(A Sailormoon Alternate-Universe Fan-fiction) - sequel to "I Know A Secret")
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DISCLAIMERS: "Sailmoon" does not belong to me! It never has, and never will. The copyrights to Sailormooon belong to it's creator, Naoko Takeuchi, and a list or manga, animation, and toy firms that I can't even remember!
I hereby proclaim that I am borroqing the Character of "Severus Snape" from the HARRY POTTER series of the author J. ! And, starting with this chapter, I am borrowing (at least) "Sesshomaru" form INU-YASHA by Rumiko Takahashi.
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Soon, the Sailorsenshi, along with Naru and Baruche, were standing in and along the middle-pool of the waterfall.
"Now, that you have been taught how to hunt birds, Uranian-style?" Maru announced to the Senshi and the gathered on-lookers, "we will graduate to Neptonian eel-fishing! Hai!"
"Tridents are used as spears!" Baruche called out to the Senshi. "Learn to use overhead and underhead, how to switch positions! Nets are, primarily, defensive weapons, used to ensnare tridents! If opportunity presents itself? Nets CAN ensnare your opponents! Imobilize. We will first learn to use the spear demo."
"Mizuno-chan! Hino-Chan!" Naru barked out. "Face me!" She then flipped a trident in her palm to show the overhead and underhead positions. "Each position limits range. Position can be changed demo! Learn to change position quickly whem needed! Hai. Do not want to know pack-members are impaled on trident, someplace."
"Pardon me, Oosaka-Sensei?" Rei asked Naru. "Where is Usagi demo?"
"Usagi is with Cooan, at the yo-yo range!" Naru replied. "She will come down when she has finished her training there."
"Now!" Baruche called to Makoto and Minako. "Fight!"
Suddenly, Naru sent an uppercut-swing with her trident toward Rei, causing the miko to back up with "eep!" and try to thrust her trident downward to block Naru! Suddenly, Naru switched her grip on the handle of her trident, allowing her to reverse the momentum of the weapon! While the speed of the turn was relatively slow, it was still fast enough to catch the tongs of Rei's trident, and deflect it in the way to void the attack.
Then, having nullified Rei's weapon, Naru brought the staff of her weapon down across the tongs of Ami's spear as the bluenette tried to come to Rei's aid.!
Meanwhile, Baruche was busy giving Makoto and Minako their first introductions to the TYrident of Neptune. She twirled the three-pronged spear over her head, periodically striking toward either Senshi much like a heron spearing a fish.
"ALRIGHT!" Naru called out. "AGAIN! This time.. TRY to DEFEND! When you have proven you can defend from an attack, then we will defend from your attack! GO!"
"Naru-chan sounds a bit tense, Kana!" Ikuko observed to her friend and Watcher.
"HAI. She is worried. Tone and stance tell me. Musume is worried about losing friends. Remembering Senshi of Uranus and Neptune has placed her on sword's-edge. Hai. Only seeing Senshi learn in training will ease her, even a little, now!"
Soon, Naru was twirling and striking with her trident as Beruche had done, earlier, with Makoto and Minako. and, just as soom, Ami and Rei were defending from the heron-like thrusts of the spear!
Then, and suddenly, Ami caught Naru's trident in the tongs of her own! Then, she thrusts her spear farther up, securing Naru's spear, and turned her weapon to loosen Naru's grip of the shaft!
"How.. is that.. Sensei?" Ami gasped out as Naru's trident clattered on the ground.
"Very good, Mizuno-chan!" Naru bowed and then picked up herweapon. "Now? Sit and wait, Hino-an must now learn her lesson!"
She breathed out. Then, lunged upward toward Ewi with her trident:
"Always be prepared! Enemy is never defeated..."
Rei then caught the neck of Naru's shaft in her tongs, forcinge the trident to the ground! Then, as she stepped on the tongs, the miko threw the butt-end of her shaft into her instructor's wrist!
"'Not defeated until truly unarmed!'" Rei huffed out. "Hai! Remember."
