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Description

A Small Temple Off the Coast of Greece
Sunset

                Aphrodite stood with Halcyon as ten other beings appeared before her, some arising from pufts of smoke, or swirling clouds of ravens, or bursting forth from pillars that sprouted from the ground around their feet. They all looked to her and gently inclined their heads in difference to their leader, none of them were willing to truly bow.

“My friends,” she smiled to them sadly as she walked into the crowd, “My allies, it warms my heart to see you all gathered here, well and happy.”

“I don’t believe any of us would agree with that assertion,” one of the women spoke up.

“Indeed,” Aphrodite spoke softly and gently touched her shoulder, “We have all been beset these past few years, our purpose in danger, those we have chosen made into targets, our very words, our futures placed on the chopping block, with no possible way out.”

                Halcyon walked with her, as she entered the crowd until she turned to him, gave him a hug, and stepped away.

“My friends, through an exhaustive search, I believe I have found a solution to our woes, the beginnings of our revival,” Aphrodite suddenly spun about in spot and jabbed her finger at Halcyon, “Restrain him!”

“What?!” he shouted as the group surrounding him moved in and bound his arms with unnaturally cold chains, then pulled him to the ground, “What the Hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“I’m offering the first of our enemies as a sacrificial lamb,” Aphrodite turned away, arms folded over her chest.”

“’Enemy’?” Halcyon shrieked, “You crazy bitch I was helping you!”

“Laying a trap for the three beings in our cabal that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I could trust,” Aphrodite explained, “The trap was never meant for them, but for you,”

“How the…you tricked me? How Dare you?!”

“Easily,” she circled the group, spotting Byakko and Gembu standing away from the crowd, heads hanged and troubled expression on their faces, “Worry not,” she whispered to them, “Your sacrifice will be repaid ten-fold.”

                They did not respond, closing their eyes and looking away.

“You’ll never win!” Halcyon screamed at them, “I am but a finger of the fist that shall grind you all into dust, YOU WILL NEVER WIN!!”

“Do try to die like a man,” Aphrodite grumbled to him before leaving the room, casting aside one final comment on her way out, “Take the body with you, but do not clean the residue, I want only to remember him as a stain upon my life.”

A Small Apartment Building in Kyoto
Sunrise

                Mitsuka awoke with a throbbing headache and unable to sit up properly without toppling over.

“Take it easy,” Vhen advised, “You’re still not in great shape.”

“I’m…what?” Mitsuka felt at her head and winced as her headache sharpened and her fingers came away with a wet blood clot stuck to her fingers, “The fuck…” she glanced at the pillow she’d been laying on and saw a pad utterly soaked through with blood, “…Ow!”

“Yeah, he kinda hit you a little too hard…” Vhen winced as she examined the wound, gently touching the wound, “Ugh, well, it’s starting to dry at least, it’s gonna be a pain to wash out.”

“You could just cut it out,” December suggested, approaching her but limping and wrapped practically head to toe in bandages, “Like bubblegum.”

“What…Ugh,” Mitsuka wondered, then tried to rub her eyes and inadvertently smeared some of the blood across her forehead, “Dammit,” she quickly wiped it away on her wrist, “What happened.”

“We knocked you out,” Vhen told her without hesitation.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, Muramasa did it,” the Goddess shrugged, “But I was gonna, he just did it first.”

“And the temple?” she demanded, then suddenly gasped, “Flit! Is he okay?”

                She almost jumped off of the bed and instantly toppled over to be caught by December and Vhen who gently placed her back down on the mattress.

“You really shouldn’t…” Vhen tried but Mitsuka cut her off.

“Tell Me!”

“He’s asleep,” December told them, “Not dead, but, I don’t know if he’ll wake up any time soon.”

“And the temple?”

“I…saw the end,” the coyote bowed his head in shame, “Something, I don’t really know what, it took control of Muramasa, but the old man…he…he did something, I don’t think it’s there anymore.”

                Mitsuka clenched her eyes shut and took several deep breaths to calm herself.

