Post by Tulip Waterfield on Mar 17, 2017 22:53:18 GMT
“Match, start!” The young, black-haired witch thrust her hand down in a chop, signalling the start of the sparring session. The young hybrid thrust both hands out and created two swords. Grasping both by the handles, she threw both forward with all of her strength.
“Transform!” Blade's voice echoed through the entire clearing, and the shadows both girls recognized and feared enveloped his figure. Her swords penetrated the shadows, splitting the darkness. As it dispersed, the woman's eyes widened in shock at what she saw. Blade's hand was outstretched, with both blades caught between his fingers. Clenching his fingers into a fist, he shattered both ki blades without flinching. “Trying to interrupt my transformation sequence? That's not really heroic, now is it?”
“This isn't practice for being heroic; it's practical training.” The young woman was already in motion, sprinting across the distance between them. Two orbs of ki appeared above one shoulder as the woman launched herself into the air, spinning as she passed over Blade's head. The orbs turned into two claymores that shot into the earth, tearing through the ground and area Blade had occupied. She finished her spin and landed on one of the large sword's handle. The dust rolled outwards, as the woman focused on her ki, lowering and channeling the energy throughout her body. She ensured she had full control of the silver energy that composed her soul's core, before stretching her senses outwards. She felt Blade's aura slammed into the ground at her feet, held down by her blades. Wait...why would he stay there for so long...or even get hit by the blades he fully mastered[/b]?
“You're getting better at controlling your ki; so much so that you're now able to fully manipulate your ki and create blades at will rather than automatically as a result of focusing your ki.” She almost fell off the blade, as Blade spoke from behind her. She threw herself to one side, twisting around to face him as she made two knives and threw them in the same motion. Blade batted both blades to the side, not reacting a single iota as they exploded and obscured him from view. Landing on her shoulder, Tulip rolled into a kneeling position and took off, trying to distance herself from the dust, blades, and her opponent. He emerged from the cloud, unfazed, and began walking forward slowly. “It's something to be proud of; it took me fifteen years to get to that point. It only took you 4 months.”
“Don't compliment me too much, it'll make me blush.” Clasping both of her hands together, the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With a loud shout, her aura soared upwards and out, enveloping the woman's small frame. A huge sword materialized in her grasp, as her emerald eyes reopened and sparkled in the silver aura. “Let's finish this thing out with a bang.”
“I agree; I was never one for drawn-out battles. Let's settle this in the next clash.” Blade crouched, spinning his arms around his body until he entered a traditional karate stance. Tulip began rushing forward, angling the sword to both guard and strike the man. He launched himself into a flip backwards, as darkness began swirling in a pattern around him. His second flip ended in a kicking pattern, as the man shouted loudly. “Silver Rider, DARKNESS KICK!”
“Silver Slash!” Tulip halted, feet sliding through the dirt and rocks at her feet. She shifted her grip on the sword, instantly transforming the handle so it was now four feet longer. Releasing the grip of one hand, she threw her arm backwards and looped it over the extended handle. The young woman forced the blade upwards, slamming the hilt into the earth and angling it so Blade would impale himself on the huge sword. The man's kick struck the edge of the blade, sending darkness and silver sparks into the air where both attacks collided. He suddenly kicked out with his other foot, launching himself upwards into a front flip. Tulip's eyes widened in shock, as the man brought his charged foot into the air.
“Rider Heel Drop!” His heel came down with a resounding boom on the back of Tulip's head, instantly knocking out the woman. She passed out, slamming into the earth at his feet as he flipped away from the attack and landed four feet away. Her sword dissipated in a flash of silver. Flicking one hand across his belt, the darkness dispersed and revealed the man again.“I believe that makes it my win.”
“Win for Blade! That makes the score one-hundred-and-thirty-five to zero! Is she going to be okay?” The young witch walked over to the two, before kneeling next to Tulip's comatose body and prodding it with her wand. She pulled her witch's hat back off her long, silky hair and began saying a silent prayer over the woman's body. Blade walked past and shoved the girl slightly in her back. “Gurk. What was that for?!”
“Don't pay last respects for an unconscious woman. That's rude. Wake up, silly.” The older man lifted Tulip and placed her head between her knees. The woman's eyes fluttered open, only for her to curse under her breath and slam her fist into the earth. The man smiled softly and muttered firmly. “You know, I already have all of your techniques mastered. That on top of experience means I'll never lose to your ordinary tactics. If you don't learn something new or extremely out of the thinkable, I'll never lose to you. Just so you know.”
“I got it, dammit! You reminding me is only pissing me off more, Blade!” Tulip shouted, before standing up angrily. She grabbed Emily by the shoulder and began dragging the girl towards the city with her.
“Where are you going with your captive?” Blade's musing only got an angered glare from Tulip as she stopped. Emily firmly planted her hat back on her head, as Tulip angrily spoke.
“We're going for a private girl's session at the Hot Springs. I want to vent a little, and figure a bath is better than taking it out on the bandits down the hill. They've been terrorized enough for the next two centuries.”
“Wow, that's really thoughtful of you. What brought about the change of heart?”
“After five of their leaders came to Emily with more currency than necessary for a lifetime membership at the Ogre Springs, begging for the monster lady to stop destroying their physical bodies, I felt it was enough.” Tulip turned away, before sighing under her breath. “Their quips and inquiries about if my breasts were the reason I was so angry all the time made me raid their camps one more time, but I'm tired of kicking in pushovers and ruining their after-lives.”
“Ah...have a fun time, washing board” Blade grinned, as Tulip destroyed the entire clearing to her left with a flurry of blades that exploded outwards when her ki surged in rage. She took a deep, slow breath and muttered.
“We're....going...to...the...Hot Springs...Blade.” Her grin was icy, as she began dragging Emily along with her. The young witch tried to signal Blade for help, but he dismissed her signals for rescue with only a grin and thumbs-up.
“Am I petty?” The young hybrid muttered, as the young witch massaged soap into her short, brown hair. The young girl didn't hesitate in her wry response, continuing to lather soap into Tulip's shaggy brown hair.
“I thought that was clear enough when you forced all of those bandits to write apologies for calling you a boy and flat. You want more soap?”
“Guh...and no- EEP!” Tulip gasped in shock as the young girl poured cold soap down her back. She couldn't even turn to complain, as Emily continued working the soap into her skin. The young girl paused as her hands passed over one of the scars on Tulip's back. The woman closed her eyes, recalling the time and place she'd received the injury. “That was laser that shot through my stomach and through my back. It was extremely painful, enough that I passed out. It was pretty traumatic.”
