Celestial Warrior Moon:
Disclaimer:I do not own any Sailor Moon related properties. Sailor Moon is the property of Toei Animation and Naoko Takeuchi. This is a fan work created to celebrate the opus. It is not intended to infringe on any copyrights.
Note: What I said before about my schedule still stands. I just took down the notice because I figure everyone already read it by now.
LoveInTheBattleField: I will. Thanks.
Lover's Red Rose: Thank you again, for leaving me feedback.
Drew L.: Ah, ask and thou shall receives thy answers.
IchigiUsagiHibiki: Thank you. I hope I can continue to please.
SomeoftheFame: Special thanks to you for helping me iron out the kinks in my writing and helping it to stay fresh.
Chapter 34
The Tide Comes in; the Skies Darken in the Highlands
4: 56 PM, Friday, June 4th
"Is this your stop, miss?"
Jenn Brauer looked out the taxi cab's window. They were sitting at the edge of the long gravel driveway up to the house, the home of the once family of three, Sixton, Irma, and their son, Aaron Kirsch. She sighed, weary and defeated. 11 days since Aaron disappeared, and 10 since Christian was taken, probably by that mad masked man that had attacked her. She took out her wallet and leaved through the Deutsche Marks in it. She had enough to pay for a trip back into town.
"How much?" she asked.
After she'd paid him, she stepped out of the vehicle and began walking up the long driveway, perhaps for the final time. She could hear him back out and drive away behind her. As she walked, her thoughts turned, as they often did, to what was happening in Schwarzwald. It was pushing two weeks since the whole mess started, and the number of disappearances had gone to insane numbers in record time. On top of that, her grades at the university had to be suffering due to her absence. So the night before, Irma had approached her after the Dean had called and told her it was time to go back to her studies. She was reluctant, but the Kirsches were insistent that there was no more good she could do after having turned over every stone that she could on daily long hikes into the woods. So now all that was left was to pick up her luggage and leave.
A whitewashed picket fence stood on either side of the driveway, and just beyond on both sides was the front lawn that needed a good mowing and a few trees scattered throughout the yard. The picket fence expanded all around the front yard, with each side coming to the front corners of the house and garage. The house, itself, was located a little ways away from the rest of the clustered homes near the Black Forest. As such, if one were to look past the front of the house, they would see the expansive back yard that was essentially a wide open four acre patch of grass, a few trees, and even a few big rocks. Further back, just beyond the border where the Kirsch property ended, there was an old, low stone fence or wall that seemed to be the dividing line between "not-quite-in-the-forest" and officially in the forest. Whatever the low structure's original purpose was, it had long been forgotten. Their nearest neighbor was about a mile away.
The Kirsch home was a two story old house made of wood. Old boards painted white made up the exterior walls and it had a black-shingled roof. Old-fashioned wooden shudders hung open from each window. Each window pane was made up of about six small sheets of glass. Attached to house's right side was the garage. The door was up and Jenn could see the family station wagon was parked inside, so Sixton and Irma were both home.
"Well, at least I won't have to wait to say goodbye, then," she thought as she stepped up onto the small stone front porch.
She rapped on the heavy oak door's antiquated door-knocker. After a minute, no one answered, so she tried again. Confused, she stepped away from the door and looked in each of the windows nearest to it. She tried once more and when she still didn't get an answer, she grabbed the doorknob. She gasped when the action caused the door to push open. It hadn't been locked, nor even been properly closed! She slowly backed away from the cracked doorway. Had there been a break in?
Her head whipped around, looking for that taxi, but it was already gone, and she was left stranded in the woods, alone, once again. She eyed every movement that wooded area made suspiciously. There had not been another attempt on her life since that night she was stalked by the masked man, but she still felt panic rising. She wanted to run away, and she almost did, but what about the Kirsches? And would she even make the one mile wak down the road to the neighbor's without being pursued? She turned reluctantly back towards the door, quaking in her shoes. She knew she'd been left without any other choice, and so she gingerly pushed the door the rest of the way open as quietly as she could. She did her best to keep the creaking to a minimum, but the sound still pierced the air more than she'd have liked. She crossed the threshold into the front room.
It was a rectangular room with the front door coming in at one of the narrow ends. It had plastered white walls and a polished wooden floor. Two large square openings in the walls on either side of the room led to different places in the house. The left went into the living room and the right went to the kitchen. Directly across from the front door was the staircase to the second level. It was along the left wall just past the entrance to the living room. Right of the staircase went back into a short hall ending in a closet. Nothing seemed out of place, except a gray business jacket that had been left crumpled on the stair case.
Jenn swallowed back the urge to call out the names of the home's occupants. She looked up towards the top of the stairs, and then froze. Someone had madly scribbled all along the upper parts of the wall the stairs were built into. Pictures of evergreens had been colored in green with crayon, and amongst them, painted in black, was a lone tall stick figure. But most disturbing of all was the message that had been written in red crayon. The lettering was small enough that she had to get closer before she could read it:
"So often we are guided by our devotion, our love, our affection. A bond that pulls us down paths not bargained. And when you find yourself alone as He casts out that bedeviling gaze, how far will it carry you?"
"What the hell?" she thought.
She glanced up the stairs again. Family photographs that once hung neatly from the wall in plain view from the bottom floor now were either crooked on their hooks or had fallen onto the carpet. Jenn looked into the living room. The entertainment center had been pushed over and the TV lied on its front, ruined. The couch and chairs were also thrown across the room from where they had been and floor lamp lied broken in the middle of the room. She stepped away and looked into the kitchen, the feeling of dread increasing every moment she was there. The kitchen, unlike the living room, was left untouched. The only things out of place were the two plates of food left unfinished on the dinner table.
"They took them. They took them both," Jenn realized in horror.
She whirled around and slammed the front door shut! She locked it and then peered through the blinds out into the countryside across the side. She imagined dozens of the same white-masked figures in mud caked, tattered clothing coming for her. She saw nothing of the sort, but the thought did make her think of something else: the back door. She whipped around again and ran through the house to the back door. Sure enough, she found it wide open. She dashed towards it, shut, and locked it as well.
She turned and looked back into the rest of the house again. She hoped that she hadn't locked her in with the intruders.
"I have to get to a phone."
With that thought, she dashed to the wall-mounted phone in the kitchen and grabbed it. She started to dial, but it didn't ring. It was dead.
"Oh, great! This is bad! This is real bad!" she thought.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move past a window. She put the phone back on its cradle and slowly made her around the first floor of the house, peering out through the glass. She tried to get another look at what had dashed past before, but no such luck.
"I'll lock all the windows and then…"
CRASH
Her heart leapt out of her chest into her throat as the sound of shattering glass permeated through the house. Without thinking, Jenn flattened herself against the wall and slid silently along it until she came to a closet. Her fingers wrapped around the knob and she turned it and slowly opened it. She slipped inside and shut herself into the dark little space. She could hear the footsteps of the intruder run around the house. She clamped her hands over her mouth to keep herself from crying out as they drew closer. Through the little slits in the door, she could just see out into the short hall between the back and the kitchen. Her heart nearly failed her as a shadow fell over the door. Her blood ran cold as she recognized the figure passing by. It was the man that had attacked her before.
His breathing was ever so slightly heavy, like something just wasn't quite right with him. She felt relief wash over her as he passed the closet by without stopping to check it.
