Chapter 3: Flying Solo
"So, he left an hour ago, and still isn't there?" Raye asked Serena, thoroughly concerned now. She heard Serena fight back tears.
"Yeah, he called about twenty minutes ago, saying he would be late, but never this late. And Amy hasn't heard from him either." Raye was now sure that Koaru was in trouble.
"I'm going to try and find him, ok Serena? I'll call as soon as I find anything." Serena gave her thanks and hung up. Raye slowly placed the phone back on the receiver and walked to the Great Fire, hoping to find some trace of what happened to Koaru.
"So, you serve King Llander of Tritus?" Koaru asked Mitarashi, not knowing what other question to ask. Mitarashi laughed, a cold, cruel laugh.
"Llander? That old geezer died to my Master's sword back in the Silver Millennium. And you are Llander's son, right?" Koaru's blood suddenly boiled as he looked at Mitarashi. He realized that she could not be one of his father's Guards, not with an aura like the one she possessed.
"Yeah, Llander was my father. Got a problem with that?" he asked, no longer acting tough, but ready to fight to the death. Mitarashi smiled, revealing slightly pointed teeth.
"Yes, I do. My mission is to kill the Prince of Tritus, a.k.a, you." She drew her sword and lunged at Koaru, who parlayed the attack with his own sword and leapt aside. But his sped was nothing compared to hers. No sooner had he regained his footing did she rush past, slashing is arm as she went.
"Argh…damn it…" Koaru grabbed the cut on his arm and dropped to his knees, feeling the blood gush from the cut. "If only I had the Crystal…then i…" Koaru cut off his thoughts with a quick shake of his head.
"Can't think like that. After all, I was more then a threat before I gained that power, so why not use it?" Time slowed as Koaru watched Mitarashi fly at him again, blade pointed at his heart.
"Give us the girls and we won't hurt the others, got it punk?" Koaru was standing in an alleyway with eight other kids from the orphanage. Three of them were girls and the other five were boys. All of them were about seven years old, except for two of the girls; Kelsey was fourteen and Maylin was thirteen. Koaru, at fifteen, was the oldest, bringing the younger ones back from the zoo when six punks cornered them in the alleyway, and were now demanding Kelsey and Maylin. Koaru stepped forward, holding his hand behind him, telling the others to stay back.
"Sorry, but I can't let that happen. They're under my protection, and I will protect them with my life." Two of the gang snapped out a switchblade.
"Really, you think you can take all of us?" one of them asked, spinning the blade between his fingers. Koaru merely glared at him from under his thick mop of hair.
"Oh yeah, I know I can take you clowns." The guy quit spinning the blade and held it, blade down. One of the guys stepped forward, carrying what looked like a sword on a stick.
"Nice glave. You steal that, or does your Mom really love you?" Koaru asked, his face twisted into an evil grin as he spoke. The guy seemed unaffected by the insult.
"Tok, Koji, Akira. Shut this guy up…permanently." Koaru continued to smile as the three approached, two of them holding the switchblades. Behind him, Koaru heard one of the kids whimper in fright. He turned and looked at them.
"Don't worry, you guys. I'll be fine." He kept his expression as calm and reassuring as he could, then turned back to the trouble in front of him. "Just stay back there, and don't try to help, understand?" he heard them reply in a mixed jumble of ok's, yes' and alright's and turned to smile at them.
"Bad idea, tough guy!" Koaru felt the speaker's fist connect with his face, then met the pavement with a dull thud. He watched three pairs of feet surround him, a slight swagger in their step.
"Say good-bye!" the one shouted as he brought the knife down at Koaru's head. He heard the cries from the children, and reacted. Placing his hands on either side of his face, Koaru pushed himself back just as the blade struck the ground, causing a few sparks to flash.
"My move, suckers." Koaru swept his legs to the left, keeping his hands planted on the ground, so that he was now standing on them. With a mighty swing, he slammed both of his heels into his assailant's head, which smashed into the ground with a loud crack.
