Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): Nexus Earth - Chapter 9.3d Captive

[z-Skye the Fallen]

"I have no reason to escape," Skye said. She wisely didn't add that she'd already reasoned that any attempt would be futile; as easily as they captured her, there really wasn't any way to get away from them.

When he was gone, she scooped up her fans, sensing what he'd already implied - that her fans were without energy. Even the slight vibration that she'd always felt from them was gone. But she didn't believe his statement about needing faith to make them work; the fans had worked for her in Tokyo when she had no faith in Luna. They had worked while she'd grudgingly worked for Tsunami. The only real change was that Hizashi had possessed the fans for a time.

The thing was that she did have some faith in Tsunami. She was clearly a goddess of great power, but she wasn't Skye's goddess. Skye wasn't a Christian; working with Keiko had taught her that there were other gods, namely Amaterasu. She had no misconceptions on that front. Tsunami was a goddess, period.

Skye sensed that had Hizashi actually wanted was for her to swear herself to full service of Tsunami. Skye wasn't sure she could do that. The goddess had been Skye's rock for most of her adult life. One didn't turn one's back on that, not easily, not possibly ever. That was faith, after all.

However, the question became why did Hizahi want Skye to sign on fully with Tsunami. Why was agreeing to serve her not enough? Skye played with her fans idly as she pondered this mystery. What was his game here?

[Justin OOC]

Sometime after hizashi's departure The door opened again, and a woman she hadn't seen in what seemed like ages entered. It was Amaya, once blue haired kage assassin, now blonde half demon. She'd been the one to convince Kai to open the gate, and the one to nearly kill him when they'd returned.

"It's been a long time Lily."

----------------------------

In takashi's room Skye was left to contemplate the fans that had been her companions for so many years, and the fact they didn't seem to be special anymore.

(soul check DC12)

[z-Skye the Fallen]

Skye's mind drifted over the puzzle of why Hizashi wanted her to believe and swear service. She was deeply caught up in her thoughts; it surprised her to realize she was cradling the fans in the crook of her arm, like a sleeping baby.

Why am I doing that? she wondered. Her spirit, her subconscious recognized something that she did not. Skye swallowed and closed her eyes. She opened herself to her fans; tried to see them with her spirit's eyes, not her eyes.

She had the feeling that she was holding sleeping fans.

Relief flowed into her. They weren't dead. She just needed to figure out how to wake them up. She just wasn't sure how to do that; she'd never been a babysitter or had the care of any younger child.

This seemed like something beyond her. She was still a priestess and that meant she had only one way to deal with something beyond her. Verdammt.

She closed her eyes and centered herself, then reached out to her purloining goddess. Tsunami? This seems like one for you. Got any suggestions?

Click to reveal..

Skye's Soul Check (2d6+9=18)

[Justin OOC]

"Well you and Lily aren't dead, so that's a start." The answer was soothing. "You're thoughts are correct, as opposed to killing them, Hizashi's strikes simply put the spirits of your fans into a deep sleep. I do not know why, though I assume he has a purpose for it."

She could actually see the blue-haired goddess, clad in the rainments of divinity in her mind. "The easiest way to wake them, is to shake them, spiritually. This has risks though, as they could lose power because they'd only be half awake."

She shook her head. "The other option is to truly awaken them, by calling their true names. Artifacts like these have true power, but first you must know their name."

[SalmonMax]

After the procession of Naien, Takashi and Hizashi, Amaya was almost a relief to see. Lily sat up and nodded wearily.

"Amaya. Who's next? I suppose that phase wolf must be hanging around out in the hall too."

She gestured for Amaya to come in.

"Welcome to the Dalaraan Embassy. Have a seat. Make youself at home. Can I have someone get you anything?"

[Justin OOC]

"He's here, but your history with him being what it is, I feel it's better to keep him from you."

Amaya actually laughed. "You haven't changed that much. You're stronger, but you're still the same Lily I remember."

She smiled. "How's Kai?"

[SalmonMax]

"He's fine," Lily replied.

"I wish I could say the same about you. It's kind of depressing how many people are marching in here now, who I called friends not all that long ago."

She sighed.

"I guess I just don't know how to pick 'em."

