OF HUNTERS AND THE HUNTED
(A Sailormoon Alternate-Universe Fan-fiction - sequel to "I Know A Secret")
OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-
DISCLAIMER: "Sailmoon" does not belong to me! It never has, and never will. The copyrights to
Sailormooon belong to it's creator, Naoko Takeuchi, and a list or manga, animation, and toy firms
that I can't even remember!
WARNING! be character-death in this story (by the end)! Since I tried my best to shred the first two seasons of
Sailormoon in "I know a secret", I will be re-writing Seasons 3 and 4 in this story! If you have not read "I know a Secret",
yet, please read before reading this :)
NOTE: IF NEEDED, I will past a Japanese-glosssary later. As for the main-terms:
"Ookami" is Japanese for "Wolf" (actual translation is "Laughing god").
in our story, it will mean WEREWOLF.
"Kyongshi" (or "Dancing Corpse", from the Chinese) can either be thought
of as a VAMPIRE or ZOMBIE! In this story, "Kyongshi" equals "Vampire".
"Mahutsukai" means "Magician", or - in this case - a witch of wizard.
"Watashi-wa" means "I am called."
"Anatahadare?" is "Who are you?"
OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-OHAH-
Chapter 9:
From the base of the mountain the Senshi hunted on, Usagi called to her companions:
"Naru! Umino! Demondo! Be on guard! We are not only on Witch-hunt! Iyaa. Warned by Rei-chan ano Ami. Uranus ano Neptune are on their
way to meet us!"
"We shall remain on alert, Miss Tsukino!" Demondo grinned as he scanned the mountainside. "The rogues shall not escape."
With the assurance of the other party-members, Usagi transformed into her wolven-form.
After a few hours of stalking in a ranger-formation, the party found themselves at the edge of the mountain's lowest forests, with Usagi sniffing-out a trail.
"Be careful!" Usagi announced as she transformed into her human-form and quickly dressed. "Tracks I follow are female! Fresh dano! Hunter is nearby, and going
into mountain! Demondo-Sama? Keep my weapons close! Hai. Tracks are ningen, not harpie or mermaid. Want to be sure weapons are nearby when needed."
"As you wish, Usagi-chan!" Demondo bowed.
"Naru? Umino? Keep rifles ready!"
"Hai, Usagi!" Naru replied.
After a few minutes of tracking, a new voice greeted the party:
"So? Ookami tracks me? Who put bounty on my head?" A woman spoke. "Am I, now, that dangerous?"
"To some beings, hai!" Usagi said after transforming, yet, again, and redressing. "To us? Iyaa! Watashi-wa Tsukino Usagi! Who are you?"
"Watashi-wa Eudial! Why does ookami track me?" Eudial asked as she raised her weapon.
"We track you to keep you safe! Hai!" Usagi answered. "We hunt same thing! Hai. Harpie ano Mermaid ano Kyongshi-kuro!"
"Kyongshi-kuro?" Eudial asked. "Nani-yo? Are not all Kyongshi alike?"
"Iiede!" Usagi said. "Kyongshi-kuro live by night-mares and blood! Often feed until victim dies! Kyongshi-Shiro feed on good-dreams, just
parts of dreams. Give back dreams they fed on, dreamers live."
"As slaves for Kyongshi!" Eudial added.
"Iiede!" Usagi jumped up. "Serenity does not enslave! I am not puppet!"
"You are Ookami? You are Kyongshi? Serenity-no-Tsuki?" Eudial shrieked. "DIE, Youkai!"
The Witch then shouldered her weapon:
"DEATH-BUSTER! This is for Kiorinite and Souichi!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Two balls of energy hit Usagi in the breasts, dislodging her heart-crystal! Then, as the life faded from her eye, Tsukino Usagi coughed up
the heart-crystal.
"USAGI!"
"USAGI!"
"TSUKINO-SAMA!"
"Ara.." Eudial reached for the arching crystal. "GOT IT!"
Then, The Witch, Eudial, started examining the heart-cystal.
But? As Eudial looked into Usagi's heart-crystal, Princess Serenity's now-angry face glared back at her:
"Mehautsukai? Eudial? You will kindly put me back in the young Ookami before she is dead too long to revive?
As I heard her tell you, I am not ready to take her place, yet? Iyaa! will NEVER be ready! Need aneue. Always need aneue. World is kowaii!"
"And, kukuku, who will come after me if Ookami is no more?" Eudial chortled. "Will you come after me, Kyongshi?
I do not think so! Once I crush heart-crystal? You will be as dead as ookami-puppet!"
"You.. are right.. mehautsukai," the Princess sighed. "I will not be Usagi-aneue's avenger."
Eudial then heard the cocking of an old Enfield:
"I'm your huckleberry!" Naru whispered musically as her icy stare met the eldest of the Witches 5.
"SHE will be aneue's revange!" Serenity smirked.
"Who.. are.. you..?" Eudial stuttered as she looked up along the barrel of the ancient Enfield.