"What the hell?" Koaru placed his feet on the ground, stood up and faced his next two opponents, both looking terrified. Their leader shouted at them.
"Kill him, damn it!" they both snapped out of their shock and charged Koaru, who merely stood there. They were three feet away when he moved.
"Either of you ever flown before?" he asked as he spun around, grabbing onto the one's right wrist and the other's left wrist. He then jumped up, dragging them behind, flipped in a front somersault, and kicked both of them in the chest, sending them into wall. Koaru landed in a low crouch, then slowly stood up and turned to face the remaining three gang members.
"How the hell did he do that?" the leader asked, watching Koaru stand up. Behind him, the other two were backing away.
"Screw this, man. Nothing is worth getting pummeled by that guy." With that, they ran off, leaving their boss behind to face an opponent with whom he didn't hold a prayer.
"Enough 'if only's'. Time for a good old fashioned ass-whoopin." Koaru leaned back just as the blade reached him, passing over him. Mitarashi flew right over Koaru, right where he wanted her.
"What?" Mitarashi gasped in shock as Koaru ducked under her lunge, then flipped onto his chest, curled up, balancing on his head, then kicked her square in the face. Blood squirted from her nose and mouth as she flew up into the air, dropping her sword as she did.
"You, how can you fight without your powers?" Koaru smiled as he stood up, his old combat instincts back in over drive.
"I always carry my power with me. It's called Tai Jutsu!" Mitarashi growled in irritation and flew at Koaru, charging energy into her hands as she flew closer. Koaru stepped his right leg back, placing himself in a very long stance, leaning forward slightly, right arm extended backwards and left arm extended towards the ground. Both combatants clashed in an all out martial arts brawl.
"Black Comet Fist!" "Thousand Palms of Fire!"
Raye sat back on her hands, panting, her heart racing and sweat dripping from her forehead.
"Such power…that has to be where Koaru is." She quickly got to her feet and ran to the phone, knowing that the Sailor Scouts had a big job ahead of them.
"Rising Thunder!" Koaru signature Tai Jutsu combo opener connected with Mitarashi's jaw and sent her straight up into the air, with Koaru following close behind with a kick to the back.
"Pillar of Pain!" Mitarashi felt her breathe shoot out of her lungs as Koaru heel connected with the mid-section of her back. She started to fall, and Koaru helped her gain speed.
"Meteor Strike!" he shouted as he flipped forward and connected both of his heels with Mitarashi's neck and chest, sending her straight down into the earth. As Koaru began his descent, he rolled into a ball and began to spin as fast as he could.
Mitarashi opened her eyes, watching Koaru fly down at her like a giant pinball. "So, this is how my first mission ends, with my death?" she thought as she watched the attack close in.
"Asteroid Drop!" Koaru struck down with both legs together and struck, a hand?
"Huh?" Koaru wondered aloud as he looked at the figure holding him up with one hand as though it was a daily chore that he enjoyed.
Mitarashi gasped in shock at the sight. Then she suddenly glared at her rescuer. She forced herself to feet with great effort, then continued to glare.
"What are you doing here, Siefer?"
Siefer looked back at Mitarashi with disgust. He threw Koaru aside and turned to face her.
"Fine then. Next time I'll let him smash your worthless skull like an egg, ok?" he then drew a sword and turned to Koaru, who had picked up his discarded katana. Siefer smiled, then slashed the air before him.
"Crushing Pressure Slice!" Koaru felt the air around him ripple, then felt something pass him. He looked over at Siefer, who smiled. Then the cut opened. Across Koaru's chest opened a cut that covered him from his right shoulder to his left hip. Blood gushed from the wound, and he fell back, sputtering and gasping in shock.
"Hmph, some warrior." Siefer said as he turned and grabbed Mitarashi, then the two of them vanished into the darkness, the darkness which was swallowing up Koaru as he lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood.