Cyber Moon: Chronicles.
Act 1: Gathering.
Episode 10: Sailor Youma?
By Razor Knight
Last update: January 5, 2006
Terry sighed as he stared out into the distance. This was quite a good place to come when he needed to think. He had never seen any other students around here during lunch break- Until now.
"So here you are..."
He turned to look at the two girls, a smile forming for a second before he was back to stare out at the buildings. So Ami and Usagi had found his 'hiding' spot. Not like he wasn't expecting that to happen.
"See Ami, he's been like that all morning."
Terry turned to Usagi. "I'm always like this."
"That's a lie. You're a fun guy when you stop being so gloomy... And today's worse than usual."
Ami frowned. "What's wrong?"
Terry shook his head and turned back to stare out at the surrounding buildings. "Nothing."
Usagi wasn't letting the matter drop so easily. "Nothing? So you're worrying me over nothing?"
"Worrying you?" Terry asked turning back to look at her.
"You're my friend, Terry. I don't like seeing my friends like this. "
"So I am..." Terry muttered. "Well, if you want to know that badly... Today's Hana's birthday."
Ami and Usagi both blinked and fell silent for a few seconds. Ami was the first to speak up. "Maybe we should leave you alone."
Terry smiled at her. "I don't mind the company."
"I bet she was a very nice girl," Usagi said.
Terry sighed. "Yes, she was. She couldn't stand seeing all those crimes being commited around our city and doing nothing, just like me... That's why we started fighting crime... It was dangerous, but also fun."
"Nova, right?" Ami asked. At Terry's questioning stare, she blushed. "I found info on Nova and Zero while searching for clues on the U.S. Senshi."
"I see... Yeah, that was her hero name." He looked at his watch and frowned. "Maybe it was a mistake."
"What was?" Ami asked.
"The day she died... We were using the Zero for the first time. It's quite an amazing substance, with a high resistance to physical attacks and even some elemental resistance, but it's too weak against ice or electricity."
Usagi blinked. "Isn't it a good thing to have against the youma?"
"Not that day," Terry said, his face turning sad again. "Luminite used two youma, one had ice powers and the other one had electric powers. I remember Hana saying it was ironic before we started fighting."
"Maybe you shouldn't be remembering those things, if they make you sad," Usagi said.
Terry shrugged. "Maybe. Thing is, you may need to know this in case we ever face a youma based in either ice or electricity."
"So, what exactly happened?" Ami asked. "If you don't mind telling us..."
"I don't. The fight was short, I remember trying to hit Luminite then getting knocked into a wall. Next thing I knew, I was looking on as Nova got hit by both youma, and her suit started failing."
"Failing?" Usagi asked.
"Yeah. Under the overload of ice and electricity, some parts of the suit started vanishing and reappearing. I stood up to try and help Hana, but before I could do anything, I saw Luminite stabbing Hana through with some kind of energy blade. I got enraged by that and killed both youma, but Luminite knocked me out. She must've thought she'd killed me, since she didn't stay to finish me off."
Ami sighed as Terry looked away. "I can't even imagine how that must feel."
Terry shrugged. "I just hope I get a rematch."
Usagi frowned. "Terry... If we ever face Luminite again, don't let anger get to you."
"I can't promise that," Terry muttered.
"But..."
"Usagi, don't insist," Ami said sternly.
"But Ami..."
"What would you do in his place and with your powers?" Ami asked.
"I... If the youma killed someone I cared for, someone I loved," Usagi said. "I... I suppose I wouldn't rest until I saw the last of them dead."
Terry looked at her and smiled. "That's exactly what I want. Luminite's just the one that killed Hana, but I'd love to get a chance to visit the one giving the orders in that army of freaks."
Usagi sighed. "I understand. Just be careful, even if Luminite shows up... I wouldn't like to lose one of my friends."
'Losing one of her friends...' Terry flinched. He knew exactly how that felt. "Okay, I can promise that."
"Jadeite, I won't tolerate your constant failures anymore. I'm giving you one last chance to gather energy or I'll replace you with one of the other Generals."
Jadeite bowed and smiled. "Don't worry, my Queen, this time I have a plan the Senshi won't be able to foil."
"That's what you said last ten times," Luminite commented from the shadows.
"Silence," Beryl snapped. "Very well, tell me what you're planning. "
"A fake romantic cruise, it will attract humans and I can drag them off to the ocean before draining them. The Senshi will have no way to stop me."
"I've heard that before. Do not fail me," Beryl warned.