"He'll come back to check it before going upstairs, surely. I have to get out of here before he comes back," she realized.
She waited a moment after he went beyond the perimeters of her vision, and then she slowly and gingerly opened the closet door again and peered out. She looked down the hall towards the living room, and then back into the kitchen. He was sitting on the counter looking right at her. Neither of them moved for a brief second, but it felt much, much longer than that, but eventually, she was the first to make a move. She threw open the closet door and ran down the hall. She heard him drop off onto the tile kitchen floor behind and give chase. She ran in a mad panic through the house! She didn't know what to do, or where. She only knew that she had to get away from him!
She ran into the living room and grabbed a lamp! Then she turned around and faced her attacker! He dashed around the corner and she chucked the heavy hunk of plaster, wires, and metal at him! He tried to dodge, but at the short range she'd tossed it from, it was too late, and smacked him alongside the head! He grunted in pain and fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. Jenn stumbled and fell onto the now cushion-less couch, hitting hard. She'd done it. It was a long shot, but she'd done it. Now she just had to get out of here with her life.
She looked to the front door and the windows and then back at the groaning man in the floor. He wasn't quite knocked out, but he was hurting and unable to move at the moment.
"Who are you?" she asked aloud, but not really expecting an answer.
She knew she should leave, but something compelled her to remove the generic mask from his face so she could identify him. She got up and moved slowly towards him. He was looking from side to side in a daze, flat on his back. She knelt next to the fallen man and reached timidly for his mask. Her fingers clutched the edges of it and she began to pull it away.
Then his hands shot up and grabbed her by the wrists! She screamed and jumped back, but since she had not released the mask, she pulled right off his face!
"Ch-Chr-Christian!"
He released her wrists and through his hands over his face, screaming as if he was pained. Jenn stumbled and fell onto the floor in an utter daze. The man that had attacked her before and then broken into this house and did God knew what with the Kirsches was none other than her boyfriend and cousin to the first missing victim. She watched as Christian rolled and writhed on the floor, screaming louder and louder through his fingers. He was like an man possessed!
"Christian! Christian, please! What is wrong with you!?" she begged.
He looked at her through his fingers. The screams stopped and then loud, growling rasps began. He looked at the mask in her hands.
"Mine!" a croaky, piercing hiss escaped from his lips.
Then, with a cry, he turned himself over onto his hands and knees and made a dive for the mask. Jenn backed out of reach.
"Christian, stop this! Please!" she begged with a straining voice.
"…Mine…MINE!"
He lunged again, but Jenn smacked him with his own mask, slowing him down. Then she turned and ran away. She dropped the mask onto the floor, and instead of immediately pursuing her Christian pounced onto the object like a hungry cat to the mouse! He held it close for a moment before putting it back onto his unwashed face. Then, with control restored, he turned and looked over to where she had run. She was on the other side of a table from him, looking at him with a mixture of worry and fear. He got up and started towards her. By now, tears were stinging her eyes.
"Christian, why?!" she cried.
He didn't stop. Didn't even falter.
"Christian, please, stop this. Where are your aunt Irma and uncle Sixton? Where did you take them!? Are they wherever Aaron was taken?!"
Their eyes met, and this is what finally made Christian stop. Seeing her tear-stained frightened eyes lit a fire in his mind.
"Jennnnnn…" he managed to rasp out.
"Yes, it's me, Christian. Please, stop this, whatever you're doing? Christian, what's happened to you? Now, please tell me, what happened to Irma and Sixton."
"Au-auntie…" Christian said, more clearly now.
Thoughts were rushing into his mind, and it was making his head hurt. He gripped the sides of his head in his hands.
"Jenn…Aaron…Jenn…Auntie…." He stammered madly.
"Christian."
Christian stopped, and slowly turned to look towards the nearest window. Staring in at him was his lord and master.
"Christian?" Jenn asked.
She followed his gaze to the window. A startled scream broke Christian out of his reverie. He looked towards her and saw she was now cowering behind that table, staring at his master.
"Wha…what's that?! What is…that…that thing?!" she cried.
Christian turned back to the faceless visage in the window. The Black King bowed his head slightly. Christian's face went blank again behind that mask and his arms lowered back down to his sides. Control had been restored.
"Bring her out to me."
The order received, Christian turned back to her and gripped the ends of the table in both hands.
"Christian?" she asked in a tiny voice.
He threw the table aside with a heave! It crashed into the plaster wall, punching a bunch of holes in it. Jenn backed away from him as he advanced on her. They entered into the front room. Jen glanced at the front door. She'd locked it, and she'd never get it open before he grabbed her. She looked back at him.
"Christian?"
He didn't respond. He didn't even seem to hear her, in fact. She swallowed. The kitchen was her only hope now. She turned on her heels and dashed into the next room. She could hear his feet pounding behind her. She frantically looked around for something to defend herself with amongst the ruins of the once tidy cooking area. There! She dove up onto the counter and slid over it to the other side. She fell on her hands and knees onto the floor and gripped the rolling pin in her hand. Christian ran around the side of the counter and grabbed her. Before he could get a secure grip, she whirled around and tried to hit him again! He caught her wrist and two struggled for a short while, before he got a hold of the blunt object, ripped it from her grip and threw it away. Jenn had one option left, and she didn't want to use it, but if Christian was going to deliver her to that thing out there, then she had but one choice left. Her knee shot up and impacted with Christians' groin. He grunted and lurched forward. She used the moment of weakness to tear free of his grip and make another run for it.
Christian, after a moment, straightened again and looked to where she had run. He didn't see her, but he saw the front door hanging open.
"After her."
Christian nodded. He got up and ran out the door after Jenn.
Outside, Jenn's feet pounded the driveway's gravel towards the road. She'd run all the way to the neighbor's house if she to, but she had to get away and get in contact with the police! Something was very wrong with Christian and in his madness had done something to his aunt and uncle! And who was that…what was that thing in the window? It looked vaguely human, but it didn't have a face! She didn't bother to turn around and look back. She knew he'd be on her again. Tears were falling free down her face again.
"Why is this happening!?"
Jenn heard something behind her, and realized that it was his panting breaths coming up behind her. She'd have to do something to dodge him or else he was going to catch her! She and her pursuer came on a steep slope alongside the road and she knew what needed to be done. She skidded to a stop and used her legs to bound off the path and onto the slope. She flattened herself out straight and allowed herself to slide down it first. The world passed her by a blur and she dared a look up and could see Christian clumsily trying to run it after her.
With a tumble, Jenn yelped as she fell into a chuckling brook at the base of the embankment. She turned herself over onto her stomach and climbed out of the little brook. Then, just as she was crawling on her hands and knees onto dry ground, she found herself staring at a shiny pair of dress shoes and a pair of black business pants. She looked up and immediately regretted. Looked down at her was the faceless one. Several tentacle-like limba grew from the thing's back and reached for her. She tried to run away, but they had her, and pulled her up towards it. Then she screamed once more as she was consumed in its burning embrace. And then, as she stared into the empty void where its face should have been, what she saw next shattered her sanity.
8: 39 PM, Friday, June 4th
From the top of the old stone steps, Rei could see a bus pull up at the end of the block and open its doors for disembarking and boarding passengers. Then, after everyone had either left or boarded, the side door swung shut again and it drove off. Rei's eyes moved to the bottom step, and as she thought, about a minute later, the petite form of Ami appeared. Rei smiled and down at her, a gesture the other girl returned. When the other girl was almost to the top, Rei spoke up again.