“I was more questioning this scar.” Emily pressed her finger into the base of Tulip's spine, causing the woman to fall forward in shock and embarrassment, before covering herself up with her hands. “Oh, that was a new reaction. You embarrassed by a 14 year old girl?”
“Shut up! You've been in Hell for so long you're practically an old man at this point!” The young girl nodded in affirmation, before grabbing the bucket of rinsing water. Tulip shook her head in dismay, as Emily smiled cruelly. “That looks way too cold, please don't-”
“Don't worry, Tulip. I used my magic to ensure you would get the brisk rinse to wake you right up.” Emily tossed the wooden bucket over Tulip's head, sending a cascade of almost- freezing water over the woman. Tulip didn't even scream, realizing that she only had herself to blame for this outcome. Now shivering, the young woman meekly rose to her feet, as Emily pointed a hand towards the opening to the Hot Springs. “You ready to head on in?”
The young hybrid nodded, clutching her arms to her side and holding her now damp towel in one shivering fist.
“Still not talking to me?” Emily waded over to sit next to the now moping woman, who refused to look in her direction. The young girl sat back against the wall of the hot tub, before looking up into the red sky. Her brown eyes turned whimsical, before the young girl continued speaking softly. “You know, being in Hell wasn't all that bad. Other than being a ghost for a couple hundred years, realizing as time went by you forgot more and more about your life before death, it was fine. It was only terrifying when one day, as a young ghost came in and started freaking out about being dead, not knowing how or why it had been them, did I realize that I had done something unforgivable: I had almost forgotten my own name. In my haste to tell them it would be okay, that life would be fine here in the afterlife, I had almost forgotten the last shred of what made me 'me'. It was then that I ran away from the capital, away from the life I had grown far too used to. I abandoned everything normal, in an attempt to remember what made me 'Emily'. It took me twenty years to make the hat, and another fifty to create my staff and recall magic. Now, with your help, I have my body back. Staring at my reflection, it's almost a dream.”
The young girl reached out with one hand, stroking Tulip's shoulder gently. Her gaze went to the woman, before she smiled sincerely and whispered.
“I'll never be able to thank you enough, even if I spent the next eternity with you, for the key to regaining my former life back. It's only a matter of time now, before I'll be able to return to the world of the living. Everyone I knew and loved will have long since perished, but there's a possibility my great-grand nephews and relatives will still be alive in the world. It'll be hilarious to see their faces, as their great-great-great, so many greats it's stupid, grandmother comes back to see all of them. Then again...it's still painful recalling my death, even to this day.”
“What happened?” Tulip finally turned, having heard Emily's last statement. The young woman brushed her soaked locks of hair out of her eyes and stared at the young girl. Emily smiled smugly before stretching her arms above her head. Her towel rested on her head in a neat bundle, untouched by the young girl's motion.
“He killed me in an attempt to steal my soul and magic, in order to further his mystic mastery. I managed to escape, but he still tried to snatch my spirit even in Hell. It stopped over a hundred years ago, which made me assume he had given up his pursuits, been slain, or just lost sight of me and my magic after that century.”
“Your magic...you've mentioned that twice, but what is your mastery? I've been told every witch has their specific talent that is theirs and theirs alone, but I thought that was about as true as every master having their own unique way of punching. Which is a bunch of bullshit, I might add.” The young woman lifted her arms out of the water, making a punching pose with her bare arms. Ignoring her chest that was in plain sight, the woman threw a few punches and shrugged, almost losing her towel when it slipped from her damp hair. The young woman snatched it before it fell on the steaming water, sighing in relief. “Gah! That was way too close...anyway, punching isn't complicated and can't have too many eccentricities.”
“Heh...hahahahaha!” Emily began giggling and then laughing, tears flowing into her eyes. The young woman sat in puzzled silence, as the younger girl continued laughing. When the small witch finally finished, the little girl wiped some tears from the corners of her brown eyes and looked at Tulip. “Oh my goodness, seeing you trying to hold back and throw 'normal' punches in the pool was a treat. That's probably the most I've seen you focus in my life.”
“Don't make fun of my master impression; I think I'll make a perfectly good martial arts master!” Tulip huffed angrily, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the little girl. Emily grinned at the young woman, before pointing to the towel. It was resting partially in the water, resulting in a cry of dismay from Tulip. The hybrid rose to her feet and yanked the towel from the water, staring at the dripping half in sorrow. “Nooo...this just about ruins my trip here.”
“Here, let me try something.” Stepping up behind Tulip, Emily pressed against the woman's back and stretched her arm forward. When she touched the edge, a slight heat flowed into Tulip's hand, as steam fell off the towel. Tulip's eyes widened at the small display of mastery over magic, as the girl let her hand fall. “Also, that isn't my specialization. It's Magic Materialization, the ability to create objects from magical energy. Where our abilities differ is that your projections of ki are tied to your energy, meaning that if you pass out or your power is surpassed by your opponent, your projected blade disappear or break. My Magic Materialization creates projections that, once materialized into reality, subsist from their own internal magic supply and the magic in the world around them. Meaning that my blade would last marginally longer than yours, unless someone powerful decided to go after my projected items. Though they are weaker than your ki blades due to their innate nature, mine will last longer and not require my constant energy supply to not disperse or break.”
“...so....suck it, I use magic?” Tulip's blank stare made Emily giggle, before the witch stepped away. She looked over the young woman's body with a cursory glance, before smirking and spinning around. Stretching her thin arms over her head, the little girl responded with a different question.
“You're tired of losing to Blade all the time, right?”
“Well, duh? I'm tired of this losing nonsense, and having Blade rub it into my face every time. I'm not weak, but my mind isn't wired for extremely complex.” Tulip threw her hands into the air as a sign of defeat and disgust, as the little girl nodded her head in affirmation. Thrusting both of her small palms forward, Emily clasped her hands on Tulip's chest. Tulip froze, before her face began turning scarlet red. Trying to form words in her state of shock, the woman barely managed to speak due to the suddenness of the motion. “Wah...what?”
