Stupid rassum-frassum e-mail... Ignore all my attachments...

This is why I generally post them inside the email itself.  Experience has shown this
to be the best course of action concerning ficcys...that and limiting the number of
character per line to about 72 or less...who makes up these numbers anyway?

I have copied. I have pasted. If it doesn't go through this time, I will
officially stop trying. I swear to you all, as the Admins are my witness, I
will set my computer on fire before I try to post this chapter a FOURTH
time.

Well fortunately you didn't have to do that.  All things considered a burning
computer will create no ficcage.  If it's that bad, all you'd need to do is upload it
to the nearest archive of your fics and post the link.  We, your adoring (heh heh)
fans will dutifully read your fics like the crack addict fanboys we are and post for
your displeasure, extremely evil C&C, so we all might shake our heads in disapproval.
^_-

Once again, I am deeply sorry for this. I don't know why my Inbox has become
deranged. Please C&C, if you actually bothered to open this by now.

Ok. ^_^  I'll even post your whiticisms from the last few emails.

Greetings yet again, everybody! ^_^

<Unicron> Welcome, Morgan....

Well, here we are. It's the start of a new Ronin Summer chapter, and that
means I need to strap on my kneepads and make with the begging.

^_~

You're not cute enough. ^_^

So, in the spirit of begging, let me take this opportunity to beg, plead,
and otherwise urge you to send me some C&C on this. Even if it's just to say
"Hi", I'm always glad to hear from you people! You can press the "reply"
button, or, if for some reason that doens't work, you can always just type
my address in the old-fashioned way (you can find it in both the "From:" and
"Cc:" lines of this very e-mail, as well as lower down in the fic proper).

*makes a note to make a list of how many people actually mess this one up. ^_^

*Whew!* Well, as I always say, an ounce of C&C is worth a pound of pride any
day of the week... ^_^

I dunno man, that was a serious load of it right there.  I'm practically wading
through it...you sure you don't want some of it back?  Heheheh.

<Snipage of the linkage>

Of course Mr. Hudson sent me!  Yes, I know that was a most expensive Umi in her
ultimate armor porceline figure, but it was so lovely I just had to touch it!  I'm
telling you it was him!  He sent me! ^_^

Now... On with the story!

**********

OBLIGATORY LEGAL DISCLAIMER : Some of these guys aren't mine. The
Sailor Senshi belong to DIC and Kodansha, while the Troopers are owned
by Sunrise and Graz Entertainment. Okay? So don't bother suing me. I'm
a student.

I'm actually told that Ms Takeuchi actually reads the fanfiction based on her series
of Sailor Moon.  I wonder if she reads the stuff in english, and if so, I do wonder
what her thoughts on the subject are.  I mean it's cool to make a good series, but
it's kinda weird to see someone write your creation better than you do, and I've seen
that with just about every anime series out there.

                   RONIN SUMMER VI : DARK CRUSADE

         A Sailor Moon / Yoroiden Samurai Troopers cross-over

             by Morgan Hudson (dataraven_659@excite.com)

Chapter Sixteen : The Iceman Cometh

First he was Subzero!  Now...he's plain zero! ^_^

	Youja didn't bleed; they couldn't. There was no blood, no
flesh behind their armoured shells. The forged metal plates, with
their almost seamless joins and carefully meshed joints, embraced
nothing more substantial than smoke itself. And yet, arguably,
something infinitely more precious - at least to the youja in question.
The swirling, sooty mist that burbled inside their armour, that poured
from their wounds and drifted off into the void, was the very essence
of their selves, the core of their astral beings.

Must suck being little more than energy encased in barely mystical armor.  You know,
this is actually a major design flaw.  You'd think they'd have some sort of recovery
ability...otherwise a scratch in the wrong area at the wrong time, and they'd die
before they got back to someone like Kayura who could mend them.

Great, now I'm sounding like an IT tech again. ^_^

	Youja didn't bleed, but they could bleed to death.

Nice statement.

	Certainly, Yoen thought as he futilely clutched one gauntlet
to the side of his cuirass, there had been enough of his troops doing
so over the past few days. First had been Enka, he recalled, who had
fallen at the hands of a vile creature in human form that Yoen now
knew was called 'Thraw'. Yoen had seen, on the night of that fateful
raid, as Enka was struck from behind by a dirk that tore straight
through his breastplate and gouted his essence faster than a tilted
bucket emptied itself of water. Ichimatsu had been next, gone mere
minutes later when that same monster had relieved the youja of his
head. In the space of those few moments, two of the most experienced

I imagine this is rather what the victims of the planetary purges in DBZ must feel
like.

members of the Guard had been exterminated, and Yoen had been helpless
to save either.

	The Guard had done their best that night, he knew. They had
been caught off-guard, outnumbered, and woefully unprepared for the
enemy they fought, yet had nonetheless managed to do their duty. The
Lady had been protected from those foul creatures, and that was worth
any cost to themselves. But still... the thought rankled him. Twelve

There is a difference between doing your job, and doing it well enough to satisfy
your work ethic.  In this case I doubt he could have satisfied that being as
outmatched as he was.

youja, the best, the most highly-trained and empowered members of
their breed, and their numbers had been halved in a single night.
There had been Enka and Ichimatsu, yes, but then to lose Kusuburu,
Ippuku, Endan, and Kemuri as well! A mere day later, and Thraw had
claimed two more of their number; bold Hakuen and brave Baien, their
spirits lost in a vain attempt to prevent the capture of the Lady. And
after she had endangered herself to save them, no less!

Yeah, this is definately one of those things that just plain sucks.  This guy could
share some stories with the human fighters of DBZ.
<Krillain> Yeah, we used to be cool.  Til the Saiyans came along, then we just sucked
no matter what we did or how good we got.

	This Thraw creature was a devil, Yoen thought, as he watched

Wonder what he would have thought of Arago then. ^_^

the black smoke ooze sluggishly from the piercing wound in his side,
tightening his gauntlet's grip over it. Had Thraw been spawned from
the Abyss? Did he exist solely to return them all to the nothingness
that had spawned them? Of twelve, eight destroyed in the space of two

Too many uses of the word 'spawned.'

days! Only four remained, maybe fewer; there was no way of knowing if
young Shien and Kokuen still existed.

	He felt a wave of concern wash over him, and turned to look
at Shouen. Without the presence of any humans or youma, there was no
need to primitively vocalise their thoughts to each other. In response
to his comrade's worry, he gave the mental equivalent of a pat on the
shoulder as Shouen uncorked a small container at his hip and poured
gunpowder down the barrel of his musket. All is well, Yoen thought to
the crimson youja. No need to be worried.

A musket?  No magical energy casters?  That seems a bit low tech, and really low in
the magical department.  I mean, a guy with an Uzi or something similar could easily
outdo someone with a musket.

	But you are worried, Shouen responded silently. I can feel
that as surely as you do. Why mourn for those gone? They are gone.
Enka, Endan, Kemuri, Ippuku, Ichimatsu, even Hakuen and Baien... they
are merely names now. Meaningless. The stuff of their essence has
returned to the source, defused itself back into non-being. They are
no more.

Sounds more like they returned to the gaia. ^_-

	But they WERE, Yoen argued. They used to be. From the day that
the Lady drew their essence from the Astral Plane, bonded it to their
shells, they existed. Their skills, their experiences, their LIVES...
All are gone. Is it any different from the death of a human?

Heh, we've been trying to figure out how our existence works since day one.  I wonder
how he'd react if he realized that pretty much all humans are as in the dark about
their lives and souls and such as they are.

	Humans have souls, Shouen noted as he drew a lead ball from
the pouch he wore over his shoulder and wrapped it in cloth, sliding
the bullet down his musket's barrel with brisk, powerful thrusts of
his ramrod. We do not. Our existence was formed from ether, and to
ether we return. Our quondam members are now as they were before the
Lady formed them; nothing. Even their shells have evaporated by this
point. There is nothing to remember them.

One point about the universe is that nothing is lost, only changed in form.

	As there will be nothing to remember us, Yoen thought with a
psychic sigh.

	The Lady is well, Shouen reminded his leader. Uncorking the
small container at his hip yet again, the youja placed some powder on
the pan of his rifle and snapped the frizzen down to cover it.

Heh, he seems to have his issues worked out.  He knows who he is, and what he is
there for.  A perfect warrior...no distractions of any kind.  Many would envy him
this.

	There is that, Yoen admitted. We have protected her. And we
shall continue to do so - she gave us existence; we owe her that much
in return.

	Despite his bold thoughts, however, he could already feel
himself growing weaker. The battle with those strange insect creatures
had cost him dearly; his silver shell was pitted and scratched from
blows dealt by their blade-like arms, and the metal plates had been
rent in several places. His wounds were not major, but there was no
way for any but the Lady herself to heal them, and with every second

Like I said, a decided design flaw.  There should be SOME way to at least stop the
'bleeding' so he can get somewhere to be healed.

that passed another part of his essence drifted away on the breeze. It
might take days, even weeks, but eventually there wouldn't be enough
of him left to hold together. His armour would collapse, and the last
vestiges of his identity would float into oblivion.

	Youja didn't bleed, but they could bleed to death, and Yoen
knew he was doing so. Shouen, as well, had tried with little success
to staunch his wounds; Yoen sensed the ripples of pain that writhed
around his colleague with every motion. As he watched, Shouen bent
over and grabbed a thick tuft of millet that was growing wild between
the brambles, brush, and pine needles that littered the forest floor.
With a sharp tug, the youja tore the coarse grass from the ground and
held it over a gash in his pauldron, black mist seeping through the
matted plants.

