Cosmic Warriors
Disclaimer: All non-original characters in this story are copyrighted to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei, or their original owners, respectively.
Note: Thank you to those who've continued to review, I really appreciate it. They help me fine tune the story and I really like to hear how the changes are coming across to you readers. Keep them coming or feel free to tell me your opinions via a private message. Again, thanks to JulietShadow and SadieSwirl for being my beta readers.
Review Note - AM: We'll see. I like that you put his title in quotes.
Chapter Three - Evil Sleeps When It's Dead
The sun burst through Usagi's windows and her blush coloured curtains could do little to prevent that. The gleaming light would have woken the girl, had she gone to sleep the night before.
Although she didn't get any sleep, she had certainly tried. But closing her eyes for even a moment cut her off from her surroundings and sent her into the darkness, the darkness where the nightmares would reach her.
In particular, her nightmare came in the form of the man from last night, the one called Diarmuid. His handsome features, cat-like eyes, dry and savage voice, all of it flooded her senses the moment she closed her eyes. If she stayed for too long in the darkness, the feeling that his eyes were on her shook her out of it. The feeling of death that he carried threatened her when she attempted to rest her weary body.
She'd never been so scared in her life, she'd seen horror movies, been told ghost stories, even been left home alone during a storm. The obvious explanation for this new found terror was that, this was real. This wasn't a monster with claws, fangs, and wings or a ghost rumored to snatch up children in the night. Or even a streak of lightning followed by a rolling wave of thunder. It was a man.
Usagi opened her heavy eyelids and cast her eyes at the ceiling, the phones in the house just stopped ringing. It had been ringing for a while now, on and off. She assumed someone would answer it eventually, but after the third time it went off she hoped whoever was calling would get the message.
Slowing she closed her eyes and felt herself relax until the phone rang out through the house again. "I guess I have to get up sometime." Usagi said and swung her legs out of bed, resting her elbows on her knees rubbing her face.
She thought about the previous night again, images of the man jabbing at her came to her mind. She glanced slowly to the side, the golden bracelet was still on her wrist and the crescent moon charm was dangling just as it had last night, she grimaced at it.
Gently she forced herself to stand before she waddled into the hallway, to her right was a small stand with a purple phone resting on it. As she forced herself over to grab it, the phone the ringing abruptly stopped.
"Really?" She deadpanned at the phone before the feeling several parts of her body ache forced her to collapse against the wall. "Oww." Usagi groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to overcome the pain as she pushed off the wall.
Her stomach grumbled as she made it down the hall and took the steps to the first floor as slow as possible. As she reached the bottom she heard the rapid flipping of pages coming from the dining room.
"Dad?" She hobbled into the room to see Shingo with a mess of news pages scattered around dining room table. "Shingo! What are you doing to dad's paper?"
"What's it to you? Not like you're gonna read it, stupid." Shingo sneered, stuck out his tongue and ran a finger along the page.
Usagi's jaw dropped and she narrowed her eyes at him. "You little brat!" If her shoulder hadn't been killing her she might have slapped the crude smirk off his face. Instead she opted to hobble into the kitchen where she whispered out a string of obscenities at the refrigerator. "Why are you reading the paper anyway?" She asked before grabbing some bread and slipping it into the toaster before grabbing a glass.
"I'm reading about the break-ins from last night, they're all over the front page."
As she filled up the glass with water through the window Usagi saw him hold up the front page that had a split picture of twenty different buildings on it.
"What does it say?" She asked and squinted to even read the headline as she tipped the glass back.
"There were twenty places broken into last night; they think it's some kind of crime group, like the Yakuza." She choked on her drink and started coughing as Shingo read.
"Tw—twenty!"
"Yeah there's a list, a bunch of homes. OSA-P is the only store though." Shingo added flipping through the pages. Usagi slammed her drink down and rushed out to tear the page from his hands.
She wondered if he was telling the truth or just messing with her, but sure enough on the front page was the headline that confirmed it.
"Hey, give it back!" Shingo screamed, groping for the paper but was thwarted when she slapped a hand onto his forehead, forcing him to stay in his seat while she read.
"Yadda yadda… Twenty homes… Within a three hour time frame... Believed to be done by individuals with similar motives and styles… Leads police to be believe it was an organized crime…" Usagi loosened her grip on the page and Shingo snatched it away with ease.
