Ikuchi watched as the stone swordsman had gone down, and stopped leaning against the wall to move over to Samira.
"If I had intervened, you would have died." he said in a cold tone, providing the reason for his inactivity so she didn't get the wrong idea. His task was to make sure she came back alive, so for this one, doing nothing was the best course of action. If Samira asked him why she would have died, he would say
"Because you are useless, human." in the same cold tone while walking through a door that opened the moment the pillar fell. After that, the two would go down a long, dark tunnel with no light source. Ikuchi was fine, his ability to smell allowed him to catch scents on the winds and use that to judge how the walls formed. Samira however, lacked her weapons, which meant her glowing items were gone. Ikuchi had not given any aid to Samira for the last fight, nor did she ask for it. It was a show of pride, but also a show of will power that he would acknowledge when the time came. While walking, Ikuchi ducked under a root that was protruding at what would be Samira's neck line and saying
"Duck." exactly one second before she would impact it.
Ikuchi felt the ground below his feet become mushy and didn't pay it much attention. A set of vines would shoot out as soon as Samira stepped into it and wrap around her body, constricting her. If she dared struggle more vines would show up, grabbing her neck, her mouth, and her skull to begin crushing them. Ikuchi had no intentions of explaining to her the dangers of the creeper vine, she didn't need it. Explaining how to counter it could wait till she wasn't about to die. A black flame erupted around the room, consuming the walls, the floor, and Samira as well. The vines were torched away and the walls were glowing, Samira would have a burn mark on her left cheek but otherwise be fine since he only used the attack to kill the vine. The glowing walls would provide enough light for Ikuchi to see where he failed and the dragon would approach Samira. Ikuchi would grab the top of her head and turn it, if she struggled against him she'd feel the palm of his hand kiss the opposite cheek with great force.
"Do not struggle, tool." his words were harsh and colder than when he called her by her species, she was now degraded to an inanimate object. Ikuchi would grab her head once more and place his hand near, but not on the burn. A gentle white glow would illuminate the area and Samira would feel the burn going away, the pain from it, and the slap as well if the slap had happened. If Samira didn't struggle against Ikuchi, she would not be struck. He would say
"The grim creeper vine is native to the Lareci Lands. Sever your heart from fear, concern, or irritation or it will consume you." while healing the mark. Ikuchi would then turn and walk away, pausing as the last bit of light from the glowing walls had faded with their cooling.
"Just so you know... that burn was accidental." he said and continued walking.
The next room would come and Samira would feel Ikuchi's arm stop her from moving forward.
"Hold." he said calmly, feeling his feet at the edge of... something. The tunnel up till then had been completely flat with no steps, even the declines were sloped. Feeling a ledge was strange for Ikuchi, so he stopped moving and quickly was glad that he did. Ikuchi ignited a flame in his free hand and made it expand to move around the room in a massive ring and provide light. If Samira looked down, she'd see that she was standing in front of a thirty foot deep, three hundred foot diameter arena with massive wild pigs inside. There was a door at the bottom with a key hole that Ikuchi could see, and no real way to get down to it.
"There are twelve females and twelve males, each with an identical key on their neck. Find the male with no testicles." Ikuchi said before slapping Samira on the back and letting her fall. An onyx pillar would fly out the wall and catch her before she went too deep in, only after a three foot drop actually to slowly put her in the arena safely. Ikuchi began walking around the arena to the other side, staying at the top where it was safe. Ikuchi had heard of this room from the others, which was the only reason he knew what to do. The arena contained several termite mounds that Samira could use as cover, but her bow and arrow would be useless against a one thousand pound pig. The arrow would get stuck in its fat or bounce off the thick skull, and the pig would just get more pissed off. After several minutes, if Samira hadn't found it, Ikuchi would say
"The one with the broken tusk." in a loud tone. While it may seem like he was doing nothing at all, he was actually looking from above while the pigs tried to kill Samira.
Once that was dealt with, the next room would contain a hot spring with shimmering water. Light reflecting off the water would illuminate the vines on the walls, giving the room a peaceful feel to it.
