38: "Gods among us"
When a normal person was permitted to walk the streets of Tokyo, they were monitored carefully by the legions of soldiers crowding every street and passage, but when Ea, god of wisdom walked, the masses parted, standing to attention, preventing anyone or anything from crossing his path. Lately Ea had taken to walking quite a lot, as there was a fair bit of trouble on his mind and a stroll through the mortal countryside usually put him in a better mood. Yet for all his wisdom, he still couldn't understand everything—and sometimes wondered if he understood anything.
Ninurta was dead. Even if Enlil and Ninhursaga hadn't come weeping to him over the loss of their child, even if Gula hadn't joined them in mourning over her husband, Ea would have felt it. He and Ninurta were close—not necessarily as friends, but as two important halves of a whole. Without Ninurta, there would be no growth, no agriculture; without Ea, no farming, building, or crafts. Ea had stood up to Ninurta in the past, but only out of a sense of duty and with great reluctance. He had known of Ninurta's death because they had been connected; a part of himself had been removed from the world as well. So he grieved, and he pondered, as he walked the earth, teeming masses of soldiers clearing the streets for him. He took very little notice of them, or of anything outside his mind.
Who had killed Ninurta? Once upon a time, it would have been impossible to know, even with his wisdom. Ninurta had made enemies of everyone; he had waged war on the gods, and then all of creation. But he was also a magnificent hero, one who willfully put himself to conquering beasts no other god dared confront. He alone stood up against Zur, the great winged demon; he alone rallied his companions to battle Azhi Dahaka, though only Marduk answered that call; he alone inspired the gods to reach out and take the world for their own. As much as many of the gods might have wished him dead, they would never have committed the act themselves; they needed Ninurta, for better or worse.
Had one of the enemy killed him? But who was left over? The greatest threats had all been eradicated. Even if there were some who remained, the Apkallu would have risen up to fight them, as was their station. The gods, and especially Ninurta, had many enemies, but none now living that could destroy them. A mortal servant, perhaps? They did love telling their stories of defiance. Yet no tale was so bold as to suggest one of their race could defeat one of Ea's. Only gods, demons, and beings of similar power could kill other gods. But then the most nightmarish possibility reared its head, and though Ea desperately wanted to disprove it, logic could not sway him otherwise.
The gods wouldn't have done it. The Druj couldn't have. Nor could the servants. An Apkallu would have no reason to slay their allies, but Ea remembered well—that not so long ago, Usmu came to them with the dire news that the Sages had been reborn, and were their sworn enemies. Subsequent encounters with them tentatively disproved this frightening scenario, but now that Ea was thinking about it, wasn't that the only conclusion? But then why would they do it? The gods fought evil, the Apkallu fought evil. The gods embraced goodness, wisdom, and creativity; so did the Sages. The gods were agents of order, and the Apkallu enforced that order. So why defy them?
Ea in his wisdom couldn't come up with an answer, so he walked.
"Why?" he said aloud. A soldier whom he had been gazing at just then stood to attention.
"Your eminence."
"Why would the great sages betray us?"
"I cannot answer, almighty one. You know more than the lot of gods and mortals."
"And yet it plagues me." He clutched his head, his heart, his shining robes, and pressed on.
Hours later, the answer came to him serendipitously. It was so obvious that even a servant's child would have known.
These weren't the Apkallu.
But then, who were they? They possessed unbelievable power on par with the gods', were inexorably linked with the celestial bodies, fought the same demons the gods did, were immediately receptive to Marduk's powers... The mysteries piling up were agonizing, so much so that Ea stopped, unable to assuage himself with meditation alone, and began howling softly, beating his head and the ground below. His strikes cracked the pavement, and when he beheld his work, he paused, kneeling down, keening softly. Slowly he wove his hands over the cracks and sealed them, good as new.
"I forget myself," he whispered, standing again. "I must take council with the others. We must find these imposters, at all cost. They must be questioned and they must be made to answer for their deeds." He prepared to faze out of the mortal plane back to his own realm, when he sensed that two entities had done just the reverse. He looked up, seeing Enlil and Ninhursaga, and greeted them as best as his crestfallen and confused state allowed.
"My friends. My kinsmen. Trouble darkens my thoughts as it never has before."
