Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3, Part 6 [COMPLETED]

[Oldmansour]

>"I simply gave her a nudge in the right direction when she needed it. She did the rest herself."

>The young catgirl smiles appreciatively at you, and bows. "Thank you."
>During this exchange, Kiku, rather carefully, has helped Satori to her feet. The temple head doesn't seem entirely stable on her feet, but Kiku has a firm grip on her. "For now, my sisters, we will let Satori rest. The discussion of what will come can wait, for now. We all need some time to take in what has happened here tonight." Heads nod in agreement with her orders, then she turns to you. "First you saved me, Lotus, and now you have helped protect every one here. I owe you more than simple thanks. If there is anything I or my sisters can do for you, do not hesitate to ask."
>We do still have much to discuss. Kiku's silent voice adds. But for right now, my priority is them.

[DracoOmega]

>Of course.
>"There is no greater reward than to see everyone here safe and whole, and the shadow lifted from this shrine. And thank you for coming to my aid when I was in need, and for the courage you all have shown in the face of this terrible darkness. I think tomorrow shall dawn a little brighter than today, for all of us."

[Oldmansour]

>Of course.
>"There is no greater reward than to see everyone here safe and whole, and the shadow lifted from this shrine. And thank you for coming to my aid when I was in need, and for the courage you all have shown in the face of this terrible darkness. I think tomorrow shall dawn a little brighter than today, for all of us."

>The wolf-eared youkai gives you a bold grin. "Facing terrible darkness is what we do."
>"Even if something like this wasn't in the brochure." Koko quips as she leans on one of her comrades for support, drawing some chuckles from her sisters, the laughter of those who have come through a terrible battle and emerged alive on the other side.
>One of those who does not join in the laughter, curiously, is Risa, the excessively emotional squirrel youkai. She makes a beeline for you as Kiku and one of her sisters start to haul Satori away. When she draws within swinging range of you, though, Risa breaks into a big smile and hugs you right tightly. "Kiku'd said it better than me, but she's right. We owe ya big."

[DracoOmega]

>Return the hug gently. It's good that we can find some laughter in this long night after all.
>"I'm just glad we were able to help."

[Oldmansour]

>Return the hug gently. It's good that we can find some laughter in this long night after all.
>"I'm just glad we were able to help."

>"Come along now, Risa." Kiku calls after her. "We all need some rest, and our heroes have their own business to attend to."
>"Coming, sis!" the squirrel chirps as she disengages from you.
>"And don't call me 'sis'." Kiku says almost absently.
>"Right, sis." The mikos chuckle again. A few more of them offer thanks and bows to you, Lily and White Rose as they pass, and a minute or so later, you and your fellow two magical girls are alone in the temple yard.

[DracoOmega]

>Pause. Let out a long breath. It's been... a rough night.
>Then lean down and give Rin and Lily a gentle hug.
>Softly: "Thank you."

[Oldmansour]

>Pause. Let out a long breath. It's been... a rough night.
>Then lean down and give Rin and Lily a gentle hug.
>Softly: "Thank you."

>If you were getting paid for this responsibility, you definately would have earned your paycheque today.
>And you definately have earned a group hug.
>Lily gently drapes her soft, feathered wing across your shoulder, joining Rin's strong arm. There will be battles to come, you know. Kiku will likely have some stern words with you later. But Satori is safe and whole, the shrine maidens and your friends are alive and well, and you have peace with the demons for now. Now, there is only the peace of this moment, and a profound sense of relief and even joy that every battle you have fought today, you have emerged victorius to stand here, in the embrace of those you care deeply for.
>And Rin, loyal, devoted Orin, smiling gently, says to you, "Can we go home now?"

[DracoOmega]

>Return the smile
>"I think I would like that very much."
>Stay in this embrace for another moment; after all we've been through, we don't entirely want to let go just yet
>But eventually we must
>"Just one final piece of business here."
>Produce the feather Ice left for us.
>"Ice's message."

[Oldmansour]

>Return the smile
>"I think I would like that very much."
>Stay in this embrace for another moment; after all we've been through, we don't entirely want to let go just yet
>But eventually we must
>"Just one final piece of business here."
>Produce the feather Ice left for us.
>"Ice's message."

>"Any idea what it is this time?" Rin asks.

[DracoOmega]

>"I think it is about the reason Fire came here, but it was intended for all of us to see."
>Let's see what Ice had to 'say'

[Oldmansour]

>"I think it is about the reason Fire came here, but it was intended for all of us to see."
>Let's see what Ice had to 'say'

>"Uh, hang on a sec." Lily says as you raise the feather. "I know I'm not always the smartest one around, but, since Fire's only been here for a couple days, that means that his reasons probably have to do with something that happened on Makai, right?"
>Rin nods. "Probably."
>Lily winces. "Uh... I don't... think I wanna see Makai." she says hesitantly. "Not if it's like what Louise said about it."