"Watashi-wa Oosaka Naru." Naru answered calmly. "I am that Ookami's Watcher. Have been ever since we met in
Kindergarten! A warning, Eudial-Sama: If the Ookami dies, then, my duties as a Watcher end. If she is killed, demo? My duties as a FRIEND
begin!" She then looked down the sights of the Enfield:
"Which do you wish me to be? Watcher? Or, friend?"
Eudial's face grew visably pale and flinched.
"Why, Eudial-Sama!" Naru chortled low. "You look like someone just stepped on your grave!"
"Usagi-ane is right, Oosaka 'Doc'!" Serenity grinned. "You DO watch alot of American-movies!"
The Witch threatened to drop the heart-crystal to the ground.
"Wrong way!" Naru snapped out. "Toss it back to Usagi. Pitch it like softball. Enfield is fully-loaded!"
Eudial pitched the heart-crystal..
And, Naru and Serenity called out..
"USAGI! INHALE DEEPLY!"
An audible-gulp could be heard as the heart-crystal disappeared in Usagi's mouth.
The young ookami deeply inhaled the heart-crystal, then she started to choke and cough as the crystal found it's place in her heart! Then,
Usagi sat, bolt-upright and wild-eyed, staring straight at Eudial:
"Mahautsukai! You tried to KILL ME!"
Then she lunged at the Witch!
"Stupid thing! Stupid thing!" Usagi kept screaming out, as tears formed in her eyes and her hands fell on Eudial's shoulders! "Do you know
what WOULD have HAPPENED if you did that? NO! Baka baka baka!"
"Tsukino-chan?" Dimando softly spoke. "Heel, child."
"Usagi? Inuoye?" Naru warned her best friend, still holding the Enfield. "Back-up. You are scaring her."
"Good!" Usagi growled low as she slowly backed-up. "Mahoutsukai is not full-blown baka! Watashi-wa Tsukino Usagi! Anatahadare?"
"I am Eudial, eldest of the Witches 5." The bespecticalled-witch answered Usagi. "You are.. Ookami?"
"Hai." Usagi nodded slowly, her eyes never moving from the Witch. "You are on Kyongshi-hunt? Dano Senshi-hunt? Naze kyongshi? Naze Senshi?
Nevermind! Already know answer. You know Ceallaech - 'Hotaru', now - have met Uranus ano Neptune. May they be sent to Hell, along with
puppetteer Kyongshi-kuro who pulls strings!"
"You.. are.. enemies.. of kyongshi.. kuro?" Eudial squeeked.
"Have said that. Have EXPLAINED that. TWICE!" Usagi fought back the urge to hyperventillate. "Kyongshi-shiro cannot LIVE in peace with Kyongshi-
kuro. ACTAULLY? Cannot LIVE will Kyongshi-kuro! Danm them to deepest-circle of HELL!"
"Harpies and Mermaids, dano?" Eudial enquired.
"Tools of Kyongshi-kuro!" Usagi snapped. "Actually, by now? Probably Kyongshi-kuro!"
"What.. do I do?" Eudial asked haltingly.
"Put yourself in our custudy!" Usagi replied. "No argument! No challanging authority! Keep you and sisters safe while we deal with Kyongshi-kuro!
Hai. After that? Help raise Hotaru! Family will stay together, as family should! Hai!"
Suddenly, Usagi stood as still as a statue, then - swiftly and gracefully - morphed into her wolven-form! Then, she sniffed the air, and silently
circled the hunting-party and Eudial. Then, she gave out a low growl, followed by a short whine.
"Nani-yo?" Eudial asked.
"Quiet, Mahautsukai!" Naru hissed. "Usagi senses danger! Stay low, minna!"
"Harpie! Mermaid!" Usagi barked out in her half-transitioned form. "Come out of shadows! Show yourselves, so you can die with your honor! Demando?
Give me my yo-yoes! Naru-Sensei? I need trident and Net! Hai."
With vampiric-hisses, The Senshi of Uranus and Neptune ran out of the deeper forests as Usagi wrapped the net around her naked hips.
"So!" Usagi noted. "I am right! So is Serenity! Harpie and Mermaid ARE Kyongshi-Kuro!"
"So! The weakling decides she will play with us!" Neptune cooed.
"The House of Serenity DIES with the setting sun!" Uranus growled. "The House of Tsukino will soon follow!"
"Hai. We will play." Usagi said in a conversational-tone. Then, she glanced at the Senshi of Uranus, blue eyes burning yellow and white. "For that
remark, dano? You will die! Painfully. NO ONE threatens pack! Now..."
Usagi charged straight towerds Uranus, yo-yo in hand.
"Apollonia-of-Uranus?! DEFEND YOURSELF!"
The Harpie - now known by her ancient-name of Apollonia - drew for the Space-Sword of the Senshiate. "Uranus - World - GYAAAAH!"
