Saturday. That's when they were going to go to Waldia. That's when Princess Runealy was going to lead them back and try to seal the Barrier at the Shrine. He'd never seen Waldia or the Shrine. He's an Earthling.
But he's never felt so stomach flutterly in his life. He told his family he was going on a small trip for a week. He told his Dad and Mom that he loved them then he left---and now he's staying with the other Waldians until it's time to go. There's nothing else he has to do. Nothing else so important.
The building is downtown. It's rundown and old. It has a bunch of old AC units on it that haven't run for at least two years. That's free target practice.
Guardian Hino has his longsword out. He's cleaving through one of the derelict Air Conditioning Units. The sword cuts through it like butter. The sword is currently not on fire. He's trying to practice. He needs to be ready.
Just...throwing himself in front of problems isn't going to fix this one.
He'd practice. Just like a play.
He's easily spotted of course to anyone airborne or also rooftop hopping.
A speck of red can be seen from the distance, approaching at a decent speed. It appears to be someone floating... slightly out of control, like an airplane with a faulty propellor. A girl wearing red, surrounded by a glowing gray aura, carrying a rather large mace. "Swirling Vortex... what's going on?" she calls. "I... I don't know how to fly like THIS." She ended up upside down (though, curiously, her hair stayed with the girl's orientation). She just managed to cross to the rooftop when she states, "Ok, I want off this ride... can we go down?" A computerized voice comes from the mace. "Acknowledged, mistress. And suddenly the aura winks out and she drops like a stone, all of fifteen feet. She starts screaming. Just before she hits the ground, that same voice, once again, states, "Null Field." And the gray aura appears again as she ended up floating an inch off the ground as the girl's eyes are tightly closed. "W... what happened?" she whimpers. "Null Field established." She opens her eyes, glaring at the mace. "Thanks, Swirling Vortex," she mutters sarcastically. "You are welcome, mistress."
Guardian Hino is beating up the poor Air Conditioning unit that did nothing wrong with a magical longsword. Yeah that's right. It's evil. Or something, he'll claim later. It turned into a youma! It was upset it was abandoned and was a piece of junk! No one will buy it.
He Does however, hear a scream. He hops over the AC and looks around and jumps down on the other side as he holds his sword out carefully.
"Hello? Who was that?" he calls out as he turns to the right.
"Are you in need of Aid? ...."
"or are you something dark...." he mutters.
Yeah that demon attack has him on edge.
Firebird glances over at you. "I... I'm not sure... ummmmmm.... I'm.... ummmm...." She then flails a bit. "I... just got some new... powers... this appeared... told me... I could fly again. But... it's hard."
She glances at the mace as she concentrates as she starts floating upward a bit and then orients herself vertically - after turning the wrong way. The dizzying maneuvers over, she looks at you. "I'm..." She ponders, looking down at herself. "I guess you can call me Firebird." The gray aura remains. "I... didn't mean to scream. Falling... brought back some bad memories." She glances at you - at the sword, and at the unfortunate AC. "Ummmm... do you have an objection to air conditioning?" she asks, a ghost of a smile crossing her face. She isn't sure what to do with the mace yet.
Guardian Hino appears to be some sort of fancy medieval knight.
He squints at Firebird. Okay this isn't a demon. He lowers his sword from it's up and guarded stance. Oh! He puts his longsword back into it's scabbard when it's clear he won't needs it. He regards the girl for a bit as he hrmmms.
"New powers?" he asks. He glances at her mace. Then back to the AC as she asks about. Then he looks back to Firebird with a *throat clear*
"It's an abanonded building. I was ... practicing.. for something important soon." he says softly.
"The mace talked to you." he says. "Okay. Not the first I've heard about something like that. So you're... new." he says.
"Like overall?" he asks politely.