"Get in." Ikuchi would say coldly, giving no reason for her to do so. If she refused, he would pick her up and walk over before tossing her in. She would feel any injuries from the boars, bites from termites, and her broken ribs begin healing. Any pain she felt from earlier would begin vanishing, and she'd feel her energy being revitalized. The room was to teach the importance of rest, something that even the first clan leader knew was imperative to a proper fighting force. Ikuchi would sit on a nearby tree stump, leaning forward while supporting his weight with his arms on his knees and closed his eyes to take a rest. He hadn't sustained any injuries thus far, so had no need for the spring. He was angry that he had to be there with Samira however, so the rest was needed to calm him down. A spirit would then materialize in the room and let out a sigh. She would walk to the edge of the pool and extend her hand to Samira to help her out, the few seconds would be enough to heal her. "His hatred for you is strong, but it is not infinite." she would say. If Samira let the spirit help her out of the pond, she would feel her clothes immediately dry as the spirit used some magic to get rid of the water. The spirit would pull Samira closer to Ikuchi and say "You should try rubbing his head. He likes it." in a calm tone, stopping in front of the man who she may or may not have made fall asleep. The spirit would then place Samira's hand on his head and begin starting the motion of rubbing. "No matter how close to being a dragon he is, there will always be a wolf in his heart, and a puppy within that wolf's heart. He will show no aggression towards you like this, nor will he refuse an offer for it." the spirit would say softly, taking her hand away from Samira's. Ikuchi then began tilting, leaning and resting his head against Samira's stomach. "I advise you continue while he rests. The chasm between you can be closed, but you must lay the first brick to build the bridge..." she would say and float around Ikuchi to be closer to Samira. The spirit would wrap her arms around Samira before giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "There are more chasms to be crossed... within your mind. She is broken, and blames herself for her failures. You must confront her and show her love less her light fades to darkness." the spirit said before vanishing in a flurry of white-blue particles.
The spirit, much like Kaori, had radiated an aura that gave off feelings of comfort and love. There was the desire to protect, to heal, to comfort, to love, and to make peace. Samira would likely notice the spirit having a similar look to Kaori's most powerful form. While she didn't look exactly like Kaori in her goddess form, the white dress was very similar. The spirit's movements had been kept slow so as to not startle Samira, and the kiss was soft, and she would notice the lips feeling familiar. The mentioning of someone within Samira's mind would tell her that it's something to do with her spirits, and the mention of a girl had narrowed it further, and the mention of light fading would let her know exactly which spirit. The spirit had known Samira on an intimate level, but Samira had never once met her... or has she? Ikuchi would remain asleep for quite some time, and begin slowly stirring after half an hour to let her know it was time for the woman to get to a safer distance.
Celestial Spirit World
Aquarius and the other spirits were sitting and watching Kaori through Query's crystal ball, each being just as surprised at the ninja having a sister and not knowing about it. They didn't know anything about her mother, but Kaori seemed to know... everything. The fact that there was something so close to home she didn't know was mind boggling. However, their time was cut short when a knock came on the door to Kaori's mind space. Upon opening it, it seemed as though Aquarius was being requested for a meeting. Ira gave him the letter that was signed by the Celestial King himself, stating there was a situation that he wanted an opinion on. Aquarius stood up and walked out the room. He asked the messenger what the situation was, and immediately was surprised. There were two spirits having a battle royale, one of them he had expected much, much more maturity from.
"Thank you, I'll be there shortly. There's a single matter I must attend to first." he said calmly, to which the messenger agreed to and vanished. Aquarius walked back in the room and looked around with an expression that made everyone look at him. They all looked ready to do whatever was needed, each with a firm expression except Charlotte.
"I'm not sure of the details, but I'll update you when I'm done with the meeting." Aquarius said before vanishing.
When he reappeared, he was in the middle of the records keeping building where the workers had all ignored him since he only every came to talk to one person. The boss saw him and pointed to Jing Wei, implying that she didn't even need permission. Aquarius nodded before approaching the winged spirit and stopping in front her, pulling out the letter.
