Whew. I think the lateness of this chapter is beyond an acceptable apology, but, well, here it is. All I can say is, life has a funny way of happening when you least expect it, and I certainly can't complain about the direction it took me.

Anyway, many thanks to all of you have come back to join me in this little project. You will be pleased to know that the final installment is all but finished and should be up by the end of the week. As always, comments and critiques are always welcome, and I thank you in advance for pointing out whatever errors slipped by.

Humbly yours, Sunny

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Naoko Takeuchi, and the poem to Octavio Paz. I could call the rest mine but my muse might object.

Two bodies face to face
Are at times two knives
And night strikes sparks.

.

Mercury stopped running. She was panting, gasping. She was light-headed and warm blood trickled down her cheek. It was so dark. She knew dawn was just an hour away, but that knowledge did nothing to lessen the depth of night surrounding her. She willed her heart to slow and marshaled her breathing one lungful at a time, gaining some measure of control over the fear knotted in her chest.

A sound. Or rather, the feeling of many feet sprinting across the soft forest floor. Claws scraped against bark and fallen limb as they grew closer. Growls and snarls penetrated through the night and struck her cold. Night Terrors. They were indeed the stuff of nightmares, brutish creatures with coarse fur and twisted, mangled scars. Though they walked upright they were far from human.

Jupiter was preparing defenses. The small clearing where they had stopped became a net of protection as vine and thistle wove themselves together. The wall stretched to the sky, just in time. The creatures surrounded themselves around the wall, their growls and snarls filtering through the dense brush. One let out an excited yip, and then another. One by one they joined into the frenzied chatter.

The sound was chilling. Mercury swallowed against that knot in her chest and echoed Jupiter's stance. Palms down, she pushed her hands out away from her with a slow exhale, and a sheet of ice spread across the ground as she did so. She heard the distinct noise of swords unsheathing as Jupiter removed the two dao blades she kept strapped to her back. They glowed faintly with the energy she poured into them, the light glittering off the icy rink.

Meanwhile the noise intensified, the inhuman chorus filling every nook and hollow, ringing against tree and stone, rising in fervor and pitch until all at once-it stopped. The night hung in sudden stillness. Then a shadow of a figure hurled itself over the wall and landed neatly on the ground, followed by another, and yet another. The battle had begun.

The Night Terrors were unprepared for the ice. When the first one landed it's legs gave way and the creature slid across the ice directly toward the pair. Jupiter was ready and a fluid motion with her pair of swords left the creature an unrecognizable bloody heap. Mercury turned her attention to the other Terrors that joined them. A calculated wave of water picked up two more and flung them against the unyielding wall.

The creatures continued launching themselves into the arena and the battle waged. The darkness was punctuated by the painful brightness of Jupiter's attacks and Mercury saw the world only in a series of still frames. There was an impact and the world tilted as Mercury fell backward on the hard ice with one of the creatures on top of her. Without thinking she grabbed hold of the thick fur on it's snout and tried to hold back the gnashing teeth in search of flesh. She poured ice-cold energy into the creature but it was resilient. Dripping fangs grew closer.

Across the rink Mercury heard Jupiter shout and then the noise of metal skittering across the ice. Mercury grabbed the blade and carved through the beast's hide. She ignored the arterial spray and heaved the creature off of her. Jupiter's energy still pulsed through the sword, fitting in tune with Mercury's own rhythm. She surrendered herself to the strange harmony and became the blade. Claws against steel, steel against fangs, her feet danced for her while the sword sang out against the enemy. She and Jupiter rejoined back to back, seamless in their movements, and the bodies piled around them.

Mercury saw little. Her muscles reacted to threats before her eyes could even make sense of the shapes and movements around her. A block to the right countered claws aimed at her jugular. She twisted and the beast lay twitching at her feet. Parry. Thrust. Something flickered into view to her left and she shifted her weight, swinging the sword hard through the air.

White sparks exploded around her and a metal clang coursed through the arm holding the weapon. Jupiter's face came into focus behind the clashing metal, her face lined with concentration and sweat dripping from her temples. Mercury's breath caught momentarily, though maybe it was just the shock of electricity passing from Jupiter's blade into her own. Jupiter nodded with an almost imperceptible smile and pulled her blade away, spinning back to face the onslaught of creatures.

Mercury lost herself into the battle. There was the sword and the enemy, and nothing else. It came as a shock when Mercury moved to sink her blade into one of the creatures and found herself staring at a golden chain wrapped around it's neck. The beast collapsed and Mercury was left face to face with the other senshi who'd shown up at last.

"Looks like you guys barely needed us."

Mercury barely registered Venus' words. Fire danced in Mars' outstretched hand, the light casting harsh shadows across the remains of the mangled creatures. The perfect circle the two of them had created was a distinct void surrounded by the dead and dying.

The dying. Mercury could hear their rattled breaths and sharp gasps. Her eyes stumbled onto one of the whimpering creatures. It was one of the smaller ones, its chest laid open and fresh blood seeping from its wound with each heartbeat. Mercury dropped next to the creature. It barely moved, but watched her with its pale blue eyes. Mercury saw something in those eyes she was not prepared for. She recognized the pain and fear in those eyes. Mercury swallowed the rising bile in her throat and pressed the blade to the creature's neck while staring into those eyes. She made it quick.

And then it was all overwhelming. The exposed flesh and matted fur, the stench of blood. Mercury stood and squeezed her eyes closed, shutting out the firelight. She did not want to see the rest of the bodies. She did not wish to see the damage her blade had inflicted upon them. There was a touch on her shoulder, and the sword was removed from where it hung loosely in her hand. Jupiter filled the empty hand with her own and led Mercury back into the dark.