"Michiru is playing beautifully as always."
The Senshi group were currently gathered in a concert hall, surrounded by hundreds of others, watching Kaioh Michiru and one of her usual two backups perform.
"Strange…where's Otoko-san?"
"She's in the hospital, Chibi-Usa. She was in a car accident recently, and is still recovering."
Usagi gave a small gasp. "Oh no…that means…" Haruka shook her head.
"Yes…she can't play the song she worked so hard on."
Ami sympathized with Michiru. "That's terrible…she was looking forward to this for so long…"
Rei, always alert, was wondering. "Ne, Hotaru-chan? Where's Kairyuu?"
The younger girl shook her head sadly. "I don't know…I haven't seen him since he went out with her. It's been over a week…I'd be worried if it weren't that he had Mikoto-chan give me a message stating he's in the middle of something important…" She sighed. "I just wish he'd tell me these things…"
Haruka gave a quiet snort at that. "Doesn't seem very trustworthy then."
"More than you'll ever be. At least he isn't willing to kill my friends without thinking about how I'd feel about it first."
And that served to shut Haruka up nicely.
The target is Kaioh Michiru. Strike her down at the end of the concert. Do so while she is still on stage. Stealth is important, but if it cannot be done, being seen is acceptable.
Now is the time…wait…SHIT! She's not done?! Who the hell is this?!
"Thank you…thank you all. It's a pity, I had planned to do one more song before the end but…our dear friend Otoko is in the hospital, and unfortunately the song in question requires at least three people to perform it properly."
The crowd seemed to sadden at that. Not just due to the loss of music, but for Otoko's plight.
"Well then. It's a good thing I'm here isn't it?"
An unfamiliar voice to the crowd rang from the east wing of the stage.
The Senshi group was shocked. "No…way…"
"K-Kairyuu-san?"
Striding in from the left, Kurayami Kairyuu appeared onto the stage with elegance never seen before.
"I'm not Otoko…but…I think I can help you out with this one."
"You…I never knew you-
"Maa maa…don't want to keep this lovely crowd waiting too long do we?"
Michiru gave a hesitant smile. "N-no…I suppose we don't."
The three took their seats. "If you would begin, Michiru-san?"
"H-Hai."
Helping Hotaru
Chapter VIII: Reverse Princess Returns!
Chibi-Usa's Transformation.
(BGM: Perfect Cherry Blossom Icy Peaks OC Remix)
This song…it's…familiar to me…no. I cannot get distracted. I must focus. Prepare for the end. When that comes…I strike.
"I…wow…he's…amazing!"
Hotaru frowned.
"What's wrong Hotaru-chan?"
"…He can't play violin. He doesn't know how. …to get this good in a week…even for him that's pushing reality…"
Ami was confused. "Have you no faith in him?"
She shook her head. "It's not that. When I asked him a long time ago what he liked, he told me what he could do. He can play Piano, but he can't read the music, he just knows what keys to hit and when. He makes up his own stuff with it sometimes when he's bored, and quickly forgets what he just did. He can sing a little…as long as he doesn't force it. And he can carry a beat as well as anyone else, sometimes thinking up random beats when he's idle…but that's it."
"Then how the heck is he playing so well?"
"…he must have copied her…"
"Copied?"
"Yes…it's a skill that he's had since birth. He said it has nothing to do with his powers…more that it's an…evolution…of what little kids do. If he's around someone long enough he can sort of 'copy' their mannerisms, the way they talk, the way they move, and so on. Most of the time only small fragments of the person get copied, little bits and pieces. But to copy a whole musical talent…"
"What if he's using his powers to sustain it?"
"What do you mean Ami?"
"I mean…think of it like this. He started by being around Otoko-san for a while to initiate it. We don't know what he was doing during this past week, so that could only be part of it. What if he used his powers to temporarily enhance his natural mimicry, and copied her entire playing style."
Makoto frowned. "That's kinda cheating her out of all her practice isn't it?"
Ami responded. "Not particularly. It seems he had no original interest in music beyond listening to it…so maybe he's only done it for this one song…we'd have to ask him personally."
Usagi couldn't help but sigh. "Still…it's a beautiful song."
Everyone agreed.
(End.)
Michiru, Altana and Kai all stood and bowed. A roar of cheers and clapping accompanied them…silenced only by one sound.
A loud gunshot rang through the concert hall.
