Breaking In Louise (ZnT Discussion) Pt 2

would not every iteration result in an even stronger individual as there arts are continuously refined as they are passed down?

Well, if you really want to get broken about it, due to the chain of summoning, imagine a Shiro that can call an actual wielder for every blade in Unlimited Blade Works.

But now we're getting into 'breaking of' territory again Doesn't make for too good a story really either, it'd pretty much go: Louise and Shiro wins, everyone else go home.

If it were an unlimited reiteration, they'd eventually get a proceedure down for what who does when they're summoned.

Halo snippet coming up.

I've been reading Halo: Evolutons, Essential Tales of the Halo Universe Volume II. In particular, I just finished "The Mona Lisa", and you've read that, you'll realize that the very beginning of this isn't completely my own. Still, I don't own jack shit. Also, I debated who to use in this. I could've used Benti and 'Henry', but Benti was injured and likely infected at the one point where I could've smoothly grabbed the both of them. Flood Infection = Bad. Or I've could've simply grabbed 'Henry' by himself, but I felt like I wouldn't be able to write a purely Sangheily perspective very well.

Finally, near the beginning of that story, there was an elite that Benti encountered; he was naked and actually shushed the girl, listening for the Flood until he shot by Clarence. I consdered taking him; it would've been simple, given me a clean slate to work with, and let me have my fun. But I've found that my favorite combination is to give 'Henry' and Lopez a bit more common sense, before punting them into ZnT. A disgruntled marine with a mother instinct thats lost all her 'children', and a sangheili who is able to cooperate with humans, willing to take their weapons, and seems fairly protective of his allies.

Sounds like a good combination to drop on Louise, ne? Of course, I've got a few more plans, which you might see if you look closely enough.

----

OCTOBER 2552[EXACT DATE CLASSIFIED], SOELL SYSTEM, INSTALLATION 04 DEBRIS FIELD, "HALO"
LOPEZ, 1625 HOURS

"Siva armed. Targeting lasers online. Initiating launch sequence in forty-five seconds--"

The airlock door dented inward, and both flinched, taking a step away from it. A step toward the last pod.

The sangheili dubbed 'Henry' was big. There was only room for one. This alien, this enemy, had carried Benti to safety. On this ship of messed-up humans. Lopez finally understood how this was all going to go down. Some little backwater side action, maybe a foot-note in some ONI operatives field report.

And beyond the door, something bigger and badder than all of them.

'It's a big, bad universe, Sergeant.

Henry's for jaws flexed. Lopez narrowed her eyes. Put her finger on the trigger. Noticed Henry's grip on the cricket bat tighten.

Then, Lopez let out a soft, dead chuckle. Here she was, about to fight a naked elite armed with a cricket bat that had tried to save one of her children, while her own freind prepared to blow her to hell with a shiva nuke.

The irony was nearly palpable.

She let herself laugh more, dropped her gun as she realized it was empty anyway. Then she plastered a grin on her face and stepped forward, letting her hand go up to shake the elites own.

"Hell, we're dead anyway. Might as well shake the hand of the first covie I've ever liked. You're an ugly bastard, you know that?"

Henry seemed puzzled, before his own jaws split into some kind of twisted attempt at a grin. He said something in that warbled speech of his, wrapping his oversized fingers over hers.

The door was breaking down, a shiva was headed towards them, and the two of them shook hands.

Then a bright light engulfed them, and for a split second they both wondered; where was the heat? Then the green light was replaced with darkness.

---

Louise slumped as she saw what she had summoned; yet another explosion, this one tinted with greenish dust. She could already hear the taunts from her classmates starting up, before she saw a shadow within the cloud of smoke.

Instantly, hope and happiness filled her entire being. She took a couple steps forward, her mind praying that her familiar was alive and well, powerful, capable of destroying any and all opposition.

Instead, she found herself looking at two distinctly strange beings.

The smaller one was clad in strange armor, seeming militaristic but too light-weight to be made of any armor she knew. It looked down-right near useless except for minro, small weapons like maybe knives or a sword strike from a particularly weak foe.

In the smaller ones hands was some strange object, similar to the 'guns' that seemed so popular among commoners recently. Except it looked more sleek and well-designed, as though it were something crafted through years of attention to detail.

The other, larger one, was what she immediately identified as her familiar.

It looked strange and ugly, but it also looked strong and powerful. It had dark reptile-like skin, its legs bending in a strange contortion, a mockery of a man with broken legs. Its back was slightly hunched, and its face was some kind of betenticled monstrosity, teeth and mandibles flaring out at it looked throughout its new surroundings, hefting some kind of club that seemed almost dwarfed by its massive physique. It was not clothed in anything, and she found herself somewhat blushing as she realized she was very glad for the fact she couldn't see anything that looked human in the 'thigh' area.

Then they started talking. The smaller human, a girl Louise realized, spoke a a recognizable tone. It seemed familiar, like maybe some form of Germanian language. But the woman didn't look germanian in the slightest.

The larger ones speech, however, was completely unrecognizable, though she detected something similar to relief in its tone.

It was then she realized something; the strange beast was talking. Talking.

She'd only ever heard of two 'humanoids' that spoke. Orcs, and Elves. The orcs were dumb, barely capable of actually holding a long-term conversation with anyone. The elves were... frightening. And most definitely powerful.

Louise found herself slightly scared, and almost cringed backwards at the thought that it might be related to either one of the creatures.

