Last Revised: Never
Koinu sighed as he looked back at the girls and
continued walking, "Don't you have any questions?"
Aurora raised her hand cautiously, "Exactly how will all of us be able
to defeat this Malloy person?" She asked.
Koinu blinked in surprised, "Why, by transforming into Dreamscape
Senshi of course."
Everyone seemed to take on an unreadable expression, except for maybe
Amefuri since she was almost always unreadable from the start. Skye looked
around at everyone who'd fallen silent then began twisting the folds of
her uniform, "Eto..." She ventured cautiously, "How would be transform
exactly?"
Koinu shrugged carelessly, "Pretty simple actually. You'll gain a
henshin item, such as a ring that'll allow you to enter the Dreamscapes,
and there'll be a certain phrase you need to say to transform."
This caused a couple more worried looks.
"What if you already transform into somethin'?" She asked in a tiny
voice.
"Well, it doesn't matter if you've already transformed into your
typical Senshi. These are used only in the Dreamscapes, and you can't use
them outside of them. Once you leave the dreamscapes you change into your
previous fuku." Koinu quickened his pace and urged the others to also.
"You won't be able to use any of your Dreamscape powers unless you're in a
Dreamscape Senshi form."
"What is it exactly we will do in the Dreamscapes? You mentioned that
we will have new powers, what do you mean by that exactly?" Noriko asked
as she slowly walked somewhat behind the rest of the group.
"You will be able to transform into different people, to fit whatever
time period you've traveled to." Koinu replied.
"You mean... we going to change into.... other people??" Skye asked in
shock.
"Not exactly, you will take on roles of the time period. The
dreamscape will decide what role you will have."
"So... we have no choice in what we will be?" Lily asked, starting to
look forward to taking on roles of different people. "Like, one of us
could be a mermaid? Or a princess? Or anything like that?"
"Well...I guess you could say that. It depends on what dreamscape
you're in. You could just as likely turn into a giant parrot."
They continued walking until they arrived at what appeared to be an
enormous cluster of highly finished amethyst crystal. Unnatural blemishes
began to appear on the surface of the crystal, somehow giving it a
manufactured appearance. It wasn't until a sculpture lining the pathway
pulled Koinu aside that they realized the crystal was, in fact, an immense
fortress and what they had believed were whimsical decorations were
actually disguised soldiers in armor.
"This is the home of the Guardians of the Dreamscape. They are the
ones who decide who is allowed into or out of the dreamscapes." Koinu led
the awestruck group up to the main gate and jumped up to the door, opening
it.
Amefuri followed the group at a distance. While the girls were talking
excitedly and admiring the craftsmanship, she had many suspicions about
the nature of this place. Never the less, she had to admit that it was a
rather impressive building.
"Koinu, may I speak with you for a moment?"
"What is it?" Koinu looked back impatiently, "We're in a bit of a
hurry."
"This won't take long."
He sighed grandly and gestured for the others to continue up the hall
without him. "What is it now Amefuri? You think that this whole
matter is beneath you?"
"Even though I feel that you are mistaken in your choice of warriors,"
She gave the dog a withering look. "My real concerns are not so petty."
"Then what is it?" Koinu snapped impatiently. He didn't want the
others to get too far ahead or wander off.
"This won't be like it was the last time people came here; things have
gotten far worse." Amefuri stared at the statues lining a massive hallway
so long that she couldn't see its end. All of the statues depicted the
previous Dreamscape Senshi that had been summoned. All, excepting a
negligible few, had fallen in battle. "Do you really think that these
girls are ready for the dangers here?"
He looked up at her in surprise. She was the last person that he
expected to show concern for others. Amefuri stared at the floor with a
troubled expression. "Amefuri..."
"Not only that, but they....we will have to have to fight both
in the Real World and the Dream World. I'm not sure if the others can
handle the pressure."
Koinu looked at her sadly. "We don't have a choice, Amefuri. We've
already delayed summoning them here for too long. The way things are
progressing, the Dreamscapes may already be doomed."
"Yeah," Amefuri pushed away from the wall and sighed. "I know that. I
just wish we had more time."
"Upon that, we can agree." Koinu turned and hurried to catch up with
the girls.
The girls walked for what seemed eternity until they reached a huge
shrine. Beside the shrine were two statues of knight-protectors. As they
approached the shrine, the knight-protectors became obviously real.
"Halt." One of the knight-protectors stood and put his lance between
the shrine and the group. "Who holds the Hall of Dreams in such low regard
that they dare defile it with their contemptuous presence? Who challenges
the authority of this, the most scared of places in the Realm?"
"I, good knight, am a messenger sent from the Jade Palace summon the
Soldiers of Legend to your most honoured presence. We wish to receive the
medallions that will grant these warriors with the strength of the Land of
Dreams."
"And by what measure can we be certain that these women are worthy of
their power?" The other knight-protector asked as it stood up to the
sounds of grinding metal.
The sound rattled everyone's nerves. By now, the girls were either
just standing there, or attempting to wander off. Koinu and the
knight-protectors continued to talk about things the girls didn't
understand, so they took it upon themselves to tour the house. After all,
if they were going to have to fight, they should know their surroundings,
right?