He then shook the papers, trying to get them to stop bending. "Geez freak, I would have just told you what it said." he grumbled.
Usagi waddled back into the kitchen where she contemplated the other attacks. Could they really have been done by a group of criminals? What would be the point of breaking into homes and just one business? After fixing her toast with butter and cinnamon Usagi limped back to her room, and upon the bed she spotted a black cat resting there.
"Luna!" She shouted between a bite and rushed, the best she could, over to the cat. "How do you keep finding me stupid kitty? Are you okay?"
"It's nice to see you again as well, Usagi."
"D—Did you just talk to me?!" Usagi's eyes opened wide and she quickly fell back onto the floor.
"I did, but I suggest you not be so loud about it." Luna leapt from the bed, past Usagi, and to the door that she closed by bumping into it. "We have much to discuss and I don't need other people around while we talk."
"Heh. The doctor must have given me some pills or something, because this is a crazy dream." Usagi crawled into bed and curled into the fetal position.
"This is no dream." Luna said leaping from the floor and landing beside Usagi. "My name, as you know, is Luna and I was an ambassador and assistant to the Queen of the Moon during the time of the Silver Millennium. Usagi I've come for you."
"This can't be real, what are you talking about? Luna how come you're talking at all?" Usagi asked as she rolled over to stare into Luna's scarlet eyes.
"If you let me explain then perhaps you'll have an easier time believing me. The Silver Millennium was ruled by Queen Serenity of the Moon Kingdom and—"
"Moon Kingdom?" Usagi asked in a daze.
"This will go faster if you hold your questions until the end." Luna said with a hiss and Usagi pursed her lips. The cat let out a sort of sigh before before sitting. "I suppose I'll start with the man from last night, that should make you believe me. He was a monster called an Experiment created and controlled by what you can call the Dark Kingdom. We are unsure how they are created, only that the Dark Kingdom has a method of making them in high quantities. For now their goal appears to be to obtain energy from human beings here on Earth."
"We?" Usagi asked without thinking and saw the cat's expression shift to annoyance.
"We, being my partners in this the Silver Guard." Luna answered.
"And the Silver Guard is what exactly?"
"I told you to hold your questions!"
"I'm sorry!" She whined.
"The Silver Guard is here to stop the Dark Kingdom from gathering energy, or when it comes down to it, stopping them from reviving their leader, a malicious force who wishes to rule the world."
"And that's bad right?"
"Very bad. I won't get too much into it at the moment but in the past thousand years the Dark Kingdom has grown. We've learned that their time in Japan has stretched further than expected, meaning they've been skulking around for a while. Also their numbers have increased; it seems there was a string of abductions of scientists in the late 1980's that continued until just recently, which can be connected to the Dark Kingdom. It's safe to assume they were abducted and made to work for them. This would explain the appearance of their Experiments in recent years." Luna explained with a bit of sorrow in her voice. "If the Dark Kingdom manages to succeed in their plan to gather energy and wake up their ruler, then Earth can say goodbye to life as you know it"
"Life as I know it." She looked down at the bedding; Luna was beginning to sound like she was describing a movie plot. Could something like that really happen in real life? "Have they ever taken over before, on Earth?"
"No, but they destroyed your home, the Moon Kingdom." Luna looked away and flicked the tip of her tail.
"This is my home." She reminded.
"Usagi! Are you listening at all? The Moon Kingdom, Silver Millennium, does none of this sound familiar to you?"
"It sounds unreal, which is why I must be dreaming." Usagi said, throwing her arms out and shrugging, willing to accept this crazy dream. Her irritation growing, Luna leapt at Usagi's hand, biting down on one of her fingers, causing the girl to yelp.
"This is nota dream! After what happened last night how can you deny that this is real?!"
She held her wrist out and letting the moon charm hang. "Last night."
"I awakened the Warrior within you." Luna smiled; at least it looked like she did. "I can see you don't really believe me Usagi, but this should be all the proof you need." Luna swatted at the charm like a toy. Usagi turned her hand over and held the charm; it felt just as cold as it had last night.