I suppose this would be thinking outside the box for them. ^^;;;;

	But slower. If Yoen had actual eyes, he would have blinked.
Instead, the glowing blank orbs floating in his helmet's eyeslot
simply dimmed sharply before flaring back to life. As he watched,
Shouen forced the millet into the wound, plugging the tear with matted
grass.

	A branch snapped, and both youja turned their heads, lunging
to their feet as they stared in the direction of the sound. Grabbing
his bisento from where it stood propped against a nearby tree, Yoen
let the shaft of the weapon fall into his other hand and shook a
dollop of gleet from its scimitar-like blade. Shouen quickly raised
his musket, sighting down the long barrel into the dark gloom of the
forest.

	Don't go off half-cocked, Yoen silently reminded his
subordinate.

Beevis: Uh huh, Uh huh...he said cock. ^_^

	I never do, Shoen thought in response, easing his weapon's

Unless you count what happened with that Succubi yesterday...^_-

hammer back the rest of the way with his thumb. The sharp, ratcheting
sound of the tumbler echoed through the night, as the few birds who
had been daring to sing fell as silent as the armoured forms that
stood ready for yet another wave of attackers. Slowly, the sounds of
their oncoming adversaries began to filter through the still air of
the forest...

	"Are you ABSOLUTELY sure this is the right way?" The speaker
had a sprightly tone, mocking and yet cheerful at the same time.

	"Ask me that one more time and I'm gonna stretch you until I
look you in the eye, kid! For the last time, we're not lost!" Unlike
the first voice, this was uttered in a dull rumble that caused the
branches overhead to tremble.

And men will never stop to ask directions.  There is a certain amount of pride that
goes with this after all.  Unless you're Ryouga.  Or Jun after this little adventure.
^_^

	"Fine," the first voice replied, coming closer. "I mean, I'm
only asking because we've been walking for a VERY long time..."

	The bushes rustled, and a small human with short dark hair
popped out of the brush like a rabbit. He was dressed in dark slacks
and a shirt which might once have been white, before a healthy blend
of grass-stains, dirt, blood and sweat had turned it into something
more like an impressionist painting. His collar hung open, and had

For my own information, is this a white button up corporate type shirt?  Just a
regular white T-shirt?  A white undershirt, what?

long since lost any starch that it may have once possessed. He jolted
to a stop, looking up at the two armoured figures looming over him
with an air of utter resignation as they slowly lowered their weapons.

	"Okay," he sighed, "are you here to arrest someone new, or
just back up the other pair? And do you, by any chance, have anything
vaguely edible? We haven't eaten since I got here, and I don't like
the way all these youma have been eyeing me."

He's already starting to master the fuck it attitude.  Heh, soon he'll be spouting
Ashisms like a pro. ^_^

	"Talk to the Senshi," a gigantic youma grumbled as he crashed
through the underbrush and circled around to stand beside the small
human. He was a minotaur, with the lower legs and head of a bull and
the torso of a man. Vines and creepers hung from his sharp, heavy
horns, and the short black fur that covered his body was matted with
sweat and mud. Small red eyes narrowed in a dangerous squint, and the
youma shook his head as he snorted loudly. "They're the ones who keep
talking about hamburger and steak. If I weren't such a good-natured
fellow, they'd be smears on the landscape by now."

	"We've got company," the human said to the minotaur, who
scowled and clenched his fists.

	"I'm not THAT blind, boy!" The youma focused his gaze on the
two youja as best he could, clouds of steam blasting from his nostrils
as he leaned forward and sneered, thick lips pulling back from fangs
the size of a man's fingers. "All right," he admitted, "so it's the
rest of those damned tin men. What do they want?"

	"I think they're here to arrest us again."

You know, this is almost good enough for a Monty Python skit. ^_^

	"They weren't there to arrest us the FIRST time!"

	"Okay, so they're here to arrest the Storm Senshi again.
Poh-TAY-toe, Poh-TAH-toe." The boy put his hands in his pockets and
shrugged. "Really, Takenoko, you shouldn't get so worked up over
little details like who's under arrest and who isn't. It's not good
for your blood pressure!"

Heheheheh.  You know, this attitude may be the one thing that saves him in the end.
Or kills him.  Either way, at least he would be fighting for whatever he believed in,
not giving a damn about whatever anyone else might be thinking. That's a life and/or
death that most of us could only wish to live.

	At roughly that moment, a lithe, athletic woman in a golden
leotard skipped around a tree and vaulted onto the minotaur's
shoulders, resting her elbow on his head as she cupped her chin with
one gloved hand. Large bows of midnight black graced her chest and

Acckkk...need...insulin....

back, while a pleated skirt of the same velvety material swirled
around her hips. Blonde hair framed her face to hang at her shoulders,
a far cry from her once ankle-length mane, and her lips were quirked
in a smile.

	"Gee," she said whimsically, "Empress Kayura sure seems to
want us pretty bad. And to think, we never even knew that she was
interested..."

O_o...*beats myself upside the head* Bad thoughts, bad thoughts!  Bad K'thardin!
*gets the mental image again* err...^;;^...x_x

	"Sure," a tall and leggy brunette woman groaned as she
stumbled over an exposed tree root and nearly fell face-first into
the clearing, "just go traipsing off without a care in the world, and
leave me to do all the grunt work, as usual. I mean, it's not like I'm
weighed down, or unbalanced, or anything! Don't worry about me!" She
was dressed in a navy blue sweater that was far too small for her; the

Hope she's at least tied something around her waist at this point.

sleeves ended at her forearms and the hem strained to cover her hips.
The only other thing she wore was a smaller woman in a blue leotard,
carrying her like a living backpack. The petite, blue-haired girl
seemed to be sleeping, chewing absently on her comrade's ponytail as
she slumbered.

And with insulin tapped from the heart of Cyberton itself...I WILL RESIST THE KAWAII
OF THIS PART! ^_^

	"Very well," the blonde replied airily, "I shan't." Raising

Heh.  Saw that one coming.

an eyebrow, she turned her attention back towards Yoen and Shouen,
somehow managing to give the impression of an eagle staring down at
some mice from her lofty perch. "Now then," she sighed, "I suppose
you'll be giving some boring speech about how my sister and I have
abandoned our posts and blah, blah, blah, treason, blah, blah, blah,
placed in custody, blah, blah, blah, executed at earliest possible
convenience." She smiled. "Is that about it? Because we'd really like
to get around to ignoring you as soon as we can."

Or killing them, if that's what it came down too...you know, it really seems that the
Youja are a bit single minded in purpose.  Course I suppose when you're made to be
cannon fodder, you don't need to be made too smart.

	"Yeah, okay," the dark-haired boy interjected. "Hang on a
minute there, Lightstorm; I think these guys were going to tell us
something about food." He was wringing his hands and gazing hopefully
at Yoen and Shouen as the two youja shared a confused look.

	Yoen shrugged and shouldered his bisento, his other arm snaking
around his torso and clamping down on the wound in his side. Shouen
glanced briefly at the boy and let his eyes dim slightly. They vaguely
recalled the small human from earlier, but he had seemed mostly
harmless, and not worthy of much attention.

<Jun> GODDAMNIT!  I'm always mostly freaking harmless!  I swear, I'm treated worse
than a male character in Sailor Moon!  Hey...wait a second...
<Lightstorm>  I don't know what you're complaining about, you have an awesome sword
Jun.
<Hotaru> WHAT?!  How does she know you have an awesome sword?!
<Jun>  <Looking up to the heavens>  Can't you at least tell me what I did so I can
appologize?
<Lightstorm> Yep!  He's so good with it too!  It's like he's possesed by it. ^_^
<Jun>  Hotaru...it's not what you think...
<Hotaru>  Death...Ribbon...
<Shutendouji> Oh hell, boy did YOU fuck up!
<Jun>  I didn't do anything!  It's not my fault!

	The brush rustled one more time, as Kokuen and Shien emerged
and joined the rest of the straggly group. On noticing their
companions, Shien's eyes flashed yellow and a wave of unadulterated
glee surged throughout the clearing, so vivid that it seemed as if
Yoen could cut it with his blade. Kokuen, on the other hand, looked
ready to hide under a convenient rock.

	"HAH!" Shien blurted out, pointing at his ebon-armoured
partner. "You're not in command any more, Kokuen! That means I don't
have to let them live!"

Very single minded.  I wonder if he realizes they could likely obliterate him with as
much effort as it takes to swat a fly?

	"That's nice," the human said absently, waving one hand at
the pair of youja as though to fan them away. "Now, uh, you DID say
you had food, right?"

Heh, ok, maybe he's not the only single minded person around there. ^_^

	"Woah!" Lightstorm leapt to her feet, causing Takenoko to
wince as her high heels dug into his shoulders. "And just who the
hell said you were LETTING us live, jarhead? Don't go getting any
fancy ideas just because we've been nice to you..."

Jarhead?  He's a Marine? ^_^

	"Uh, about that food..."

	"You are prisoners of the Empire, girl," Shien intoned. "I
should think that your ultimate fates were obvious. Having been found
guilty of treason, our Empress will no doubt have you executed on
sight."

Uhh...isn't it a bad thing to assume what your leaders want from you?

