Stage 2 - Anger (Ash & Rei)

"What's the matter child, did that tube of salve did you great personal wrong?" Queen Shiera asked, her tone more curious than disappointed. Caught in a moment of confusion, the healer glanced down at her hands and the tube of ointment she had been applying to Her Majesty's throat earlier. The soft container was now mangled, sharp smelling salve spilled all over Akihana's slender fingers. This was the third time the kunoichi had found herself unconsciously breaking something today and she couldn't understand why. She had always prized herself on her gentle touch and this random spell of unconscious roughness had never happened while she tended to a patient, still it scared her.

"I apologize, Your Grace," Akihana murmured, head bowed to emphasize the apology.

"I asked what was bothering you, princess, what can i do with an apology?" It was remarkable how, even in her frail state, the queen managed to look and sound this... queenly. Her authority was unquestionable from where she lay. Only Her Royal Majesty's closest advisers and Akihana knew that the elderly blonde could no longer get out of bed. As much as Akihana had tried to prolong the monarch's life, Queen Shiera's soul just hadn't been into it. It was about the time when people started looking for miracles and though a devoted follower of Etro, Akihana too had found herself praying for the Queen to somehow live.

"I'm not the princess, Your Grace," the kuoichi corrected, walking over to the nearby sink and washing her hands off the ointment. Half the time she thought Queen Shiera could no longer tell the difference between her and the Late Princess Lissandra, the rest of the time she was almost sure the matriarch pretended to know a lot less than she actually did. Even know, Akihana's slight correction was met with a snort of derision and then ignored.

"You know child, I grew up in a different time, a time where we were told to suppress our feelings and do what was good for the people. My mother told me that a Queen is for her people, not for herself, just as her mother told ehr the same before that." Even the small bit of speech appeared to tax the queen, making her lay her head back momentarily as if to gather her reserves.

"But we live in a different time now, my dear. And you are... a ninja. You can feel... You are a human..." The elderly blonde seemed to be losing her train of thoughts, her eyes closing from the effort of maintaining a conversation this long. It had been like this for weeks now. Queen Shiera would be perfectly fine one moment and unconscious the next. It was as thought her mind and heart, too burdened by grief, refused to stay in the physical plane for too long. "Feel Akihana, feel sad, feel angry... feel the raw pain that comes with heartbreak, feel like... it's your last day to feel." And with that, the Queen was asleep once more, soft gentle snores filling the vast chamber.

It was good that she was asleep, that way Akihana didn't have to look at her or sit through her judgement as she shook her head softly, not a single tear in her too dry eyes. "I can't Your Grace... I don't know how."

Perhaps it was anger that resulted in her accidentally destroying things, perhaps it was soemthing else. But the blonde had stopped feeling negative emotions a long time ago and now, all she really felt inside was empty, copletely and utterly drained and empty.

A soft knock interrupted the kunoich,i making her rise to her feet from beside the sleeping Queen's bed. Making her way to the door, the kunoichi opened it softly only to find the same Queenguard who had found her twice that afternoon.

"Another one, Sir Meryn?" Akihana asked with a sigh.

"Three more, M'lady, all dressed up as you. That makes seven total. I don't know where they're getting the clothes and the fake yellow hair but some say its a new teacher at their school. I've sent a man down to summon the teacher to the palace."

"And what about the little girls, surely you aren't punishing them for a little bit of dress up?"

"No M'lady, we didn't know what to do with them to we put them in Princess Lissandra's old nursery until we can locate their parents. Last I saw they ere all rebuilding the old doll's palace and having tea."
'
"Very well," Akihana responded, taking one last look at the Queen over her shoulder. "I shall go join the girls in the nurery. When the teacher arrives, please send him or her there right away. They aren't to be harmed, I hope that's understood."

"Yes, Your Grace," the knight nodded before kneeling into a bow. The man was gone in he next minute, leaving Akihana to make her way to the nursery to join seven overly hyper girls playing with a huge doll house.