"These wounds are pretty good reminder too." She smiled, weakly shrugging her shoulder. The charm was all the proof she needed to be sure this was real, although she couldn't fathom it, it had all happened.
"I apologize for not being able to do more to help you, I guess I expected for something within you to take over and you'd be able to take care of the enemy on your own." Luna said with some doubt.
"Now what?" Usagi asked loudly as she pat tapped her fingers on the bed.
"Now we work on making you stronger so you can fight, and we work on finding the other Warriors! And most importantly we find the Moon Princess." Luna said, standing up.
"Whoa. What? I never said I was going to help you!" Usagi shot up in bed, giving Luna a challenging look.
"Usagi!"
"What? I didn't ask to be a Warrior or whoever; I don't even know what it is really! And I'm not trying to run around in that suit that is like thick spandex!" She whined.
"It's your destiny!"
"A magical black cat shows up, transforms me into some sword-wielding spandex wearing superhero and expects me to go along with it?" She asked slowly, wanting Luna to hear her point. "Does that sound fair to you? And my destiny? Luna, you don't know me!"
That was the last thing she said to Luna before she shoved the cat out of her way and stormed out through the house. She kept her hands into her pockets, not wanting to catch a glimpse of the moon charm while she walked. She'd tried to take it off, but there was no latch and it seemed to fit snugly on her wrist.
"Who does she think she is? My destiny, as if." She rolled her eyes, feeling confident in her choice to leave as she turned up the street towards the Game Center Crown. "I don't want to be like Sailor V, I just want to play her games."
-F-
The sound of gunshots rang out through a room on the lower level of a dorm building followed by feminine screams and an occasional explosion. Mamoru and Motoki had turned a day of cancelled classes into a movie day in the lounge at their university.
"Get him!" Motoki hollered as he watched a monster dripping in black goo reach out to attack a man dressed in a futuristic space suit. He glanced to Mamoru who was barely paying attention with a pained look on his face. "Everything okay?"
"Hm?" Mamoru looked to him with wide eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Well pay attention. It's not every day our professors cancel their classes, we need to enjoy this." Motoki leaned over and shoved Mamoru, his friend cried out in pain as he rolled onto his side. "Whoa Mamo, you sure you're okay?"
Mamoru grimaced and clutched his stomach as he struggled to sit up straight again.
"Here." Reluctantly Motoki grabbed his friend's arm and shoulder, slowly pulling him back up to rest back against the couch. "You sore or something?"
"Yeah sore." He grunted.
"Hey whoa, is—is that blood?" Motoki put his finger dangerously close to a dark spot on Mamoru's green Earth shirt.
"No, I spilled something on it." Mamoru said shifting to try and hide it, but fell back on the couch when Motoki pressed on his shoulder. His friend stared at him in disbelief before lifting up the shirt and seeing a pack of bandages on his abdomen that had been soaked through with blood.
"Mamo!" Motoki picked at a strip of tape and pulled the bandages free, looking into the wound underneath.
"Stop." he growled, trying to knock his hands away. "It's nothing."
"It's an open wound." Motoki corrected, feeling a bit light headed, and Mamoru pushed his hands away and grunted as he placed the bandage back over it.
"I need to get going." He said, forcing himself up and cupping the wound as he hobbled from the lounge.
"Mamo..."
-F-
Inside the arcade Usagi found a line of kids waiting outside the virtual reality Sailor Game. Not in any mood to stand around with children, Usagi opted for one of her favorites, the classic arcade version of Sailor V.
"Shoot!" Usagi whined as she fell limp against the game. She rested her head on the board ahead of her, between the buttons and the joystick, and sighed, she'd spent at least ten bucks trying to get past level four. Her head just wasn't in it today.
As she fluttered her eyes closed images of the women in gowns and armor flashed through her mind again, forcing her eyes wide open.
With a sigh she hoisted herself off the stool and made her way back through the arcade. She listened to the familiar sounds of button mashing and rings that came from the machines, but none of it made her feel any different. She felt empty, or like she needed to be somewhere, doing something else.
Without paying attention she collided with someone who was attached to the grabber machine.
"Oh, sorry!" She called out as she spun around and continued to walk away. It was Game Machine Joe, hunched over the crane game and operating it like a professional. Upon seeing his eyes she instantly felt a chill shoot down her spine as she fell back through the exit door.