"I won't, my Queen," Jadeite said as he bowed again and vanished.
"Luminite, come forth," Beryl said.
"Your Highness?" Luminite asked as she walked out of the shadows.
"You do realize the name of that fighter helping the Senshi in the last few battles, right?"
Luminite nodded. "Zero. I thought I'd eliminated him along with Nova. "
"Next time, make sure he's dealt with."
"Next time?" Luminite asked.
"If Jadeite fails again, you may be his replacement."
Luminite smiled coldly. So she'd have a chance to correct her error, and to kill the Senshi. All she had to do was waiting until Jadeite failed. Because from his track record, it was highly likely that he'd fail once more.
"Hmmm... Here it is," Terry noted looking at the small building.
"A romantic cruise?"
Terry turned to the voice. He'd seen the ad in a local newspaper, and had immediately guessed it had to be a youma scheme. Apparently, Rei had guessed the same. "Hi Rei. Considering taking a boyfriend along?"
"I don't have one, nor I want one," Rei said bluntly. "I'm just curious about this cruise being free."
"Smells like youma, doesn't it?" Terry asked.
"That's why I'm here, to find out," Rei said.
Terry shrugged and walked into the building. A minute later he walked out with four tickets. "There we go."
"Four tickets?" Rei asked amusedly.
"Sure. Usagi and Ami should tag along."
"Hogging the girls for yourself, aren't you?" Rei said slyly.
Terry shrugged again. "They're my friends, and I know they must be there if this is a youma thing."
"Can't take a joke..." Rei muttered.
Terry looked at her and smirked. "Of course, having the chance to be in a romantic cruise with three cute girls ain't something I'd pass on." Rei could, for a second, feel her cheeks turning a shade of red similar to her suit's skirt.
The two soldiers guarding the entrance gave a military salute as a reddish-pink haired woman walked towards them. She wore a green military uniform and black sunglasses. "Good morning, Lieutenant," one of the soldiers said politely.
"Good morning, soldier," the woman said and waited for the door to open.
"Lieutenant?" the other soldier whispered as the woman vanished behind the closing door.
The older soldier smirked. "You're too new to know about her, I guess. That's Lt. Colonel Rakurai, and she's second in charge here. "
"Doesn't look too dangerous to me."
"Rookie, you've never seen her with a rocket launcher," the older soldier mused.
Rakurai walked into the large office and nodded at the older man sitting behind the only desk inside. "Good morning, General Kino."
"Lieutenant, our research confirmed most rumors regarding the Senshi. "
"They're good girls then?"
"We could say that," Kino said. "I want further research. They've been spotted several times in the Juuban district, so that's where I'd suggest you start looking."
"Me?" Rakurai asked confusedly.
"I'm going to go straight to the point. I want to talk to those Senshi personally, and I think you may be the only one of my soldiers that could get close enough to the Senshi to convince them to come here."
Rakurai sighed. "I see. All right, I'm going to fetch one of those girls and bring her here."
Kino frowned as the woman turned to leave. "One more thing, Seia." she turned to look at him. "Don't take any risks. The monsters they've been fighting are dangerous."
Rakurai nodded. "I know that, don't worry."
"I don't know how you guys managed to drag me here," Ami commented as she looked at the sea, "but the view's nice."
"Where's Usagi?" Terry asked.
"Inside, stuffing her face with food," Rei muttered.
"Being her usual self I take?" Terry asked.
"Yeah," Rei sighed. "Feels weird."
"What?"
"We're the only ones in this cruise that aren't snugging and kissing. "
"Not quite a sight I want to behold right now," Terry admitted.
"Usagi told me about that..." Rei started, but Terry hold a hand up and shook his head.
"Please... Not another 'stop grieving and move on' rant, I'm getting a lot of those lately."
Rei shrugged. "I'm not like Usagi."
"That I noticed."
"However, I don't think you'd honor your friend by being so focused in revenge."
"Yeah, I was," Terry admitted.
"Was?"
The blonde nodded. "I've been thinking about it, and there's a lot of things I hadn't considered at first. This is not about Luminite anymore."
"Good," Rei said.
"Which doesn't mean I won't punch her face in if I ever see her again."
"I would, too," Rei admitted.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a voice said through the speakers around the deck, "please go to the party hall for a special show."
"That announcement has 'youma trap' written all over it," Ami, who'd been silently listening as Rei and Terry spoke, said.
"Yeah. Let's go find our fearless leader," Rei said sarcastically.