"So there you are," Rei greeted.
Ami looked up towards the top at her again, and smiled.
"Yep, here I am," Ami answered.
Rei's smile faded a slightly. Though Ami did her best to look cheery as she approached, her eyes told the raven head another story. It was a story of worry and a loneliness.
"Better ask her off-handedly. Press her too much and she'll clamp up," Rei thought.
"You look a little down," Rei observed. "Something happen today?"
Ami stopped while still a few steps down from her and looked away into the distance. Locating the next Youma had been like a heavy weight over her head ever since it happened.
"Can we talk about that later?" Ami asked, without looking back up at Rei.
"Whatever it is, it's affected her more than I thought. Better lift that spirit of hers' first," Rei decided.
She shrugged uncaringly while twirling a strand of hair in her finger.
"Suit yourself. So what do you want to do? Video games? Just chatt? Or…" Rei grinned sardonically.
"Studying?" she then asked.
Ami let out a single laugh and finally looked back up at Rei, grinning.
"Oh, no, I've already finished my homework for the weekend. I was actually hoping we could go to the bathhouse first," Ami said politely.
Rei blinked dumbly.
"You told me your school issued you all a whole weekend's worth of homework earlier," Rei said flatly, too gobsmacked to show any emotion.
Ami giggled again, and hefted up her school bag for Rei to see.
"I finished it," she said.
"A whole weekend's worth of homework and you're done already?" Rei repeated again.
Ami nodded in reply.
"Yes. I had nothing else to do today after I left Keeper Headquarters with everyone else busy," she said.
Rei tilted her head to the side curiously.
"You were at Keeper Headquarters today?"
Ami nodded. Rei noted a distinct change in the other's demeanor at the topic.
"So that's it," Rei realized.
"Yeah… They needed my help with something…" Ami mumbled, looking down at the step Rei was standing on.
Rei crossed her arms, deciding that the direct approach was necessary now.
"Need your help with what?" Rei asked a little sharply.
"I don't want to talk about it," Ami said in a voice that was barely more than hum.
Rei's index finger tapped through three times as she considered and thought of an answer to why Ami would be so unwilling to talk about it.
"They found the next Youma, didn't they?"
Ami looked up at Rei, surprised.
"How did you know that?"
Rei sighed, and shrugged.
"I got a dark premonition about an ancient monster caged in human skin last night," Rei answered seriously.
She swallowed hard.
"I…I couldn't see if it was released, but it was a warning that the next one is ready to wake up, no doubt about it," Rei then added.
"Oh, I see," Ami murmured.
"You're obviously very troubled by this," Rei observed.
She gestured for Ami to follow her.
"Well, no use in just standing around worrying about it. Let's go in," Rei said, starting to turn around to go inside.
"Yes," Ami replied, eager to change the subject.
Then Rei stopped and looked over her shoulder at Ami
"But I'm guessing we're going to get a call for a new mission tomorrow?" she asked.
"Yes."
Rei "mm'ed" and nodded.
"Thought so."
As the two walked towards the shrine, Rei turned to Ami once more.
"Do you really do an entire weekend's worth of homework in one evening?"
Ami giggled in response.
"Yes."
"Oi," Rei said, shaking her head.
She slowed and let the other girl come up alongside her.
"Alright, that's it. We're getting you a hobby," Rei said.
"Well, I already have one…" Ami replied, pulling out one of her many books from her bag.
Rei rolled her eyes at that.
"Uh-huh."
She took it from Ami and lightly bumped her on the head with it.
"I never thought I'd side with Usagi on this one, but you need more than just books and math problems. Come on. I'll get Chad to get the bathhouse warmed up. I'm sure he's lazing around here somewhere."
"Thank you," Ami said quietly.
Meanwhile, not far off…
"Lazing around?" Chad asked, eye twitching as he carried an armful of antiques that were to be moved into a back room.
"Oh, man, that sucked," Usagi groaned.
She sunk down onto a bench at the bus stop tiredly. Her arms limply rested at her side and she didn't bother to hold her knees together properly, so her legs rested where they may just as droopily. She slid down until her back was partway onto the seat of the bench. Her head slumped forward.
According to Luna, she'd been under that thing's spell for almost ten minutes.
"Well, at least I got ice cream and a movie out of it," she said, drearily.
She looked around the stop without focus and waited for some transportation. She glanced down at her wristwatch to check the time.
"Oh, man, am I in for it when I get home," she said nervously as she beheld the numbers the two hands were over.
Her head slumped back and she looked up at the sky. All she could see was black as the city lights blotted out any stars she might spot otherwise.
"Well, hey there, Meatball Head."
Usagi growled slightly, knowing immediately who that was. She sat up straight and turned around. Yep, there was Mamoru on the sidewalk not far from her. His hands were stuffed into his jean pockets. With him was Makoto, hanging off his arm. The taller girl waved at her, smiling.
"Hey, there, lovebirds," Usagi said.
Mamoru just smirked in response at first, but then his expression turned more serious.
"You look tired. Still little shaken from what happened at the game?" he asked.
Makoto bit her lip. Yeah, Usagi looked tired, but it was definitely not for the reasons Mamoru was thinking.
"Yeah, it's hard to recover from having a weird lion man chase you around," Usagi answered, rested an arm on the back of the bench.
Mamoru nodded understandingly at that. He approached her slowly, but Makoto hung and let go of his arm.
"No doubt. So, are you alright?" he asked in earnest.
Usagi shrugged.
"As good as I can be," she said heavily.
"Good. I do hope your friends have been taking good care of you," he said, looking over his shoulder t Makoto.
Makoto put her hands on her hips to give a light pout.
"Hey, and what's that supposed to mean?!" she demanded.
Mamoru just laughed and held up his hands disarmingly.
"Just kidding."
Then he turned to Usagi again. He walked around to the front of the bench and sat down beside her.
"Hey, who said you could get so close to me so easily?" Usagi demanded.
"It's a public bench," Mamoru answered simply.
Usagi grumbled and threw up her arms before sliding down low in the chair again. In the corner of her eye, she could see Makoto lean forward and her elbows on the backrest. She looked up at her friend, and Makoto returned it with her own.
"How did things with your friend?" Mamoru asked with concern.
Usagi looked at him again and gave him a smile for the first time since that conversation began.
"You're still thinking about that?" she asked.
In truth, his concern for Naru was appealing him to her, and his advice had worked.
"Of course," Mamoru answered. "Shouldn't I be?"
"No, it's not that. Okay, she saw he was no good, but it hurt her, and bad."
"Well, then, I guess you know what to do," Mamoru answered.
Usagi nodded.
"Yeah. She needs all the support I can give right now. But… At least she knows he was a creep now."
Mamoru smiled genuinely.
"Good. I knew you could do it."
"You did?" she asked, flatly.
"Never doubted you for a second," he said easily.
"You're always calling me Dumpling or Meatball Head, though."
"Eh, about that," Mamoru said, giving a wave of his hand. "That's just teasing. I've seen how you look after your friends. There was never any doubt you'd pull through for her. Now just keep up that tenacity."
"I can't decide if you're really a nice guy or a big jerk," Usagi quipped.
