Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4, Part 3

[Oldmansour]

>"I was told that I was uncommonly compatible with this power. Perhaps I also happened to be in the right place at the right time - someone nearby enough to make a difference. But the power I wield draws its strength from... well, you may find this terribly corny, but... love. Love for those I call friend, for those I would protect, perhaps even for those I must fight against. It is not the kind of magic one can study in books, but strength of the heart."

>Minoriko smiles. "That part is easy to understand."
>"Now hold on." Nitori interjects, her face still passing between confusion and anger. "If you've had this power for that long, that means you've been fighting for that long, right? So why didn't you tell us? We could've helped!"

[DracoOmega]

>"The danger in this is very real. I wanted to avoid involving others if I could - exposing them to danger or frightening them with what's been going on. But after what you witnessed this morning, I didn't feel right feigning ignorance instead of trying to explain what happened - at least so far as I understand it myself."

[Oldmansour]

>"The danger in this is very real. I wanted to avoid involving others if I could - exposing them to danger or frightening them with what's been going on. But after what you witnessed this morning, I didn't feel right feigning ignorance instead of trying to explain what happened - at least so far as I understand it myself."

>"You could've told us sooner." Nitori insists. Pointing a finger at Rin, she adds, "You told her, didn't you?"
>"Nitori, you have to admit, it'd be pretty hard to keep something like this a secret from the woman she lives with." Letty remarks dryly.
>The kappa stews over that one for a moment before turning her accusatory gaze towards Reisen. "Okay fine. But how come she found out before us."
>"That one's easy, too." Letty says. "It was because of what happened with Patchouli, right, Byakuren?"

[DracoOmega]

>Nod
>"Yes. I asked for her help to bring Patchouli back to us. That...."
>Frown
>"That hasn't quite worked out yet. But it will."

[Oldmansour]

>Nod
>"Yes. I asked for her help to bring Patchouli back to us. That...."
>Frown
>"That hasn't quite worked out yet. But it will."

>"But if you were worried about, then...." Minoriko's eyes go wide as she looks at Reisen. "Does that mean that, you can transform, too?"
>Reisen nods slowly, holding up her right hand. "This ring gives me the same sort of power that Byakuren has in her Magical Lotus form."
>Letty cocks an eyebrow. "'Magical Lotus'?"

[DracoOmega]

>"It's the name I'm known by in this guise. We've had dealings with a number of different outside parties by now."

[Oldmansour]

>"It's the name I'm known by in this guise. We've had dealings with a number of different outside parties by now."

>"Including that bat-winged woman that stole Sanae?" Nitori asks.

[DracoOmega]

>"Mostly unpleasant dealings with her. We've fended off attacks by her minions no less than 3 times before today."
>"But I should note that whatever it was she awakened in Sanae, there was some latent connection between them even before she met her here. Something... I do not yet understand. Much of what she said earlier puzzles me nearly as much as it must have puzzled you. But this was more than something Elis did to her; there was something done long before. Somehow."

[Oldmansour]

>"Mostly unpleasant dealings with her. We've fended off attacks by her minions no less than 3 times before today."
>"But I should note that whatever it was she awakened in Sanae, there was some latent connection between them even before she met her here. Something... I do not yet understand. Much of what she said earlier puzzles me nearly as much as it must have puzzled you. But this was more than something Elis did to her; there was something done long before. Somehow."

>The three civilians pause for a moment to long between themselves, plainly confused by your explanation, before Nitori speaks up again, "Well, that's as may be, but what happened with Patchy?"

[DracoOmega]

>"She too was... changed. As Sanae became the Avatar of Air, so she became the Avatar of Water. I... think if I had succeeded in keeping her apart from her Champion, they might both have simply have died where they stood."

[Oldmansour]

>"She too was... changed. As Sanae became the Avatar of Air, so she became the Avatar of Water. I... think if I had succeeded in keeping her apart from her Champion, they might both have simply have died where they stood."

>"Her 'Champion'?" Letty asks.

[DracoOmega]

>"Sorry. There's just so much to explain it's hard to know where to start. The woman whom Patchy is linked to is called the Champion of Water, just as Elis was Champion of Air. They are both immensely powerful beings, recently come here from another plane known as Makai."