"Break room." he said with a stern face, which would remove any and all possibilities of sweet talk. In the break room Aquarius would say
"Your colleagues are doing something even I wouldn't do. Got any ideas why there's a brawl between Amaterasu and Kukulkan happening?" he would ask calmly. If Jing said she didn't know, or if she gave a reason at all, Aquarius would say
"Thank you." before moving forward and resting a hand on the back of her waist to pull her closer and kiss her on the lips.
"If anyone else asks about this, you're ordered by the Celestial King to remain silent on the matter." he said, obviously speaking for her personal safety. Aquarius then vanished in a shower of golden particles to appear before the Celestial King himself.
Normally spirits would be humble before the kind, but Aquarius, all of them, were known for being ballsy and respecting only those they were afraid of... and that list was often very, very, very short.
"Whadda you want geser?" Iron Fist called out, looking up at the giant man with crossed arms. The king gave a chuckle, always amused by Aquarius's lack of fear of him. It was something that earned the spirit respect and a degree of sway. "I'm sure you know of the battle going on right now between your... allies." the king stated, pausing as Aquarius said
"Kukulkan and Amaterasu." and replying "Yes, them." with a disappointed tone. "Kukulkan was already put under many restrictions for her lack of control, and Amaterasu... I had higher expectations." the king paused once more while crossing his arms and furrowing his brow. Aquarius let out a breath and said
"Kukulkan is a passionate one who believes it better to act and be true to herself than lie to those around her. Amaterasu has gone through much and has very little assistance." trying to play devil's advocate. "Noted... I am going to apply the same restriction to Amaterasu, except her power will be-"
"I advise against it." Aquarius interrupted with a powerful, stern tone. The celestial king raised an eyebrow before leaning over. "And why is that...?" he asked with genuine curiosity in his voice.
"Amaterasu has been given far more responsibility than any spirit should be given, and has no support to help her. It's understandable that she would eventually crack under those conditions, I would suggest a lesser punishment... perhaps a strike to her pride, but not to her abilities." the king had leaned back in his chair and folded a leg on top his other and rested his head on his fist. "What of her other spirits. I have records of-"
"Kukulkan is one of Samira's other spirits strong enough to be a leader, but she lacks the control. Nu Wa is of equal power, but is a very passive and caring being. She lacks the ability to punish subordinates for stepping out of line." Aquarius stated calmly, intentionally leaving out the fourth spirit... which the Celestial King brought up. "And what of Ra?" his tone was intrigued since he knew Aquarius had skipped him entirely.
"Ra is missing, and normally is. I've only ever seen him in action once, and I got no clue where he is now." The celestial king let out a long "hmmmm...." while trying to think on the situation.
"If you'll excuse this, I can deal with the situation... of course, I'll need your permission to intervene and-" a letter appeared in front Aquarius with the king's signature on it. "I don't care how, just put an end to the fight and remind Ra of what his duties are." the king said, to which Aquarius replied
"Understood." with a robotic tone and disappeared. It was a short interaction since both men were very basic people and didn't like spending time with the legal crap, excuses, and reasons. They just wanted results.
Aquarius had appeared in the middle of the room with the rest of his team.
"Here's the situation-" "The nightlight's cracked and is fighting the slinky with fangs out in the open." Angra Mainyu said while leaning against a wall with her arms crossed and an arrogant smile visible.
"Yes, that." Aquarius said calmly, not caring to address Angra's involvement.
"The king gave me permission to do anything necessary to stop it before the whole place gets downed. Angra, I want you to-" "Nope. Bad idea." she said calmly.
"Glow stick girl hates me, if I go in she'll fight a thousand times harder. You're better off dealing with this." she added, giving the reason for her direct denial. Aquarius nodded, it was true. Even if Angra could kick Amaterasu's ass, it wouldn't be pretty.