"Ours as well, great Ea, so let us share the grief, so that none may be overburdened."
"Aye. Quieter respite must we seek."
"Yonder mountain seems the place," Ninhursaga said, pointing to Mt. Fuji. They agreed and fazed over to its peak, cold and isolated and blissfully quiet. The gods sighed, and forged stone seats from the mountain.
"It is good," Enlil said. "Thus did our Grecian counterparts meet. Hast thou discerned aught from our son's death?"
"Alas, I have, but troubles beget greater troubles," Ea sighed. "I have concluded that only the Apkallu could have been responsible."
"What talk is this?!" Ninhursaga shrieked. "Ea, hast thou exchanged reason for madness? Ever have they been our allies and friends! They could no more kill our son than I!"
"The Apkallu would not," he said, emphasizing patiently. "But perchance our celestial sailors be not the Sages of old. Has that thought crossed thy mind, friends?" The couple held hands, staring at one another somberly. It was plain to see that it had not.
"Then pray, what are they?"
"That is why I seek thy council, for nothing about it makes sense. We know so very little about these sailors; we had entreated them with the office of Sage before fully understanding what they were. Perhaps it was an overeager act, or perhaps foolish hope born out of a necessity for familiarity. In any event, it is clear they are not who we believed they are. Their numbers alone prove this."
"Aye, Marduk pondered as such," Enlil said. "I would very much like to speak with these sailors. We cannot hope to know their minds otherwise."
"I was of the same thought," Ea nodded. "What say thee, Ninhursaga?" The great mother-goddess was silent for a moment. She lightly caressed her robes, staring at the snow. Through her will the ice formed an image of her lord son, and crumbled as a fierce wind blew it away.
"Gentle Gula was ever and only concerned with restoration, healing of harms, delaying of death. Yet she came before me as grieving wife, confiding in me bleak dreams of revenge. Can you imagine it, Ea? A goddess of healing who strives for blood! Yet I could not dissuade her, nor did I have a want for it. Whoever these sailors are, they ought be slain."
"Justice will come in its due time," Ea assured her. Ninhursaga's cold expression and flat tone of voice frightened him, and he didn't wish such evil thoughts darkening his colleagues' minds. "First, I think, we must understand them. Whether they live by good, evil, or their own codes, we must be made familiar."
"Whichever path we may take, first we must find them," Enlil said. "Know you whence these false sages retreated to, Ea?"
"No, I have been overburdened with troubles."
"And we have not?" he hissed sharply. Ea withdrew, shamed, but Enlil softened as well. "Forgive me, that was bitter-spirited. I had forgotten you were close with our son. Wouldst thou know how to summon the sailors?"
"In time, I would."
"Let thee act in haste; I do not wish to wallow in this dark misery long." Ninhursaga stood, idly drawing something in the snow with her powers. Ea looked over, and noticed it was a small-scale model of a city.
"Babylon in the height of its glory was never so grand," she announced. Ea nodded.
"The people here call their city 'Tokyo'. It, too, is the chief seat of government."
"I am unaware of such a place—but this is it, is it not?"
"Aye, a fairly accurate representation. You know, dear Ninhursaga, my servant Usmu informed me we emerged in distant Yamato, east of Cathay. We have been absent from this plane for about thirty-five hundred of their years."
"What concern is this of mine?" He shook his head meekly.
"I thought perhaps we ought know all there is of this new world."
"All the better to rule it?"
"Let the rulers rule, the conquerors conquer, the lovers love, the builders build."
"And those with wisdom share their thoughts," Enlil added. Ninhursaga completed her drawing, calling her companions to look upon it. She summoned nine small orbs of light, and scattered them around the drawing. One large black orb slowly crossed the city, attracting the nine other lights. Ea immediately understood her thoughts.
"A most imprudent gesture, dear lady. It is not in our nature to summon Druj and allow them rampage, even if the Apka—even if the sailors were inclined to face it."
"But inclined they are. They would gather, fight, and win, as they always have. Then we would surround and capture them, as you willed. A strong Druj need not be called."
"But would a weaker Druj encourage all nine to meet? T'would be for naught if we only caught a handful, and those we missed would be on their guard. Similarly, one too powerful would be detrimental to our plans."