"He's both," Makoto put in.
"Hey, now, no double teaming me. That's not fair!" Mamoru said in mock hurt.
Usagi and Makoto giggled at that remark, which made Mamoru smile.
"At least I can see they're all doing okay now. Nothing more to do tonight," he thought.
Usagi turned to Makoto curiously.
"Hey, Mako, what are you guys up to, anyway?" she asked.
"Mamoru was just taking me home, actually," Makoto answered.
"That's it? How boring," Usagi replied bluntly.
"Boring or not, it's still a school night. You get home and get to bed, too, Usagi," Makoto replied.
She went over to Mamoru, who got up and put an arm around her.
"Shall we?" she asked.
"Yes, Madame, we shall," Mamoru answered.
"Sheesh," Usagi muttered.
Naru sat with her back to the wall on her bed with her legs pulled up against her. She was already in her PJs and ready for bed, but she found she couldn't get any sleep.
"Masato is Nephrite…" Usagi's words echoed again and again.
"What do to I do?" she wondered.
If he ever found out that she knew his secret, he'd suspect her more than ever of being one of the Celestial Warriors or of being in league with them. What would he do, then? She didn't like the thought that he might drag her back to The Dark Kingdom for interrogation, but she had a feeling that's exactly what he'd do if he ever got any sort of confirmation.
"Maybe I should get closer to him and maybe use him to get information," a thought occurred to her.
"But how would I do it?" she asked herself. "An even better question: how would I do it without betraying myself?"
Naru looked across her room, hoping for some kind of inspiration, but none came. The only thing she could see were the cardboard boxes containing all her things, packed and ready to be moved out when the Osakas moved to their new apartment building in town, and closer to school. Mrs. Osaka had decided that that house just contained too much of a bad experience, and having no neighbors had made living there quite lonely in wake of The Rake murders. Every time they went home had become a reminder of what happened, and the fact that the houses just weren't getting sold made it worse.
"I'm going to miss this place, but I haven't felt safe here since that night," Naru thought.
Tears brought by fear, sorrow, and anger rolled down her face.
"Why did all this have to happen?"
"And I'm back here, of course," Mamoru thought.
He was once again standing in the foggy landscape surrounding the great big castle in the distance. And like always in his dreams, he was in his Phantom Mask attire. He looked up at the balcony on the second floor of the castle, which he could barely see, knowing that she would appear any minute now.
"Speak of the devil…" Mamoru thought.
The distant figure of the girl appeared at the balcony. Though he couldn't see her face, he knew she was looking down at him, and he knew what she was going to say to him.
"Quickly…" she called. "Quickly, find the Silver Crystal!"
"Then, please, tell me how!" he hollered back.
She didn't reply, which caused him to scowl.
"Damn it! I don't even know who you are or why you're always invading my dreams! Just tell me what I need to do to get my hands on it!" he yelled irritably.
"The Silver Crystal…" she repeated, maddening him to no end.
"Once you find it, everything will…"
"Once you find it, everything will…"
"WILL WHAT!"
And then he was in his bed again. He realized all too quickly that he was hyperventilating and in a cold sweat where he lied. He rested his head back down on the pillow, groaning.
"The same dream. That same vision that's haunted me since I can remember…" he thought with a tired mind.
"Mamo?" Motoki called from the other side of the door.
His friend knocked on his door.
"Hey, are you okay, man? It sounded like you were having a fit in your sleep."
Groaning again, Mamoru sat and climbed out of bed. His bare feet touched the cold floor as he stood. He walked with a slight wobble over to his bedroom door and grabbed the doorknob. He opened it to see Motoki.
"Mamo…?" Motoki asked in a concerned voice.
"Hey, Motoki," Mamoru grunted back.
"Well, are you alright, man?"
"Yeah. Just a nightmare. Go back to bed."
"It sounded like more than that. Are you sure?"
Mamoru was grateful for his friend's concern, but there was nothing he could do.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Motoki. Go back to bed," he said.
Motoki still looked doubtful, but shrugged in defeat, realizing that Mamoru wasn't going to tell him anything.
"Alright, good night, but if you wanna walk, I'm here," Motoki said, turning to go back to his room.
"Yeah, thanks," Mamoru said quietly and closed the door.
He leaned against the wall next to it and sighed deeply. He eyes strayed to the window. He looked out onto the city from his vantage point.
"A girl in a castle…" he muttered thoughtfully. "Could she be the Moon Princess we're seeking?"
His brow furrowed with confusion. He felt a little dizzy and put a hand to his hand as he tried to steady himself.
"But if so, why me? Why contact the boy who would be The Phantom Mask?" his sleep-addled mind wondered.
"The Silver Crystal…that elusive item two ancient sides have gone to war over for centuries…If I can get my hands on it, will it really answer all my questions?"
He glanced over at his alarm clock, positioned on the dresser by his bed. He hadn't even gotten home from his date with Makoto two hours ago and already this dream had woken him up. He sighed. He could already tell this was going to be a long night. He started towards his bed again, and while he shuffled through the room, glanced out the window. He stopped when something caught his eye. It looked like something had be slipped under the glass at the bottom. He walked around his bed towards it. It was a small slip of paper. He pulled it out from underneath the pane and held it under the moonlight. It read:
"Hey, kid,
Something big's happening tomorrow with the Warriors. Come to the usual spot by early afternoon. Don't be late.
-Your partner"
Mamoru sighed and tossed the paper away. He turned and flopped onto his bed, but wondered how much sleep he was actually going to get.
"Another big event tomorrow, huh? I wonder if this has something to do with the Great Youma?"
1:35 PM, Saturday, June 5th
The four Warriors and Haruka gathered around in the conference room. They were all still in their school uniforms, having just completed their usual half day. They were seated all in a row listening to the briefing. Usagi sat at the end of the aisle with her elbows resting on her knees and her head cradled in her hands. Her foot tapped restlessly against the floor. Makoto sat next to her, leaning back with her legs crossed and her head resting back against her hands. Ami sat upright with her hands folded in her lap and Rei also sat with her legs crossed and with her arms on the armrests. Pious and Luna were presenting them with their new mission and they quickly explained the situation in Scotland. Behind the two Keepers at the front of the room, a slide showed a wide shot of the Scottish village.
"…And as such, when we find the person the Youma has been reborn as, we have to protect them and keep the beast within contained at all costs. We've used the specialized radar Nephrite constructed one more time to confirm the locations of all seven blips. It seems that there has been no change since the last time. The blip in Scotland is still the next target," Pious finished.
Rei glanced down from them down to her lap as she went deep into thought. She looked back up with the question she suspected was on everyone's mind.
"What about Entomon?" Rei asked darkly.
"What about him?" Pious asked, cocking a brow.
"Where is he?" Rei asked.
Pious glanced down at the stack of papers in front of him and began rummaging through them.
"Just a minute. We also have a report concerning him. I will have it…now!"
Pious produced the file from the stack and opened it up. Rei leaned forward and went stiff from anticipation.
"Right now…" Pious answered as he thumbed through it. "…Our crustacean is in the Middle Earth, usually, but has returned to D-Point several times since his Awakening. There has been no changes in his behavior or placement as far as our spies have figured out," Pious answered.
"So he won't be in Scotland?" Rei asked, with thinly disguised eager hope.