"Understood, I'll handle her then. Scarlet, keep the other spirits from getting in my way. Ninja, you've got Sasuno. Char..." Aquarius paused and looked at Charlotte, who instantly knew who her target would be and her expression changed from being kind and caring to being angry and vengeful.
"Understood." she said with a frown.
"Query, you're on standby. Mammoth, Ira, Jed... stay here." they agreed to it since Jed didn't really need to be there and Ira could help Kaori if it was needed.
"Alright, let's party." Aquarius said and Query sent them off.
An Azure magic circle would appear in the area where the battle was happening and Sasuno would see Ninja standing ten feet away from him with a calm expression and his hand on the hilt of his katana. He'd shake his head, giving a visual message to not dare try and intervene in the situation. The rest of Kaori's response team spirits had materialized, each looking towards their targets. Any spirit present other than Sasuno, Kukulkan, and Amaterasu would fine a white chain inside their chests, leading to the ground. If they looked around, they'd see Captain Scarlet pointing her celestial shotguns at them with a cold expression. She wasn't used often, but her gate was the Gate of Slaves. Escaping her was hard on the best of days, and once chained, it was impossible. Any spirit who struggled would be pulled to the ground and she'd say
"Don't fight, I'd rather not kill you." in a tone that implied she didn't want to, but she would.
"King's orders." she would add to soften the blow of realizing that she could become an enemy at any point. The difference between Kaori and Samira was combat ability, something that was reflected in their spirits. Samira had a handful of battle spirits... Kaori's spirits were all made for some form of combat. If Sasuno tried to move, Ninja would vanish and be invisible. His movements never made a sound, so Sasuno would never hear him coming. Before he knew it, he'd feel the butt of Ninja's katana slamming into his stomach while at the same time a second version of Ninja had rammed the back of his heel into the back of Sasuno's skull. The word "Sorry." would be heard as Sasuno blacked out and Ninja caught him, setting him on the ground gently. Ninja was a myth in the most litteral sense. He had no history, and was given the powers of the best ninjas in the world, and the skill to match. His low magical ranking was due to him being enigmatic by nature and not boasting, not fighting many battles, and avoiding contracts.
Amaterasu would feel a vine of water wrap around her wrist before being pulled straight down to the ground into a crater by Aquarius, who was looking at her with a disappointed look.
"Don't fight me nightlight." he would say calmly, his tone implying he honestly didn't want to be fighting her. If she did try to fight, Amaterasu would feel the weight of an entire lake's worth of water cascading down on her being, pinning her to the ground before she could think to use her vanishing ability. The water was holy in nature, just like all of Kaori's spirits, making it harder for Amaterasu to fight against.
Kukulkan would feel something small slamming down on her back when Charlotte materialized and drop kicked her. The girl was Kaori's weakest spirit in terms of magical rank, but when forced to fight, she was easily number two... right behind Query. Charlotte would run of Kukulkan's back and jump above her eyeline, letting her eyes lock with the snake spirit. Kukulkan would see the fierce look in Charlotte's eyes just before she balled her fist and punched directly between her eyes to send the snake straight down. If Kukulkan tried to fight back, Charlotte would begin punching her rapidly, over a hundred times in a matter of seconds before delivering a final, colossal punch to finish. Once on the ground, Charlotte would have her cutlass pointed at Kukulkan's eye and speak with the coldest, most uncaring tone that no spirit was used to hearing from her...
"Move and I'll carve your eye out and make you eat it."Aquarius would look around and say
"Alright Q- you don't need to fight so let's take this inside." after which all of the spirits would find themselves inside Samira's mind space, disconnected entirely from their power. This included Ra, Serqet, Bastet, Chaac, Isis, and Anhur- who was in a temporary spiritual state. Aquarius had taken a breath and moved to the side of the room. Solving squabbles wasn't his department, but he knew that Query was good enough at it. Anyone who tried talking would notice that their mouths were missing, another of Query's marvelous tricks. The spirit stepped forward with a neutral expression and continued walking to stand in front of Amaterasu.
