The Crystal Hall: Fan Fiction => Storm child take two

Storm child take two [message #31681]

Tue, 17 March 2009 02:26

Forger03
Messages: 212
Registered: March 2009
Location: The Great KC

Child of Storm

Leo Half-Bauncho

The First thing I remember, or maybe it's the last thing I remember, is screaming in pain as the light arced through the darkness. Crackling, shouts, yells, pain, more pain, light, not harsh, but insistent, present, unchangeable but moving, flowing, pathways, and more pain. And then, the light formed a shape, an outline of sorts, a face, a face I didn't know. But the face didn't seem in pain, like me, and yet, it seemed in more pain than me. It pressed itself close to me, and I let it, as I suddenly felt hands holding me, diminishing the pain. Suddenly the light was arcing away, mostly, and the pain was less, and then, total Darkness claimed me.

Light returned to my tiny world 3 more times, so did the pain. Each time, that same Face was there, outlined by the light, and Darkness, and with it, and end to the pain, claimed me 3 times more. The fourth time my awareness returned, but the light did not. And yet, I could now feel something... familiar, around me. The pain was gone. I smelled smells, tasted tastes upon the air, FELT the air and those in it, and heard things too. Sounds, I could remember the word, sounds I identified as Voices. And another, softer sound, a voice too, but a voice speaking words that flowed into me, comforted me, assured me that something was right in my world. Suddenly the voice stopped, but the comfort did not.

"Are you awake?" the voice was back, directed at me. "I think so. But, my, my eyes? They are open, I think. But there is no light."

"I know. You've been given the Raikougan, but in Payment, it has taken you're normal sight."

"Lightning Eyes?" I suddenly realized I was speaking in English, and that it felt foreign. And my voice, it sounded... different. Not quite Wrong, just different. Everything felt different, but I couldn't seem to recall what should have felt, not different is the best I can come up with to explain.

"We'll explain it. Do you know what has happened to you?"

I shook my head, closing my eyelids since opening them didn't seem to do any good. "I don't... oh gods, I don't remember anything." I was about to start freaking out when I felt a light bop to my head.

"Not gods, GOD. And you shouldn't curse anyways. But if you do plan to Curse, I suggest doing so correctly. There is only one God. The rest, while powerful, really don't compare. Which is why he gets a Capital G... though I think some Pagans might argue that point," the voice mused. The person, well, I'm not exactly sure how I could tell, but I think he was smiling. I was certainly getting that warm kinda vibe from him. I figured it was a him from the sound of the voice. Very masculine. Slight accent, but I couldn't place it.

He switched to Japanese. "So, you can't remember anything? That's ok, not the worst thing that can happen..." his voice trailed off a little, and suddenly I had this feeling something worse had ALREADY happened. And suddenly, in the midst of the warmth, a small measure of fear, not my own, crowded in with the words, which weren't spoken, Like changing genders... I suddenly reached to my chest, and yes, there they were, small, but real. I had Breasts. Mind you I wasn't thinking that in English, but I'm pretty sure you don't speak Japanese.

"I'm, I'm..." I checked down below, where it really counted. Yup... no stick, just a slit. I was positive I'd been a boy, but I couldn't remember a damn thing about being male other than I used to be one. I was ready to lose it, whatever IT was, but that same person, presence, was there, and somehow, that was good enough. I didn't. Instead, as the fact he'd corrected me over something like gods v God clicked, I laughed. And Cried. I didn't lose it, but I still cried. I had no idea what had happened, I was now a girl, and, I was blind, and I suddenly realized my skin felt really freaky. And before I did start losing it, the presence intensified, and I felt someone hugging me.

"Shhhhh. I know, it's freaky, it's wrong, and you have no clue what's going on. It'll all work out. Just believe that, and hold on." He held me, and I held onto him, TIGHT.

*

Chapter 1

Leo sighed, and sat back. The poor girl had just had everything in life completely flipped around. She'd already discovered the fact she was a girl, and knew it was a change. But otherwise, she didn't seem to be acting like the Boy she had once been. Almost like her memories were gone. It would be one of the oddest cases of amnesia ever. The memories themselves are gone, but the victim still has memories of the memories.

She'd fallen asleep again, crying. Thankfully, she hadn't started sparking, so she was still relatively in control of herself. Very very understandably sad, but in control. He leaned back in the chair, his head in contact with the wall behind him. Whateley academy. Last time he was here, he'd been here involuntarily. He'd even wound up enrolled, as repayment by that irksome kid who had brought him forth. Personally, in so many respect, he'd rather have stayed back at what he'd hoped to make his home, hanging with Masaru. But instead, he'd been pulled away from there, unceremoniously and unwillingly warped between worlds for a 7th time. It still kept happening.

