Chapter 10

"Bravo, Shio," Kaki said. Then, she stopped clapping. "It seems you shall be my only opposition."

"You shall receive opposition from us all," Sailor Talor said as she stepped forward. "We don't take kindly to traitors."

"The armies of Hikari and Mei won't take kindly to traitors either," Kaki said. "Hikari, Mei, this is your last chance. Join us, or you shall die like traitors."

We'd feel honored to share the same punishment as you, Mei told Kaki.

"So be it," Kaki said. A fury of fire surrounded her wrist and extended from her hand. The fire turned into gold, and there for all to behold was the golden sword of Kaki, the Katana-Ken-Tate. She swung it up and shouted, "Blazing Flare!" As it rocketed down an arch of fire followed. The fire fell to the ground and ran along it at the Senshi. Shio couldn't retaliate in time. She and Talor were engulfed in flames that then branched out to attack the other four. Aria blew her trail aside. Daichi broke the ground beneath it and swallowed it whole. Mei and Hikari put up their shields. Shio extinguished the fire on Talor and then on herself. Their uniforms were charred, their skin red and black.

Then suddenly the black sky became bright with golden light. Beams of light rained down and attacked the Royal County. The troops put their shields over their heads as they tried to survive the bombardment. Mei and Hikari were less lucky, as the beams of light penetrated their shields. Aria wasn't quick enough to avoid the beams and was struck down with the others. Only Daichi remained as she displayed a fantastic array of agile and swift movements, avoiding the beams with an almost impossible ease. As the beams still rained down, Daichi made her way to Kaki. Kaki anticipated Daichi's approached and had already converted her golden sword into the shield. Daichi struck her whip at Kaki, and the sound of the Ibarakei striking the golden shield rang so deafeningly that some covered their ears in both armies.

"It was said that we were evenly matched," Kaki shouted to Daichi. "Let's prove who it truly the better!" With that she sent a great fire ball into the sky and ran off into the streets. As the fire ball exploded Daichi followed. Talor shouted to Aria as the beams of light died away and the enemy army began advancing at a run. Aria converted the fan into the harp and sent the signal, a proud melody of victory that rang in the soldiers' ears.

"The Senshi have separated, your majesty," one of the soldiers said. This new information startled the queen.

"I gave them strict orders to stay together!" Taloral said.

"It was Sailor Daichi," Elementus said from the bench in the corner. "She's following Sailor Kaki." Taloral turned to her sister in surprise. She went to her and knelt in front of her.

"Elementus, how do you know this?" she asked gently.

Elementus turned her solemn purple eyes to her sister. Taloral was more than a little surprised to see her little sister's eyes so cold and hard. "I can feel them," Elementus said. "Sisa, I want to find them. I want to find Daichi. I want to find Kaki." Taloral shook her head.

"No," she said, "No, it is too dangerous."

"Sisa…" Elementus reach to her sister's shoulder and held them hard. "I have to. I have to go to my Senshi before it is too late."

"Your Senshi?" Taloral was surprised. Then, she smiled a sad smile, one of defeat and understanding that the older soldiers in the room hadn't seen since the day Princess Onoi, Taloral's mother, had died. "Yes, we must both go to our Senshi."

The battle was brutal. Fire and water struck at each other. Vines pulled soldiers whole into the ground while the earth beneath others gave away. Beams of light fell many soldiers as blades of darkness fought with tornados of wind that threatened to throw soldiers into the next country. Amongst the fury of elemental strength were the clashes of sword-on-sword and sword-on-shield. The six generals fought furiously, backing those of their respective country. The ambassadors fought gloriously. Kinha and Minjira stayed side-by-side all through it. Prince Dantro fought with the image of his parent's head on the silver platter as his raging fuel. The Senshi were caught in the middle. Shio, Aria, Mei, and Hikari were almost useless, however, because they could not bring themselves to kill. Even Talor could not do so. Then there came hope.

As Sailor Hikari was shoved down again by the moving tide of soldiers, someone grabbed her and held her up. It was Halen. "Quick, call out the others!" he shouted over the roar of battle. "We must find Daichi and Kaki!" Hikari nodded and sent out the mental shout. The other Senshi did not question her as they made their way out. The Senshi propelled themselves out of the crowd with relative ease. On the rooftops they met. Halen led them to a distant alleyway, where they were surprised to find Queen Taloral. Only, she was wearing a Senshi uniform. She wore a white suit with a purple skirt and thigh-high yellow boots. No tiara did she wear, but rather she wore her usual yellow bead headband and the symbol of Tal burned bright on her forehead. Queen Taloral was now Sailor Taloral.

"Come, Elementus has already begun the search," she said.

Daichi and Kaki ran side-by-side through the empty street, staring hard ahead and never once looking elsewhere. They ran with fantastic speed, yet neither advanced beyond the other. They then skidded to a halt, their stop to in time it seemed as though it were rehearsed. The two stared at each other in that street, never ceasing the gazes of dislike each radiated for the other. The Katana-Ken-Tate hung at Kaki's side, mirroring the Ibarakei that hung from Daichi's right hand. There seemed to be an unspoken agreement on when they would attack each other, as each suddenly kicked from the ground and lunged at each other.

The sword and the whip clashed, neither causing damage to the other, but holding each other at bay as their masters pushed against each other. The two warrior Senshi each lifted a leg and kicked their opponent away, resulting in each falling to the street. Daichi got to her feet first and shook her head. "We are one mind of two bodies," she said to Kaki. The Senshi of fire looked up at her opponent. "We run the same speed, make the same moves, and cause the same damage. There is no solving this dispute."