Then her noble pride kicked in, and she grinned savagely. No way the commoner was her familiar; obviously, it was that strange beast, towering above her as it suddenly fell to the ground, seemingly relieved because of something.

She heard colbert walking past her, examining the two as the girl warily glared at them. The soldier woman was asking questions, Louise realized, and Colbert was attempting to answer them in a less fluent-sounding version of the same language.

Then Louise went past the two, approaching the large beast as it looked her up and down. It seemed to relax once again, lowering its head to direct dangerous eyes at her. Louise almost puased again, before she lifted her wand, doing the ritual with nothing but practice guiding her movements.

She pecked the creature with her lips, distinctly noticing the rancid smell excaping from it, and quickly retreated to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Then she realized that it hadn't worked.

Louise stopped functioning as the beast stared at her, questioning her in some unknown language.

But she didn't listen. She simply stared.

Then, something within her dam of a brain broke, and she rushed towards the soldier woman, reciting the ritual in a flurry of movement and speech before pecking the girl on the head.

And she jumped back, her face grim and determined, waitng for a reaction, any reacton.

It came rather quickly.

---

LOPEZ, 1630 HOURS

Lopez stared at the girl questioningly, drawn from her questions by the physical contact.

Her mind was still in a flurry though; just a few minutes ago, she had been within the blast of the shiva missle, hadn't she? Or was she now in heaven? Hell? If so, why was Henry here?

None of it added up, and she suddenly realized that her thoughts were monotonous. Did she really care where she was?

Not really, no. She'd been betrayed. Her children were dead. She was dead. Might as well deal with the fallout.

She stared at her hand impassively as blnding pain ripped through it. But the pain was more satisfying. It let her know that wherever she was, she was at least alive enough to feel pain.

And she was alive enough to move on. To get back to the UNSC and kick MacCraws ass, rip a hole in Foucaults' ass, and get some icecream. Yeah. She still wanted that damned icecream.

The pain subsided, and there was some kind of mark on her hand. It was like a branding, except it looked more refined, and wasn't burning like hell. Her knuckles still ached from punching that ONI bastard though.

The man, 'Colbert', ducked down in front of her, taking hold of her hand and scanning the brand. His eyes were intense, and he seemed almost as though he were about to eat her hand or something.

Then he pulled back and the both of them noticed that there was a new mark on Henry.

Right there, on both of the elites shoulders, burning marks of light seemed to engrave themselves upon his shoulders, and Henry was grasping at them both as though the pain were great.

Then the covie fell backwards, seemingly passed out.

The young girl Colbert had named Louise, Colbert himself, Lopez, and the entire crowd around them was dead-silent.

The Lopez broke the silence.

"You guys have any icecream?"

---

Alright, not much here, but I think it looks at least somewhat good. And Lopez seems to be sufficiently shocked and insane for her character in the book. So, what d'ya guys think?

Also, did you find the hint of my Evul plans to utterly decimate Louises world? Come on, if you read the story, you know that theres gotta be something green...

Also, I decided that both 'Henry' and Lopez would become familiars. Lopez became the Left Hand of God, capable of wielding anything as a weapon while getting a decent boost in physical ability.

Meanwhile, 'Henry' got dubbed as a new type of familiar. The 'Shoulders of God', if you would. Although, since these runes were basically made by Louise instead of Brimir, they're not really 'of God'. Still, sounds awesome.

Anyone wanna guess at the nifty powers of the Shoulders of God?

And I assure you, this is not breaking of. Mainly because Lopez is out of ammo and only has two grenades, 'Henry' has no clothing and only a cricket bat as a weapon, and the various artefacts from the other world now consist of human and covie tech. And maybe some Forerunner.

I once again nominate Utena Tenjou. Take either pre- or post-series. Pre-series she is a very athletic teenage girl who burns to be a prince, the hero, the one who protects and rescues others, not be a damsel in distress(aka "princess"). During the series she went from someone with little to no experience with a sword to an extremely skilled swordswoman who all but created her own sword style. Now add Gandalfr runes to that. For those who might want to add romance, remember that Utena really has no gender preference, but grew up believing she was like most other girls in this. So, any romance with Louise, Siesta, Kirche, Tabitha, or other girls would start as friendship that would grow and deepen slowly and subtly.

Post-series differs if you take from the end of the anime or the manga. The manga near implicitly states that Anthy and Dios were Old Gods. Utena actually became a being on their level and then shattered herself to stop Akio after he managed to steal back Dios's power. You could have the summoning ritual manage to catch enough of Utena's essence for her to regain human form and use the runes to hold her together until she slowly over time recovers. In either continuity while she would protect and nuture Louise, she would also be trying to find either a way to get back to Anthy or bring her to her. Also, Anthy would be doing the same.

Post-anime Louise would have summoned her after she has been impaled by the Million Swords of Humanity's Hatred, which means she could arrive severely injured with multiple stab wounds covering her entire body. As the Prince, she would most likely survive even without water mage healing, but would most likely receive it anyway. The Power of to Revolutionize the World Utena will bear as the Prince would probably be very subtle but extremely powerful. Utena would also already be a master swordswoman as I have already said. Also post-series, while Utena would thoroughly humiliate Guiche through pure skill in a duel even with his valkyries, it could also be the first time the Power Utena possesses could show itself to others in a tangible form even if all it does that anyone can tell is to reform her clothing into more princely garb.

I have seen many tries to Halo stuff, but none have been followed through. I'd like to see how this one works.