"You.. Are learning.. Kino-San!" Baruche huffed as she seemed to chase after Makoto's shadow. "You... also.. Aino-San! You.. are here.. then.. you are not!"
"The art of Defense!" Makoto grinned. "Make Enemy look for you.. and look.. and look."
"Waste energy dano!" Minako swiftly moved out of the way. "Waste resources!"
Then, as one, Makoto and Minako caught Baruche's trident - one catching the tines and then pushing up into the sky and twisting, the other pinning the butt-end of the staff and thrust down toward the ground and twisting in the opposite-direction!
"You.. have done WELL!" Baruche huffed. "Now! ATTACK!"
Naru and Baruche went into defensive-stances, and waited for the Senshi to come after them.
As soomn as a minute later, the fight was on!
An hour later, Naru called a break to the sparring-match:
"VERY GOOD!" The young Watcher called out to the Senshi. Then after toweling-off then grabbing some sticky-rice and fruit, Naru continued:
"Mizuno-chan! You were the best at reading my stance and eyes! Found how to counter my moves quickly! Hai!"
"Domo arigatou, Oosaka-Sensei!" Ami bowed. "Try to be as good as teachers. Usagi-Sama expects no less!"
"Hai." Naru returned the bow, grinning. "Usagi will be proud! Aino-chan! You were almost as good at reading me as Mizuno-chan! Between the two of you? I was changing strategy at every other breath! VERY good! I am - surprised - I lasted an hour sparring you two!"
Fifteen minutes later, another trident fell to the ground, followed by another call to stop sparring!
"Hino-chan!" Baruche huffed out. "Kino-chan! You would have done Neptonian Gaurd PROUD! Even those bigotted enough to believe in the SUPERIORITY of Merfolk! Hai."
"Would that include.." Rei breathed out. "Sailor-no-Neptune?"
"Maybe." Baruche growled out. This was followed by a whispered curse. "Ja ne! Now. Try to defend with the nets! Entangle spears, immoblize limbs, if possible!" She then showed the others how thr net was best held in the center, letting the weighted-edges fall. "Now? Prepare to DEFEND!"
For the next three hours, the on-lookers around them saw a strange dance, with tritons rising and falling, nets twirling and sweeping, and warriors vying for s position from which to either attack or retreat! To those not involved in the practice, it seemed beautiful! However, they reminded themselve that, as graceful as it looked, it was also dangerous! The danger could be varified if one only look around at the medical-supplies and potions gathered around Saeko and Severus!
Finally, somewhere in the dance, a net finally made the desired contect with a triton-spear.
Suddenly clapping was heard from the top of the falls.
"Hai! Very good!" Usagi chirped.
The heads of the Senshi looked up towards the middle waterfall:
"You have been watching us?" Makoto asked.
"Hsi!" Usagi responded. "For last 45 minutes!"
"Forty-five MINUTES?!" Minako yelped. "What happened to practicing with the yo-yos?"
Cooan tossed down a yo-yo for Baruche and Naru to examine.
"Weapon's broken!" Cooan grinned.
"Broken?" Baruche asked with a raised eyebrow.
"String's been snapped." Naru said, studying the yo-yo.
"Usagi!" Rei suddenly snapped out. "You broke your yo-yo?! You YO-YO!"
Ami lokked up at her pack-leader, sitting at the edge of the falls and kicking her feet in the air lazily.
"It was not my yo-yo that was broken, Rei-chan!" Usagi admonished the miko.
Ami choked down a sudden giggle.
"It is not Usagi's weapon!" Baruche announced. "Nor was it cut!"
"She entwined her yo-yo around mine to disarm me!" Cooan spoke with pride. "She pulled on my weapon, and snapped the string!"
And, Ami doubled-over and fell to her knees in a fit of laughter!
"Hai!" Naru annouced. "Usagi! Get down here! Since you have watched us practice? We will see what you have learned from observation! Grab a spear and grab a net. Practice with Hino-San, first. On my mark... BEGIN!"