	"I keep telling you," Kokuen argued testily, "had their deaths
been the wish of our Empress, I feel she would have included such in
our orders. We were merely sent to find the Storm Senshi and return
them to her. She said nothing about execution at all!"

See, there you go.

	Yoen hemmed thoughtfully as he overlooked the two bickering
youja. Both Shien and Kokuen had valid points, but he wasn't sure he
approved of the zealousness with which they seemed to be anticipating
the Lady's wishes. It bordered on insubordination, to assume they knew

Almost heresy if they consider her a goddess of sorts.

her mind. Still, they were both mere weeks old, two among the legions
of youja freshly created to help fill the gaps in the Lady's army
after so many were lost battling Jadeite. Why, Kokuen's very position
was still fresh, created to provide representation in the Guard to
holdings which had until recently belonged to the demon Saranbo. A bit
of over-enthusiasm was to be expected from fledglings during their
first true campaign.

	Come to think of it, he supposed the Storm Senshi were still
rather new to things, themselves. True, they had played a part in the
final battle with Jadeite, but he was uncertain exactly how much action
they had seen before that. For all he knew, they could be nearly as raw

Good thing he didn't know who they were working for before that. ^_^

as most of his Guard. Perhaps it was best to be merciful towards them,
until and unless the Lady herself could decide their final fate.

	"Guard Kokuen," Yoen rumbled, "we two youja seek permission
to join your command for the duration."

Good move on his part if he wanted to keep them alive.  Or at least keep them all
alive a bit longer.

	"Your assistance shall no doubt prove invaluable," Kokuen
replied automatically, responding to the formal request as he had been
conditioned to. "I welcome you to my cause."

Conditioned or created to?

	"We shall seek to prove our worth," Yoen answered, finishing
the formalities as he bowed his head to his subordinate. "May Kayura
guide us."

Definately heresy then.  That sounded more like a sycophant (is that the right word?)
talking about his goddess.

	"Okay," the human muttered to the minotaur, "what the hell was
all that about?"

	"I'm not sure, Jun," the huge youma responded, shaking his
head slowly. "I've been working with these damned tin soldiers for
weeks - most of the time they don't talk at all, and if they do, it's
just nonsense like that."

Just observe.  You'd think things like that would become clear over time.  Or shit,
just ask one of em. Heh.

	Sensing their confusion, Shouen walked over towards the pair
and rested his long musket across his crimson shoulders. The smoke
rising from his wounds wreathed around him like a cape of soot as
he peered at Jun and Takenoko with his blank, soulless eyes.

	"Commander Yoen has just arranged for the two of us to join
your party, until such time as Empress Kayura can be found. For the
time being, we nine shall travel together." His glowing eyes narrowed
slightly. "Is that clear enough for you?"

See there you go. ^_^

	"Crystal clear," Jun replied with a grin and a shrug. "So if
we're all friends now, would you mind sharing some grub? Like I said,
it's been a few days, and..."

Heheh, food is a powerful motivator.  I hope they at least found something to drink
in the interm...oh wait, Icestorm.  If they could explain the concept to her...that
and if she doesn't make ice out of other chemicals like HCl or something of that
nature. ^_^

	"We have no food to give you," Shouen said brusquely,
interrupting the young man's spiel. "None of us are carrying any
provisions."

	"What? No food?" Jun looked as though the youja had just told
him there was no Santa Claus. "Why not?"

<Nasuti> I'm sorry, but it's true Jun, there isn't one!
<Jun>  But what about that guy that keeps coming down the chimney all dressed in
red...
<Naaza> (sliding down the fireplace) I'm here for you Nasuti! ^_^
<Jun> Why is he half dressed in a Santa outfit?
<Nasuti> ....

	"We are youja. We do not eat, drink, sleep or breathe. To us,
rations of any kind would merely be excess and useless baggage."

That's got to be useful...but what do they do when they rest?  Shit, the Poker games
they have must be awesome.

	"Huh." Jun scowled and placed his fists on his hips. "Right
then. Well, can't blame a guy for trying, right?" A look of
concentration on his face, the dark-haired boy looked around the
clearing. Suddenly he froze, his body stiffening as though electricity
were coursing through him. "Takenoko," he asked calmly. "How hungry
are we? I mean, seriously."

Oh shit.  When people start asking those kinds of questions, it might be good to
watch your back...you might wind up on the menu. ^_^

	"Starving," Takenoko answered, rubbing his muscled stomach
with a hand the size of a serving platter. "Why?"

	"Because we're gonna eat something, man. We can't keep walking
like this, or we're bound to keel over." Jun cleared his throat and
walked over to where one of the mantid corpses lay sprawled on the
ground, ichor pooling from where Yoen's bisento had cleaved it from
thorax to abdomen.

	"Hey, Takenoko," he asked, "you ever have lobster?"

	"Those aren't lobsters, Jun. They're giant bugs."

	"What did I tell you about getting worked up over little
details like that?" Jun asked with an amused smirk.

<Master at Arms> Never think while you're hungry. ^_^

**********

	In retrospect, Jun admitted to himself, they really had been
more like bugs than lobsters. By the time the youja had finished
shelling them and he had put the meat on spits, it had smelled like a
skunk swallowed a hand grenade. Still, after two days it had been

Yeah, and better hope that shit isn't poisonous too...but then like I said, never
think while you're hungry.

better than nothing. With Takenoko's direction, they had even managed
to save enough that night to keep them fed for the rest of the week.

If you know how to make it, it'll keep and keep and keep. Heh.

	It tasted better as jerky, he thought as he took a bite of
the dried meat in his hand. Kind of sour and greasy, but not as bad
as when it had been fresh. He'd had to march with stomach cramps
after that first day. Sailor Lightstorm had claimed that she was being
bothered too, but Jun suspected that was just so that Takenoko would
carry her. After all, Thunderstorm and Icestorm had eaten more than
either of them, and neither one had any problems whatsoever.

Must be nice not being so...human.  Damn we really are some fragile beings...you'd
think evolution would have compensated for that by now.

	"So," he asked, "are we still going west?"

	"Just another minute," Kokuen said, as he stared intently at
his scythe, which had been thrust into the forest floor. Yoen and
Shouen crouched near him, one looking up at the sky and the other
joining Kokuen in the staring contest he seemed to have entered with
his own weapon. With all the speed of cold molasses, the scythe's
shadow moved towards the three youja. Shien leaned against a nearby
tree, his gaze on the Storm Senshi, who were doing their absolute
best to ignore his attention. Icestorm was trying to climb a tree,

Well, their real forms seem to be catlike...

Thunderstorm was trying to remind her that she didn't know how, and
Lightstorm had plopped down on the ground with her hands behind her
head and a smile on her face. Since they'd gone and found such a nice
sunny place, she'd explained, she was going to work on her tan.

Case in point.  Then again, as it seems they are attracted to their element,
Lightstorm would love a good sun bath...wonder how she'd react to a high powered
laser. ^^

	"When we first planted this weapon," Kokuen explained over
his shoulder, "we made sure that it was casting no shadow. Now, as the
sun has moved, a shadow has appeared."

	"Yep," Jun said with a smile, "and since the sun moves from
east to west, that means that the shadow we see is pointing east.

You better hope it moves from east to west on this planet. ^_^

We walk in the other direction, and we'll know we're heading west.
Neat trick, huh? I learned it when I was a kid."

	"This is really humiliating," Takenoko grumbled from his seat
against a tree that seemed to be leaning slightly under his weight. "I
don't get lost THAT often."

Shit, you're blind dude, and don't have any other senses quite accute enough to take
over.  Then again, with a bit of training he likely could, but that takes years.

	"It's not you, big guy," Jun explained. "I mean, in the forest
it's easy for anyone to get turned around. We don't know any landmarks,

This is true too.

and a lot of the foliage is hard to tell apart. It only makes sense
for us to stop every few hours and check our direction." With a sigh,
the young man stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Now if Nasuti were
here," he continued, "we could borrow her compass and use that. But

I wouldn't trust anything that works with our magnetic field on that planet.  There's
no telling where you'd wind up.

since she isn't, and I don't pack for these things the way she does,
we'll have to make do."

	"Uh, little help here, guys?"

	With a soft groan, Jun looked over his shoulder. There, arms
and legs both wrapped firmly around a tree branch and eyes squeezed
shut with terror, Sailor Icestorm dangled several dozen feet above the

I suppose creating a pillar of ice to step on would be too logical for our terrified
Storm Senshi? ^_^

ground. Standing at the foot of the tall old pine, Sailor Thunderstorm
was tapping one foot and looking peeved.

	"You just had to do it, didn't you?" the brunette fumed, as
her foot tapping increased in frequency. "This is the second time
this week, you know. I keep telling you, and you never listen; YOU
CAN'T CLIMB TREES! Why do you insist on climbing trees?"

Or at least she needs to learn to climb them first.

	"I-I-I think maybe that Sailor Mercury chick likes to climb
trees," Icestorm stammered. "I m-must have picked it up from her when

Does she?

they m-made me." Opening one eye a slit, she squeaked and tightened
her grip until the branch began to creak. "C-Can we please talk about
this, like, when we're both on the GROUND?"

	"Well don't look at me," Thunderstorm snapped back. "I'm not
exactly dressed to go shimmying up there after you. This thing I'm
wearing's barely decent when I'm standing still!"