[Justin OOC]

"Oh I'm doing well. My master's back on Earth,doing what he's always wanted. I'm here fulfilling my contract, and of course I have you."

She actually reached out and pat her shoulder. "You do have good skills in picking friends, you just fail to realize people change."

She smiled. "Dalaraan do everything slower, because we live so much longer." She nodded and continued. "Humans live a century at most, and we're still children at that point, Unless we spend time on Earth."

She took a seat across from Lily. "I regret meeting all of you. If I had done my job, none of this would have happened."

[SalmonMax]

Lily leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes.

"That's not true. The Federation would still have invaded. They were never after Kai. They wanted a new world to sterilize and colonize. Takashi would still have been insane, would still have broken away. The civil war would still have happened, Hizashi would still have happened..."

She shook her head. "If you'd killed Kai, things would have been a lot worse, for everyone, in the long run."

[Justin OOC]

No, the fracture occured because of you, your offer of peace. that;s what Drove Takashi to press his claim. As far as hizashi, he's the real power here, but not the threat. He has his own agenda, and even Takashi can't stand against him long."

"Did not the Federation add Kai to their counter-offer? They very well know of the gates and the rarity of a skeleton key."

Even with their grand fleet, had the civil war not occurred, Satoshi had enough strength to repel them. It would have been a phyrric victory, and earth assuredly would have been scarred for decades, but it would have endured."

"I expect he'll be coming for you,bringing all he has. Takashi will kill him."

She shook her head. "there are options though."

[SalmonMax]

"Of course there are," Lily replied sarcastically. "And because you're such a good friend, I'm sure you'll be happy to list them out for me."

"Amaya, what do you really think you're going to accomplish here? Takashi and Naien couldn't beat me into cooperating. Hizashi couldn't tempt me into cooperating. Now...what? You're going to tell me that you've been on my side all along, and if I'd just listen, you can still save the day by working from inside?"

She leaned forward. "You go ahead and tell me what they want. Because it's starting to feel to me like you're the ones who are desperate. He got the flagship back, didn't he? And Kazuo cutting Hizashi's arm off can't have been good for anyone's peace of mind."

Lily jabbed her thumb at her collar, careful not to touch it.

"It was a gutsy move, stealing Skye and me off Macross. Gutsy keeping us on board your ship, collar or no. Gutsy, and desperate. It's an endgame move, risking it all to try to get one last shot at victory."

"So go ahead and tell me my options, Amaya."

[Justin OOC]

Amaya sighed. "he didn't get the warship back, he destroyed it, while your father was synched to it."

[SalmonMax]

"If that was true, then your forces would easily overpower the loyalist forces, and you'd be moving in for the final kill right now. Takashi would be playing gonshi with my head, because you wouldn't need me."

Lily shifted position and added. "Plus, none of you quite have your story straight. Hizashi says my father will die coming after me. You're saying the flagship was killed while he was synched, which would either kill him or hurt him badly enough that he wouldn't be doing much the rest of the fight. I'd be lucky if he could recognize my face, let alone come to fight."

"Come on, more option-presenting, less attempts to demoralize me."

[z-Skye the Fallen]

That’s good to know, Skye sighed, save that I have no idea what their names are. The Old Man never bothered to tell that to me. She felt tears stinging; the longer she held her sleeping and useless fans, the more she felt like Hizashi had cut off her hand. The fans had been a part of her and her life for so long that Skye felt naked without them. She’d managed not to think about that when she’d been engaged in her cat-and-mouse games with Takashi or Hizashi, or when she’d been meditating badly, but she had nothing to distract her now. Instead, her fans were a constant reminder of what was wrong. Having them broken and still was worse than not having them at all.

Do you have any idea? she asked the goddess, wiping at her eyes. No tears; she could cry later. Unfortunately, that lead to her wondering, Can you cry when you’re dead?

[Justin OOC]

"Bargain with Takashi as you've bargained with Kai."

She smiled. "It might work, he does have a thing for strong women."

"As to the effects, your Father may not be dead, but I'd wager to say Hizashi was speaking more of Kai than anyone else."

"You could try to escape, but without your powers, that's not really viable, especially since your freind's In Takashi's bedroom right now."

"No one would believe you would change sides, but you could broker peace. He might listen."