"Doubtful. He's not exactly subtle, but believe me, The Dark Kingdom is taking no chances, and they have many, many servants at their disposal. For a retrieval mission such as this, we can expect to face more than one opponent, discounting the Great Youma," Pious replied, and set the file back down.
Rei's body relaxed and she slumped down slightly while expelling a relieved sigh.
"Okay, so long as we're talking lower level monsters, then," Rei said.
Pious hummed, doubt heard even without words. He cocked his head to right slightly before answering Rei's comment.
"But, we still have to get the target out of Wyvern Hill before too damage is done. Wyvern is a small, old village in Scotland. You will not find a whole lot of room to fight like in the streets of Tokyo or England. Lure them out of town with the target, and then you can engage the enemy," Pious said.
"So, this time all four of you will be going with Haruka and myself along to assist and an entire brigade of Keepers will be on standby just outside of the village," Luna added. "We're also taking no chances on this one."
She gestured over to Makoto with an open palm.
"We've done what we can for you. Are you up for this?"
The tomboy's arm was out of the sling, but the wounds Zoicite had inflicted were far from being completely healed. Makoto touched her hurt side. The bandages and stitches were gone, but it still aches something fierce. The bruises left behind would be purple for days yet and the bones were still mending.
"Not sure. I just got back to that healer you sent me to after school, but if I can't fight physically, I can always rely on my lightning and the earth," Makoto answered.
Luna nodded in response. She glanced at each girl, noting their demeanor, before continuing. They were visibly nervous and showed in their own way. While Rei fidgeted with her red long-sleeved button-up shirt which she wore open over a black T, Ami wore her emotions in her eyes. Makoto was frantically twisting and untwisting a strand of her hair around a finger. Usagi's was obvious. Her leg moved up and down as her foot continued to tap.
"Nothing too crippling," Luna noted.
"Very well, then," Luna said.
She looked each Warrior straight in the eye, again.
"Any questions?"
Usagi started to raise her hand, hesitated halfway, and then lifted all the way up.
"Yes, Usagi, what is it?" Luna asked, leaning against the podium.
"Do we have any clue who is the Reborn Youma is?" Usagi asked.
Luna nodded.
"We have one. When we were scanning for a precise location using the Manijeh and Ami's mini-computer, the location of the Youma was inside a church. We've did some digging and found the name of the Reverend: Leonard Sylvester McCoy. We will head straight for his home next to St. Peter and Paul Church where he preaches and find out what might be sleeping inside him," Luna answered.
Makoto's expression brightened considerably at this news.
"So we have our heading? That's great!" Makoto exclaimed.
Ami and Rei's looks of concern did not change, however, and was the next to Rei raise her hand.
"Yes, Rei," Luna said.
"If they're going to reawaken a Great Youma, then what else other than heavy resistance from monsters can we expect from them? We were quick to meddle the last time one was Awakened, so they will be expecting us," she stated.
"A very good question," Luna replied, and paused.
The truth was, she wasn't entirely sure, either. Rei bit her lip nervously and looked back down at her lap again. She folded her hands in her lap as she sat hunched forward. She hair fell over her face, hiding it partially from view.
"…Just how bad is it going to get out there today?" she asked in a low, voice that almost trembled.
Luna and Pious exchanged dire glances before returning their attention to the girls. Pious cleared his throat, and out of habit, pulled on the lapels of his gray business jacket. He took a breath and prepared to answer that Rei. When he spoke, his voice was low and his tone was grave.
"We're not going to lie to you. It's going to get bad, real bad, and that's not even factoring in the possibility of facing a Great Youma," Pious said. "Chances are they will be several monsters in the area on standby to assist their agent. The most likely scenario is that they will lay siege to that town at the first sign of resistance, so that's why you need to be quick in finding the target and getting him out of town."
"They're tightening the noose and will be closing it soon," Luna said. "That means we have to swift and hit hard."
Usagi visibly shrunk at this. She sunk down in her seat until she head was resting against the base of the backrest.
"So if the worst happens, we'll have another Great Youma, and this one will have backup…" she said in a petrified whisper.
Luna looked away uncomfortably.
"Yes, that is the worst case scenario," she replied.
"We won't let that happen," Haruka said firmly.
"Yes, and thankfully, Usagi has mastered the Moon Healing Escalation, so even if Reverend McCoy is turned into Youma, she might be able to revert him back, provided we do it in time," Luna explained.
That got her inquiring looks from the audience. Ami shifted forward in her seat, deciding to speak up for the first time.
"What do you mean, 'might'? She did expel that spirit you had her practice with, right?" she asked.
"True, but that spirit is nothing compared to the Great Youma," Luna answered. "And that's not all…"
Luna raised her left arm and gestured around with her index finger extended to make sure all eyes on her. Usagi sat back up to listen. Satisfied, Luna decided to go on.
"Also, you have to remember, we have precious little time before his soul would be swallowed by the beast and we'll have to wear him down before it will work," Luna explained.
"So there will be absolutely no margin for error," Rei said darkly.
"Correct, I'm afraid," Luna replied grimly.
Usagi felt a lump in her throat form and it was expanding. A hand touched her knee. She looked over and saw it was Ami reaching over past Makoto. She smiled at her reassuringly and Makoto smiled to do the same, and gave the thumbs up. Rei stood up and looked right at Usagi with an unreadable expression.
"It's okay. We're here," Ami said softly.
"You can always count on us," Makoto added.
"And you have a whole team backing you up this time," Haruka added.
Luna considered mentioning what happened last time a whole brigade got together in their U.S. mission, but thought better of the notion. It'd be bad for morale at this junction.
"Don't worry. We'll do everything on our power to keep McCoy out of their hands, and if we should fail, we will give you every chance we can to save him," Rei proclaimed.
Usagi nodded, smiling a bit.
"But…" Rei said resolutely.
The other girls all looked at her questioningly.
"…If we take too long, we'll have to kill him," Rei finished, pointing right at Usagi. "Don't try to stop us this time."
Those words hit Usagi right in the chest and she felt her eyes growing moist at the thought of having to kill an innocent person because of what slept inside them. She turned away. She squeezed her eyes shut as she fought back the tears.
"I…I don't know if I could…if there's still a chance the soul is still in there…" Usagi fought to keep her voice even.
"I know you couldn't, so I will if it comes down to it," Rei announced, placing a hand over her heart.
Usagi gasped and looked back at Rei. The raven didn't look one bit happy about making this proclamation, but there was also no doubt in her eyes. Rei was set on this decision. She looked into Usagi's eyes and quickly turned away, clearing her throat. She moved her hand from her chest to just below her mouth, palm and fingers resting against her chin
"Of course, as said, we'll do everything we can to…keep it from going that far," Rei added hastily.
Pious glanced Luna's way and then looked right at Rei.
"So you will commit to the execution of the Youma and possibly his human counterpart if you are unable to seal the beast?" he asked.
Those words cut through Rei like a set of knives. It was small and hard to notice, but Rei twitched, and that was the only break in her exterior. It did not go completely unnoticed by all eyes in the room. Her hand lowered back down to her heart and she clenched it into a fist.
"Yes. Yes, I will. It would be my honor," Rei said, masking the tremble in her voice under confidence as well as she could.
"Very well, then," Pious replied.
"Don't kid yourself. You don't want to kill anyone anymore than I do," Usagi thought as she looked up at her friend.
