##

Still unnoticed by the everyone, The fairies watched the scene unfolding 
from
the windows….then zoomed off a short distance to perch on a woman’s 
fingers…..

##

Shuriken stood outside the door to the library, taking a deep breath.

*Here goes…..* She slid the door open….

The library was huge….taking up a large section of the second floor. And 
there
was her daddy, sitting at his desk as usual, ignoring the fact that he 
should
be in bed with his wounds and buried in an old musty book. “Oh, you’re home,
Miko.”

*That’s it?* Shuriken started to get indignant. *No yelling? Nothing?!*

He looked up at her, raising an bushy eyebrow in that both intimidating and
questioning way of his. At first glance, most people would consider 
Alexander
Jamison a pushover because of his short stature (Which her mother jokingly
commented was what made him so cute and also one of her father’s gifts to
Miko….) and meek seeming, though handsome looks. The last one who thought 
that
got a load of buckshot in his ass from 20 feet away. Her father was a
ridiculous deadeye shot with any kind of gun, matched only by his book sense
and Micheala, who even surpassed his skill. (Though that didn’t make up for 
the
lack of common sense he showed at times, as his mother, grandma and aunt
commented….)

“Anything to say for yourself…..”

*Here it comes…..*

“….For bounding half way around the world dressed like that?”

Shuriken facefaulted.

Alexander went on as if he didn’t notice. “I can get over leaving without
saying goodbye on some mad quest for revenge but going dressed like a 
walking
knife rack is too much! And that’s too much leg to be showing at your age,
young lady….” And before Shuriken could throttle him he looked up and winked 
at
her. “What, no hug for your old man?” He sat up and scooped his daughter up.
“We missed you, girl. Promise not to scare us like that again?”

“Hai, daddy.” She smiled. “Mom drove you crazy with her worrying?”

He chuckled. “It took Kiro and I to hold her down and keep her from 
following
you with an army. And that’s not counting the ranting and raving since then.
You owe me.” He looked past her. “And who’s your friend?”

Shuriken didn’t even have to look to know it was Soujirou. She could feel 
his smile and worrying. “Soujirou, this is my father, Alexander Jamison.”
*Dontsayyourmybodyguarddontsayyouremybodygua-*

 He replied in English and bowed.


*So much for surviving unharmed….Bakayarou…..*

The dreaded eyebrow rose. “Oh really now…..?” He glanced at his daughter, 
who
chuckled nervously. He let her stew a moment before smiling broadly. “You 
must
be quite a man to put up with my daughter so long. She’s so emotional like 
her
mother…..” Shuriken’s nervousness vaporized in a rush of shock and anger,
twitching to commit patricide…..

“It has been…entertaining to say the least.” And just before Shuriken killed
him alongside her father Soujirou added. “Although she really didn’t need me 
so
much. She’s as talented as she is spirited.”

“…..” Shuriken said.

“That she is, after all she’s my daughter!” Alexander laughed and slapped
Soujirou hard on the back, almost knocking him down with each one….

Then they heard the screams.

Outside, Tomoe crouched…..a large, jagged pillar of ice in front of her that
would have impaled her had she not moved in time. Her eyes burned with 
hatred
enough to melt the ice at the red-haired woman from before standing a foot
away. Three feet behind Tomoe the others were blocked by a another wall of 
ice
that boxed them in, yelling. The woman was a far cry from what Tomoe had 
seen
earlier, now seeming like she just stepped out of the dark ages: A green 
velvet
and rabbit skin ‘dress’ with gold breastplates and a light chain mail shirt
underneath for armored protection….the skirt of it falling mid thigh and
exposing her athletically muscled but shapely legs and made of strips of 
soft
rabbit fur that also lined the top of the low-cut bodice to set the swell of
her chest and the red flame of her hair. Tall white animal skin boots 
completed
the combined effect of softness, coziness, sexuality and danger all at once
with honors.

“Who are you, woman?!” The redhead demanded in flawless Japanese. “You stink 
of
Excalibron’s evil magic! Have you come to finish your master’s handiwork?!” 
The
air turned even colder, the fairies starting to glow brighter as the redhead
put her hands together….a threatening glow starting to form there. “Answer 
me!”

The wall surrounding the guys suddenly shattered, the redhead dodging the
chunks. “How the hell…” She threw the small sphere at the charging Sano….who
smashed it effortlessly before tackling her….the redhead rolling back to use
his momentum to fling him off….except Sano grabbed her arms as she did, 
turning
it into an awkward body slam that knocked the air out of her long enough to
grab her in an arm lock, swearing at the unnatural cold radiating off her 
and
the fairies biting and swatting him. “What’s your problem, Woman!”

“Let go of me before I make you regret it!” She hissed, Sano feeling his 
hands
go numb from the cold but held on despite her struggles. (Damn she’s strong 
for
a chick!) “I’ll kill her and you before I let her get the amulet!”

“That’s enough!”

The voice was like a whipcrack and twice as cold as the Redhead, instantly
getting everyone’s attention. The Redhead stiffened and stopped struggling,
Sano letting go…..And promptly got elbowed HARD in the gut. “That’s for
touching me without permission.” She hissed. “Next time I tear it off….”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Sano shot back.

