Souls of the Fallen

Show Off

Shina wanders to the center of the backyard in her ankle socks. Branches snap underfoot as she approaches some rags on the ground. The yard is gated off from the neighbor's yard with a large willow tree looming over most of it. "You sure about this?" she asks Lucas. She stretches to prepare for a fight just in case he doesn't back down.

"Are you gettin' cold feet?" he says. He cracks his neck and knuckles. "I have to make a believer out of you! Can't let you just claim that you're better than me like that." Naru and Reno come out of the house shortly afterward. The red-head points to the table and they take a seat. "Oh! Now I definitely have to show you up now that I have an audience!"

"Psshhh..." Naru scoffs. He looks back at her confused at her remark. "Good luck, kiddo!" He rolls his eyes and joins Shina in the middle of the yard.

"I guess she's your cheerleader..."

"Yup," Shina says. She wraps her hands from her knuckles down to the middle of her forearm in the loose fabric that she scooped from the ground. "Let's get started then." She steps back a few steps to increase the space between them. Her hands extend before her in a fighting stance.

Lucas laughs at her. "You definitely won't get a knockout if you cover your knuckles." Shina's stance lowers slightly as she awaits him to stop yapping. I swear I don't like cocky people. Oh, sorry... I'll keep my opinion out of the story.

He finally stops his irrelevant chatter and gets in a fighting stance. He slowly circles Shina. She follows him by pivoting in her position. He bursts forward with a right hook. Shina steps into his attack with her left arm up to block the Eon's arm. She gets so deep into his advance that the attack is misplaced behind her head. The point of her right elbow slams into his gut. The brash boy buckles back. He grips his belly and frowns at Shina. She resets her position. Fists up and legs spread.

"Now's your chance to back down!" Naru screams from the bench. Reno looks on while taking a bite of the meal Shina prepared for him.

Lucas recovers from getting the wind knocked out of him. He pulls his sleeve back. "I didn't come out here for a fist fight..." he mumbles. "You better turn on the light show, girl. I'm not going to hold back." The droopy foilage sways as gusts of wind spiral from Lucas. Shina's baggy joggers flap but she doesn't budge.

The door from the house squeaks and slams shortly afterward. Riku walks out in extremely short shorts and a tank top that ends just above his belly button. Reno's full mouth empties onto the table. His eyes widen so much he has to readjust his glasses. "Look good, don't I," Riku jokes with his brother. Rice falls from his plate as the current spewing from Lucas reaches them. He covers the plate and looks out into the yard to see the fight unfolding.

Shina notices Riku standing near the others. This distraction allows Lucas to prepare an attack. Her hands cover her mouth as he releases the attack in her direction. A condensed force of wind barrels towards her. She snaps back into the fight just in time to brace for impact. Her hands cross and the attack shreds the fabric on her arms. She's knocked off of her feet. While she's tumbling backwards, Lucas rushes her. He grips her leg to prevent her from rolling any further. His hand draws back and wind builds up around it. He rakes at her stomach.

The Magi girl kicks him in the shoulder with her free leg. His attack gouges the dirt at her side and the wind rips upwards. Branches fall to the ground around them. Shina gets to her feet as Lucas looms near her under the giant tree. She holds her waist and realizes she's bleeding. The bottom of the black tank top is as shredded as the other fabric around her. She pulls it off and Riku yelps. She reveals her taped chest. "Aw man..." he whispers.

She wipes her injury with the damaged shirt then discards it. "So you're serious?" Lucas nods. Shina smirks in response. "Very well..." She runs three fingers across the bleeding scratches. Two glyphs on her arm glow slightly as the cuts are seal closed. She flicks her wrist clean of the blood. The next second, she is planting her fist into Lucas' chest. He falls back. She smiles while tugging her joggers up revealing more glowing symbols. "You're gonna have to scream mercy soon, chump," she squats down to his eye level. "Get up. Let's do this for real this time." She stands and allows him to do the same.

Lucas vaults to his feet. "Sorry if I maim you while proving that you're the inferior one." He lifts his hands waist high and broken branches wobble up from the ground. They spin slowly but gain speed quickly. His index finger flicks forward and a branch flies at Shina. She charges at him while dodging the projectile. He attempts to hit her with the remainder of the wooden missiles but she seemingly fades from one position to the next as she gradually gets closer to him. On his his last attempt, Shina catches the branch and throws it back. It zips past his face and gets planted in the fence.

She reaches him and feigns a left but lands a right to his face. He stumbles away from her but she approaches again at the same intense speed. He thinks quickly. His shard glows brightly as he drags one of her legs causing her to nearly do a split. A swift windmill motion answers the issue of being brought to that lower postion. She swings her legs between her arms and sweeps Lucas back to the ground with a kick to the back of his knee. He rolls to not stay in the vulnerable position for long. When he gets to his feet Shina is already in his face again. She plants her foot on his thigh. Using her momentum, she climbs him and wraps her other leg around his neck. It locks under his chin and she holds it tightly while tapping the top of his head with her elbow.