Firebird smiles faintly. "This is... my first time using my powers. Swirling Vortex just awakened to me," she states, holding the mace up. "She calls herself an Intelligent Device. Told me I was a mage. That she could help me to fly." She strokes the mace's handle. "I... apparently... have gravity powers. I... came to the... bad side of town to practice... so I wouldn't scare anyone."
She glances. "Swirling Vortex... can we... do a little practice of our own?" "Acknowledged. Preparing Null Field," says the mace. She looks around and sees a chunk of the AC that was sliced off. "There. Null Field!" The piece of the AC glows the same gray that Firebird herself is and raises up. It floats there. "There. I can negate gravity for certain objects and float them around. Still figuring out the rest."
Guardian Hino thinks. "A talky device, yeah. Not the first I've seen..." he murmurs.
He looks back to the AC. "That's all you can do?" he asks. "Make things float? Well... does the Mace well?" he asks. "Be a mace?" he asks a little coyly with a smile.
"My name's Guardian Hino. I'm a Guardian Knight of the Crown Princess." he says softly.
"I take it you haven't run into any monsters yet? Well. Be ready. They'll come. And when you least fricken expect it." he mutters as he crosses his arms.
Firebird ponders. "What else could I do?" she asks, glancing at the mace. "Preparing Slipstream Shooter." Firebird looks down at her mace. "Ummmmmmm... as I said, it can help me. It's an Intelligent Device. So... ummmm... I guess it'd make a good mace. I haven't tried. I think Vortex is trying to tell me a spell to use."
Firebird moves around a bit so the floating debris is between her and the AC Hino was whacking on. "Alright. Let's try this. Slipstream Shooter!" she calls as a brighter glow comes from Firebird as she points iwth her mace at the AC. The mace hums and suddenly, the chunk of debris flies at high speed towards the AC and punches right through it and imbeds itself into the second. Her eyes open wide. "W... whoa..." she whispers at the mess created.
She looks aruond as she moves to sit down on a convenient undamaged structure - and turns the aura off for a bit, slumping and relaxing. "I... need more stamina. It's hard to keep that up forever." She sits there and still, her legs look... oddly thin. But no other part of her does. "It is nice to meet you, Guardian Hino. And... what princess?" She taps the mace's head against the side of the object she's sitting on.
Guardian Hino sort of winches and has to lift a hand to cover his eyes as he whistles. "Better be careful. Better to learn before you get into a mess." he says. "I didn't practice before my first encounter and the jerk almost hurt my friend." he says softly.
"If you see someone with a talking device called 'Riventon', you watch out for him." he mutters.
He looks away. "...if it was a week ago. I'd been more specific about what Princess." he says softly. "But there's some foul folk about and I need to be careful who I trust until the situation is more resolved..." he says lightly. "This is my decision. She is my friend and this situation ended with her getting hurt badly recently. So for now Just... 'The Princess' will suffice." he says softly.
He feels ashamed for various reasons. He'd rather start hiding behind codenames than rat Runealy out to Firebird who may aswell be a demon in a disguise like that other one. Though, she doens't.. feel like one?
Firebird blinks. "That's... what today is all about, Guardian Hino. Just because Swirling Vortex can help me doesn't meanI know how it can help me. And I would not dream of asking for your secrets. You'd probably tell me someone I never heard of anyway. It's not like we're being very forthcoming with our names."
She sighs softly. "I'm going to rest here a bit. This is not the kind of flying I'm used to. I did some gymnastics when I was a kid. But this floating stuff is totally different."
Guardian Hino nods some as he has himself a seat on one of the derelict ACs. "Have a seat. Rest. I know it can be harrowing. I tired myself out too easily my first few days." he smirks a bit. "I know how it is." he says.
"I smacked into the side of a building when I was learning to leap. But now it's second nature. You'll get the hang of it." he says.
"Air sickness?" he asks curiously.
Firebird shakes her head. "No. Just... it's... hard to explain. I feel weightless when floating. Maybe I could try so I at least feel when I move around like that so I can control myself better." She sighs as she stretches as she out of curiosity smacks the side of the AC with the mace and it makes a loud clang and puts a big dent. "Guess it is usable as a mace."