“Sunny,” December muttered awkwardly, “He stayed behind, he fought to the end.”

“You should have let me stay,” Mitsuka grumbled.

“No,” Vhen responded coldly.

“I could have helped him!” she glared back, “I could have…”

“The man went off with purpose, he was going to kill the temple from the beginning,” Vhen insisted, “And he may have been right to do so.”

“So…what, shoot the patient to cure the disease?”

“I prefer: cut off the arm to remove the rot.”

“Those…things,” December cringed, “They were everywhere, there, there was no one we could find, no one we could save…”

“We’ll never know now,” Mitsuka snapped and Vhen slapped her across the face.

“Don’t…” Vhen paused, taking a deep breath, “Don’t talk to my son like that.”

                Mitsuka cleaned some blood from her lip and looked over at the crestfallen coyote, taking in his bandages and splints.

“I’m sorry,” she amended and reached out to pat his head, but he pulled away, hanging his head even lower.

“Perhaps we might put your mind at ease?” Byakko wondered as she entered the room.

“I told you to wait about that shit,” Vhen sighed, but joined December off to the side of the room, “Whatever.”

“Apologies,” Byakko bowed to her, “But it didn’t seem like you were making much progress.”

“In five minutes?”

“Where were you?” Mitsuka snarled.

“You will have to excuse my tardiness…”

                Letting out an audible hiss, she pulled herself up into a sitting position, clutching her aching skull until her fingernails started clawing into her scalp.

“WHERE!” Mitsuka shouted loud enough to make the entire room shake.

“We had an obligation, and…” Byakko knelt before Mitsuka, hands clasped, eyes closed, awaiting judgment, “We have achieved it.”

“Meaning?”

“We were hoping they would send Plague after you, and they did, we knew Muramasa would devastate the temple to contain the infection, and he did, now Plague is contained, and our enemies are lacking for a powerful ally.”

“So it was worth it?” Mitsuka hissed.

“The sacrifice of a great many pawns to contain a…”

“No!” Mitsuka rushed forward and grabbed Byakko by the collar lifting her off of the ground as she screamed into her face, “You do not say that! You don’t EVER say that! They were Not PAWNS! They were people! They were My Friends!”

“You have my sorrow then,” Byakko responded calmly, her eyes still closed, “But not my regret, our gambit succeeded, we are not one step closer…”

“Oh go to Hell…” Mitsuka grumbled, then threw the Goddess to the floor, stumbling away but trying to stay on her feet.

“If it would appease your wrath,” Byakko muttered, but collected herself, kneeling before Mitsuka again, “Would you wish to hear my offer now?”

                Continuing to grumble, Mitsuka walked out of the room and found Flit in the living room, his long body coiled in a dog bed while a set of monitors read out his respiration and brain activity. She almost wept to see him like that, not the chattering ball of energy he once was, but sniffling, shuddering, barely breathing. Gently, she touched his paws and patted him on the head, half expecting him to awaken, but knowing he wouldn’t.

“The Plague has been contained,” Byakko continued, following her into the room silently, “But it will escape, the form he has taken is far too powerful, and he cannot be allowed to retain it.”

“So what do you want?” Mitsuka demanded.

“We will invade, in a month’s time,” Byakko explained, “All of us, together, we will make a clean sweep of it, and make certain that the beast has died.”

“And what do you need me for?”

“We don’t,” Byakko admitted, “This is not a request on any level, it is a favor which we have requested so that you may have your final test.”

“All of this, you did All of This just for training?!”

“Let us think of it as a…happy accident,” Byakko suggested before Mitsuka punched her in the throat, “Possibly…” she coughed, “I could have worded that better...”

                Mitsuka loomed over her dangerously until she noticed Vhen watching her through the doorway.

“What?”

“Don’t,” Vhen responded simply.

“Oh, you’re gonna stop me?” Mitsuka laughed.

“No,” Vhen shrugged, the pointed over at Flit’s unconscious body, “But you don’t want to do this.”

                Mitsuka looked towards the sleeping Inugami and breathed out the last of her anger. Standing over Byakko, Mitsuka bowed her head and asked her question as calmly as possible.