Time seemed to slow…
Raising his head, Kai noticed a glint of light from the gunshot, moments before the sound reached his ears. The hell? I can move fast but…this is something different…
He looked around, confused as to why things were moving so slowly. His eyes caught something shimmering. He stared at the spot where he saw it, seeing a grey mass making its way down from the stands.
Oh…kay…
He stared at it for a bit, noting that it seemed to be moving faster. Oh shit, whatever's going on is ending! Uhh, crap who's it for?!
Stepping back for a moment, he saw exactly where its target was. Michiru? Why…
And time returned to normal…
The front of Michiru's dress became splattered with red. D-damn that was a high caliber bullet!
"KAIRYUU!"
(BGM: Final Fantasy X – Enemy Attack)
Screams rang through the concert hall as Michiru dropped to her knees next to Kairyuu, who had taken the bullet for her. But while they were panicking, Zero was looking for something.
THERE!
He got to his feet, his left shoulder protesting the action. A sphere of crackling white energy appeared in his right hand, only to be launched seconds later.
SHIT!
The sphere slammed into the assassin, encaging them in a bubble of blue/white energy. Zero pulled back on the tendrils connecting his hand and the cage, pulling it to him. As the sphere reached him, it vanished, allowing him to swing his right leg into the side of the assassin, knocking them away.
The spectators stopped panicking and stood watch in awe as he seemed immune to the hole in his left shoulder. The assassin flipped to their feet and pulled out a small blade. Kai quickly swept his arm in a wide arc, sending a wave of force along the ground at the attacker, only to find it nullified by a small sphere of light surrounding them.
Was that…an A.T. Field? Holy hell am I gonna have a challenge for once?
Who is this guy?! He almost fucking hit me with that! My barrier damn near shattered! Gah…I have to end this now!
"Damn…we can't Henshin!"
"We'll just have to leave this up to Kai…"
Ducking under the assassin's swing, Kai retaliated by lifting his left leg in a backwards kick and bringing it to the face of his foe. Barely dodging out of the way, the attacker was being pressed by a flurry of punches launched from the young warrior. Each one was barely evaded or blocked, but the defense was beginning to take its toll. The assassin ducked under one wider swing and back-flipped out of the way of a leg sweep. It then jumped forward, blade extended only to have the attack blocked by Kai's crossed arms.
Damn…strong. Didn't expect this.
Come on! Just a little more!
Dammit…I've got no choice, I have to do it…
The assassin's eyes widened as a silver glow began building at Zero's back…
"Now if only you weren't trying to kill…someone important to me…"
The assassin grew even more fearful as the light seemed to seep into the ground around them. A ring of light appeared beneath the two as the assassin suddenly got knocked backward.
"It's pointless to resist…"
The ring became a glyph consisting of the Sign of Creation, as glowing streams of energy spiraled to the center in the form of faint white chains.
"These divine chains will never break…"
Zero's body slowly lifted into the air as the spiraling energy pulled the assassin closer to him. He curled into a ball for a moment as the glow from his back seemed to pulse.
"SHINING BIND!"
Thrusting his arms and legs out, he formed a command to the glyph beneath him. It fired a massive beam of holy power into the air, engulfing and horribly injuring the assassin, as well as blowing them away.
When the light cleared…Gasps were heard all around as the patrons realized who it was that saved Michiru's life.
"The Twilight Seraphim?!"
Oh…SHIT! It's the Legendary God Slayer! I thought he died millennia ago! No…focus…FOCUS! One strike…that's all I need.
The assassin calmed themselves and dashed for Zero. They flipped out a small dagger and as they came within range…launched it.
Zero just stood there as the dagger flew right past his face, narrowly missing him.
Ok I take it back. This person sucks.
And then…time slowed again.
Wait what? What's…?
He looked around in confusion. As soon as he looked back he understood. Oh…FUCK!
The assassin wasn't aiming for him. But Michiru who stood not far behind him. Though he didn't forget that she seemed to be the target, he underestimated his foe's dedication. Veiling an attack at her as an attack at me…see, THIS is why I hate fighting monsters so much! I forget how HUMANS think!
Realizing that there wasn't much distance between the dagger and its target, and that time was beginning to speed up again, he flickered over to Michiru at the last second and knocked her out of the way, taking the dagger in the back.
And time resumed.
"Ow. That hur-
His eyes widened as he felt his wings vanish, the event, to the watchers, seeming as if they shattered like fine china. His mind was going at an incalculable speed as it registered what just happened. A corruption was spreading through his body at an alarming rate, his internal defenses crumbling like a pitifully built sandcastle.
