Chapter Forty-three: Exposure
Goodness. Usagi had coughed more blood than Mamoru. Looked like expired ketchup had exploded on her arm.
If Michiru were around, she'd chastise Haruka's making light of the situation. Sometimes, the situation was so dire that joking was the only way to cope.
The group hadn't been able to relax in the allegedly relaxing Sand Mountain since arriving. They'd been fighting robots most of the time, and then the Dead Moon Circus had manipulated Sandy's and Mrs. Puff's dreams. Entwining innocent people in the Guardians' kudzu plant of a life was unforgiveable.
Blood dripped from Usagi's bare arm. The Moon Princess drew her head back like she wanted to separate her head from her body. Mamoru wore a murderous expression, likely meant for himself for possibly contaminating her.
Hopefully, he wouldn't destroy PallaPalla for maybe afflicting him and Usagi with the disease. Not until they tore information from her.
Usagi faltered. Would she be able to fight?
Mamoru looked like someone had killed two of his dogs.
"It's not your fault, Mamo-chan," Usagi said at once. "It must be the Dead Moon Circus."
"Yeah," Makoto said. "Not to be the bearer of bad news, but it might happen to any of us."
Now Mamoru looked like someone had killed three of his dogs.
Makoto bowed her head. "Sorry. Not the best thing to say right now." Thanks to her, Mamoru must be thinking that he could infect anyone.
Straightening, Usagi brightened her voice. "Anyway, let's keep going. Looks like we've cleared all the robots from this area." Usagi's uncharacteristic urgency showed her desperation to submerge herself in doing anything but seeing the blood-spattered sand, a reminder of her and Mamoru's frailty.
"We should be fine. We're together again, after all." Haruka shifted PallaPalla in her arms. "Once this girl wakes up, let's question the hell out of her, maybe beat her a little, too, for good measure."
"Y'all are too violent," Sandy said. "If she doesn't respond, then do whatcha gotta do, but don't beat her senseless for no reason."
"You're too soft."
"Is that what you think I am?"
"I said it, didn't I?"
Makoto opened her mouth and then closed it. Opened her mouth once more and then said, "She's been through a lot, Haruka-san. You shouldn't grate on her."
Haruka shrugged. "You have a point." The Guardian of the Skies didn't pull punches, no matter what someone had endured, especially when that someone was a Guardian. The Guardians were sure to face more powerful enemies in the future, so Haruka pushed them to toughen up.
Makoto tried to stand tall, but she trembled. Normally, she'd voice her opinions more quickly.
Was she wavering because of almost killing PallaPalla?
Haruka had been down the pit that Makoto was falling into, beginning to think of herself as a killer, too, but she thought of things more objectively than the younger Guardians. When Sailor Saturn had arisen, Haruka tried to think of herself as the world's savior instead of a potential murderer of a preteen girl. Ending one life to save many was a logical decision. But, thanks to the younger Guardians, Haruka had learned that there were ways to save everyone without sacrificing one.
Mixing emotions and duty led to disaster, as Makoto was finding out.
Haruka had the decency to talk in private about delicate things. Better nip the problem in the bud before it blossomed into a weed that kept Makoto from fighting at her best, putting others in jeopardy.
Sandy seemed like had her wits about her, even when she'd asked Makoto to stop strangling PallaPalla to death. Haruka would've asked Makoto to stop, too. Sandy had asked Makoto to stop because Sandy didn't want PallaPalla to be killed. Haruka would've asked Makoto to stop because they needed information. She couldn't care less whether PallaPalla was killed.
With the almost timid Makoto, the my-four-dogs-were-shot Mamoru, the blood-coughing Usagi trying to hide her agony, and the psychologically wrecked Sandy, Haruka was the only sane, level-headed part of their group.
Michiru would get a kick out of this.
"I agree with Usagi," Haruka said. "We have to keep going."
They couldn't move on until Haruka tempered Makoto. Usagi and Mamoru were weakened from their curse that could manifest into worse afflictions. Some of them needed to be well enough to fight.
Haruka motioned for Makoto to come with her. She walked into a corner of the area, carrying an unconscious PallaPalla, not caring if PallaPalla was listening. Besides, the others were in no condition to keep watch over or defeat PallaPalla if she awakened. Makoto followed, probably not caring. Sandy, Usagi, and Mamoru watched. Didn't care whether they cared, either. The talk would benefit the team.
