A Matter of Time

by Crunchysunrises

*New: Chapter 7* Taking place after Stars. The Ginzuishou sends Usagi strange dreams of her past, which helps sent into motion a chain of events that leads to new enemies, unexpected allies and uncovers a centuries old secret.

6. Surprises

Remember: Be kind and understanding to the newly budding fanfic writer. Sailor Moon and the associated characters do not belong to me but to incredibly rich and powerful people who would make no profit by suing me for using their wonderful characters. This is a work of love not a work for profit. All characters and plots that I make up do belong to me so do not steal them or I will be forced to send my Death Fuzzies after you. Remember you have been warned. . .
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CHAPTER 6
Zetsumei wandered across the shared main room and into Ekirei's rooms, vaguely interested to see what her younger brother was up to today as he had been absent from both breakfast and lunch. She walked into his rather cramped sitting room. It would have been a rather large room with luxurious furniture, had books and scrolls not been piled high on every available surface save a narrow strip of carpeting along the wall, one or two chairs, and about two feet near the main door. Across the room from the main door were three doors. The nearest one led to the bedroom, the middle one to the bathroom, and the last to his workroom. She ignored the first two doors in favor of the last, his workroom, and knocked.
There was a grunt, then "Come in."
Zetsumei breezed into the room. "Morning little brother." This room, unlike all the others, was actually tidy and orderly. Dust was not to be found in this room.
"Morning" muttered the corpse-like man, his concentration fiercely fixed upon something he was fiddling with on his main work table. His usually huge black eyes were narrowed to slits and the strong overhead lights glinted off of his bald head. His flesh, from which his bones protruded, was usually a nice moldy green, but now he was a startling shade of lime green.
"Ekirei, you should sleep. Your coloring is off."
"I will. As soon as I finish this prototype."
"Finish what?"
He held up a tiny crystal so that it caught the light and refracted it off of its many faucets, creating a rainbow. "This crystal, in theory, will trap yoma and force them to our will."
Zetsumei wrinkled her nose. "Why would we want them?"
"We may need them someday. Even Safir and Demando have armies of yoma at their command. What if they decide to team up with Zoisite and Nephrite, or just Nephrite, to crush us? We may be the best at what we do, but even we can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers of sheer power. Our imprisonment at Beryl's hands and that little skirmish in the park with Sailor Moon have proved this."
Zetsumei nodded slowly. "My pride seems to have blinded me." She pulled up a chair next to him. "So, how do they work?"
"Assuming that this crystal works, I'll create more of them. Each of us will attune some of the crystals to ourselves. Then, we go find a yoma—which shouldn't be too terribly difficult—and trap them inside of the crystal where its will shall be warped. When the crystal is done, the yoma's only interest in life will be to serve and to please whomever holds its crystal. We won't have to feed or shelter the yoma either because the crystal will nourish it. In a sense the crystal is a containment unit."
"You say that the yoma will want to serve and please whomever holds the crystal. That implies that the yoma will follow anyone after being imprisoned in the crystal."
"I also said that the crystal will have to be attuned to one of us before it will work. Part of this attuning will ensure that the yoma will work for no one but the person who originally captured it for two reasons. The first is that the crystal will not release the yoma except for the original master of the yoma. The second is that the mind warping ensures that the yoma would do anything for the one who captures it. And only for them."
"I see. When are you going to test your prototype crystal?"
"Right now actually." He stood up and Zetsumei snatched his crystal from him.
"I'll test it while you sleep. Just tell me how to attune the crystal."
He grinned at her wryly. "If I'm wrong and this doesn't work…"
"Then I will take the consequences and destroy the yoma."
He laughed. "As pragmatic as ever. This is why you get to be leader. Anyway, focus your mind on the crystal. Slowly feed your mind into the crystal. Now, stamp the crystal with your essence." Under Zetsumei's ministrations, the crystal turned from the sparkling white it had been to the deepest black, utterly unable to refract light, instead sucking it into its depths. "Now, slowly withdraw your mind."
When Zetsumei eyes refocused, she smiled at her brother, pleased.
"Now, how do I use it?"
"Go find a yoma that you would like to own. Lay the crystal on your flattened palm and Will the crystal to take in the yoma. The yoma will fight of course, but if your mind and Will is stronger than its mind and Will and whatever physical fight it puts up, the yoma will be sucked into the crystal. When the yoma is pliable to your wishes, you'll know."
"How?"
"Trust me, you will."
"One last thing. How many yoma can this crystal hold?"
"I believe it depends on the strength of the yoma. Once again, it's difficult to explain so I'll just say it again: you'll know."
She laughed. "Then, I am leaving." She poked her younger brother in the chest. "Get some rest." She eyed the ragged and tattered mess that he seemed to consider clothing. "If you want to shock me, try getting some real clothes while I am out testing your crystal."
"I'm wounded to the core of my being! You don't approve of my fashion sense!"
"You do not even own clothes, so how can you possibly have fashion sense?"
"Hey! I own clothes! All of my clothes—"
"—You mean rags—"
"—are old friends! We've known each other for years! We're comfortable together!"
"But there comes a time to bury the dead, and those rags reached that time long, long ago."
He shook his head. "You'll never talk me into betraying my old friends. Should they rip, I'll simply patch them. Should that patch rip, I will patch that patch. Should that patch rip, I will patch that—"
"I get the idea."