Michiru noted the look of shock on his face. "Kairyuu-san…?"
One word came out of his mouth before his body succumbed to its corruption.
"…poison…"
(BGM: Persona 3 - Tartarus 0d01)
"It's right here…"
Kai and the others stood in front of a large abandoned building. The assassin had been questioned through rather…inventive means, and revealed that she was tasked by the Guild master to assassinate Michiru as a Quest received by a figure wearing a midnight blue cloak.
Tiamat, the Goddess of Chaos had granted Kai access to the power she had hidden within him millennia ago…this allowed him to narrowly survive the poison within the dagger…at a heavy price.
Many innocent lives were lost during Kai's initial reaction to the awakening power within him, the sheer magnitude morphing his body into the form of a very distorted Dragon. Surprisingly enough, when he'd cornered the assassin in a wide but enclosed ally, he instantly transformed back, with nary a hint of struggle.
"I doubt this is the entrance. It would be too suspicious if people came and went from this place freely, especially if they weren't dressed like hobos."
The assassin sighed. "There are…many entrances. This is simply the building the guild is beneath. Come, there is a lift in the back. It's the 'main' entrance. We will use that one."
Kai nodded, and gestured for the others to follow. Hotaru just behind him, with Chibi-Usa right next to her.
"Hey Kiera! How'd the mission…oh shit."
One of the many loitering guild members greeted the assassin, only to pause as he recognized the form of Michiru Kaioh…with a group of Sailor Senshi. Everyone shot to their feet, drawing their weapons. Some drew daggers, others longer blades, others spears and assorted pole-arms, one or two even went as far as to suddenly crack a whip, and still others drew assorted fire-arms.
Irritation flaring, Kai stepped forward, unconsciously summoning his wings, the glowing appendages twitching with his irritation. Immediately the guild members froze.
"…h-holy shit…"
"I-is that-
"No fucking way…"
"The Lord Shinigami?!"
Internally confused but showing no signs of it, Kai spoke simply, and powerfully.
"Either one of you will take me to your Guild master, or I wipe the lot of you off the face of the planet, and find them myself."
Kiera, the Assassin that brought the group to the Guild stepped in front of him.
"Please, Lord Shinigami. I brought you here…I never had any intention of doing things half-way. I will take you to her myself."
Kai simply glared at the woman. "Move."
She nodded hesitantly and strode towards the back of the lounge. The others eyed Kai, his wings, and the group with him nervously. One spoke up.
"A-are the rumors true?"
Everyone froze, the Guild members' eyes wide as a young man spoke up.
"Did you really defeat the legendary Sailor Saturn?"
Kai turned to the owner of the voice. A simple red haired teenager with a shotgun strapped to his back.
"No."
Everyone blinked at that.
"…I shouldn't be wasting my time with this…but I hate it when the truth is muddled…
I didn't defeat her. She defeated me. My goal was solely to stop her from using her World Ending attack. The details are…classified…but suffice it to say I got my ass handed to me. If it weren't for a bit of luck-
Hotaru broke in here. "And the fact that you're a massive flirt."
Kai's glare softened when he looked at the violet eyed teen. He still glared, but it was more of a "oh come on did you HAVE to add that?" type than one of anger.
"…yes…and the fact that I managed to appeal to her…feminine aspects…that my goal succeeded"
Blinks of surprise all around…another spoke up. "But you still technically beat her right?"
Hotaru piped up. "It was more of a draw really."
Everyone turned to the girl. "And you are…?"
Her response was to close her eyes. In seconds, the guild members gasped as the symbol of Saturn flared to life upon her forehead.
"The current incarnation of Sailor Saturn."
"…holy shit the Sailor Senshi are in our guild."
A rookie guild member jumped in. "Screw the Senshi, the Lord Shinigami is in our guild!"
That seemed to sink in…and they all dropped their weapons, kneeled down and bowed.
Kai's reaction?
"…where the hell were these people when I was single?"
A rather pretty brunette guild member spoke with surprise. "You mean you're taken?!"
"Yep."
"B-but by who?"
Hotaru put her arm around Kai and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"…oh hell…the Shinigami and the Lady of Destruction together?!"
It was then that realization sunk in. It dawned on Kiera what would have happened had Kai not suddenly recovered.
