Back again, and I see interests are piqued!
Let's see how this one's gonna work out!
Date with a Daimon.
"Caucasus-san." Neptune exclaimed, the aquamarine haired senshi looking startled at the Golden Rider's presence, as she hadn't even heard him sneak up behind them "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough." The Rider noted, his tone neutral, though the senshi had the feeling he was staring right through them "Still stalking the Heart Crystals I see."
"I know you don't approve of our methods, Caucasus-san." Neptune spoke up, cutting off Uranus before her partner could get started on tearing into the Rider, which they both knew wouldn't end well "But this is the only way, since there's no means of tracking the Talismans while they're inside their hosts."
"Have you considered asking the other Senshi for help?" Caucasus asked, still leaning against the wall "I understand Mercury's computer is quite good at coming up with solutions to unsolvable problems."
"Do you really think that those girls would agree to work with us if it meant sacrificing three innocent lives?" Uranus argued, her arms crossed beneath her breasts as she tilted her head towards Sailor Moon "They'd only get in our way. We have to do this on our own."
"I see…" Caucasus muttered, his masked gaze washing over the pair "So that's how it is…you don't want them getting involved because you don't want them getting caught up in your sins."
Uranus flinched, scowling at being caught out as she averted her gaze, even as Neptune eyed the Golden Rider in shock, surprised by how quickly he'd figured them out. "You're willing to make the entire world your enemy in order to save it." Caucasus noted, his eyes never leaving the pair "I can relate to that, I've been down that road myself."
Neptune blinked, wondering what on earth the Rider was talking about, only for him to step away from the wall and move to walk away. "Is that it?" Uranus called out, her tone suspicious as she quirked a brow at him "You're not gonna try and stop us?"
"Would it make any difference if I did?" Caucasus countered, though he did stop, standing with his back to the pair "You two seem determined to find the Talismans, even if it means being branded as evil." The Senshi flinched but said nothing as the Rider continued "I'm sure you have your reasons, and so have no reason to judge you."
"So you're not going to interfere with us anymore?" Uranus asked, quirking a brow at the Rider's apparent surrender, only for Caucasus to snort.
"Hardly," the Rider countered, his tone wry "if I see a heart crystal being snatched, I'm going to defend it, no matter WHO'S holding it at the time."
"I suppose that's the best we can expect really." Neptune sighed, even as Uranus snorted, the blonde Senshi crossing her arms beneath her breasts. It wasn't as good as Caucasus teaming up with them, but so long as they didn't deliberately go out of their way to endanger the Heart Crystals, which Neptune was adverse to from the start, then they had no reason to fear the Rider coming after them. Considering the circumstances, it was the best they could hope for really.
"I've got things to do, so I'll be taking my leave now." Caucasus offered, only to turn his head, regarding the Senshi over his shoulder with one blue eye "But I'll be keeping an eye on the girl."
That said, he slapped the side of his belt, disappearing with a cry of "CLOCK UP!" leaving the two Senshi alone on the rooftop.
The next day...
"Mako-CHA~N!" Usagi called out, her hand raised in the air as she opened the door to her friend's classroom. "Let's walk home together!"
Ever since the failed attack earlier that day, the Senshi had been sticking to Makoto like glue whenever they could, Ami and Usagi usually following the brunette wherever she went around school and one the way to the shrine. So far the Death Busters hadn't made an attempt to pick up where they left off, but the Senshi weren't about to relax their guard until they'd seen the Daimon defeated with their own two eyes.
"Ah, Tsukino-san." One of the girls in the classroom called out, looking up from her backpack at the blonde's entrance "Makoto-san already left, said she had something important to do."
Usagi sweat-dropped, having a pretty good idea of just WHAT her friend had gone off looking for, as Makoto hadn't stopped fretting about losing Lelouch's handkerchief, so much so that it took her and Ami in SENSHI form to pull the brunette out of the parking lot. With that in mind, not bothering to wait and see if Ami could tag along, the blonde raced out of school, making her way down the familiar path, pulling up short at the scene of yesterday's anti-climactic battle, where sure enough, Makoto was straightening up from peering under the cars.
"That's weird…" the tall brunette wondered, one hand on her hip as she gazed around the parking lot in concern "Where could it have gone?"