Saying "Seemingly militaristic" would imply that Louise has working knowledge of non-military armor.

This would imply that she knew anything about armor at all. The armor shown in the series (such as what Agnes or Wardes wore, and so what Louise would be familiar with) was little more than breastplate, shinguards and armguards. Does this mean Lopez was wearing armor lighter than that?

Louise wouldn't know a "sleek and well-designed" gun even if it hit her. If anything, she'd think muskets of the time would look more impressive (they come engraved, if they are similar to the muskets of our world) than the functionality-based designs today.

How could Louise identify the tone as relief? How about the alien just released a held breath?

How did she identify the human as a commoner? It couldn't be her weapons or armor. Weapons and armor can be seen from people like Wardes. And if anything, human with weapons and armor PLUS a beast? The would imply a mage and her familiar (again Wardes, or even her mother from her military days), rather than a random armored commoner.

Again, how did Louise come to this conclusion? I see something alien that falls to the ground, "it feels relieved" is not the first things that would come into mind.

It just collapsed on the ground. It can't be lowering its head to look at Louise.

"dam of a brain broke"? Find another expression,

I've decided to move this here from the breaking of thread as it didn't really do that much breaking of and was more breaking in. Did some polishing of the earlier bits, and wrote some more too.

I present to you a ZnT/Okami cross:

Summoning the Sun

Where do dead gods lie dreaming?

It was a place that was no place, a concept that did not hold to tenuous perceptions bound to physical reality. Light did not exist, nor did it’s absence bring darkness in the infinite. In boundless time she waited in repose, not asleep, yet not awake, a being sustained only by the memories of an age long past to give shape and form of what she was and what she could be. Her name was once spoken by the souls of many, raised in praise, prayers of gratitude and petitions. Her name no longer passed through mortal lips, in neither prayer nor petition, her legacy made myth and forgotten.

What she was had become immaterial. Who she was no longer mattered. In the absence of light and darkness she drifted. A lone presence among a myriad of presences that flickered into being, some lingering, others flashing by, but all fading away to nothingness. But unlike them, she did not pass on from this state of being to begin anew. Hers, unlike the others, was not a presence permitted to continue on its own merit. The cycle of existence was denied to her, and it was here she waited forever, without awareness.

**********

“You may begin the ceremony, Miss Valliere”

Louise took a deep breath to steady herself, not seeing but well aware of the numerous expectant looks behind her. Expecting the Zero to live up to her name, to produce another failure. Not one of those looks would bear any curiosity about what creature would answer her call, only the premature judgment of failure. And why not? It wasn’t as if she could produce anything but an explosion. ‘Louise the Zero’ they called her. Zero for her success and zero for her magic even though her explosions were anything but mundane.

Her expression hardened as she lifted the wand.

She refused to give in to their teasing and thinly veiled insults, if at all they were ever veiled. She was Valliere, the daughter of the ancient noble line from which her name came from, her mother the powerful and famous (though some would say infamous, just not to her face) Duchess Karin Desiree. Her pedigree indisputably sprang from generations of brilliant mages and she would not shame them by giving in to weakness here. A Valliere would persevere in the face of difficulties; they would never admit defeat no matter what obstacles they faced.

She had studied every aspect of the summoning ritual, from the magical theories to the history of its creation by Founder Brimir himself. Everything there was to know about this ceremony, she knew by heart. She would not fail here, not now, not in anything.

With a sharp exhalation, she began to chant.

**********

“I beg of you...”

Where once was stillness was now a ripple. A spark of light where once there was nothing, burning like a newborn star. In its wake, she drifted, a faint tugging that etched upon her entirety. And with its first feather touch came awareness, a simple curiosity at the call touching upon her presence. Who was this? Who had, at last, called upon her being? For it was her and her alone that the voice had beseeched.

"My servant who lives somewhere in the universe!"

A servant? Ancient pride from memory flared to the forefront of her awakened self as understanding was supplanted by offense at this one’s impertinence. Many were the things she had been; a ruler, a guardian, a guide to many and a mother. But never once had she been begged to be a servant. And yet, she listened.

"Oh sacred, beautiful and strong familiar spirit!"

She drifted towards the light from where the voice had spoken, her passage slowly but inexorably crossing the void. Had she possessed the means to do so, she would have huffed in amusement. A sacred spirit she was, and yet was not. Her strength was but a fraction of what it truly had been, the price of her last sacrifice to save what could be preserved. All that remained was her identity, the one thing that all hardships could not strip away.

"I desire and here I plead from my heart!"

The words were heartfelt, an earnest plea that she could not deny. Once, in her memories, she could recall when such words were lifted in prayer, beseeching guidance and protection from the ills that afflicted those who called upon her. In those recollections, she had answered without fail, to shelter those who truly sought her aid. Such was their strength of conviction, and such was the desperation she heard now. Faster and faster she drifted, the presence of others touching upon her consciousness before parting, drifting away from their momentary contact as she approached the light of her petitioner.

For the briefest of instants, they touched.

"Answer to my guidance!"

**********

Louise coughed, ignoring the stinging sensation from the smoke in her eyes as her latest attempt stared back at her. A flash of light, a deafening crack, and another pillar of smoke rising into the clear day sky. Already the catcalls were starting, the insulting voices mocking her with that oh-so-hated nickname, but she kept her back unbowed, her gaze levelled clearly forward and waited for the smoke to clear. She would not give into weakness, not now, no one could see into the summoning circle yet, and she refused to lose hope this easily.