The miko began the practice by probing Usagi's defences,striking Ugasi like a heron stalking and striking at a fish! Usagi countered the strikes - playfully, at first - with both overhead- and underhand-thrusts, always causing her opponent's spear to deflect from the target.
Soon, Rei was striking a little faster and with more force, oncentrating on making her Alpha lose her grip on the trident. However, with every block, there was a deflection or outright-block!
Then, after half-an-hour of spearwork, Rei tossed her net around the prongs of Usagi's trident!
"Ara..", Uasgi chirped as she worked the trident, twirling the prongs in Rei's net, "NOODKES! HAI!"
"We shall see, Usagi!" Rei grinned mischieviously, as her net came, seemingly, from nowhere to wrap around the shaft of Usagi's trident, trying to unbalence her friend and leader.
"Hai, Rei-chan! We shall see!" Usagi giggled, stepping into rei's trident and seemingly losing her balence. Then, planting her weight totally on her front foot, she forced Rei's spear into the streambed at the same time that her right foot touched the streambed, and brought the handle of her spear between Rei's neck and shoulder! The miko then lost her grip on her spear and net, and lost her balance, falling backward into the lower pool.
"TIME!" Naru caled out with all the force of a drill-sargeant!
"Rei-chan?" Usagi asked. "Are you well?"
"I think so." Rei sputtered as she came out of the water. "Has Naru showed you any of this, before?"
"The weaponry, hai!" Usagi replied. "Wespons in archives! Naru.. explained weapons to us - me and Ami - three months ago, hai."
"'Explained' Weapons to you?!" Rei stood, mouth agape. "Was that all she explained? How did you learn to FIGHT with them?"
"By observing Senshi. Hai." Usagi said straight-faced.
"By OSBSERVATION?" Rei's mouth droped lower, almost becoming unhinged, before she was able to close it. Then, she developed a rediculous grin. "Hunting-party will be.. interesting. Hai! Hallu-aneue remembers being - humiliated - by refusal of Senshi-no-Neptune to fight her! Thought Senshi of Inner-Planets were 'unworthy' of honorable-battle! Iyaa. Just because Martians lose tastes for blood-sport! Does not mean Martians are not Senshi! Iyaa!"
"You shall have your vengeance, Rei!" Usagi said. "As will Hallu-chan! Will have family back dano!"
"Alright!" Naru called out. "TRY, AGAIN! Minako! Partner with Rei-chan!"
The next bout ran with more speed snd fury than the first, as Usagi found herself fighting on two fronts, and have to back up to keep both Rei and Minako in front of her. or at least in a panaramic view! Then, she had to take note of each opponant's style - which weapon they preferred, and how they used them.
'Hm, Starting to react like Ami-chan!' Usagi thought to herself.
'Always been bright-one, Usagi!' Usagi heard Ami's telephic giggle. 'Just choose to be outshone by others. Hai!'
'Always feel better..' Usagi responded, 'letting Sereniti-hime be little girl she rarely got to be!'
'Hai!' Ami chirped. 'Always aneue! Watch battle for...'
'I am watching..' Usagi half-stepped aside, dodging Minako's bansai-charge. Then, she kicked a lowering-triton loose from Rei's grip, as Minako fought her momentum to regain her balance! Lastly, she kicked her heel into Rei's solar-plexus, sending the Miko, once again, into the water, now minus her net!
She then, planting her foot back down, stepped into Minako's path and caught the handle of Minako's triton with her own, causing the other blonde to loose her grip on the weapon, and ensnared her in her in her net, pulling her down and backwards!
"TIME!" Naru called. Then, she called to Makoto and Ami:
"KINO! You are partnered with Usagi! Mizuno! You are partnered with Hino and Aino! Hai! Inuoye need help!"
Soon, the three-on-two match was ready:
"GO!" Naru called.
With a Banzai-yell, Mizuno, with Aino and Hino at her sides, charged!