…if I'd killed him…I'd have condemned this ENTIRE planet to obliteration!
…now I need to talk to the Guild master as well…
"As interesting as this is, we have little time. Kiera…was it?"
She stiffened and nodded. "Continue."
Another nod.
"…as I live and breathe…the Shinigami…in my office."
"Whether you will be doing either of those at the end of this meeting is up to you, Guild master."
It was at that moment that she realized, he was here on business.
"Of course, Lord Xenmaru. Please, all of you, take a seat."
"…there's no way you could have known our arrival with as long a walk as we had. No cameras, no monitors…you're a telepath aren't you?"
The guild master, a loosely dressed green haired woman wearing a simple T-shirt of a popular anime and a pair of blue jeans blinked. "Impressive deduction Lord Xenmaru. Yes, I am."
"And yet I detect no signature brushing my shields."
She chuckled darkly. "After what happened on Phobos…All the kingdoms issued a mandate that if any telepath were to encounter you, we were to keep our probes to ourselves."
"I see…"
Rei jumped in. Phobos was, after all, one of two moons to her guardian planet.
"Wait! Kairyuu what's she talking about?"
Setsuna seethed. "'The Great Phobos Massacre.'"
"The WHAT?!"
Everyone yelled. Kai responded by wiggling his pinky in his ear. "Jeez…any louder and China could hear you."
Hotaru looked at him. "Explain."
He sighed. "Only you can be so direct with me and get an answer Hime-chan…it wasn't…one of my finer moments."
"You killed THOUSANDS of people."
"…more like about half a million."
Silence.
"…you killed…over five hundred thousand people…? Wh-why would you-
"Because they annoyed him."
The Guild master spoke, kicking her feet up against the table.
"Tch…if only it was that simple…"
She blinked. "oh? That's what we were told."
"They were all telepaths. A colony of them. Their leader…he was the one that annoyed me. He kept pissing me off every time he tried to get in my head. So one day, I let him. Before he could do anything I grabbed the connection and reversed it so I was in His head…I found something…"
The woman leaned forward, her feet long since dropping, eyes wide behind her blue rimmed glasses with interest.
"Go on…"
"He was a conduit. He'd been broadcasting a very faint, very subtle message to all telepaths in the colony. The message, I didn't get, but I saw it was directed as an attack on something…a location somewhere in the jurisdiction of the Moon Kingdom.
Each and every telepath was having their powers regulated to focus upon him…the sick bastard had even used his own daughter, a telepath so powerful she could almost alter reality itself…as the weapon. I saw, through his mind, her pain…her suffering…all because he didn't like Queen Serenity…"
"So you killed them all…"
"She wanted it…His daughter I mean. Since he was the conduit, and she was the focus, she too could see into the minds of every telepath in the colony…she saw how their lives were basically false, controlled by her father. She felt my presence within his mind and practically begged me to end their false lives. I wanted to say no…I really did…"
He blinked, a small tear running down his cheek. "You know she looked a lot like you Hime-chan. Her hair was impossibly long though…not as long as Kyu's but still, really long. She would have been beautiful…"
He shook his head. "I'll admit, telepathy's not my strongest point. I mostly can get into other people's heads once they make a link with me…otherwise I can only really get surface thoughts. My skill is in my own protection though…
She gave me full control of her body. Can you imagine that? Any guy would kill for that opportunity…a beautiful young woman giving her entire existence to them…her body, her mind…her soul…I could have made her do anything I wanted, and she wouldn't have fought an inch of it…mostly because her will was battered down by the will of hundreds of thousands…but…I felt it…she trusted me. I even asked her why. And you know what she said? 'Because you're the God Slayer. You do what you want, because you want to. I trust your will.'"
He gestured to a small bowl containing a few fish.
"She told me what to do. Said I was the only one who could end this farce…end a war before it happened. So…I did."
He stared at the fish…and everyone stared at it as well. They watched as it squirmed unnaturally, flailing around in its watery home. The other fish immediately swam away, their instincts given to them from birth warning them of danger. It flailed, it wiggled…and finally its mouth opened…and it exploded. Everyone gasped.
"I blew their heads open from the inside. I sent a psionic pulse, one designed to overload their brains, through the girl…her head exploded…and so did all of theirs. Men…women…children…babies…it didn't matter. If it was connected to the girl, it died."
Silence.
"Like I said…not my best moment…but I did what I had to do. Hopefully they've all been given a much better hand this time around."