The heat of the late summer air was refreshing after being in the arcade for a bit; she spun around and took in a deep breath of it before spotting something at her feet.
"Mroow."
"Luna."
Usagi stared defiantly down at the black cat that was tilting her head from side to side and smacking the ground with her tail. With a sigh she scooped the cat up and rushed across the street, wary of cars, before reaching a side that wasn't as crowded.
"Can you stop following me?" She asked, glancing around as she heard herself being louder than she imagined. "How did you know where I'd be anyway?" She started walking with her down the sidewalk, trying to steer clear of groups of people.
"I'm afraid that's not possible, I must keep an eye on you. Also you're very predictable." Luna answered, crawling from her arms and onto her shoulder. "As I said you're a Cosmic Warrior now, and you have responsibilities. Spending the day at the arcade is not one of them."
"Cosmic Warrior"
"It's a collective title, for the Warriors of the cosmos. You are one of them, Warrior Moon."
"I told you I'm not going to be a Warrior, I just want to be normal."
"You don't have a choice!" Luna shrieked and smacked Usagi in the back of the head with her tail.
"That's not fair!" She whined as they turned another corner and saw the OSA-P jewelry store, littered around it were various officers and the building itself had police tape covering it. Looking up Usagi could see the broken window and felt another chill run down her spine thinking about last night.
"Things like that will continue to happen if you don't follow this through Usagi." Luna reminded her.
"Why is this happening to me?"
"Honestly Usagi, Naru was attacked last night and you can't think of anyone but yourself."
"But she's safe now and doesn't have to worry about anything. I've got a talking cat telling me I have to fight people." She whined and walked down around the corner. "You don't know what it's like Luna to be normal and have something crazy like last night happen. I can't really focus on anything and I feel strange, and now you're telling me all this stuff. I just want to be a normal girl!" She wasn't sure how many times now she had either told Luna that, or said it to herself in thought.
"I may not understand what your definition of normal is, but I know what it feels like to have your world to change and everything to come crashing down around you." Luna said urgently. "The Moon Kingdom was a beautiful place until it was attacked and everything was destroyed. The Queen made the greatest sacrifice to save her people!"
Usagi looked to the side at her, listening intently to each of her words now.
"It pains me to see her sacrifice go in vain because a selfish fourteen year old refuses to honor her destiny!" Luna dug her nails into Usagi's shoulder before leaping off onto the ground. Usagi flinched and spun around to watch Luna run back the way they came.
"Luna!"
-F-
It was a dark cavern, stones were covering the floors and stone were the walls and the shrouded ceilings. Gloom was a permanent occurrence due to the lack of sunlight that breached the walls. Any cracks in the walls let in cold streams of biting wind and slivers of light.
In the core of the cavern, at the heart of darkness, stone pillars rose from the ground and continued on past into the darkness that covered the ceiling. In the wide open space was a throne that seemed to be one with the ground. Ahead of the throne were a small series of steps that led to the floor where a horde of monsters and reincarnated heroes were gathered as an audience for their ruler.
Beryl sat in her throne and watched Jadeite pace back and forth across cold stone floor. Between her constantly moving hands was the dark orb that she often gazed into, but Jadeite's nervous stride was the only thing worth watching at the moment.
"How much longer do you expect me to wait?" she requested impatiently.
"They should be here soon my Queen." Jadeite stopped in his tracks. "I informed them their presence was required here after their mission."
"Were these Experiments not created with recall gems?"
"They were," Jadeite quipped and fished the gems in question out of his pocket. "but I wanted to keep them in case of needing them back for an emergency."
"You think making me wait for these failures is not an emergency?" Beryl asked with hooded eyes.
"Of course, my Queen." Jadeite opened his hand to look at the four purple gems before he crushed them. He quickly turned and threw the dust into the air and it instantly swirled into the figures of four identical men, all dressed in grey jumpsuits with black boots and gloves.
"Is this it?" Beryl asked, outright unimpressed. She dropped her hands into her lap, the orb attached to a staff with a claw like top lowered in the air as well.
"I sent out twenty, but some were taken down by the police or captured. I disposed of any that were not able to return to me by this morning." Jadeite said giving the remaining quartet a glare.
"Disposed of?" Beryl asked, becoming somewhat interested.