[DracoOmega]

>"I won't pressure you if you're uncomfortable. I can always relay the substance of the message afterward."

[Oldmansour]

>"I won't pressure you if you're uncomfortable. I can always relay the substance of the message afterward."

>Lily nods. "Thanks, Lotus." she says as she puts a few steps between herself and you.

[DracoOmega]

>To Rin: "That goes likewise to you. There's no need to push yourself; we've all been through more than enough tonight already."

[Oldmansour]

>To Rin: "That goes likewise to you. There's no need to push yourself; we've all been through more than enough tonight already."

>Your kasha shakes her head. "Understandin' these guys is important to you. That means it's important to me, too."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod
>"Very well then. Let's see what she wanted to tell us."
>Accept Ice's message

[Oldmansour]

>Nod
>"Very well then. Let's see what she wanted to tell us."
>Accept Ice's message

>After a nod from Rin, Ice's feather vanishes is a puff of ice and snow. A faint blue light radiates out from the vanished plume, and when it fades, you find the scene before your eyes has changed dramatically. There is a wall of jagged black rock a few feet in front of you and behind you, a gulley of dagger-rock. Your back now rests against this rock, the sharp edges slicing at your flesh and wings, but the light pain this causes is negligable compared to the slashing wind that howls down the valley. You have the power to ward off the wind, but you dare not, for fear of attracting worse. A look at your companion reveals she feels the same way. The blonde woman is torn between huddling deeper into a crevase full of needle-like rock and braving the worse of the winds. Though you feel a powerful desire to help her, you've been on the run for far too long. You need to rest. You try to rise, only to sink back down, stone jags carving into your skin as sleep takes you.
>You awaken to a scream. Not the scream of the wind but of a woman. An enormous black hand has seized your companion and is pulling her out of the gulley. The creature is tall beyond the word. If it straightened fully it would scrape the sky. Its body, though resembling yours in general shape, is a twisted mass of rock and flesh and metal and things Byakuren's mind can't quite comprehend. Your companion's skin sizzles under the titanic creature's acidic touch, and though she fires power beams at the thing's skin, they do nothing to slow her progross towards the titan's gaping maw. The creature pops her into its mouth like a teenage consumes popcorn. In blind horror you stare on as the titan visibly swallows your friend. It turns its blood-red eyes upon you, but pauses. It throat and stomach swell and black smoke begins to stream from its mouth. Its stomach then swells again and explodes from the inside out, releasing a torrent of gastric acids and corrosion-worn stones from the titan's sundered gizzard. The creature tumbles lifelessly backwards as your companion rides the putrid wash down the ground, and it is only when the acid washes away that you see just what it has done to her as you stare on in helpless horror. Only then does she scream again.

>The vision fades. Somehow you know that what you saw was one of the Ice Champion's memories, and that the other woman was the Fire Champion, from before they were Champions. The titanic monster that swallowed Fire was very very similar in appearance and impression to the titan you just fought. But above all these things right now, you feel like you're about to be sick.

[DracoOmega]

>Take a deep breath and try to steady ourselves. Remember, what we just saw was not present, was not us.

[Oldmansour]

>Take a deep breath and try to steady ourselves. Remember, what we just saw was not present, was not us.

>It takes several breaths for you not to be ill at the sight of what happened to Fire in that vision.
>Even Rin, who's led a fairly hard life, has turned decidedly pale. "Smart move, Lily." she says to your fellow Hero. "Dat was nasty."

[DracoOmega]

>"Yes, that was... not quite what I expected to see."
>If that giant creature was a 'twisted mass of rock and flesh and metal', how exactly did it seem very similar in appearance to something made of... nothing? The form of the creature we just fought was not nearly so misshapen either, was it? Was it something more intangible than this that unites them?

[Oldmansour]

>"Yes, that was... not quite what I expected to see."
>If that giant creature was a 'twisted mass of rock and flesh and metal', how exactly did it seem very similar in appearance to something made of... nothing? The form of the creature we just fought was not nearly so misshapen either, was it? Was it something more intangible than this that unites them?

>Their eyes were virtually identical, as were their teeth as well, and they were both humanoid killing machines. Granted one was taller and bit more... alien than the other, but the titan you fought would not have looked out of place standing next to the one that tried to eat Fire. And they gave very much the same impression as each other did. One could think they were brothers, if in an extreme corruption of the word.
>"Do I want to know?" Lily asks cautiously.