I wouldn't think it would be to be honest. ^_________^

	Lightstorm lifted her head, glancing over at her two sisters
and fellow clones. "I just don't want to," she said simply, and went
back to tanning.

mmm...tanning Venus...mmmm...^_^

	"I'm too big to get up there," Takenoko said, staring at Jun.
"I suppose I could always shake her out of the tree..."

Yeeeaahhh. Heheheheheheh.

	"NO! NO!" Icestorm wailed from her precarious perch in the
branches of the pine. "NO TREE SHAKEY!"

Does she have to be so Kawaii with everything?

	"...Unless, of course, you've got a better idea than that,
boy," Takenoko finished, with a truly evil smile that showed off each
and every one of his long, sharp fangs.

	"I hate each and every one of you," Jun said softly, as he

Don't worry.  It's going to get far worse for you later on. ^_^

walked over to the tree in question. Looking up, he cupped his hands
to his mouth and shouted up to the frightened Senshi.

	"Hey, Icestorm! I'm coming up to get you! Just stay calm, and
I'll be right there! Okay?"

	"Okay!" A small voice drifted down from the girl as she did her
best to graft herself to the branch she was hanging from.

	Grumbling under his breath, Jun slid a katana blade out of the
belt loop in his pants and tossed it aside. No point letting it get
caught on something, he figured. Rolling up his sleeves and rubbing q

Good plan that.

his hands together, he turned to the tall young woman standing next
to him.

	"Mind giving me a boost, Thunderstorm?"

	The brunette stared blankly at him, then laced her fingers
together and held her hands out at waist level. Jun stared at her
hands, and placed his hands on his hips.

	"Bit of a high step for a boost, isn't it?"

	"If you're expecting me to bend over," Thunderstorm replied
calmly, "you should've lent me a longer sweater. Jump up, and I'll
boost you."

I want you to know I hate you Morgan Hudson.  The deapths of my hatred for you right
at this very moment are unfathomable. ^_____^

	"Fair enough," Jun answered, and placed his hands on the taller
woman's shoulders, bracing himself as he hopped up and placed his
foot in her hands. "Okay," he said, grunting from the effort of
holding himself up with his arms, "BOOST!"

Y'know, if he were a bit more sure of her strength, and possibly a bit more sure of
his own, a running-jump-boost would have been a bit better.

	With a grunt of her own, Thunderstorm shoved his foot up as
hard as she could and Jun quickly grabbed ahold of one of the nearby
branches, his face pressing against the coarse bark as he felt
Thunderstorm release his foot and step back, muttering something
dangerous under her breath. Takenoko mumbled something back about not
looking, and Lightstorm said something about not caring. He let his

Not that he could see much anyway. Heh.

legs swing back and forth a little before trying to find some purchase
for his feet. Stupid Icestorm, he thought as he began to clamber up
the tree. Who climbs up a tree they can't climb back down? Other,
apparently, than himself. That WAS going to be a heck of a drop once
he got back down to that last branch, wasn't it?

Usually.  I've jumped off of roofs before...without the right training, it hurts.  A
lot.

	Compiling a list of who in their group he had offended the
least and what arguments he might use to enlist their help in getting
back onto the ground ate up a fair amount of time. Before Jun actually
had an answer in mind, he was already one branch below Icestorm.

Because there comes a time when you just got to grin and bear it. Heh.

Y'know...I wonder if he realizes yet that it looks like he's becoming the make-shift
leader of their little group.  As if he didn't have enough that was screwing him over
presently. heh.

Pausing to catch his breath, he glanced down for a moment and
quickly decided that was a bad idea. Exhaling loudly, he gripped the
trunk of the tree with one hand and looked off into the distance. Not
down. Down was definitely off his list of looking options for the time
being.

	"Well, now that's just weird," he said with a note of surprise
as he saw one of the single strangest things in his life. Demon Lords
he could handle. Black magic was old hat to him. Heck, he had been

He hasn't met Black Mage yet. ^_^

personally invited to a massacre, once - albeit more as a witness than
a participant. Blood and gore and things that went bump in the night

Probably a good thing on the latter.  Being a participant in a massacre is not
usually a good thing...especially for the massacre-ies. ^_^

hadn't bothered him since grade school.

	But snow? When it was so warm he was sweating through his
shirt? Not to mention one that only snowed over a single piece of
land: the wind whipped the snow as haphazardly as usual, but there
was an obvious, clearly defined border to the storm. From his vantage
point, it seemed to form a perfect -if large- square.

Which should tell you that what you are looking at is not exactly natural. Heh.

	"Hey Icestorm," he called up to the petrified girl dangling
above his head. "Take a look over there, to the west. Is it just me,
or are we all a few hours away from walking into the weirdest blizzard
ever?"

	Resolutely, the young woman shook her head and clutched her
branch even harder. The branch, which had been creaking and groaning
for some time in an attempt to drop some discreet hints against such
action, finally gave up on the effort and splintered into a lifetime
supply of toothpicks instead. With a yelp of shock, Sailor Icestorm
dropped towards the earth like a blue-haired meteor. Reacting on what
what was probably instinct -but which he would later argue was sheer
idiocy- Jun thrust out his arms and lunged forward in an attempt to
catch her.

Bravo kid.  Too bad that yes, it was stupid.  However, it was rather brave of him.
Though honestly...I can see most in his position would act as he did.  And
fall...like he did. Heh.

	Given his own somewhat untenable position at the time, this
was not the best of tactical decisions. Jun felt a sudden jolt as
the girl landed in his arms, followed immediately by the queasy feeling
of his balance shifting as his head and feet rapidly switched
orientation. By the time he actually registered the sensation of his
toes scraping off of the branch -and one shoe off of his foot- both
branch and shoe were distant memories. The world was a blur of green,
and one which was blurring far faster than he wanted it to. The sound

Falling out of trees is similar to jumping off of roofs, only branches hurt a lot
more, but generally break you fall if they aren't too high up.  Otherwise it just
hurts a lot more when you finally hit the ground.

Yes, I'm speaking from experience. ^^

of screaming filled his ears, and his lungs burned as he fell. Smaller

Heh, yep.  And you don't even realize you're the one yelling either.

twigs and needles scratched at his face and body like skeletal
fingers, and Jun actually had a moment to hope that they didn't wind
up splattering themselves on one of the wider, stronger tree limbs
below them.

	As quickly as it had started, it stopped. The world lurched
violently, and Jun's stomach leapt up behind his lungs as he came
to a sudden halt. For a few seconds, he stared at the grass that
was growing haphazardly from the earth a few feet below his toes.
Something slammed into the back of his head, and when it bounced
to the ground he noticed it was his shoe. Well, that was good. He'd
been afraid it got stuck up there.

Wait til the pain catches up. ^_^

	Icestorm lay on the ground as well, looking up at him with a
sheepish grin as she rubbed the back of her head. At first, Jun
thought she was rotating, but decided that might just be a touch of
vertigo. Then he realised that it was actually HIM who was slowly
twisting back and forth, and thought to turn his head.

	A massive pair of thick, muscular pectorals stared back at him.
With a deep chortle, he was lifted higher until he was looking his
saviour in the face. Small red eyes twinkled with amusement from behind
a broad, whiskered snout, and Jun smiled weakly as he waved to the
minotaur holding him.

<Jun> I fell, didn't I?
<Takenoko> Yup.

	"Well," Takenoko said with another chortle, "maybe now you
realise why I spend all of my time on the ground. It's pretty damn
hard to fall out of a meadow, and you usually won't make as much
noise coming down if you do." He gently shook the boy, and Jun bobbed
up and down like a fishing hook on the end of a line. The minotaur was
holding him in the air by the back of his pants, he realised, and
wondered if it would have been less embarrassing to just hit the ground
and take his chances.

He's fortunate those didn't rip, or he'd be walking around like Thunderstorm. Heh.

<You will PH34R my snips!>

	"Well," Takenoko finally declared, choosing his words as though
he might be struck down by the gods for selecting the wrong one, "It
could just be a freak storm, I guess. Or maybe one of the boys set up
shop and didn't bother writing to tell me about it. I suppose we should
swing by and give it a look-see, just in case. It's not too far out of
our way, at least."

I don't mean to say anything, but this is looking an aweful lot like an RPG at this
point. ^_^

	"Cool," Jun declared, and glanced around the clearing. "You
guys done finding east?" he asked the youja, who nodded as they rose
to their feet and picked up their weapons in expectation of the march
ahead. Which reminded him...

	"Hey, anybody seen my sword? I'd hate to lose it before I got
a chance to give it back to Naaza."

	Thunderstorm looked around and shrugged. "Don't you remember
where you tossed it?"

	"Somewhere," Jun snapped in reply, and pushed away from
Takenoko's side. Dropping to his hands and knees, he began to crawl
along the forest floor, sweeping aside dead leaves and fallen pine
needles as he searched. "It's got to be around here; we can't leave
until we find it!"

Guess he doesn't know about the item return policy on those things.  Odd, considering
how much time he's spent with the Youroiden (sp?).

	Sailor Lightstorm sat up and watched the proceedings with
interest as Jun scrabbled around on the ground like a cute little
puppy looking for its ball. Kokuen and Shouen joined the boy in his
search, as Shien and Yoen checked the makeshift bandages that covered
each other's armour, tightening a few that had been loosened during
the march and begun to leak black smoke. With a sigh, she rested her
hands on her knees and bit her lower lip thoughtfully. Far be it from
her to do more than the absolute minimum her duties required, but the
little munchkin looked so worried... and he WAS pretty cute. Sighing
again, the blonde woman stood up and began looking around.