"Experiments are created with four gems. One holds them captive, another, when crushed, awakens them. The third recalls them and the last kills them almost instantly."
"Interesting." Beryl said while she watched one of the Experiments sneer at Jadeite.
"I'm not willing to risk them being captured, so I will dispose of any that fail me." Jadeite said smugly. "I crushed the other sixteen life gems a few hours ago, to be sure even the ones the police encountered wouldn't survive."
"What a pity." Beryl said dryly.
"There are forty more of them my Queen; I have no problem disposing of them for our greater good." From his pocket he pulled his hand free and held it out to her, a swirling blue mass forming in it a moment later. "Regardless of their failures, we managed to get our prize. Last night's energy." He presented.
Beryl's eyes lit up as she sat forward in her throne, taking in the mass of it all. She outstretched a hand and the moving collection floated between them before ascending into the shroud on the ceiling. Once it was out of sight something above them all stirred and a faint purple glow could be seen attempting to pierce the veil.
"You're disgusting to me." From behind Jadeite one of the Experiments stepped out of line towards him.
"Oh?" Beryl asked and sat back in her throne, touching her finger tips together, and Jadeite gave him a look over his shoulder.
"Reviving us and then tossing us away, like we're worthless!"
"Fall back into line Experiment D-U-D." Jadeite never bothered to turn to fully face the man, only commanding him as he folded his hands back behind him.
"Never! Never again will I listen to you!" From behind his back Diarmuid gripped his spear and tore the cloth off the tip before moving to jab Jadeite with it. Jadeite turned his head to sneer at him before the clone was stopped in mid-strike.
Jadeite held a hand out to the clone that seemed to make him freeze in time as a hole in the ground beneath him opened.
"Never again will you raise your lance to me." Dropping his hand the Experiment too dropped, down into the hole that had opened and out of sight into the darkness below. Beryl watched curiously until Jadeite commanded the other clones in line down the hole. "Kill him."
With that the three remaining clones leapt down into the hole with golden spears clenched in their hands.
"I apologize for that my Queen." As the last clone disappeared from sight Jadeite waved a hand over the hole and it closed up, reforming into the stable stone ground. "That must have been the first clone created."
"Are you implying that disobedience is not common?" Beryl asked, keeping an eye on the floor.
"Yes. To create these Experiments we searched the Earth for traces of their DNA, using that our scientists were able to remake their bodies. We noticed they tend to retain some of their original personalities when they are created. Each active clone created knows what each of the other clones experiences and has the same memory; however, as more are made they are less likely to act upon it."
"It must have taken you quite a while to find DNA for these former heroes."
Jadeite smiled, it had been a painstaking effort. In a world filled with myths and fables they often came to a dead end when trying to track down the resting place of beings of mythology.
"It was worth it my Queen. They possess extraordinary abilities, the likes of which this current wotld has never known. This Experiment in particular was once a proud knight, with weapons capable of piercing any defense and creating wounds that cannot be healed naturally. Because of his history it's to be expected he wouldn't like the idea of being someone's pawn." Jadeite eyed a gem in his hand before closing his fingers around it gently. "Unfortunately for him, in a world of darkness, a knight's shine means nothing."
"Jadeite." Beryl said ardently while looking deep into the orb again. "I see Sailor V is still alive. Why?"
"To my knowledge Sailor V did not participate in last night's events. I only witnessed police officers involved."
"Then your plan to kill Sailor V was a failure." Beryl reminded.
"Yes my Queen," he admitted. "however with the remaining clones I have devised another plan. I'm dispatching them into local schools to find her."
"Schools? You believe Sailor V is a child?
"Our scientists have been able to narrow down her age based on her appearance and strands of her hair left behind at various scenes. They've concluded she must be in her early teenage years."
"Oh? So which schools?"
"Juuban Municipal Junior High School, T.A. Academy for Girls, and Shiba Koen."
"That's very specific."
"Those schools are all within range of her usual sites, I believe those would be our best guesses." Jadeite answered, confident with his plan. "If not we can widen the scope."
"The scientists create Experiments using DNA correct?" Beryl inquired with a smile to which Jadeite nodded. "So am I correct in assuming making a Sailor V Experiment would be possible?"