“Excuse me; just going to rewrite something in your ki network. I've seen the seal on your ki network, the small bit that enables you to use a flawed version of Magic Materialization. Without a full grasp of the concept of magic and its accompanying abilities, you'll never be able to appreciate the true potential of me unlocking all of the intricacies of the magical skill imprinted on your soul. Instead, I'll tweak the functions slightly and add a new facet on the materialization side.”
The young girl spoke methodically and firmly, as a pillar of blue lights surrounded the two, younger female's eyes darting to the various lights hovering through the air. Many began sliding in various directions, changing pattern, and Tulip could sense something shifting deep within. Emily nodded, grinning smugly, as the lights vanished. Both girl and woman stared one another in the eyes, before Emily grinned happily and squeezed once with both hands. Tulip broke away and covered her chest with both arms, glaring at the girl. Emily laughed and fell back into the steaming water, ignoring the water that splashed into the air.
“That was the most magic I've done in years. I managed to rewrite the seal embedded into your soul by Blade when he was an evil demon bound to your spirit. The seal was severely flawed and squandered your ki as well as scope of abilities. My minor tweaking enlarged the scope of weapons you can materialize, along with increasing range, number, strength, and even range of colors. You can still stick with your classic 'Silver' scheme, but a deep green or even crimson might be a little more striking and less of a ripoff. You know?”
“...why'd you grope my chest?” Tulip muttered, finally sliding into the water. Emily slapped herself in the face, realizing she'd need to wait at least ten minutes for the traumatized woman to get over the fact she'd just been assailed by a tweenage girl. Oh well...not like I had anything major to attend to in the near future.
“You know, it was actually a bit of a handful, thinking back on it.” Emily motioned as if she was grabbing with her hands. Tulip threw her chocolate milk at the back of Emily's head, scoring a direct hit that would splattered the treat everywhere had it been open. Her tan face was a beet red, as the woman shouted.
“That's sexual harassment, dammit!”
“I kid, I kid...though Blade would probably kill for the details.” Emily grabbed the milk and stuck her tongue out at the woman, before chugging the small carton of milk. Tulip struggled to not tear up in embarrassment, as the little girl stretched out on the bench in her bath robes and looked over at the woman.
“Can you honestly not tell what I did for you? It should have been evident from the very beginning that you had a weaker version of Blade's actual Sword Materialization. That's why he wins every battle you two have been in. He isn't able to tell, since his skill in Magic and actual visualization of the Ki Network is almost as bad as yours. What I did was straighten out the flawed connections, increased the flow of ki, and enabled you to create more things mentally than you were able to before. Basically...I did a makeover of the most extreme sort on the technique you lovingly dubbed 'Blade Materialization'. I'd suggest calling it 'Weapon Projection, Absolute Mastery', but I'm guessing you have some lamer name already planned.”
“...that name is lame in and of itself, Emily. Something like 'Weapon Materialization' is more than enough to describe the skill.” Tulip stretched her arms out, trying to sense the changes Emily was describing. Nothing seemed different or even that 'new' to the young woman. Then again, Tulip wasn't a magical genius like the little girl sitting next to her. At best, the young woman was an expert fighter, someone with a partial mastery and understanding of battle and the art of it. Looking at the delicate frame of Emily, the woman smiled and thrust one hand to the side, ruffling her hair. “Thanks, Emily. If this helps me beat Blade, I'll owe you a big one.”
“But they're not growing to grow simply because I tweaked your skill...you know that right?” Tulip didn't hesitate in slapping the young girl on the back of her head, as the little witch won their conversation and ruined the mood with one well-placed quip.
“You seem a lot more motivated this time to win, Tulip. Any reason why?” The older man walked into the clearing, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders as he approached his starting point. Tulip's flushed expression spoke levels about her current level of embarrassment and discomfort. Though dressed in her normal clothes now, the younger girl who refereed their matches had taken some very relaxed photos of Tulip relaxing in her bathrobe, which Emily had threatened to hand over to Blade should he beat the hybrid one more time. She didn't answer his question, merely shaking her head. The old man laughed while shaking his head, before stopping to face the woman. “Well, I'm sure I'll find out the truth before long.”
“Match, start!” Emily's voice echoed through their clearing, as she motioned down with a chopping signal. Tulip began running backwards, distancing herself from Blade. The man narrowed his eyes in slight distrust and visible confusion.
“The soul who rides through Darkness, Silver Rider, TRANSFORM!” He went through his motions, watching as the pillar of darkness obscured his view of Tulip and her movement.
As soon as the pillar of darkness surrounded Blade, Tulip shifted her stance. Planting her rear foot, she brought her front foot up into a pitcher's stance. Drawing one arm back, the woman visualized a spear appearing in the air by her outstretched hand. She closed her fist and felt her palm land on a solid, smooth shaft of a spear. Bringing her arm forward in smooth motion and rotating her entire body in the same continuous effort, Tulip hurled a spear forward at almost double the speed of any sword she'd hurled before.
The spear slammed into the shadow and careened off to one side, as the shadows opened to reveal Blade with his helmet canted to one side. His hand hadn't risen high enough to stop the projectile before it pierced his darkness. Slowly lowering his head, Tulip thought she saw his visor flash in the dim light of Hell's landscape. Probably my imagination!
“That was new. That was definitely...new.” Tulip's eyes widened as Blade shifted his stance, bringing both of his hands around in front of him. She could feel energy building in the air around them, as the man began thrusting his arms into various striking poses. Ending on one with both hands thrust outwards towards Tulip, thumbs inwards and palm ready to strike. The energy swirled inwards, creating a flash of light that blinded both the woman and their referee. As the light dissipated, it revealed a new Rider standing in Blade's place. “Abandoning chaos, darkness, and the swirling hatred for pure, peaceful, equilibrium, Ebony Rider arrives on a flash of lightning!”
“That's...dumb?” Emily voiced what Tulip was thinking, as the woman brought her hands up to defend against Blade's new transformation. The man dressed in white armor and wearing the black and white visor slowly changed his stance, taking on one that looked ridiculous and unorthodox.
“I am one with the power of the heavens. My blade is an invisible strike that is unstoppable; can you catch my sword?” Blade spoke solemnly, though he didn't shift a millimeter from his strange stance. Tulip narrowed her eyes in response, preparing for the attack that was soon to come.
If I can just see the movement when he starts his strike, I can dodge and counter. Just intercept the first iota of move-...huh?