"A cracked skull and neck is enough to kill someone, right?" she says. He struggles with breathing and standing upright. "Tap out, chump..." She feels him resisting. "Give up!" He reluctantly taps her leg a few times. "Good boy..." she climbs down and dusts herself off.

Lucas drops to his hands and knees gasping for air. "That was weak. Super speed is a dumb power." He rubs his neck while glaring at her.

"It's enough to top you..." she says with a smile.

"I told you!" Naru yells from across the yard. "Should've listened, dummy!" To explain partially what you experienced, we Magi have the ability to amplify our natural abilities and use the elements near us. Some focus on fighting styles as Shina does and others tap into the elements. Not to brag on my daughter, but she held back in that fight... a lot.

Shina grabs her tank top and joins the others at the table. "Pretty good show, Shina. I'm impressed," Reno says. "Now, could you do me a favor and get my little brother out of these clothes? I almost choked seeing him like that..."

Shina laughs while tugging on Riku's outfit. "I'm so sorry... I thought he was my size."

"Aw... What's wrong, Reno," Naru teases. "Are you homophobic?"

He chuckles. "Not at all. I'd rather him tell me first so I can be mentally prepared for... this..." he says while pointing at his brother's attire.

"It's comfortable," Riku says. He pulls at the shorts, "If I move too much you guys might see my peepee though." They laugh while Riku blushes with a smile.

"Are you not wearing underwear?" Naru asks. Lucas joins the at this point.

"Please tell me you're not wearing panties, bro..." Reno mumbles.

"I would've tried them if she left me some, " he admits. Reno and Lucas facepalm. The girls laugh heartedly. "I'm joking! Geez... You might as well be wearing panties after that ass whooping, Lucas!"

"HEY!" he screams. "She cheated!"

"Oh, you're one of those dudes..." Naru mumbles. "Can't accept a loss."

"You're talking like you're the one that did the fighting! I bet she carries all the weight in the fighting depeartment here." Lucas says.

Naru slams the table and gets in his face. "You wanna fight me now?"

"Nah," Reno answers for his friend. "I had an issue with him fighting an innocent girl in the first brawl. I'm not allowing it again."

"What made you allow it the first time?" Shina asks.

"Curiosity."

Shina shrugs. "Fair enough. I assume I'm the first Magi you've experienced."

"Yeah," Riku answers. "That was an interesting sight to behold. We've only heard of your race's feats through textbooks." The door squeaks and slams as Teru runs out of the house.

"Shina! There's someone at the door!" he says to his sister.

"Did you answer it?" Shina asks. He shakes his head. "Good. Go to your room. I'll get it. Naru, take the boys in the room with you." She puts her top back on and walks back into the house.

"Boyfriend?" Riku asks Naru.

"Nah... She's as single as a newborn baby," she says while leaving the table.

"That's a weird simile," Reno says as he follows.

"It's effective though... Do you know any babies with significant others?" she asks. The boys shrug. "Thought so... Let's go, ladies. You too, Teru." They enter the house and Naru escorts them to her room and Teru goes into his and Shina's room to lock up.

"What's the big deal with hiding from a guest?" Lucas asks.

"You didn't pay attention to the television notification?" Naru asks. "This city captures Eons and either enslaves them, sends them to the demonic forces, or performs public executions. If they catch me, I'll probably be used to please the government officials or some stupid horticulture position." Lucas sits on her bed, Riku leans against the door, and Reno paces from her desk to her dresser. "Can you sit down? You're making me nervous..."

Reno pauses. "How long has this been going on?"

She looks to the ceiling to think. "Ever since the stalemate if I remember correctly. About four years... When Govenor Weiss was appointed."

"The Eons here haven't fought back?" Reno asks.

"Some have tried, but it was never a unified force. The police force here is... supported by the demons. Their leading chiefs are demons. Big ones!"

"What are you plotting, Reno?" Riku asks.

"Liberating a city..."

Meanwhile, at the front door. The knocks are ringing through the living room. "I'm coming! Damn..." Shina mumbles. She reaches the door and swings it open. "What?" she asks before realizing it's the police. "Didn't I get enough trouble from you people at school?"

"What your mouth, kid! Where are your parents?" the larger of the two cops asks. Shina looks past them and notices there is a cop car and a collection van, used to transport Eons.

"They're dead..."

The officer stutters from her remark. "S-Sorry... We have reports that you were seen with the Ginger Eon that assualted Christian Lowry. We will need to search your home to ensure you aren't her refuge."

"No, thank you," she says. Shina tries to close the door but the officer steps on the seal.

"If you refuse, we will return with a warrant and turn this place upside down," he warns. "I advise you to le--"

"I don't care. I don't have any Eons in my house..."

A voice from the left of the door says, "She's lying." A woman in a lab coat steps out from the blind spot of the porch and looks Shina over. "The child has actually interacted with one recently."

"How would you know who I interacted with? Woman's intuition?" Shina asks.

The woman lowers her collar to reveal an Eon shard on the center of her collar bone.

"Traitor..."

"Now that we know you are lying we have full clearance to find our target," the officer says. "Step aside or we'll move you ourselves." He puts his hand on his gun and nods to the side. Shina releases the door and the three officers enter the house.