She shifts positions a bit, dragging herself to the side, her legs danging uselessly and motionlessly, fingering her barrier jacket. "So - I guess there are all sorts of powers for all sorts of people. Your weapon isn't intelligent, I take it? I never paid much attention to the news before." She looks around. "But I will keep an eye out for a device named Riventon." The word 'Riventon' flashes across the large onyx gem on Swirling Vortex then blinks out. The mace doesn't speak in response. "Do you like having powers? Is it fun? Or is it more duty than work?
Guardian Hino hehs. "No, the dude who weilds that device calls himself Riventon. I dunno what he calls his talky thing. I just know it talks." he says softly. "I don't know much more about him, but he'll try to take anything that intrests him away from you. Probably..." he motions. "Your device." he says softly.
He shakes his head as he draws his sword. "No, it doesn't talk." he says. "It allows me to channel fire magic through it." he says softly. "I'm not going to do that right now." he says. He puts the sword back away.
"The news? heh you won't learn this stuff by reading the news... I suggest you to go to Youtube and search for 'Pretty Cure Weekly'. That's more accurate." he says softly.
"I find at least."
Firebird nods. "Oh. Well, until... yesterday... I couldn't have cared less about any of this stuff. I was... rather a miserable person. Not sure how this will change my life or not. But I'll have to look it up." She then ponders, "So you can make fireballs and heat and stuff? That's pretty neat." She glances at you. "How long have you been doing this, Hino-san?"
Guardian Hino thinks. "About six months when a magical Princess invaded my secret practice spot for my acting." he grins. "But..." he says.
He stands up. "I should be going now." he says. "I wish you luck! I'm sure you'll figure things out. Perhaps we'll meet again soon and I can be more forthcoming! But right now...." he murmurs.
"I should depart." he says quietly.
"Will you be okay or is it affecting you that much?" he asks.
Firebird sighs softly. "I'll be fine - I think. It's... an exertion to use this new power - and since I have to use it to get home - I have to wait to recover. "Not like I can walk," she mutters bitterly as she glares down at her apparently-useless legs.
Guardian Hino hrms. "You can't walk?" he asks, peeking down at her legs.
He seems to head tilt a little. He doesn't seem to understand.
"Yes, as I said, it's easy to extert yourself at first." he smiles.
"Do you need help then?" he asks politely as he can.
Firebird nods. "Yes. I mentinoed I used to be a gymnast? I... had an accident. I broke my back. That's why I was so excited to learn about these powers. But... I'm several blocks away from home. I can't ask you to carry me that distnace - there'd be SO MANY questions. I'll have to get back myself. But thank you." She smiles.
Guardian Hino frowns. "I see...." he says. He never really considered that before--- well. How powers could be liberating for someone like that! "I can carry you somewhere. Does your room have a window?" he asks. "I find it's easier to slip in and out through windows." he says.
"Or...um. If you do really need help--- well. I'd still feel really bad about leaving you up here." he says.
"Are you sure you can get back yourself?" he asks.
Firebird murmurs, "My wheelchair is under a tree in back of the overgrown park five blocks from here. I didn't start from home. Maybe you could follow me there in case I do need help. I can't always have help. Once I get some magical stamina I'll do better. Null Field," she states as she glows again. She rises up and starts floating unsteadily in the direction indicated.
Guardian Hino nods. "That...I can do." he says. He watches. He begins to rooftop hop along. He leaps and bounds and climbs easily enough across the rooftops. That cape makes him look fancy. When they make it back to the park and he sees the wheelchair...he'll...dissapear.
At least she's okay, right...?
Firebird gets settled, and flops into her chair, and sees her escort gone. She sighs softly as she starts rolling home. She waits until she's well out of sight of the park before powering down, Swirling Vortext returning to its original form...