"Hey come on let me go. put. me down PUT ME DOWN PUT ME DOWN PUT MEEE DOOOOWWWWWNNNN" Screams echoed through the halls of..... Honestly the girls' weren't terribly sure where they were. Sure they'd seen some grand structures within the city and head talk of a queen, mostly through whispers of her own potential royalty. Rei hated it,no. Hate wasn't a strong enough word to describe the disdain the dark haired sister felt at the mere mention of such appalling sugestions. Like..... She curses the girl nightly. I've seen it. Quite unbefitting the sister of royalty, and yes yes I'm aware she isn't actually royalty. It's called a joke, come now readers.

The small blonde haired girl was being carried quickly through the halls of the palace kicking and screaming, but not by a queens guard. Instead it was her sister rei hoisting the tiny girl over her shoulder as they walked behind the one who'd summoned them, shaking her several times when she got a little too loud to ensure she was dazed and disoriented to give her poor ears a short break. behind them followed a small cat like puppet carrying a large satchel held in it's right paw, the weight shifted across the puppets shoulder, and two garment bags in the right. He'd been asked to leave those things at the house once it was clear they were required to follow the queens guard who rapped lightly at their front door asking for them to follow. Naturally as he was currently being controlled by Ash, who somehow was able to manage keeping tabs on the movements of their shared meowth puppet while throwing a temper tantrum befitting a princess. Again I repeat she is not ACTUALLY a princess. You'll understand why i reiterate eventually...


As they made it to wherever the queensguard was taking them... haha. that's a joke. Natrually I, your omniscient narrator, master of knowledge of all things, with an understa....oh. I've been informed that 'i just said the same thing three times you idiot'. I feel the need to point out there are kinder ways to say things. Rude.

As they made it to the nursery the queens guard would stop, simply nodding to the trio and motioning for them to go inside before leaving to go about the rest of his responsibilities. Finally Ash would be set down, her tantrum calmed at the realization finally of what they were required to do. "So... I'm not sure what this is about.... But pop your head in and see if anyone is there."  With a sigh, knowing the screaming would begin once more in the event she didn't follow, she popped her head in, waving to the academy students, before returning outside.

"Yea. Theres like... a quarter of the students and.....Well.... Remember the random villager you saw and said 'i want to dress the entire class like her'? yea. her. " Rei shook her head, waving her hand for the girl to follow and was immediatly stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"no. We follow the plan. Lets go. meowth. prepare us!" From within the bag the small puppet would draw out what looked like a box, part of its edge work trimmed in wood. Ash took it immediately, releasing all but the top of it and surpise! What would come from the small box looking... whatever it was is nothing other then a multi foldable privacy screen! Isn't that fantastic?! Are you surprised!!!!!! no, me either.

With the privacy screen set up the two would immediately begin dressing. Thankfully they'd prepared, swapping into a set of work out clothes that clung tightly to their bodies, black shorts and tank tops embroidered with the first letter of their names across the chest. The costumes were draw upward and over their forms easilly, allowing Ash to take the time needed to set up their wigs. Then.... The great spectacle began. Sigh.... Here we go.


"Prepare for trouble, like only I could do." The voices entered the room just before the two girls, setting up for the rediculous grand entrance the small girl had been planning for...... wow. She'd saved this one for almost three weeks. That is actually impressive.

"And make it double, dont worry, I hate this too." They entered, each stepping in and to opposite sides of the doors. In exactly the fashion she'd seen in her dreams Ash had started off the style of their imaginary characters. Yes I'm aware some of you may want to comment that this is in fact a naruto roleplaying board and while I understand, I'll have to ask you kindly to refrain. There is of course no pokemon. This is totally a unique creation thought up by the small girl (despite all copy rights which we the union of the omniscient narrators do not take actual credit for, blah blah disclaimers and such).

