In over your head (RYUU)

The whispers had known information previously unknown to her, if she had correctly assumed that Simon Camden served as Verdant Gale’s real name. This could not possibly be worse… demons of a higher order could extract information unsaid and spread it like a rumor, explaining the whispers but leaving her in the dark as to what she and Verdant would have to face. As dark thoughts crept through Ryuuzaki’s mind, ice began to creep up the walls, turning the temple into a frosty lair and forming new ideas within the petite powerhouse’s head. Picking herself up and moving toward where she last saw her unlikely companion, she could have sworn she felt icy breath on her neck, yet found no source. Moving along, the yokai priestess witnessed snow coming from the ceiling, now a seemingly dark void in place of high rafters.

Rapture found Verdant Gale in the main room with the dragon statue, a dead Jorōgumo still twitching creepily but undoubtedly dead. She would have congratulated him should she not have already been half-frozen with cold and worry, instead moving toward the behemoth of a statue just as it sank into the floor, revealing a passage not known even to the spiritual specialist. A gust of icy wind surged through the passageway as it was lit up with a strange white light. “Iðunn…” came the petrifying whisper, the voice immediately recognizable––her mother’s. “Iðunn… free me…”

“V-Verdant,” Rapture stuttered in the aching cold. “We’re t-trapped unless we d-defeat this c-creature.” Rubbing her arms, the teen turned to the younger lad. “W-whatever you s-see, w-whatever you here, it’s n-not r-real.” Although speaking to him, this served as a reminder to herself, even though her mind had been primed for a psychological takedown.

For at the end of the staircase awaited the terrifying Yuki-akuma, one of the most feared creatures in all of Japanese and worldwide lore. Beautiful with pale skin, long black hair, and ornate traditional clothing, the icy demon waited patiently, her hands held in her sleeves. But as Rapture would soon witness, the Yuki-akuma had taken on the physical form of her dead mother. Behind her stood apparitions of Simon Camden’s family, capable of doing physical damage and appearing as if sliced at the throat.

“Ketsueki. Meiyo. Hazoku,” Rapture managed to say with clarity, placing her hands in a steepled position as she began to pray to the Red Dragon, “Konzetsu suru. Watashi no tamashī o shukufuku shite kudasai.” With the ritual completed, the spirited girl began to take on the form of the Red Dragon, her eyes becoming completely red as well as the tips of her black hair, a set of alabaster horns erupted from her skull and a distant, and feral roar shook the entire building. Next, Rapture tapped on her heart, pulling her signature Blood Spirit Blade from her chest in a manner of gore and awe. Facing her partner, the fearsome vigilante said just one more thing before beginning the descent.

“Simon Camden. Verdant Gale. I have a use for you.”

••••

Japanese Translations:
Ketsueki = Blood
Meiyo = Honor
Hazoku = Family
Konzetsu suru = Eradicate
Watashi no tamashī o shukufuku shite kudasai = Bless my soul

Simon ran down the hall in the direction he saw the Jorogumo chase Rapture down, opting not to fly in order to preserve energy and knowing better than to shout out. As he ran he felt the temperature visibly drop, his breath began to fog and his footsteps slowly became replaced with the crunching of snow underfoot "What the hell is happening h-h-here?"

On his way to the room Rapture was chased to he ended up running into her in the main room. He gave her a quick look down to confirm that she wasn't injured, and thankfully she wasn't. Simon was about to open his mouth to say something but he was cut off by the opening of the passage and the flash of white light that came with it.

Simon nodded seriously in response to Rapture's warning, steeling himself for what was coming next. When he saw the Yokai at the end of the staircase his hair stood on end. He knew nothing about the Yokai compared to Rapture, but even he could tell this thing was dangerous, far more than what he had been up against before.

He was so transfixed on the Yuki-akuma that he almost didn't notice the figures standing behind it, but when he did what he saw was almost enough to make him forget about even the Yuki-akuma. The first figure was a man of below average height with deep brown eyes that were the same as Simon's. The second was a woman who was the spitting image of Simon, save for long hair that went down to her waist and her eyes that were a deep blue instead. They both had laugh lines on their eyes, suggesting that they were very happy people who smiled a lot. However now, the only smile they had now was the red one across their neck "Dad! Mom!"