The owner of the voice walked out from behind a tree….The old man in the 
blue
suit. “I apologize for my rash companion. Despite her breeding she can be
rather impulsive at times.” The redhead swore under her breath something
fierce….and got rapped on the head with the old man’s cane. “Sorry about 
that,
Alexander!” He yelled at Alexander and Shuriken in the window.

“Daddy, who’s that?”

Don’t you recognize Merlin when you see him, girl?”

Shuriken’s and Soujirou’s eyes bugged out. “NANI?!!”

##

A moment later, in the library.

Everyone had piled into the library after the arrival of their latest 
‘guests.’
Either confused, like most of the Kenshingumi, annoyed like the redhead, or
totally obvious like Shuriken’s family as if this was an usual occurrence 
for a
centuries old magician to drop by unannounced, even passing out breakfast. 
The
kids were behaving like perfect little angels and sitting around their 
mother
and father Kiro, who turned out to be the most normal of the family. (Well, 
as
normal as being so….active with his wife, anyway….)

“I thought you looked familiar….” Soujirou said in awe. “I didn’t think I 
meet
the guy from Yumi’s books, much less get this sword from him.” He held his
sword and Saya in his hands. “What’s the real reason for giving this to me?”

Merlin shrugged. “You needed a weapon at that time, Seta Soujirou, and this 
old
relic was just gathering dust. It suits you, both in skill and your nature,
wouldn’t you agree?”

 The redhead commented 
in
some soft, lilting language the other’s couldn’t identify save for Shuriken 
and
Alexander, who smirked.

Merlin groaned. “Who asked you? And do you mind?!!”

“What? Oh.” The redhead remembered that she was still wearing her battle 
outfit
and sitting with her legs crossed in it wasn’t a proper thing to do with
several males hanging around. Her second clue was the battle aura of the 
room
had also picked up several notices in the direction of the females. “Sorry.”
She stood up and snapped her fingers, the costume glowing blue and reforming
into a simple green dress. She flounced back down and crossed her arms, 
glaring
at Merlin.

“That’s a convenient trick.” Sano thought aloud….Megumi whipping around so 
fast
to glare at him her head almost spun off. The Redhead slowly turned to burn 
him
with a similar look, Sano raising his hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean it
like that! Just a compliment!” She just sniffed and ignored him. Megumi,
however, her aura raised about ten more degrees…..

Merlin groaned again. “Not what you would expect as the wielder of 
Excailber,
ne? Meet Arainhod Max. Arain for short.” Arain nodded. “I apologize for 
her
rude behavior so far and I assure you she is too…..” Flames crept into 
Merlin’s
voice. “Aren’t you?”

Arain glowered at him before standing up and addressing Tomoe and the
Kenshin-gumi. “I apologize for my conduct. It was unbecoming of a lady of 
the
Maximus house of Avalon to behave in such a manner and I deeply regret it.” 
It
was obvious that she was indeed, of high breeding and schooling from the way
she talked and held herself. Even Megumi begrudgingly admitting it. (She
couldn’t put her finger on it, but something riled Megumi to no end about 
the
woman…..Nah, it’s not that, she dismissed the thought that popped into her
head. Not in a million years….) “ I assumed that Tomoe here was one of 
Ashura’s
constructs sent to finish the job on Mr. Jamison….But now I sense she is
Murasame’s wielder as well as a lingering presence of Excailbron magic. How 
is
this possible?”

“I was brought back to life by Ashura.” Tomoe said flatly.

Horror briefly flickered across Arain’s eyes but she quickly covered it. 
Merlin
looked thoughtful. “I see….” He murmured….

“Wait a second, Where’s Excailber?” Shuriken asked. Arain looked 
embarrassed.

“It was stolen from me.”

Silence. Then Merlin cleared his throat.

“A man named Shannon Morgan, a thief who calls himself a ‘Antiques 
collector,’
somehow invaded the isle of Avalon and stole it, not without a fair share of
lives lost in the bargain.” Arain’s eye darkened at the memory. “The matter 
was
so grave that I was summoned from my slumber to help Arain retrieve it. 
While
tracking him here we stumbled on to Alexander and realized that Ashura was
trying to revive Bane. Fortunately, she was unsuccessful in getting 
information
from him or the Eye of Bane amulet that contains the information. Alexander
arranged for us to get close to Shannon, pretending to be the some of the 
rich
antique collectors he usually surrounds himself with. Speaking of which, you
better return Arain…The idiot gets paranoid if you keep out of his sight for
too long…..” Arain snorted in disgust. “Remember,” Merlin smiled 
sarcastically.
“Be a proper lady and not kill him before we get the sword back?” “I make no
promises.” She said flatly, the air turning cold around her briefly before 
her
fairies surrounded her as she stood and then shimmering out of sight
completely. Sano blinked while Merlin muttered ‘show off’ “How she do that?” 
He
said, standing up to wave his hand where she once was as if he didn’t 
believe
she was gone.

“Arain’s bloodline is of the Lady of the Lake, Queen of the Water Nymphs and
Fairies and also the Gatekeeper of Avalon and of Gawain of the Knight of
Round.” Merlin Explained. “All of her ancestors have been able use water
elemental magic as well as being natural swordsmen and women. In fact it was
the Lady’s son, Tremain who inherited the right to bear Excailber after 
Arthur,
and the family has passed it down ever since.”

Sano gave him an annoyed look. “Pretend I don’t have any idea what Avalon 
is,
or what the hell you’re talking about. And while you’re at it, explaining 
the
rest of this mess?”