But now, he was happy for it. He wasn't sure of what it was, but he was enthralled, captivated, held there by this, this just girl. A woman alien in respects most people can't conceive of, her outward appearance only the beginning. He held up a singular scale that had come free that first night, turning it over in his hand. The blue green scale still occasionally sparked, the power within breaking free. It was a strange thrill.

The door opened, and Doctor Tenant walked in. "Good afternoon Leo. How are you doing?"

"I'm wonderful doctor, for as long as she is. Where's Morgan?"

"Signing you two up for winter classes. We'll take care of her once we are sure she's stabilized. I expect that to be some time tonight or tomorrow. She'll be alright Leo. Anyways, they want you over at powers testing, lab E I think, tomorrow at 10."

"Powers testing for me? I mean, I know they have to, I have to, its required, but... I don'thave much of any powers. I'm still not sure I'm even the Exemplar two they think I am... I mean, I was already at this level of fitness when I picked up the meta-gene."

"well, we don't normally have a student enroll, not get tested, disappear, and then come back 20 years later with a young girl who just manifested in his arms."

"I suppose that would be unusual. Has Morgan been tested yet?"

Tenant shook his head. "They test him on Wednesday. "

"Thank you Doctor."

"Why don't you go get something to eat. I'll page you if anything comes up." Leo sat in quiet debate for well over a minute, then finally nodded.

He handed the doctor a slip of paper. "This will put you through via my watch if you need to contact me. Thankyou again Doctor. Good day."

Leo made his slow way out of the hospital and towards Crystal Hall. They started classes as soon as powers testing was complete. For him, that meant Wednesday. For Morgan, Thursday. As he walked, an image flashed to life on his watch. "So, that worried about her, huh?"

"Yes, Blazermon. Should I not be?"

"I checked the internet. These are some of the best doctors out there, especially for cases like this. And they'll contact someone if need be. She'll be as fine as she possibly can."

"That's what worries me. That you have to say, "as she possibly can be." She's been a girl for about 2 days, she's ..." Leo stopped talking, and then turned around, still moving towards Crystal hall. "You, don't ever try listening in on my conversations again. I promise I will hurt you, and that you won't soon forget it." The girl, black midnight skin with pointed ears, her hairs white as snow, stopped in shock. "And you don't ever try to touch the watch. And that Belphegor guy, I do even worse things to him if this watch EVER goes missing." Leo turned back around, and whispered, "thanks for the warning Blazermon. I didn't see her there. And thanks for digging up the info on that Belphegor guy."

Morgan appeared just as Leo reached the Hall. They knocked fists, Morgan's tan skin, scared right eye, black and blue clothing standing out as always. His hair had been cut short just prior to their arrival in this universe. Leo wore a deep red button shirt, with black crossing it, and covered in Chinese characters that stood for: Respect, Truth, Faith, Destiny, Wisdom, Redemption, and Honor. His red hair waved in the wind.

They walked in, grabbed some food, and made there way towards a table in a corner. They paused for a moment, or rather, Leo paused and Morgan almost ran into him. There was a Velociraptor in the corner, and it reminded Leo of Razormon... they weren't actually that similar, but they were both raptors covered in blades. Leo walked over and sat down at the table nearest. Morgan just shrugged and sat down.

"Morgan, what can you get on the group behind us?"

A glow came from Morgan's right eye, and he said, "I count 6 total. Raptor, blind kid with some kind of sensory ability, judging from the way his brain is running around his optical cortex, oh and bad fashion sense, some kind of Viper girl hybrid, I can't get ANY readings on the other girl, just that her aura is seriously funky, and, hmmmm, twins. Brain activity suggests empaths, but I can't get much else." He took a bite of his sandwich.

Morgan was getting several looks from various people. Morgan was already recognized as an energizer, due to the reports of how he absorbed the electrical energy during a near power overload at one of the devisor labs during his tour. But he was eating barely more than a regular person. Energizers are BIG eaters, just like Bricks and Examplars... and Morgan wasn't acting like one at all. He was also getting odd looks he didn't notice, from Phobos and Deimos. So was Leo. A, they were sitting only 1 table away from Outcast Corner, and B, they seemed completely unaffected by the fear aura.