Poor Jun.  This guy is just trying his damndest and he just keeps getting more and
more hell reaped upon him. ^_^

	Something gleamed softly in the scrub, and Lightstorm glanced
over in its direction. Whatever it was, it was hidden pretty well in
the snarl of brambles and brush that grew so prolifically between the
trees of the forest. No way Jun threw his sword hard enough for it to
land in there. Probably not what she was looking for, she decided, and
turned away.

	Except... why did she keep getting the nagging feeling that it
WAS what she was looking for? Turning back, the young woman saw

<Cursed Sword> Jesus, how dense are these girls?  What do I have to do? Transform
into Unicron and scream it at them?
<Icestorm>  Oooohh...really big head!
<Cursed Sword> ;_;

whatever was in there gleam again. It certainly did have a metallic
sheen, she thought, and took a step closer. Her hand moved down
through the thick underbrush, deftly avoiding the thorns and brambles
as she closed her fingers around the object. It felt so weird, almost
as if it wanted her to pick it up. Stepping back again, she drew her
acquisition out of the cover and into the light.

Whosoever holds this hammer...

	Sunbeams shone coldly off of the smooth surface of the curved
sword blade, and Lightstorm smiled. There it was; the same katana she
had seen hanging on Naaza's hip about a dozen times before. With a
cheerful nod, the Senshi turned and walked over to where Jun was still
searching through the forest litter.

This thing similar to the witchblade?  I might have asked this before, but I mean, if
it can change form, can it also clothe the bearer with armor?  It just seems to me it
would be a useful ability for it to have.

	"Hey, Jun! This what you're looking for?"

	The dark-haired young man glanced up and grinned, his eyes
lighting up at the sight of the katana in her hands. "Hey! You found
it! Way to go, Lightstorm; thanks!" He reached for the blade eagerly,
and she quickly pulled it away, holding the sword behind her as she
pushed on Jun's chest with her other hand.

	"Now, what's the big hurry, Jun? I'd say a little finder's fee
would be in order, after all the trouble we went through. Nothing big,
maybe just a little show of your gratitude..."

	"I said thanks." Jun stared at her with uncomprehending eyes.
"What more could you possibly want?"

	"How about a kiss?"

I remember the faery in Legend asking for something similar.

	"Ah, GEEZ! Couldn't I just give you money, or something?"

	"Hey, I am NOT that kind of girl, Jun Yamano!" Lightstorm

BWAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!

grinned mischievously, a twinkle in her eye. "No kiss, no sword."

	"But my girlfriend-"

	"Isn't here, and the last I heard you were fighting with her,
anyway. Do you want the sword, or what?"

Here's a gun.  Kill yourself now.  It will be far quicker and less painful in the
long run. ^_^

	Jun scowled and fumed in silence for a minute or two. Sailor
Lightstorm took the opportunity to pull off one glove and examine her
nails. She really needed to get a manicure, one of these days...

	"Okay," he said after another few minutes, and stepped forward,
grabbing the sword as he lightly pecked her on the cheek. "Thanks for
the help, Lightstorm; you're a great girl."

	Lightstorm looked shocked for a moment, then shrugged
philosophically. So it hadn't been exactly what she had in mind. She'd
still take it. Besides, the jealous looks that Thunderstorm and
Icestorm were giving her made up for any disappointment in the outcome.
Wait until she told them that she'd already gotten a better kiss
from him a few days ago...

Dude, THAT is not good.  Mr. Hudson, are you sure you don't hate Jun?  Or do you just
like fucking with the poor boy? ^_^  I mean, if all this Hell that he's aquiring
comes to head right at the same time (as these things generally do) you're going to
need you're own seperate story arch just to tell that tale.  Heh.

Then again, I suppose this is his just deserts for being that annoying little kid
sidekick in Ronin Warriors.  Just being that means he has so much to make up for,
it's not even funny. ^_^

Too bad he's not like Shingo.  That kid got smart and disappeared during the R
season, heh.

Damnit, that question bugs me.  What the hell ever happened to him?  You don't see
him during the Super S or Stars season...oh wait...I wouldn't be around either
considering who was living in his house at the time. ^_-

	"Funny," Jun mused as he held the katana before him and
examined it critically. "It feels kinda... different, somehow. Heavier,
maybe. I mean, it LOOKS right, but, well, are you sure this is the
right sword?"

	"Oh, come on, kid!" Takenoko called out impatiently. "Of
course it's the right sword! How many swords do you THINK would be
lying around on the ground waiting for you to pick them up? Just stick
it back in your pants and let's go check out that weird snowstorm!"

*laughs hard* Stick your sword back in your pants....heheheh, too bad he didn't say
something like "Quit letting that girl fondle your sword, stick it back in your pants
and get moving."

Besides, he should know better about the sword thing. ^_^

**********

	Takenoko sneezed, and shuddered like a flag in a stiff breeze.
In response to his violent motion, the small crust of snow which had
been forming on his fur slacked off and fell to the ground to join its
cousins.

	"Well?" Jun asked, rubbing his arms and stamping his feet in a
vain attempt to keep his blood flowing in the freezing cold, his breath
steaming from his mouth and drifting away on the breeze. "Any ideas?"

	"Not sure," Takenoko shouted back, raising his voice to be
heard over the wind. "There were a bunch of ice and snow youma back in
the day, but most of them got wiped out by Beryl. Not too many of the
ones who survived made it out of the Pit. Maybe we should just go on!"

Why's that?  Why would she waste em if I might ask?

	"Aww," Icestorm pouted as she lifted a large boulder of snow
and set it on top of the other two she had already stacked. "Do we
have to? I was, like, just starting to like this joint!" With one
finger, she stabbed two holes in the top snowball and drew a curved
line beneath them, creating a happy face.

Shit, this place would be a major energy rush considering their behavior in their
native elements.

	"T-T-T-T-Twit," Thunderstorm spat out between her chattering
teeth. Unlike her energetic partner, the tall brunette looked to be
two stages away from full-blown hypothermia. Hugging herself and
walking doubled over, she shivered and gasped for breath as she
shifted uncomfortably from one bare foot to the other. Understandably,
the knee-deep snow and sub-zero temperatures seemed to be disagreeing
with her.

Especially with the nothing she's wearing.

	Marching past her, Shien stopped in mid-step and turned his
helmet in the young woman's direction. "You are cold?" he asked, in
his usual emotionless tone.

	"Of c-c-course I'm c-c-cold!" Thunderstorm moaned, giving the
violet youja a dirty look. "M-my feet are b-blocks of ice!"

	Shien tilted his helmet to first one side, then the other.
Shouldering his naginata, the youja grabbed Thunderstorm by the wrist
and slung her onto his back, lifting her free of the snow.

I'd expect her to at least yelp in surprise at this point.  You don't usually get
thrown over someones back like that and not react.

	"I have been told that youja armour is warm," he said casually.
"Tuck your feet under you and press them against my backplate."

	"I thought you wanted us dead," Thunderstorm said suspiciously,
doing as he had instructed. Be damned, she thought, youja actually were
pretty warm. It was better than before, that was for sure. Of course,
if anyone said anything about it, she'd have to kill them.

	Shien looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes blank pools
of white as they swirled in the shadow of his eyeslot. He looked mad,
but then, the faceplate always kind of looked like it was frowning at
her. "Yes," he agreed, with a slight nod, "dead. Not suffering."

And that was almost kind of him.

	Yoen marched past the pair, his bisento resting easily in his
hand as he used the butt of the weapon to test the snow ahead of him.
The weather itself was no problem for his breed, but the snow might
hide any number of traps and snares, natural or deliberate. Suddenly,
he stiffened perceptibly. The bisento chopped through the air as it
fell forward, slapping against his other hand as he spun it into a
battle-ready position. He sensed Kokuen doing the same with his
scythe, even as Shouen dropped to one knee and began to load his
musket. Carefully, the silver youja began to edge backwards, covering
his crimson companion as the other youja hurriedly rammed a ball down
the musket barrel and applied powder. Kokuen was standing on the other
side, facing outward and instinctively covering that approach. All of
his troops could sense it; something was out there, lurking in the
snow.

	Something that was angry.

Are they still made from anger, fear, and despair like Arago made them from?  Or does
Kayura make them a bit differently?

	Noticing the strange behaviour of the youja, Jun glanced back
at them and scratched his head. Takenoko was right - half the time
they didn't communicate, and the other half of the time they made no
sense. The only one who seemed even close to normal was Kokuen.

	"Hey!" he shouted, trying to get their attention and failing
miserably. "What's up, you guys? You hear something? See something?"

	"Something like-" Kokuen said, before a spout of snow burst

<Vader> Something I've not felt since...

from the ground. There was a loud clanging sound, like somebody
hitting a bell with a hammer, and the black youja fell to the ground
with a large dent in his chest. Shien and Thunderstorm fell next, as
the purple youja's head suddenly snapped back and sent him crumpling
on top of his passenger, who yelped as the weight of his armoured
shell crushed her into the snow. Yoen swung his bisento in a glittering
arc, and Jun thought he saw something blur through the air as it
ricocheted off of the swinging blade. Another piece of snow puffed
upwards, to Yoen's left, and then another a few seconds later on his

<Shinobi> A true ninja warrior can use his surroundings as weapon. ^_^

right. The youja captain shifted his stance, kicking up a cloud of
the light, powdery snow as he stepped forward and swung his weapon
in a horizontal slash, ducking low as he did so. Another blur, as
his polearm quivered like a diving board, and Yoen suddenly flew
backward several feet, ebony vapour pouring from the wound in his
side as it opened further.