Amefuri had separated from the group long before Koinu began to argue
in Middle English. Not really wanting to be part of the group either, and
Noriko left to explore the castle alone. Lily, Skye and Aurora all headed
off together back to a staircase near the front of the fortress leading
up.
Koinu and the Knight-Protectors continued, oblivious to the fact that
their warriors had long since wandered off.
* * *
"This place is so pretty!" Skye exclaimed as the
walked up the crystal staircase.
"Yeah, it is. How did they ever find so many crystals and rocks to
make this huge house?" Lily asked as they entered a large room with a pool
in the center of it.
"I don't know." Aurora said, looking around in amazement.
A soft, iridescent purple mist slowly started to rise out of the pool
in the center of the room. The three girls stood frozen, looking into the
mist. The mist continued to come out of the pool, filling the entire room
until every part of the room was engulfed by it. As quietly and quickly as
it had begun, the mist parted, and when it all was clear, there was no one
in the room.
* * *
In the background, Noriko could still the muffled
conversation of Koinu and the Knights. She continued walking, trying to
block out their noise. Eventually in her little exploration she came to a
wide-open room. In the center of the far wall was a very large picture of
an angelic-looking woman that extended from the ceiling to just above the
ground. It gave off the sense of a falling angel. The whole statue had an
eerie feeling to it that made Noriko somewhat nervous.
"What a huge statue." Noriko said to herself, as she reached out to
touch the angel's face. Right before her hand touched it, a purple mist
oozed out of its open stone mouth.
Noriko open her mouth to scream, but she was quickly swallowed up in
the mist. Just like at the pool, it seeped back into the angel's mouth,
and both Noriko and the mist was gone.
* * *
To be quite frank, Amefuri wasn't that enthusiastic
about gaining more powers and more things to worry about. She would be
quite happy to ignore the Dreamscape's problems if it meant that she
wouldn't have to fight more. Koinu and the talking suits of armor weren't
making her doubts about the situation any better. There was already enough
to deal with as it was. All of this talk about being chosen was too
strange for her to accept.
Speaking of dealing with strange things, "Where is this place?"
Amefuri looked around warily. She prided herself on her sharp
observation skills but somehow; she had wandered into a room of some sort.
All around her was blackness. At her feet was the mirror-like surface of a
pool so deep that the water appeared to be an inky black. The only source
of illumination came from the crystal she wore around her neck.
/ Mokutou Amefuri, you have been chosen. /
"Chosen?" She gave her surroundings an uneasy glance. "Who are you?"
/ I am the Spirit of the Dreamscapes and You are one of the few
people remaining that can defend the Dreamscapes. /
"Why do you want me? Are there not others who can fight?"
/ Time is short and you are one of the few who will be able to
control the powers without it destroying you. /
An intense feeling of sadness washed over her. 'You are one of the
destined few.' Those words are the same ones that she had heard many
times before. You are one of the destined few that can bring peace to the
world. Every time she heard those words spoken, what it meant was more
fighting. More responsibilities. More death.
/ If you chose to become a Dreamscape Senshi, you must first
undergo a series of trials to test your worth. Are you prepared to face
the dangers in the Dreamscapes in order to gain this strength? /
She was suddenly acutely aware of the complete and utter silence
surrounding her. The only sound audible to her ears was the even hiss of
her own breath. It was as if everything was waiting for her response.
Somehow, Amefuri knew that no matter how much she would try to hide from
it, the truth was that this was something she had to do.
"I am aware of the risks I will face, both now and in the future. I am
honoured by your trust in my abilities, and accept."
A thread of violet mist rose from the pool beneath her, slowly weaving
around itself until a vaguely human form began to take shape before her. A
determined expression settled on Amefuri's face as an angelic, feminine
winged-being gazed down with a wistful smile.
/ When you complete these trials, you shall become the Dreamscape
Soldier Epsilon. Soldier of Solitude, I wish you the best of luck. /
Amefuri's eyes widened slightly as the being flowed towards her, its
form slowly blurring and fading. A ripple of frigid air ghosted past like
a gentle caress. She felt herself squeezing her eyes shut against a sudden
pang of fear as something deep inside her essence changed.
/ We have merged. You are now part of the Dreamscapes. /
* * *
When Amefuri opened her eyes after she unconsciously
closed them, she saw that she was still in the same place as she was
before, but to her right stood Lily and Aurora, and to her left, Skye and
Noriko. They were all in the same position she was, as if the same thing
happened to them as it happened to her.
Lily was the first one to open her eyes, and she slowly glanced over
to Amefuri. “What just happened...? Did the spirit come and speak to you
also?”
Amefuri just nodded, and glanced to the side just as Skye and Noriko
opened their eyes. As soon as they all were awake, the Spirit of the
Dreamscape returned to talk to them.
“You all have accepted the responsibilities of the Dreamscape
Soldiers. I have joined my spirit with all of yours, so when you need
help, all you must do is look inside yourself, and you will find the
answers. You must protect the Dreamscapes, or we all will be lost. It’s up
to you 5 soldiers now.”
Starting slow but working up to a fast pace, the entire room started
spinning around the Spirit. Eventually all the mist disappeared, along
with the Spirit, and they were back in the room with the large statue.
“Thou hast been put to thy test. If thou fail to accomplish thy test,
everything here shall be destroyed.” The girls turned to see Koinu and the
two knights. They all nodded, then they all walked off, back to home.