Leaning against the mountain's wall, Haruka crossed her arms. She was almost at a loss for word; didn't want to scare Makoto by being blunt, but she had to be blunt to get her point across. Michiru could handle her bluntness, but others couldn't. Worse, Haruka was Makoto's role model, so anything she said might render Makoto unable to attack. As it was, Makoto was barely functioning.
She could go low, pointing out that, once upon a time, Makoto had acted high and mighty, denouncing her and Michiru wanting to kill Hotaru.
Makoto stared at Haruka with puppy-dog eyes. Needed only the quivering lip to complete the about-to-cry expression. "I guess I'm not as good as I thought I was."
"No. No, you aren't."
Thankfully, Makoto didn't recoil, because Haruka wasn't finished. "We all stumble."
The corner of Makoto's mouth lifted in a small smirk. "Even you?"
"Even me. Hard to believe. After all, I'm perfect." Haruka tightened her grip on the dangling PallaPalla. "What she did was inexcusable. What you did…to be honest, it was inexcusable, too."
Makoto sunk. "Thought so." Rubbed the sides of her arms. Being uncomfortable around Haruka was understandable. So was being cold, standing atop a snow-covered mountain in only a sailor suit. No matter how superpowered one was, the cold could grip anyone.
She peered up. "Haruka-san, why didn't you save them?"
Haruka pressed her lips into a white line. Makoto was talking about the innocent people above ground, who'd been manipulated by the Dead Moon Circus several times while the Outer Guardians waited for an opportune time to attack.
Haruka scoffed. "After all this time, you're still so naïve. Sometimes, there have to be casualties for the greater good. You can't save everyone, Makoto. The faster you drill that into your innocent little brain, the better."
"You mean, the more I'll become heartless, like you."
Haruka froze. She'd never had any reason to think of herself as heartless. She was only trying to do things objectively, saving the most people possible.
Here and now wasn't the place or the time to face herself.
Even if she had time, Haruka was too afraid to confront herself, to see what she'd discover.
Haruka had pulled Makoto aside to give her a pep talk, things to think about, but Makoto had started driving the train.
The younger Guardians were wiser than they seemed. Wiser than they themselves thought.
Did Makoto know how much she'd gotten under Haruka's skin? Haruka was the more expressive of the Outer Guardians. Hopefully, her face betrayed nothing.
Haruka would leave Makoto with some nugget of wisdom. "Listen, Makoto, I will tell you this. You've taught me something. Us Outer Guardians might be damn near perfect in your eyes, but we're as broken as the rest of you. You've shown me that it's okay to be broken, that everything isn't black and white. When Michiru and I wanted to kill Hotaru…" She found herself casting her eyes downward but quickly looked back into Makoto's eyes. "That was ruthless. We thought it was right, an almost simple decision, as sickening as that sounds. One life for many. The choice was clear to Michiru and I.
"Then you and the rest of the Guardians came barging in, declaring that there had to be a better way, we just had to find it. We didn't want to do something anyone else's way. Or accept that we could be wrong." She risked puffing up Makoto's head, but she didn't care. "You know what else you taught me? That it's wise to seek the advice of others. You and the other Guardians may be younger than me, but I see you all as equals."
Makoto gaped. "Me, too?"
"You're younger than me, aren't you? C'mon, you know I don't give out compliments like candy."
She beamed. The happiest she'd been since Haruka had arrived.
Might as well keep making Makoto's terrible day. Boosting her confidence would benefit the team. Plus, making her happy was right, something that every human needed. "You taught me something else, Makoto, something that I think is one of the most important things I've learned: It's okay to be warm and compassionate toward others. To seek the best for them. You're so warm, Makoto, I hope I'm not corrupting you. I know you look up to me, but you're fine the way you are. I'd rather you become your own person than another Haruka. There are enough Harukas in the world—only me, and one is plenty."
Makoto stood on her own two feet instead of slouching. "I know, Haruka-san. I've been struggling with my masculine side, and what I did today showed that my masculinity can take over and make me too aggressive."
"Women can become too aggressive."
"Not the way I was."
"Trust me, they do. There are stories in the news of women strangling other women or overpowering men. You're not unique in that."
"Well, the point I'm trying to get to is, how do you handle your masculinity?"
Haruka rapped her fingers on her arm. "I don't 'handle' it. I embrace it. It's part of me."
Makoto's eyes lit up. "I've never thought of it that way before." She clenched and unclenched her hands. "I've always tried to cover up my masculinity with feminine hobbies, but my masculine side makes me pretty badass."