“So when do we go?”

“A month,” Vhen insisted, “Don’t you listen.”

“But…”

“He’s in Muramasa’s body, and even if he wasn’t, you’re not equipped to take him on,” Vhen sighed and then walked towards an exit, “You seem to be getting around fairly well, follow me.”

                Frustrated but knowing better than to argue, Mitsuka fell into step and walked behind Vhen until they both stood on the terrace together. Vhen took a deep breath and then pressed her hands together, beginning an almost ritualistic dance while, overhead the clouds began to circle and scatter, falling in step with her every motion. The wind picked up and swirled over them, twisting their hair, then lifting Vhen into the sky before gently setting her back down on the railing of the balcony.

“For me,” Vhen explained quietly, “It’s in my shoulders.”

“Excuse me?”

“That lesson I was trying to teach you before,” Vhen continued as she hopped down to her and held up her hand, “Muscle isolation, your powers aren’t just emotion and thought, they have a physical aspect, a part of your body that is more prominently effected when you use them, learn to isolate and control those sections and you’ll be able to more easily call up your abilities.”

“And how do I…” Mitsuka began only for Vhen to grab her hand and clench her fingers tightly.

“Start small,” the Goddess insisted and walked away from her, “It will come together eventually.”

“I wish I had your confidence.”

“You’ve got a full month kid,” Vhen shrugged, “You’ll figure it out.”

Four Weeks Later

                She sat in the room, in the cold and dark, a small bowl of water in front of her crossed legs. She breathed, feeling the water under her fingertips and started swirling her fingers across it surface. The water rippled and swelled, then collected itself into her palms, defying gravity to cling to her skin, then she cupper her hands together and it exploded upwards, taking the shape of a twisting water serpent that flew through the air, circling her head and then wrapping around her arms. Her test completed, she allowed it to drizzle back into the bowl and stood up.

                In the bowl she saw her reflection, and saw an older woman staring back, wondering when that had happened before dumping it down the sink. She took another chance to examine the sleeping Flit, forcing a bit of milk down his throat and soothing him to the best of her ability. December walked into the room as she was busy, sitting and waiting patiently as she pet the unconscious Inugami.

“How’s the leg?” she finally asked, still not turning about to face him.

“Healing well,” December stated, “Are you ready?”

“No,” Mitsuka stood up, “But we’re doing this, let’s go.”

                December bowed, leading her from the room and onto the roof of the building. There, waiting for her were Vhen, Byakko and Gembu who both bowed to their approach.

“While we had a speech prepared,” Byakko, offered but Mitsuka cut her off.

“I don’t care.”

“As you will,” she walked forward with her husband and joined their hands, combining their powers to form the portal to the Maki Temple, “You have twelve hours, after that…”

“I know,” Mitsuka stepped forward, summoning her mask, ready as she would ever be.

“The God’s speed your victory,” Gembu responded and they both waited for her to pass through.

                Mitsuka passed through the portal of ice and water, falling to the ground on the other side, feeling the sudden rush of the intense gravity of the alternate realm. She felt the crackling burnt dust that had once been vibrant, rich dirt, and looked around at the smoldering mess of the charred forest. Waiting, she expected to be attacked at any moment, but the moment passed and she realized that it wouldn’t be that easy. Deciding to take the chance to set the battlefield to her advantage, and searched for the nearest water source.

                After wandering for a bit, she found it, mostly washed out to the edge of the temple, pooled in the abyss like a small ocean. Mitsuka knelt before the water and centered herself. As she had seen Vhen doing four weeks ago, Mitsuka reached out and began an elaborate exorcise, summoning up first waves, then swirling pillars of water that followed her every motion. Just like the bowl, these pillars of water joined together as her dance entered its climax, forming an absolutely massive snake creature that reared back and struck the devastated forest behind her with a thunderous force before scattering like rainwater and flooding back into the ocean.

“That should get some attention,” Mitsuka muttered as she cooled down from the exorcise.