He had to take a moment to remind himself that what he was seeing wasn't real. Logically speaking he knew that it wasn't really them, the fact of the matter was that it was impossible. But it was still hard to see his parents like this, even knowing its fake. He stopped moving forward and clutched his chest, breathing heavily. This was all too much. He couldn't do it.

"Simon Camden. Verdant Gale. I have a use for you."

Those words made Simon stop in his tracks (figuratively, as he had already physically stopped.) Something about those words filled him with confidence, the strength in her tone calming Simon's breath Let's go He took one last deep breath and followed her down the stairs.

Time stopped, a paralyzing fear that gripped the petite powerhouse’s senses and body, freezing her blood and gripping her mind. She knew that the Yuki-akuma had the power to manipulate minds, but it had been so unbearably long since Ryuuzaki had seen her mother’s face. Cruel and dismal, the creature made no move, instead just standing there with malicious intentions. It understood its power and had actively planned this barrage of spiritual distress, from the onryō to the jorōgumo and now… whatever madness one could call it, should that madness become a dull roar rather than a screaming assault on the psyche. Rapture had faced countless traumatic events in her life, and it seemed as if this demon had uprooted all she had done to bury her past.

‘You are not alone,’ came a voice, this time, warm with familiarity. The Mother Tiger spoke silently, quieting her charge’s mind. ‘This is not about the present. It is an opportunity to face your past.’ Cryptic yet resolute, Rapture nodded, looked at Verdant Gale, and felt a great sense of responsibility. She meant every word when the yokai priestess had told him that she had a use for him. Usually a phrase delivered with malcontent, it took on a whole meaning. She could not do this alone.

Recognizing that the Yuki-akuma would not attack unless provoked, Rapture took the opportunity to give further explanation. “This spirit preys on your mind, Simon,” she began, using her uncanny comrade’s name for emphasis. “You must face your fears first, while I hold this demon off. Kill these insidious imposters, take your mind back. Face the thing we fear, and death of fear is certain.”

Having said her piece, Rapture charged the Yuki-akuma, blood spirit blade in hand. It easily evaded the attack, but that served a purpose; to distract the infernal thing while Simon dealt with the deathly doppelgängers. A sickening smile spread across the demon’s face, mocking her attempt. Another swipe, another failure, but Rapture did not become discouraged; she aimed to corner it, making way for Verdant Gale. She did not envy his plight, even though she knew what it felt like to kill a family member. However, her father had been a tyrant and a fiend, responsible for her mother’s death. Killing him led to revelation and a sense of damnation. Gritting her teeth, Ryuuzaki split the blade in two, forming a set of wicked katana that provided better coverage. The boiling heat from the weapons clashed with the bitter cold, steam rising in great clouds of righteous fury.

“You may look like my mother,” she addressed the demon directly, “but you are not. Even if you were, I would sever your soul, just as I'll do to you.”

As they walked down the stairs Simon had been mentally preparing himself to anticipate an attack and react to it, but apparently the foes they were up against now didn't intend to be the initiators, leaving Rapture a chance to explain what they had to do. Rapture told him to face his fears and defeat the doppelgangers of his parents. While she spoke she addressed him by his given name, Simon took note of that but didn't really mention it, seeing how it was quite literally the least of his concerns right now.

The greatest of his concerns took the form of his own parents, literally. Simon flew into the air above Rapture and the Yuki-akuma and circled down, flanking the clones. He threw out a kick to the back of one of their heads with the intention to incapacitate them, the clone whirled around to react but Simon was much faster and it was simply too slow. But before the kick landed Simon made the mistake of looking where he was aiming. If he had attacked blindly he would have landed his attack, but instead he looked, and saw that the face he was aiming at was the face of his own mother.

At the last second he pulled his leg back, instead of striking true and incapacitating the Yokai his foot instead just flew by without harming a single hair on her head. The Yokai responded to his kindness by raking its claws across the back of his calf. Simon cried out in pain, quickly flying backwards to escape the assault of his mother, and his father who joined in "Damn, I- I can't..."