She grinned. "Your masculine side is part of what makes you strong."
"Strong…" Her eyes grew distant. "I've always wanted to be strong. And then I met you and thought that you were one of the strongest people on Earth. I want that strength, too."
"You have it."
Makoto stared at her, blank.
"Don't believe me? After all those compliments I paid you?"
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
"First of all, stop being shy. You and I both know that you're bold and assertive."
"Right. I'm speechless, is all. Did you take a pill this morning to make you nice…nicer?"
Haruka laughed. "Now you're saying I'm not nice? You wound me."
Makoto's face reddened. "Th-that's not what I mean."
"Don't worry about it. I needed that laugh. Besides, it's fun to laugh at yourself every once in a while. Humans are goofy." She cleared her throat. "Makoto, you make it your mission to protect other people. Most people aren't willing to go out their way to help others. They're always busy, so they're blind to others' needs. But you're attentive to others. You see them for who they are, what they need, and then help them. Being as unselfish as you takes strength that a lot of people don't have."
The blush drained from Makoto. "Thank you, Haruka-san."
"No prob. But another part of strength is learning to move on. So you have to move on from what you did to this girl. Learn from your mistake, and don't drag others down because you're feeling bad. Michiru and I had to pick up the pieces after you and the younger Guardians shattered our worldview."
"I didn't know you guys were broken."
"We didn't show it. We didn't want to slow anyone down or let our enemies gain an advantage. Point is, we've learned from you all, too, and if others are learning from you, then you have a certain strength in you. Physical strength doesn't matter much, but the strength in here does." She placed a hand over her heart. "Not to get more philosophical on you—I usually don't think this much—but I think that my heart strength makes me stronger physically. And you have a big heart, Makoto. That translates into your physical power."
"I've never thought of it that way before."
"Start thinking of it that way. That's how things are."
For the first time since Haruka had arrived in Bikini Bottom, the mountain lifted from Makoto's shoulders. "Thanks again, Haruka-san. I'll do my best to protect everyone, especially Usagi and Mamoru-san."
"Great. They don't want to admit it, but they need all the protection they can get."
As soon as Haruka and Makoto returned to their friends, a scream came from behind them. The boy who'd been building the sandman rushed to them. Eyes wild, he blubbered until, after several attempts at trying to quiet him with words, Haruka squeezed his cheeks, cutting off his nonsensical speech.
"You need to speak more slowly. What's going on?"
"My heroes, you saved us earlier. You must save us again. There are a multitude of robots who've taken over the biggest slope."
Haruka narrowed her eyes. "They're concentrating their efforts there, huh?"
"There aren't any up on this slope or Guppy Mound anymore?" Mamoru said.
"Right. They're all on the Sand Mountain slope for some reason."
"Here's a thought," Haruka said. "They caught wind of us tearing them to pieces and decided to come together, hold some sort of meeting and plan how to defeat us." The robots were smarter than they looked. Their chaos was planned, like they were trying to take over Bikini Bottom area by area.
Sandy wiped her hands on her suit. "We have our next destination. We'd better get goin' and wrassle them varmints before they destroy the mountain more." She placed her hands on the boy's shoulders. "Thanks for the information. You'd better get outta here."
Nodding, the boy rushed into the ski lift's lodge.
A shadow darkened Makoto's expression. "We should see if the other members of the Dead Moon Circus are with the robots." Her gaze seemed uncertain. After everything Haruka had told Makoto, the younger Guardian was still unsure whether to trust herself. Unbelievable.
PallaPalla startled. "T-Tiger's Eye, PallaPalla doesn't feel him anymore." She whipped her head in all directions, pupils contracting. "Tiger's Eye. Tiger's Eye!" She nearly jumped out of Haruka's arms, but Haruka tightened her grasp. PallaPalla thrashed, nearly kicking in Haruka's teeth (if only PallaPalla had; Haruka would have an excuse to smash PallaPalla's face, claiming self-defense but doing so because she despised what PallaPalla had done to Sandy and others).
Inches from PallaPalla's face, Haruka growled, "How does it feel, to suffer like how you made so many others suffer?"
PallaPalla stiffened, blinked at Haruka.
"Don't tell me that crap about not remembering."
Makoto balled her hands, veins protruding from her fists. About to pop.
Of course PallaPalla didn't remember each of the many lives she'd destroyed.
"Do you know what happened to Tiger's Eye?" Sweat flowed down PallaPalla's forehead in a river.