Hotaru grabbed his hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He smiled at her slightly…and then schooled his features.
"Now…Guild master. You gave this one a quest to kill Michiru. Who gave it to you?"
"I ca-urk!"
She grasped at her neck, eyes wide.
"Do you know what happens when an object is put under the very depths of the ocean? The gravitational forces and sheer pressure of the water either cause it to be completely crushed, or explode from within. Now…unless you want this place to become a Rogue Guild, you'll tell me what I want to know."
He dropped her. She gasped for breath. "Sh-shit…you don't fuck around…do you?"
"Answer."
"I-I never saw his face. He had a blue cloak and hood on the entire time. But…I got his name."
"Speak."
"Zec…no…Sig…no that's not…Zeik? Zeik, yes Zeikfried. That's his name."
(BGM: Persona 4 - Borderline of Madness.)
Kai stopped.
Yes. He stopped. He stopped moving, he stopped blinking, he stopped breathing…and then…he whimpered.
"…no…no no…no no no no no…this can't be happening…not here…not here!"
He dropped to his knees clutching his head.
"H-hey! What's wrooaAAAAH!"
His head suddenly snapped up to her, and she rocketed backwards and slammed into the wall, the boundary splintering upon impact. A few seconds later, she dropped to the floor.
"…this…changes everything." He slowly got to his feet. With a single grasping motion, the woman was lifted by her shirt suddenly rising into the air from the front.
"Did he say anything else."
It wasn't a question.
"N-no! I- I don't know! I-I…I didn't ask!"
"…I want to kill you."
Her eyes widened in terror. This is why he's called the God Slayer…
"I want to crush every bone in your body, watch you slowly bleed from the inside out, and see you die screaming…"
He dropped her, and lowered his gaze.
"But there is no way you could have known…did he leave a method of contact."
"N-no…he just issued the hit and left…"
"Dammit…"
Hotaru was very concerned. She'd seen him angry, sad, happy and even depressed…but not like this.
"…Zero."
He turned to her.
"What is it?"
"…Zeikfried…is her messenger. Her right hand. Where he goes…she is soon to follow."
"Who?"
"Mother."
Minako snorted. "Wow, you're afraid of your mother."
CRACK
"AAAAHHH!"
Minako suddenly dropped to the ground, cradling her left arm. It had almost shattered from the sudden force of Kai's mental command. He snarled at the blonde.
"Not my mother you idiot! MOTHER. The Demon Queen. The Consumer of Worlds. The very being that wiped out my home in a single stroke! A being that makes Metallia, Beryl, even Galaxia look like children!"
He shook his head.
"This all makes sense now…this is why I didn't die from the poison…I wasn't supposed to yet…but…even at full power…even Sailor Saturn wouldn't be enough…"
His gaze landed on Chibi-Usa. …but she didn't even flinch. She met his gaze calmly.
"What do you need?"
"…Setsuna."
She looked at him.
"I want you to open a Gate."
"What?!"
"I want Chibi-Usa to go home. Just for a bit. I need to know…I need to know that we win."
Everyone was confused, but Ami was the only one to look up from Minako's side.
"She is still here, isn't she? Should that not be answer enough?"
He glared at her, and she tensed…only to have him sigh.
"No Ami-chan. (here, the others blinked in surprise) Chibi-Usa being alive at this point means nothing. Time…is fickle. It doesn't like to be meddled with. The River of Time is ever flowing, ever moving…ever branching."
Ami understood. "I get it…you want to send her back, to make sure that we're still on the right timeline…correct?"
He surprised everyone by smiling at her. "There's a reason you're the smartest one of your group. Yes…if she goes back…and it's not all ruins, or someone tells her, yes, we won, then I'll be fine. If nobody even heard of me…or Mother…then that means we're on a completely different timeline."
"No."
"…what?"
"No."
"No. …that wasn't a request Setsuna."
She just shook her head. "Go ahead, kill me…it won't change anything."
"…you're right. It won't."
CRASH
Everyone gasped as Usagi was flung into a wall.
"But if she dies…"
"You wouldn't!"
"Really?"
CRASH
The fish tank shattered. Pieces of glass suddenly rose from the ground and rocketed towards Usagi.
"AAAAGGHHH!"
In seconds, her body was littered with shards of glass. Not enough to kill her…not yet.
"STOP IT!"
"Open the gate."
"I-…"
"You have five seconds."