"My clothes and I have a bond that you will never understand."
"Oh but I do little brother." Her grin widened. "It is commonly known as dirt."
"HEY! First you insult my clothes, then you abuse my fashion sense, and now you're calling me filthy! Is there no end to this slander?"
She finally gave in and laughed. "None little brother." She leaned over and kissed him. "Now go to bed you filthy, senseless rag boy." She fished a bundle out of her pocket. "Eat this before you go to bed." She looked at him meaningfully. "Put some flesh on that skeleton that you call a body." Then she teleported away, leaving Ekiri laughing in her wake.
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Usagi trudged slowly to the school gates, alone, deep in thought, bone-tired, and decidedly lonely. Sometime over the last weekend her friends had all become too busy to spend much time with her. Makoto rushed off after school saying that she had to meet Aequila-san, Ami bolted off to her juku class—early even for her, and Minako dashed off saying something about volunteer work at the hospital. Usagi wouldn't have minded all this after school activity so much if it wasn't for the fact that Rei went to an entirely different school and, while the other Inner Senshi attend the same school, they were often withdrawn and thoughtful or blissfully daydreaming about something they wouldn't share with her. Not that Rei had much time for her at the moment either. Whenever she caught the other girl on the street Rei was always busy, if not with chores at the temple or homework then with phone calls.
The Outer Senshi were also incredibly busy at the moment. Haruka and Michiru were intent on spending ever spare moment alone with each other and Usagi couldn't really blame them for that. Although neither Setsuna nor Hisui would even discuss it, Usagi strongly suspected that they were seeing each other in all their quiet, spare moments. Setsuna would smile mysteriously and not say a word until the subject changed. Hisui would get a strangely smug look, that looked even more strange with his blush, and change the subject to something totally unrelated. The only time she really saw the others was during or after battles, which now happened at least once a day, or at senshi meetings. That left her spending her spare time with Hotaru and her other friends.
It wasn't that she couldn't have fun with them—she could and did—but none of them, not even Naru and Umino, were as close to her as her Sailor Senshi were. So she and Hotaru were spending a lot of time together. If it weren't for Mamoru sensing her intense bouts of loneliness, both from the withdrawal of her friends and the duel losses of Chibiusa and Chibi chibi, and calling her every other day, Hanafubuki-san appearing out of nowhere to keep her company from time to time, and frequent visits to the Boss's control room, she might have broken down and cried. But she didn't because she had promised herself that she was going to be strong while her Mamo-chan was away and fight this battle with all she had. So she bit her lip and kept going.
'Still,' she thought as she watched her feet walking on the pavement, 'I wish I'd bump into someone I know so that—' Her thought were cut off as she literally bumped into someone. Looking up, she saw Motoki looking down on her. From his face, Usagi decided that his mind had probably been as far away as her mind had been.
"I'm sorry Motoki-san! I didn't mean to—"
Motoki waved away her apologies saying, "I wasn't looking where I was going either so don't worry about it."
Usagi fell in beside him. "So what were you thinking about?"
"Stuff."
"So it's something about Reika-san, right?"
He glanced at her sharply, then sighed. "You guessed it. She's going back to Europe this afternoon. Her vacation is over."
"And you're going to miss her terribly."
He nodded. "I know I'll wait for her but, it's going to be such a long time…"
Usagi put her hand on his arm. "And she'll wait for you. You two have the forever type of love, so everything's going to work out. It may be long and hard to wait but everything will come right in the end."
"Usagi-chan, that's only true of fairytales."
Usagi shook her head stubbornly. "It happens in real life too. Trust me, Motoki-san."
"Maybe you're right and maybe you aren't but it's a nice thing for you to say. Usagi-chan, are you angry with me for something?"
"No. Why?"
"You've been very formal with me lately. Did I do something to offend you?"
Involuntarily, an echo of what Motoki said to Sailor Moon during that one horrible night in the park came to mind.
*Motoki-kun--*
*Don't call me that! I don't know you and we aren't friends! *
*As you say. *
She knew it was stupid to hold him to that but she couldn't help it. It was something he had said to Sailor Moon, someone he viewed as an untrustworthy stranger, but she had unconsciously held to the guidelines his angry voice had set down for their relationship.
"No. It's just…um…"
"What?"
"Someone told me that I should have more respect for you, that's all."
"And you listened to them? Usagi-chan, we're friends and I like you for the way you are. I don't mind the fact that you call me 'Motoki-kun', I like your cheerful visits to the arcade, and I like being friends with you. Please don't change for anyone."
"Motoki-kun…" she murmured in surprise. 'Would he have said that if he knew that I'm Sailor Moon?' She shoved that thought to the back of her mind and instead thought of the happiness and comfort that those words were suppose to bring. She smiled up at Motoki. "Arigatou Motoki-kun." She though of how lonely Motoki was going to be in a few hours. "Motoki-kun, would you like to go on a picnic?"
He looked at her in surprise. "Whenever you have the day off," she amended hastily.
"I have tomorrow off…" he offered.
Usagi grinned up at him. "That's great! Tomorrow's Saturday! Leave it all to me! Pick me up at my house at about 2:00 in the afternoon, okay?"
He nodded dumbly, a faint trace of panic in hie eyes. "Um…Usagi-chan…er…About your father…"
Usagi laughed. "It'll be alright. I'll explain everything to Daddy. No worries." Motoki nodded, looking slightly relieved. "By Motoki-kun!" Usagi dashed off down the street to organize her picnic. Motoki watched her for a moment then started to laugh at how her youthful enthusiasm had swept him off his feet yet again.