------------------

In her mind Skye had the image a beautiful woman in white, crying, though her eyes were closed. Beside her, a man clothed in black jerked fitfully, as if in a violent Dream. Their hands were clasped together, but slowly they were drawing apart.

Skye's sense of dread was immense, at what would happen if they were disconnected.

[SalmonMax]

Lily rubbed her eyes. She felt so tired. Was that because her power was being suppressed?

"The last I heard, Takashi was planning to execute me on a broadcast to demonstrate the failure of the 'monarchy,'" she replied. "He doesn't seem interested in peace. Besides, what have I got to offer him? The situation on Earth was completely different than here. We had a common foe, and our hostilities were based on misunderstandings that were easily cleared up."

"This isn't like that. I don't know what he wants, but it's clear ONE of the things he wants is the rest of Satoshi destroyed or under his control, and the Empire dissolved into chaos. And I can't let that happen."

[Justin OOC]

"Then You'd better focus on escaping then. Take your friend though, she's gonna get herself killed at this rate."

Amaya stood up and smiled, and then she left.

For Lily most notably the humm of the Collar was gone, though the runic writing still glowed faintly.

[z-Skye the Fallen]

Skye sighed, wondering why it always had to be done the hard way. The image was not immediately helpful, but there were clues. Tsunami? I don’t know how Daralaan’s do it, but on Earth, we’ve found more direct ways of communicating to be the most effective way to handle things.

There is a spirit inside all things Skye. Tsunami’s divine voice was devoid of any chiding tones or anything that would have made Skye shut down instantly. Maybe the goddess was learning.

However, ‘getting better’ was not the same as ‘being of use’, or even particularly helpful, yet. Yes, yes, I know that. It'd be easier if all the spirits would just start talking about themselves, though.

There was a sense of hesitation, as if Skye’s response had been utterly unexpected. You are a priestess aren't you? Communing with spirits is part of the basics.

Skye snorted. Yeah, about that... So I got about fifteen minutes of 'priestess training' then I was pushed in front of a demon and told to kill it. Repeatedly. Skye wasn’t sure what reply she was expecting, but crystalline laughter was not it. Apparently, I amuse.

More that it explains much about you, Tsunami replied, humor still tinging her voice. Now I understand why my brother said you were the most unusual priestess I’d ever find.

Despite her irritation with this entire scenario, Skye chuckled. He was correct. While I appreciate your help, I can come up with about six names from that image alone. So let me ask: plant, animal or mineral?

What?

I figure we’re down to Twenty Questions, Skye replied. The first question in that game is always: plant, animal or mineral?

[Justin OOC]

"none of the above. think of what you know of them, what you've done with them, what they've done for you."

[z-Skye the Fallen]

Right, Skye sighed, reaching up to rub her forehead. The most annoying things about gods of any flavor is that they didn't give answers out, even when you needed them. You had to try to figure out the answers, even when you didn't have all the pieces.

This wasn't her first guessing game. Luna, for all that Skye loved her with all of her heart, would do the same damned thing. It seemed to be endemic with the divine.

The beautiful blonde settled back against the wall and focused on her fans. What had they done for her? Lots and lots of ice and snow had been tossed about at her command, so there was something. They'd also protected her and fought for her. It wasn't wrong to say that Skye thought of them as living beings, or extensions of herself. They were her weapons.

She'd done a lot of fighting with them. She'd done a lot of killing with them. Their cold fury had always been with her, even when she didn't love them. They'd been as constant as the seasons; something that she could always trust to come again.

The seasons... winter. Ice and wind had always been hers to command through the fans. The ice and the wind...

Skye closed her eyes and concentrated harder still. Through HellFire and Ikaris snow, they'd been her freezing defenders. Ice... Snow... "Snowstorm?" she asked the fans hesitantly. Her eyes fell on the faded Kanji and she slapped her forehead for being stupid.

Her fans were Japanese - their names wouldn't be German. "Fubuki," she whispered. Snowstorm.

[Justin OOC]

The fan in her left hand began to glow, and in her mind she saw the woman's eyes open. She could see her lips move, but couldn't make out the words.

[SalmonMax]

Lily sat still for a moment, hardly daring to believe...and more than a little guilty about her earlier dismissal of her old friend. Had she? And if she did, had she done it on her own, or on Hizashi's orders? Lily still believed that Hizashi wanted her out of that collar, though wasn't sure why.