"To protect the world from devistation" Ash looked up, her focus directly on Akihana as she spoke, an almost evil grin beaming down past the small bits of red bangs that hung past her eye. Her wig stood out about a foot past her face, long and red pointing like a giant knife towards their spectators. Her clothes where white asside from theblack undershirt and a red R across her chest, and the over shirt would be split to reveal the tank top beneath creating the perfect trademarked look.

"To unite all people in every nation." Rei unlike her sister was dressed......Well Honestly it's dificult to say this without a laugh. She was clearly cosplaying a boy, that much was for sure. She wore a similar set of clothes, though the bottoms for Rei were long white pants unlike the skirt Ash wore. Her hair was short cropped and a soft almost lavendar color with two sets of bangs that framed her face, and let me tell you readers. Her face made it all too apparent she was NOT enjoying this.

"Jesse."

"James."

"Team rocket blast of at the speed of light!"

"surrender now or prepare to fight!"


"Meowth, that's right!!" Using the ventrilloquism technique she had the puppet jump out, finishing their dialog.... trialo....whatever. The puppet doesn't count. Anyway, Following the meowth puppet's comment would be a grand display of fireworks, three small flame like bouts flowing behind them, one strait up and bright pink and two at an angle to form a V with the first in the center, each of these a dark purple. They'd continue for about three seconds before the pyrotechnics finished, singing slightly the edge of a table cloth to their left but somehow managing not to cause severe damage to anything. I'm sure they'll pay for it.

The response would be a round of applause from the children, though the screaming echoes of impressed masses were as usual just in Ash's head.

"So. we were... um... summoned. Let me be the first to say I was not a willing participant in any of this miss. I assure you it was all my sisters fault. "

Ash's outfit:

Rei's outfit:

meowth:

The sound of the twins reached Akihana before they did, a bittersweet reminder that she hadn't gone deaf. When the blonde had walked into the playroom ten minutes earlier, it had been to see seven girls in various stages of... well... Akihana. Wigs were now askew and gowns as well as the petticoats underneath them bearing a strong resemblence to Akihana's own were being pushed off shoulders and piled on the nursury floor. Some girls played with the four foot tall dollhouse while others combed out their wigs while others still ran around and around with no sign of stopping. One thing all the girls did however, was scream in their high pitched voices, making Akihana's ears ring. There was no point in telling them to calm down, the blonde knew this from years of child rearing. It was now just a matter of waiting until the young Akihanas tired themselves out.

When Ash's voice reached her ears, Akihana's hand immedeatly flew up in defense of a girl she had even yet to see. However her chakra sensory alerted her to only the Queensguard and two other minor presences outside. At least she could be sure it wasn't the guard hurting the girl. The little ones in the room took no notice as Akihana zipped across the playroom, herding the seven girls into one corner and standing in front of them just in case. Even huddled behind Akihana, the girls squealed away, until the bang of fireworks.

The entrance that followed left all the little Akihanas speechless, their adult counterpart staring at the performance with a look of confusion that morphed into a look of amazement that turned into a slight smile by the end. Arata might have thought his mother never paid attention to his cartoons but the truth was that a lifetime ago, Akihana had been all too familiar with Team Rocket. The fond memory of curling up with Arata on the small couch on saturday morning made the kunoichi grin as she approached the two, the sister dressed as James hurryng to explain it wasn't idea.

"Don't worry yourselves about it," she smiled, reaching out a hand to each sibling and, if allowed, pulling them into a warm hug. "Your performance was very entertaining and well managed," she complimented. "Wasn't it girls?" All the girls nodded in agreement, some even clapping to show their sincerety.

"Now, would you two like to join us all for tea? I think we can get sone extra scones and cookies from the kitchen," she offered leading the girls to the tea table already laid out from earlier.

"Since you two already know who I am, could I please know your names too? And why you decided to dress up all these girls as me?" She asked once they were all seated.