"Then we summon many, and scatter them."
"A thought occurs, wife," Enlil said. "Our son might have been killed by these false sages, but who is to say he died alone? One so mighty as he would not be defeated without first slaying many."
"I hadn't even considered that," Ea admitted, "but what you say holds true. We have no means to know which, or how many, of the sailors met their end at Ninurta's hands. Perhaps he avenged himself by killing all nine. Maybe only a fraction still lives. Let us not commit ourselves to rash behavior."
"Then how do you propose we find them?" Ninhursaga demanded. Ea and Enlil looked at each other, grim in their silence.
"Time will give us an answer. It always has."
…...
Makoto Kino woke to the sound of her best friend singing, which normally would've been pleasant, except that Minako was screeching and wailing hideously. She had such an excellent singing voice; why butcher it so badly? She winced, both from Minako's singing and a string of sharp pains throughout her body. Something warm was enveloping her, though, a welcome salve. She knew that warmth at once, and smiled sweetly despite the physical and aural punishment she was suffering.
"You okay, pretty girl?"
"Oh, yeah," she strained, "just wonderful. Honey..."
"Ssh, don't strain yourself. Someone got in too deep over their heads again and needed to be rescued."
"Yeah, Mina's a handful," she cringed, knowing her husband really meant her. "So why is she singing?" Motoki laughed.
"It's a long story. The three of us are vicious criminals, and we've been thrown in a cozy little dungeon. Minako's using the old 'agitate the guards so they'll open the cell' trick, and I've been taking care of you."
"I didn't realize I was so high-maintenance," she smiled. A particularly cruel note pierced Makoto's ears, and likely cracked the foundations of the dungeon. "Gaah, what is she trying to do, kill us?"
"I believe that was the high note of I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night. Mina wanted to pick the most annoying song she knew."
"Well, it's working! I don't think I'll ever listen to Kiss again! How long has this been going on?"
"Not long. She's moved up from childish name-calling and flirtation."
"Oh, Lord! How much leg did she show, anyway?"
"It...wasn't her leg she showed," he muttered bashfully. Makoto blushed.
"And after all this, they're still not trying to silence her?!"
"Hello, it sounds like you are awake." A voice came to them from several cells over; Makoto wasn't familiar with it.
"Um, yeah. What's your name?"
"Nastya Kovenik. You are Dr. Mizuno's friend?"
"And you're her girlfriend." Makoto winced. Two of Ami's girlfriends, locked together in the same dungeon? Awkward.
"Ex-girlfriend." Her face turned grim. Very awkward.
"Oh. Sorry."
"Do not be upset. I had not much investment with her. She was mostly a means to become acquainted with Japan. The romance was...what is expression? Frosting on cake."
Minako suddenly stopped singing, issuing a soft croak. Makoto felt herself going red: her best friend was probably imagining Ami covered in said frosting.
"So you're fine with it?"
"No. But I would also say I was not deeply in love with her, either. Maybe it was my smoking that put her off for good. She did not offer an analytical explanation and I didn't ask for one."
That's a relief, Makoto thought, because the REAL explanation's probably in the cell next to yours!
"Oh, hey Makoto!" she heard Minako exclaim. "Glad you're with us again! How're ya feeling, girl?"
"Like I just fell over a waterfall. But Motoki's here."
"Yeah, I wish I had some sexy thing to snuggle with! Maybe I'll get lucky and have a cellmate before long. Anyway, I've got a genius idea for getting out of here-"
"Could you please not sing so awfully?!" she squealed. "It's like you're trying to shove a jackhammer through my ears! And it's even worse since I know you're a great singer!"
"Well, thank you, but I'm afraid these people are immune to beauty."
"Um, yeah. Motoki told me...about that." Minako laughed.
"Oh yeah? He shouldn't be so embarrassed. He's seen them before."
"Not in that context," he muttered.
"I really don't want to know, do I?" Nastya said. Makoto chuckled, but then winced from the pain. Motoki held her close until the agony settled.
"At least I'm still alive, and the company could be much worse. What happened, honey?" Motoki didn't have all the details, and since Nastya was privy to everything they said, he had to omit even more. Makoto was satisfied with the answers, though—just not the solutions to their present dilemma.