The ship's captain stood on the stage as the over two hundred people inside the room waited to see what the 'special show' was about. Usagi recognized the 'captain' almost immediately. "That's Jadeite. "
Rei nodded. "I know. I'd recognize his ugly face anywhere."
"I take it you've seen him before?" Terry asked.
"He's the only 'General' we've seen so far," Usagi explained.
"Then this'll be fun," Terry said.
"Why are we behind the table anyways?" Ami asked as she noticed the large table filled with food right in front of them.
"Still hungry?" Rei asked shooting Usagi a sideglance.
"Can it, Rei," Usagi muttered. "See, once he starts draining people, we can leap under this table and transform, then surprise him."
"... Wow. She's got a plan," Rei said. "We're doomed."
"... And now, with no further delay, our special show," the captain said and walked off the stage.
"He's leaving," Usagi noticed.
"No, really?" Rei muttered.
Terry frowned. "Too bad, my swords needed a sharpening."
"Look, that sailor girl..." Usagi said. A single woman dressed in a sailor outfit had walked into the stage after Jadeite left. She was looking at the crowd and smiling.
"A Sailor Youma?" Terry joked. The woman was a youma, indeed. Without a word, she morphed into a humanoid whose body seemed to be made entirely of water. "Well, at least it's not ice," Terry muttered as they all ducked behind the table. A split second later, the woman shot out black energy tendrils that knocked everyone else in the room unconscious.
"Moon Planet Power!"
"Mars Planet Power!"
"Mercury Planet Power!"
"Zero Armor, Activate!"
Mars smirked as Zero's armor poured out of Terry's watch and covered his body. "Looks like Venom."
Zero nodded, then stood up. "Hey look, it's Liquidator."
The three Senshi looked at him confusedly, along with the youma. "Liquiwhat?" Moon asked.
"Nevermind," Zero muttered.
"Let's fry that thing," Mars said. "Fire Soul!"
The youma's body shimmered, a hole appearing in her midsection, and the fire blast passed through it, setting a part of the far wall on fire. "Missed me."
"Go and burn down the boat, will you?" Zero muttered.
"Wasn't expecting her to do that," Mars retorted.
"Let me try. Moon Tiara Action!"
The youma dodged the attack in the same way she'd dodged Mars' one.
"Shabon Spray!"
"It tickles," the creature said as she absorbed the water blast. As the usual hail settled, she frowned. "Oh no you won't."
Mercury frowned as the creature absorbed the mist. "Wasn't expecting her to do that either."
"My turn!" the monster shouted and shot several thick beams of water at her foes.
The Senshi dodged. "Well, she can't hit us, but we can't hit her either," Moon said. "I hate this."
Zero frowned then smirked as he produced two metal spheres. "Here. "
"Where'd you take those from?" Moon asked grabbing the weapons.
"Nevermind," Zero said. "As soon as I distract her, toss them at her as you'd toss your tiara."
"Gotcha," Moon said. "Be careful."
Zero nodded and rushed at the youma. She shot another water blast at him, but he dodged aside then slashed at her with his sword as he run by her side.
The youma chuckled as the sword sliced through nothing but air. "Nice try, but you guys simply can't hit me."
"You sure?" Zero asked with a smirk.
"What..." The youma couldn't finish her question, as the two metal spheres were thrown at her, getting stuck inside her watery body before exploding, releasing the gas.
Zero rushed back to the Senshi as the creature was stuck inside the customary green cloud. Mercury had her visor down and was frowning. "That thing's still alive."
"That gas is quite flammable," Zero commented.
Mars smiled deviously and nodded. "Fire Soul!"
Mercury and Moon gasped as the fire blast caused the greenish gas to ignite. A small explosion later, there were no traces of the youma anywhere. "What happened to her?" Moon asked.
"The explosion literally vaporized her," Mercury explained.
"Where's Jadeite?" Mars asked.
"I don't detect any other youma in the ship," Mercury commented.
"How will we get all them back to the shore?" Moon asked looking around at the unconscious crowd.
Zero frowned and pushed a button on his watch. "Sam, you there?"
"Good evening, sir, enjoying the cruise?" Samuel's voice asked through the watch's speakers.
"Not quite, it was what I thought. Listen, can you inform the coastguards about this ship? It's packed full of unconscious people. "
"Will do at once, sir."
"Good," Zero said then turned to the others. "So, who wants to go for a swim?"
A/N: Where's the old Terry's fear of water, you ask? The Rewrite Demon ate it.
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is a creation of Naoko Takeuchi, and I thank her for creating such wonderful universe.