                She had expected something, some sort of response, but not so quickly, and certainly not so extreme. Above her, on the mountain where the hot springs had once stood, a massive gout of flame erupted into the air, throwing a wilting blackened creature into the sky before he came crashing back down onto her like a flaming spear. Though shocked by this reaction, not to mention the sheer speed at which it flew through the air, Mitsuka managed to dodge the attack, but not the splash damage it created, the pressure wave and the explosion of flames. All together it knocked her back, into the ocean, but she landed on her feet and slid over the surface of the water without falling through the surface.

                He looked at her through the crackling flames, she could see Muramasa’s face, but twisted, obscured beneath a thick cake of some unknown black ooze that flowed freely from the old man’s empty eye sockets.

“And here I thought I was the only one who appreciated theatricality,” it snickered through his lips, cackling, mocking her.

“Is he still alive?” Mitsuka asked him coldly.

“Who?” it used his fingers to pinch Muramasa’s cheek, “This thing?” then a light dawned behind his eyes, “Oh, no, that’s not what you meant, you were talking about that stupid mutt…or maybe his friend?”

“Where…” Mitsuka snapped, “Where is he?”

“Well…” it snickered evilly, “You left me here all alone for so very long…heh-heh-heh, I had to eat something.”

                There was no response from Mitsuka, except for her feet to slide over the surface of the ocean sending her careening into the creature that was possessing Muramasa and slamming her fist into his chin. The impact cracked open the beach around them, scattering dust and sand as though it had been caught in a whirlwind. He reeled back from the blow and took a single step away from her, then he laughed, cackling, bellowing laughter in her face.

“Go ahead little girl,” he mocked, slamming his face into her mask, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he spoke, “Show me what you got!”

                He blocked her next punch, catching her fist in Muramasa’s massive paw and then pounding his free hand against her arms and shoulders. She avoided most of the damage, twisting in his grip to avoid the blows until she caught a heavy strike to the gut. in pain, she lashed out, kicking him in the knee and audibly shattering the joint, but Plague barely seemed to notice.

“It tickles,” he commented before lifting her up by the arm and then slamming her back down against the charred beach.

                Dazed, she couldn’t move as he stepped on her leg, pinning her down, and then started pulling on her arm, giggling as he listened to her scream. Knowing she needed to act fast, Mitsuka slammed her free fist against the ground, causing a tidal wave to plow itself into the sand and erupt under Plague as a concentrated geyser that stripped away Muramasa’s flesh. The attack, or perhaps more specifically the shock of it, caused him to let her go and Mitsuka quickly retreated, falling back into the ocean and pulling it around her like a protective cape.

                Plague stood in Muramasa’s damaged body, his chest and groin shredded off by the high pressure water, and summoned his flames.

“I always did like the taste of boiled whore,” he declared, throwing fire from his hands even as he vomited a gout of flame from Muramasa’s lips.

                Mitsuka used the water to move herself out of the way, avoiding the attacks and circling him. she threw herself at him from his left, but fell short intentionally, and when he moved to block her, tidal waves beat against his side, dousing his flame and opening him up for a strike. She repeated this strategy, moving left, then having the water hit him from the right, lulling him, then slipping in under his guard to savage him with a heavy punch. Over time it wore him down, he stumbled and fell, she pinned him, and raised her fist for the killing blow.

                Then a tendril burst from the ground, wrapping around her wrist and flinging her into the air. She landed hard this time, worn out from the fight, and as she recovered, bore witness to a transformation. Across from her, Muramasa’s body began to shift and change, growing, twisting, swelling. Scales grew over his skin, bones sprouted from his back that quickly sprouted spikes and a leathery webbing. Before he could finish his transformation, Mitsuka charged him down only to blocked by a veritable wall of tentacles that pushed her back no matter how she tried to pass. With his transformation finished, Plague took to the air, flying over her head and vomiting molten flame down upon her before landing and letting out a roar that shook the entire temple.

“What?” he mocked her as his minion clawed its way out of the ground and wrapped itself around him, “Did you think I was going to play fair?”