"Nani-yo, Usagi?" Makoto asked.
"Stand like mountain!" Usagi said, her eyes searching her opponants' coordination. "Break wave."
Soon, and very soon, tridents were clashing on with another,as one group Senshi tried to disarm the other, and nets whirled, their wielders searching for something to entangle!
As Rei circled Makoto, the taller girl feighted left, drawing the miko's attention, and her spear!
In responce, Makoto shifted her weight suddely and dodged to her right, raing her spear and catching the shaft of Rei's weapon, tearing it forcefully from her grasp! Then, as the trident sank into the pool, The taller girl swept the miko's legs from under her, sending her backwards into the pool!
Two seconds later, as Rei sputtered out of the water, she was met by the prongs of a spear!
"Yield?" Makoto asked.
"Hai!" Rei meeped.
Meanwhile, Ami and Minako were trying to catch Usagi, once more, in a cross-fire.
"Did not work last time..." Usagi said, skittering across the pool-shore like a crab.
She then stroke her trident out at a persuing-Minako's foot!
"IIDE!" Minko screeched, pulling her calf and foot, backwards and up!
"Will not work THIS time! Iyaa!" Usagi entangled Minako's leg and threw the Senshi off-balance:
SPLASH!
Then, Usagi turned her full-attention to Ami.
"Very good, aneue!" The Bluenette chirped. "Watching for habits to exploit! I must be careful."
Suddenly, the air around the falls was electrified by a defiant shout:
"Venus... Love-me... WHIP!"
Usagi saw the attack coming at her from the corner of her eye, and dove to the ground, dodging it!
"Venus!" Mercury's whispered-tone sent chills along the spines of almost everyone who heard it. "Leave the whip along. You will get no second warning."
"Air i- i- is co- colder..!" Rei chattered.
"Thannnn.. Aqua.. Rapsody!" Makoto shivered. "Nani yo?"
"Mesume sounds like.." Severus spoke.
"Senjin." Saeko whispered.
Suddenly, after a short, tight spin, a whip of greemish-yellowish crystals flashed from Ami's palm. In a slashing downward-mtion, that whip bit into the Venus love-me whip, shattering it and Minako's concentration!
"Thyra's whip does not impress me." Ami spoke in that sames whispered tone. "It will not impress the Neptonians. You remember Naru's tale. They only respect those who play their game.. with their tools."
"What has happened, Niisan?" Saffiru whispered to Dimondo. "What has happened to Mizuno? She sounds.. very different. The sound disturbs me!"
"I think that is the desired effect, Itouto!" Dimondo agreed. "Just thank the kami it is not you she speaks to."
"Now, inuyei!" Ami hissed, "For the sake of your sanity - pick up spear and net!"
Slowly, as if under compulsion, Minako picked up the weapons.
"Now, before we fight, twirl the weapons in your hands, again!" Ami instructed Minako. "Grip them. Feel them! Walk with them. DANCE with them!"
These instructions Minako followsd, her enire concentration focused on the trident and net. She twirled the tridemt like a baton, getting her fingers and wrist once again used to the weapons balance. She also did this with the waited-net, from it center to its endges. then she walked and pirouetted with them, concentrated so as to never lose their balance!
"Remember, Minako!" Ami said in measured tones, "It is always about CONTROL! You either control the weapons - and, therefor, the Enemy - or, they control you."
'About control.' Minako repeated to herself and Thyra. 'Never lose control.'
"Now, Minako!" Ami barked out, getting into a battle-position. "ATTACK!"
As the two warriors circled and probed, they moved in and out of each other's range like a mirage. Then, after two hours of probing, Ami's trident found a mark, catching Minako's net and tearing it!
"OME POINT FOR MIZUNO!" Baruche cried out.
Ami then tried to use the surprise of her attack on Minako's defensive-weapon to feint amd take her spear! But, with both hands now free to use her Trident, Minako caught her prongs in Ami's, twisted her own shaft, and disarmed Ami of her spear! Then, she quickly removed the net from the bluenette's hands!