Usagi turned from her companions and leaned forward to stare down at the floor, shaking her head. She was brought out of her thoughts when Makoto suddenly stood up.
"In that case, I'll share in the responsibility of slaying the Youma should trying to reseal him go wrong," she said. "It's no fair putting it all on Rei's head."
"Yeah. Count me in, too," Haruka said.
"You're talking like it's a foregone conclusion that the Youma will be awakened," Ami said, horrified.
"Not at all, but there is a very real possibility of it," Luna said. "We've established that The Dark Kingdom will come at us, hard and fast. This is going to be a difficult mission, girls. They want those Youma back in their ranks, and you know that they'll cut down anyone who has the misfortune of being in their way at the wrong moment."
"So let's get this show on the road!" Makoto said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
She also stood up.
"We don't have any time to waste," Makoto said with urgency.
"To Wyvern Hill," Luna concurred.
8:04 AM, Saturday, June 5th, Wyvern Hill, Dornoch, Scotland
The wind bustled through the tall grass of the open hilly area of the northern Highlands. Rolling hills could be seen in any direction going on for ages, but the most prominent features of the landscape could be seen right on the northern edges of it near the edge of a seaside cliff. There stood Wyvern Hill, the tallest of the bluffs near the cliffs, and atop its summit was the village named for it. And beyond, further North, right on the edge of the cliff overlooking the beach below, was the old, empty castle that had stood on there for a millennium, Castle Wyvern. Though its structure was slowly eroding with passage of time, it still had six of its original gargoyles standing tall and glaring down at any who dared to enter. While five stood atop the second highest castle parapet, one sat on the wall of the highest tower. Unlike the snarling faces of the others, this was sat one knee. His elbow rested on one of his knees with his head cradled in his fist. He had a mournful, thoughtful gave, much like the thinker. This statue was also the largest of the six, and if he could stand up from his position, he'd likely be over seven feet tall.
Within the walls of the old stone structure, were once great halls and many, many rooms that had long been out of use since its owners abandoned it. It was inside one of these great halls that two figures met. It was in the ruins of the former main dining area. Remains of a rotten court dinner table lay on the floor atop broken legs. Spider webs and dust covered what might have been a once rich and warm place. While one figure entered the room and stood in its center, the other was seated on an ancient stone seat at the middle of the dining around.
"Nice place," the one entering quipped.
"Isn't it, Flau? The locals call it Castle Wyvern. It's said to be haunted and that its masters abandoned it after the Vikings sacked it," the other answered.
"Fascinating, Aqua, but we have business to get down to," Flau answered dryly.
Aqua simply smirked at Flau as she approached.
"Also, it was once supposed to be the home to real, living gargoyles that once made a pact with the Prince who built it. Malcolm, I believe they said his name was. A grand total of two generations lived in this castle. It was inherited by Malcolm's daughter, Princess Katherine," Aqua continued her impromptu lecture.
She then turned to Flau.
"They say she was taken prisoner when the Viking stormed this place, but somehow escaped and returned. Now how would that have happened all the way out in a secluded spot on Scotland's map like this?" Aqua asked.
Flau sighed, realizing that Aqua was not going to stop until she had finished.
"I dunno. How?" Flau answered boredly.
Aqua shrugged.
"Reinforcements came, but sources are divided on who her backup was. Some say they were soldiers sent by a neighboring lord, but others say…" Aqua paused for dramatic effect.
Flau raised a brow, but waited for her superior to finish, anyway.
"But others say that the surviving members of the gargoyle clan that had made a pact with her father came to her rescue. Yes, gargoyles, Flau. Perhaps you know what that means?"
"Eh?" the Youma gave her a clueless look.
Aqua chuckled at the other female and waited for her to get it.
"Oh, right, gargoyles. You think that Entomon's brother, Gargouille, might be the Youma nearby," Flau said
Flau glanced absently around the chamber with her red eyes. Cracks in the roof made beams of sunshine shine over her form almost like a spotlight. Her purple skin and wild, reddish-brown hair gleamed under it. Her muscular frame could be seen under her green toga. She turned back to Aqua, shaking her head.
"I doubt that anything to do with it. I've never heard of Gargouille having any connection to those creatures of the night. He was just like them in a lot of ways. A tough hide kind of like stone, wings to glide on the wind, claws, a powerful tail, and sharp teeth. But while gargoyles live in clans and will protect an entire region and all the creatures in it as their own, the Great Youma from which their namesake came from was solitary and more enjoyed the company of his constructs to other individuals," Flau explained.
"Hmm. I see," Aqua replied. "How do you know this?"
Flau shrugged.
"The legends of the Great Youma have been passed down through the generations of the Dark Kingdom. I'm surprised you don't know them."
"I lived under the sea until around ten years ago, and all my time has been spent serving my master, Lord Jadeite. Well, alright, then. Either way, the Black Crystal has led us here to this village. As soon as your troops are in position, I will venture in and hunt down our target," Aqua said.
Flau nodded, and grinned savagely.
"It will be a pleasure to serve alongside one of my betters for the first time," she said.
Aqua nodded, grinning in kind. Flau then frowned, though.
"The Keepers are moving in. We've sighted them, and they sighted us. There's going to be a battle, and You-Know-Who will also surely show up."
"Yes, because the Keepers somehow found a way to duplicate Master Nephrite's methods," Aqua answered.
"Figure," Flau said with contempt.
"Indeed. Therefore, you will have to be ready to deal with the annoyances that will also be coming to town," she said.
Flaun snorted.
"You don't need to tell me that. I've heard the reports. I know what those reborn Warriors are capable of. We're doing this cautiously."
"Good, but even so, they came dangerously close to killing Entomon once. Just keep them busy while I awaken his kin, please," Aqua said.
Flau nodded in response.
"In that case, I will find a good place to lie in wait," she said, and turned to leave.
"There it is, girls. Wyvern Hill," Luna announced in a low tone.
They stepped out of a gas station, and they immediately noticed that they weren't actually in-town, but just a little ways away from it. Around them were the trappings of a strip mall along the road leading up to it. Across from the gas station was a rustic mechanic's garage, further back were some fast food places and a restaurant, and ahead were a rest stop and a convenience store. Wyvern Hill was a small distance away, but it would take them a good fifteen-twenty minutes to get there via motorized transportation.
What few passersby there were gave them some curious stared, but no one approached or bothered them.
"Hey, why'd we arrive outside of town this time? What gives?" Usagi asked, putting a hand on her hip.
Luna fixed her with a slightly annoyed eye and shook her head. She turned and stared towards their final destination.
"Usagi, I told you we weren't going to be arriving right in Wyvern Hill. It is a small village, after all," Luna replied.
Then she looked back at Usagi.
"Six strangers just showing up without having been transported there would raise unwelcome attention. In the long run, it'll just be for the best if we pass ourselves off as tourists. We can get to our target, convince them to come with us out of town, and get going. This isn't a big city where you just can state you're from out of town and it can be left at that without providing an explanation about how you got there," Luna answered.
While Luna talked, Rei stepped from the gathering, surveying the rolling hills slowly. Something was out there. She sensed it. She glanced around the roadside shops and other facilities. She didn't sense anything as nearby as them. She heard light footsteps come up next to her. She glanced over and saw Haruka looking at her with interest. The tall blonde had her jacket hung over her shoulder, though she held onto it with one hand. The other was stuffed into her pants pocket.
