Mao Mao's Sisters

Dawning Justice

"Don't mention it," Snugglemane replied.

•••

The monarch butterfly, like many animals, has ways to defend itself in the wild. The monarch's main defense is that it's toxic, meaning an animal only needs to eat one to learn that it's a bad idea, which in turn, defends the rest of the monarch population.

The Moon Moth is a tricky beast to deal with, not simply because of its stardust, but because of its own biological defense mechanisms, namely it's "death-burst".

The death-burst occurs as the Moon Moth's dying wail. Should the moth ever be perished by a foe capable of either overcoming its armies, or recognizing its danger during its early stages of take over, it will release a second type of dust, one that will spread over a wide range at breakneck speed.

This second kind of dust will send its victims into a never ending sleep, with no hope of waking up.

Ashaki recollected the information as she glided between the palace guards. When she initially read the data from one of the books in the Mao Archives, her first question had been: "if it takes out everyone in the vicinity, then how do we know about it?"

The question had taken her mother off guard at first, but she smiled and remarked how inquisitive her little girl was. Ashaki dedicated herself to figuring out that small mystery at the time. The reason that it was recorded was due to a scholar who was originally from the kingdom, came back to find everyone suspended in forever sleep.

It took them months to figure it out. It was only when they found two different types of dust on some of the bodies that began to piece together the mystery.

Apparently, one of Ashaki's ancestors had come across the scholar's notes, and acquired and added it to the archives.

That was probably when Ashaki started to see what all she could, so that she could always be prepared. Despite her contacts numerous abilities, she knew that it would only get her so far. In the end it would come down to her own skill, guts, knowledge, and judgement to get her through the challenges that were yet to come.

Ashaki knelt down, channeling chi into her claw, she scored a rune into one of the crossbeams. Drawing the same symbol in the air, she clapped her hands around the rune. A barrier formed around the moth.

Normally, she would've needed to keep her hands like that, but with the runes she just drew, the technique would last perpetually, without her needing to do anything.

The laws behind the technique were relatively simple compared to some of the others in her arsenal. The two runes were linked, and by encasing one of them in her barrier technique she linked the technique to the rune on the crossbeam. So as long as the crossbeam remained in tact, the barrier won't go down.

Ashaki looked back over her shoulder. Between the swarm of floating palace guards, the form of Tanya Keyes darted in and out of view, Minori's stout limbs slamming into each of the guards at full force as she chased the Tanuki; some of the guards may need to visit the hospital tomorrow if they make it through this. Across the room, Violet somehow flopped her way over onto the painting with Mao Mao and the king, her baggy clothing dragged along the oil, staining the hems of cloth an assortment of colors.

For a moment, Ashaki debated moving to help them. Ultimately, she decided against it. First things first, dealing with the moth. Holding out her palm, an emerald green energy began to seep from it. Using her other hand, Ashaki pulled at the emerald energy, and shaped it to resemble an assortment of needles.

Taking one between her thumb and forefinger, she gingerly hovered the needle over the miniature sphere before her. Ashaki's eyes flicked back over to the moth, trapped in its own sphere. Puncturing the miniature sphere with the needle, the barrier keeping the moth in place changed. On the interior, a spike protruded from the wall, piercing one of the moth's wings.