Much to rei's surprise the woman didn't seem too terribly upset. In fact she complimented them. This was significantly better then the reception they'd received..... Well ever. She was excited as the woman offered her a hand bringing into a big hug herself and.......um, well this is awkward. Where ash had once been standing, and more so in the space that she should be occupying within the three person hug was only a black dotted outline the shape of the small girl and a pile of cosplay clothes on the ground with a red wig. But..... How even.......,, honestly readers this one.... Yes this one confuses even me. Oh oh, never mind, I've found her. The children would be allowed to clap for barely a minute before the small blonde was off, shaking off the entirety of her outfit to reveal her own platinum blonde hair pulled back in a loose pony tail, small whisps missed as she pulled her hair back setting at the sides of her face, threatening to float up into her eyes as she rushed about, whispering to the children as she rushed from one to the other.


"I swear. I told you three time how much these materials cost. At cosplay you must be careful with it. Come now fix this... Where is your wig!? Ugh!" The small meowth puppet was called into the fray, grabbing clothing and refixing wigs with Bobby pens that well..... I'm really not sure where the girl actually was hiding. 

"Thank you miss. I'm sorry for my sister she's um...., " what word would she use? There were so many words to subtly explain the girls personality, being kind to her intricacies without being rude. I for one am excited to see which she chooses. Let's find out. " well... She's an idiot. I'm reial." To say I was surprised by this cruel turn of events readers is by far the under statement of the century. For shame rei. Still her statement struck a pause in her sister, somewhere between placing the four Bobby pins held in her teeth and drawing out a large tube of super glue she was apparently going to use to keep the children's outfits in place. In one bound she jumped from her position, standing with hands on her hips in a sort of super hero pose. 


"AND I AM ASHAREIAL DEOMENORIA ALLOQUITIUS SUN, cosplay princess of the village hidden in sanctuary."

The sister's certainly seemed at odds, if not looks then personality wise. Watching the twins, Akihana wondered if she and Senritsu had ever seemed this different from each other. Probably not since her elder sister had been held up as an example and Akihana had tried her best to be a weaker, watered down version of the pride of her family. Not this blonde though, over the top seemed to suit her, making Akihana grin.

"Well Ash, Rei, it's very nice to meet you, though I still need you guys to explain why you thought dressing up all the girls as me would be a good idea," she asked, no hint of anger in her voice, merely curiosity. Perhaps it was in part due to her upbringing and in other parts due to her somewhat discreet nature but Akihana always found it surprising when anyone at all found her interesting in any way, let alone interesting enough to replicate. She was almost certain she hadn't ran into the sisters before, and she was almost equally certain that if Ash had gone around the city with her naturally gold spun hair, she would have caused a lot more of a riot from the citizens who held blondes in high regard. It seemed a third blonde was now in Hoshi after Her Majesty and Akihana.

But the kunoichi didn't want to burden the twins with the story of that, and how most blondes were just as ill fated as they were reverted. these were children after all, and so it was automatically Akihana's job to protect the two.

"I don't think I've seen you two around Hoshi, though i usually go out very discreetly, none of..." she gestured to the singed tablecloth where the fireworks had gone off. "Yes, not very much of that with me. But really, tell me about yourselves, how id you guys end up in Hoshi?"

"Ash the cosplay princess of Hoshikagure." The small girl's correction would be..... as she too often was, a little rude, but innocent enough to pass off. Bless the girl's heart. Her ideals were just too grand for her small form. With a wave of her hand rei dismissed the correction however seeing this as a chance to finally get something done.

"Ash.... Is that kids wig two degrees too far to the left? Sorry Miss... That should keep her occupied for at least a few minutes....though Were I u I'd take the bottle of super glue away from her. It can take hours to remove costumes the way she glues....... " With a soft smile rei would offer the woman a hand, pointing them at a seat across the room from her crazy sister.

"We um.... We've not been here terribly long. Transfers from Ame. Our parents.... that is with the village being rebuild... They thought it best we go somewhere more safe. As for the costumes to be honest I think Ash saw you randomly walking one day.... It generally only takes a glance for her to become inspired. A glance or a dream.... Often she just kind of..... THinks up things and then tortures me with them"


"It's called cosplay not torture....sister." She was half way through taking a brush to the girl who's wig she'd been pointed toward, somehow the girl's intense concentration at her task not stopping her ability to notice when Rei was speaking negatively about her. How does such a small girl notice so much..... Remarkable.