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Zetsumei reappeared in Zoisite's kingdom. His garden behind his castle to be exact. Interested, she inspected her surroundings. She took in the grotesquely corpulent trees, the twisted, sharp-edged bushes and the leathery flowers. "Well, well, well." she murmured. "I never would have guessed that you had such a green thumb, Zoisite, to be able to make anything grow here." Slowly, she started to wander the path she was on, looking for a yoma. She rewarded within a few steps.
"What are you doing here?" hissed a sibilant voice from the shadows. "My king, Zoisite-sama, did not invite you."
Zetsumei turned towards the voice. "Step into the light." she ordered, "that I may know with whom I deal."
"Very well," hissed the voice.
A yoma stepped from the shadows and Zetsumei immediately decided that this was the one she wanted. The yoma, dressed in a kimono of the most unhealthy shades green and yellow, moved with a undisguised grace. She wore a ceremonial mask over her face, that portrayed her to have skin as white as ivory, perfectly almond-shaped black eyes with long eyelashes, slightly arched eyebrows, a beautifully shaped nose, and a small, rosebud mouth that seemed to pout, ever so slightly. Painted over these features was makeup, eye shadow, eye lining and red spots on her cheeks. The mask would have been beautiful save for the long, jagged scar, painted an angry shade of red, that ran from the left jaw of the mask across the cheek, over the nose, and to the corner of the right eye. Pale blue hair was neatly combed into a ponytail that came to her waist. She stood tall and proud, her arms crossed so that her hands were hidden in the opposite sleeve.
"Do you guard these lands?"
"No." The yoma fixed her with an unfriendly gaze. "Why are you here, intruder? Who are you?"
Zetsumei slowly held out her hand to the yoma, palm upturned with the crystal in the center of it, trying to appear unthreatening. "I am Zetsumei. Join me." she murmured as she focused her Will on the crystal, Willing it to capture the yoma. She felt the crystal begin to tug on the yoma.
"No. I will not join you." The yoma gave a strangled gasp as she felt the effects of the crystal. "NO!" she hissed vehemently. "I SHALL NOT!"
Zetsumei only bent her Will and mind more fiercely on the crystal. Gasping with holding the crystal and its bearer off, the yoma pulled four long, thin stick-like objects from her sleeves. With the ease of long practice, she rapidly snapped them together, then advanced on Zetsumei.
"I SHALL NEVER SUBMIT TO YOU!" she seethed. "NEVER!"
Then she attacked. Hoping that the crystal would still work, Zetsumei leapt back from the attack, shoving the crystal into her pocket and summoning her si. Then they fought the worst fight in either of their lives. The battle ranged from the physical plane to the mental realms to their constantly clashing Wills.
"Give it up." Zetsumei gasped as they fought. "I will have you."
"I will never surrender myself!"
"I am not trying to harm you, fool! I could have killed before we even started this."
"Because you are named Death?" the yoma panted. "It will take more than a rock and more than a name to defeat and take me!"
Finally, Zetsumei managed to gain an edge and disarm her opponent, rapping the yoma sharply on the head in the process, disrupting her mental concentration and shaking her Will. That split second of weakness was all that it took. Zetsumei felt the crystal begin to absorb her opponent. The yoma, pressed immobile against one of the trees by Zetsummei's si, fought it tooth and claw with everything she had but she steadily lost ground. With a low cry of defeat, the yoma tried one final, desperate move to avoid being trapped inside the crystal. She tried to impale herself on the blade of Zetsumei's si. Swiftly Zetsumei moved her si, allowing the yoma to plow into her and fall on her. As they slammed into the ground, their faces merely inches apart, the yoma bared her teeth and screamed one last defiance. The crystal shot from Zetsumei's pocket, glowed and pulsating with a black light. The yoma, even as she screamed, she becoming transparent, then in a stream of sparkling light, primarily pale blue, she entered the crystal, which radiated pale blue for a split second before resuming its previous color.
Shaking, Zetsumei got to her feet, sending her si back. Swiftly she snatched the floating crystal and stuffed it into her pocket. Ekiri had been right. In that simple touch, she had learned two things. She knew that this crystal could hold no more yoma. She also knew her yoma was resisting the crystal's influences. Sighing, she wiped the sweat off of her face.
"I certainly hope it gets easier." she muttered. "At least Ekiri will be deliriously happy to find out that his crystal worked." She looked down at herself and made a face. "But first thing's first. I'm going to go home and soak in the tub."
She stuffed her crystal in her pocket and turned to leave, then turn back again. With a gentleness that surprised her, Zetsumei picked up her opponent's bo, fumbled a bit while separating its pieces, and put the pieces into her pocket where they more than protruded, stabbing her in the small of the ribs. Deciding not to question her motives too closely, she left Zoisite's garden.
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Unbeknownst to Tsukino Usagi as she ran home , planning out her picnic as she ran, a pair of figures was watching her.
"What does Zoisite see in her?"
Gekidoku squinted at Usagi. "It could be her track potential." Rubeus glared at her. She shrugged her shoulders unapologetically. "She's an innocent. Darkness is often attracted to light."
Rubeus shrugged angrily. "Just be quiet. I must have been suffering a mental lapse to discuss matters with you, a mere child."