Description

A Small Temple Off the Coast of Greece
Sunset

                Aphrodite stood with Halcyon as ten other beings appeared before her, some arising from pufts of smoke, or swirling clouds of ravens, or bursting forth from pillars that sprouted from the ground around their feet. They all looked to her and gently inclined their heads in difference to their leader, none of them were willing to truly bow.

“My friends,” she smiled to them sadly as she walked into the crowd, “My allies, it warms my heart to see you all gathered here, well and happy.”

“I don’t believe any of us would agree with that assertion,” one of the women spoke up.

“Indeed,” Aphrodite spoke softly and gently touched her shoulder, “We have all been beset these past few years, our purpose in danger, those we have chosen made into targets, our very words, our futures placed on the chopping block, with no possible way out.”

                Halcyon walked with her, as she entered the crowd until she turned to him, gave him a hug, and stepped away.

“My friends, through an exhaustive search, I believe I have found a solution to our woes, the beginnings of our revival,” Aphrodite suddenly spun about in spot and jabbed her finger at Halcyon, “Restrain him!”

“What?!” he shouted as the group surrounding him moved in and bound his arms with unnaturally cold chains, then pulled him to the ground, “What the Hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“I’m offering the first of our enemies as a sacrificial lamb,” Aphrodite turned away, arms folded over her chest.”

“’Enemy’?” Halcyon shrieked, “You crazy bitch I was helping you!”

“Laying a trap for the three beings in our cabal that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt I could trust,” Aphrodite explained, “The trap was never meant for them, but for you,”

“How the…you tricked me? How Dare you?!”

“Easily,” she circled the group, spotting Byakko and Gembu standing away from the crowd, heads hanged and troubled expression on their faces, “Worry not,” she whispered to them, “Your sacrifice will be repaid ten-fold.”

                They did not respond, closing their eyes and looking away.

“You’ll never win!” Halcyon screamed at them, “I am but a finger of the fist that shall grind you all into dust, YOU WILL NEVER WIN!!”

“Do try to die like a man,” Aphrodite grumbled to him before leaving the room, casting aside one final comment on her way out, “Take the body with you, but do not clean the residue, I want only to remember him as a stain upon my life.”

A Small Apartment Building in Kyoto
Sunrise

                Mitsuka awoke with a throbbing headache and unable to sit up properly without toppling over.

“Take it easy,” Vhen advised, “You’re still not in great shape.”

“I’m…what?” Mitsuka felt at her head and winced as her headache sharpened and her fingers came away with a wet blood clot stuck to her fingers, “The fuck…” she glanced at the pillow she’d been laying on and saw a pad utterly soaked through with blood, “…Ow!”

“Yeah, he kinda hit you a little too hard…” Vhen winced as she examined the wound, gently touching the wound, “Ugh, well, it’s starting to dry at least, it’s gonna be a pain to wash out.”

“You could just cut it out,” December suggested, approaching her but limping and wrapped practically head to toe in bandages, “Like bubblegum.”

“What…Ugh,” Mitsuka wondered, then tried to rub her eyes and inadvertently smeared some of the blood across her forehead, “Dammit,” she quickly wiped it away on her wrist, “What happened.”

“We knocked you out,” Vhen told her without hesitation.

“Excuse me?”

“Well, Muramasa did it,” the Goddess shrugged, “But I was gonna, he just did it first.”

“And the temple?” she demanded, then suddenly gasped, “Flit! Is he okay?”

                She almost jumped off of the bed and instantly toppled over to be caught by December and Vhen who gently placed her back down on the mattress.

“You really shouldn’t…” Vhen tried but Mitsuka cut her off.

“Tell Me!”

“He’s asleep,” December told them, “Not dead, but, I don’t know if he’ll wake up any time soon.”

“And the temple?”

“I…saw the end,” the coyote bowed his head in shame, “Something, I don’t really know what, it took control of Muramasa, but the old man…he…he did something, I don’t think it’s there anymore.”

                Mitsuka clenched her eyes shut and took several deep breaths to calm herself.