"Something that matter, Rei?" she asked.
Rei nodded her head and then faced the others.
"I sense an evil presence not far off," Rei said loudly enough to get their attention.
She pointed towards Wyvern Hill.
"It's coming from the village," she said.
Ami walked up beside the miko and Apprentice Keeper. Her book bag hung from her shoulder.
"Here, maybe I can get some readings," Ami said.
She opened it up and took out the mini-computer. She booted it up and waited for it to fully start up.
"Are there any monsters native to this region we should be worried about?" Makoto asked.
"None around here," Luna answered.
"I'm picking up the blip in Wyvern Hill. We're in the right place, alright," Ami said over her shoulder towards Usagi, Makoto, and Luna, who were still loitering near the station's front door.
"Pick anything else up?" Rei asked, leaning to look at the laptop's screen.
"Give me a minute," Ami replied.
She tapped some more commands in and after a short while, a grid system displayed on the screen. Around eight or nine blips showed up.
"There are definitely non-human entities in the area," Ami commented.
By Usagi, Makoto, and Luna had joined the other three.
"Do we know which Youma it is?" Usagi asked curiously.
"We won't know that unless they're Awakened," Luna answered.
"Then let's just hope we never find out which one it is," Haruka muttered.
Usagi cringed at that.
"Go time," Makoto said, and took out her knuckles and fit them onto her fingers.
"But how do we get there?" Usagi asked. "Luna?"
She looked over, but found that the woman in question had wandered over to the edge of the parking lot and was looking south, away from Wyvern Hill. The girls exchanged glances and followed her over to that spot.
"Luna? Hello, Moon to Luna?" Usagi said. "How do we get there in a timely fashion?"
Luna looked back at her.
"Well, girls, a tour bus will be stopping here shortly," she said.
She then gestured down the road in the direction it would be coming from.
"Just make sure you're here and ready to board. This gas station is a regular stop for the tour company in charge of showing foreigners around this region of Scotland. I did not choose this place lightly," Luna explained.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. We wait and wait and wait until it gets here," Usagi said with a huff
Luna cast a stern look.
"Don't start that. I know you're nervous, but getting short with your team will not make this easier on anyone," she said, crossly.
Usagi deflated, and her head bobbed up and down a few times in a meek nod
"You're right. I'm sorry," Usagi said, looking very withdrawn.
Makoto went over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Slow, easy breaths," she told the odango-headed one.
Rei, on the other hand, was not amused. Her eyebrows twitched and she stamped a foot briskly.
"What about getting back out in a hurry!?" she demanded.
"Calm down," Luna replied. "The Dark Kingdom will be taking it slowly, too. They know they can't mess this up and that we're coming."
"Alright, fair enough. But… You're absolutely sure the bike will be waiting for us to use at the mechanic's garage in town?" Rei asked.
"Yes. I've double checked, and then triple checked. Haruka will be able to take the target away from Wyvern Hill at first opportunity," Luna answered.
By now, the sounds of a vehicle on the highway could be heard. Usagi, Makoto, and Ami looked south, in the direction it was coming from while the other three talked. The road sloped downwards and around a corner, and from there the view was obscured by another tall hill. Eventually, a pair of headlights attached to a large, white and blue vehicle came around it.
"Find me wheels, and you can count on me," Haruka said confidently.
"Our ride's coming," Ami said.
She gestured with her head as the large transport came their way. It slowed down and its blinker turned on as it prepared to pull into the gas station.
Luna started towards it.
"It'll stay here ten minutes before taking off," she said. "Make sure you're here when it does. Everyone make sure you have your cordless earpieces on and functioning correctly."
Usagi meekly followed after her. Makoto, Ami, Rei, and Haruka exchanged a glance and then followed, themselves. Haruka marched up next to Usagi and tapped her on the arm.
"Hmm?"
"Don't worry so much," Haruka leaned in and whispered.
"How can I not? You remember last time," Usagi replied, somberly.
"This isn't last time," Haruka answered. "This time you know full well what you're getting into."
"Yeah, I know. That's what's making this so scary," Usagi answered.
Haruka sighed and stood upright, realizing that younger girl's worried weren't going to be assuaged so easily. And Usagi looked on yonder to the town they were about to enter. A sense of dread that had been merely nagging at her before had her by a throat now.
"Oh, please, don't let this turn out bad," she silently prayed.
A man sat on a bench just outside of a shop reading his newspaper. He flipped the page to next part when he heard the cry of a bird overhead. He glanced up and saw a red hawk fly by above him.
"Hmm. What an unusual bird," he thought, and went back to reading.
The hawk circled overhead of the village, surveying it as it went. As a few passes, it turned and headed towards the foundation of an old ruin just outside of the village limits. The ruin was a square of low wall, representing the remains of what might have been an outpost at one time. Behind was crouched The Phantom Mask. The hawk landed on the wall next to him.
"See anything?" Mask asked.
"Yeah. They are eight outsiders roaming around the village," Orion replied.
"What do they look like?" Mask asked.
"Like you or me… Well, you or me if we were ladies, but you get my drift. The point is, they just don't look right amongst the locals. You'll know them when you see them. I'll come back and get you when I spot the girls."
"Okay, but don't take too long," Mask replied.
"Hey, who do you think you're talking to?" Orion asked, and took off again.
Reverend McCoy hummed a merry hymn to himself as he walked through the empty sanctuary with a duster in hand. He wandered around the large, open space looking for things that were out of place and in need of tidying up. His footsteps echoed against the wood floorboard. He glanced over the pews with her red-cushioned seats and backrests. The white-stone walls looked as clean as old, chipped, and worn walls were going to get.
He was a slim built man in his thirties just under six feet in height. Pale blue eyes glanced around the pews. Wavy brown hair was neatly combed back out of his face. Instead of his usual priestly garb, he had on some more casual clothing: jeans, trainers, and a white and pale brown stripped sweater. The only religious symbol on him right now was his crucifix, which hung from his neck.
When he had finished his round of the sanctuary, he sat on the steps leading up to the stage at the front. Behind him at the edge of the stage was a plastic basket holding all of his cleaning supplies. He tossed the duster absently into it and looked around the sanctuary one more time.
"I finished early this week. Oh, thank you, Lord, I'll have more time to prepare for tomorrow's service," he said with a satisfied smile.
He pulled out his old fashioned pocket watch to check the time.
"Hmm. Almost 8:30. I better get to running those errands for Ryan," he thought.
He got up, and grabbed the basket by the handle, and headed for the front entrance of the church. He took the keys out of his pocket and shut off all the lights as he went before finally exiting out the front door. He locked up and left the building dark and empty, as it would stay until the morning of the following day.
The tour bus pulled into the parking spot just in front of the tourism center of Wyvern Hill. The doors opened and the passengers began to disembark.
"Finally! I can breathe again!" Usagi squealed as she jumped out of the bus onto the open ground.
She did a few stretches to alleviate her previous cramped muscles, getting some chuckles and stares from other passengers and onlookers alike.
"I almost didn't think they were going to let us on with a bus that full," Ami commented as she came out next.
"Sheesh. Next time you want to be inconspicuous, Luna, just give us a dang car," Rei complained, following after Ami.
