More Meteor Showers Bring Even Stranger Powers. (O/A)

[PixelMuse]

Rikki Tikki Travi

Silhouette felt her feet leave the ground before she could command the shadow beneath her to act. She inhaled through her teeth with equal parts frustration and amusement. She would have to show Trinity the ace up her literal sleeve.

Countless segments of Sil's dress split apart and lashed out. The bear was deftly dispelled by the front half, and she managed to catch and right herself with the back half. She spun and kicked up dust as her heels halted her momentum. Her dress wove itself back together and fell naturally around her. Silhouette looked down and saw that her left foot was outside of the circle's boundary.

"Well...this is certainly a humbling experience." she sighed with a satisfied smile. "A bit jarring too, I might add. I've never liked bears."

Trinity thought that one move would do it and the bear would push her out of the circle. Then Silhouette revealed her ace up her sleeve. Oh! COME ON! THAT'S CHEATING! She was getting ready to try something else but she noticed Sil's footing and stopped. She folded her arms and smirked, "You under estimated me, didn't you? Remember, I had to defeat Teshoumaru and Freya in order to graduate. You may have observed me silently all this time but that doesn't mean I can't pull one over you."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Raina held her daughter tightly. "I love you too, hija. Please come by before bed tonight. I'd like to make up for lost time. You can bring Alec if you'd like. I'm eager to meet him. Also...I think I'm going to need help with my, erm, new parts."

For the first time in a long while, Raina felt like she might actually be alright. However, she felt awful lying to her little girl. She didn't know how to tell her daughter that her father was alive, well, and had been helping the people that tore their family apart.

Alec stepped through the portal he made into the hallway a few feet from where he felt Kerana was. He quickly closed the portal then dismissed his scythe and cloak. He thought about taking a quick peek into the future to see how the next few minutes might pan out, but he just as quickly decided against it. He reminded himself not to rely on future vision too much. It was too easy to get so stuck in the future that he loses his grip on the present.

Regardless, he knew his deathly appearance might frighten people. He took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. His skin tone returned to what was normal for him as he exhaled, a few seconds later the tears marks seemed to crawl up and hide back in his eyes. After a few blinks the darks of his eyes went back to being the whites.

Alec sighed and walked up to the door he felt Kerana behind. He figured her mother would be there too. He felt bad about interrupting what could be a delicate moment, but he couldn't help but worry about his girlfriend. He rose his hand to gently rap on the door and hesitated. Was this how it's done? he wondered. His parents never bothered to teach him about how to introduce himself to a love interest's family. Am I supposed to, though? Is she supposed to introduce me first?

He put his hand down put it to his chin. He quickly became lost in his own thoughts. What to do, what to do? He turned his back to the door and considered his options.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silhouette dusted off her sleeves and rolled her eyes with an amused smile. "Please. I didn't underestimate you. If anything I overestimated myself. It's been an age since the last time I had what could even approximate a physical body. I foolishly thought it'd be like, what's the phrase, getting on the cycle?"

"Regardless, you did very well using what you know. Now it's time for me to teach you how to utilize your shadows to their full potential. After that I'll show you how to match the Soichi clan's ace hole technique without killing yourself."

"So, which would you like to learn first? Delayed command, or shadow weaving?"  

[Nova Blancke]

"You bumped your head pretty hard there. Get some sleep."Cassandra responded. Outside of the room she sat down next to do the door, cross-legged. Carefully switching her grip on Theresa so that so that she could rest her head on Cassandra's shoulder.

Crystalion just stroked her hair continued to embrace her. The environment began to collapse and another door appeared. Much shoddier than before. It really was time. Tom's message confirmed it.

"Of course. I told you I wasn't going to leave you, didn't I?" She responded. She looked over to the door. "Shall we?"

"Noted" He responded. She knew who she was. Something Crosis seemed to have gotten wrong.

"I do not know the exact intricacies . Alec knows the details. The young man has taken the place of Crosis. The one who inflicted the curse upon the original people that became the Shadow Stalkers. It cannot be removed now but it needs to emerge before it comes vulnerable of his methods. He claimed a single swipe with his scythe would suffice. I would need to ....exhaust her. She can be quite aggressive. I imagine her Shadow Stalker will be too."  

[Nova Blancke]

"Yeah, I get that. BUT you won't get the stuff without proper identification to show you're of right age," Theo said with a smug face. Then realized HE wasn't of drinking age either.

"Well s**t." He sighed. "Tomorrow okay? Promise. Still got a lot to do today. I AM still in charge of this place after all. We'll do it after training. We got a deal?"

"I know....I know...Damien." She groaned. She was way too comfortable to want to get up."Gotta save the world huh."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Lokelonni's looked forward as her upper lip curled into a sneer ever so slightly. "I knew Alec had taken the mantle of Death, but Crosis...that b*****d. None of my past lives had any idea he was responsible for the curse that plagues my family."