"Two points, and match, to AINO!" Baruche called out. "Everyone learned! GOOD!"
"As my jisou has mastered the art of the whip!" A figure who radiated elegance and grace, in spite of his ragged leather clothing, spoke. His voice, as quiet as it was, flouted on the breeze with authority - and, a hint of danger:
"The Great General would be honored to know that both his lines have so thrived these many centuries."
"Nani?" Minako shouted, grabbing a trident! "Dare?"
"Usagi! Get to safety!" Rei shouted. "It's a YOUMA! We will..!"
"Stand DOWN! Inouye!" Ami snapped out calmly. "Before you are struck down WHERE you stand! This is not Youma! This is YOUKAI!"
"YOUKAI!?" Rei shrieked, "In my MOUNTAINS?" She instinctively grabbed for an ofuda. "Nani-YO? Doko OFUDA?!"
"They are in the cave, inouye!" Ami admonished the miko. "Where they should STAY until actully NEEDED! Hai."
"I am not to hunt, miko!" The Youkai said calmly. "Not you, not my kouie, not your pack."
"Your.. kouie?" Rei audibly gulped. "Dare kouie?"
"Arigatounisssai, Sesschoumaru-sosen!" Ami bowed. "For.. watching over kaasan and I!"
"He.. is you Sosen?" Rei creaked out. "Sesshoumaru-Sama? Tousho Kou Sesshoumaru?! The Inu Tai-Youkai?!"
"Rei! Minako!" Ami snapped out. "OSAWARI! NODOKA!"
Imeediately, Rei and Minako sat down and shut up!
"Impressive!" Sesshoumaru noted, watching Rei and Minako, "How long have you had to command them?"
The Tai-Youkai then turned his attention back to Ami. "I had - worried - that the Kyongshi you allow to dwell in you had weakened you! As they cling so tenaciously to the past, I was - concerned - that your tama would remain bonsai! We owe the Ookami, Tsukino Usagi, a great debt. Hai. And, her Watcher, Oosaka Naru. Hai."
"You - know - a - about Naru?" Ami stuttered out the question, in awe of the Inu-Youkai before her. Within this, to him, acceptible-company, Taisho Sessoumaru allowed not only his true-powers, but true-form to be unmasked.
"I know." The Tsi-Youkai answered softly, though his voice still held command. "We.. my mate and I,
have kept close-watch on our kouie. Have intervened dano when needed."
Sesshomaru then turned to Saeko and Severeus. "You both watch over the inoye? That is wise. You have stayed in contact with the pack, son of Tobias?"
"I have, Kou-Taisho!" Severus nodded. "The Mahoutsukai have tried to keep me apart from my family! To strengthen their standings in their games! But? Their have failed to make the tear irreparable! When I cannot be with my wife and daughter? I write them, and they write me! If we cannot write? I have spies! And?
My spies KNOW to keep me TRUTHFULLY informed! Both the Snapes and .. Princes .. were will-known for dealing with spies, and mis-information."
Snape let go low a low, merciless chuckle that chilled the blood of almost all who heard it, save his immediate-family and Sesshomaru!
"The mahoutaukai that keep watch of the Torii-no-hone," Sesshomaru asked, "do you know them?"
"I know them. hai!" Severus said. "I have taught them!"
"Are they aware of the Kyongshi-kuro that dwells within?" Sesshomaru asked, "Of her manipulations?"
"I have told them al I know!" Snape smile dangerously, "Which is much."
"Are they prepared for her games", the Inu-Youkai inquired. "The subtilties of Occulumancy that I could not teach?" Severus assured the Tai-Youkai, "I saw they learned from the best minds I could find! These - students - you saw, and studied I have no doubt, are like sons to me, almost as dear to me as my own daughter!"
"Hai." Sesshomaru answered. "They hide their presence well. My meito is watching over them, further.
They will join us at sunset."