The Yuki-akuma gathered ice at her fingertips, creating sharp icicle blades as it smiled wickedly and sent them Rapture’s way. The taunt angered the petite powerhouse; parrying the weak weapons took little effort at all. Responding with proper fury, the teen rushed the demon, swinging one blade to the left and the other to the right in a figure-eight, stopping the attacks while gearing up for an attack. As she struck, the Yuki-akuma flew upward, dodging the attack with ease and sending another barrage of icicles as she cackled. “Little dragon, how you've disappointed me,” her mother’s voice sounded. "It is sorry efforts like those that got me killed.” Hearing the familiar noise made Rapture’s stomach churn. She knew it wasn’t real, but she also felt deep pangs of guilt rising to the surface. Should the Icelandic-Japanese girl had tried harder, she could have stopped her father. She could have saved her mo––

“No,” the vigilante asserted out loud, facing the beast and brandishing her katana, “it’s sorry efforts from your heathen kind that get you killed again.  Come down, coward, and I’ll show you what this ‘little dragon’ can do!”

Flinging a blade at the creature forced it to descend, giving Rapture enough time to use the other one to successfully slice into a sinewy arm. The Yuki-akuma screeched, reeling from pain and turning invisible. While it retreated momentarily, Ryuuzaki spun around, faced Verdant Gale, and stood him down. “Get it together, kid! It doesn’t matter whether you can do it or not––you have to. I refuse to be the one to reap your spirit should you get killed down here!” A wailing screech signified the Yuki-akuma’s return, and just as it nearly struck, Rapture sliced at its abdomen and eyes, managing to graze one while missing the lower strike. Another high-pitched scream resonated as the demon covered its left eye, leaving a patch of ice over the wound. It retaliated with a barrage of ice, hitting the yokai priestess square in the chest. It was so cold that it practically burned, and as Rapture called more blood to the surface of her chest, the steaming liquid battled the solid ice, demonstrating just how powerful her foe’s specialty could be.

“Chikushou!” she cursed, not letting her guard down. “Shinjimae, demon!”

••••

Japanese Translation:
Chikushou = son of a bitch
Shinjimae = go to hell

Out of the corner of his eye Simon saw Rapture fighting the Yuki-akuma while he was running from his parents attacks. No, not his parents, the doppelgangers. Those things looked way too real. Underneath his mask Simon was gritting his teeth; Rapture was fighting so hard while also dealing with the same issue as Simon was, possibly even worse for her since, according to the Yuki-akuma anyway, her mother was actually dead. And here he was, wallowing in self-pity. Pathetic!

He was so pathetic that Rapture had to take the time to scold him, even saying that she refused to be the one to reap his spirit if he died. Simon cried out in frustration and lashed out, landing a punch cleanly into the face of his fathers doppelganger, sending it flying. His Mother screeched in rage "Simon! How could you!?!" The unconstrained hatred was very disorienting coming from the face of his gentle and patient mother, who only raised her voice when she was disciplining Simon, and even then never to that extent.

His mother, no, his mothers doppelganger, leapt at him swinging its claws at his neck. Simon leaned back to evade the first strike, then ducked under a second before he jumped over the third, landing behind the creature. The aggression coming from the doppelganger made it seem more fake, really drove in the point that this thing wasn't his mother. He cocked his fist back, made sure his punch would be on point, then he closed his eyes and swung. The Yokai turned around to counter-attack, but ended up just catching Simon's fist with his mothers face.

While Simon was fast he was by no means a powerhouse, meaning that as much as he wished he could he was not able to finish off the doppelgangers with one hit. The doppelgangers of his parents got to their feet slowly but surely. Simon readied himself for another round, he needed to finish these two off soon so he could help out Rapture.

Rapture followed her words with a furious attack, swinging her blades in tandem, diving behind the Yuki-akuma, then jumping forward to slice at its back. Frustratingly, her efforts were for naught as the demon moved quickly away, cackling and sneering. It was the creature’s turn to take a swipe with elongated claws at the petite powerhouse’s head, only for her to duck and make the weapons collide with her ornamental spikes, causing her mother’s doppelgänger to howl in pain. The sound reminded Ryuuzaki of the times her real mother would do so, usually at the hand of her father. Wincing yet retaining focus, Rapture plunged one blade into the Yuki-akuma’s wrist, eliciting a screech of agony. The blood had burned through the barrier of ice, allowing it to go straight through the bone. Having tethered the yokai to the physical plane for now, the yokai priestess twisted the blade before using the second one to sever the hand. Blood came pouring from the wound while the other hand still struggled to release itself. Taking no chances, Rapture performed the same maneuver, risking letting the thing go but succeeding in damaging it.

“Little bitch!” it hissed, bleeding profusely.

Rapture scowled. “You need to do your homework, demon. My mother would never use such foul language!”

Starting to retreat again turned out to be futile on the Yuki-akuma’s part as her opponent flung a blade into her chest. Such a wound would not kill the creature, only slow it; so long as the other yokai stood, its power would keep it alive. Rapture wondered why Verdant Gale was taking so long to kill his enemies, not being able to relate to killing someone she loved rather than loathed. It just did not compute for the apathetic teen, but what did was the feeling of dread emanating from the lad. Not the best at inspirational speaking, Ryuuzaki went for something different.

“Fear is only a deep as the mind allows, Simon. You can beat this. I...” Rapture breathed, “I’m afraid too,” she admitted. “But I’d rather use it to my advantage. Don’t fight it –– fight with it!”

While Simon readied himself for another round with the doppelgangers of his parents he saw Rapture's struggle with the main boss out of the corner of his eye. Although its cries of pain seemed to bother Rapture, the tattooed teen was still able to dismember it quite brutally. But it seemed like she wasn't quite able to finish it just yet, not until the yokai Simon was fighting were defeated. Rapture instructed Simon, telling him that he shouldn't wallow in fear but instead use it productively and admitting that she too was afraid. To be honest, that had shocked Simon, Rapture certainly did not look or act afraid.

Simon didn't use words to express that he understood, instead he showed it with a simple nod before he dashed towards the enemy yokai. The Father Yokai tried to swipe at him as he approached, but was simply too slow to act before a kick from Simon slammed him to the ground. Before the yokai could stand up Simon flew up, as much as the ceiling would allow him to, and flew back down, delivering a stomp to the back of the head empowered by gravity. The yokai that looked like his father jerked violently upon impact, then stopped moving entirely.

The Mother Yokai moved in to avenge its brother, slashing with intent to open up Simon's throat. Its claws never got that far as they were batted aside with ease with two casual backhands before Simon twisted its neck, killing it instantly. Simon looked back to Rapture expectantly, not really sure what was supposed to happen now. Rapture would likely be able to tell just from a glance that the teen was drained, both physically and emotionally.

Rapture could tell the moment when Verdant Gale had ended the doppelgänger yokai’s lives, for the bleeding yuki-Akamai doubled over in pain and howled low and sinister. The ice along the walls and floor began to crack, but the yokai priestess knew this was far from over––like a second stage to a boss fight, its own mortality pushed the fabric of possibility and gave a temporary boost of strength. With this, the creature reformed its arms using ice and summoned ice shards from the ceiling to fall like a mean torrential winter rain. Dodge-rolling quickly out of harm’s way, Ryuuzaki passed the imposters’ bodies at quickly reaped their souls, severing the tether between the world of the living and the dead. Another groan signified further damage, so now it was a matter of time and keeping one’s head above the flood of madness. For the seconds the shards stopped falling, the petite powerhouse had reached the demon, this time aiming for the neck.

When the boiling blade hit dead flesh, a sickening odor filled the room as an egregious amount of blood splattered Rapture’s face, skin, and clothing. The wound poured excessively, but the move did not come without cost; the yuki-akuma had managed to stab its icy blade fingers into her side, this time eliciting a howl of pain from the girl. The two crumpled to the floor dramatically, both writhing.

“Simon!” Rapture yelled hoarsely, grabbing her side and wincing. “Finish this bitch off!”