The queen thought back to Freya's first transformation...when she was three weeks old. In all of her long life, Lokelonni had never a newborn wail the way her baby did. It did not get any easier with the following cycles, and it became worse after Kotetsumaru died. She tried to be there for Freya, but Lokelonni was no substitute for Kotetsumaru. Then Allines made everything even worse.

Lokelonni let out a heavy, sorrowful sigh and turned her face toward Legio. "Fenris told me that Freya had empowered herself with a meteor fragment. She told me of the frightful power she's attained after her ascension. And, if I understand correctly, Fenris is now composed of the same bio-organic material that comprises you and comprised Shane Morris, yes? She told me that it's difficult to, as she said, 'not put holes in s**t' because of a strength enhancement you gave her. Is there anything else you did to her that might give us an idea of what the new stalker may be capable of?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo quirked his head slightly, "I-den-ti-fa-ca-tion? What's that? What does that have to do with whether I can get the stuff? I'm old enough to fight, I'm old enough to drink."

He then shook his head and put his hands up, "Training is out of the question tomorrow. Dawn, Ravan, and I promised the kids a day in the sun after a night of rest. We had no idea we'd be roped into another fight when we came over yesterday, so we're already a day behind fulfilling that promise. The youngest ones haven't even seen the sun since they were born after The Hellstar blocked the sky."

"But...we do need a guide. No doubt the landmarks we memorized all different here, so it'd be stupid of us to just wander out. Maybe you'd like to come with us. You look like you could use a break, too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather parroted Livs groan and said, "Yeah. But you don't have to move. Something tells me you're going to want be be held after I'm done."

Heather told Liv everything she learned from Rydia and Alec. The ancients, the ones that came before them, the countless civilizations that preceded them, the Hellstar's multiverse presence, the reason Eclipse is crazy, boons, who has them, the eight, the lunar spire, and how they have five months until the next lunar eclipse to prepare.

"And that's all we know so far. Damien said he's being pressured to wrap up as soon as possible, so that's why he was so pushy earlier. No doubt he's chomping at the bit to get his freaky hands on you and give you the boon of light."  

[BeaMichelle]

Theresa nestled her head on Cassandra's shoulder and sighed in a mix of pain and exhaustion, "Yer soooo nice. I used...I used to be scared of you. Beeecause you don't fell...pain. That's how...how I protected myself. I made others feel pain. Killed them. Din't know if I'd ever hafta...fight you. In the playground. But yer so nice."

She blinked a few times and nodded her head, but she didn't want to fall asleep just yet. "Y'know...Chariot useta be...nice too. They all did. When they were little. But then...the dark man came. They got mad at me. Got mean. Said it was...my fault. I had a name. I dunno what...they mean, but they said he said they were parts...of me."

Theresa's head nodded once more and didn't move. Her eyes slowly shut as she mumbled out, "I just...don't wanna...be scared...anymore."

A few seconds later she was quietly snoring at a steady pace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ravan nodded and took a step toward the door. That was enough for it to expand and enveloped the two of them in a blinding light.

The light faded away, and they were back in Crystalion's bedroom.

Ravan was back to normal. She squirmed and twisted as she regained consciousness. She blinked a few times and brought her right hand up to her eyes. She felt something wet on them and pulled her hand back to see what it was. Tears. She had been crying while she was asleep.

Asleep? Was that right? She had a vague recollection of what transpired before she lost consciousness. The dust girl. The worm in her head. She was pissed at Crystalion. The all consuming dark-

Her eyes shot open, she abruptly sat up, and then called out, "Liv?!"

Tom was slumped in the corner let out a rasping cough. The area around his bloodshot eyes were darkened by burst capillaries, and both of his nostrils had been bleeding. He gripped his chest in pain and covered his mouth. The hand over his mouth was stained with the flecks of blood that was produced by each cough.  

[PixelMuse]

Rikki Tikki Travi

Silhouette dusted off her sleeves and rolled her eyes with an amused smile. "Please. I didn't underestimate you. If anything I overestimated myself. It's been an age since the last time I had what could even approximate a physical body. I foolishly thought it'd be like, what's the phrase, getting on the cycle?"

"You mean 'like riding a bike'."

Rikki Tikki Travi

"Regardless, you did very well using what you know. Now it's time for me to teach you how to utilize your shadows to their full potential. After that I'll show you how to match the Soichi clan's ace hole technique without killing yourself."

"So, which would you like to learn first? Delayed command, or shadow weaving?"