[Oldmansour]

>"Sorry. There's just so much to explain it's hard to know where to start. The woman whom Patchy is linked to is called the Champion of Water, just as Elis was Champion of Air. They are both immensely powerful beings, recently come here from another plane known as Makai."

>The looks of confusion don't really fade. "Maybe you'd better sit down, Byakuren." Letty offers. "I think we'd all like to hear this story from the beginning."

[DracoOmega]

>"Right. Sorry."
>Let's sit down and start filling in important things. For the time-being, we can skirt around personal things involving people who might not be so comfortable sharing them, like Kiku, and try not to paint too terrifying a picture of what's at stake here, but we can otherwise explain our past dealings with Elis and Louise, how we imprisoned and semi-befriended her, the episode at school yesterday, what happened with Patchy, and why the Champions aren't necessarily malicious despite what they are trying to do here - but still extremely dangerous.

[Oldmansour]

>"Right. Sorry."
>Let's sit down and start filling in important things. For the time-being, we can skirt around personal things involving people who might not be so comfortable sharing them, like Kiku, and try not to paint too terrifying a picture of what's at stake here, but we can otherwise explain our past dealings with Elis and Louise, how we imprisoned and semi-befriended her, the episode at school yesterday, what happened with Patchy, and why the Champions aren't necessarily malicious despite what they are trying to do here - but still extremely dangerous.

>Minoriko lays out some tea and some spiced tarts as you begin your tale of conflict and heroism, of an imprisoned people desperate for their lives and how you have found yourself in conflict with them. While you leave Kiku's name out of the story, you do mention Lily White's involvement, which seems to stick especially in Nitori's craw. The feisty kappa seems slighted at not having been invited to the fight, not out of any real desire to fight the demons, you think, but more out of some sense of pride. And while you're not entirely certain she follows everything you say about the past events, Letty and Minoriko seem to be almost entirely understanding.
>Both Reisen and Rin transform to demonstrate their powers as you did, and despite your friends praise of her figure and desire to see her other Spectrum costumes, Reisen declines to put on her own 'magical girl fashion show', as Nitori calls it, and resumes her mundane form, as does her fellow slave.

>After you finish, Minoriko leans forward slightly. "What about Marissa?" she asks carefully. "Does she know about this?"

[DracoOmega]

>Shake our head
>"No."

[Oldmansour]

>Shake our head
>"No."

>"That's a surprise." says Nitori.
>"Not really." Letty disagrees. "I'm not taking anything away from how close you two are, Byakuren, but the fact is, Nitori, she lives with Rin. She doesn't live with Marissa."
>"Well she lives with us, too, and that didn't stop her trying to keep us in the dark."
>"Nitori." Minoriko admonishes her. "You know Byakuren better than that. I'd hardly blame her for not wanting to involve us in this mess, or anyone else if she could avoid it."
>"And that's another thing." the Kappa says. "There's safety in numbers, Byakuren, that's common sense. You'd have probably beat that Elis missy if you'd had more people throwing power at her." She emphasizes her point with a wave of her fist.

[DracoOmega]

>"Perhaps, but this is not a conflict that will end well simply by throwing more firepower at it. Louise probably could have killed us all today if she'd wished to; after the fight with Patchy, I don't know that we'd have enough left in us to stop her. And I'd like to think a large part of the reason why she didn't is because of the measure of understanding for one another that we'd managed to cultivate earlier. If we're to find a peaceful resolution to all this, then I think patience, tolerance, and understanding are needed just as much as firepower."

[Oldmansour]

>"Perhaps, but this is not a conflict that will end well simply by throwing more firepower at it. Louise probably could have killed us all today if she'd wished to; after the fight with Patchy, I don't know that we'd have enough left in us to stop her. And I'd like to think a large part of the reason why she didn't is because of the measure of understanding for one another that we'd managed to cultivate earlier. If we're to find a peaceful resolution to all this, then I think patience, tolerance, and understanding are needed just as much as firepower."

>"From what you've told us about Elis and the Fire Champion, a peaceful resolution might not be possible." Letty says sympathetically.
>Minoriko, though, smiles. "But Byakuren won't stop trying, Letty."
>"Fine, swell, but tell me something else, B." says Nitori. "If you wanted to, couldn't you just whip up some of those power rings for us, or anyone else you wanted on side?"