As Simon lost himself in his own thoughts the mini-Yokai slayer continued to fight the Yuki-akuma. When the boss monster summoned a hail of ice spikes to fall down upon them Simon snapped out of his funk to bob and weave his way around and between the spikes. Simon didn't watch as Rapture reaped the souls of the impostors of his parents, no longer wanting to look at them. Then Rapture moved in and sliced into the Yokai's neck, but in the process was injured herself.

Simon cursed himself as Rapture yelled at him to finish the Yokai off. He should have been helping her finish it off to begin with, not just lazing about like an idiot. He dashed over to the Yokai, closing the distance in less than a second and stomped its head in. Rapture had already done most of the work, he was only finishing the job.

If that did the job he would walk over to Rapture and hold down a hand to help her up That sure was rough, huh?

Rapture nearly retched as she witnessed her mother’s facade being crushed unceremoniously, but held her disposition when the face faded into that of the Yuki-akuma’s true form –– or rather, what remained. If the act hadn’t been so shocking, the yokai priestess would have commended Simon for his deft work. It couldn’t have been easy to not only end the doppelgängers’ lives, but committing such an act of violence –– not that Rapture hadn’t done the same. The sound of crunching bone made her wince; usually, these creatures did not manifest so completely that they contained an endoskeleton. Still, this creature stood as an anomaly amongst all yokai she had faced. Thankfully, the ice shards had disappeared and, in combination with her Red Dragon form, her wound had already begun to heal nicely.

Exhausted and returning to her natural form, Rapture reaped the insidious soul, making sure to slice it finely as to not reform. The surreal ordeal was over. So why did she feel so burdened? Looking at Verdant Gale and accepting his hand, she hoisted herself up and saw the ghastly yokai’s forms begin to dissipate. By the way the air had begun to clear up and through her spiritually inclined senses, Rapture understood that the other yokai had disappeared as well. A rather left-fielded thought came to the older teen’s mind. ‘At least there will be less house cleaning.’

Inspecting her weary comrade’s appearance, the petite powerhouse felt a pang of guilt for dragging him into this, even though in reality, the yokai had. No one should have to face the terrors she stood against on a regular basis, especially someone who had no experience with the matter. Rapture’s guilt mixed with immense pride in her uncanny partner. He had performed outstandingly, novice or master be damned. What had appeared as a lunatic in a Power Rangers’ costume turned out to be a very useful and skilled asset. Although Rapture would not admit it aloud, she had a feeling she wouldn’t have made it out alive without him.

“Everyone needs a hobby,” she grinned, sharp canines prominent. “You’re… you’re kind of a badass, you know?” Complimenting someone came with a high degree of wariness, but it had to be the least she could do. Well, until a new idea presented itself. “Anyway… the yokai told me your real name. Names are extremely sacred in my culture, and I feel it’s only fair that I tell you mine.” Breathing as if about to perform some harrowing task, Rapture continued. “Iðunn Ryuuzaki. You can call me Ryuu.”

Simon helped Rapture to her feet, secretly glad that she had returned to her normal form, all the extra stuff that had come with that red form looked heavy. When Rapture called him a badass the young hero chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, a sign that beneath his overly campy exterior was a somewhat shy young boy "Gee, really?"

Then Rapture confirmed Simon's deepest concern, that the Yokai knew his name and because of that she also knew it. It was to be expected, they had gotten pretty deep inside his head after all. Rapture went on to explain that names are important in her culture and gave her own name: Idunn Ryuuzaki. Simon paused for a few moments, as if in thought "Well, you already saw my face and know my name, so what the heck."

He was suddenly enveloped in a green light, and when it faded the suit was gone, Rapture would notice that he seemed to have lost a few inches in height without it "Ryuu, huh? You look like a Ryuu, to be honest." he chuckled, baring a wide smile as he did so. "I guess I should introduce myself officially. I'm Simon. Nice to meet you, even if it was a bit of a rough first meeting." he held out his hand once again, this time for her to shake.

