Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4, Part 2

[DracoOmega]

>"They... what? Truly?"

>In the last Lunarian War, the moon was the definite aggressor, right? And most of the fighting also took place on Earth? What was the prompting incident? And did any actual counter-invasion take place, with real fighting on Lunarian soil?

[Oldmansour]

>In the last Lunarian War, the moon was the definite aggressor, right? And most of the fighting also took place on Earth? What was the prompting incident? And did any actual counter-invasion take place, with real fighting on Lunarian soil?

>The Moon was the one that declared war, yes, and they were the ones that fired the first shots, but they claim that they were provoked into it, and they may not be entirely wrong. About a hundred years ago, a Lunar embassy was opened in Moscovia to try and smooth out relationships between the two planets. This didn't work entirely as well as intended, but as time wore on, there did seem to be a lessening of the tension between Earth and Moon. Not a great lessening, but progress is still progress.
>45 years ago, though, one of the two Lunarian rulers, Princess Toyohime, came down to Earth on an official visit, the first time a Lunarian noble had come to Earth with peaceful intentions. It was an attempt to show the Lunarians that Terrans had no interest in inflicting either their own culture, or war, upon the Moon, that they were safe from your people. But this did not succeed as, during her journey though the small Ovejaras Empire in Europe, there was a series of explosions, and the Princesses convoy was destroyed. Less than 24 hours later, the surviving Princess, Yorihime, declared war upon the Earth.

>A number of attempts were made by Terrans to land troops on the Moon, but almost none of them succeeded. The Lunarians were almost fanatical in their ideals of 'purity', and would resort to almost anything to keep Terrans off of their 'pure' realm. They were not entirely successful, though, as a handful of smaller units of troops, both regular and magical, did in fact penetrate the Moon's defenses. In fact it was one such group that disabled the Lunarian defense grid long enough for the Megatron missile to destroy the Lunarian city of Lix.

>"They... what? Truly?"

>"Is it really that big a surprise?" Reisen asks, looking back up at you. "Most Terran militaries have the same punishment for high treason."

[DracoOmega]

>So Toyohime died in this bombing?
>But even so, isn't it just a little much to declare war on an entire non-united planet for events taking place in just one country? I am sure there were other countries that didn't even like Ovejaras very much

>"Desertion isn't high treason, and I'm sure they wouldn't go so far as to execute someone for it - certainly not these days. Unless you... did try to attack your own government?"

[Oldmansour]

>So Toyohime died in this bombing?
>But even so, isn't it just a little much to declare war on an entire non-united planet for events taking place in just one country? I am sure there were other countries that didn't even like Ovejaras very much

>The seat of the bomb vaporized all material, organic or otherwise, within a kilometer radius. Her body was never recovered, despite efforts by both sides to recover it, but due to this fact, both sides accepted her death.
>There probably were. In fact, some Terrans believe that it was the Lunarians themselves that orchestrated the bombing, to provoke Yorihime into declaring war. Or that Yorihime did it herself to secure her own rule and provoke the war she wanted at the same time. Obviously the Lunarians fiercely deny these accusations, but they have persisted for decades.

>"Desertion isn't high treason, and I'm sure they wouldn't go so far as to execute someone for it - certainly not these days. Unless you... did try to attack your own government?"

>Reisen makes a sound that could have been a short laugh. "Some days I think I should have." she mutters as she looks down again. "That it would have been better to do that than to run away. But I didn't. I just ran. I ran away from the army, I ran away from the enforcers that came after me, then I ran away to earth after the war started."

[DracoOmega]

>All matter within a kilometer?? Surely that would have killed far far more Terrans than Lunarians?
>"The war was a terrible, terrible thing. I can't blame anyone for not wanting to be in the middle of it."

[Oldmansour]

>All matter within a kilometer?? Surely that would have killed far far more Terrans than Lunarians?
>"The war was a terrible, terrible thing. I can't blame anyone for not wanting to be in the middle of it."

>The death toll was fairly grievous, yes, though the exact number escapes you at the moment.
>"You don't understand, Byakuren. It wasn't the war that I ran away from. Well, it's true that I ran during the war, from both sides, but that wasn't why I deserted the army."

[DracoOmega]

>"Then what was it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Then what was it?"

>"Do you remember what I said to Patchy, after she'd knocked me out of the sky?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Something about... a man you wished you'd had the power to stop?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Something about... a man you wished you'd had the power to stop?"

>She nods. "The general I was assigned to in the army. And, uh... Do you remember, what I said he did?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Genocide?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Genocide?"

>"Yes. That's what I ran away from. My unit was ordered to take part in the purification of a radical religious cult that had defiled the purity of the Homeland." she replies, her voice laden with a sad, sardonic tone. "Or at least that's how he put it. What he didn't mention was that that 'cult' was barely armed. Not that it would have mattered, really, but.... I couldn't face it, Byakuren. I couldn't.... So I ran. I dropped my gun, I knocked out the few troops that were around me, and I ran."

[DracoOmega]

>"You didn't want to kill people. There's no shame in that."