"Can't you try something else, Mina? You're all about promoting beauty, not destroying it."
"I told you I already tried that approach. What, you want I should go all the way?"
"I'm not dignifying that with a response," she muttered. Nastya suddenly spoke up.
"Quiet, all of you. Something's happening." A blinding light pierced the gloomy dungeon, causing everyone to cover their faces. This wasn't the natural light of the sun, but one of the shining creatures called gods. The beams glowing from his face were only secondary, though, next to the thunder in his step and the crackle of storms in his voice.
"Servants of Yamato, hear me! I am one of your new governors: Adad, ruler of the wind, rain, and thunder! I come to you today to offer your freedom. Each of you here has defied our rule in some fashion, and are paying for it. No doubt it has starved you for the sweetness of the world outside. I offer you a proposal: that which you seek in exchange for information. Who among you is familiar with the entities calling themselves the celestial Sailors? Otherwise known as Sailor Soldiers, or Senshi, or perhaps they address themselves as Sages. My kinsmen and I seek them out, and if any of you can help, either by telling us who they are or where we might find them, you shall be let out. No clue is too small, no scrap too insufficient for our cause. Think it over for a moment. If you are willing, I can be generous. That is all." He walked back out, as powerfully as he came, and their world was plunged into a darkness deeper and more suffocating than before.
"Jerk," Minako sighed. She sat down to sulk; meanwhile Makoto hugged her husband close, expressing her anxieties in a different manner.
"They're looking for us," she whispered. "Why are they looking for us? I told that guy I wasn't going to help him. Do you think they want to kill us?"
"I don't know, pretty girl. But I seriously doubt they'll get anywhere with this search. Remember, there aren't many people who know about that, and the ones that do would never betray you."
"I know," she smiled, "but it's going to bother me for a long time. Say, Motoki: how would you like it if we went back home? Maybe I could make some lasagna and invite everyone over."
"That's some motivation," he smiled warmly. "It's almost enough to make me break through these walls."
"What's that about an escape?" Minako called. Makoto smiled feebly, shifting her position in Motoki's arms.
"Just thinking out loud."
"Oh, I thought you had a plan for a second."
"Not yet, but I'm sure that between the four of us, we can work something out. So, ah...are you worried about what that guy said?"
"Not really. The Sailor Senshi aren't so easy to capture."
Makoto winced at the irony in Minako's voice. But then again...
"You know...that might work to our advantage."
A pause. "I'm listening."
…...
The receptionist at Juban Primary Hospital was idly switching between her duties and an ongoing game of solitaire when a strange and powerful light burst in from outside. Startled, she looked up, and felt her heart race as the automatic doors melted into blobs of goo. An enormous glowing entity, vaguely humanoid, strolled through the gaping hole he had created, flanked by countless glimmering men in thick suits of armor. She suppressed a scream, petrified to her spot, as the giant approached her, glaring down with the awesome supremacy of a god.
"Ah...c-can I h...help y-you, sir?" The creature studied her for a moment, then diverted his gaze elsewhere, following an invisible vision. The receptionist dared not talk or even move while he stood there: living in a city now occupied by forces beyond her reckoning gave her a better understanding of protocol. Finally, he snorted.
"Know you of my kinsmen?"
"Um...d-do you mean...uh, m-maybe, that one g-guy who looked a l-little bit like you...?"
"Thou hast seen him." She nodded. The figure sighed.
"I sensed aright; Ninurta truly met his end here. You have been most courteous, servant." He then gestured to his troops, and they fanned out across the lobby, filing up the stairs by the droves. The receptionist helplessly sat there as the creature moved past her, so terrified that when she was left alone, she fell out of her chair, nearly passing out from fright.
Saeko Mizuno had a lot on her schedule today. Aside from her normal duties at the hospital, coupled with the fresh troubles of living in a city under divine martial law, she wanted to spend a bit of extra time with Miss Tsukino—and time permitting, her daughter as well. Usagi had abruptly woken up from her coma—medical science couldn't yet figure out a reason why—but she had regressed into a catatonic state. She spent most of her time sitting up in bed, staring blankly at the wall, eating her food and attending to her toilet regularly, but otherwise acting like an unresponsive vegetable. Saeko knew that it had something to do with that creature that had stormed in recently, but what exactly that entailed remained a mystery.