Rapture smiled wryly at Verdant Gale as he transformed into Simon Camden and shook his hand firmly. The ice had nearly completely vanished from the room, allowing her to breathe a bit more easily. None of the precious artifacts had been damaged in the supernatural scuffle, surprisingly, and the lamps seemed to glow brighter, filling the room with both light and warmth. It was as if the temple knew that the evil had been dispelled and had been reacting positively to the change. ‘Now only if it put itself back together,’ Rapture thought, thinking of the ceiling damage the Jorōgumo had dealt. She broke contact with Simon in order to access a hidden panel in the wall, revealing an emergency stock supply of cleansing materials –– sage, salt, incense, and an incense burner that could be attached to a metal rod for easier usage. Gathering the materials, Ryuuzaki sat on the floor and began to create a mixture of the ingredients in the burner.

“Wanna know something cool?” she said as she worked. “You being like one of those Power Rangers… well, this temple is not actually in Jump City… not completely. When you enter this shrine, you’re transported to Japan. That’s why so many yokai haunt this place. Guess you can tick fighting monsters in Japan off your bucket list.” Having completed the concoction, Rapture set it aflame with a match and proceeded to stand and walk around the room slowly, allowing the incense to fill the entire room. “I don’t know why or how that is, but it’s true. This place is over seven hundred years old, way older than the colonized United States. It’s bizarre, but it’s home. I wonder how many Americans have been subjected to horrors of the Orient without getting on a boat or plane. You must be pretty special.”

Special. Or doomed, her mind had to counterpoint itself. The temple itself was a mystery, but so was the ordeal of Verdant Gale. The Yuki-akuma had acted peculiarly specific to the lad and seemed to have a plan in the works for some time. That, or it could have been incredibly intuitive and crafted its machinations to self-tailor to whoever walked into it. Rapture would definitely have to do some literal soul-searching and learn more about the yokai's past, but that would come later. For now, she did her duties while continuing to talk. "And you know... this has been great and all, but you should go soon. Greater demons attracted lesser demons and all that stuff."

The two of them shared a hearty handshake before Ryuu broke off to gather some supplies and start mixing them together. For a moment Simon wanted to ask her what they were for but Ryuu seemed to want to talk about something else, going on to explain that the temple wasn't actually in Jump City, but rather he had somehow been teleported all the way to japan. Simon widened his eyes in shock "Ja-japan!?! What the heck?" This adventure was just getting wilder and wilder.

Just as Simon got over his shock Ryuu told him that he should leave soon, so that he does not attract any more demons. Simon nodded, agreeing with her logic "There's just one more thing, before I go. Do you have a phone?" Normally that would be a stupid question to ask a teen in the 21st century, but considering all the mystic mumbo jumbo Ryuu dealt with seemingly on a daily basis it wasn't too crazy an idea that she didn't have a phone.

If she did have a phone, or some kind of alternative, then he'd go on to explain why he asked "Well, the Titans have their communicators, so I think we should be able to contact each other if we ever need the others help, you know? I mean, you may not need my help for stuff like this, but you never know when another big threat like the giant skeleton might attack, you know? It would be reassuring to have someone as badass as you having my back, don't you think?"

Rapture had addressed the idea of communicators when first meeting Raven of the Teen Titans. Back then, she used a sleek black card with a butterfly on one side and a radio signal wave on the other, scannable by most devices. But in the time from then to now, her comrade android Zenith had developed a newer, more multi-faceted object. “No phone,” she replied. “Something better. I’ll have to go get it though. Try not to conjure any more yokai in the meantime. Wait here, where it’s cleansed. Shouldn’t take long.”

After putting away her equipment, the petite powerhouse briefly departed to the inner sanctum of the shrine, taking an elevator to the lower levels after spending a moment assessing the damage done by the unwanted guests. Some structural work would have to be done, light carpentry and the like. Sweeping up the rubble wouldn’t be a problem, and it did turn out that the bodies had vanished like she had imagined they would. Now in her chambers, Rapture procured what appeared to be a round, black compact mirror about the size of a person’s palm with a crimson butterfly emblem emblazoned on the top. Having grabbed what she needed to, the girl resurfaced and made her way back to Verdant Gale.

“Here,” she said a bit gruffly, sticking the object out for him to take. “Simple enough. Open the compact and say my name –– my real name –– and I’ll be alerted, pop up as a hologram. Once you use your finger to open it, no one else can use it. I’ll get back to you depending on the urgency of the situation. And how much I give a shit.”