Haruka almost answered her truthfully but decided to give PallaPalla a taste of the pain she'd inflicted upon others. "Maybe. Maybe not."
PallaPalla's hands shot to Haruka's collar, and PallaPalla yanked Haruka close to her own face. "Tell PallaPalla. She has to know." Her unfocused eyes were filled with anger, desperation, despair, like Sandy's, like Mrs. Puff's.
Haruka scowled. "No."
PallaPalla jerked Haruka once more, her rancid breath threatening to burn her hair off. "Tell. Now."
"Or what?"
PallaPalla bared her teeth, like she was going to rip a chunk out of Haruka's face. Haruka did nothing to stop the coming fist because PallaPalla deserved at least that much.
Makoto's fist connected with the base of PallaPalla's chin. A crunch echoed. Haruka let PallaPalla go, and the Dead Moon Circus member slammed through the sand, into the mountain's wall. Makoto stood too still, fists tight. Lashing out now was better than losing control around more of their enemies.
PallaPalla's arms and legs poked out of the sand, more sand sheeting on top of her. She twitched, sputtered, pushed out of the sand, bounding upright. Clawing at the air, she ran toward the group. Makoto stepped in front of PallaPalla, drawing back another fist, her eyes beastly.
As long as PallaPalla didn't die, Haruka didn't much care what Makoto did to her.
PallaPalla dove for Makoto, reaching, fingers hooked like she had talons instead of chewed-up fingernails. Makoto's fist crushed the side of PallaPalla's face, changing the trajectory of PallaPalla's flight. She crashed onto her side, sliding in the snow.
Makoto pursued.
She grabbed PallaPalla's wrists and pounded the Dead Moon Circus member into the snow. Drew back her leg to kick.
Reaching toward Makoto even though she was feet away, Usagi said, "Mako-chan, that's enough" as Sandy said, "Stop it. Ain't gotta do all that."
A light turned on in Makoto's eyes. PallaPalla moaned and curled into the fetal position. Makoto had reduced their enemy from reckless boldness to a whimpering shell.
Like PallaPalla had done to Sandy, Mrs. Puff, countless others.
Sandy's brows arched. Pity? Makoto had given PallaPalla one hell of a beatdown.
Haruka would've done worse.
"You didn't have to do that, Makoto," Sandy said. "I understand y'all, well, hate these people, but that wasn't necessary. "Not for my sake."
Haruka snorted. "You sure did let Makoto beat the crap out of her without saying a word. No need to act holier-than-thou when you stayed good and quiet before."
Sandy shot Haruka an unreadable look, a cross between a glare, regret, realization. The squirrel knew Haruka was right, so she said nothing.
Sandy shrugged, seemingly recovered from Haruka's no-holds-barred honesty. "Sure, a little punishment's fine, but to go to town like that…"
Haruka's expression hardened. "If you were that concerned, then you would've let Makoto pummel PallaPalla for a few seconds and then asked her to stop."
Sandy flinched. "That ain't true."
"You say that, but your actions say differently." She placed a hand on her hip. "You're not as good as you think."
Sandy shrank, wincing.
Makoto rushed to Sandy's side, gathered the squirrel in her arms. "Haruka-san, please. She just went through an awful nightmare."
"That doesn't give her an excuse to act like she's better than us. None of us are better than the other. It's sad, but we all have darkness in us. Sandy obviously gained some satisfaction from watching you beat PallaPalla."
Holding Sandy and glaring at Haruka, Makoto embodied tenderness and brutality. Sandy managed to keep her eyes open, look between Haruka and Makoto. Even though they'd spoken a short time ago, Haruka and Makoto's relationship had cracked, couldn't be mended in the short amount of time they had.
Haruka had to learn how to keep her mouth shut, especially when Michiru wasn't around to tame her tongue.
Mamoru heaved, stifling a cough. Not the time to add anything to their loaded plate about to fall off a foundation of chopsticks.
Sandy goaded herself out of Makoto's arms. "I'm gonna be honest because you have this uncanny ability to see through to folks' souls, Makoto. I did kind of like seeing you beat that gal up. I'm not proud of that." She stretched. "Anyhow, I'm not all right, but I will be. I hope you'll be, too."
Makoto gave Sandy a small smile. "I will."
"We will," Haruka said. Even Mamoru managed to smile. They'd persevered through worse.
Makoto crouched in front of PallaPalla. "Tell us everything you know about the Dead Moon Circus."