“Sunny,” December muttered awkwardly, “He stayed behind, he fought to the end.”

“You should have let me stay,” Mitsuka grumbled.

“No,” Vhen responded coldly.

“I could have helped him!” she glared back, “I could have…”

“The man went off with purpose, he was going to kill the temple from the beginning,” Vhen insisted, “And he may have been right to do so.”

“So…what, shoot the patient to cure the disease?”

“I prefer: cut off the arm to remove the rot.”

“Those…things,” December cringed, “They were everywhere, there, there was no one we could find, no one we could save…”

“We’ll never know now,” Mitsuka snapped and Vhen slapped her across the face.

“Don’t…” Vhen paused, taking a deep breath, “Don’t talk to my son like that.”

                Mitsuka cleaned some blood from her lip and looked over at the crestfallen coyote, taking in his bandages and splints.

“I’m sorry,” she amended and reached out to pat his head, but he pulled away, hanging his head even lower.

“Perhaps we might put your mind at ease?” Byakko wondered as she entered the room.

“I told you to wait about that shit,” Vhen sighed, but joined December off to the side of the room, “Whatever.”

“Apologies,” Byakko bowed to her, “But it didn’t seem like you were making much progress.”

“In five minutes?”

“Where were you?” Mitsuka snarled.

“You will have to excuse my tardiness…”

                Letting out an audible hiss, she pulled herself up into a sitting position, clutching her aching skull until her fingernails started clawing into her scalp.

“WHERE!” Mitsuka shouted loud enough to make the entire room shake.

“We had an obligation, and…” Byakko knelt before Mitsuka, hands clasped, eyes closed, awaiting judgment, “We have achieved it.”

“Meaning?”

“We were hoping they would send Plague after you, and they did, we knew Muramasa would devastate the temple to contain the infection, and he did, now Plague is contained, and our enemies are lacking for a powerful ally.”

“So it was worth it?” Mitsuka hissed.

“The sacrifice of a great many pawns to contain a…”

“No!” Mitsuka rushed forward and grabbed Byakko by the collar lifting her off of the ground as she screamed into her face, “You do not say that! You don’t EVER say that! They were Not PAWNS! They were people! They were My Friends!”

“You have my sorrow then,” Byakko responded calmly, her eyes still closed, “But not my regret, our gambit succeeded, we are not one step closer…”

“Oh go to Hell…” Mitsuka grumbled, then threw the Goddess to the floor, stumbling away but trying to stay on her feet.

“If it would appease your wrath,” Byakko muttered, but collected herself, kneeling before Mitsuka again, “Would you wish to hear my offer now?”

                Continuing to grumble, Mitsuka walked out of the room and found Flit in the living room, his long body coiled in a dog bed while a set of monitors read out his respiration and brain activity. She almost wept to see him like that, not the chattering ball of energy he once was, but sniffling, shuddering, barely breathing. Gently, she touched his paws and patted him on the head, half expecting him to awaken, but knowing he wouldn’t.

“The Plague has been contained,” Byakko continued, following her into the room silently, “But it will escape, the form he has taken is far too powerful, and he cannot be allowed to retain it.”

“So what do you want?” Mitsuka demanded.

“We will invade, in a month’s time,” Byakko explained, “All of us, together, we will make a clean sweep of it, and make certain that the beast has died.”

“And what do you need me for?”

“We don’t,” Byakko admitted, “This is not a request on any level, it is a favor which we have requested so that you may have your final test.”

“All of this, you did All of This just for training?!”

“Let us think of it as a…happy accident,” Byakko suggested before Mitsuka punched her in the throat, “Possibly…” she coughed, “I could have worded that better...”

                Mitsuka loomed over her dangerously until she noticed Vhen watching her through the doorway.

“What?”

“Don’t,” Vhen responded simply.

“Oh, you’re gonna stop me?” Mitsuka laughed.

“No,” Vhen shrugged, the pointed over at Flit’s unconscious body, “But you don’t want to do this.”

                Mitsuka looked towards the sleeping Inugami and breathed out the last of her anger. Standing over Byakko, Mitsuka bowed her head and asked her question as calmly as possible.