"Mako-chan!" Usagi called out, her tone as irate as it was relieved as she raced up to her friend, a worried scowl on her face "What are you doing out here all by yourself? Don't tell me you're still looking for that handkerchief?"
"W-Well yeah…" Makoto stammered, blushing in embarrassment "But it's not for what you think!" she assured the blonde "I just want to give it back to him, that's all."
"Give what back to me?" a voice called out, the girls looking up to see a familiar figure standing in the driveway, his helmet tucked under his shoulder "I THOUGHT I recognized those meatballs, small world, Usagi-san, Makoto-san."
"Lelouch-san!" Makoto exclaimed, her face lighting up, even as Usagi blinked, mouthing the word 'meatballs' in confusion "I-I'm sorry! Your handkerchief-!"
"It's alright." Lelouch assured her, his tone comforting "I'm just relieved that you weren't hurt the other day. A handkerchief is a small price to pay for a person's life."
"Lelouch-san…" Makoto marveled, her eye sparkling in wonder, causing Usagi to sweatdrop, recognizing the brunette's expression all too well.
"I was actually looking for you." Lelouch admitted, startling the two girls as he sighed, his expression saddened "I couldn't stop kicking myself for almost running you over the other day, you could have been killed." He smiled at them "Why don't I make it up to you? Are you doing anything this evening?"
"Ah! Not really!" Makoto countered, slapping a hand over Usagi's mouth to keep the blonde girl from reminding her they needed to go to Rei's "What…what did you have in mind?"
"I thought you'd like to go for a ride." Lelouch offered, tilting his head towards his motorcycle and sidecar, which was parked outside "I hear the sunset over the harbor is to die for," he smiled at the pair charmingly "That is, unless you ladies have something else in mind."
"W-We're good…" the pair stammered, their eyes little hearts as they found themselves gripped in those regal, charming features, sparkles filling the air.
"Alright," Lelouch offered, smiling at the pair "Usagi-san, you got to ride behind me last time, so you get to sit in the side-car today." He smiled at Makoto "Unless you'd prefer the seat, Makoto-san?"
"N-No I'm fine…" Makoto assured him, her face lighting up as they clambered onto the bike, Usagi cheering as she sat in the side-car, while Makoto pressed her head against Lelouch's back, a warm little flush adorning her features as they rode off together, scant seconds before a car pulled up alongside the parking lot.
Nearby...
"That was Usagi-chan." Michiru noted, looking on in surprise as the trio disappeared over the hill "Looks like her boyfriend came to pick her up."
"That's not Odango's boyfriend." Haruka countered, the cross-dressing blonde quirking a brow as she eyed the bike in question "That's Lulu's bike."
"Lelouch-san?" Michiru wondered, her eyes widening in surprise "Oh my, I wonder what he was doing here?"
"Well he's one of Odango's friends isn't he?" Haruka noted, shrugging offhandedly as she turned the wheel, pulling away from the curb "Maybe he offered to give them a lift, he seems the kind that likes to help others."
"That he is." Michiru smiled, recalling how the teen had stood in for Haruka when the blonde couldn't make it to the recital, only to sigh as she shook her head "Still, this will make checking her Heart Crystal all the harder."
"Not really…" Uranus countered, her tone calm, which was surprising, as she was normally the first to show irritation "This way we don't need to worry about our cover being blown if someone sees us transform."
Michiru nodded, though a saddened frown marred her pretty features, the aquamarine senshi peering after the trio as Haruka kept pace easily, keeping several cars back to avoid looking like they were following them. "Haruka…" she spoke up, her tone cautious "I know our mission is important, I know that all too well…" she glanced at the blonde in concern "But do we really have to sacrifice someone's life for it?"
It was left unsaid that this wasn't some faceless person that they'd stalked out because of the possibility their Pure Heart may contain a Talisman. This was someone that was a close personal friend of someone they knew, and while they hadn't known Tsukino Usagi all that long, the blonde girl had grown on the pair, enough so that she actually rated a nickname from Haruka.
"I know how you feel, Michiru." Haruka muttered her hand tightening on the grip of the steering wheel, her jaw tensing "But the Odango's friend or not, the girl's heart may have a Talisman, we can't take the risk of it slipping through our fingers, either because the Daimon gets it or because it's replaced before we can check."
"And what about Caucasus-san?" Michiru asked, looking at her lover in concern "Will you fight him again if he interferes."