When she'd refused his help, maybe he'd sent someone more...palatable.

But the fact remained that she DID want to get away, and to do that she DID need to be rid of the collar! So there was only one thing to do...

Cautiously, remembering past pain, Lily reached up to ever so gently brush a fingertip across the collar's surface.

[Justin OOC]

Touching the collar sent no shock through her, just a warm sensation. It was on, but it wasn't active. She could remove it but that would bring guards. Hizashi had said it would take at least an hour for her powers to return.

When she touched it before one of the captains came in, this time, nothing happened.

[z-Skye the Fallen]

One down! Skye grinned, feeling a surge of relief. She still knew that she wasn’t done but she’d made progress. Fubuki… we’re half-way there, she reassured the fan as much as herself. She needed both of them awake to save them from death. Briefly, she wondered if there was a mystical fan heaven, and if her faithful companions had earned their way there yet, but she shook off the thoughts.

Alright. Back to names. What have they done for me before? Winter and ice…

Skye closed her eyes again and envisioned what her fans had done for her in the past. She could see the banner of protection hovering before her, as well as shards of ice blowing on a fury of wind. Ice shards?

A second’s pause netted her no response. “Not that,” Skye muttered as she went to the next possibility to pop up. “Icedagger… no. Icesword?”

That was also not the right one she sensed, but it drew a slight quiver. Nodding, Skye began to brainstorm through words like Icesword, making new names out of all kinds of combinations. But none of them were right; none brought her fan to trembling wakefulness like Fubuki was. She was close, she could feel that. But close didn’t count in this game.

Skye growled and pounded her foot against the bed in frustration. She was close but missing something. What was it? What had the fans always given her? At their core what were their gifts?

Ice and wind.

A snowstorm was ice and wind and she felt that sword was right – but it wasn’t Icesword. “Windsword?”

The quiver was stronger and Skye closed her eyes. She listened to the quivers coming off the fan and felt a word

“Tachikaze,” she whispered, calling to her fan. Wind from a Swinging Sword.

[Justin OOC]

The black-clad man's eyes opened and he smiled. "We have called to you Skye, cried out only for you to hear us, yet now when we'd given up hope it is you who call to us."

Fubuki took up the conversation. "I have shed many tears at your side, wishing to aid you as more,and now, finally we both can."

The fans were crackling with divine power and their eyes shone brightly. "Call our names and release us, Skye."

An incantation came to her, unbidden, but it felt right.

[z-Skye the Fallen]

"Wind and Ice at my command and call / Sword and Snow lash at my enemies / Fubuki and Tachikaze - heed my call!" Powerful blue light filled the room as her fans unleashed their full power for the first time.

Skye could see ghostly images of the human representations of her fans in the room, Fubuki standing just to her left and Tachikaze to her right. As the fey priestess wondered if anyone else could see them, she realized that the fan in her left hand was dripping snow and the one in her right was emitting a constant breeze.

“Thank you,” she whispered. It wasn’t just to Fubuki and Tachikaze; it was also to Tsunami. Even if she hadn’t given the answers, she had helped.

[Justin OOC]

She could feel the spirits smile, and Tachikaze spoke to her. "Now I would decide on a good explanation of this. That outpouring of spiritual power will not go unnoticed."

Then Lily and Skye both felt the Ship buck, and then came to a complete standstill. They had docked somewhere.

[SalmonMax]

Lily jostled as the ship docked, and she fought to try to think clearly. She knew where Skye was...in Takashi's bedroom. She didn't know where THAT was though. Plus, she expected they'd detect her teleports. She'd only get one or two before they used some kind of interdiction or tracking.

And if they were docking now, they were a long way from home. Her range had improved, but she was still a long way from intersetellar distances.

They needed a ship. Without one, she was still a prisoner. They both were.

If only I could talk to Skye.

[z-Skye the Fallen]

Skye nodded. "I think I have it covered," she said, thinking quickly. "I'll just tell them that Tsunami made another bid for my allegiance and I told her to get screwed. No way I want to work for that bitch.” Skye sighed and added, “As much fun as this is, you should go before someone shows up. I’ll call you when I need you.”

