kiju, typically the first to move, skid between him and his objective and held his sword at ready.
"What are you-" But he didn't have a chance to find any justification as a seal of dark mana appeared in front of Raidon and he plowed right through the musha gundam, knocking him into Bakuha. Raidon stopped on a dime in front of the statue and dug his hand into the propped open mouth, wrapping his fingers around the glass-like egg to pull back flinching from the touch. Immediately on cue, he had felt that black energy burried inside and held his hand trembling from the sensation. Daja noticd and quickly flew away from the fumbling duo on the ground over to Raidon's side as he stared at the egg shocked.
"What's wrong?" Raidon took a deep, quivering breath and floated back from it, glancing at Zero and Baku.
"It has the same essence that I felt while around Chimimouryu. I don't think anyone without that shard is allowed to remove it, which would make sense. I'll hold them off." Daja nodded in understanding and grabbed the egg, feeling nothing odd about it other than the strong magical presence and flew up into the air. He grasped his hammer in his right hand, the left with the egg moved defensively over his chest and took off into the air, flying over the pagoda building.
"Watch where you're falling," Baku grumbled after Zero picked himself off of him and drew his swords. "Let's-"
"He took Fenn," Zero shouted, his eyes as large as dinner plates at he stared at the empty mouth of the shrine. Raidon drew back several arrows at once on the bow but spun and twisted upward, narrowly avoiding Hagane's barreling attack from the side. He turned the bow and shot down at Mokin, Zapper, and Destroyer before any of them could fire their distance attacks and flew after Daja. Zero gripped his sword tight and took off back around the side of the building again, Baku running after one more time.
Meanwhile, Hikyuu and Cobram took off into a heated battle of evasive ninja tactics and close combat movements against the other. Captain remained in place to protect Shute and Moriko, firing a rain of bullets upon any opening he saw that didn't conflict with Cobram. Shute frowned as he watched the exchange and finally shouted.
"Hey! Quit it!" Hikyuu paused while catching Cobram's fist, red eyes sliding over to him.
"What is it boy, hmmm?" Cobram also followed her line of vision then returned to her, flexing clawed fingers ready to strike again if needed. Shute blinked, a little surprised she listened so obediently, then returned to his seriousness.
"What are you doing?"
"A silly question for a silly creature," She purred and returned her gaze to Cobram, unabashed in sizing him up not as a ninja but as a male gundam. He quickly averted his eyes back to Shute, knowing better than to give a kunoichi a moment for sexual tricks.
"If that's so, why did you attack us? What are you here for?"
"Just a game," She shrugged and huffed, a little flustered that he wouldn't pay any attention to her attempts but not deterred as she growled seductively from Cobram's scoff.
"A game?," Captain asked, keeping his gun steady and unwavering.
"Playing with your heads, dear, hmmm," Hikyuu pushed forward while he was looking aside and brushed his forehead with a claw, scratching him lightly before he had moved back away. Captain's eyes furrowed as he fired again at her, Shute checking up on Moriko behind him as she seemed to flinch and recoil back everytime a round went off.
"It's okay," He yelled over the noise and grabbed her hand. "We'll protect you!" She opened her eye slowly at him and squeezed it shut again, clasping her hands over her sound vibration sensors on the sides of her head as Captain shot again, niping Hikyuu in the shoulder this time. She winced and skid back to a halt through the grass, jumping to the side from more shuriken and took off running again. Cobram ran alongside a few feet from her, glaring.
"You insist you're playing the game with us, but how do you know we're not playing the game with you?"
"Then you're playing along nicely, hmm," She smirked but tripped suddenly and looked down in surprise as Cobram's black armor tail lunged out from the shadows and wrapped around her leg. She slammed into the ground and Cobram pinned her down with a foot, turning her over so he can glare at her face to face.
"You spoke too soon." Shute smiled and Captain lowered his gun, glancing over his shoulder at Moriko.
"I am sorry my weapon startled you." Moriko nodded meekly, obviously timid and kept behind Shute still. Hikyuu smiled from under her captor, seeing Daja and Raidon flying over the roof of the pagoda.
"Hmm, game over then."
