Savere Hotaru Silenced Pt.1 6/30/99 Standard Disclaimer: Yadda, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah Now that's done, on with the story! SILENCED "MISSED!" a woman cried out in anger. Though to call her a woman was stretching the limit of the term. She was female, but was ay least half cyborg with long hair and scanty clothing. Her target, a green haired girl, looked down at the girl who had just blocked the shot meant for her with her own body. The girl laying on the ground was truly a hero. A hero. The though echoed in the green haired girl' mind. A hero was exactly what she was avoiding becoming. Her hero looked to be around sixteen with dark hair to the middle of her back. She wore a purple and white uniform with tall dark purple boots. A black smoking spot lay at her heart. The hero's chest rose slowly as if a great force were pushing it down. The woman cyborg reaimed. The green haired girl saw her hero's eyes open. Her voice was smooth, but her breath rattled. "Pass it on." she whispered. The green haired girl blinked. How had she known? Was she a telepath? No time to think. No time to run. There was only time to stand. And fight. "ICZER! CHARGING UP!" "YEAH!" she heard in her mind. Suddenly dshe was surrounded with light. Iczer spread apart and became a part of her, much lik the cyborg woman and her parts. The girl dodged. "Iczelion! Nagisa!" Iczer cried. "I know, Iczer." she replied. She focused on her weapons. Then a man resembling the cyborg appeared. "Cross, return. There is a new development." The woman cyborg seemed enraged. "Chaos! Not now! I'm so close!" "Now." he said and vanished. The woman cyborg vansihed a second later. Nagisa looked up to find them gone. She exhaled. "It is over?" "For now, but they will return Nagisa." Iczer replied. Nagisa nodded. "I will be ready." Then her attention again fell on her hero. She knelt next to girl. "Thank you," The girl opened her violet eyes again. "I grant you the gift of life, use it wisely. If you must give it up, lose your life for another or as a fulfilled woman." Nagisa heard footsteps and looked up to see several people approaching: an older girl with flame red hair, an older boy with black hair, another older boy with blue/black hair, a small girl with long blue ponytails, a girl around her age with long blonde hair, and a boy with short red hair. The redhaired girl, the blue/black haired boy, and the girl with blue pigtails knelt around her hero. Nagisa suddenly felt out of place and very guilty. The redhead carressed the girl's face. "Hotaru, what happened?" The girl breathed and the rattle was worse. "I saved Iczelion. I think she is newly joined. Just like old times, huh Bri?" The blue/black haired boy took her hand. "Violet Iczelion finished her job because of you. She saved Saturn." The small girl suddenly tensed in pain. The red haired boy looked suddenly very afraid. "Hotaru, the bond is twisting. Both of you are being pulled." Nyale thought quickly. "Cross is used to fighting transdimensionally. She may have been using a transdimensional weapon. That could kill a wordsmith, even with our protection. The bond is reversing itself. If Hotaru dies, so will Sasami." Imani's eyes grew large. "No!" Sasami looked at Hotaru. "Sister." She took Hotaru's free hand. "Sister." Hotaru agreed. "No," Imani breathed in pain. "Not both of them. Not forver. Not like this." Nagisa didn't know what was going on, but she watched silently. Sasami turned to Imani. "You have lived for many years. You know things that can help thousands. You will survive and the wordsmiths will survive with you." Hotaru smiled. "Nagisa will be one of you. In her care I place the Silence glaive." She smile directly at Nagisa. "Do this for me." Nagisa nodded with cold dread nawing at her. A large weapon appeared in her hands. It had a long handle and a sharp edge. A smaller item floated in front of her. It fell into her pocket. Hotaru looked into Brian's eyes. "If I die, let it be with you, Hold me close while the world closes in on me, Whisper my name as the darkness rises, And I fall into the dream that never ends." Sasami slumped forward, but Nyale caught her and stroked her hair. Then both went still. Imani's hands never stopped carressing Hotaru's face. Imani looked down. Now Hotaru was supposed to vanish into violet light and be reborn elsewhere. But not this time. This time it was forever. Her fingers felt the flesh go cold. The black haired boy laid a hand on Nagisa'a shoulder. "Come, we must call her family and friends. Help me." Nagisa stood and looked into his eyes. "There is no way out now, is there?" He shook his head. "By some chance she may be reborn, but I doubt it. You can leave her wish unfulfilled, but I think Hotaru knew what she was doing." Nagisa felt Iczer's strength. "I will help." Nyale picked up Sasami and Imani just kept staring at her daughter. She didn't protest when Brian picked her up, but didn't stand. She stared straight ahead. Mark nodded to the others who moved off to make arrangements. He sat next to Imani and followed her gaze, to nothingness. **** Nagisa looked into Hotaru's room and saw Imani in the position they had left her: sitting on Hotaru's bed with a blank look in her brown eyes, growing thinner. She ate what they fed her, but didn't seek anything. The Senshi had been by, as well as Ranma, Tenchi and the others. Ryoga had been the only one to get any reaction out of her, but she had returned to her silence after a few moments. Ryoga had gone to get some dinner and gotten lost. Thogan sighed. Nagisa turned to him. "Do you think she'll come out of it?" Thogan turned away, then looked back. "Imani is our leader, but Brian has been our strength. With time she will heal and he will hold her up until then." Nagisa looked in at Imani. "Maybe we should get her out of the house." Thogan considered. "You may have a point. I will see what we can do." Nagisa's communicator beeped and a face appeared. "Nagisa, we need you, more youmas." Nagisa nodded. "I'll