Her excitement grew as a shape began to make itself visible in the rapidly dissipating smoke. Too small to be a dragon or manticore like she had secretly hoped for, the outline vaguely canine in appearance. But even if it was a dog, that was better than nothing, and she was not about to complain about her success. The Flood, after all, had a frog. She grinned, eager to proclaim her triumph.

The smoke cleared, and the grin turned sickly.

The shape was not that of a dog as she had first guessed, but displayed the smooth and lean lines of a wolf, with firmly bunched muscles in its haunches indicating that it was healthy one in its prime. It was almost as tall as she was, coming up to her chest with a coat of lustrous and fine fur, catching the sunlight in a way that almost made it shimmer. Watchful eyes peered out from its noble face, carrying the promise of wisdom and intelligence far beyond what could be expected in any member of the canine family. There was only one problem.

It was a statue.

She had to blink twice to make sure, even though it was in the marbled hue of stone. It was the most lifelike statue that she had ever seen in her entire life, as if it could simply get up and walk away if it chose to do so. From the tufts of fur in its ears to the way those eyes seemed to carry the spark of intelligence behind stone eyelids, she was certain that not even the most skilled earth mages would be able to recreate this work of art in all its detail.

But it was still an inanimate creation of marbled rock. A well-carved one, if one was feeling generous.

The laughter was almost instantaneous.

“A statue! Oh this is perfect, Zero! You summoned an oversized paperweight!”

She gritted her teeth, trying to rationalize her summon and silence the insults with a fiery objection as soon as one came to mind. She couldn’t be a failure, she wouldn’t accept it! Maybe it was a golem of some kind? It was a desperate thought, one she rejected almost as soon as it came to mind. She turned towards Colbert, hoping to beg for another try.

To her mild surprise, the teacher was willing to entertain her wild hopes much more than she had been. He was looking at the statue with a speculative gleam to his eyes, giving her an encouraging pat before she could even open her mouth.

“There are records in the libraries of certain elemental creatures. Earth elementals tend to stay very still when surprised,” he began, giving her a congenial smile as he practically read her mind, “and it is certainly worthwhile to try binding it first. At least make the attempt before you think your summoning to be a failure.”

She bit back her original protest, letting it die unspoken as she listened. So what if her peers were so willing to jump on her and proclaim her a Zero? If Colbert had born the same thoughts as she did and stayed with them, how could she do any less? She would be betraying her own convictions then. And if he was right, if she was right, then her familiar was there, waiting for her to prove that she truly was its master. She’d show all her detractors how wrong they were, everyone who’d thought she was just a Zero.

She’d show them then, she’d show them all!

Still, she felt remarkably silly as she brought her wand on the statue’s forehead, chanting the final stages of the summoning spell. She ignored the jeers that came from the crowd when she bent down to kiss the wolf statue on the nose, surreptitiously praying that this would work. She would never live it down if word got around that she had kissed a statue for naught.

Straightening her back, she looked down at her possible familiar, harbouring the faint hopes that it would move on its own accord now. Nothing happened. But before the treacherous touch of despair could touch her, there was a loud cracking noise, sending her back a step.

A crack had run down the statue, spidering all across its surface as flakes of stone fell away to reveal veins of brilliant white light. The cracks increased in tempo to an avalanche of crackling sound, the light growing to blinding intensity that she barely raised a hand in time to shield herself from.

From somewhere very far away a wolf howled, an echoing, mournful sound that shook the Valliere scion to her bones.

Lowering her hands when the light faded moments later, Louise took one look at where the statue had been, and gasped.

What had been a statue of a wolf had transformed itself into a living one on its haunches. A noble face matched her gaze with watchful golden eyes that carried the promise of wisdom and intelligence far beyond what she had believed possible in a wolf. But what caught her attention was not its eyes. It was its coat.

White. She had once glimpsed bears claimed to have been caught in the northernmost parts of Helkeginia, where snow was a constant reality to those living there throughout the year. Their coats had been milky white, so much so that she could easily imagine them disappearing in a field of snow if one did not look closely. Comparing their fur to that of the wolf that stood before her was like comparing commoners to royalty. The wolf’s coat was of the purest white, like untouched snow so pristine one hesitated to touch it for fear of marring its beauty.

“Beautiful,” she breathed, drinking in the sight of her familiar. The only marking upon its coat was a swirl of burgundy upon its forehead, a singular oval shaped pattern that was not unlike the runes she had studied before, but far more curved and graceful. But even then, it only accented the otherworldly beauty of the wolf sitting before her.

She met its golden eyes with her own, and for a moment, she was transfixed by its gaze. The other familiars before hers had all been wary, watching their summoners with a cautious air as the ceremony was closed. But there was only the calm and watchful gaze here, matching her stare with a serene one. An epiphany struck her then, that it was weighing her, evaluating her worth as much as she was judging its own. But there was something else there, a wry warmth she had missed, not quite inviting, but there all the same. It reminded her a little of her oldest sister.

She was strongly tempted to reach down and stroke its pristine fur. It was a temptation she gave into, just for a little bit. Her familiar responded by tilting its head up, permitting her easier access to its chin.