PallaPalla glowered, still curled into the fetal position.
"I'll make this easier by asking you directly. Why did you come to Earth?"
Makoto was on the right track. No way could the Dead Moon Circus be from Earth. They'd flown from the sky in a ship, for goodness' sake.
PallaPalla spat. Before the glob could land, Makoto drew back her foot.
"Go ahead, kick PallaPalla as much as you want. She'd rather die than tell you anything."
Before Makoto let her anger best her, Haruka said, "You're going to be staying with us for the foreseeable future. As long as you keep your mouth shut, we won't let you even see your sisters."
PallaPalla cringed. "PallaPalla will find a way to escape. You can't watch her all the time."
Makoto snarled. "Wanna bet?" To her credit, PallaPalla didn't shy away from Makoto.
Haruka swept the Dead Moon Circus member into her arms. "I guess we can't tell you what happened to Tiger's Eye."
Another, harder cringe from PallaPalla. "Okay." She gulped, not out of fear, but because she was about to squeal. "The Dead Moon Circus is here to steal others' dreams." She bit her lip.
Haruka raised an eyebrow. "We know that already. Give us more."
She shook. "We're looking for something. A crystal. For our queen. To release her. Because she saved PallaPalla and her sisters."
Mamoru tensed. He'd been right.
"Please, Tiger's Eye…"
Haruka spread both her arms in an, "Oh, well," gesture. "I have no idea what happened to him."
PallaPalla's face contorted. "After all PallaPalla told you, you don't know?" Her voice grew shrill. "You don't know?" She reached for Haruka's neck. Gripping PallaPalla's wrists, Haruka swung PallaPalla's arms behind her back. PallaPalla cried out.
"This ain't necessary," Sandy said.
Again, with the superior attitude. Haruka let go of PallaPalla, and the Dead Moon Circus member rubbed her wrists. Wouldn't bother broaching Sandy's hypocrisy again. The squirrel would chew on what Haruka had said at a calmer time.
Tiger's Eye must've been killed by one of her fellow Guardians, probably Michiru, one of the most ruthless among the Sailor Team. Even Sailor Saturn, the Guardian of Destruction, wasn't as merciless as Sailor Neptune. Ironically, Sailor Saturn and her civilian form, Hotaru, was one of the gentlest.
Haruka grasped PallaPalla's wrists. "We'd better get going. The sooner we reach the rest of these robots, the better."
She took to the air, Makoto, carrying Sandy, close behind. Usagi and Mamoru dragged, flying as quickly as they could. Haruka slowed so that they could keep up, partially because she was worried about them, partially because, selfishly, she wanted to prove to Makoto and her own self that she was not heartless.
They flew so far up that Haruka thought they'd never reach the slope of Sand Mountain until they crested Flounder Hill's peak and looked below.
Swathes of robots filled the base of the Sand Mountain's slopes. Ham-mers bashed fish into the ice-covered ground, the fish popping up elsewhere, a game of Whack-a-Fish. Bomb-Bots wheeled toward fish, some fish throwing the Bomb-Bots. The robots exploded against the wall. Monsoons, their glasses hanging off their heads, repeatedly jabbed the buttons on their remote controls. Multiple lightning-puffed clouds descended from the sky, ready to electrocute anyone who dared near them. An unfortunate fish was being slapped between two G-Loves. One G-Love missed, and the fish flew into the lightning, leaving a scorch mark in the snow.
Haruka glanced over her shoulder. Had Usagi and Mamoru become paler? It looked like their skin was made of paste instead of, well, skin. Teetering dangerously on running on fumes.
"Can you fight?" Makoto asked Sandy.
"O' course." Sandy lassoed the air. "Those folks may have messed with my dreams, but they didn't mess with my robot wranglin' skills. Go ahead and put me down there with the rest o' them. I'll make good use of all of them."
With the army of robots around, Makoto couldn't protect Sandy and fight simultaneously. She set the squirrel at the fringe of the fray. The antenna rod lengthened on Makoto's tiara, and lightning crackled at its tip. Outstretching her arms, lightning transferred from her tiara to her hands. She shaped the lightning into a ball and tossed it back and forth, the ball enlarging. Hurled the ball of lightning toward a Monsoon, electrocuting the robot. The lightning spread to two other Monsoons.