"Why?!"
"Simple. If I don't know, I can't plan. If I can't plan, the world ends. And if the world ends…well, there's no point in her being alive in the first place now is there? She dies, you lose your future queen…and I get my answer as to whether or not the timeline is the same as the one Pinky came from."
"She's your queen too!"
"No she's not. I never allied myself with anyone specific. I only helped Serenity out to test myself, and because if Saturn wiped out the galaxy, I'd go with it. I wasn't about to die from someone else's choice. I have no need for there to be a Neo-Queen Serenity. Nor do I have a need for there not to be one. I could care less either way."
Usagi had tears flowing down her cheeks. Tears of pain…and understanding. She completely understood where he was coming from…
"I see…it is no wonder your daughter grew up the way she did. You have quite the Ideya, Usagi."
You do…what you have to do.
"Self-sacrificing to the very end…like a true leader…Five."
"Stop this!"
"Four."
"Kai! Stop it!"
"Three."
"Please Kai…I'm begging you!"
"Two."
"Zero, please!"
"One."
"I-I…"
"Ze-
"I CAN'T!"
"…you can't, or you won't?"
"I…I can't…I don't have the Time Key."
Chibi-Usa blinked. "oh…I have it."
Everyone looked at her.
"What? I didn't know she needed it to open time gates. I just knew it helped."
"So…you'll do it then?"
"Y-yes…"
"Setsuna!"
"I have to Haruka…remember the oath? The Queen comes before all else."
"Smart move."
"…this is taking too long."
Ami nodded. "I agree…though…determining how long time travel to and from the future should take…"
"It's a portal Ami-chan." Once again, all the Senshi noted how she was the only one he referred to other than Hotaru with any sort of familiarity. "The portal should synchronize the two times so that way each second flows at the exact same moment. Something's wrong."
It was then that the portal began to spark angrily.
"Yep. Something is definitely wrong."
Usagi cried out. "What's happening?!"
"It's de-stabilizing. This shouldn't be happening…" Dammit…no choice.
"Setsuna. Keep the gate steady as best you can."
"Wh-what?"
"I'm going through."
Hotaru didn't like that idea. "Why you?"
"Because I asked her to. If anything happens to her it's my fault. I'm not so cold as to just shrug aside the death of a subordinate."
"…if you must."
"I'll be back, Hime-chan."
"You'd better be."
"You need not fret dear princess."
From a spiral of shadows, emerged the darker form of Kai.
"Hello Shadow of myself. I take it you'll be holding the portal for me to go through?"
"You realize that with it destabilizing as it is, you will not be able to return through this gate."
"I'll just have the kid help me open up a new one."
"…very well. I shall remain here as an anchor."
"Good. Hate to say it, but I'm counting on you."
"Of course."
Kairyuu gave a quick wave, and jumped through…nobody noting the small smirk on Setsuna's face…
"Hmm hmm hmm…y'know…that gate really gives this room a nice glow…"
The violet gateway flashed for a moment, and Kairyuu materialized in front of it, before it vanished in a torrent of sparks.
"Alright…where-HOLY BOOBS!"
Standing before him was a nude-
"K-kid?!"
"Oh? Hello Kai. I didn't expect you to show up."
"But…DAMN!"
A nude, older Chibi-Usa stood before him. She loosely held a towel in her left hand, one that would have been covering her body, had he not shown up when he did. His eyes practically drunk in the sight before him.
"…"
He mouthed words for a few moments, causing the older princess to giggle.
"I…yeah…well…Hotaru still has a better body…probably…maybe…gah I like her more!"
"Trying to convince me, or yourself?"
"Both…" He muttered. "I like the view…no I fuckin love the view…but please put some clothes on. I don't like being tempted, I prefer being loyal."
Here, he slammed his eyes shut. She sighed just as he spoke again. "Oh dammit now the image is stuck in my head. Get out get out!"
She giggled again as she clothed herself, gently tapping him on the shoulder when she was done. He cracked an eye open, to get a face full of cleavage…but she was clothed so he ignored it.
"Better. Now…uhh…I take it you're not my Little Lady are you?"
"No. She came through here a few days ago…I can take you to her if you want."
"Please do. Uhh…I don't know what to call you."
She stroked the side of his face, smiling the entire time. "Poor Kai…having to fight your own nature against my womanly charms. I don't know, the others just call me Usagi now."
"Bah. I'll think of it on the way."