Fubuki bowed with a smile. “We await your call.”

Tachikaze smiled. “Now that you know we are here, we hope to see more of you.”

“You will,” Skye said, choosing not to remark on the fact that Tachikaze was cute and if he hadn’t seen more of her, it wasn’t from the effort of the universe getting her naked at any chance.

The two faded from the room and Skye prepared herself to Takashi’s arrival. Or Hazishi – at least she could tell him honestly that she’d undone his damage.

[Justin OOC]

The door to Takashi's chambers opened, and Amaya walked in. "We're here." Evidently the spiritual outpouring would be addressed later.

She nodded. "Follow me, Takashi wants you at his side as he makes his Triumphant return."

In Lily's Cell, The door opens, and Naien enters, Flanked by four Hiroga guards. "It's time for you to come with us Lily."

[z-Skye the Fallen]

Awesome. Now I'm a trophy. She'd been worse; she'd be worse again. "Sure," Skye said, standing up. When the woman's back turned, Skye slipped her fans under her obi. The fans seemed to disappear from view. Grinning with an eagerness she really didn't feel, Skye followed her into the hall.

"So who are you?" she asked as they started walking. "Another person that Lily killed or just an angry Imperial subject? Or maybe both? They seem to be all the rage around here right now."

[Justin OOC]

Amaya chuckled. "Not hardly. A very long time ago I was a Kage warrior, assigned to search out Skeleton keys. I found Kai. I watched everyone around him suffer. Death is his truest companion, and after the loss of the man I loved, I left him."

She nodded. "I played at being his girlfriend back then, I was alot younger."

[z-Skye the Fallen]

"Well, that seems to be the other trend around here," Skye noted with a wry grin. "I'm Skye Fell, by the way."

"Amaya," the mystery woman replied with her own grin.

"Cool. I had a friend with that name in high school," Skye replied. "She wasn't a Kage warrior though."

"What was she?" Amaya queried.

"Her? Mostly a pompous bitch," Skye said, chuckling a little. "'Course, so was I."

[Justin OOC]

She chuckled and led her to the hangar, where Takashi stood with Hizashi.

"Skye, welcome. We've returned to our temporary base, I figured you'd like to have a chance to have hard ground underfoot for once."

[z-Skye the Fallen]

Skye grinned at Takashi; his words were warm and his tone upbeat. It seemed that his dismissal of her from earlier was behind him or at least he wanted her to think that. "Thank you," she replied, stepping up to his side and looking up at him. She felt a flush rise in her cheeks as she peered up at him.

"Where are we?"

[Justin OOC]

The great bay door opened, revealing the Starport of the dalaraan throneworld. "Welcome to Dalaraan Skye." He led her out snd allowed a moment to marvel at the golden spires of the capital city, and in the distance the grand palace.

[z-Skye the Fallen]

Skye stared at the beautiful world; something in her felt instantly, completely comfortable with this place. She'd heard of this before - coming to a place to find that it felt like it belonged to you. "Wow," she said and there was no need to pretend that she was in awe of the alien homeworld. "This is... just amazing."

Her blue eyes were also amazing as she looked up at Takashi again. "Will you show me around?" She was caught up in the moment for that second; caught in the moment of seeing something new and beautiful.

[Justin OOC]

He smiled to her. "Of course." In her sleeves the fans vibrated, they clearly didn't like him.

"You know, I can't help but think of how beautiful Earth is." He looked over to her. "And how similar the two planets are. They look beautiful, but are both rotten. We kill excise the cancer from both of them, and Satoshi will take it's rightful place in the universe."

[z-Skye the Fallen]

"Well, I have no idea what you mean by Earth having a cancer," Skye said, his words ripping away whatever joy she'd found in seeing this beautiful world. "What does that mean?"

She was sure it meant nothing good. Hopefully, learning something of his plan would help her figure out what the ficken Holle was going on around here.

[Justin OOC]

"The other Satoshi. Akina plays her shadow games as always, and everyone is supposed to give in. She showed up with Kai and I was told I was no longer needed."

He nodded once. "I showed them."

"Together with my allies we set the stage for Satoshi to reign supreme. The governments of the world only understand power and fear. We have Power, and if they're wise they'll fear it enough to do as we say."