"We must," Kaki said. "We will." She pushed herself up from the ground and ran at Daichi as the sword blazed with fire. "Blazing Flare!" she shouted. The sword rocketed down, sending the wheeling fire at Daichi.

The Senshi of earth, however, was one step ahead. She had already slapped her hands to the ground, the Ibarakei resting behind her. "Hand of Solidity!" she shouted as she brought her hands up. Following the upward movement of her hands were two walls of dirt. Daichi slapped her hands together and the walls followed by slapping themselves together. The fire was contained in the two walls of dirt, extinguishing instantly and burrowing back into the ground. "We are evenly matched!" Daichi shouted as she grabbed the whip. "There is not point in this conflict Sou! We are Senshi! One cannot defeat the other!"

"Lies!" Kaki shouted. "One of us is superior to the other!" Gripping the sword securely Kaki ran at Daichi. The annoyed Senshi sighed heavily and reeled her arm back. With it went her entire body which she released into the Ibarakei. Kaki had just come into range of the whip, and it wrapped itself snuggly around Kaki's neck. Daichi pulled on the whip, dragging Kaki closer. The two were face-to-face in a mere moment, and it was during that moment that Daichi saw no blood, no penetration of the thorns of the Ibarakei into Kaki's skin.

Kaki was caught, and this she knew. The feeling of the thorns pressing into her neck caused a dam to break, flooding her senses with unending fear. She held onto the whip and tried to pull at it, but her attempt was only a half-hearted one: She knew Daichi had bested her. "What are you waiting for?" she asked. "You have me. Give me a traitor's death."

"No" was Daichi's only reply. Kaki was surprised. She dared to look up the ridged Senshi. Daichi's eyes were, at first, looking at the whip. When Kaki looked at her, Daichi looked up into the fire Senshi's eyes. "I cannot give you a traitor's death," Daichi said finally. "The Ibarakei cannot harm those of pure heart, as is the same with me. The whip will not break your skin, and I cannot bring myself to try to force it." Kaki froze, her brown eyes fearful and confused. "You are yet of pure heart. You had a motive to defect. What was it?"

Kaki released her long-held breath and closed her eyes. "I could not summon the Katana-Ken-Tate," she said. "I needed help of one who was yet behind enemy lines: my mother."

"Your mother was Sailor Kaki before you," Daichi said. "It makes sense."

"I was caught before I could find her," Kaki added. "I claimed that I was defecting to help my blood people. Vandir, the king, he accepted my words and allowed me to see my mother and father, who had both been in containment. My mother helped me to summon the sword."

"You stayed so they wouldn't harm your mother or father?" Daichi asked. Kaki nodded. The earth Senshi shook her head and released Kaki, who rubbed her slightly sore neck. "Kaki, it is all in vain," she said. "This planet is doomed."

Kaki stared at Daichi in disbelief, which drowned out the sound of small approaching footfalls. Daichi looked over her shoulder to see the small frame of Princess Elementus running toward them. The princess, however, was now a sailor Senshi in a white suit with a green skirt and wrist-length purple gloves. Her boots were pointed at her knees and were green with a blue stripe at the top. "Princess," Daichi said in acknowledgement. Kaki looked away from Daichi and to the princess-Senshi who stopped before them. She was out of breath and looked distressed.

"Daichi!" she called. She looked at Kaki and smiled. "Kaki!" She ran at them and wrapped one arm around one of each Senshi's legs. "You are okay!"

Kaki was touched by the princess' care. The princess didn't care that Kaki had been a "traitor." All she cared about was that both Senshi were all right. Kaki was so touched that she fell to her knees and embraced the small princess. Elementus wrapped both of her arms around Kaki's neck, freeing Daichi to wander away.

She looked around, as though expecting someone or something. She then turned to the end of the street, where a mass of warriors in brilliant red were situated in rows of at least six. Sailor Kaki stood and looked at the army. "They must have followed me," she said. "Though, I don't know how they got through. Wait…" She went to the side and pulled Elementus and Daichi along. They flattened against the wall of a building and watched as the army came closer. The army acted as though they hadn't seen the three Senshi. The six rows of men were divided, walking along the side of a horse-drawn chariot. Kaki recognized it at once. "That is the chariot of the king," she said. "It is the king's handpicked."

"The Kaki Islands' flag is draped over it peculiarly," Daichi said. "It is as though Vandir has been killed and is being escorted-"

"Courtues!" Kaki cried in a fearful whisper. She left Elementus and Daichi on the wall as she ran to the army. They halted and tensed, but saw it was their ally. Kaki ran straight for the chariot and skidded around the back to the opening, where she disappeared. Daichi looked down to the princess, who stood on her right. Elementus was staring at the army and watching for Kaki.

"Daichi!" Kaki shouted. "Daichi! Please come here!" The men in the army looked around in confusion before Daichi stepped out of the shadow. Elementus followed. The men tensed and Kaki's head appeared over the top of the chariot. "Stand down!" she shouted to the men. "Daichi, please come! Vandir is dying! You must help him!" The men did not listen to Kaki, however. The fire-wielding warriors came forth and sent wheels of fire at the two Senshi before them.

"Hand of Solidity!" Daichi shouted.

"Wondrous Water!" Elementus shouted. As Daichi's walls of earth eliminated some of the fire wheels Elementus' wall of water drowned the rest. She stopped it from drowning the army, however, in fear of hurting Sailor Kaki.

The army charged at Daichi and Elementus, but before Daichi could bury them, or Elementus could blow them away, another attack took effect.