Considering where they are, an Ice patch over the wound might not be that bad an
idea.  Or maybe, if they can find some metal, weld something over it.

Might I say what this guy is doing is increadibly cool though?  I think I might have
seen something similar in a movie somewhere...but I can't remember.  I think the
Guyver 3 pulled this trick in the Manga to deal with the Hyper Zoanoids.

	Shouen finished loading his musket and lowered the rifle,
cocking back the hammer with a reverberating click. Snow erupted
to his left, then his right, then directly in front of him. Moving
as if aiming at something nobody else could see, the youja jerked his
musket upwards and fired, the roar of his weapon slicing through the
air like a cannon as fire and smoke belched from the muzzle.

	Icestorm yowled as the head of her snowman erupted in another
of the now-characteristic plumes of snow. "HEY! I worked really hard
on that, you big MEANIE!" Scowling prettily, she picked up a piece of
the shattered snowman and threw it.

	With a cry of surprise, a figure shimmered into view and
stumbled onto its face, the remnants of her makeshift snowball still
decorating the back of its head.

And what you should really be worried about is the fact she knew how to nail him on
the first shot.

	"Serves you right," Icestorm sniffed, and wiped her nose on
the back of her glove. "You shouldn't go jumping on other people's
stuff. I mean, that's just rude."

Yeah, especially Icestorm's bones.  You should at least send flowers first. ^_-

	"Hey, wait a minute," Takenoko mused, trudging towards the
downed figure as the three downed youja clambered back to their feet.
"I think I know this little punk."

	Rubbing the back of his head, the creature leapt up and landed
in a crouch, hands raised. It was humanoid, in that it had two legs,
two arms, one head, and so on. It was impossible to tell much else,
as the being was dressed in baggy white pants and a white turtleneck
sweater, with white gloves over its hands. There were what appeared
to be ballet slippers on its feet, and the creature had donned a
hooded navy jacket of what appeared to be silk. A belt of white cloth
tied the jacket at his -for it appeared to be male- waist, and the
hood cast whatever facial features he might have had into shadow.

Jack Frost? ^^;;;;;;

<P0\|/3R SNIP!>

	"Hey, that's more like it! All that silence was throwing me
off for a bit." Smiling, the giant minotaur clapped his associate on
the shoulder. "What happened to you, Jackie? You used to talk a mile a

Heh, so are we going to be meeting a headless horseman too? ^_-

minute. There was a time when I would have said we couldn't shut you
up if we melted your mouth. 'Course, there was also a time I wanted
to try it..."

	'Jackie', Jun noticed, still hadn't relaxed his stance in the
slightest. If anything, he had been growing more tense the longer
Takenoko talked. Jun had the sudden mental image of a jack-in-the-box
with just a few turns left on the handle. Any second now, he figured,
that weasel was going to pop.

To which he's probably right.  Like I said, I wonder if he's realized how much of a
leadership role he's taken on?

	"Hello," he said quickly, waving to the strange youma. "I'm
Jun Yamano! I don't believe we've been introduced." Walking over, he
extended his hand. Either this will work, the young man thought, or
he'll tear off my arm and club me with it. One of these days, I'm
going to teach myself to think and THEN act...

No you won't.  But at least you're recognizing when you're doing something stupid.
^_^

	After a brief pause, the youma reached out his hand and
clasped Jun's, shaking it brusquely. "I am Toushousha Hidoi," he
explained. "Most of the people I have fought beside call me Kousou..."
His hood turned in Takenoko's direction and the youma's voice turned
sour. "With," he amended, "one particularly annoying exception."

Heh, we all have 'friends' like that.  Some of us ARE those friends. ^_-

	"Well, it's good to meet you, Kousou," Jun said with a large
grin. "If you think you can keep from nipping at my nose for a few

Keep smiling.  Hopefully that will keep you from getting killed.

	The first thing that Kousou could do to help them, Jun had
suggested, was offer them a bite to eat. Dried bug was okay for the
first few days, but it got old pretty fast. As an end result, most of
the group wound up crammed around a small wooden table with a rather
acceptable feast spread before them. Better than dried bug, at least.
Jun had commandeered the only chair, leaving the Storm Senshi to make

While not very gentlemanly, this is probably the wisest course of action for them.
Don't need the Senshi fighting over one chair, but it seems like they'd all probably
agree to let him have it.

do with whatever boxes, stools, or overturned flowerpots they could
scavenge. Takenoko, for reasons of height as well as girth, had deemed
it best if he sat on the floor. The youja, having no need to eat,
merely stood nearby and kept a wary eye on their newest associate.
Given the speed with which he'd managed to attack them before, they
weren't taking any chances.

	Kousou, as it turned out when he finally got around to
lowering his hood, was actually quite human-looking. In fact, Jun
mused as he munched happily on a biscuit drizzled with some kind of
honey, the wiry youma could have been a model back on Earth, if not
for his coloration. His hair was short, slightly wavy, and as white
as bone. So were his eyebrows, which made a stark contrast with the
dark blue skin of his face. Still, a little makeup and some hair dye
and he'd have no problem blending into the human population. Of course,
the silver facial tattoo on his right cheek would still be a little
odd, but not too inhuman to draw attention to itself.

I've seen weirder tatoos before.  And then there are the people that turn their
bodies into ring pin cusions, with dozens of piercings all over. ^^

	"I'm sorry about the lack of furniture," he was explaining
at the moment, as he stirred a type of soup that Jun was unfamiliar
with. Its main ingredient seemed to be some kind of turnip, or radish.
"There really isn't much need for it, around here. I'm usually on my
feet most of the day, and I've converted a lot of the rooms of this
place to make room for my experiments."

	"Still looking for a cure?" Takenoko mumbled through a mouthful
of sandwich.

One of those party clubs from Subway right?  The extra long ones? ^_^

	"Maybe," Kousou admitted with a nervous tic of a smile. "Not
having too much progress, but we've got nothing but time around here.
Well, time and money. We're the richest farm in these parts."

	"Why?" Jun asked, taking a sip from the tumbler in front of
him. "What's the reason?"

	"You're drinking it," Takenoko explained. "That juice is made
from snowberries - they only grow in the cold. If you ferment them,
you get a drink with a kick like you wouldn't believe, and no hangover
in the morning, either. Of course, since they only grow in about
eighty below zero temperatures, they're pretty rare. Most farmers
could only harvest them one, maybe two months a year."

Don't let Nabiki get word of these things.  Heh, he'd be rich yeah, but he'd also be
working his ASS off. ^_^

	"With our powers, we make it cold enough on our property for
snowberries to thrive all year round," Kousou added, filling in for
Takenoko as the minotaur paused to dig into the plate of biscuits that
Jun had been perusing earlier. "As far as I know, we're the only farm
in the whole kingdom that does it. So, we received a special provision
from some guy with an eyepatch last week. We're the official suppliers

Surprising Jun didn't mutter his name. Heh.

of snowberry juice and wine for the royal castle itself. Half of what
we're growing now will end up on the table of whatshername... Empress
Kayura. She gets her favourite drink any time she wants it, and I get
all the money I could ever need."

Probably pays taxes with that stuff too.

	"Nice," Jun said approvingly, lifting his cup in salute.

	"Yes, for all the good it's done me." Kousou gestured, and a
slim blade leapt from the sleeve of his jacket to land in his hand.
Grabbing what Jun had assumed was an orange, the youma began to peel
it. Under the thick rind, the fruit was a vibrant shade of green, and
seemed to have the consistency of a potato. The peel fell away in a
single piece, and Kousou quickly diced the green bulb and dropped
the small pieces into a nearby bowl. Turning to the burbling soup, he
ladled out a steaming dollop over the chopped pieces of fruit.

	"Say," Thunderstorm mused as the slender youja headed for the
door with the bowl in hand, "you and me are pretty close to the same
height, huh? Think you could spare an outfit? I ain't exactly dressed
for polite company, y'know."

Sure she is.  Just the wrong type of polite company. ^_________^

	"Sure," he replied, with a quick and humourless smile. "Help
yourself. If you'll excuse me, I need to deliver this." Bobbing his
head in a slight approximation of a bow, he left and closed the door
behind him.

	"Okay." Jun set down his cup and looked around the table. "So
who here thinks we should follow him?"

	The vote was unanimous.

Heheheheheheheheheeheheheheh.

**********

	With a practised ease, Kousou nudged the door open with his
toe and sidled his way into the room, steaming bowl perfectly balanced
in the palms of his cupped hands. The light from the hallway spilled
over his shoulders and caused the ice-covered floor to sparkle like a
star-filled sky as he delicately glided towards his mistress. The
entire room was turning into an ice cave, the walls and furniture
coated in thick, glassy sheets of frozen material. It was one of many
reasons that no light was allowed in her chambers - by this point,
the ice was thick enough that its reflections could blind lesser
creatures.

	Kousou blinked his third set of eyelids self-consciously. His
breed had long ago compensated for such snow-blindness, but the effect
might have been painful to Mistress Carlin's own, less adaptive, eyes.
Especially since she was incapable of opening or closing them. Moving

So, are her eyes open or closed?

her would solve nothing - whatever room she moved to would freeze over
soon enough. He stepped over a large, shadowy mound of amorphous ice
that memory told him used to be a small footstool. Casting his gaze to
the ceiling, he saw the thick columns of icicles had stretched low
enough that the larger ones were making him duck his head to get past
them.