Gekidoku compressed her lips to avoid allowing information that Rubeus shouldn't have from escaping her. She contented herself with a particularly nasty glare. Rubeus looked back at her as levelly as he could despite the inexplicable cold trickle of fear down his spine. He broke the staring contest first, turning to watch their prey while the ghost of a smile played about Gekidoku's lips as she regarded Rubeus' back.
"We should be watching Zoisite, not this girl!" He ranted. "Why did I let you talk me into this?! This is not our job!"
"She is Zoisite's weakness."
"That guy in the throne room—"
"—is off limits." Gekidoku cut in. "She said something about a picnic to that boy."
"So?" He whirled around. "The conversations of the humans matter because?"
Gekidoku squashed her impatience at his stupidity, instead maintaining her slight smile, in case he should turn around.
"Because, once again, she is Zoisite's weakness. If we harm her, we harm Zoisite."
Rubeus' eyes lit up. "Is that so?" he purred. "Then we will—"
"No." Gekidoku's voice brooked no argument. There was a coldness to it that seemed to freeze Rubeus' heart. Turning, he saw that her face was utterly devoid of emotion except for an unholy light in her eyes that terrified Rubeus. He knew he was looking his own death in the eyes. For a moment, his mind flashed to another place and time when he had stared death in the face. He had been somewhere confined, somewhere that was an inferno. A woman laughed in his face before leaving him there…then seemingly unending agony…finally death. His mind flashed back to the present. The girl now held a pair of daggers. Hastily, Rubeus found his voice.
"What do you wish to do?" He inquired in as friendly a manner as possible.
"To wait until we have orders."
Rubeus considered his options. He was bigger, stronger, and older than this girl…but she had that look in her eyes…
"Okay. We'll do this your way."
She nodded, still the knives did not go back to wherever they had come from and the light in her eyes remained. "I'm going now. To tell the others about this. If I get back and anything has happened to either that girl or Zoisite, I will personally make sure that you regret it for a very, very long time before you die a very, very horrible death. Assuming that the Lady of Ate doesn't catch up with you first. Then you'll beg and scream for my ministrations."
She fixed him with one last look as a black mist formed around her. In an instant, she had disappeared into the mist which then slowly dispersed. Rubeus returned to his surveillance of Zoisite's girl.
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"Mochi mochi?"
"Hey, Naru!"
"Usagi!"
"Naru, would you and Umino-kun like to go to the park tomorrow around 2:00 and have a picnic with Motoki-kun and I?"
"I'd love to but he can't. He and his family are doing a family thing and are going to a science convention on the lifecycles and mating processes of centipedes compared and contrasted to the lifecycles and mating processes of millipedes."
"Yuck! That's just wrong!"
Naru laughed at Usagi's consternation. "Anyway, I'll be there."
"That's great!"
There was a very slight pause in the conversation. It was so slight that it would have been unnoticeable except that the pair in question had been such great friends that that pause was as great as a yawning gulf between them. Both girls squirmed uncomfortably on their side of the phone line before, "Did you hear about—" And both girls comfortably settled into a conversation, no longer confronting the glass wall that had grown up between them.
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Zetsumei was trying very hard not to think why she was doing this. Every time the question 'Why are you altering your clothing so that you can carry a yoma's weapon?' popped into her head, she firmly pushed it to the back of her mind and continued sewing. Presently, she felt Gekidoku teleport into her sitting room.
Zetsumei looked up from her sewing. "Yes, Gekidoku?"
Gekidoku stepped from the shadows in the corner of her oldest sister's room. "We have found his weakness. It is a girl. A very human, very mortal, girl."
Zetsumei laughed. "What a joke!"
"I thought so as well." Gekidoku laughed. "She has him around her littlest finger but she doesn't see it. He loves her almost as much as he loves Kunzite."
"Is that so? So, the king who queens it loves a girl." Zetsumei's eyes became thoughtful. "I think—"
"Zetsumei of Ate!" The Master's voice seemed to come from all around the room. Gekidoku jumped, whipping out a pair daggers. Zetsumei merely leaned back in her large, overstuffed chair, her sewing in her lap.
"Yes?" she asked calmly, her fingertips gently brushing Gekidoku's arm. Gekidoku put her daggers away and sank to her knees beside her sister's chair.
"Your plot to…dispense…with Zoisite's services has come to my attention. Why?"
"It is a personal matter. A matter of our family honor."
"I do not like your extermination of my leaders. Is this going to become a practice?"
"No. It is a matter between Zoisite and Kunzite and our family. No one else."
"No one?"
"We did seek the aide of Rubeus. The enmity between the two men is very apparent."
"One that you could use to your advantage. What are your future plans for Rubeus?"
"We have none."
"I see." The Master seemed to be either thinking or gone as the woman and the girl silently sat in waiting. Eventually he said, "Zoisite, although adequate at energy collection, has been a disappointment to me. You may do with him as you will. Kunzite, however, is mine. Do not harm him."
Zetsumei inclined her head as regally as any queen on her throne.
"It is understood and will be as you say."
"It had better be." Then, as far as they could tell, the Master was gone. Zetsumei turned back to her sister. "Gekidoku, I would appreciate it if you would acquire this girl for me."
"I don't understand. Why do we still need her? He just said that we are allowed to deal with Zoisite directly. Why not just capture him and torture him in front of Kunzite?"