"You have carried a great burden, Amaterasu. You were put in charge of every spirit except three, and given no reasons as to why..." her words were soft and lacked any form of aggression
"...You have done good work until now, but you cannot bear this weight alone." Query then reached forward and wrapped her arms around Amaterasu in a gentle embrace.
"You do not need to fight Apophis alone. Rely on your allies and they won't let you fail." she said softly before letting go and moving to Kukulkan.
"You are angry because Amaterasu has shown weakness in the face of pressure, and prevented you all from aiding your summoner when she was under attack. The area she is in seals out magic for those who lack the strength to stand on their own. Kaori had her go there expecting more of Ikuchi, but will be informed that her expectations were not met. I assure you that Ikuchi will be dealt with by Kaori herself, and Samira will survive... but understand that Samira has allowed those feelings fueling his actions to fester, and she is partially responsible for her situation. She will not be harmed by Kaori, but she will not be allowed to put all the blame on Ikuchi either." Query calmly turned, knowing that Kukulkan disliked being touched and skipped the hug.
Query then walked and stopped before the desert spirits.
"Anhur, I brought you here because you are one of them. You will be returned once our business is concluded." she said and then looked directly at Ra.
"As the leader of these spirits, I, Aquarius, and the Celestial King hold you responsible for this conflict. You have left your clique with instructions of keeping all of these other spirits..." Query gestured to all of Samira's other spirits with her hand
"... in the dark. You have left knowing that Nu Wa lacked the strength to discipline others, and Kukulkan lacked the restraint to be a fair leader. You have left Amaterasu in charge of every single spirit, and no idea as to why you had left. These spirits are your allies, Ra. Your actions have created a rift that enlarged with time and lead to another person's spirits being obligated to act in order to save them... Aquarius, what was the Celestial Kings original punishment?" Query turned her attention to Aquarius.
"Amaterasu was to be stripped of all power within the Celestial and Human World, unless summoned by her key. Kukulkan was to be disposed of." he said calmly.
"Thank you." Query said before turning back to Ra.
"Your actions had nearly resulted in the destruction of one of your allies, and the crippling of the only leader left."Query then moved away from him and looked at the other desert spirits who were rooted in place in their own little group, away from their leader.
"As lesser powered spirits, you are to follow the orders of your superior spirits. You are to uphold their orders at all costs. As the spirits of Samira Nassar, you are to protect her life at all costs, even if you must disobey your leader. You each chose to keep secrets from Samira, Amaterasu, and the rest of your allies. You chose to place your orders from Ra over the safety of your summoner, and the sanctity of your alliance with the other avatars. Because of your decisions to keep the secret of his location, Amaterasu was nearly crippled, and Kukulkan nearly destroyed entirely. You have proven to be inadequate allies in this regard, but you remain with an opportunity for redemption." The spirit then turned and Angra Mainyu materialized in the room.
"Angra." she said calmly, and as the goddess opened her mouth, Query cut her off and said
"Be silent." and erased her mouth, showing that Angra Mainyu was still subject to Query's reality.
"You have approached Amaterasu, intentionally provoking her, and further sinking her into despair. Your intention was not to do this, but rather, trying to force her to act as she was ordered to do. Know that you have jeopardized our alliance with Samira's spirits by intervening without Captain Iron Fist's approval. You often disregard his position of authority, and act on your own. If you approach Samira, her spirits, or any other ally of theirs without Charlotte's, Iron Fist's, or my permission... I will erase you from existence entirely. The safety of my summoner does not ride on your existence, her mother will still give birth to her without you." Angra's eyes narrowed but she didn't try to say anything since she lacked a mouth.
Query then turned away and walked to Amaterasu again.