[Oldmansour]

>"You didn't want to kill people. There's no shame in that."

>"Maybe. But I didn't try to save them, either. I had the power, I could have used it. But I didn't. I just ran. I ran all the way to Earth."

[DracoOmega]

>"Did you really have that power, though? If you had openly opposed your commanding officer, what would have happened?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Did you really have that power, though? If you had openly opposed your commanding officer, what would have happened?"

>"Not a day goes by that I don't ask myself that very question." Reisen confesses. "I've had a lot of years to think about it. I could have taken him down, and at least a few hundred of his troops, before somebody shot and killed me." She gives you a wry smile. "This power you've given me. It's not the first time I've had power beyond the norm."

[DracoOmega]

>"A few hundred? What do you mean?"

[Oldmansour]

>"A few hundred? What do you mean?"

>"I'll explain, but I need you to keep it between us. I don't really want too many people knowing what I can do."

[DracoOmega]

>"You have my promise."

[Oldmansour]

>"You have my promise."

>"Very, very rarely, certain Lunarians are born with innate powers and abilities beyond the norm. Enhansed strength, endless energy, there have been many examples over the years. The Lunarian word for it doesn't really translate well, but they're informally called 'Point One Percenters', on account of the fact that the condition presents only in about .1% of the population at any given time. And I'm one of them. My power is- Well I guess I should say 'was', since most of it's been sealed. But it had to do with waves. I could perceive all kinds of waves that normal people couldn't. And after I was drafted into the military, I learned how to control and project them, as well."

[DracoOmega]

>"To do... what, exactly?"

[Oldmansour]

>"To do... what, exactly?"

>"A wide range of things. By using sound waves, I could project the sound of someone's voice, bird songs, even music. Or change the sound of someone's voice as they were talking. By using light waves, I could change the color of light in the air. I could make a run of the mill candle give off purple light, or have sunbeams show as red. I could also weaponize both, and lots more waves beyond. Generate beams of light, or walls of sound. Benignly, I could be a walking rave. Maliciously...." She holds up to fingers under her red eyes. "These eyes contain a frightening power, Byakuren. We never found out what the upper limit of their power is. At the last point I reached in my training, I learned how to pick up people's brain waves. I probably would have learned how to control and create them, too, but I was deployed and deserted before we got that far. I never got beyond hypnosis."
>"Which is one of the reasons I was so hesitant when you asked me to join you." she admits. "I've had power once. I didn't want it again."

[DracoOmega]

>"Because of the responsibility that comes with it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Because of the responsibility that comes with it?"

>"That's part of it, yeah. But it was this power of mine that forced me into the military. On the Moon, all Point One Percenters are drafted as soon as they are discovered. If I had just been normal, then I wouldn't... Well, I wouldn't be here now."

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I may have 'drafted' you myself, but the moment you want out, you're free to put all this aside. I'd never force you to do anything you didn't want to."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, I may have 'drafted' you myself, but the moment you want out, you're free to put all this aside. I'd never force you to do anything you didn't want to."

>Reisen smiles. "No you didn't. You gave me a choice, Byakuren. I never had that on the moon. That makes more difference than I can say."
>"Besides, this time, my first deployment was to stop a massacre. I never wanted power, but it's a good feeling to be doing something good with it."

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm still hopeful we can stop all of them in this conflict we've found ourselves in now. As tall an order as that may still be."
>"But you said this power of yours is mostly sealed? Is that by the same restraining bolt you mentioned earlier? And... what of it isn't sealed?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I'm still hopeful we can stop all of them in this conflict we've found ourselves in now. As tall an order as that may still be."
>"But you said this power of yours is mostly sealed? Is that by the same restraining bolt you mentioned earlier? And... what of it isn't sealed?"

>"Considering there hasn't been any reports of them in the news, I'm guessing you've been doing okay so far."
>"My eyesight is still better than a normal rabbits, on account of my sensitivity to light waves, and I can see clearly in lower levels of light. I still need some light to see by, just not as much as other races, even Kappa. And I still have hypnotic powers. Not as strong or as broad as they were, but still, some."
>"And yes, it is one of the effects of the bolts. In fact, it was a condition the Lunarians insisted on. If I was to be allowed to stay on Earth, I wouldn't be allowed to keep my powers. As far as I know, they can't be removed safely by any means, magical or technological." She pauses for a moment. "Although, I don't know what effect your powers might have on them. The Lunarians didn't have you in mind when they blunted my power."

[DracoOmega]

>"No means, even their own?"
>"And what... kind of hypnosis?"

[Oldmansour]

>"No means, even their own?"
>"And what... kind of hypnosis?"

>"Not as far as I know. You see it doesn't matter if they could take them off or not, since returning to the Moon at all would be a death sentance for me."
>"It's mostly limited to suggestions and persuasion. I can't put people into deep trances- Well I suppose I CAN, but it takes far too long to do it on the fly, as it were. Especially since I need to be looking into someone's eyes to do it at all." Looking slightly uncomfortable, she says, "It's actually that ability that led to the Knowledge's buying me."