"Sometimes, I forget that you and Kikyoku are so young." Gently, Zetsumei brushed a stray strand of hair out of her sister's eyes. "I wish to make him suffer. His torture and eventual death will make Kunzite suffer but Zoisite's concern for another's suffering and death will truly put Kunzite in agony."
Gekidoku nodded. "And that's what we want. To hurt Kunzite as much as possible through Zoisite."
"Exactly."
"I'll go get her now."
"No. Not now. Let's get Rubeus to launch a yoma attack at the same time on the other side of Tokyo. The Sailor Senshi will be in no position to help her. When they are able to aide her they'll be tired and slow to respond to the girl's predicament. It will get them out of the way and make Rubeus feel important."
"Then I'll get her tomorrow. She's going on a picnic in the park with some other humans."
"Good. I'll go and see Rubeus. Rest awhile, then, when I return, we'll have a family meeting. After that, I'll return you to Rubeus." Gekidoku grimaced slightly but nodded her assent. Zetsumei noticed her sister's thinly disguised disgust. Gently she put one hand on either of Gekidoku's shoulders. "I know he annoys you and is difficult to watch but this is important. Rubeus is too erratic to trust on his own."
The young girl sighed. "I know but still…Don't worry. I'll do it." Zetsumei smiled at her and gave her a fierce hug. "I am sorry to have sent you on this mission but any of the boys would have killed Rubeus by now. Still, when you go back, I will send Kikyoku with you."
"Thank you. I'd like that."
Zetsumei release Gekidoku. "Now, run along and tell the others about the meeting after dinner. Then go relax."
"Right." Gekidoku left the room and Zetsumei settled back into her chair and continued sewing.
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"It's not just Usagi-chan but all the Sailor Senshi!" yowled Luna in frustration. "Why won't they focus? The entire world is counting on them!"
Artemis sighed. "I don't understand it either Luna. I had thought that our Senshi were finally above goofing off during a mission, but they obviously aren't!"
Luna took a deep, calming breath. "We need to know what they're doing, then form a plan of action."
"Well, we know that Mako-chan has a new boyfriend but the others are secretive—even cryptic—about their actions. They mutter about phone calls and hospital visits and juku."
"The juku is fairly normal for Ami-chan, but she is sinking unusual portions of her time into her juku class."
"Maybe, but Minako-chan shouldn't be in a hospital! She couldn't even nurse a cold properly! Some poor patient is suffering under her ministrations!"
"Rei-chan, who strongly dislikes technology, is currently spending hours and hours on the phone! Artemis, we're missing something here!"
"If I didn't know better, I'd think that it was some ploy on the enemy's part to distract us from this war."
"It isn't but these distractions are certainly working in their favor." Luna sighed heavily. "We're going to have to make some choices, Artemis. I think, because things are going to rapidly spiral out of control very soon, that we're going to have to suspend the search for that man."
Artemis started. "But you said that that man sent off massive amounts of dark energy! We can't just let him wander around!
"If I'm right, then he'll eventually show up anyway. All things considered, he's the lesser of two evils. The greater evil, in my mind, is the senshi themselves. The Inner Senshi aren't working as a coordinated team and the Outer Senshi are drifting apart over Jadeite. No one's really working with anyone else."
Artemis thought hard for a few moments. "So be it then. You're probably right. So what are we going to do about this situation?"
"I don't know Artemis. I sincerely don't."
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Sometimes Kunzite wondered how he was still alive. He had lost track of time but he was certain that he had been stuck in this wall for weeks. Weeks without food, water, or even relieving himself. Yet he still lived. At some point he had decided that it was the vines that held him that kept him alive. Somehow, they put nutrients into his bloodstream and removed the waste through his skin. That topic brought to a close, he considered possible escapes for Zoisite and himself. Or even just for Zoisite. Zoisite was his favorite topic of thought. When he had first meet his little lover. Zoisite, his hair damp and his eyes sparkling, after a shower. Zoisite, his face peaceful and content, as he slept in Kunzite's arms. Groaning softly, Kunzite leaned his head back against his wall closing his eyes wearily.
Kunzite hated sleeping. When he slept, he dreamed of being free with Zoisite only to wake and find himself more than half submerged in a wall. Other times, he dreamed of his death at Sailor Moon's hands in agonizing detail. Waking from those dreams, shaking and sweating, his hair plastered to his face, was never fun. Even worse, sometimes he would dream of Zoisite's death, watching over and over again as Zoisite was struck down by Beryl, watching as his little love died in his arms. And he, unable to do nothing. Still other times he dreamed about his life as a Dark King. Except for his memories of Zoisite, it was the stuff nightmares were born of. Yet, it was a relief of sorts to fall into these old, familiar nightmares.
There was a soft sound from the shadows. Kunzite's eyes snapped open.
"Hello Kunzite." A young girl stepped out of the shadows. She was a diminutive, angular girl with long ebony black hair that brushed the back of her legs and clouded green eyes. Her skin was lightly powered with a sickly green color underneath which she was deathly pale. She wore a scarlet skirt that ended just above her knees and a scarlet turtleneck that had long sleeves and ended around her hips. Around her slim waist she wore a woven red belt. "My name is Gekidoku. I believe that you met my twin sister, Kikyoku."
"Briefly."
She continued to talk as she walked over to him. "You hurt her you know."
"We weren't meant to be. I wouldn't lie to her."
"That's not the point." She stopped in front of him. "You hurt her!"