Tulip's eyes widened in shock, as Blade instantly closed the distance, slamming his closed hand into the side of her stomach. She felt a sharp, numbing pain running through her entire body, as energy crackled through the air around them. A sharp crack pierced the air, making clear what had just transpired; with this new transformation, this man had gained the ability to temporarily turn himself into lightning, the greatest attack of the heavens. Weakly raising her arm up, the young hybrid shoved the man back and attempted to strike him, but the man flashed backwards, landing twenty feet away in a crack of energy. He lowered his hand, closing it into a fist with a cascade of sparks.
“Guess I'll need to get more serious, seeing how you transformed.” Tulip took a deep breath, before summoning an explosion of ki. Her power level increased more than double, as silver sparked through the air around her. Closing both of her hands, gloves made of silver ki coalesced around her hands. Her emerald eyes shifted to blue for only a moment, before the woman closed her eyes and extended her mental vision. It was clearer than before, not clouded by her own silver aura.
“That's an interesting technique, Tulip. How will you stop me with your eyes shut, huh?!” Blade shot forward, before activating his 'Lightning Skip'. His eyes widened in shock, as a fist hit hin in the gut. He staggered back and attempted to break away. This was futile, as his back slammed into Tulip, who had beaten him back to retreat position. Her elbow buried into his side, driving the breath from his lungs. As he tried to spin and summon a blade of lightning, Tulip's fist lashed out, smashing the energy as it formed. A one-two combo sent the man stumbling back, before he thrust one hand out. Tulip halted her assault, lowering her guard a bit and opening her eyes slightly. He laughed, coughing a bit, before muttering. “How did you shut down my lightning so fast?”
“Even though you claim to have mastered lightning, both of our abilities are drawn from the same source: ki. You can't use magic, and the lightning needed to be generated by something. Which left ki as the only option. The other half is your trails you left ahead of time.” Tulip motioned towards the ground, before continuing. “Lightning travels both ways; if I focused on observing everything in my immediate vicinity, I could catch the energy reaching out to you. Step into that path, thrust my fist forward, and let your ability finish my punch for me. World's greatest counter of all time, which is unbeatable.”
“Is that so? Seeing as how you surpassed Level One...let's bump things up to level two.”
His entire armor shimmered and changed to an iridescent gold that sparkled in the dim light. As he vanished, Tulip closed her eyes, searching for the electric trails. Thrusting her arm forward into the space, she was shocked as Blade set his hand on her arm. He spun his entire body around her arm, slamming both of his feet into her face. Staggering back, Tulip countered behind her, only for it to be reverse-countered again. This time, it was a strike to the stomach which drove the breath from her lungs. Doubling over, Tulip struggled to draw in a breath, as Blade stood over her looking down.
“Level One allows me to traverse at the speed of lighting, but doesn't help my motor functions. It's like jumping from one point to another. Level Two allows me to think at the same speed I'm moving. Want to call this round a match, since I pulled out a technique that you had never seen before?”
“Fuck...you.” Tulip forced herself to stand up straight, before creating a cage of blades around the man. He thrust one arm to the side, only to wince as her cage proved stronger than his punch. Planting her feet, Tulip created a hammer and lashed out, slamming it into the side of the cage and shattering the blades as she hit Blade. He went sailing across the clearing, crashing and rolling to a stop over 300 meters away. The woman let the hammer disperse as she muttered. “That one hit home. You want to call it my win?”
A sudden, sharp chill ran through Tulip's body, as a shadow fell over her. A low, menacing voice filled the air, as a shadow darker than ordinary passed over the battlefield. “The fastest way to beat someone capable of moving at lightning speeds is to target something they can't abandon, then crush them with the attack meant for their beloved.”
A sudden blur slammed into Tulip's stomach, sending her flying backwards. Thousands of blades, so many that it was impossible to count them, slammed into the earth and Blade, completely obscuring the man from sight. She tried to sense his energy, but it was impossible under the power of this man's blades. Turning towards the new enemy, she saw a tall, menacing man standing over Emily. He had one hand on the girl witch's shoulder, and it looked like the girl was about to break down sobbing at any moment. His hair was a graying silver, but his eyes were a deep red. He looked at Tulip and spoke in the same low voice.
“Ah. I missed one of the bugs. Oh well, let's end it here.” Several hundred orbs appeared around the woman, each charged with as much energy as her strongest attack. The man stretched one hand out, getting ready to slam his fist shut, when Emily screamed.
“Stop, dammit!” Tulip's eyes darted to the girl and the woman's heart almost shattered as the girl pressed a knife against her own throat. It was a special blade Emily had shown her once. This blade is capable of permanently sealing away one's soul, effectively killing someone in the afterlife. The tall man looked down, before sighing and snapping his fingers. All of the orbs vanished, as the girl continued trembling and shouting. “If you kill Tulip, I'll erase myself so your plan will never come together!”
“We can't be having that, can we?” The man turned away, before motioning for Emily to follow. “If you value her life, you'll come with me.”
“...fine.” Emily let the knife drop from her neck, hand still trembling. Tulip shook her head, trying to deny the scenes playing out around her. The woman started running forward, when Emily shouted again. “Don't! Please, don't. When I told you about the family I might be returning home to...that was all a lie. All those centuries ago, this man killed every person I loved, absorbing their existence into himself in order to become stronger and break my spirit. When I killed myself, I thought I had escaped his grasp, and reserved myself to a lonely life without anyone to call family.”
The girl began sobbing, tears running down her cheeks. She looked up at Tulip, brown eyes scrunched up in pain. “I never expected to run into someone like you and Blade, people willing to call me family without any hesitation. I was so, so, so happy we were able to do so much as a sisters for the last week. But...I can't let you be erased for me.”
A portal opened next to the man and witch, as Tulip screamed in rage and sprinted forward. Emily tried to shout something, but the woman didn't hear it. You won't steal my little sister; not now, not ever! Her rage sparked something, as her power began building rapidly. The man grabbed Emily before the girl could move and shoved her into the portal. Pointing one finger at Tulip, he muttered.
“The only good monkey is a dead monkey.” A huge beam shot through the air, carving a whole through Tulip's stomach. The woman stumbled a few steps forward, before her speed sent her into the earth. Blood began pooling around her, as she struggled to not black out. The man looked down and shook his head in disdain. Forcing herself onto her knees, the woman struggled not to puke up the battered remains of her insides. Stretching one hand out in determination, the woman finally spat out a few words.
“You...won't get away with this, bastard.”