Trinity quirked an eyebrow Ace hole? Did she just call them… wait… She rubbed the bridge of her nose and muttered, "That's 'ace in the hole' not 'ace hole'" she spoke to her more directly "for a second I thought you were insulting my mentors. "

She considered her options. She had considered her options. Trinity had a pretty clear sense of what shadow weaving looked like. It was probably the technique she used against her bear. However delayed command seemed less obvious. She remembered the stumps she used to avoid stepping on the flowers [i[did it have something to do with that? she wondered. By the sound of the name this technique may have a variety of applications.

"I think I'd like to start with Delayed Command."  

[Nova Blancke]

Cassandra nodded a bit and just stroked Theresa's hair a bit. "You're never going back there."

Crystalion watched her daughter wake up. She was smiling softly.
"Good morning sleepy head, how are you feeling?" She managed to ask before hearing Tom cough and turned to look at him. It was only then that she saw the state he was in.

"Tom!" Quickly making her way over to him and kneel'd down.

"Well...we've got laws here for that sort of things." He responded.

It was still difficult to even imagine what it was like. The Hellstar blocking out the sky.

"Yeah....yeah I could always use a break. Part of me wants to hand it back over to Gidget but now that she's.....eh....babysitting Theresa, that's out of the question." Theo said almost spilling the beans that Gidget was pregnant.

"I think....it'd be nice to go to the woods."

Legio had his hands behind his back. The former queen's control over her emotions was not as perfect as he initially thought.

"Yes Eclipse, manipulated him into doing so. He slowly descended into insanity after each failed attempt on their lives."

"I provided her with the strength of Cassandra but that is it. Her own new power was adapting itself to fighting me in our last scuffle. I posses the same power she has but granted it is more difficult for me to use. It responds to emotions and your mental state."

Liv listened as best as she could. It all seemed like some fantasy book's ********>  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Five minutes later, Gidget walked out the door and looked around for Cassandra. She finally looked over and down to find the two of them. Gidget immediately gasped and exclaimed, "Cassandra!"

She kneeled down and patted Theresa's cheeks hard enough to rouse her. Gidget sighed with relief and then glared at Cassandra. "I told you to keep her awake! She could slip into a coma and die after hitting her head like that! What were you thinking?!"

Hearing the commotion, one of the nurses at the station called out, "That's what they used to teach, but it's actually not true. Letting a head trauma patient sleep just makes it hard for us to monitor things like petite mal seizures and lateral weakness. I've been watching them. They're good."

Gidget's face turned red with embarrassment. Her eyes darted left and right as she thought of a proper apology. After a few seconds of awkward silence she bowed her head in shame while she kept her eyes on Cassandra. "I'm sorry."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo finally managed to smile a little at the mention of the woods. "They'd really like that. Most of us have only seen forests in pictures. The thought of seeing so many trees at once...wow."

He paused for a moment and thought about something else Theonis had said. b]"I've been meaning to ask someone about that. In my time Gidget organized everything. Nothing happened without her crunching the numbers first. Man, the fights her and Mom used to have were legendary. Emotion against logic. But eventually all the adults fell in line when Gidget's predictions were correct almost all the time. So, what happened? I mean, no offense, but how did you end up in charge of this whole place when you're so close to my age?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yes, the auras. She gave me a very basic summary of what she's capable of now. You saw what Fenris is capable of first hand. Now imagine that destructive force in the hands of something that isn't capable of the little self control my daughter has. Trying to subdue the shadow stalker with that much power and versatility under it's control will be incredibly difficult, to say the least. It fell it would be advantageous for this Cassandra to assist us if she'd be willing."

Lokelonni took a deep breath and continued. "Splendid. It appears as though we have something of a plan worked out to end her curse. Now, if you would indulge a mother's curiosity, I'd like to ask you a personal question."

She adjusted her position so that more of her body faced Legio. "I could hear the tension in Fenris' voice. She may be a new being with a new name, but I can still feel Freya in her. You have gotten into her head in a way that no one has in a very long time. I can surmise what she is struggling with in her mind. What I cannot surmise is your intent."

"So...what do you think of my daughter?" the queen asked a sweetened tone yet with a regal smile that belies a dangerously protective parent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heather nodded and said, "Yeah...that was pretty much everybody's response. Most of us were roped into this without knowing what we would be signing up for once Damien fixed us. Hell, I don't think he understood what he was doing until yesterday. Kid damn near had a nervous breakdown earlier today. Alec actually yelled at the him."

She adjusted herself so she could look into Liv's eyes. She lovingly cradled Liv's jaw in her hands. "But you know now. There have to be other light metas out there that can take your place. You already risked your life for me yesterday, and you practically died for everyone here today. You've done enough. It doesn't have to be you. No matter what Damien says. You don't have to do this." she plead.