"I did."
"So, we're going to get you. You're going to hurt, even more than you hurt her. You're going to scream and weep in your sleep for the next thousand years and beyond. Maybe even for all of time."
Fear for Zoisite clutched his heart and squeezed, but he kept his face and voice neutral as he asked, "What are you trying to say little girl?"
She laughed softly. "Many things. For instance, did you know that Zoisite is in love with a human girl? He's replaced you!"
Kunzite's heart nearly stopped. Ruthlessly, he forced it to continue beating as he forced his face to remain neutral. He couldn't stop the slight force behind his words as he snarled, "No. You're lying!"
She laughed again. "It's true. He walks with her, talks to her, laughs with her, carries her things, and he's probably even spent the night with her."
Fiercely he asked, "And you know this how?"
"I was assigned to watch him." She smiled at him again. "Your little love isn't as loyal to you as you are to him, now is he?" She laughed her little laugh again. "There's so much more I could tell you about his infidelities. Think about him…Think about them. Try to imagine what they're doing while you rot in this wall with your hopeless love." She turned to leave but paused to add spitefully, "Sweet dreams of Zoisite. Of Zoisite and his human lover!" Then she left without so much as looking back to see the pain she had inflicted. Not that he would have given her the satisfaction of seeing what she had done to him.
He waited a long time to be certain that she was gone, his mind screaming incoherently. Zoisaito wouldn't, couldn't, do this to him! They were lovers! Zoisaito didn't even find women remotely attractive! Logic demanded that he ignore the vengeful girl but his heart was crumbling under the pressure of his fears. Zoisaito was an attractive man who could have just about any man or woman he wanted. He had always known that. What's to say that he hadn't finally found someone else that he desired? In agony he brokenly whispered his lover's name as his tears began to flow from his eyes, down his cheeks, and off of his chin. He couldn't even move a hand to wipe away his own tears, let alone lift it to find out the truth of the girl's story.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Nice. She had done that very nicely indeed. He had been right to let the Shiin family have their way with Zoisite. Now Kunzite had so many dark emotions to feed off of. Fear. Anguish. Worry. Despair. That last was the sweetest of all. Yes, he had been so right in his decision.
Zoisite had rather surprised him by uniting with Nephrite against the Shiin family and Rubeus. He really hadn't seen that coming. He had believed that the little man would rather have died than unite with his one time enemy. It was true then. Desperate times really did create surprising bed partners. Not that that would help Zoisite. Nephrite would abandon Zoisite to his enemies at the first signs of personal danger. Still, the man was good at collecting energy. After that first, disastrous attempt, his energy collections had soared. He even managed to reuse some of the yoma. Beryl had truly been a fool to murder him in a fit of rage. And he had even found a use for all of Zoisite's collected energy. The creation of more of Beryl's type of yoma. When he had enough of them, he could start creating his own army of horrors. Until then, he would multiply what he had.
Another wave of Kunzite's emotions hit him and he sighed in bliss. For now, all he had to do was sit back and watch the little drama unfold. After all, Zoisite promised to be having some delicious emotions himself very soon. Tomorrow promised to be a feast for him.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Usagi had called Ami first.
"Mochi mochi."
"Hello Ami-chan! This is Usagi-chan, want to go on a picnic with me tomorrow? Naru-chan and Motoki-kun are going for sure."
There was a pause. Then Ami said a touch sadly, "I'd love to Usagi-chan but I have juku matters I must attend to. I'd already scheduled them and I can't reschedule them otherwise I would. I'm very sorry."
"Hey, that's okay!" Usagi didn't want to make Ami feel bad about something as trivial as a picnic. "We'll miss you though."
Ami seemed relieved that her rejection hadn't been hurtful to Usagi. And suddenly happy too. "I'm very sorry. Thank you anyway though. Goodbye."
"Bye."
Rei had been next on her list.
"Mochi mochi?" Rei's voice had sounded excited.
"Hey Rei! It's Usagi!"
"Oh. Hi." Her voice had definitely lost some of its exuberance. Usagi tried not to let that phase her. "Well, Rei I'm getting a group together to go on a picnic. Motoki-kun and Naru are definitely going and Ami-chan can't make it. Would you like to come?"
"I'm sorry Usagi but I can't. I'm waiting for an important phone call and can't leave." Her voice sounded careful, yet oddly dreamy. "I'm very sorry. Please forgive me."
Usagi forced herself to sound cheery for her friend. "Hey that's no problem! More food for me!"
"Usagi!"
Usagi laughed at her friend's sudden vehemence. "Just kidding Rei. We'll miss you."
"Thanks. Bye Usagi."
"See ya Rei!"
Then Makoto's phone call, which had been brief and to the point.
"Mochi mochi."
"Hey Mako-chan! Are you and your boyfriend doing anything tomorrow?"
"Yes. Going to the movie, then for a walk, then a surprise he won't tell me about. Why?"
"Oh. I was only having a picnic…"
"Oh Usagi-chan! I'd love to come! Let me call Aequila-kun and ask him if he wouldn't mind the change in plans."
"Thanks Mako-chan! Are you sure that you want to come though? There's only Motoki-kun, Naru-chan, and I at the moment as Ami-chan and Rei are busy. Not very many people so you couldn't sneak off together or anything."
Makoto laughed. "That would defeat the purpose for our coming anyway. Anyway, let me go call him then call you back."