"If that's what you want." She sashayed towards the door. "Coming?"
"…I'm not falling for that one."
She pouted. "And I was sure I had you that time."
She's a lot more…open…now. Could a few years time be that much of a difference? Or maybe it was being around me…hell I don't even know if I exist here. This is obviously farther into the future than we intended…
A loud chirping reached his ears as out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jupiter suddenly bolting towards him, hand coated in electricity.
What?! Why am I so damn slow? I can't get out of the way!
Temporal…Reverb.
Who- How?! I didn't…Setsuna.
You have not grasped the full power the girl has given you. You reject it…why?
I don't…deserve her power. I failed her.
And? She wished for your life to continue, so you choose death? Foolish boy, she willingly gave you her strength, her powers, so you could survive! To die here would be to fail her even greater than when she perished!
…is it truly right…for me to taint her power with these dirty hands?
She gave it to you out of love. Her love for the one she called brother. Now, use it, and free yourself from the binds placed upon you!
…very well.
Good…and remember this. Tell Sailor Pluto that Chronos is quite displeased with her actions.
In seconds she was upon him…but in that same time, he had moved. His hand lashed out and smacked her wrist to the side, deflecting her attack to the left of him, while he slammed his right palm into her stomach, repelling her back onto the banquet table.
"What the hell is your terminal malfunction legs?!"
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
Everyone looked at Setsuna. "The Temporal Reverb…it should have-
"It did. But I stopped it."
"But…how?"
"…My sister…"
"The girl…no…she gave you…oh…oh no…"
"Chronos is most displeased with you right now Pluto. It'd be best if you sit down and shut up…" He turned to a nervous Chibi-Usa. "Alright Lady, what the HELL is going on here?!"
The pink haired girl looked at him quizzically for a moment.
Lady? Oh right…hmm…not bad.
She shrugged. "No idea."
The other Senshi began charging their own attacks.
Fuck this noise.
Sweeping his arm out in an arc, a wave of kinetic force erupted from his body, knocking everyone backwards. The wave did no damage, just kicked up the silverware and food on the table, but it did knock the others off balance…which was all he needed.
A glowing sphere suddenly appeared in Kai's left hand. He rose his arm into the air as a ring of light appeared around his wrist. From the ring emerged a large transparent violet bracelet. Around the bracelet formed a series of cone-shaped energy shards, and from them formed three 'arms' shaped like fan-blades. A ring of particles formed just above the glowing white sphere, the sphere shrinking and floating upwards into the center of the ring, all to a loud whirring noise.
The whirring sound reached a crescendo, and the sphere detonated, launching a series of glowing arrow tipped bands of energy. They all impacted the Senshi, some impacting the same ones multiple times. The girls screamed in agony as their magical energy was ripped from their bodies, their transformations immediately fading as their outfits seemed to shatter into pieces. As the violent glow faded from their bodies, groans echoing in the banquet room, the Bracelet faded from view, and Kairyuu dropped his arm.
The Not-so-Chibi-Usa, called Lady by Kai, stared in shock along with her mother and father. The Senshi were taken down in a single move, the only one spared being Hotaru, but she wasn't in her Senshi form to begin with.
"Whoa." Was all the pink haired teen said.
"Kai…"
He whirled around. "Kid…?" Waaaaiiiit a minute. That…doesn't look right.
Indeed, to his experienced eyes, the girl seemed much different than before, her natural aura seemingly overtaken by a sickly black glow…one that she was trying to reject.
Oh crap she's been Corrupted. Damn…it's too integrated for me to…unless…fuck…the things I do for these people…
"Tch…can't you even perform a simple task like asking a question right?"
Chibi-Usa looked up at him, shock on her face. N-no! I…I did…
"I…I…"
"Dammit, I knew I shouldn't have sent you. Useless brat…"
"I-I'm not useless…I…I just…"
"Just what? Got kidnapped again? Forgot to bother coming back? Oh wait maybe you decided to go join the Black Moon again!"
"NO! I…"
"Whatever kid. Maybe I'll just leave you here. Makes more sense that way."
"NO! I'm not-…I'm going with you!"
"No need for a useless kid around. What are you gonna do, cry at some people? You're an even crappier Senshi than Mercury was when she started! At least her Bubbles created a tactical advantage for the group!"
"Shut up! I'm not useless! I'm not weak at all!"