“I think you'll find I already have.” With that, the man stepped through the portal. Tulip's vision faded and she slammed into the ground, splashing the blood around her into the air.
PL w/ HW Bonus
“Transform!” Blade's voice echoed through the entire clearing, and the shadows both girls recognized and feared enveloped his figure. Her swords penetrated the shadows, splitting the darkness. As it dispersed, the woman's eyes widened in shock at what she saw. Blade's hand was outstretched, with both blades caught between his fingers. Clenching his fingers into a fist, he shattered both ki blades without flinching. “Trying to interrupt my transformation sequence? That's not really heroic, now is it?”
“This isn't practice for being heroic; it's practical training.” The young woman was already in motion, sprinting across the distance between them. Two orbs of ki appeared above one shoulder as the woman launched herself into the air, spinning as she passed over Blade's head. The orbs turned into two claymores that shot into the earth, tearing through the ground and area Blade had occupied. She finished her spin and landed on one of the large sword's handle. The dust rolled outwards, as the woman focused on her ki, lowering and channeling the energy throughout her body. She ensured she had full control of the silver energy that composed her soul's core, before stretching her senses outwards. She felt Blade's aura slammed into the ground at her feet, held down by her blades. Wait...why would he stay there for so long...or even get hit by the blades he fully mastered[/b]?
“You're getting better at controlling your ki; so much so that you're now able to fully manipulate your ki and create blades at will rather than automatically as a result of focusing your ki.” She almost fell off the blade, as Blade spoke from behind her. She threw herself to one side, twisting around to face him as she made two knives and threw them in the same motion. Blade batted both blades to the side, not reacting a single iota as they exploded and obscured him from view. Landing on her shoulder, Tulip rolled into a kneeling position and took off, trying to distance herself from the dust, blades, and her opponent. He emerged from the cloud, unfazed, and began walking forward slowly. “It's something to be proud of; it took me fifteen years to get to that point. It only took you 4 months.”
“Don't compliment me too much, it'll make me blush.” Clasping both of her hands together, the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With a loud shout, her aura soared upwards and out, enveloping the woman's small frame. A huge sword materialized in her grasp, as her emerald eyes reopened and sparkled in the silver aura. “Let's finish this thing out with a bang.”
“I agree; I was never one for drawn-out battles. Let's settle this in the next clash.” Blade crouched, spinning his arms around his body until he entered a traditional karate stance. Tulip began rushing forward, angling the sword to both guard and strike the man. He launched himself into a flip backwards, as darkness began swirling in a pattern around him. His second flip ended in a kicking pattern, as the man shouted loudly. “Silver Rider, DARKNESS KICK!”
“Silver Slash!” Tulip halted, feet sliding through the dirt and rocks at her feet. She shifted her grip on the sword, instantly transforming the handle so it was now four feet longer. Releasing the grip of one hand, she threw her arm backwards and looped it over the extended handle. The young woman forced the blade upwards, slamming the hilt into the earth and angling it so Blade would impale himself on the huge sword. The man's kick struck the edge of the blade, sending darkness and silver sparks into the air where both attacks collided. He suddenly kicked out with his other foot, launching himself upwards into a front flip. Tulip's eyes widened in shock, as the man brought his charged foot into the air.
“Rider Heel Drop!” His heel came down with a resounding boom on the back of Tulip's head, instantly knocking out the woman. She passed out, slamming into the earth at his feet as he flipped away from the attack and landed four feet away. Her sword dissipated in a flash of silver. Flicking one hand across his belt, the darkness dispersed and revealed the man again.“I believe that makes it my win.”
“Win for Blade! That makes the score one-hundred-and-thirty-five to zero! Is she going to be okay?” The young witch walked over to the two, before kneeling next to Tulip's comatose body and prodding it with her wand. She pulled her witch's hat back off her long, silky hair and began saying a silent prayer over the woman's body. Blade walked past and shoved the girl slightly in her back. “Gurk. What was that for?!”
“Don't pay last respects for an unconscious woman. That's rude. Wake up, silly.” The older man lifted Tulip and placed her head between her knees. The woman's eyes fluttered open, only for her to curse under her breath and slam her fist into the earth. The man smiled softly and muttered firmly. “You know, I already have all of your techniques mastered. That on top of experience means I'll never lose to your ordinary tactics. If you don't learn something new or extremely out of the thinkable, I'll never lose to you. Just so you know.”
“I got it, dammit! You reminding me is only pissing me off more, Blade!” Tulip shouted, before standing up angrily. She grabbed Emily by the shoulder and began dragging the girl towards the city with her.
“Where are you going with your captive?” Blade's musing only got an angered glare from Tulip as she stopped. Emily firmly planted her hat back on her head, as Tulip angrily spoke.
“We're going for a private girl's session at the Hot Springs. I want to vent a little, and figure a bath is better than taking it out on the bandits down the hill. They've been terrorized enough for the next two centuries.”
“Wow, that's really thoughtful of you. What brought about the change of heart?”
“After five of their leaders came to Emily with more currency than necessary for a lifetime membership at the Ogre Springs, begging for the monster lady to stop destroying their physical bodies, I felt it was enough.” Tulip turned away, before sighing under her breath. “Their quips and inquiries about if my breasts were the reason I was so angry all the time made me raid their camps one more time, but I'm tired of kicking in pushovers and ruining their after-lives.”
“Ah...have a fun time, washing board” Blade grinned, as Tulip destroyed the entire clearing to her left with a flurry of blades that exploded outwards when her ki surged in rage. She took a deep, slow breath and muttered.
“We're....going...to...the...Hot Springs...Blade.” Her grin was icy, as she began dragging Emily along with her. The young witch tried to signal Blade for help, but he dismissed her signals for rescue with only a grin and thumbs-up.
“Am I petty?” The young hybrid muttered, as the young witch massaged soap into her short, brown hair. The young girl didn't hesitate in her wry response, continuing to lather soap into Tulip's shaggy brown hair.
“I thought that was clear enough when you forced all of those bandits to write apologies for calling you a boy and flat. You want more soap?”
“Guh...and no- EEP!” Tulip gasped in shock as the young girl poured cold soap down her back. She couldn't even turn to complain, as Emily continued working the soap into her skin. The young girl paused as her hands passed over one of the scars on Tulip's back. The woman closed her eyes, recalling the time and place she'd received the injury. “That was laser that shot through my stomach and through my back. It was extremely painful, enough that I passed out. It was pretty traumatic.”