[DracoOmega]

>"It was a memory of Ice's, I believe, from a time before her or Fire were Champions. Fire looked... not altogether different from one of us. And then a creature, strangely reminiscent of the one we fought tonight, yet larger still... devoured her. She... did not emerge whole."
>Shake our head
>"No being should have to live a life like that. Either of them - any of them! The fear, the pain, the weariness, the overarching helplessness were palpable. Were anyone else in their shoes, it should be small wonder they'd be willing to go to the most extreme lengths to put an end to it."

[Oldmansour]

>"It was a memory of Ice's, I believe, from a time before her or Fire were Champions. Fire looked... not altogether different from one of us. And then a creature, strangely reminiscent of the one we fought tonight, yet larger still... devoured her. She... did not emerge whole."
>Shake our head
>"No being should have to live a life like that. Either of them - any of them! The fear, the pain, the weariness, the overarching helplessness were palpable. Were anyone else in their shoes, it should be small wonder they'd be willing to go to the most extreme lengths to put an end to it."

>"But, wait." Lily says, confused. "Why would something like that make her come here?"
>Rin answers her, "Payback. She must have felt somethin' like that creature in the one we fought. Since she-"
>"SHE?" the winged blonde interrupts. "I thought fox was a guy!"
>"Guess not. Anyway, now that she got the power to take one of 'em down, she jumped on it. Helping us and Satori weren't on 'er mind."
>Lily ponders that. "Okay, but wouldn't she just say so?"
>"Don't know. Pride, maybe?" she asks you and Lily both.

[DracoOmega]

>"That sounds like a reasonable assumption. Someone who seems to look down upon 'weakness' might be loathe to admit any of their own."
>"And I always assumed that helping us was merely incidental to her own goals - that the titan represented a deadly threat to the safety of the world she wished to claim for her kind, and thus something that needed to be dealt with. But the more common ground we can find between us, even by accident, the more likely we can build a bridge between our kinds. And seeing what we just saw, I feel even more strongly that there is nothing fundamentally evil about them."

[Oldmansour]

>"That sounds like a reasonable assumption. Someone who seems to look down upon 'weakness' might be loathe to admit any of their own."
>"And I always assumed that helping us was merely incidental to her own goals - that the titan represented a deadly threat to the safety of the world she wished to claim for her kind, and thus something that needed to be dealt with. But the more common ground we can find between us, even by accident, the more likely we can build a bridge between our kinds. And seeing what we just saw, I feel even more strongly that there is nothing fundamentally evil about them."

>"Maybe." Rin says cautiously. "But we're still gonna have ta fight 'em before the end. And if Fire was tough enough to survive somethin' like that, she's gonna be anything but easy to take down now."

[DracoOmega]

>"I would like to hope that such a battle can still be avoided, but if it truly is inevitable, then we will simply have to rise to the occasion, and trust in the strength of one another - too much is at stake to do otherwise."

[Oldmansour]

>"I would like to hope that such a battle can still be avoided, but if it truly is inevitable, then we will simply have to rise to the occasion, and trust in the strength of one another - too much is at stake to do otherwise."

>"Well here's something else I'd like to know." Rin says as she turns to look in the direction that Fire went. "If Fire didn't want us to know 'bout this, then why'd Ice tell us? If she's so submissive to Fire, then her telling us something her mistress didn't want us ta know doesn't make any sense."

[DracoOmega]

>"Fire did not seem especially enthusiastic about Ice acting to preserve Satori either, but Ice did so nonetheless - even if one is bound to servitude, one still has their own desires. Perhaps she acts as far outside the bounds of her mistress's orders as she feels she can get away with? Perhaps Fire may not even be aware of the message Ice left us, or at least what it contains."

[Oldmansour]

>"Fire did not seem especially enthusiastic about Ice acting to preserve Satori either, but Ice did so nonetheless - even if one is bound to servitude, one still has their own desires. Perhaps she acts as far outside the bounds of her mistress's orders as she feels she can get away with? Perhaps Fire may not even be aware of the message Ice left us, or at least what it contains."

>"For Ice's sake, I sure hope so." Rin says, folding her arms protectively over her chest. "I've seen what happens when a slave defies a normal master. Thinking about what Fire can do makes all my blood run cold."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, Ice's blood is probably already very cold all the time, so you needn't worry."
>"I hope so as well. Everything I have seen of Ice makes me think her heart is good. I hope that, one way or another, we will be able to call each other friends by the time all this is over."