It was a wolf, and yet, she knew with certainty that it was more than just a mere beast. It was not quite the dragon that she wished for, but she was more than pleased with the result. Not bothering to hide her triumphant expression as she turned back to the unusually silent crowd, including the shocked expressions on her more irritating tormentors. Even Kirche seemed at a loss for words for once. She wanted to jump for joy, had she been the sort of person who would give in to such undignified displays. She wanted to crow her success to all her detractors, to rub in their faces the proof that she was a proper mage no matter what they said.

But she wouldn’t.

There was something about the wolf she had summoned, a quiet dignity only enhanced by the purity of its coat and the silence of her classmates. To openly declare her success with backbiting taunts like she had intended would only spoil it.

Besides, actions spoke louder than words.

Meeting Kirche’s stupefied expression with a serenely victorious smile of her own, she turned and gave a brief gesture to her familiar. “Come along then, I’m sure we have a lot to learn about each other, but let’s see about finding you a place to sleep tonight first.”

There was a small huff of noise from her canine familiar, but it followed her, and that was all that mattered.

**********

It was not the land of Nippon where she had awakened, that much was apparent to her in the first moments that she had awakened. Tsukuyomi’s doppelganger hung in the sky, the blue orb flanked by a crimson brother she did not recognize. Even her hold over her own domain was but a weak and tenuous thing that would surely tax her to exert it, an experiment she did not wish to make in her frail state. The differences became so much more pronounced as her domain ebbed beyond the sky, allowing the night to come. The stars and constellations were different as well, where were the strings of tsuzumi boshi?

In contrast, the flows of magic were rich and stronger than any time she had remembered, the five elements so familiar to her that they could not have been from the distant western lands. And if she listened carefully, she could hear the distant murmurs of spirits who dwelled within the land, similar in form and purpose, yet different from those she had once known, their names a mystery to her.

She glanced back at the girl who had brought her here, padding over to the bed where she lay in sleep. Such a strange shade of hair she had, not the colour of ink as was proper, but a pale shade of pink like the cherry blossoms of home. She was not Nipponese and yet, filled with the spontaneity of the ku strong enough to match any spirit user of Nippon. She was young, this one, far too much to have mastered her potential yet. But for one such as her to be called from beyond that timeless void, the girl must be very strong indeed, and would only grow to greater heights with time and discipline.

She had been many things in her long existence; countless roles she had played to those who beseeched her presence and aid. At times she gave guidance or blessings that their tasks would become less daunting to accomplish.

But no one had ever called upon her presence in a manner such as this and to create a bond of spirit in the moments of her awakening. It was a ritual that connected the two of them in ways that went beyond the flesh, a yearning of soul that allowed her to feel the girl with means beyond her in born senses. Even with her reduced strength, she had been certain that she could have shaken the bonds settling upon her. But she had permitted it, for she was curious about the one whose voice had spoken from the heart and possessed the strength to reach beyond the auspices of the bridge keeper. She had allowed the touch of essence upon her soul, felt its lingering touch etch itself upon her being. It had brought with it the faintest trickle of her true essence, mingling with her being as it marked her body with renewed strength. It had also brought knowledge of the girl’s true hopes. A champion, she had begged for, a guardian and companion to accompany her through her life.

To be called upon as a saviour was not an unfamiliar cry she had answered, but no one had ever called her to be a guardian before.

It was a strange feeling, but one she did not mind so very much.

She padded to the open window, where the soft breezes carried the scents of the night to her keen nose. A land she did not know, perhaps a world far beyond the light of the Celestial Plains. It was frighteningly different from all she had become accustomed to, and perhaps a little exciting.

With a light jump, she passed through the portal, feet finding purchase on the smooth stone of the castle tower as she navigated its steep slopes with an easy gait. She let the scents and senses guide her feet, feeling the dense tsuchi packed into the stones that she touched, the feather touch echoes of kaze, whispering from the slumbering forms of the other spirit users. It was like the ancestral dojos of lineages where spirit users flourished. But so many! She chuffed in surprise, descending from the tower annex to the courtyard below. Surely they could not all be from the same line?

Ah, but there was another in the courtyard, the presence of the human permitting her to still the wandering thoughts to confront the present. A woman who carried an empty basket in her hands as she made her way across the garden, a maidservant perhaps. She would have ignored the young woman dressed in black and white, but her scent, her spirit, they were different. Not a being or trickster in masquerade, undeniably human, she was still different from all of the other humans she had met earlier that day. But familiar. She smelled of Nippon.

“Ah!” the woman backed up in surprise as she spotted her canine form, almost dropping the basket of cloth that she had been carrying in her arms. The woman’s surprise gave way to fear, itself quickly subliming to curiosity when the wolf she saw remained sitting. A minute passed in silence as they watched one another, the woman eventually cocking her head to the side as her curiosity turned speculative. “And how did you get in here?”

She cocked her head to the side rather than replying. A moment later, and the woman laughed softly as she answered her own question. “Through the summoning ceremony I wager. You must be that familiar I heard so much about. They said one of the students had summoned a wolf, but they never told me how pretty your coat is.”

There was a chuff of amusement at that. She had borne many descriptions before, but nothing quite as simple as ‘pretty’. It was, she decided, not a bad thing. She rose to approach, lifting her nose to look inquiringly at the woman who smelled of dust, soap and spices.

“You’re a friendly one, aren’t you?” The maidservant laughed softly, extending hand to stroke the white trimmed head. “Your master must be a very lucky person to have you.”