“I was more questioning this scar.” Emily pressed her finger into the base of Tulip's spine, causing the woman to fall forward in shock and embarrassment, before covering herself up with her hands. “Oh, that was a new reaction. You embarrassed by a 14 year old girl?”
“Shut up! You've been in Hell for so long you're practically an old man at this point!” The young girl nodded in affirmation, before grabbing the bucket of rinsing water. Tulip shook her head in dismay, as Emily smiled cruelly. “That looks way too cold, please don't-”
“Don't worry, Tulip. I used my magic to ensure you would get the brisk rinse to wake you right up.” Emily tossed the wooden bucket over Tulip's head, sending a cascade of almost- freezing water over the woman. Tulip didn't even scream, realizing that she only had herself to blame for this outcome. Now shivering, the young woman meekly rose to her feet, as Emily pointed a hand towards the opening to the Hot Springs. “You ready to head on in?”
The young hybrid nodded, clutching her arms to her side and holding her now damp towel in one shivering fist.
“Still not talking to me?” Emily waded over to sit next to the now moping woman, who refused to look in her direction. The young girl sat back against the wall of the hot tub, before looking up into the red sky. Her brown eyes turned whimsical, before the young girl continued speaking softly. “You know, being in Hell wasn't all that bad. Other than being a ghost for a couple hundred years, realizing as time went by you forgot more and more about your life before death, it was fine. It was only terrifying when one day, as a young ghost came in and started freaking out about being dead, not knowing how or why it had been them, did I realize that I had done something unforgivable: I had almost forgotten my own name. In my haste to tell them it would be okay, that life would be fine here in the afterlife, I had almost forgotten the last shred of what made me 'me'. It was then that I ran away from the capital, away from the life I had grown far too used to. I abandoned everything normal, in an attempt to remember what made me 'Emily'. It took me twenty years to make the hat, and another fifty to create my staff and recall magic. Now, with your help, I have my body back. Staring at my reflection, it's almost a dream.”
The young girl reached out with one hand, stroking Tulip's shoulder gently. Her gaze went to the woman, before she smiled sincerely and whispered.
“I'll never be able to thank you enough, even if I spent the next eternity with you, for the key to regaining my former life back. It's only a matter of time now, before I'll be able to return to the world of the living. Everyone I knew and loved will have long since perished, but there's a possibility my great-grand nephews and relatives will still be alive in the world. It'll be hilarious to see their faces, as their great-great-great, so many greats it's stupid, grandmother comes back to see all of them. Then again...it's still painful recalling my death, even to this day.”
“What happened?” Tulip finally turned, having heard Emily's last statement. The young woman brushed her soaked locks of hair out of her eyes and stared at the young girl. Emily smiled smugly before stretching her arms above her head. Her towel rested on her head in a neat bundle, untouched by the young girl's motion.
“He killed me in an attempt to steal my soul and magic, in order to further his mystic mastery. I managed to escape, but he still tried to snatch my spirit even in Hell. It stopped over a hundred years ago, which made me assume he had given up his pursuits, been slain, or just lost sight of me and my magic after that century.”
“Your magic...you've mentioned that twice, but what is your mastery? I've been told every witch has their specific talent that is theirs and theirs alone, but I thought that was about as true as every master having their own unique way of punching. Which is a bunch of bullshit, I might add.” The young woman lifted her arms out of the water, making a punching pose with her bare arms. Ignoring her chest that was in plain sight, the woman threw a few punches and shrugged, almost losing her towel when it slipped from her damp hair. The young woman snatched it before it fell on the steaming water, sighing in relief. “Gah! That was way too close...anyway, punching isn't complicated and can't have too many eccentricities.”
“Heh...hahahahaha!” Emily began giggling and then laughing, tears flowing into her eyes. The young woman sat in puzzled silence, as the younger girl continued laughing. When the small witch finally finished, the little girl wiped some tears from the corners of her brown eyes and looked at Tulip. “Oh my goodness, seeing you trying to hold back and throw 'normal' punches in the pool was a treat. That's probably the most I've seen you focus in my life.”
“Don't make fun of my master impression; I think I'll make a perfectly good martial arts master!” Tulip huffed angrily, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at the little girl. Emily grinned at the young woman, before pointing to the towel. It was resting partially in the water, resulting in a cry of dismay from Tulip. The hybrid rose to her feet and yanked the towel from the water, staring at the dripping half in sorrow. “Nooo...this just about ruins my trip here.”
“Here, let me try something.” Stepping up behind Tulip, Emily pressed against the woman's back and stretched her arm forward. When she touched the edge, a slight heat flowed into Tulip's hand, as steam fell off the towel. Tulip's eyes widened at the small display of mastery over magic, as the girl let her hand fall. “Also, that isn't my specialization. It's Magic Materialization, the ability to create objects from magical energy. Where our abilities differ is that your projections of ki are tied to your energy, meaning that if you pass out or your power is surpassed by your opponent, your projected blade disappear or break. My Magic Materialization creates projections that, once materialized into reality, subsist from their own internal magic supply and the magic in the world around them. Meaning that my blade would last marginally longer than yours, unless someone powerful decided to go after my projected items. Though they are weaker than your ki blades due to their innate nature, mine will last longer and not require my constant energy supply to not disperse or break.”
“...so....suck it, I use magic?” Tulip's blank stare made Emily giggle, before the witch stepped away. She looked over the young woman's body with a cursory glance, before smirking and spinning around. Stretching her thin arms over her head, the little girl responded with a different question.
“You're tired of losing to Blade all the time, right?”
“Well, duh? I'm tired of this losing nonsense, and having Blade rub it into my face every time. I'm not weak, but my mind isn't wired for extremely complex.” Tulip threw her hands into the air as a sign of defeat and disgust, as the little girl nodded her head in affirmation. Thrusting both of her small palms forward, Emily clasped her hands on Tulip's chest. Tulip froze, before her face began turning scarlet red. Trying to form words in her state of shock, the woman barely managed to speak due to the suddenness of the motion. “Wah...what?”
“Excuse me; just going to rewrite something in your ki network. I've seen the seal on your ki network, the small bit that enables you to use a flawed version of Magic Materialization. Without a full grasp of the concept of magic and its accompanying abilities, you'll never be able to appreciate the true potential of me unlocking all of the intricacies of the magical skill imprinted on your soul. Instead, I'll tweak the functions slightly and add a new facet on the materialization side.”