“So when do we go?”

“A month,” Vhen insisted, “Don’t you listen.”

“But…”

“He’s in Muramasa’s body, and even if he wasn’t, you’re not equipped to take him on,” Vhen sighed and then walked towards an exit, “You seem to be getting around fairly well, follow me.”

                Frustrated but knowing better than to argue, Mitsuka fell into step and walked behind Vhen until they both stood on the terrace together. Vhen took a deep breath and then pressed her hands together, beginning an almost ritualistic dance while, overhead the clouds began to circle and scatter, falling in step with her every motion. The wind picked up and swirled over them, twisting their hair, then lifting Vhen into the sky before gently setting her back down on the railing of the balcony.

“For me,” Vhen explained quietly, “It’s in my shoulders.”

“Excuse me?”

“That lesson I was trying to teach you before,” Vhen continued as she hopped down to her and held up her hand, “Muscle isolation, your powers aren’t just emotion and thought, they have a physical aspect, a part of your body that is more prominently effected when you use them, learn to isolate and control those sections and you’ll be able to more easily call up your abilities.”

“And how do I…” Mitsuka began only for Vhen to grab her hand and clench her fingers tightly.

“Start small,” the Goddess insisted and walked away from her, “It will come together eventually.”

“I wish I had your confidence.”

“You’ve got a full month kid,” Vhen shrugged, “You’ll figure it out.”

Four Weeks Later

                She sat in the room, in the cold and dark, a small bowl of water in front of her crossed legs. She breathed, feeling the water under her fingertips and started swirling her fingers across it surface. The water rippled and swelled, then collected itself into her palms, defying gravity to cling to her skin, then she cupper her hands together and it exploded upwards, taking the shape of a twisting water serpent that flew through the air, circling her head and then wrapping around her arms. Her test completed, she allowed it to drizzle back into the bowl and stood up.

                In the bowl she saw her reflection, and saw an older woman staring back, wondering when that had happened before dumping it down the sink. She took another chance to examine the sleeping Flit, forcing a bit of milk down his throat and soothing him to the best of her ability. December walked into the room as she was busy, sitting and waiting patiently as she pet the unconscious Inugami.

“How’s the leg?” she finally asked, still not turning about to face him.

“Healing well,” December stated, “Are you ready?”

“No,” Mitsuka stood up, “But we’re doing this, let’s go.”

                December bowed, leading her from the room and onto the roof of the building. There, waiting for her were Vhen, Byakko and Gembu who both bowed to their approach.

“While we had a speech prepared,” Byakko, offered but Mitsuka cut her off.

“I don’t care.”

“As you will,” she walked forward with her husband and joined their hands, combining their powers to form the portal to the Maki Temple, “You have twelve hours, after that…”

“I know,” Mitsuka stepped forward, summoning her mask, ready as she would ever be.

“The God’s speed your victory,” Gembu responded and they both waited for her to pass through.

                Mitsuka passed through the portal of ice and water, falling to the ground on the other side, feeling the sudden rush of the intense gravity of the alternate realm. She felt the crackling burnt dust that had once been vibrant, rich dirt, and looked around at the smoldering mess of the charred forest. Waiting, she expected to be attacked at any moment, but the moment passed and she realized that it wouldn’t be that easy. Deciding to take the chance to set the battlefield to her advantage, and searched for the nearest water source.

                After wandering for a bit, she found it, mostly washed out to the edge of the temple, pooled in the abyss like a small ocean. Mitsuka knelt before the water and centered herself. As she had seen Vhen doing four weeks ago, Mitsuka reached out and began an elaborate exorcise, summoning up first waves, then swirling pillars of water that followed her every motion. Just like the bowl, these pillars of water joined together as her dance entered its climax, forming an absolutely massive snake creature that reared back and struck the devastated forest behind her with a thunderous force before scattering like rainwater and flooding back into the ocean.

“That should get some attention,” Mitsuka muttered as she cooled down from the exorcise.