Meanwhile, before a Ham-mer could crush another fish, Sandy lassoed its ham and, using its own ham, bashed the robot into the ice, only its head and its ham protruding. Several fish surrounded the Ham-mer, some bearing sticks, others flexing their hands. They beat the robot over the head. One popped its head of ham off the stick and slammed the ham onto its head, burying the robot under the ice. Electricity crackled from the water in the ice, around the robots.
Time for much-needed fun. Who said fighting always had to be serious?
Haruka raised her empty hand, and her beam sword materialized. "Space Sword Blaster!" Usually, she sent a beam of energy toward her enemies, but she might as well aim at the ground and let the shockwave do its duty.
A group of robots clustered near the wall, and some scrambled to get away. A grin split Haruka's face. Too late.
Slicing through a Fodder, Haruka smashed her sword into the ice, releasing the pulse of energy. A quake roared, upending the robots into the air. Pulling her sword out, Haruka slashed several robots, their cries mixing with the fish's cheers.
A Ham-mer cupped its hands around its cheeks, gaped, and screamed like a human girl. Haruka wasn't sure what to think anymore.
A snowball engulfed the Ham-mer's mouth, cutting off its scream. The snowball melted, and water dribbled off its chin. From behind, a girl gripped a snowball.
Cracks from Haruka's sword fissured the ice. They were high enough above ground so that, even if the ground halved, there wouldn't be serious side effects. Some daredevils might accidentally fall below instead of landing on the ice, but the ice wasn't much safer than the ground below.
Haruka slashed, her sword screaming through the formerly screaming Ham-mer. The girl who had pelted the snowball whooped and tap-danced on the ice, slipping and sliding so much that her dance ended up looking like a clumsy cha-cha. She fell on her back, sliding across the ice, knocking a Fodder into a wall. Whatever worked.
Usagi and Mamoru hovered above the fray. Usagi pointed her weapon, blanched, shaky, sweaty. Mamoru aimed his hands toward the robots, blanched, shaky, sweaty. Not good.
The world rumbled. Cracks cut the middle of the ice. The ground ruptured, the two halves tilting in opposite directions. A roar from the water. Hollering fish rushed away, several falling and sliding away instead, reaching toward snowy ground, even though a gate blocked the way. Haruka hadn't seen buttons to lower the gate, but she needed to find a way to.
Because a fifty-foot-tall yeti was emerging from the ice, water pouring off it like a waterfall.
Hairlike snow engulfed the yeti, hanging from its arms, legs, everywhere, rippling as it pushed each snowy foot on one half of the ice. The yeti opened its maw of a mouth, a Ham-mer manning the yeti, like robots had manned the monster truck in the downtown area.
"Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!" A white beam whistled past Haruka, pierced the yeti, but the yeti didn't stumble. The beam did leave a hole, revealing metal.
The yeti was a robot.
Haruka grit her teeth. Glitter filled PallaPalla's eyes. Was the troupe member enjoying the fight or thinking of ways to manipulate the yeti?
The yeti aimed its fist at Mamoru. Icicles grew from its fist and shot off in succession. Mamoru wobbled through the air, barely dodging the missiles. They exploded on the mountain's wall, and the world quaked once more, snow falling from the top of the mountain.
Mamoru scowled. Had to be hoping that another avalanche wasn't coming.
Makoto whipped in front of the flooding snow. A gust of wind surrounded her, quickened into a cyclone. "Jupiter Coconut Cyclone!" She hurled the cyclone toward the snow. The wind pushed the snow up the mountain's wall, over its edge, making it seem as though the snow climbed the mountain.
"Moon Gorgeous…" Usagi pointed her Moon Kaleidoscope at the yeti, panting. So white and sweaty that she looked like she'd visited hell for an afternoon.
Usagi fired a blast of a rainbow, shard-filled, shaky beam. The yeti batted the blast away, and the beam struck Sandy before she could react. Sandy yelped, the rainbow light slicing her. She barreled backward, cracks forming where she bounced. Gasping, Usagi swooped toward Sandy. Makoto flew toward Usagi, saying, "No, Usagi, I can catch her."
Both of them were too unselfish.
Haruka flew after them. So was she.
The yeti stomped forward, breaking through part of the ice from one half of the split ground, several fish plunging into the water below, screaming.
Aiming for the yeti's mouth, Tuxedo Mask released another beam. The Ham-mer inside, instead of turning the yeti, ducked behind its head of ham like an idiot, and the beam passed inside, the yeti jerking as it gulped the beam. The yeti belched and shook the mountain, several pats of snow falling from the wall.