She flicked her ears at that in annoyance; though they were bound together now, she was not certainly a shikigami to be bent to every whim of an onmyōdō summoner. But the maidservant knew no better, and she found little reason to correct the misconception, allowing the woman to run calloused fingers through her fur. For a brief moment, she entertained the thought that the woman of Nippon would remember her true name and nature. But no, it did not seem that it would be so.

The woman tittered, catching her attention. “You’re really white all over. It’s like you’re made of snow-” She stopped suddenly, giving the wolf a speculative look, “You wouldn’t happen to be named Shiranui as well wouldn’t you?”

She could not help the inquisitive whine that escaped from her throat even as her ears pricked. It was a name she knew well, from an era that could truly be called a lifetime ago. Once she had worn the name while in this very form, bestowed upon her by grateful villagers when she had sealed away their anathema. Could this girl...?

“And you saved a village from an evil eight-headed dragon hundreds of years ago as well, didn’t you?” The titter became a giggle as the maidservant saw her reaction, which was to suddenly bolt upright in surprise. The girl truly did know, or someone had told her the tale.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing like that.” The woman wiped her eyes with one hand, stroking the wolf’s white mane with the other. “My grandfather used to tell me stories of a white wolf just like you with that name.” Of its own accord, her tail wagged. “But that’s just a fairy tale from a long ago time.”

Disappointment filled the huff as she slumped to the floor, eliciting a questioning sound from the woman. She did not respond to it, not right away. To be forgotten and remembered only as a children’s story, she did not want that fate. But she took heart in the knowledge that even if the woman had dismissed the tale of Orochi as myth, her forefather had kept it to heart well enough to pass it onto his descendants. If the choice was to be nameless or bear the name of her past self, then she would sooner the latter. If but only to keep that memory alive. Her other name, her true name, she would keep for her own until a time when it was wise for people to know. She let her intentions be known with a soft bark.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

She barked again, nosing the woman’s palm twice in quick succession.

“You want to hear the whole story?

She huffed at that, turning her chin away disdainfully at the suggestion. She had lived the story herself, what need did she have for its retelling?

“No...” Puzzlement filled the maidservant’s eyes as the wolf pawed once at the ground, but quickly grew to understanding as it barked twice in rapid succession, pawing her nose as it did so. “Oh... oh! You mean that’s really your name?”

This time she dipped her head in imitation of the human way of assent, bringing a wide smile to the girl’s face.

“I understand then, Shiranui. I’m Siesta by the way.” The maidservant eyed her with an appraising look on her face. “You’re a terribly clever wolf, aren’t you? Just like in the stories.” She giggled at her reaction, obviously seeing the wagging tail. Oh, if only this child knew. But such matters were beneath her; correcting the misconception would be unseemly pride she had no desire for. “And if a dragon threatens, you’ll come to save me then won’t you?” At the bark of approval, the girl rubbed her head fondly.

“Alright then, Shiranui, it’s a secret promise between you and me.”

**********

The maidservant was long since gone from the courtyard, having returned to her duties while Shiranui raced along the cool night grass alongside the walls of the tower. It was good to be called by a name again, even if it was not her true name. She pondered on the possibility of teaching it to the child who had called upon her, but decided against it. Such things would come in time, she believed, with no prompting of her own.
A brief bunching of her muscles, and then she was alongside the wall, her paws finding easy purchase as she ascended to the roofs. A puzzle had been presented to her, in the form of a maidservant who knew her story, but not her true identity, and she wished the solitude of the roofs to think of what she, and this land, meant to her.

She arrived at the nexus of the roofs, connecting one wing of the building to another, where she paused to gaze at Tsukuyomi’s doppelganger and its sibling. Such a wondrous land, to have two moons. Briefly, she thought if her honoured parents had a hand behind its creation, and if she had hitherto unknown brothers and sisters to provide guardianship over this land. Laying down on the sun warmed roof tiles, she let her thoughts drift to the events of the day.

But even then, to focus her mind on the woman of Nippon was not a simple task, her senses flooded with the richness of spirit from so many practitioners of the art. It was strange to her, that such a place was not besieged constantly by the beings who dwelled in the shadows, the youkai and other degenerate creatures who would consume those with power that they may bolster their own. Her ancient eight headed foe would have been delirious at the prospect of such a fine banquet for him to pick and choose from.

Unless they possessed the strength to banish such thoughts from the would be predators of course. Ah, she chuffed in amusement, but did mortals such as the humans truly need the abilities of spirit to defeat such beings? Her nemesis had not been truly slain, but sealed for all time, and with only the aid of a humble swordsman who’s implacable dedication and sense of justice had helped them carry the day. Truly it was the willingness to strive for their goals, no matter how impossible, that held the core of their strength.

Her thoughts would have continued further on this path when she was interrupted by the brief swish of wind, the beat of wings too large to be a simple bird.

Instantly alert, she directed her gaze upwards, where a winged beast flew past to the tower, a diminutive figure on its back. It was but a moment to recognize the rider as one she had seen when she had first awakened. It was another girl child, one with hair the colour of sky and a face schooled to stillness when the others displayed their emotions with unseemly brashness. A few moments passed as she pondered the sight before she nodded in understanding, thinking back to her arrival in this land.

The winged beast was what the local people called a dragon, though it did not resemble the grand serpents she knew of except in the smallest of ways. Their bodies were wider than the slim forms, though not overly so, with batlike wings to give them flight when a true serpent king eschewed the necessity of such things, gliding across the clouds solely with their mastery of the elements and spirit. Instead of the short and narrow limbs she had expected, this one’s were long and well muscled, like that of a hunting cat with scales the colour of the sea. This one had been summoned in the ritual that morning, she gathered that it was a coming of age ceremony for all the young ones she had seen there, to serve as a companion and guardian to the blue haired child.