	Finally, he reached his goal. There, sitting in her frozen
throne, was Mistress Carlin. The delicate fingers of frost had begun

Sort of a Snow White/Sleeping beauty faery tale type situation, but I doubt a kiss
from a handsome prince is going to awaken her this time.

to creep up over her draping sleeves, stiffening the velvet fabric and
beginning a process that would eventually freeze them to the chair
itself. Her robe caressed her curves, looking almost like a night-gown,
and her face, if he were to pull back her fur-trimmed hood far enough
to see it, would no doubt be as composed and serene as if she were in
fact merely slumbering. The truth was far more serious - no fog rose
from her mouth or nose, her chest neither rose nor fell, and her skin,
if he had dared to touch it, would have seemed as cold and lifeless as
the icy seat that held her.

Yet he feeds her.  This is odd, as the concept behind breathing is to oxidize the
sugars in the food you eat, to turn it to energy; also exhaling the waste gases, like
CO2 this chemical reaction produces.  How does she do this if she does not breath?

	Yet she lived. He knew it. A simple glance at her necklace
revealed that the large opal resting in the valley of her breasts

Mmm...breasts...

I miss my girlfriend. ;_; Heh.

sparkled with as much lustre as it ever had. Were she to die, that
same stone would be as dull and worthless as a piece of dried clay.

Shit, better than a heart monitor.

Before I go on, might I compliment you on the great care and attention to detail
you've shown for this part?  It's very nice to read this.

<snip of that cool bit of description>

	"Nice place," Takenoko snorted. "Reminds me of the one you had
back in the Pit."

	"Get out!" Kousou replied, his voice a threatening snarl. "My
mistress doesn't wish to be seen like this!"

	"Man," Jun commented as he stepped past the doorway and looked
into the room, "is it ever cold in HERE! I thought it was bad outside,

BTW:  Are you basing this on a faery tale?  If so, which one?

but this is definitely worse." Noticing the robed figure seated next
to Kousou, the small human bowed respectfully. "Sorry to intrude," he
said in an amiable manner, "but we wanted to let you know that your
friend here has been very hospitable, and you're very... dead. Ooh.

Heheheheheheh.  Open mouth, insert really big sword. ^_^

I think you're right, Takenoko: I could have done without knowing
about this."

	"She is not dead!" Kousou snapped.

	"It's more like a coma," Takenoko expounded. "Although I had
kinda hoped the lass would have snapped out of it a little by now."
Frost crunching under his hooves, the giant minotaur tromped over to
where Carlin sat and squinted into the shadowy depths of her
ermine-trimmed hood. "Doesn't move, or talk, or blink, or breathe, or
speak, or anything. Hell, nobody's even sure she knows what's going on
around her."

	"And how is that different from dead?" Jun asked curiously.

	"I can't cure death," Kousou responded.

<Ariel> There is no cure for death, only release.

	"You haven't cured this yet, either," Takenoko noted with a
clinical snort. "Not that you haven't tried your navy blue ass off for
about sixty years. I'll give you credit where it's due, Jackie-boy; at
least you're a DETERMINED crackpot. You know what's expected of you.
That's an important thing, in crackpots. Otherwise you all just run
around pulling cursed swords out of walls, and such."

	"Hey!" Jun yelled. "I already said I was sorry about that,
okay? It was an honest mistake! Besides, that sword's long gone, now!"

BWAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  Never going to live that one down, is he?  That
and it's too bad he doesn't realize what he's carrying. ^_^

	"I am not a crackpot!" Kousou yelled, at almost the same time
as Jun. Unlike Jun, the slim youma's body had tensed suddenly, and
his face was contorted with rage. "I know a cure! I can save her!"

	"Really? Cool!" With a giggle, Icestorm slid past the trio on
one foot, her other leg stuck out behind her at a right angle. Humming
a happy tune, the girl spun like a top and proceeded to slide past
them yet again, going in the opposite direction. "So, uh, why haven't
you, like, done it yet?"

	"Okay," Thunderstorm said quietly, "so she knows how to figure
skate. That's okay, I can live with that, there's nothing wrong with
that. But would it kill her to at least wear SKATES when she does it?"

God help them if she picks up some X-men comics and reads about Iceman.

	Lightstorm, meanwhile, was all but crawling in Carlin's lap
as she stared under the cover of the other woman's hood. "Hey," she
said appreciatively, "this kid's kinda pretty. I mean, not as pretty
as ME, of course, but it's not exactly fair to make that comparison.

Heh, they are going to be in such trouble if she really is aware of what's going on
around her.

I mean, I'm ME, and she's, just, well, not bad. Above average - I'd
say a seven, at least. Still, a bit of lipstick, touch of blush, maybe
some eyeliner over here... I could make her an eight."

	"Nobody's making Mistress Carlin ANYTHING!" Kousou shouted.
"There's nothing wrong with the way she looks! I just need to get the
Orb of Cailleach, and she'll be FINE!"

Cudos on coming up with these words.

	"The what of I-beg-your-pardon?" Jun asked with a confused
look on his face.

	"The Orb of Cailleach."

	"Sorry," Jun admitted with a blank look. "Still not ringing
any bells."

The tounge in cheek humor of these scenes threaten to boil over.  You had way too
much fun on this chapter, didn't you? ^_^

	"It is a mystic gem. Supposedly, it formed from the frozen
tear of the Cailleach herself. It's supposed to grant its bearer power
over many things, including weather, wisdom... and diseases."

	"Oh, THAT Orb! Well, you could have just said so." Jun rested
one hand on the pommel of his katana, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I
know all about that thing. The good old Orb of... uh... Coy-luck?"

	"Cailleach."

	"Right! Boy, if I had a dime for every time I'd heard about
that old thing, let me tell you..." The dark-haired boy rubbed his

<Takenoko> No, please, tell us.

nose with his thumb and nodded knowingly. "So you need to find this
Orb of- this thing, and use it to cure your friend, huh?"

	"I know its location," Kousou corrected the young man. "I
simply cannot obtain it."

	"Huh?" Lightstorm looked over with interest. "Why not?"

<Jun> Because that's how these things are done.  Haven't you ever played Dragon
Quest?  Sheesh.

	"Because there is many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip," Jun
replied, answering for Kousou. "Knowing where it is and actually taking
it are two different things. Believe me, I know. You may think that
you've got a handle on stuff, but there's just no telling when some
demon ninja is going to show up and try to spoil it for you. Then the
next thing you know, there's bodies on the floor. Happens every time."

<Jun>  And trust me, that'll ruin you're whole week!

	"Really?" Icestorm asked as she gracefully leapt over a frozen
footstool and continued her circuit of the room.

	"Well," Jun corrected himself, "it's happened every time I'VE
gone hunting for a mystic gem, at least. I assume the whole deal's
pretty much par for the course."

Heheheheheheeheh, you know.  He has a point. ^_^

	"I know that if I could just recover that gem, I would finally
be able to cure Mistress Carlin," Kousou said dejectedly, "but it's
too much for just one youma to handle. And I couldn't just leave her
here by herself for too long..."

	"Okay, already!" Jun said, laughing as he clapped the taller
youma on the shoulder. "You can stop twisting my arm, pal; I'll be
more than happy to lend you a hand with this whole orb thing!"

	"But, I couldn't ask such a-"

	"Ask?" Jun guffawed even louder, throwing his head back as he
laughed heartily. "People don't have to ASK me for help! I just GIVE
it to them!"

As we see Jun's mind heading straight out the door, through the snow, giving Jun the
bird, carrying a sign that says "I quit!" ^_^

He still hasn't learned about Mr. Murphy yet, has he?

	"Yeah!" Icestorm chirped happily. "We GIVE it to them!"

	"What a great idea!" Lightstorm gushed, racing across the room
and latching onto Jun's arm. "Jun and I will stay here and keep an eye
on the living popsicle, and then YOU can all go out looking for that
orb thingy! It's perfect!"

Has it occured to her that he's still a might young for that?  It'll be about 3 more
years before that part of him kicks off in full force...these girls are hard up.
^^;;;;

	"Oh," Takenoko said, quickly stepping in as he noticed the
desperate panic building in Jun's eyes, "we wouldn't dream of keeping

As funny as that might have been...shit, my sister was right.  Men are mercilless to
each other. Heh.

you and your sisters apart, now, would we? I know how lonely you all
get when you're away from each other. I'll stay and look after old
Carlin, here. We go way back."

	"Quick question," Thunderstorm said, lifting her hand for
attention. "Can I please get some clothes on before we head back out
there? Because I don't want to be using the purple people eater for a
foot warmer if there's another option."

	"As I said," Kousou reminded her, "you're more than welcome to
help yourself to my own wardrobe. Admittedly, it's not exactly high
fashion, but I'm sure you'll find a few things. My chambers are just
down the hall from here; I like to stay close to Mistress Carlin in
case something should happen during the night."

	"Thanks!" Thunderstorm said with a wink as she pointed her
index finger at the youma and made a clicking sound with her mouth.
"You know, of all the creatures I've met, I think I hate you less than
most." With that stunning endorsement, the brunette turned and exited
through the door.