[DracoOmega]

>"No, not anyone. Their heart needs to resonate with it; the ring itself responds to the will and emotion within a person."

[Oldmansour]

>"No, not anyone. Their heart needs to resonate with it; the ring itself responds to the will and emotion within a person."

>"So you don't control it?" Nitori says with a frown.

[DracoOmega]

>"I can choose to follow up on this resonance or not, but it may be that not everyone is compatible with this power - at least, not at any given time."

[Oldmansour]

>"I can choose to follow up on this resonance or not, but it may be that not everyone is compatible with this power - at least, not at any given time."

>"And, are any of us compatible?" Letty asks.

[DracoOmega]

>We haven't gotten any specific response from our ring related to them yet, have we?

[Oldmansour]

>We haven't gotten any specific response from our ring related to them yet, have we?

>Correct.

[DracoOmega]

>"It hasn't reacted to any of you yet, but... that doesn't mean it never will. As I said, it responds to emotion, and responds especially when those are strong - when one is powerfully driven to do something, for the right reasons."

[Oldmansour]

>"It hasn't reacted to any of you yet, but... that doesn't mean it never will. As I said, it responds to emotion, and responds especially when those are strong - when one is powerfully driven to do something, for the right reasons."

>"Well right now I've got the drive to give that ring of yours a knock with a wrench." Nitori grumbles. Looking at the unoffending piece of jewelery, she says "What's the matter, we aren't good enough?"
>At that, Minoriko giggles quietly, prompting louder laughter from the other girls.

[DracoOmega]

>Gently
>"Nitori... It's not a matter of 'good enough'. You know you're all good people and good friends. What this is asking for is... perhaps something different than that."
>Shake our head slowly
>"Not that I would have ever thought I'd end up a kind of soldier, myself. Everyone, perhaps, wishes they could ensure safety for their friends and loved ones, but there is nothing to envy about those called to the front lines."

[Oldmansour]

>Gently
>"Nitori... It's not a matter of 'good enough'. You know you're all good people and good friends. What this is asking for is... perhaps something different than that."
>Shake our head slowly
>"Not that I would have ever thought I'd end up a kind of soldier, myself. Everyone, perhaps, wishes they could ensure safety for their friends and loved ones, but there is nothing to envy about those called to the front lines."

>"Amen to that." Reisen says quietly.
>"Nothing at all?" Letty asks. "I'm not so sure about that. What about the courage to fight that fight? Not everyone can do that. I think I would have liked to have the kind of power you have earlier today, but I don't know how well I'd do in your position. I agree with you, Nitori, if I had the choice, I think I'd fight, too. But I'm not as sure about it as you seem to be."
>"Ah, don't be a soft shell!" Nitori exclaims.
>That term drawls a small scowl from Letty, but Minoriko diffuses the two rather expertly, as you know she can do, by speaking to you. "I know I couldn't do what you can, Byakuren, Rin, Reisen. Even though I'd like to."
>"You would?" Reisen blurts. "I didn't think I'd hear you say that."
>"Well of course I hate to fight. But I also hate the idea of not being able to help you girls, and Lily, for that matter. And I know you're hoping to find a way to settle this peacefully, Byakuren, but until you do, these Champions are still a threat to the city. And my sister." She folds her hands on the table in front of her, looking down thoughtfully. "The thought of these... people, threatening her...." Letty reaches over and lays her hand gently on Minoriko's shoulder. The blonde gives her friend a grateful smile.

>And only now does your ring give a reaction, not to Letty or Nitori as you might earlier have thought, but to the selfless and thoughtful Minoriko.
>Her temper deflated by Minoriko's sentiment, Nitori lets out a puff of a sigh and sits a bit deeper on the floor. "So what are you gonna do now?" she asks you and your fellow magical girls.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, Lily is going to insist upon that victory pie she made us promise to go out with her for, and then after that I might see if I can track down Kanako and Suwako and ask them what it was they recognized about what happened to Sanae. Any tidbit of information about that could be significant. After that, I'm not sure.... There's at least a few other things to look into."
>Did we mention any of last night's affair at the shrine to them?
>For that matter, did we mention anything about Reisen's change of ownership?