Shiranui watched their flight towards the tower where the young ones slept with attentive silence, pondering what reason could compel the silent child to this nightly excursion. She did not have to ponder long, as the dragon dove suddenly at the child’s direction, quickly accelerating to a blur before pulling out of a dive. A chance to see what her companion could do then, she decided as the pair continued through a series of acrobatic maneuvers. It was not the same as the graceful flight of a grand serpent, but of sharp turns and dives, often alternating between darting streaks and sudden stops with a snap of the wings. She flicked her tail at the display, understanding the true intent of the girl who rode upon the dragon’s back.

A studious child who’s spirit smelled of wind and winters chill, learning to fight with the support of her guardian. None of the other spirit users had attempted to do so with their bound guardians. It was something to ponder as she watched them fly. The child was a quick learner it seemed, or perhaps, one who already knew well the way of martial might and was adapting it to the air. Few were the humans she had glimpsed who could take to such quick flight easily. Yes, the more she saw, the more she was certain that this child was blooded, unlike the others who she had met this day.

It was easy to draw comparisons to the shikigami exorcists of her home. The militant families riding upon magical beings created from simple paper, ink and their own mastery of the spirits as they fought and bled as soon as they were able to give life to their creations.

It was not long before they stopped by an open window alongside the tower, the winged mount alighting upon the balcony only long enough for its rider to step off. There was an exchange of words too distant for her to be heard, even with her preternaturally sharp ears, but it seemed to be a dismissal as the creature bowed its serpentine head in acknowledgement before flying off. In the moonlight, she caught a glimpse of the girl turning her head to meet Shiranui’s eyes. She flicked her ears in acknowledgement and the girl nodded in return, clearly catching the gesture despite the long distance between them.

Satisfied with her observations, she rose to her feet, prepared to return to the side of the slumbering form of the girl who had called her forth.

But the sudden change of pitch in wingbeats snatched at her attention. The dragon, devoid of its rider, was swooping down on her in a manner not unlike a predatory bird. The baser instinct of her form bayed in warning, willing her body low and feet splayed apart in preparation of a pounce. But she was the one in control, not her form, choosing instead to remain seated on her haunches as she watched the dragon’s descending form. It’s wings flared out with snap of rushing air, alighting upon the rooftop before her with the grace of a cat. Emerald eyes looked at her curiously as its head dipped this way and that.

She simply met her gaze in watchful silence.

It opened its mouth after satisfying its curiousity, revealing a fang filled maw to cry a “Kyuuuui” in greeting. At least, to a human and a simple wolf, that was all it would sound like.

But she had never been an ordinary wolf. Or a wolf for that matter.

All things possessed of spirit could speak, though few cultivated the ability to communicate beyond others of similar form. To many humans, it was simply meaningless noise, though she had indeed met a precious few of them who could converse with the spirit of beings. Beyond the simplicity of words, it was a communion between their spirits, conveying the truth of intent without chance of misunderstanding.

“Puppy!”

Such as it was.

Refraining from burying her face behind her paws, Shiranui dipped her head slightly in greeting to the dragon. A young female, the childish inflection within her spirit clear even had she not heard the meaning behind her words, but one with boundless energy. It seemed strangely fitting somehow, that the reticent young spirit user would be find companionship with such an enthusiastic being. But to be called a puppy by one of all things... she huffed. It was pride talking again, and it would not do to let it take hold of her. It was not as if human children had called her as such before. Ordering her thoughts, she directed them to the dragon, not needing to vocalize them to be heard.

“Hello child.”

The dragon reared back at her reply, wings snapping wide and tail twitching in what was clearly surprise. It crooned again, an excited pitch clearly discernible within its voice.

“You can talk without talking!”

She let out a startled whine at the exclamation. Young though she might be, but surely this dragon would have the experience of its elders speaking by spirit alone? But before she could puzzle on this further, the dragon recovered from its shock, head darting forward as it sniffed at her fur with exaggerated motions. She did so in return, though it was difficult not to with their proximity. The scents were strange and conflicting. There was a arid feel to her being and spirit, both cold of fleetness and warm of life intermingled with the wet dew collected in the night.

“No.. kyui, not a puppy.” it took another sniff, and suddenly its half lidded eyes widened all the way. It’s next cry carried a hushed undertone of fear. “Spirit!”

Shiranui lifted a paw to touch the dragon on the snout in a calming gesture before it could dart away. Even then she could not help but notice the way its muscles bunched, a hairs breadth from springing away. In truth, she was not a simple spirit, but it was the first any one had come this close to realizing her true nature and did not wish for the dragon to flee. Perhaps it thought she was an evil spirit, as preposterous as the notion could be.

“You are correct, child.” She began simply, “but I-”

That was as far as she got before the dragon lunged forward, startling her back with a yipe to avoid colliding with the much larger head. She wasn't fast enough to entirely avoid the rushing creature, the snout connecting with her body hard enough to make her fall on her flanks. It didn’t hurt, but all thoughts on that matter ended when her vision was suddenly filled with the eager face of the serpentine creature.