Jadeite paused for a moment; never had the idea occurred to him. "It is possible my Queen, but how may I ask would that help us?"
"Not only would we have her identity, but we can use the Experiment to our advantage by making it act on our behalf and soil Sailor V's name. This will draw the true Sailor V out of hiding." Beryl said, running hands over the orb as it rotated at an accelerated pace.
"I see, I shall see if there is enough of her DNA left to create an Experiment of her my Queen." Jadeite bowed before his body sank down into the stone floor that engulfed him like a liquid. As Jadeite slowly fell he was surrounded by a frigid darkness before the remains of a dimly lit coliseum appeared below him. In it, three of the Experiments were circling the first.
"Is your goal so important?" Diarmuid shouted to Jadeite after noticing the man.
Jadeite turned his attention to the one who spoke to him, both spears clutched in his hands ready for battle.
"Is your pride so important?" Jadeite asked as he touched down, a few yards away from the four.
"I was never told what the goal was; only what I was needed for. You want energy for her so badly?" Diarmiud questioned and looked to the ceiling. "You wanted it bad enough to soil my name, pride, and honor: everything that meant the world to me as a knight?"
"None of that matters anymore." Jadeite replied turning from him. "You were revived to work for us; your previous life is of no importance here."
"Unacceptable. I cannot accept this fate, as a tool!" He went to lunge forward, only for two of the clones to stab their spears into the ground and block his path. "How can you?" He asked, looking to each of the replicas that all stood stoically. "How can you follow them?"
"They follow my command because they were designed to." Jadeite said, turning to glance back at him. "You were the first of your kind and therefore the closest in mind to your former life. I do not fault you for your feelings; however, I cannot let you act on them."
"Bastard." Diarmuid stepped back before hurling his crimson spear towards Jadeite so fast neither of the clones was fast enough to block the weapon as it tore past them.
"Fool." Jadeite turned and held up a hand, a thin dark layer of energy quickly formed ahead of him. He watched with amusement as the spear came in closer, but his eyes soon widened as it passed through the barrier and sliced into his shoulder. He yelped as blood shot from the cut and clutched his shoulder as he looked back to the spear that was still flying away.
"Perhaps you should have done more research about who you revived!" Diarmuid bellowed and stuck a hand out and recalled the spear. In his peripheral he saw himself flying down towards him with a small blade clutched in his hand. Instinctively he leapt back as the clone slammed the blade down in his previous spot.
"You will all fall…" He growled and threw a hand out, his crimson spear slicing through Jadeite's leg before flying back into his hand. Listening to Jadeite's cry Diarmuid quickly spun it around and deflected the first blow that came to him from the nearest clone.
"That spear." Jadeite rasped; trying to clench both wounds he collapsed face first into the ground. He watched as all three Experiments lunged towards their rebellious clone. "Kill him!"
Diarmuid clutched his spears and lowered himself down into a battle stance as his clones did the same, each of them wielding two swords rather than spears. Diarmuid lunged at them first, parrying two blows from the side before slamming his feet into the chest of the one ahead of him. Knocking him away he rebounded and slashed to his right, managing to nick one on his chest before feeling a blade stick into his side.
He whipped around to cut his attacker, but missed as they flipped backwards. Diarmuid chased after him and saw the first clone lunging for him with his long sword gripped in his hands. He quickly jammed his spear into the ground and threw himself into the air, able to see each of the three below meeting together in his previous spot.
After a quick scan of the area he caught sight of Jadeite limping away towards the exit and stuck his hand out to recall the crimson spear from below. Seeing his replicas leaping up towards him he quickly hurled the spear down towards Jadeite.
"You shall fall hardest." He whispered as the lance whistled through the air before piercing Jadeite's leg, sending the man tumbling over as the spear dug into the ground and kept the leg in place. He heard Jadeite's cry of pain as the clones emerged around him, unsure which to counter he simply tucked his limbs in and braced for their assault.
A flash of a bright white sensation ran through him as he felt something strike his head. He tensed up as the pain radiated through him before feeling a blow of equal force to his stomach and finally a heavy leg brought down onto his protected chest that sent him crashing down to the floor below.