Caitlin turned around in her chair, looking at the two. "Hey you two, stop talking about people behind their backs."

"Sorry 'bout that. We were, uh, caught off guard by some of your eccentricies. And your friend over there reminds me of another friend of mine. I'm Leo. This is Morgan." Leo turned around, and bowed, garnering laughs from the assembled "monsters."

Razorback signed to Jericho. Leo, catching it, smiled. "Yes, you are a lot like a Velociraptor. But that isn't who you remind me of. Not exactly." Razorback blinked, and once more, people cracked up.

This time Jericho asked the questions. "So how did you guess all that stuff about us?"

"Morgan here can do this thing called Raikougan." He let Morgan take over.

"Basically, I can see Electricity, and understand it. Which means I can read brain activity. The center of your vision indicates you see SOMETHING, but you're white eyes say you are blind. Of course, I know white eyes don't necessarily mean blindness." He opened his scarred eye. It was a pure white orb. Suddenly it started shining and the shape of an iris appeared, formed of electrical energy. It stopped.

"Well that's a useful power. But what does it mean that Eldritch doesn't appear in your sight?"

"That she has no nervous system. And Eldritch? Honestly? I've half a mind to go Digi-destined on you now, for making me think about the 7 great demon Lords." Leo stated, his stance shifting even though he was seated.

"Hey, not their fault you had to punch out a couple Cthulu's back in the day." Morgan started laughing. So did everybody else, thinking it was a joke. Well, the local empaths didn't. because Leo wasn't laughing. He was shuddering.

"Not Funny Morgan. Do you realize how much danger even I was in during that time?" the voice of Blazermon floated out of the watch. It caught everyone off guard. Seconds laughter Jericho was staring intently at it.

"Ok, how do you do that? Devise, Gadget, practical joke?"

"Joke? I am NOT a joke. I am Blazermon, super self sentient AI extraordinaire."

Leo facepalmed, and then sighed. "You weren't supposed to say that Blazermon. Remember? Carson is gonna kill us." He looked up at the others. "Don't ask. Don't. Morgan, I'm heading back. I apologize for my abruptness, but there is someone I am concerned for." He stood and left.

Morgan just shook his head. "I have never seen him so flustered. Having the past come up in ways it has never come up before seems to be... ah, anyways, Any more questions?" he got a flurry on 15 different tangents, much teasing, poking fun, and insanity was had all around.

Leo, meanwhile, sat back in the same chair as before, watching his new unofficial ward. The state didn't even know what to do with her. Her entire legal identity had, for all intents and purposes, been erased. It might be possible to reclaim it, but it would be ridiculously difficult. And he'd need money he didn't have.

He didn't expect the call. "Leo, Ms. Carson needs to see you. It would appear it is about our young friend here." Leo, surprised, nodded and walked out. Soon he was running towards Admin, dodging around people, including a strange collection of especially beautiful girls and one boy, several of them flying.

"Excuse me, sorry, gotta get past, Apologize for the rudeness milady," he said as he dodged around a black girl, who was caught almost completely off guard. For those who knew Toni, this incident was something of a surprise. Much less put her into a defensive stance. But Leo was already gone.

"He's boosting his speed with Ki. And I don't think he's doing it consciously." She looked at the others. Chou nodded in agreement.

Leo wasn't sure why he was running, but he was. He got to Admin quickly, and came inside, panting slightly. He nodded to Ms. Hartford as he reached the area outside the headmistress's office. She nodded back to him.

"Go on inside. She's waiting for you."

He went inside. He wasn't expecting what awaited him. An Asian gentlemen stood in the office, speaking to Ms. Carson. He turned as Leo entered. "So this is the young man? Zhang Leo?"

Leo stopped and bowed low. "That is me, sir," Leo answered in Chinese, then repeated the answer in Japanese.

The man smiled. "It is good you speak the language so fluidly, but for simplicities sake we will speak in English." He promptly switched to it.

"Mr. Zhang, we have called you here because of the will of the parents of the Young, I understand Arashi is now female? The Young lady you have brought to this academy. That will has named you regent of their estate until she reaches her majority. I am to serve in an advisory capacity. Unfortunetly, this presents a number of problems, because you are a "resurrected" identity, in addition to being only 19 years old. You are not even from this dimension, if my clairvoyance is not being disrupted. Ah, I'm sorry, I have skipped introductions, have I not? My name is Chomaru Shitan. I am an Esper, and a lawyer. I have been working for Miss Arashi's family for many years now."

Leo nodded, confused about this, and accepted the hand offered.