"He told us himself he's not gonna try to stop us so long as we don't do anything to make the situation worse." Uranus reminded the woman, her tone solemn "All that means is that we check the Crystals AFTER we destroy the Daimon.'
"And if it possesses a Talisman?" Michiru asked, her eyes locked onto the blonde's face, her voice laced with concern "Do you think he would simply stand back and let us walk off with it then?"
"We'll deal with THAT when it happens." Haruka muttered, though she didn't sound as confident as she would have been at the start of their mission. The Senshi knew all to well that Caucasus was a strong opponent to have, and didn't relish the idea of going up against him again. But for the sake of their mission, for the sake of the countless lives that would be spared from The Silence, she knew she'd be forced to do so.
'Dammit…' she snorted, recalling how the Golden Rider had so easily sussed out her reasons for alienating the Inner Senshi, 'The one guy that I can actually relate to and I don't even known what he looks like.'
Hikawa shrine...
"The hell do you mean you're on a date?" Rei hissed, the priestess glaring at Usagi over the Senshi communicator watches they all wore "What about our study sessions?"
"I'm not on a date!" Usagi countered, hissing her reply into the watch as she stood off to the side, glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone had noticed "Lelouch-san showed up and offered to make up for nearly running into Mako-chan and me yesterday! We're with him now!"
"So you're together then…" Ami sighed, the bluenette sounding relieved, as at the very least, someone was there in case Makoto was targeted again.
"Dammit Makoto…" Minako grit out, biting her thumb, her jealousy evident as she bit on her thumbnail "Snagging a cute guy like that! She could have invited ME along!"
"That's not what I meant…" Ami countered, shaking her head as she held a hand up, trying to get the blonde's attention.
"Dammit…" Rei muttered, crossing her arms "I know Usagi's a lost cause, but I always figured MAKOTO at least was serious about studying."
"That's not what I meant either!" Ami sputtered, the bluenette turning her attention to Rei, even as Minako nodded in agreement.
"Lost cause am I?" Usagi demanded, her voice annoyed, only to smirk evilly as she pulled a magazine she'd 'borrowed' from Rei's collection without telling her "Is that REALLY someone who collects things like THIS should be saying?"
"GACK!" Rei spluttered, the priestess blushing crimson at the sight of the cover, which depicted a woman dressed in a men's sailor uniform, complete with mascara moustache, "Dammit Usagi! What the hell have I told you about going through my things! Have you no concept of respect for other people's privacy?"
"That's not the problem!" Ami cried out, slamming her fists on the kotatsu table as her normally saint-like patience finally reached the end of its rope, only for her face to redden in the ensuring silence as she realized what she'd just done.
"In…in any case…" she stammered, looking between them all nervously "Mako-chan is the Death Buster's newest target right? At the very least, she shouldn't be walking around on her own."
"Not that having Usagi as her only protection will do any good…" Rei muttered, nodding in understanding at the bluenette's words, even as the pigtailed blonde in question blew a rasberry at her over the communicator "Where are you now?"
"We just pulled up at the harbor a while ago." Usagi replied, still a little hurt by her friend's statement, but seeing the need to get over it "It's so romantic! Mamo-chan and I are SO coming here on our next date!"
"So that'll be sometime AFTER you get into high-school then?" Rei snorted, earning a wail from the blonde even as she snapped the communicator closed. It was just too easy to mess with her blonde friend.
Juuban harbor...
"Rei-chan no BAKA!" Usagi yelled, snapping the communicator closed with a huff, a scowl on her face at the fire senshi's parting jab, only to sigh, knowing that as much as she hated to admit it, her friend was right. With the recent string of Daimon attacks, the Senshi had hardly any time to get any studying done. For Usagi, whose grades were never that spectacular to begin with, this meant her prospects of getting into High School were looking worse and worse by the minute.
'Can't worry about that now…' she muttered, pumping her fist with a determined expression as she glanced at the sky 'I have to be here for Mako-chan! No Daimon's getting it's hands on her Pure Heart while I'm on the job!'
"You finish your call?" a voice called out, Usagi letting out a yelp of alarm, whipping round to find Makoto and Lelouch standing behind her. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." The foreign teen apologized, smiling as he held out a can of what looked like hot coffee, probably from a vending machine. "Here, it'll ward off the chill." He explained, nodding to Makoto, who was gazing at the opened can in her hands with a faint blush.