That's it kid…grab onto the anger…it's the only way you'll live through this damn thing…fuck…when I find out who let her get kidnapped…
"Right…all that twirling and all you can do is make a monster sputter around as if someone was shooting it with a water gun…fuck even a water gun would be more useful than you, at least then Jupiter could zap the prick."
"Shut up!"
The others stood stock still…shocked at the brazen attitude the young warrior was adopting. Lady, as Kai called her, grew tired of the insults, seeing as they basically were directed at her, and had prepared to give Kai a piece of her mind…when she was stopped by the silent hand of Hotaru.
Hotaru stared at her friend, almost blankly. Almost. Usa realized that Hotaru's eyes were now flickering between dead and alive…as if something was being sparked within her. Hotaru subtly shook her head…the girl knowing what Kai was doing, her voice long since lost from her inner turmoil.
Just a little more…
"Shut up! I'll show you!" She leapt at the young warrior, who deftly evaded her strike like it was nothing. She unleashed a flurry of sloppy swings, all while Kai laughed in her face and continued taunting her. Her anger grew as her heart seemed to want to accept his words, as he proved to her how useless she seemed to be…when she felt another source of power within her. One she had feared for quite some time.
Long had it been since she was once one with the Black Moon. She feared that side of her, the part of her that was born from Death Phantom's seduction. It scared her…disgusted her…but…it seemed she needed it.
I'm not weak…I'm not useless…I'll show him…I'll show them all!
He grabbed her foot and tossed her over his shoulder. She bounced on the ground slightly and rolled, coughing from the impact.
"Tch…pathetic."
"I'm…not…"
"Wha'd you say?"
"I'm…not…"
"Can't hear you past the massive wall of Fail you've built."
"I'm…not…WEAK!"
Fuck it.
A massive wall of black erupted from her body.
And here comes the sucky part.
The orb of dark energy seemed to twist before it wrenched itself open as a much larger form raced from where the girl once crouched.
He could have moved. He had plenty of time. Hell he could have at least tried to. Or pretended to try. But he didn't. He knew what he had to do.
If I do anything, I risk the chance of succeeding, and if I succeed, all this will have been for naught. She has to land this strike. Damn…I'm not even getting paid for this shit.
SQUELCH
The razor sharp tip of Her patented umbrella pierced through his chest.
(BGM: Persona 4: Reverie)
She watched as he slowly opened his eyes, pain flaring within them before it was hidden behind a wall of false pleasure. She grew confused as the haze of anger and pain that clouded her vision faded, and his arms seemed to slowly wrap around her torso, pulling her closer to him, even though her hand still gripped the shaft of her umbrella.
"You're right…"
She blinked as the days events replayed themselves in her mind. She recalled how she stumbled upon a group planning a revolt, her capture, and the spell placed upon her. Her eyes widened as she realized just what it was he did for her.
"…you're not. And…don't let…anyone…say otherwise…"
"W-wait…you-
"…ugh…this sucks…I'm…not even getting paid…for this crap…"
"Wait. You can't…h-hold on! Hotaru will-
He gave a pained chuckle, the others silent during the exchange.
"Gate's fucked off kit…My Hime…well…"
"But there's a-
"Her…heart…is clouded…her powers are…too weak now…"
"But…you can heal yourself right?"
"Setsuna…her…her plan to kill me…"
Immediately the channeled darkness Chibi-Usa was wielding flared up again, only this time in answer to her conscious call.
"Temporal…Reverb…much like…jet-lag…only for Time Travelers…I'm not…skilled enough with…Schala's…well…you get the…idea."
"I still have the Time Key. I can open a gate, I have the power now, just…hold on!"
"…just…tell them…what…you found out…I'll…I'm…gonna…go…"
She pulled back slightly, her mind made up. She could still feel it, the light of her soul, it was restoring itself now that her body was purged of the corruption. Her inner light resonated with her channeled darkness.
"Like hell."
The last thing Kairyuu knew, before unconsciousness, with Death trailing not far behind, claimed him, was a soft pair of lips upon his own…
Long wait, long chapter. Don't worry if a lot of this seems out of nowhere. A lot of these plot points have been melded into one bigass chapter. Trust me when I say it will all make sense soon.
D&S Master: Bloody hell it's been a while ne? Watch some of the Uncut DVD's, they aren't bad. Here we go, a massive plotline that is gonna be Fuckin CRAZEH
Taeniaea: Long time no see ne? This one isn't as…quality as the others, but it's a good place to start.