The young girl spoke methodically and firmly, as a pillar of blue lights surrounded the two, younger female's eyes darting to the various lights hovering through the air. Many began sliding in various directions, changing pattern, and Tulip could sense something shifting deep within. Emily nodded, grinning smugly, as the lights vanished. Both girl and woman stared one another in the eyes, before Emily grinned happily and squeezed once with both hands. Tulip broke away and covered her chest with both arms, glaring at the girl. Emily laughed and fell back into the steaming water, ignoring the water that splashed into the air.
“That was the most magic I've done in years. I managed to rewrite the seal embedded into your soul by Blade when he was an evil demon bound to your spirit. The seal was severely flawed and squandered your ki as well as scope of abilities. My minor tweaking enlarged the scope of weapons you can materialize, along with increasing range, number, strength, and even range of colors. You can still stick with your classic 'Silver' scheme, but a deep green or even crimson might be a little more striking and less of a ripoff. You know?”
“...why'd you grope my chest?” Tulip muttered, finally sliding into the water. Emily slapped herself in the face, realizing she'd need to wait at least ten minutes for the traumatized woman to get over the fact she'd just been assailed by a tweenage girl. Oh well...not like I had anything major to attend to in the near future.
“You know, it was actually a bit of a handful, thinking back on it.” Emily motioned as if she was grabbing with her hands. Tulip threw her chocolate milk at the back of Emily's head, scoring a direct hit that would splattered the treat everywhere had it been open. Her tan face was a beet red, as the woman shouted.
“That's sexual harassment, dammit!”
“I kid, I kid...though Blade would probably kill for the details.” Emily grabbed the milk and stuck her tongue out at the woman, before chugging the small carton of milk. Tulip struggled to not tear up in embarrassment, as the little girl stretched out on the bench in her bath robes and looked over at the woman.
“Can you honestly not tell what I did for you? It should have been evident from the very beginning that you had a weaker version of Blade's actual Sword Materialization. That's why he wins every battle you two have been in. He isn't able to tell, since his skill in Magic and actual visualization of the Ki Network is almost as bad as yours. What I did was straighten out the flawed connections, increased the flow of ki, and enabled you to create more things mentally than you were able to before. Basically...I did a makeover of the most extreme sort on the technique you lovingly dubbed 'Blade Materialization'. I'd suggest calling it 'Weapon Projection, Absolute Mastery', but I'm guessing you have some lamer name already planned.”
“...that name is lame in and of itself, Emily. Something like 'Weapon Materialization' is more than enough to describe the skill.” Tulip stretched her arms out, trying to sense the changes Emily was describing. Nothing seemed different or even that 'new' to the young woman. Then again, Tulip wasn't a magical genius like the little girl sitting next to her. At best, the young woman was an expert fighter, someone with a partial mastery and understanding of battle and the art of it. Looking at the delicate frame of Emily, the woman smiled and thrust one hand to the side, ruffling her hair. “Thanks, Emily. If this helps me beat Blade, I'll owe you a big one.”
“But they're not growing to grow simply because I tweaked your skill...you know that right?” Tulip didn't hesitate in slapping the young girl on the back of her head, as the little witch won their conversation and ruined the mood with one well-placed quip.
“You seem a lot more motivated this time to win, Tulip. Any reason why?” The older man walked into the clearing, stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders as he approached his starting point. Tulip's flushed expression spoke levels about her current level of embarrassment and discomfort. Though dressed in her normal clothes now, the younger girl who refereed their matches had taken some very relaxed photos of Tulip relaxing in her bathrobe, which Emily had threatened to hand over to Blade should he beat the hybrid one more time. She didn't answer his question, merely shaking her head. The old man laughed while shaking his head, before stopping to face the woman. “Well, I'm sure I'll find out the truth before long.”
“Match, start!” Emily's voice echoed through their clearing, as she motioned down with a chopping signal. Tulip began running backwards, distancing herself from Blade. The man narrowed his eyes in slight distrust and visible confusion.
“The soul who rides through Darkness, Silver Rider, TRANSFORM!” He went through his motions, watching as the pillar of darkness obscured his view of Tulip and her movement.
As soon as the pillar of darkness surrounded Blade, Tulip shifted her stance. Planting her rear foot, she brought her front foot up into a pitcher's stance. Drawing one arm back, the woman visualized a spear appearing in the air by her outstretched hand. She closed her fist and felt her palm land on a solid, smooth shaft of a spear. Bringing her arm forward in smooth motion and rotating her entire body in the same continuous effort, Tulip hurled a spear forward at almost double the speed of any sword she'd hurled before.
The spear slammed into the shadow and careened off to one side, as the shadows opened to reveal Blade with his helmet canted to one side. His hand hadn't risen high enough to stop the projectile before it pierced his darkness. Slowly lowering his head, Tulip thought she saw his visor flash in the dim light of Hell's landscape. Probably my imagination!
“That was new. That was definitely...new.” Tulip's eyes widened as Blade shifted his stance, bringing both of his hands around in front of him. She could feel energy building in the air around them, as the man began thrusting his arms into various striking poses. Ending on one with both hands thrust outwards towards Tulip, thumbs inwards and palm ready to strike. The energy swirled inwards, creating a flash of light that blinded both the woman and their referee. As the light dissipated, it revealed a new Rider standing in Blade's place. “Abandoning chaos, darkness, and the swirling hatred for pure, peaceful, equilibrium, Ebony Rider arrives on a flash of lightning!”
“That's...dumb?” Emily voiced what Tulip was thinking, as the woman brought her hands up to defend against Blade's new transformation. The man dressed in white armor and wearing the black and white visor slowly changed his stance, taking on one that looked ridiculous and unorthodox.
“I am one with the power of the heavens. My blade is an invisible strike that is unstoppable; can you catch my sword?” Blade spoke solemnly, though he didn't shift a millimeter from his strange stance. Tulip narrowed her eyes in response, preparing for the attack that was soon to come.
If I can just see the movement when he starts his strike, I can dodge and counter. Just intercept the first iota of move-...huh?