"Right. Bye."
"Bye."
Usagi waited for a few minutes, then decided to use the time to call Minako.
"Mochi mochi!"
"Hey Minako-chan! What are you doing tomorrow?"
"Hi Usagi-chan! I'm working in the hospital all day tomorrow. Why?"
Usagi winced and inwardly prayed for her poor victims. "I wanted to know if you could go to a picnic with me, that's all."
"I'm sorry I already promised to work tomorrow." Minako sounded truly regretful. "When and where was the picnic, anyway?"
"2:00 in the afternoon in the park."
"Hey! Maybe Hikaru and I could make that! If we ran both ways…" Minako seemed to be doing some mental figuring. "Yup! If we took our lunches at 2:00 and ran both ways, we could surely make it to the picnic, then back to work!" Minako paused. "You don't mind Hikaru coming, do you?"
"Of course not! The more the merrier!"
Minako laughed. "Let me call her and invite her on the picnic. I think she'll come but let me just check and call you back. Okay?"
"Sure. Talk to you later."
"Bye."
Next she called Haruka and Michiru's line in the Outers' apartment.
Michiru's voice answered after her fourth ring. "You've reached Kaioh Michiru and Tenoh Haruka. I'm sorry but you've just missed us. Please leave your name, your number and your message and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you." BEEP!
"Hey, it's Usagi-chan! I'm making a picnic up and wanted to know if you two wanted to come. It's at 2:00 in the afternoon in the park, tomorrow. Call me and let me know whether you're coming or not, if you can. If not, just show up! Bye."
Then she called Setsuna's line.
"Mochi mochi."
"Usagi-chan here! Want to come on a picnic tomorrow?"
"I'm sorry Usagi-chan but I can't. I already have plans to meet someone for lunch at that time."
"I'm definitely inviting Hisui-kun, so you're welcome to come as a couple."
"Usagi-chan! How did you—" She cut herself off. "Hisui-san and I are just acquaintances. Nothing more."
"Right. Got it. You and Hisui-kun aren't madly, passionately in love."
"Usagi-chan…"
"Sorry. I love to tease you. So you're busy?"
"Yes."
"Come if you can, but if you can't we'll be thinking of you."
"Thanks for inviting me. I'm very sorry about that."
"It's okay. I still love you."
Setsuna laughed. "Thank you Usagi-chan."
"Good luck in whatever it is. Bye!"
"Thanks. Goodbye Usagi-chan."
Finally she called Hotaru.
"Mochi mochi."
"Hey, it's Usagi-chan! I—" Her watch communicator went off. "Can you hold on a second?"
"Sure."
Usagi flipped open her communicator to see Minako's face in the tiny view screen. "What's up?"
"Hey Usagi-chan. Hikaru and I will be coming. I've got to go, Hikaru's still on the phone line."
"Right. See you two tomorrow. Bye."
"Bye."
Usagi turned back to Hotaru. "I'm having a picnic tomorrow at 2:00 in the afternoon in the park. Want to come?"
"I'd love to. I'll be there for sure."
"Great! I—" Usagi's communicator went off again. "Please hold on again. I'm really, really sorry."
"Sure, I'll wait."
Usagi flipped open her communicator to have time to register that it was Makoto's face in the view screen before Makoto said, "Hey, Aequila-kun and I will definitely be coming tomorrow. I'll help you cook for the picnic tonight and tomorrow, okay?"
"Thanks. You can spend the night, if you want. Now, go on. Go talk to your boyfriend on the phone."
Makoto grinned unrepentantly. "You guessed it. See you tomorrow and thanks for letting me stay the night."
"No problem. Bye."
"See you later."
Usagi closed her communicator with a snap and went back to talking to Hotaru.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Zoisite was getting frustrated. He had come to Earth to see one, specific girl, was it too much to expect that he be able to find her? Snarling curses, he left the park. He really had only one place left to look for her: her house. He really didn't want to go there. He still remembered, all too vividly, the morning after he woke up at her house. She had been so frightened at the idea of her father finding them together. 'He must be violently protective of his little girl.' Zoisite decided. 'It's probably better if we don't meet. If he attacked me, I might have to kill him. Or at the very least, harm him seriously. His daughter wouldn't like me any more after that.' Zoisite let his mind wander back to the morning after his display at her house…
Zoisite cracked his eyes open slowly. His eyes looked up at a white ceiling. His bedroom ceiling was shadowy and dark, like the rest of the Dark Kingdom. Disoriented, he sat up in one sharp movement, the bedspread, covered in rabbits, stars, shooting stars, and crescent moons, fell from around his chest to pool around his waist. His head snapped from side to side as he hurriedly took in the room, littered with an appalling number of rabbits and pictures. Realizing that he was in no immediate danger and remembering how he came to be where he was, his eyes traveled around the room much more slowly. Piercingly his eyes raked the stuffed rabbits and other animals that sat on her all of her furniture, her window seat, leaned against her closed closet doors, and around the walls, temporarily ignoring the rest of her pictures, posters, and the framed odds and ends. Noticing a deep blue blanket cover a small mound that had not been there the night before, Zoisite slid out of bed and approached the blanket.