"Stop your whining, all of you. You're acting like a bunch of babies," Makoto said, crossly.
Haruka calmly stepped off the bus, wordlessly, while Luna's vein bulged and her eye twitched.
"Remind me next time to make you all ride in the trunk," Luna grumbled.
The six convened in the open square of concrete. They glanced around the town square of the Scottish village. It was very different from what they were used to seeing, whether it be Tokyo, London, or Barrington. There was a mixture of old and new architecture. Modern homes and buildings stood alongside old stone huts, some of still had straw roofing from times long past. They could see a castle in the distance bordering on the cliffs, as well as several other very old tall stone structures such as churches or other such places that looked as though they been turned into places of business.
While they briefly admired the scenery, a man walked past on the street. With a slight of hand no one noticed, he slipped a piece of paper into Luna's hand and then vanished back into the crowd. Luna crossed her hands and gave the paper a little glance. The side that was written on was facing outwards where she could see it. It was encoded, but the message was clear to her eyes:
"Eight suspicious figures have been spotted in town, all female. Jadeite's servant Aqua is among them. Stay on alert."
"They're already here," Luna reported. "Eight suspicious persons led by that woman who Awakened Entomon. They're all women."
The Warriors turned from their reverie and looked at her seriously. Then they all glanced around them in every direction. All they saw was ordinary people. The persons hunting for the target could be any one of them.
"It would help if we knew who was local and who wasn't," Haruka thought.
"Alright, Ami, get that mini-computer cracking," Usagi told the blue haired girl.
Ami nodded. She then glanced around, looking for a good place to take out her laptop without drawing unwanted attention. Makoto tapped her shoulder.
"Hmm?" Ami replied, turning to the brunette.
"Over there," Makoto pointed.
They all followed her eye over to a street that didn't seem to have a whole lot of people present.
"Come on," Luna ordered.
With that, they left the main street behind. As soon as they were away from potential prying eyes in the crowd, Ami took out her computer and reset the tracker to exclusively detect their target. A grid system displayed on the little screen again and a blip at one of the corners displayed where the target was.
"Now I just have to keep this device out of sight.
Ami looked down at herself. She was wearing a light blue dress that went down just past her knees with white slip-on shoes. She had a matching jacket composed of thin fabric, so she hid the laptop in one of the lapels. She hid that she was holding something in place against her breast by also gripping the strap of her bag. She glanced down, pulling the lapel away slightly to take a look at where the screen was pointing.
"Follow me," Ami said.
Thus, the little group made their way through town, following their smallest member towards their quarry. As they walked the streets of the village, their eyes were cautious and weary all the way. Every time a passing person would get too close, they would find themselves on the defensive, but they were never attacked.
Eventually, they can to a very old looking church and the little house neighboring on the right at the edge of town. It was on its northeast corner, as a matter of fact, and it was on the other side of a large graveyard putting it in a spot secluded away from the other buildings. The main building of the church was a single story old-fashioned structure, though it did have a second floor in the form of a slim bell tower in the back. The building had white bricked walls and had a red tile, slanted roof that came to a point at the middle. The front tower was a clock tower and the rear was a bell tower. They had red tile cone rooftops, which with a cross atop them. The girls could see that both crosses had a man hanging from them by his arms. It had two large windows that were rounded at the top on either side of the red double doors in front. They were made up of nine small glass panes making up the rectangular bottom portion and three more made up their rounded tops. Four of these windows adorned the sides of the building on either side.
The little home neighboring it was a modern ranch-style home with oak walls and a dark blue shingled roof. The blips pointed in the direction of the little house.
"He's in there," Ami said, pointing at the house.
Luna grinned and punched the air triumphantly.
"Yes! We thought that it would be the Reverend McCoy, and we were right!"
"So now what?" Haruka asked.
"Now, we come up with a plan so we can approach the Reverend and convince him to get out of town, and soon," Luna replied.
Rei looked past the house and the church out into the open grasslands beyond.
"This is so close to the edge of town, I think we can completely skip having Haruka drive him out," she said.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Luna said, rubbing her chin with her index and thumb.
Luna looked back the way they came, and then back at the girls.
"Alright, all of you stay here. I need to inform the other Keepers that there's been a slight change in plans. At the first sign of trouble, take McCoy and get him out into those fields," she ordered.
The girls nodded.
"Alright, I'm leaving this to you. I will return shortly," Luna said.
She turned and ran back into town. Meanwhile, the remaining five huddled together.
"So what do we do?" Usagi asked.
They stood around thinking about it for a moment. Rei, while deep in thought, looked straight ahead at the girl across from her, Usagi, and then it came to her. Rei raised a finger in the air with a 'eureka!' look on her face.
"I think I've got it…" she said.
Aqua walked the sidewalk of the village, letting the Black Crystal lead the way. She was aware that there were Keepers tailing her, but that didn't matter. They were only human. One good punch from her Atlantian fist would crush their diaphragms. She typically avoided such force, as it was unnecessary when dealing with humans. A little show of her ability that they often perceived as superhuman was normally enough to make them compliant, but these men were Keepers.
"Odd. The device seems to be leading me out of town," she thought as she got farther and farther towards the edge.
She grinned as a thought came to her.
"Well, if this reborn Youma's human counterpart is a hermit of some kind: all the better. It will save us a lot of trouble on the messier details," she thought.
"Luna has been spotted leading a small troop of young women in your general direction. Be careful," came a mental transmission from Flau.
"What a surprise. I will," Aqua returned it.
She let another smile cross her features.
"I'm going to need to thank Master Nephrite for making Flau and I this mental link for this mission. It's made things so much easier than they'd otherwise be."
"So the Keepers and their Warriors are ready for us. Well, now, how do we overcome this little obstacle?" Aqua wondered.
Reverend McCoy stepped out of his house. In one arm, he had a cardboard box full of various detergents. He was going to deliver them for his friend, Ryan MacColla, who was home sick for the time being. He whistled as he carried the thing towards his car. He opened the passenger side door and set it down on the floor inside, and then stepped back. He was about to close the door when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
He turned to his right, towards the St. Peter and Paul. There was someone sitting on the steps of the church, alone. Curious, McCoy pocketed his car keys, deciding to approach whoever it was. After all, there was likely an important reason they were there. As he got closer, he noticed more things about the person. Namely, that she was a young, blonde teenager, likely about fourteen-to-fifteen years of age. Her hair was long and done up in an outlandish style. On either side at the top of her head, there were two blonde buns, and from there, long pigtails hung all the way down her back onto the stone step she was sitting on. He was immediately reminded of Mickey Mouse, but he had a feeling that the hairstyle was Asian in origin.
She had on knee length jean skirt paired with a faded red T-shirt which she wore over another shirt which that long faded green sleeves. He next noticed her posture. She looked troubled. She sat there stiffly, holding her hands in her lap. She was in front of the church, she turned her head to look at him.
"Hello," he greeted, pleasantly.
He put one foot up on the bottom step and leaned forward, resting his forearm on it.
"Can I help you in some way?" he asked.
Usagi looked back at him and managed a weak smile.
"Boy, I sure hope you can," she answered.
McCoy blinked. He wasn't sure what she meant by that at all, but she sounded like she was lost.
"Well, then, what seems to be the problem?" McCoy asked.
A/N: Next Chapter: Enter Gargouille