In any case, she was going to be busy all day, either at work or whatever pleasure her free time afforded; she didn't need to be interrupted by gods or harassed by their soldiers. Yet as soon as she looked up from her to-do list, she immediately saw trouble, and hid from it. The shining soldiers marched past her without so much as a twitch, but the tall, glowing man wandering the hallways, calling out to those who would listen...
"Pay heed to these words, servants. Among your number are villains and traitors, detriments to our new order and thankless murderers. I am Nanna, the moon god, and I entreat thee sympathy for my plight, for not long ago on this spot was my companion Ninurta slain. T'was he who sought to rid thy city of corruption, crime, and false rule, and to place it in more capable hands. He sought to subject the wickedness that purveys this earth, not to rule, yet what did he receive for his troubles but utter destruction? I'd wager you know of his assassin. You address them as Sailors of the cosmos, heavenly wanderers who claim they fight for goodness. Nine in total there are; any one of them might have the power to destroy that which my people held dear. As his death was met on the grounds of this clinic, it was my assumption the identity of his killer would be known. If that is so, then step forward. Help us. Guide us. We are not your oppressors but your saviors. We have taken your city because those formerly in charge would allow it evil. I make no demands, nor do I issue threats: only a request. Come. Step forward. I demand justice selfsame as any of thee might, if thine own kin were slain. Show me that we share the same heart."
His spiel went on, but Saeko didn't pay attention to much: she only heard "we are looking to avenge our fallen friend. A Senshi killed him. Saeko, your daughter is a Senshi, and so is Risa's daughter. Their death is assured if we find them!" But hidden as she was, she couldn't do anything. A single step away from her position would draw Nanna's attention, and then he would interrogate her, and perhaps employ some torture. Saeko would die before she betrayed her daughter, of course, but that also frightened her. She could do nothing but stand there in abject fear, mentally calling out to Ami, silently pleading for her to run, wherever she was.
Nanna stopped talking and started stalking. He moved swiftly and surely, like one who nearly knows what he is looking for and where it is, but not quite, and enjoys the sport of finding out. His eyes darted everywhere and Saeko could swear he saw through walls. She stayed put, wedging herself in her crevasse as deeply as she could, trying to control her breathing, wishing her heart wouldn't thud so loudly...
Her eyes squeezed shut of their own accord as the creature's brilliance passed her position. Just a few more steps and he'd be out of her way...
Her heart almost burst as he turned around and glared at her, eye to eye. The creature's stare was interminable, and she found herself unable to resist or turn away. Surely at any moment now, he would force the knowledge out of her, and she would be the death of her beloved.
"I beg thy pardon." And with that, he turned around and continued his hunt. Saeko collapsed and let out a huge sigh, feeling herself aged at least thirty years. But there was no time to regain her composure: she needed to find her daughter's friends and warn them. Luckily, Nanna and his soldiers hadn't yet grasped the concept of an elevator.
Saeko's other advantage was that she actually knew where they all were—and thankfully, they had not been discovered yet. Hotaru, Naru, and Umino were taking turns caring for Usagi, whose eyes seemed as dead and glassy as a doll's. Her mouth was slightly ajar, just enough to allow passage for morsels of food, and her chest moved imperceptibly with each breath. Other than that, nothing.
"No progress?" she called as she came into the room. Hotaru stood up, folding her hands in front of her.
"No, ma'am. It's even worse than when she was in a coma."
"At least she's awake. All right, everyone, I need you to listen to me very carefully. There's an enormous glowing humanoid on hospital grounds now, and he has about fifty or so armed escorts with him. I don't want any of you caught by him, so you'll have to leave now, and you'll have to be inconspicuous. It may sound peculiar, but please just trust me."
Saeko didn't know about Hotaru's alter ego, and Hotaru wasn't aware that the doctor knew about her daughter and Usagi, so there was some apprehension at first. Umino and Naru at least had a good idea of what she was talking about.
"Another one? What do they want?"
Saeko took a deep breath, bracing herself for the repercussions. "They want the Sailor Senshi."