                She had expected something, some sort of response, but not so quickly, and certainly not so extreme. Above her, on the mountain where the hot springs had once stood, a massive gout of flame erupted into the air, throwing a wilting blackened creature into the sky before he came crashing back down onto her like a flaming spear. Though shocked by this reaction, not to mention the sheer speed at which it flew through the air, Mitsuka managed to dodge the attack, but not the splash damage it created, the pressure wave and the explosion of flames. All together it knocked her back, into the ocean, but she landed on her feet and slid over the surface of the water without falling through the surface.

                He looked at her through the crackling flames, she could see Muramasa’s face, but twisted, obscured beneath a thick cake of some unknown black ooze that flowed freely from the old man’s empty eye sockets.

“And here I thought I was the only one who appreciated theatricality,” it snickered through his lips, cackling, mocking her.

“Is he still alive?” Mitsuka asked him coldly.

“Who?” it used his fingers to pinch Muramasa’s cheek, “This thing?” then a light dawned behind his eyes, “Oh, no, that’s not what you meant, you were talking about that stupid mutt…or maybe his friend?”

“Where…” Mitsuka snapped, “Where is he?”

“Well…” it snickered evilly, “You left me here all alone for so very long…heh-heh-heh, I had to eat something.”

                There was no response from Mitsuka, except for her feet to slide over the surface of the ocean sending her careening into the creature that was possessing Muramasa and slamming her fist into his chin. The impact cracked open the beach around them, scattering dust and sand as though it had been caught in a whirlwind. He reeled back from the blow and took a single step away from her, then he laughed, cackling, bellowing laughter in her face.

“Go ahead little girl,” he mocked, slamming his face into her mask, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he spoke, “Show me what you got!”

                He blocked her next punch, catching her fist in Muramasa’s massive paw and then pounding his free hand against her arms and shoulders. She avoided most of the damage, twisting in his grip to avoid the blows until she caught a heavy strike to the gut. in pain, she lashed out, kicking him in the knee and audibly shattering the joint, but Plague barely seemed to notice.

“It tickles,” he commented before lifting her up by the arm and then slamming her back down against the charred beach.

                Dazed, she couldn’t move as he stepped on her leg, pinning her down, and then started pulling on her arm, giggling as he listened to her scream. Knowing she needed to act fast, Mitsuka slammed her free fist against the ground, causing a tidal wave to plow itself into the sand and erupt under Plague as a concentrated geyser that stripped away Muramasa’s flesh. The attack, or perhaps more specifically the shock of it, caused him to let her go and Mitsuka quickly retreated, falling back into the ocean and pulling it around her like a protective cape.

                Plague stood in Muramasa’s damaged body, his chest and groin shredded off by the high pressure water, and summoned his flames.

“I always did like the taste of boiled whore,” he declared, throwing fire from his hands even as he vomited a gout of flame from Muramasa’s lips.

                Mitsuka used the water to move herself out of the way, avoiding the attacks and circling him. she threw herself at him from his left, but fell short intentionally, and when he moved to block her, tidal waves beat against his side, dousing his flame and opening him up for a strike. She repeated this strategy, moving left, then having the water hit him from the right, lulling him, then slipping in under his guard to savage him with a heavy punch. Over time it wore him down, he stumbled and fell, she pinned him, and raised her fist for the killing blow.

                Then a tendril burst from the ground, wrapping around her wrist and flinging her into the air. She landed hard this time, worn out from the fight, and as she recovered, bore witness to a transformation. Across from her, Muramasa’s body began to shift and change, growing, twisting, swelling. Scales grew over his skin, bones sprouted from his back that quickly sprouted spikes and a leathery webbing. Before he could finish his transformation, Mitsuka charged him down only to blocked by a veritable wall of tentacles that pushed her back no matter how she tried to pass. With his transformation finished, Plague took to the air, flying over her head and vomiting molten flame down upon her before landing and letting out a roar that shook the entire temple.

“What?” he mocked her as his minion clawed its way out of the ground and wrapped itself around him, “Did you think I was going to play fair?”