Hearing Rei's explanation, Akihana nodded. She wasn't terribly familuar with the going ons at Ame save its attack just before the demon known as Youka had delivered a similar fate to Kumo. Rumours of reconstruction had reached her ears but nothing concrete had came through. Hoshi still existed at the edge of the ninja world and Den and Akihana's policy had been more or less in line - take care of internal issues first and then seek alliances with foreign forces. Thank the stars most of the internal issues were now taken care of and after a year of hard work, Hoshigakure was finally recognized as a major village - though still very much at odds with the rest of the shinobi culture.

"Oh I've always wamnted to visit Ame. When I was younger than even you two, my mother used to tell me stories of an angel who guards Ame and brings luck to her people. I've wanted a glass Ame Angel since," Akihana recounted. It seemed a lifetime ago now, friends going into battle, friends never coming back. The hint of sorrow in her golden eyes was shortlived however. "I used to know this adorable little girl who was from Ame. Her name is Coco Wei and she was the nicest teen ever. Do you know her? And how is the rebuilding going? Ame was attacked a few weeks before Kumo so they must have had plenty of time for reconstruction. Do they need help?"

Akihana could understand why the twins' parents would send them away. It was the same reason Akihana had summoned Arata to Sanctuary. Parents were hardwired to protect their children even if said protection ran opposite the lines of honour snd duty. Akihana had failed as a kunoichi of Cloud a year ago and the weight of that failure sat heavily on Arata's shoulders even today. But he was alive. Alive and safe and hating it but alive nontheless. Ash and Rei's parents probably had the same approach.

"How are you guys finding Hoshi so far? Have you been to see any of the sights? I personally love the morning markets in the town square. All the colourful tents and games and venders. I think I saw a man the other day who sells fifty two flavours of ice cream."

It was always quite the marvel to watch the small girl work, how she would dance about preparing the tiniest details in perfect intricacy while still somehow taking note of that which is going on around her. Reial hated it more then anything. Even as the girl was fully absorbed in some rediculous work she still managed to notice if rei was trying to sneak out or if she was doing something small to get on her sisters nerves.... like setting flame to three thousand ryo silks in the back yard. This exchange for the two would unfortunately.... End exactly the same.

"Ame is beautiful!!!!" the young academy student Ash was fixing up would let out a small yelp as she was drug across the room to stand in front of Aki, the bright eyed beaming genin taking a deep breath within which she'd say more then you'd expact a human to be able to get out in one breath. I've always fancied the thought that she wasn't actually human at all myself. That somehow the act of drawing breath was a formality she didn't need.... It helps me sleep on those cold terrified nights when I'm left to contemplate what exactly these two truely were. Chilling.

"Theres the grand sky scrapers and the whole village is rebuild and and and oh. Theres a huuuugggeee castle! like probably the b...stop squirming or the glue wont set right and i'll have to do this again...... And within the castle the most brilliant shinobi who's ever lived works. They call her aios the grand goddess..... The cosplay queen of the village hidden in the rain." As she spoke she shifted and tugged on the child's cosplay, applying generously from the vial of super glue that would ensure at least a week( this isn't our first rodeo dear reader.... four days with Rei tugging and tearing at it.... a week once she left it to it's own devices.) of staying perfectly in place. Rei meanwhile... Only let out a sigh.


"It's pretty Ok i geuss. um.... Unfortunately with all the danger going about we can never return." Rei gave Akihana a look. THe kind of look that hinted something much much more important then just protection was goin on behind the scenes. Of course she knew. The tragic tale of loss was Reial's burden alone. They'd been sent off when it was confirmed that none had survived the infiltration.... and She'd happened to be the one to recieve the letter. She didn't have the heart to tell her. "So we'll never see our parents again... Who are totally. alive. Our parents. in ame. are alive." She'd hoped the girl would pick up on her not so subtle hint. It would make this make so much more sense. The fact that one sister saught to protect while the other stayed in her own lala land came down to this.... and at this it would need to stay.