Hotaru couldn't help glancing at Naru, who turned to Umino, who looked to Usagi, who didn't so much as twitch. Meanwhile, Umino made the connection: if Dr. Mizuno was giving them a warning about enemies looking out for Senshi...
"Uh, you mean you know...?" She nodded.
"Of course she knows, Umino!" Naru said. "Ami's her daughter!"
"Ami?! What does she have to do with..."
"Jeez," she groaned, covering her face in shame. "For such an encyclopedic know-it-all, you can be pretty clueless sometimes."
"How was I supposed to figure out something like that? I only knew about Usagi because you told me!"
"This isn't the time to argue," Saeko said. "Miss Tomoe, you need to get Miss Tsukino away from here as fast as possible. Miss Osaka, you're her closest friend. I know I can trust you with her life. Mr. Umino, you will protect them for me, won't you?"
"You bet I will."
"If you can find my daughter, tell her... No, never mind. Just keep her safe for me, please." Hotaru, Naru, and Umino agreed, and together they laid Usagi on a stretcher, securing her tightly. Saeko led them to an emergency exit, keeping an eye out for enemies.
"Won't it trip an alarm if we open the door?" Naru said. Umino's eyes flashed as he grinned.
"Heheheh, just let Tuxedo Umino take care of that!" He reached into his tuxedo, pulling out what appeared to be a remote hacking device. He pulled out a small screen from the device and finagled with it for a moment or two, until it let out a low-pitched whine. Then, soundlessly, he opened the door. "Ta-daa!"
"That's a rather dangerous toy you have with you, Mr. Umino."
"Oh, don't worry," he laughed, "it only works for a few moments! Merely an old science project I hang onto for emergencies!"
"You're lucky those shining creatures haven't figured out how to disable wireless fidelity yet," Naru said. They all carted Usagi outside, and shut the door before the alarm system came back on, bidding their benefactor a brief farewell. Saeko let out a sigh of relief; then, as she found herself alone, she slipped back to where her harrowing adventure began, performing her routine duties with, hopefully, none the wiser. She only paused once as she noticed a long black shadow growing from her feet. Only a powerful light could create such a stark image.
"Madame, if you would be so kind." Petrified, yet trying to keep her composure, she turned around, wincing from the light. Nanna towered over her ominously. "So we are met again. Once is coincidence, twice is fortuitous, I believe. Would you mind answering some questions?"
To be continued...
Author's comments
So it seems everyone likes the idea of Usagi being a police officer! Without Neo Queen Serenity to fall back onto, or even a normal life with Mamoru, it really does make sense for her to want to continue the Senshi life, even if it's civil service. It also seems people like how I bring back all the secondary characters. In my other fan fictions, one of my biggest flaws (I believe) was putting too much emphasis on my own characters, rather than the ones already in the story (basically Mary Jane-ing). While I have certainly brought a handful of original cast members to this story, I've tried hard to keep the focus away from them, and onto the people Miss Takeuchi has already provided. Besides, the cast is already big enough; why add more unless it honestly adds more to the story? Also, it's fan service!
I also felt that the gods (or "the antagonists", if you want to call them that) haven't been getting much attention lately. Like most gods in classical stories, they're usually off on the sidelines, and only show up to put a twist on the plot or solve an impossible scenario (in other words, deus ex machina). Mesopotamian gods were especially notorious for not interfering in the lives of mortals and heroes (though there are exceptions, like The Epic of Gilgamesh). I thought it was high time we get to see more of them, particularly their characters, motivations, feelings, and reactions. I only showed about five here, but hopefully we can see that these aren't just stock villains—that even though they're gods, they can behave in very human fashions as well.
Also, I just want to say how wonderfully fun it is to write Minako's character! She's so perky, goofy, unpredictable, and cheerful, and yet she can turn into this uber-serious leader at the drop of a hat. Makoto might be my favorite Senshi (with Setsuna coming in at #2), but Minako is the most rewarding to write. I can basically make her do or say anything, and it would be funny, awesome, and somehow appropriate. As for her thinking Kiss's most famous song is annoying? You try listening to it every single day for a year, and tell me it's not. There are more annoying songs out there, but this was the one I thought everyone would be familiar with. I originally went for Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, but I hate Queen in general. I don't hate Kiss, just that one song.