be there in a sec." **** His cel phone rang. He looked over at his companions and sighed. He turned it on. "Hello?" "Methos? This is Thogan." Methos sat up. "Long time no hear," "Yes, well, we've had some excitement." Methos could tell something was wrong by Thogan's tone. "What is it?" "Two wordsmiths are dead." "Two?" Methos asked, his voice raising and catching the attention of his companions. "Silence was killed by a transdimensional weapon and Fusion died through their soulbond. Both were souldaughters of Imani." Methos winced and leaned forward. "How is she taking it?" A pause. Then, "She has not spoken for two weeks. She barely eats. She stares into space, seeing nothing." Methos knew what was coming. "What do you want me to do?" "You may be able to get a response out of her and she really needs to leave Japan." Methos hesitated, then said in defeat, "When is she coming?" **** Brian and Mark accompanied Imani on the plane. She made no move on her own and said nothing. At the airport they waited in silence. They saw two men approaching and stood. Brian smiled. "It is good to see you well Methos." Methos nodded. "And you as well. Hello Mark." Mark nodded, "Hello," Methos gestured to his companion. "This is Duncan Mcleod, my friend and present roomate." Brian smiled and Mark nodded again. They stepped away from the bench and Methos could see Imani, curled up. Her eyes were vacant. Methos was surprised. He had seen her many times after she had lost silence, but none of those times had she lost silence forever. He laid a hand on her head and her only reaction was to, lean on him slightly. Brain and Mark turned away for the return flight. **** In the car, Duncan and Methos began to talk. "Where do you know her from?" Duncan asked from the driver's seat. "We met a a long time ago, in a tavern." Methos said. "She is a minstrel." "She is not immortal, but you speak of her as if she were." Duncan said. Methos smiled mysteriously from the back seat. "There is more in heaven and earth than is included in your philosophy, Horatio." Duncan sighed, "I don't suppose you are going to tell me." Methos shook his head. Life fell into a pattern with Duncan, Methos, Richie, and Imani. She mostly stayed in her room, but after a few months would sometimes come out to find some food or get a drink. She never spoke, but one could hear her humming. Then one day she shocked them all. They were eating breakfast one day, when a song came on the radio. Richie was the first to notice, he nudged Duncan who tapped Methos. Imani was smiling. I N S E R T SONG Then came a day when the rhythm changed. Imani sensed a discord. she rushd out to see a woman with a sword shouting at Methos. Methos ran out, while Duncan tried to calm her down. Then she learned that Methos was leaving. She put together her belongings and stood next to his car as he packed his things. He tried to dissuade her with tales of his evil, but she had known that when it was happening. She knew him very well. She sat in the car. She sensed a new chord in the pattern. She saw Methos and another man. The man had a knife in Methos's stomach. She stepped out of the car to hear the man say, "We're going to make things right, as they were." As Methos fell to the ground, the man noticed her. Her eyes were looking away from him, but her stance was loose. "Hello there, what have we here? Methos has a toy?" the man asked. She raised her gaze and the man saw fire in her eyes. It matched the color of her hair. She spoke in a low tone tone. "Do you not remember me?" He shook his head. "Should I?" "I am Imani of the Horseman, the ORIGINAL horsemen. The group that you have are a mere fragment and shadow of what the Horsemen were. You have defiled their memory long enough. It ends now." she stated. He looked at her and then slowly understanding dawned on him. "You are the Wordsmith Song. I remember you now. I killed your brother. Thogam, wasn't it?" "Thogan was reborn." she stated. "You will not put together your group again." He drew his sword. "We'll see about that." Normally, Imani would have worried about others watching their encounter. But as it was, Imani couldn't have cared less. She jumped back into the parking lot picking up Methos's sword as she did. She held it at ready. "This seems familiar." He held up his own sword. "Too true." Imani saw Duncan and Richie coming out watching her. "How old is she?" Richie asked. "Do you even bother to ask exactly how old Methos is?" Duncan asked and Richie shook his head. "Don't bother asking her either." Kronos attacked. Imani parried. For about fifteen minutes all she did was block his thrusts, then she set in with a fury. He was shocked at her speed. "You've gotten better." "I had to." Imani answered. Then he dropped his sword and was knocked a few feet away from it. She held up her sword. "There can only be one group of horsemen." With impossible speed she tan over and beheaded him. As power began to seep out she cried out, "Jautde Fayru!" Golden walls of chi enveloped him and then contracted inward, compressing the body. **** "Impressive," a voice to their left said. They all turned to see a blonde woman in white leather approaching. "But what did you plan to do when others saw your display? The cops would be very interested I am sure." Imani studied her. "White Queen I presume?" The woman looked surprised, but nodded. "I do not know you." Imani shrugged. She looked out at the passerbyes who acted as if they weren't present. "I assume you shielded us." The woman nodded. "I, of course, do nothing for free." Imani smiled. "Then take this and be happy. There is a young woman in Japan who if brought to the Inner Circle would do very well. If influenced correctly she could be of great use to you. Her name is Tendo Nabiki." The woman nodded. "I'll accept that." "But if you hurt her I'll kill you." Imani said. The woman laughed. "But, of course." She walked away leaving a confused Richie and Duncan watching. Then Methos began to wake. He sucked in a breath and sat up.