Ms. Carson stepped forward. "It would seem her father, who Mr. Shitan has requested we call simply Kage, was a very powerful precog. He foresaw both his own death, and your arrival. He appears to know something of you, and has even made arrangements for if you should, well the will said 'be forcibly removed by powers beyond this plane.' What does that mean?"

"I've been forced onto another plane or dimension of existence approaching 50 times now. The first time I came to this world was number 7. This time was 48. I've voluntarily moved between dimensions 24 times thus far."

Carson blinked. She looked at Mr. Shitan. He nodded. "He speaks true. Regardless, we have to make sure to get this legally approved, official. I am to be in charge of managing money for Ms. Arashi, providing as necessary for comforts and school. But you are being given final say, however. You may veto my monetary decisions."

He continued to go over the whole situation with Leo for a while. Leo kept asking if there was any particular reason he had been selected. No answer could be provided. None. There was no explainable reasoning for Leo, who had not even BEEN in this universe when the will was written, should be selected. It made less than no sense. WHY was HE being placed in charge? Which maniac came up with this plan? And what did he do when she woke up? Oh this was going to be a headache and a half.

"Now then, as to the arrangements for school for both you, Morgan, and Arashi, the will has explicity stated that your tuition is to be paid for as long as you wish to or are able to attend this academy. Similar statements have been made guaranteeing Arashi's tuition, though that particular decision has been taken completely out of the hands of anyone living until she turns 18." Leo nodded.

"We're have decided," said Ms. Carson, "that for the moment it is advisable for her to be placed in Hawthorne. You have explained that she appears to be, as you call them, an Elemental. Thus far, your statements about their abilities have proven correct, including the problems when they lose control. In light of the high possibility she will lose control again. We'll know more after she undergoes powers testing."

Leo nodded, and sat back. Well this is not something he expected. Suddenly, "Excuse me, but do I figure into this at all?" Blazermon, blunt as always.

Ms. Carson was suddenly very irritated. They were still analyzing the AI, trying to figure out what they could about it. In many respects, the tiny pieces of its programming they could even glimpse already surpassed many respects of the Palm AIs. Blazermon both thrilled and irritated Amelia to no end. His existence and power were contradictory to most accepted precepts about life, AIs, and the world of the digital. She had wanted him kept secret.

"Ah yes, you would be the, Blazermon, mentioned in section 13, would you not?" Mr. Shitan was completely unperturbed or surprised. Carson's irritation vanished.

"That's me."

"Alright, let me see. You are authorized to double check, track, and monitor all electronic transfers and activity regarding Ms. Arashi's accounts that any person could legally do. You are "discouraged" from doing anything that would draw unnecessary attention such as that of governments of any kind, towards yourself or those activities. You are also authorized to take action if you believe The Lady's life is in imminent danger, just as Leo is. Well those are the basics. You may examine a copy of the Will at your leisure."

"Done. Wow. Ya know, 13 is supposed to be our lucky number. Isn't that right Leo?"

"I suppose you could say that. Mr. Kage certainly must have been an incredible precog. Was his wife or someone he knew clairvoyant to a high degree? Or did they posses similar abilities?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that."

"Thank you, Mr. Shitan. If this is it for now, I would like permission to head back now, Ms. Carson."

"We are done here." Mr. Shitan nodded, bowed, and left, Leo returning the bow.

"No, Mr. Zhang, you are to go to your room and sleep. You may check back with Ms. Arashi before you head to power's testing tomorrow. Is that clear?" Leo nodded, and walked out.

Sleep did not come easy. "Morgan?"

"Yeah man?"

"They made me her guardian. I'm seriously not ready for that."

"You're Leo. You're even more stubborn than Corben. Of course you can."

"Stubborness isn't gonna raise a girl who's like, 2 going on 15. I mean, seriously. And we both have classes too. What am I in?"

"Some programming stuff, martial arts, and I tossed you into a statistics course and something about Costumes. Should be fun. Oh, and they told me to tell you they may have to do some special classes for you and Blazermon, they want to know what the pair of you can do. Pity they learned about the manifesting thing."

"Not really, we can't control it. It was bound to happen eventually."

"Yeah. Well, get some sleep man, stop worrying. You can see her in the morning."

"Thanks Morgan."

"Just doing my duty."

"sure." Leo finally relaxed enough to fall into a fitful sleep, but he eventually slipped into a deep one for a few hours.

*grin* "Walk, and when Satan gets in the way, punch him and keep walking."

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