"Of course their alive. They were two of the toughest Anbu in the village. I dont know why when you meet new people you emphasize that so heavily. you, dear sister are weird." Yep. Just happened.... The girl was briliant beyond a shadow of a doubt, her skill in both the ninja arts and cosplay seeming to be completely unparalelled by any her age..... .But goodness gracious could she be dense. Bless her soul. "Hoshi is pretty cool I geuss. People give us funny looks all the t.....whaaaaaaaatttttt did you say fifty two flavors of ice cream?!?!?!" Ash's eyes went wide at the though, her jaw droping as she went through a strange dance sequence in her head. Within the girl's mind the world had been replaced with dancing ice cream cones, the look of the room itself shifted to cotton candy colors with bits of chocolate coming from the walls. As she day dreamed she would dance about, completely lost to the world for several moments in her own bliss.


"Yep. That's my sister for yah...... MOEWTH CUT THAT OUT" With her chakra strings she reached out to the small cat who'd drawn from the large bag over his shoulder.......honestly. where does she even get this stuff...... Cotton candy wall paper..... Really. As the girl dreamed she'd taken control of the puppet, bringing it to the far back wall to begin setting up the wall paper in emphasis of her day dreaming because... of course why would she be lost in a fantasy world herself... when she could bring everyone else into it. Thankfully Rei put quick work to that, grasping the puppet and having it slide the paper back into it's satchel.

Rei's not so subtle hints were enough to make Akihana's expression soften in sadness for a moment. War orphans, not unlike her own Arashi. For a moment the blonde wondered if those who prepetuated such large scale conflicts ever realized the effect their plans had on children like Ash and Rei, like Arashi and countless others who's only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Well, people look at you weird because you're the most beautiful princess they've ever seen. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise," Akihana grinned, already makig the decision to keep an eye on the girls even if their parents were totally alive. It never hurt to have one ore adult watching over these girls.

Akihana had barely managed to open her mouth in surprise when Rei seized the reigns on Ash's fantasy, stuffing the cotton candy backdrop back where it came from. But before Ash could protest, the older blonde quickly intervened. "And this Sunday I can take you both to the market to try all the flavours. I have to do my shopping for the weekly bake anyway so we can all go together. What do you say, guys? Rei, I saw some puppet building materials for sale too, at good prices in case your Meowth would like some company."

"Oh... That's ok miss aki we... mhmh ghrrkkk" Ash was on the girl before she had time to think, shoving a bit of her spare cloth into the child's mouth to stop the respectful gesture she was no doubt about to suggest that would end in them not getting ice cream.


"We' d love to! WE happen to have all of sunday free... dont listen to my sister." After a few moments Rei would stop glaring at her sister, grasping the cloth and pulling gently..... and realizing she should have acted sooner. A slight burning sensation brought realization as she tugged at the cloth that Ash..... Would probably stop at nothing to ensure she got her ice cream. "mmmgg...ffhhlll"


"She says i'm right and we'd love to... Pay no attention to how much like im going to kill you it might have sounded." Ash once more had bounced about the room, now stopping directly beside akihana, if allowed wrapping her arms around the womans waist and letting her head on her side. "Now... You said all the flavors? like every one? This sounds like the total best plan ever right rei?.... yea she agrees. Stop pawing at it... you know what happened last time. before you wonder.... one and three quarter inches. just in far enough that it will in fact be on your lips. I'll get some acetone when we get home but.... well alright. you're going to hurt yourself. " She turned attention between rei and Aki, magically forgetting that the older ninja could in fact hear every word. To Ash this was a simple humorous scene where her comments to Rei were done in split screen with the adult supervision paying no attention to waht was going on. Yes yes, this has gotten her in trouble more then once.