"I am deeply sorry for Angra Mainyu's actions. Please understand that she did not fully intend to anger you. She was trying to show you the light, as she knows that Samira will need you. Angra does not hate your summoner, but rather she loves her dearly, as she loves anyone that Kaori loves. She has a tradition of testing the will of those involved in Kaori's life to ensure they won't buckle under pressure, and this has soured the relationship between her and Samira. She is impulsive, and has no restraint on her tongue, and this has strained relationships between you all and her. I know that you feel your pride hurt by the battle between yourself and Kaori's alter personality, but understand that Kaori is partially a goddess. She has a great deal of battle experience, and her sword skill matches your own. Her alter personality opposes your element, and thus, you cancel each other. The most important thing to understand is that Kaori's alter personality was not fighting with hatred and vitriol, as most darkness creature do. She was fighting with love, the desire to protect her original, and to ensure Samira would not hurt her. Samira was fighting with a desire to save her beloved friend, she had no desire to kill the darkness if it wasn't necessary. It was not that your power was insufficient, Amaterasu. Your summoner simply did not wish to cause unnecessary harm. You are a powerful being, and are loved by many, Amaterasu. Ikuchi and Kaori's darker personal both greet you with a hug, a smile, and high expectations. Kaori has much faith in you, and Ra believed you were strong enough to carry your allies in his absence."
Query had paused momentarily while she took a breath.
"You feel pain from having lost to Apophis, but during that fight you were not yourself. You were under pressure, and in a situation that was not favorable for you. I do not blame you for not being able to overpower him. He was using your summoner's body, and he is very powerful on his own. This is why you must have faith in your own power and if that is insufficient still, call to your allies and combine powers. You have a loving brother who will readily fight for you. You have a multi-armed spirit who relishes in battle, and will readily strike down any enemy in front her. You have the power to combine your power on a magical level with other spirits to get stronger, and if you are unsure of how to do that, Ira and I will gladly teach you. It requires much trust, which you have now displaced... but you are not beyond redemption. Your alliance... your friendship can be salvaged. It is to my knowledge that your summoner had apologized to you earlier, but you failed to reply to her. Your first course of action will be to address her, hold her, and apologize for neglecting her. She will forgive you, Samira is a gentle person and is incapable of true hatred." Amaterasu would feel her hands being forced to rise, as though they were holding a box in them, but nothing was present.
"You believe yourself unworthy to wield my summoner's blade, but Kaori does not make mistakes when seeing the worth of others. She saw the darkness in your heart, and judged that your light is strong enough to overpower it." Amaterasu would then see Kaori's sword appear in its sheath, in her hands.
Query then turned and walked to face the other spirits, ones who weren't really involved.
"You have all been kept in the dark and protected your summoner and her interests. You have all been forced to stand by idly as your only leader was broken by the weight of her responsibilities, and rendered unable to perform her duties. I thank you all for this, as you are the embodiment of dedication, and the pride of our kind. I ask that you do not judge Amaterasu, but rather, show her the kindness that she will require." Query then turned and walked to face Sasuno, who was woken up as soon as Query transported every back to Samira's mind.
"Sasuno. You are a strong man, and a good friend to Samira, and an excellent brother to Amaterasu. You hold a great deal of anger towards Ikuchi for what he has done, for which you cannot be blamed and will not be faulted. Understand that Ikuchi has been wounded by Samira, that he feels she intruded on his goals and stolen them. He fails to realize that Kaori still holds him in high regard, and that in battle, he will always be at her right hand. Samira has done nothing to address his insecurities even after finding out about them, and is now being punished for her indecisiveness. You cannot force her to act, but you can tell her what she must do. Ikuchi respects strength, and her determination to make it through the caves will soften him to her. Samira has also been given a powerful weapon against Ikuchi, that Amaterasu has jokingly told her to use before without knowing the power behind it. Do not be angry, but find amusement in this weapon."Query then turned and stopped in front of the leader of the desert spirits. Ra would see Query wave her hand in front him and his mouth would be reformed.
"As the root cause of this conflict, I will provide you a single chance to disclose where you were, what you were doing, and why you did not trust your allies with this information. If you fail, I will seal your mouth once more and expose each of your lesser spirits to the same questions. If none of them speak, you will wish that you spoke. Now, Ra... you may speak, you have ten seconds."