Heather knew she was trying to convince herself as much as she was Liv. Damien said Liv was the best candidate. That meant there was something about her that put her above everyone else. Was it the eyes? She'd mentioned that the Queen of the elves had given her power away so Liv could use it. Regardless, she didn't want Liv to endanger herself anymore. She wouldn't let anyone else die trying to be a hero. Lawrence would be the last.  

[BeaMichelle]

Tom's eyes rolled up to meet Crystalion's gaze. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. His third eye was swollen and bloody. He was in so much pain that he couldn't project any words. But the look on his face said all that needed to be said.

Help me.

Rydia hopped out of bed and came to the boy's side opposite of Crystalion. She wanted to help badly, but she didn't know how. So her hands just hovered over him nervously. "Oh s**t, oh s**t! He looks really bad. Did I do this?"

Tom patted around his chest and neck. His finger ran over a bead chain that clung to his neck a few times.

Rydia reached forward and pulled the chain until it was taught. She caught sight of something behind his neck. She spun the chain and held a small white box with a raised red cross on it.

"This looks like a little first aid box. Can this help him?" she quickly asked Crystlion.  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Silhouette raised a brow and asked, "Of course not. Why would you...?"

She then recalled what she'd said and considered how it sounded while her head nodded side to side. "Ah, I see. It sounded like I said...nevermind."

After Trinity made her selection, Sil clapped her hands together and beamed. "Excelent!" she exclaimed. "Delayed command is one of my favorite applications of shadow control."

She snapped her fingers and changed their location from a field to a forest in Krabi, Thailand with many skinny trees but little canopy. The sun sat at a point where there were countless parallel shadows created by the trees. Silhouette put her hands behind her back and circled Trinity while she spoke. She made sure to touch each shadow in her path as she spoke.

"As you know, a fight is almost never fought while standing still. You will be on the move, and there may be times where you don't have a perfect opportunity to use your own shadow. That's where delayed command comes to play."

Silhouette stopped. That's when she shadows she stepped on began to act. Pikes burst upward from each one, but not in the order she'd walked through them. They were seemingly random and were gone shortly after they appeared.

"To start, delayed command requies three things. Energy (or ki as your mentors call it) to anchor the command, a shape for it to take, and a time for it to activate. The more complex, large, and delayed the shape is, the more energy it takes. It also uses a bit more energy to use delayed command than direct command."

Silhouette waved her hands toward the trees and said, "Now, try and replicate what I just did to the best of your ability. When you're confident, I'll show you the evolution of delayed command. Trigger delay."  

[Rikki Tikki Travi]

Alec had been so lost in thought that he jumped a bit from surprise when he heard Kerana's voice in his head. Ah. Sorry about that. I guess I was thinking too loud.

He was glad to hear that everything went well. He didn't even need to use his future vision to know that they'd have a nice reunion. He remained silent but thoughtful as Kerana made her request. He couldn't help but grin when he realised there was actually something he could do.

"I know just what to do " he said confidently.

He took a step back and clapped his hands together which created a ghostly blue flame. When his hands separated the flame produced a Tablet pc with a cover that had a cartoony skull on it.

"Crosis used a parchment scroll to look in on people. I took a few moments to bring some of his methods to the 21st century after I was done with my thing. With this I can find anyone with a soul while in the land of the living. I just need your dad's name to get started. I can also narrow down the search field with his birthday or his parent's names. Would you like me to find him now?"  

[Nova Blancke]

Cassandra's hair and eyes flickered a bit, startled and slightly panicked by Gidget before calming down again. She took a deep breath.

"It's fine."

Theo chuckled a bit. "Well...s**t happened. We managed to get Gidget's body back. Instead of simulated emotions she now had the real deal and had a hard time handling those. So I....stepped in. I'd proven myself multiple times already and it wasn't Trinity's thing. Sitting at a desk and dealing with all the ins-and-outs of this place. She could stay the head of security and not worry bout Valhalla. s**t was hard though. Gidget had it easy with her ability AND robo body. All information was just processed so damn fast. Don't get me wrong, I managed to get a hang of it real fast but it's a lot to juggle." Theo said and tapped his head." I am quite glad I can learn things exponentially fast. Did you inherit that as well?

The former queen was right. It did appear that Legio got into her head. Which in retrospect was ironic as she was the one inside his head for a time. Slighting cocking his head as she asked the question.

"She is kind to those she cares about. Very upfront with everything. A headstrong, stubborn and emotional woman who has no idea how to handle situations she can't brute force her way out of." There was a pause afterwards. "Insecure and....interesting."

Liv sighed and looked away for a bit.

"Yeah I'd rather not. This was supposed to be my sister's job. I took that from her. Just like these eyes....it would have been her not me. And besides...." She looked at Heather again. "I can't really let you go off on your own, now can I?" She said with a weak smile.