"Th-thanks…" Usagi stammered, still shocked at how the teen had snuck up on her so easily, her heart racing a mile a minute as she accepted the hot can from him, though she didn't open it, as she wasn't a coffee fan. She simply held onto it to keep her hands warm against the slight chill that was coming off the ocean breeze.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lelouch noted, smiling as he gazed out past the docked ships towards the horizon, which glowed a deep, cozy red in contrast to the overhanging dark of the night sky, the lights of the city around them twinkling like stars "Japan is known as the land of the Rising Sun, but it's sunsets are nothing to be scoffed at either."
"Yeah…" the girls agreed, feeling a hint of national pride for their homeland as they followed his gaze, watching the last rays of the sun fade away.
"I'm glad I got to spend time with you both today." Lelouch admitted, smiling at the pair as the sun dipped below the waves "We haven't really had much of a chance to get to know one another, despite all the times we've bumped into each other."
"Like yesterday?" Makoto offered, the brunette blushing slightly as Lelouch chuckled weakly at her little joke, her heart soaring at how young it made him look.
"Again, I'm sorry about that." Lelouch offered, looking at the brunette in concern "I really should have been paying attention, I could have seriously hurt you and Usagi-san back there."
"It's nothing, I'm just glad you saw us when you did." Makoto assured the teen, lowering her head shyly as she fiddled with her fingers "I mean, not that you'd have a hard time spotting me…"
"True, there aren't many women that are as distinguishing as you." Lelouch admitted, missing the girl's flinch "You probably have to beat the boys off with a stick."
"N-Not really…" Makoto muttered, lowering her head in embarrassment "Actually, I'm not that popular at all. I'm too tall and not very feminine, most guys don't like that."
"Well then they don't know what they're missing." Lelouch countered "It takes a very special person to shield someone from danger with their own body.' He elaborated with a smile "Only a truly good person would do something like that."
"L-Lelouch-san…" Makoto stammered, her cheeks ablaze while off to the side, Usagi was staring at them with stars in her eyes "I…!"
"SCAR!" a voice called out from behind her, the brunette whipping round, eyes to widening at the sight of the masked face of the Daimon from yesterday. "This time I'll take your Pure Heart for sure!" she declared, launching a mass of red ribbon at the brunette.
"RUN, MAKOTO!" Lelouch yelled, shoving the brunette out of the way, only to be enveloped in the Daimon's attack, struggling futilely as he was effectively mummified.
"Lelouch-san!" the girls called out, looking on in concern as the mummified teen tumbled over backwards, looking on in horror as he fell over the rail into the water "NO!"
"You've got bigger problems SCAR!" the Daimon yelled, moving in front of the girls, throwing it's coat open wide like a flasher, the girls covering their faces in alarm, only to blink as, instead of the naked man's body they'd been expecting, they found a shapely woman's body, her pail violet skin wrapped in a tight red dress that appeared to be made of silk ribbon.
"Your Pure Heart…" the Daimon declared, the ribbons on her back wrapping around the Brunette before she could react "This time I'll take it for sure!"
"LEAVE Mako-chan alone you bully!" Usagi yelled, hurling her unopened can of coffee at the Daimon, cheering as it smacked into her masked face, only to blink as the mask came off, revealing the Daimon's true face underneath.
"It's dangerous to throw things at people!" the Daimon called out, her voice changing to a much cuter tone that matched her adorable features, even as she aimed her arm at the blonde, lashing out with the sleeves of her dress, sending Usagi crashing into the woods.
"That takes care of all the interruptions." A voice called out, Makoto lookin up to see Kaolinite standing atop a nearby building "Scar! Take her Pure Heart Crystal NOW!"
"SCAR!" the Daimon agreed, her hands parting the ribbons on her chest to reveal the Black Star Tattoo on her left breast, the beam emerging even as Makoto's screams began.
In the bushes...
"Right on schedule…" Neptune sighed, the two Senshi looking on in distaste from their hiding place, even as Neptune scowled, the blonde Senshi HATING that it had to be this way, but it was the only way to check for Talismans.