The yeti sucked in air and then let out a longer, louder belch, threatening to sever the world. The beam, enlarged, shot out the yeti's mouth, tinged with ice shards.
Oh. Maybe the Ham-mer wasn't an idiot.
JunJun skidded down the mountain's wall. Where the hell had she come from?
PallaPalla clapped her hands. "JunJun, you're here. Yay." Haruka punched behind PallaPalla's ear not only for the hell of it, but also because she was annoying the crap out of Haruka.
Haruka changed course. Makoto, thankfully, caught Sandy, the force making the two careen backward, Makoto's eyes watering from Usagi's attack. Haruka charged toward JunJun, Hawk's Eye watching from atop the mountain's wall. Jumping from the wall, JunJun grabbed Mamoru in midair, stilling him long enough so that the beam slammed into both. JunJun let go and fell so that Mamoru took the brunt of the hit. The beam screeched over the top of JunJun's head, and strands of green hair drifted down.
"World Shaking!" PallaPalla snatched Haruka's wrist and pointed her hand to the sky, where the bronze-colored beam shot toward the sun. Scowling, Haruka kneed PallaPalla's abdomen. The light faded from PallaPalla's eyes, and her head flopped down. No more distractions.
JunJun crashed into the ice, deepening the existing cracks and breaking the left half of the ground into pillar-like pieces. The pillars creaked and leaned. Could fall on the base of the mountain anytime. Fish and robots scrambled atop the ice, trying to find refuge. Suddenly, the robots and the fish didn't seem different. They wanted to survive.
JunJun fell through the ice, plummeting below. Haruka would be elated, but other fish had fallen there, too.
What had happened to Sandy could not happen to the rest of the fish.
Above, Usagi hovered alone, panting, pale. She could fall to pieces at any moment. She needed Haruka's help, too.
Mamoru was hurtling through the air, skin covered in gashes. He needed her help, too.
Makoto and Sandy crashed into the wall. Cascading snow poured onto them. They needed her help, too.
Hawk's Eye watched above. He needed that damn smile wiped from his face.
So many people to save, only one Haruka.
She wasn't a great strategist like Setsuna or Ami. Her raw power didn't seem helpful now.
For all of Haruka's talents and powers, would she not be able to help her friends?
No, Haruka would not give up.
Haruka swooped behind Mamoru, caught him by looping her free arm around his shoulder, and the force made her fly backward, too. Despite her hand being inches from Mamoru's face, Haruka aimed her palm at the yeti. "World Shaking!" A beam of light came forth from her hand at the same time as an electric dragon.
That electric dragon could only be from Makoto.
Even though she was in deep, Makoto managed to help Haruka.
The bronze-colored beam and the dragon brightened the sky, eclipsing the sun yet lighting the world. The yeti opened its mouth. A shaky rainbow light snaked past the dragon and the bronze-colored beam and struck the yeti's shoulder. The yeti flinched long enough for the beam to pierce its heart and the dragon to crush its head with its fangs. The Ham-mer inside of the yeti hollered, and electricity spread throughout the yeti, toward the water, where the fish were. They'd be electrocuted alongside the robots. The robots, Haruka didn't care about, but she did care about involving more innocent people into the Guardians' affairs.
Sandy's lasso wrangled a group of fish and pulled them out of the water. Thank goodness that Sandy had recovered enough to rescue some of the fish. Usagi, too, managing to launch Moon Gorgeous Meditation.
Hawk's Eye swept toward the water, perhaps forgetting to grow his feathers to fly or transform into a hawk, desperation to save JunJun clouding his mind.
Crying out, the yeti drew back its hand. Its arm blurred, and red lightning flashed in Haruka's vision. She flew through air, smashed through a wall, and then flew through air once more. Usagi's screaming accompanied her. Makoto's and Sandy's hollers joined. Mamoru let out a howl. Another primal noise perforated through the rest—Haruka's.
Haruka forced open her eyes in time to see the yeti's explosion boom. Chunks and remnants of the robots flew out, crushing smaller robots. Fish spiraled out of the explosion. Thankfully, the fish were made out of cartoon armor, so they never seemed to be seriously injured from things that seriously injured humans.
The Sailor Team began plummeting toward the mountain's base. The yeti had swatted them off the mountain.
Haruka couldn't muster up the energy to fly toward the fish. Neither could the blood-heaving Usagi and Mamoru. After summoning the dragon, perhaps Makoto couldn't, either. They'd likely have to return later and see the damages, save anyone who had gotten stuck in the snow or encased in ice.