That was almost nice of her. ^_^  You seem to be doing that a lot in this chapter.
Almost nice, almost compasionate...heheheh.

	"We'd better go with her," Lightstorm muttered to Icestorm from
behind a glove. "There's no telling what that girl will pick if we
leave her to herself!"

When did Icestorm stop skating?

	"Like, awesome point, sis!" Icestorm agreed, her face
brightening as an idea struck. "Hey, ya think she'd look good with
pigtails?"

	"Well," the blonde Senshi said with a knowing smile as she
and her sister left in search of their partner, "there's really only
one way we'll ever find out, now, isn't there?"

	"Jun," Takenoko said in a low rumble, "why don't you go pack up
some supplies for your little trip? Jackie and me need to have us a
little chat, here."

Ah, and now Takenoko is taking a bit of the responsibilities of leadership.  It
actually seems to shift between the two of them to get anything done.  I wonder if
that will be a problem in the future, or if they're way of doing things will mesh so
well, they'll never realize how much of what gets done is both of them, if you
understand what I'm getting at.

	"Huh? Oh, sure thing, Takenoko!" Jun threw a jaunty salute and
scrambled out of the room as quickly as he could, leaving the two
youma alone with the still form of Carlin.

	"Okay," Takenoko said softly. "So how about you tell me the
whole story now, Jackie? Why are you lying to my friends?"

	"No lie," Kousou said quickly, as Takenoko took a menacing
step closer. "They offered their help freely, and I'm glad for it. I
need them to-"

	"Bullshit," Takenoko spat, before adding "if you'll pardon the
expression. First of all, I know all about the goddamn Orb of

Especially coming from him. ^_^

Cailleach, remember? It used to be right on Carlin's index finger. So
if that was all you needed, why wait this long? And why don't she
have it no more?"

	"I never used it because I didn't know I could!" Kousou
explained, backing slowly away as the giant black minotaur advanced
like a stormfront. "It wasn't until a few weeks before we broke out of
the Pit that I found the scroll that told me about it! It's one of the
ingredients I need to cure her, Takenoko. I gathered all of the others,
but by then the Orb was gone!"

	"What, it walked away? You think I got solid muscle between
these horns? You think just because my eyes are bad I won't see through

<Jackie> Well, yeah if you must know. ^_^

your story?" Takenoko snorted a small cloud of steam, his red eyes
sparking angrily as he stepped forward yet again.

	"I'm telling you the truth! It was taken!"

	"Who? Who took it? Who could so bad that you'd be afraid of
them? You move faster than a bad rumour, Jackie-boy, and the last time
I checked, you weren't afraid of anybody. So who?"

And with what he did with the Youma, there didn't look like there was much that could
take him...especially in his own element.

	Kousou smiled nervously. "Would you believe Daija?"

	"Holy flaming shit. Are you crazy? You're going to let those
kids go after Daija? She'll have them for breakfast!"

	"She'll have ME for breakfast, or at least she wants to. You
know she's always hated Mistress Carlin, and she'll do anything to keep
me from getting the cure! She stole the orb off of Mistress Carlin's
finger when I was fighting in the Pit, once. That's why I'm afraid to
leave Mistress Carlin here unguarded! She'd be totally helpless if
Daija slithered in here and I was gone. I attacked the way I did
earlier because I thought you might be her, or working for her."

Heh, desperation is a good substitute for bravery.

	"Me? For her?" Takenoko harumphed. "Not likely. The woman's a
total loon."

	"She's nesting a few miles from here. I set up our farm nearby

Nesting.  That does not give me the right mental image. ^_-

because I thought it would let me keep an eye on her; in case she might
leave the Orb behind when she went out, or something." Kousou sighed,
looking up at Takenoko as the minotaur loomed over him. "I called for
Regan and Corax to come and help me, but they haven't shown up yet.
Dakatsu should be on his way, too - you know he always gets involved
if Daija's around."

Shit, this thing is looking like a reunion of the Autobot Wreckers.  I mean, by the
time they get done, they're going to have the most motely assortment of Yoma for an
army I think has ever been seen.  It's almost like the game Suikoden, where you have
to gather like 103 people from all over the world to create an army to fight for you.

	"Makes sense," Takenoko admitted. "After all, she is his
sister. Can't blame the man if he takes it personally when she tries
to murder his friends."

Whose sister?  Daija's or Carlin's?  It's a bit ambiguous to me here.

	"Yes, but they aren't here." Kousou shrugged. "They should have
arrived days ago, and they never showed up. These friends of yours
dropping into my lap and offering to help are about the only thing to
go right for me all week. Can you blame me for accepting their aid?"

	"You don't know what you're getting into, Jackie. That Jun
kid - he's got this way of getting his nose in stuff. Don't get me
wrong; he's a great kid, he means well, it's just... Things got this
habit of going straight to hell around him. He's, like, a karmic
hurricane, or something."

Like I said, being that annoying kid sidekick means he has a lot to make up for.  And
a lot to learn if he's really going to become the hero he wants to be.  Assuming he
survives he lessons. Heh.

	"All the human needs to do is keep his head down, Takenoko,
as I intend to do myself. Daija may be dangerous, but I doubt even
she would have much of a chance against those three -and I use the
term figuratively- girls." Kousou raised his hands placatingly and

And such nice figures they have. ^_^

<Rahziel's Fearful snip of the Heavens!>

	"What, that the Storm Senshi are a bunch of friggin'
elementals? Who would I tell? I'm pretty sure THEY already know. None

Elementals.  Heh, then they really WOULD be empowered by their element.

of the tin soldiers would believe me, and the kid wouldn't understand.

Assuming the Yajua (sp?) even cared.

He's a human. Probably doesn't know an elemental from a hole in the
ground."

They might have to explain it to him, using very small words and phrases.  And then
when he realizes exactly how much shit he's in...he'd shrug and go "Oh well." ^_^

	"Do you want me to accept their help, Takenoko? Because if
you say so, I'll tell your friends 'thanks but no thanks'. I can find
another way to help Mistress Carlin. We've waited sixty years; we can
wait sixty more if that's how long it takes to get the Orb from Daija."

	"No," Takenoko groaned, resting one hand against an ice-coated
dresser and using the other to vigorously rub the back of his head.
"It's too late. That Jun kid was serious; if he knows you need help,
he's giving it to you. Besides, I don't like seein' the lass frozen
stiff any more than you do. Take them, and get the damned cure. But
there's going to be a few conditions."

	"Conditions?" Kousou blinked. "What do you mean?"

	"You go and get that magic rock of yours, Jackie. You shine it
up real pretty, and you heal Miss Carlin. Then we're going to sit down
with BOTH of you and talk about helping us the way we helped you. And
you're gonna say yes whether you think it's a good idea or not. Then

At least he's thinking about that.  I mean, this is a good idea...Jun is too nice to
have thought of this...or is he?  Or is it that he's more too inexperienced to have
thought of something like this.  To me it would have been easy to see they have
powers that could prove invaluable in the fight they are in the middle of, but I
wonder if Jun is too young to have thought of something like that, being that he's
focused more on getting to Kayura's army?

we're all gonna sit around until those other boys you called show up.
And THEY'RE gonna join us, too, because you're going to help me
convince them. And there's one other thing, Jackie. I am dead serious
about this one."

Heh, and the ranks of the Wreckers grow...^_^

	"What?"

	Takenoko placed his hands on either side of the snow demon's
head, leaning forward until his muzzle was pressed into the smaller
youma's clavicle and their eyes were perfectly level. "You're going
out there with three girls and one kid," he said quietly. "Now, those
tin men can look after themselves, so don't worry about them. But I'm
going to be here waiting for you, Jackie-boy. And at the end of the
day, if you don't have three girls and one kid with you, then gem or
no damned gem, you better do yourself a favour and NOT COME BACK." The

<Takenoko> In fact, find yourself a hole.  Burry yourself in it.  Make sure it's nice
and covered, cause I'm going to come looking for you.

minotaur's eyes flared with a crimson glow, and a thick cloud of steam
rose from his nostrils to swirl about both of their heads. "Am I," he
snarled, showing off his fangs, "making myself perfectly clear?"

	"Perfectly," Kousou replied, seeming oddly unruffled.

	"Good," Takenoko replied with a tooth-filled smile. "It's
always nice when two old friends can see eye-to-eye on something like
this, isn't it? Now you get out there and save this little lady."

	With a grateful nod, the snow demon ducked under the minotaur's
arm and headed towards the door, grateful for the respite. Halfway
across the room, he slid to a stop and looked over his shoulder.
Takenoko leaned against the wall, his mass allowing him to loom over
most of the furniture without even having to stand upright.

	"I'll be waiting," he said darkly. "And I'll be counting, too,
Jackie-boy. Three girls. One kid. Or no you."

	"I understand," Kousou responded, as he exited, "but Daija
might have different ideas."

<Takenoko>  Then work harder. ^_^

And on that note, the ficcy draws to a close.

I've noticed that in most of your chapters, the mistakes, if any are made, are made
toward the beginning and end of the fic.  They pretty much taper off in the middle to
nonexistence, allowing only the occasional MST type of whiticism...which I'm more
than happy to provide. ^_-

I just wish I could help further...but it don't look like you need much. Heheheh.

I'll have you know it took me a few days to C&C this fic, so that's why it took so
long.  *sigh*  Off to work on my own fic now. ^_^

Take it easy!

K'thardin
"One shall stand, one shall fall."
	-Optimus Prime

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