#Chimi-sama...#
The black puiples in her red eyes suddenly faded and she became completely still and relaxed on the ground under the other ninja. Cobram stared at her, startled by this sudden apparent loss of consciousness and leaned down, looking over the only cause he thought of from the shot to her shoulder. The moment he laid his hand on it for further inspection, Hikyuu's eyes became small and grabbed his wrist with a burst of unknown speed and strength. Before he even knew what hit him, she threw him off of her, slammed him into the ground, kicked off his tail snake, and sat on top of his chest.
"Cobramaru," Shute gasped in surprise and Captain raised his gun again. Her eyes returned to normal as she grinned with a purr.
"Ja ne, orochi no shinobi." Captain fired another shot but the blue bullet of energy never reached her as she disappeared into smoke.
Zero and Baku ran from the other side of the house, surprising Shute, Captain, and Moriko as Genki scurried over to Cobram to see if he was alright.
"What-" Shute didn't get a chance as Zero bellowed over him.
"They have the spirit egg!" And both gundam force members continued past, chasing after the duo down the mountainside and gaining speed on their heels. Suddenly the gundam in the floating drum spun around, unleashing a multitude of glowing arrows flying towards them. Zero held up his magic shield, guarding them as Baku leapt over.
“Zero! I’ll take the other, you get Fenn back,” He called while forming quick circles while in air. Zero nodded and took off above the canopy and swooped down upon the flying gundam. “Tenkyoken,” Baku called out, sending a flame flaming x down at Raidon. He quickly ducked down into the tub as it spun and glowed light, the flames spinning around it. Baku’s eyes widened as he landed on a log, watching as the flame changed from it’s x to a concentrated fireball, shooting back at him as the drum spun it off. “Fiend,” He cursed under his breath while jumping again, dodging his own flames that slammed into the trunk, lighting the brush nearby ablaze. Birds and animals began to cry and run from the fire wildly. Captain flew close behind with Shute and Moriko running after, dodging the paniced creatures.
"The forest," She cried but Shute shook his head, hand still wrapped tight on hers.
"It'll be okay! Captain and I won't let you get hurt!"
Daja glanced back at Zero closing in on him, Raidon trailing back dealing with the other gundam, and frowned. "Chimi, any day now," He growled to himself mostly and swung his hammer back, a great Dark Mana ring appearing behind him and a gust of wind surrounded him and the hammer. Daja swung the hammer down, the blast of wind breaking over the treetops as Zero held up his Light Mana ring shield. Finally the gust subsided and as if on cue, as Zero charged at Daja again to slash through the air a Lacroan cresent, the space in the sky began to crackle and sucked inside itself, a midnight black portal opened up right there behind Daja. It continued to grow and the force dragged him in, though he welcomed it, and Zero stared wide-eyed for a moment at it's sudden appearance.
"Wait, get back here," He growled and flew in right after Daja had disappeared into the pitch dark suction. Raidon glanced up from shooting more arrows down below on the samurai to see the portal and quickly moved to follow when the enchanted tub rocked backwards for a moment before tumbling forward. He glanced over the edge to find Baku clinging onto the side of it, following it's flight towards the portal.
"You won't get away, thieves!" Raidon moved to spin him off but just then got caught in the graviety of the portal's suction, immobilizing the tub as both him and Baku disappeared into it as well.
"Zero! Bakunetsumaru!" Shute let go of Moriko's hand and grabbed onto the straps of his jet pack, taking off into the air after them. Startled, Moriko grabbed onto Captain, not understanding that the dark hole they had disappeared into was.
"Don't leave me here to defend myself, I'm not a warrior," She cried and make an little yelp as Captain's thursters turned on.
"Very well then," He nodded and flew into the empty void. After he disappeared, the portal remained open, sucking in the wind and leaves from nearby and a Hikyuu moved out of a shadow, staring up at the vast dimensional rip and spoke to it.
"There will be no fun for them where they land, hmm, will there Chimi-sama?" After a minute, she smiled at the unspoken reply and leapt in, the portal caving in on itself as soon as she passed through.
~*~*~*~*
Review. >_T PLEASE.