She'd worry later. For now, Haruka closed her eyes and let herself fly.
The wind cushioned her flight, tousling her hair. If Mamoru and PallaPalla weren't in her arms, she would've spread her arms so that she could feel like an eagle. Not the best circumstance to fly like a bird, but Haruka might as well squeeze some joy out of the hellish day she'd had.
They fell past the ski lodge and the winding road that they had ridden up, toward Bikini Bottom. Fish below hollered, scurried away. A wind rushed below the Guardians, propelling them up, making them hover yards above the ground, fish below gaping, oohing and aahing.
Makoto spread her free arm. She had caused the wind that kept them from colliding with the sand.
She gasped. "I, I have to…"
Usagi tried to smile but grimaced instead. Was even her face inflamed with pain? "Go ahead."
Makoto let the wind fade, and the group landed gingerly on the ground, Usagi and Mamoru wobbling upon landing.
They were safe. So was Sand Mountain.
Haruka picked herself up, dusted herself off. PallaPalla was near, unconscious. Perhaps JunJun and Hawk's Eye had been eradicated, too. Then again, PallaPalla hadn't jolted up like she did when Tiger's Eye had been killed. Maybe the Dead Moon Circus wielded cartoon resiliency too.
Makoto lay on her back, eyes half-lidded, spread-eagled like she was frozen in the middle of making a snow angel. Resting.
Haruka extended her hand. Makoto's eyes widened momentarily.
"Surprised I'd grace you with my presence?"
Makoto not quite chuckled and then grasped Haruka's hand. The older Guardian pulled Makoto upright. For good measure, Haruka brushed the snow and robot bits off Makoto.
Usagi staggered beside Mamoru, who lay on his back, too. She knelt beside him, stroking his hair. Thinking of only his well-being, not her own. Mamoru strained to smile, more for her sake than his.
Wanting to give the couple as much privacy as possible in an open desert, Haruka looked to Sand Mountain. Smoke billowed from its peak, but all was quiet there. The team had brought tranquility to the mountain once more.
So much violence was necessary to bring peace. Twisted irony.
Haruka clapped Makoto's shoulder, and the Guardian of Thunder jerked in surprise. "You did great up there. I couldn't have stopped that monster without you."
Makoto opened her mouth, but Haruka raised a finger. "And you tapped into your masculinity. See, being masculine isn't so bad."
Makoto smiled. "I guess."
"After everything we went through, are you trying to annoy me?"
She pursed her lips at the mountain. "A long time ago, I would've been embarrassed at my strength, powers that I thought a man should have, not a young woman who wants to be a bride and housewife and own a flower shop someday. But if I had been passive instead of passionate, afraid of and suppressing my powers instead of unleashing them, then I'd be useless. I wouldn't have used Supreme Thunder Dragon." She smiled wryly. "My masculinity is pretty damn cool."
Haruka whistled. "I'll say. A freakin' dragon with an awesome name to boot? Go ahead, gal."
Makoto's laugh was like rain refreshing infertile, famished soil. "Thanks for showing me that I don't need to be afraid of letting others see my power or afraid of my power myself. I never was, but I used to be hesitant about it sometimes. Especially after doing things like what I did to PallaPalla. But my masculine side is part of what makes me, me."
"Damn straight."
Sandy stepped beside them. "I get the feelin' that mountain'll be closed longer than a jackrabbit's mouth bitin' down on a carrot."
Haruka's expression blanked. "That's…a really weird simile."
"You humans don't get a lot of things."
"Or you squirrels are just plain weird."
Before Sandy could respond, Makoto said, "How're you feeling?" Wisely trying to keep them from wasting energy on squabbles.
"Fine. Better than I was. I'll get over it faster than a jackal chasin' after a deer."
"That's good to hear?"
Maybe the sudden use of nigh-impossible to understand similes indicated that Sandy had, indeed, overcome her nightmare. Or Sandy was trying to keep them from worrying about her. Likely the latter.
Behind them, Usagi gazed at the mountain, and Mamoru propped himself up, letting himself lean on Usagi for a change.
Despite the chaos reigning in Bikini Bottom; their enemy, PallaPalla, unconscious behind them; and JunJun and Hawk's Eye surviving, all was still. The sun dipped below the horizon and bathed in red the mountain, the billowing smoke, the ground. The team relaxed in a moment of serenity, rarer than finding a diamond among rocks.
The calm before the storm.