Usagi's battle yo-yo returned to it's mistress' fingertips, edges dripping with Uranian-blood.
"Iiede, Harpie!" Usagi said from in front and to the right of Uranus. "No cheating with Space-Sword! I train in way-of-games? We PLAY in way-of-games!
You cheat? You pay for cheating! Lose use of thumb on sword-hand! Now! Go to Yo-yo like good girl?"
Uranus then screamed like an eagle:
"I will KILL you, Earth-child! Then, I will suck the LIFE out of the HIME! And, THEN, I shall play with your remains!"
"Did not know Harpies were into necrophilia!" Usagi smiled coyly through slit-eyes. "Good to know! Hai."
"CURSE YOU to HELL, Earth-Child!" Appolonia-of-Uranus screamed. "I shall DANCE in FRONT of your CLAN in your bleeding PELT!"
Apollonia-of-Uranus then put all of her rage into her yo-yo, trying to strike an Ookami that was no longer there!
"Behind you, Harpie!" Usagi said as her yo-yo bitinto Uranian flesh between the right-shoulder and neck.
"EYAAAA!" Uranus screamed. "I am BLEEDING! I am WOUNDED! Naiad, AID ME!"
Naiad of Neptune sprinted to her partner's side, pulling out a waited-net and spinning it over her head like a lasso!
"Trying to ensnare me, mermaid?", Usagi said as she unwraped her net from herself. "Try something else!"
The young Ookami then ducked just under and to the side of the Neptonian net, as she tossed and coiled her net around the legs
of the Neptonian!
However, as Usagi was avoiding a Neptonian net and sudden trident-thrust, she heard the spin of an Uranian yo-yo!
"Naru!" Usagi angrily barked-uot. "I need HELP! Mermaid and Harpie are DOUBLE-TEAMING! Need help breaking-up team!"
"Already here, Usagi-Ookami!" Naru shouted as she tossed a yo-yo across Uranian-shoulders, drawing yet more blood. "Am berginning
to think tales of Uranian- and Neptonian-prowess in games is just that, TALES! I am doubting they were - ever! - used to single-
combat!"
"Itai!" Uranus spun around! "WATCHER! You dare QUESTION Uranian-prowess?! I shall feast on your BONES!"
The Senshi of Uranus then charged at Naru, as Dimando and Umino ran closer to the battlers.
Naru, in responce, slashed and pummeled the Harpie's face with well-tossed yo-yos!
"A thousand years is a long time to forget?" Naru wore a cat-like smile. "Watcher never forget! Remember lessons taught in arena!
Teach lessons to Senshi, including Usagi! Hai."
With the scream of an eagle, the Harpie arose and streaked towards Naru!
Suddenly, the Uranian wore the footprint of Oosaka Naru in her breastbone as she stumbled backwards onto the ground, gasping for a
much-needed breath!
"STAY DOWN!", Oosaka Naru commanded. "I heard Usagi-Sama! She does not want you dead! Yet."
Meanwhile, a young ookami was trying to flail away at a mermaid, who was trying to skitter away from her, with a Neptonian weighted-
net!
"You and your puppetteer wanted me, mermid?!" Usagi howled with all her heart. "You have me, DAMMIT! Just be CAREFUL what you WISH
FOR!"
After an hour of fighting, Usagi slowly arose, lightly bloodied, leaving Neptune with a bloodied face, cut breasts, and shattered
knees.
"Kill me... now... Champion!" Neptune breathed out, heavily.
"Goshinpainaku." Usagi growled low. "You will die. Not here demo. Not now. When you die? You die as traitors. As criminals."
Suddenly, with more a strangled squawk than a frierce cry, the Senshi of Uranus charges toward Usagi.
"Usagi!" Naru cried out. "Behind you!"
"DIE, TRAITORS!" The Uranian cried out, her eyes wide and wild.
Usagi quickly armed herself with the yo-yo she had strung around her waist, dropped low, and spun and swung, aiming upward for Uranus'
neck. The yo-yo wrapped itself julinne around the Harpie's neck, the edges of the yoyo sliding along the back of the Uranian's scalp-line!
"DAMN YOU to HELL! Ookami!" The Hapie screeched before she collapsed.
"Hell?" Usagi asked as she retrieved her yo-yo. "Will probably go there! Not before you and eel demo!"
"Arigatonissai! For warning me, Naru-ane!" Usagi hugged her Watcher.
"I coul not let them ake you from me.. imouto." Naru smiled.
Then, Usagi left the immediate battlefield. And, finding a spot, she settled down to calm herself in a lotus-position. She cried. Then
she raised her head and uttered a location-call. The cry echoed up the mountain:
"AROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...!"
Then, she turned to her companions:
"Naru! Umino-San! Kurotsuki-Sama! Dimondo-koi. Take Mehautsukai to cabin! Hai. I will wait for girls, then take Harpie ano Mermaid to
execution-place! Hai. Where we shall find Setsuna! Return after you deliver Eudail to family!"