“A spirit! Kyui, kyui! Big sis told me about spirits before. She said you were all very strong, even stronger than big sis! And angry t- eek!” The dragon’s half lidded eyes widened all the way in realization of her words and actions, jerking backwards and hunching down before the bewildered Shiranui, “don’t hurt Irukukwu, kyui! Irukukwu didn’t know. Irukukwu is sorry!”

Rising to her feet, she looked on with no small amount of confusion at the shivering dragon, who was doing its best to hide its face beneath feet wider than her whole body, ‘kyui’-ing softly as she approached. For a creature who’s lineage came from the great serpents of the skies, it was a display that would surely shame them. But as she observed the quivering being who nervously peeped out from between the claws of her feet, ‘eep’-ing and hiding back beneath them at her gaze, she found it strangely... endearing.

Charmingly so.

Laughing to herself, she nuzzled the snout of the dragon with her nose, letting her thoughts carry the soothing tones she felt.

“It’s alright. I’m not angry.”

She was rewarded with an emerald eye peeking out from beneath a paw.

“Kyuui... really?”

She chuffed in amusement, letting it show with a flick of her tail rather than putting it into words. Were that this dragon a human child, she would truly be a formidable person, easily twisting the hearts of men and women around her finger with such innocent mannerisms.

“Kyui.” Still nervous, the dragon extricated itself from the ball it had curled into, her head bowed low in contrition to Shiranui. “Irukukwu is sorry. Irukukwu has never met a spirit before.”

She placed a paw on the dragon’s head in a placating gesture. “And now you have... Irukukwu.”

“Kyui... you’re a nice spirit. Not always mad like big sis says. But please don’t tell her I told you that. Kyui!”

“I won’t.” It was an easy promise to give, as she knew of no other dragons like her in the time she had been here, much less one that could be Irukukwu’s sibling.

“Kyui, really? Yay!” The nervous energy in the dragon fled at once, darting forward. Shiranui found herself yelping in surprise as she was drawn into a crushing hug with the dragons forepaws. “Thank you, big sis!” There was a moment of darkness before she found the side of her head utterly drenched. Still in the vice-like grip, it took a moment for her to realize what had actually transpired.

Irukukwu had licked her.

She remained catatonic for a few more seconds to internalize the sensations before she considered the implications of what Irukukwu had said. It took some squirming within its affectionate but crushing hug, but she managed to level her gaze at the ‘kyu’-ing dragon.

“Big sis?”

Irukukwu met her gaze with a gleeful one, flapping her wings excitedly. “Mmm! You’re nice, and you’re older than me, just like big sis. So you can be my big sis too. Kyui!”

Despite her normal restraint, she found her tail wagging in amused delight. Irukukwu’s simplistic reasoning for adopting her as an elder sibling was so full of honest enthusiasm that she could not find the heart to deny it. Such an innocent child this one, almost deviously so. If she were to behave like this with most people, there would be little surprise if she were to end up with a string of adoptive and doting elder siblings. Idly, she pondered if the girl child who had bonded with this dragon was also a ‘big sister’. With her paw, she batted the chest of the dragon, conveying her wish to be freed. It took a few tries before Irukukwu understood, but she immediately let go once she did. Pausing only long enough to bring a paw up to her head and give the wet fur a brief grooming, Shiranui touched her nose to the dragon’s snout in a brief gesture of tentative affection.

“I do not know if I can be your elder sibling. But I would not mind being one” She stopped, considering her next step. She had not told the maidservant, for it had not been needed. Her gifted name had sufficed there. But for Irukukwu, who had already perceived a part of her nature, it did not seem appropriate to take up a name that was not truly hers. “And I would rather you call me by name. “

“Kyui?”

“My name is Amaterasu.”

Irukukwu’s head cocked left and right as she opened her mouth, testing the words on her tongue. It did... not go as well as she hoped.

“Amateri... Amitaro... kyuuu, your name is hard.” The dragon gave itself a brief shake of its head. “Ammy is easier!”

Shiranui met Irukukwu’s earnest gaze, letting her amusement show in a short chuff. In the space of a single night, she had regained the assumed name she once bore, but without the maidservant Siesta understanding the truth of the matter. In Irukukwu, she had given her true name, only for it to be cropped in her attempts to speak it. And yet, she didn’t mind. Not really.

“That will suffice I suppose Irukukwu.”

It was, she decided, an acceptable start to the first day of her new life.

**********

Daaaaawwwww

I love that dragon. You just want to hug Irukukwu, she's like a puppy of kitten.

Very, very nice!

It could work. She'd probably be better treated than Saito, simply because she's a more sympathetic person.

I love it! Please turn this into a full fledged story! Please!

That was lovely. ^_^

Oh my god you have to keep writing it. It looks like it might actually be one of the elusive original twists on ZNT.

hence Al

I'd been pondering that one back before I started Nu-Mantia, but figured it was too obvious.

Edit: Also, Summoning the Sun is awesome.

I know jack-all about Utena except that she's one of the poster girls of the yuri fandom, but I'd like to see this happen.

I've never played Okami either. But this is a fantastic start, and you should continue it.

Masha, I need moar Znt/Okami.

I need moar now.

Seriously. If I could, I'd sell you my soul and body and mind and shit as long as you could make me more of these awesome stories.

Masha, I'll just jump into the bandwagon and ask for more.

Like more.

Lots more.

Please?

Your excellent writing skill shows again, but how are your other stories coming along?

Moar! While your other ideas have been quite interesting, this one is spectacular.

What

the file says Stand. Obviously, he's proposing a Jojo's summon!

... the World?