As the pain racked his body he staggered to his feet and felt a hand grip him around his throat. He glared down to one of them that began choke him, a devilish grin appearing on his face as he watched the other two fall down behind him. Waggling his fingers Diarmuid called back his spear that appeared as a flash of red and stuck itself inside the torso of the closest clone.
He collapsed on the ground, choking before coming to his feet and seeing the other two race towards him. In the corner of his eye he saw Jadeite clutching his leg, trying to hobble away.
He swayed on his feet and spun his golden spear before hurling it out between the two approaching replicas causing their focus to break. As they watched the golden blur fly between them Diarmuid quickly called it back, catching it and charging for them before they saw him coming, he raised the spear high as he leapt up before feeling something break within him.
Crunch. Jadeite crushed a small gem until it was nothing but dust in his hand. He watched the body of the flying Experiment lose all momentum and crash against the coliseum ground and skid to a stop. Jadeite collapsed on the ground with a hard chortle and let the dust float away. Jadeite turned his head again to look at the fallen clone who was struggling to stand tall.
Diarmuid groaned and clutched his chest while he gasped for air, feeling his lungs burn and a sharp pain in his intestines that sent blood up into his mouth. Rolling over and slamming his knuckles into the ground he forced himself to his knees.
As he struggled to find air, the blood began dripping from his lips and above him on the ground he saw dim shadows coming towards him. Diarmuid flipped over and threw his spear up to throw one off course before calling his crimson spear back which slammed into one and caused him to knock the other out of the air.
"Pathetic." Jadeite spat out blood as he struggled to stand. "Why are they so weak against him? He's a dying man! Kill him!" He yelped as he felt a sharp pain in his chest, he doubled over coughing into his hand a mouthful of blood.
"I was the first of this kind of Experiment, so I am closest to my former self. So did you ever stop to think I would be the strongest?" Diarmuid choked and struggled to his feet as a chunk of his abdomen darkened before breaking off and floating away as dark particles and recalled his weapons. "Perhaps after losing their honor as knights, the blades of these toys of yours have dulled!"
The clones staggered to their feet as well and spun their spears around hurling them at Diarmuid, who jabbed his own into the ground to propel himself into the air. As he watched the three golden spears fly past he saw the replicas race in together towards his own lance. Feeling the burning in his side vanish he noticed more of his body falling apart and he threw his hand out and recalled his own spear as he fell.
"Die!" Hitting the ground he pulled back on the spear and hurled it outwards to Jadeite. The fallen Shitennou raised a bloodied hand up as a dark barrier formed around him and as the spear met it sizzled and crackled, releasing spurts of dark lightning.
"No!" Diarmuid called as he watched the spear begin to dissolve into golden dust.
"Heh—I admit, although I knew the powers of your spears I forgot which one did which. Your crimson spear is capable of bypassing any defense, however your golden one cannot!" Jadeite dropped his hand and the barrier faded, golden dust flittering around him.
Diarmuid gritted his teeth as he called forth his last spear ready to throw it out but paused as he watched his clones come in closer, holding their hands near his body. His eyes shot opened realizing how close they had gotten before feeling three shooting stings of pain in three points.
The replicas ahead of him clutched the tips of their bloodied golden spears with traces of flesh on them, which had come to them through Diarmuid's body. He struggled to move and simply quivered as blood leaked down from his mouth, the bitter smell of gore burning his bloodshot eyes.
"No." In his blurred vision he saw Jadeite rise to his feet and sway as he watched the scene, his weapon slipping from his grasp and shattering into a mound of crimson dust. One by one each of the clones yanked their lances free from his body, the blood gushing out and splattering across their hard faces and spraying into their eyes before they headed back to Jadeite.
Diarmuid collapsed onto the ground in an increasing pool of blood and coughed trying to keep himself alive as he felt his body falling apart, chunks of his flesh falling off and breaking down into strands of dust.
As his lids became too heavy to keep open his mind drifted to a woman's face, with wavy rich reddish-brown hair and soft eyes, the woman he loved so long ago and the same woman he saw again just yesterday in the city.
End of Chapter Three
Next, the unforgivable truth behind Naru's attack is revealed and Usagi makes the choice of a lifetime. Minako Aino and a white haired boy named Artemis appear, is he really her pet cat, and what are their plans? Find out next time.
Chapter Four - Crossing The Rubicon