Tulip's eyes widened in shock, as Blade instantly closed the distance, slamming his closed hand into the side of her stomach. She felt a sharp, numbing pain running through her entire body, as energy crackled through the air around them. A sharp crack pierced the air, making clear what had just transpired; with this new transformation, this man had gained the ability to temporarily turn himself into lightning, the greatest attack of the heavens. Weakly raising her arm up, the young hybrid shoved the man back and attempted to strike him, but the man flashed backwards, landing twenty feet away in a crack of energy. He lowered his hand, closing it into a fist with a cascade of sparks.
“Guess I'll need to get more serious, seeing how you transformed.” Tulip took a deep breath, before summoning an explosion of ki. Her power level increased more than double, as silver sparked through the air around her. Closing both of her hands, gloves made of silver ki coalesced around her hands. Her emerald eyes shifted to blue for only a moment, before the woman closed her eyes and extended her mental vision. It was clearer than before, not clouded by her own silver aura.
“That's an interesting technique, Tulip. How will you stop me with your eyes shut, huh?!” Blade shot forward, before activating his 'Lightning Skip'. His eyes widened in shock, as a fist hit hin in the gut. He staggered back and attempted to break away. This was futile, as his back slammed into Tulip, who had beaten him back to retreat position. Her elbow buried into his side, driving the breath from his lungs. As he tried to spin and summon a blade of lightning, Tulip's fist lashed out, smashing the energy as it formed. A one-two combo sent the man stumbling back, before he thrust one hand out. Tulip halted her assault, lowering her guard a bit and opening her eyes slightly. He laughed, coughing a bit, before muttering. “How did you shut down my lightning so fast?”
“Even though you claim to have mastered lightning, both of our abilities are drawn from the same source: ki. You can't use magic, and the lightning needed to be generated by something. Which left ki as the only option. The other half is your trails you left ahead of time.” Tulip motioned towards the ground, before continuing. “Lightning travels both ways; if I focused on observing everything in my immediate vicinity, I could catch the energy reaching out to you. Step into that path, thrust my fist forward, and let your ability finish my punch for me. World's greatest counter of all time, which is unbeatable.”
“Is that so? Seeing as how you surpassed Level One...let's bump things up to level two.”
His entire armor shimmered and changed to an iridescent gold that sparkled in the dim light. As he vanished, Tulip closed her eyes, searching for the electric trails. Thrusting her arm forward into the space, she was shocked as Blade set his hand on her arm. He spun his entire body around her arm, slamming both of his feet into her face. Staggering back, Tulip countered behind her, only for it to be reverse-countered again. This time, it was a strike to the stomach which drove the breath from her lungs. Doubling over, Tulip struggled to draw in a breath, as Blade stood over her looking down.
“Level One allows me to traverse at the speed of lighting, but doesn't help my motor functions. It's like jumping from one point to another. Level Two allows me to think at the same speed I'm moving. Want to call this round a match, since I pulled out a technique that you had never seen before?”
“Fuck...you.” Tulip forced herself to stand up straight, before creating a cage of blades around the man. He thrust one arm to the side, only to wince as her cage proved stronger than his punch. Planting her feet, Tulip created a hammer and lashed out, slamming it into the side of the cage and shattering the blades as she hit Blade. He went sailing across the clearing, crashing and rolling to a stop over 300 meters away. The woman let the hammer disperse as she muttered. “That one hit home. You want to call it my win?”
A sudden, sharp chill ran through Tulip's body, as a shadow fell over her. A low, menacing voice filled the air, as a shadow darker than ordinary passed over the battlefield. “The fastest way to beat someone capable of moving at lightning speeds is to target something they can't abandon, then crush them with the attack meant for their beloved.”
A sudden blur slammed into Tulip's stomach, sending her flying backwards. Thousands of blades, so many that it was impossible to count them, slammed into the earth and Blade, completely obscuring the man from sight. She tried to sense his energy, but it was impossible under the power of this man's blades. Turning towards the new enemy, she saw a tall, menacing man standing over Emily. He had one hand on the girl witch's shoulder, and it looked like the girl was about to break down sobbing at any moment. His hair was a graying silver, but his eyes were a deep red. He looked at Tulip and spoke in the same low voice.
“Ah. I missed one of the bugs. Oh well, let's end it here.” Several hundred orbs appeared around the woman, each charged with as much energy as her strongest attack. The man stretched one hand out, getting ready to slam his fist shut, when Emily screamed.
“Stop, dammit!” Tulip's eyes darted to the girl and the woman's heart almost shattered as the girl pressed a knife against her own throat. It was a special blade Emily had shown her once. This blade is capable of permanently sealing away one's soul, effectively killing someone in the afterlife. The tall man looked down, before sighing and snapping his fingers. All of the orbs vanished, as the girl continued trembling and shouting. “If you kill Tulip, I'll erase myself so your plan will never come together!”
“We can't be having that, can we?” The man turned away, before motioning for Emily to follow. “If you value her life, you'll come with me.”
“...fine.” Emily let the knife drop from her neck, hand still trembling. Tulip shook her head, trying to deny the scenes playing out around her. The woman started running forward, when Emily shouted again. “Don't! Please, don't. When I told you about the family I might be returning home to...that was all a lie. All those centuries ago, this man killed every person I loved, absorbing their existence into himself in order to become stronger and break my spirit. When I killed myself, I thought I had escaped his grasp, and reserved myself to a lonely life without anyone to call family.”
The girl began sobbing, tears running down her cheeks. She looked up at Tulip, brown eyes scrunched up in pain. “I never expected to run into someone like you and Blade, people willing to call me family without any hesitation. I was so, so, so happy we were able to do so much as a sisters for the last week. But...I can't let you be erased for me.”
A portal opened next to the man and witch, as Tulip screamed in rage and sprinted forward. Emily tried to shout something, but the woman didn't hear it. You won't steal my little sister; not now, not ever! Her rage sparked something, as her power began building rapidly. The man grabbed Emily before the girl could move and shoved her into the portal. Pointing one finger at Tulip, he muttered.
“The only good monkey is a dead monkey.” A huge beam shot through the air, carving a whole through Tulip's stomach. The woman stumbled a few steps forward, before her speed sent her into the earth. Blood began pooling around her, as she struggled to not black out. The man looked down and shook his head in disdain. Forcing herself onto her knees, the woman struggled not to puke up the battered remains of her insides. Stretching one hand out in determination, the woman finally spat out a few words.
“You...won't get away with this, bastard.”
“I think you'll find I already have.” With that, the man stepped through the portal. Tulip's vision faded and she slammed into the ground, splashing the blood around her into the air.
PL w/ HW Bonus