'The moment the crystal is in the clear however, I'm BLASTING that Daimon to little pieces…' she vowed, her fingers gripping her arm tightly as she fought to keep herself from racing out there, only to scowl as Makoto's screams stopped, the girl going limp as her heart crystal was extracted "NOW!" she cried, "WORLD SHAKING!"
The redhead gasped, leaping out of the way of the attack, forcing her to drop the crystal, which Neptune caught in her hand as the senshi leapt from cover.
"Sorry Red." Uranus called out, her eyes hard as she glared at the Death Buster "But we can't have you getting your hands on the talismans."
"Damn you!" Kaolinite snarled, holding her injured side, which hadn't appreciated the sudden movement "SCAR! Finish them!"
"SCAR!" the Daimon yelled, releasing Makoto and moving to leap into the air, only to choke as something rammed into the side of her face, sending her crashing into a wall, Caucasus appearing with a cry of "CLOCK OVER!" carrying the brunette in his arms bridal style to keep her from hitting the floor.
"Yo." Uranus called out, smirking at the Rider as she moved out of her combat stance, though she kept her guard up "About time you got here gold-bug." She eyed the water coming off him "You taking a shower?"
"I was taking care of the guy that got knocked into the ocean." Caucasus shot back, causing Makoto's eye to twitch slightly, the girl still conscious despite losing her heart.
"HOLD IT!" a voice called out, the trio turning round to see the Sailor Senshi perched atop a nearby collection of statues "Villains that would steal a young maiden's heart, the Sailor Senshi will punish you!"
"You're a bit late kiddies." Uranus called out, smirking teasingly at the younger Senshi as they leapt down to street level, putting on her best 'Bad Girl' impression "We already got the Heart Crystal."
"Please give it back!" Sailor Moon called out, a little caught off guard at the sight of Caucasus and the elder Senshi together "That girl needs her Pure Heart or she'll die!"
"Sure." Uranus muttered, shrugging offhandedly as she took the crystal from Neptune, tossing it to the stunned Moon Senshi "It's not a Talisman anyway we don't need it."
"SCAAAAAAAAAAAAR!" a voice screamed, the Daimon from earlier rearing to it's feet, intent on revenge for her assault "It's dangerous to strike a woman's face!"
"True," Caucasus muttered, straightening up as he set Makoto into the arms of the concerned Senshi as he gripped his wrist "But then you're not a woman…Rider Kick!"
"RIDER BEAT!" the Caucasus Zecter declared, Tachyon energy racing all over his armor, his blue eyes lighting up even as his horns stared to glow, Scar pulling up short in alarm as the Rider spun round, delivering a devastating heel kick that slammed into her head, the explosion from the impact destroying her before she had a chance to scream.
As the dust settles...
"Heh, he stole the best part again." Uranus scoffed, smirking to herself as she watched the dust die down, only to turn on her heel to walk off "Let's go, Neptune."
"Hold it!" Sailor Moon called out accusingly "I saw you two hiding in the woods while the girl was attacked! How could you just stand there and let that happen?" she stepped forward as the elder senshi ignored her "Wait!"
"Let it go, Sailor Moon." Caucasus called out, the Rider stepping out of the dust cloud that was all that remained of the Daimon "I may not like it, but they have their reasons."
"Caucasus-san? You're agreeing with them?" Mercury wondered, the inner senshi looking at the Rider with something close to betrayal in their eyes.
"Hardly." The Rider countered "I don't approve of their methods, but bereft of a means of locating the Talismans, it's the best they can do." He held up a finger to silence them when they made to speak "I'm not telling you to condone it, just consider this: What do you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means?" he continued at their look of confusion "Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or do you remain steadfast and just even if it means surrendering to evil?"
"An Evil we can't defeat by just means?" Sailor Moon repeated, looking thrown by the highly philosophical question as Caucasus walked off "What do you mean?" she asked, only for Caucasus to slap the button on his hip, vanishing with a cry of "CLOCK UP!"
And we'll leave off there.
For those wondering, no Lulu and the outers aren't teaming up, he's just less likely to fight with them now, and in the long run, might wind up smacking some sense into them.
C.C: Now if only Suzaku could've been convinced that easily.
Kyugan: His protagonist shounen hero sex-beam only works on men, suzaku might be a backstabbing cockbite, but there was no doubting he was a man.
C.C: of course, if he were a woman, he'd have been a lot more tactful.
Kyugan:...I honestly don't know how to respond to that.