Curled up against one of the large window seat pillows, Usagi was sleeping. She had let her hair down before going to sleep and it lay around her face in piles, making her look extremely small and vulnerable. When she was awake she was so active and self assured that he had never really noticed how small she really was. 'She doesn't even reach my chin.' He thought in some surprise. 'She's only human but I treat her better than I treat anyone, except Kunzaito-sama. Better that I treated any of those females in the Dark Kingdom or even Beryl herself.' Which led him to another train of thought. 'Why haven't I killed her yet? I hate humans almost as much as White Moon People. Yet I allow her to live, even though she treats me with such familiarity. I never let people touch me or order me around or to tease me, yet she does that and more and still she lives. I must be getting soft and stupid in Kunzaito-sama's absence.'
He wasn't sure how long he stood there watching her sleep, wondering about this strange creature sleeping before him. Young as he physically was, Zoisite was a very old man. As far back as he could remember, aside from Kunzaito-sama, he couldn't remember anyone willingly sleeping around him. Even humans didn't trust each other enough to randomly take other humans home to sleep in their beds while they slept on the window seat. Except for this one. Just then she stirred, sighed softly, and blinked her eyes open to stare up at Zoisite in incomprehension for a few moments. Then memory returned and she smiled up at him radiantly. His heart nearly stopped. He wasn't really expecting her to be all that happy to see him. She sat up revealing that she was wearing pink pajamas.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked.
He nodded. "Very well. Thank you for the use of your bed. How did you get me in there by the way? I'm much too big for you to lift alone."
Oddly, she blushed and laughed a little. "Actually, I waited a bit, turned the bed covers down, woke you up, and guided you into the bed. You were so tired that you did your best to ignore me and stay on the floor but I kept at you and look where you ended up."
Zoisite frowned. "I don't remember that."
"Ami-chan says that you have to be awake for a certain amount of time without drifting back to sleep for you to remember. Besides you were very tired." Usagi's blush was fading. She put her hands behind her back where he could not see them.
"I see." Zoisite was having trouble with believing that story. Still, she was only human so what could she be hiding from him? He pushed his doubts away and smiled down at her. "I thank you." Once again, he smoothly bowed to her and, gently taking her hand, kissed the palm of it. Once again, he watched through his eyelashes as she blushed and once again he smiled to himself. Her eyes flitted over to a clock on the desk and suddenly she looked panicked.
"You've got to go!" she gasped in horror. "Right now!"
Zoisite was confused. "What? Why?"
"Because my family's going to wake up!" Although it only grew slightly louder, her voice rose several octaves. "My father chased the last boy who walked me home all the way down the street, screaming at him the entire time!"
Shingo chose that moment to stomp out of his room and start down the hall, towards Usagi's room. Instantly, a look of panic came over Usagi's face and she flung the blank over Zoisite's head and shoulders. "Wrap that around yourself!" she hissed urgently. Zoisite had just gotten the blanket around his shoulders so that it's dangling ends tickled his feet, when the door to Usagi's room was slammed open. "USAGI NO BAKA! SOME PEOPLE—" He stopped as he caught sight of Zoisite's back. "I-I'm sorry Miss," he stuttered his eyes widening, "I-I didn't know that my sister had a guest over." The color rose in Zoisite's cheeks and he opened his mouth angrily to give this boy a brief, and very lewd, biology lesson when Usagi's hand slapped over his mouth. The other grabbed his wrist in a tight, even demanding, grip. Then, glaring at him commandingly, Usagi quickly made introductions. "Aiko-san," Zoisite blinked at the change in his name and grimaced behind Usagi's small, firm hand. 'SHE WOULDN'T! I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER INTRODUCING MYSELF AS "KENJI"!' But she most certainly did. "meet my younger brother Tsukino Shingo. Shingo, my friend Hanafubuki Aiko."
Shingo bowed to Zoisite in his pajamas of sweatpants and a T-shirt. Zoisite nearly refused to return the courtesy when a small hand detached itself from his mouth to poke imperiously at his lower back. Zoisite glared at the girl, tempted to blast her and the rest of this miserable household into oblivion when an image of Usagi after eating a triple hot fudge sundae flashed in his mind followed by the memory of her slender arms holding him when he had been especially weak last night. Grinding his teeth and still tightly wrapped up in the blanket, Zoisite bowed to Shingo. Oblivious to Zoisite's mounting fury, Shingo chitchatted with them for a few minutes, then, having gotten over his embarrassment at behaving badly in front of his sister's unknown friend, he glared at his older sister, "Try not to squeal like a dying pig Usagi. You're going to annoy your friend so much that she'll never talk to you again. Anyway, it's early and I'm trying to sleep."
He nodded at Zoisite and exited the room. For a moment Zoisite was distracted enough by that little speech to think, 'How can she let him get away with that?' Shocked he swung around to stare at Usagi. Her face was dark with rage and her blue eyes, truly the windows to her soul, snapped. "Please excuse me Kenji-san. He's right about one thing: it is too early for this. I'll be right back." She stalked out of her room, down the hall, and banged open Shingo's door. Shouts were heard, then banging and thumps. Despite himself, Zoisite grinned wolfishly at the noises, somehow feeling much better at the sounds of violence. Now, if only there was a little blood…Several minutes later a distinctly rumpled Usagi returned.
"Shingo-kun is very sorry to have been so rude in front of you."
Zoisite chuckled. "I'm sure he is."
Usagi smiled at him, there was a sadness to it though. "And I'm sorry to have behaved so badly too."
Zoisite shook his head. "I wouldn't have taken that either."
Usagi blushed. "I meant about the Aiko thing."
Zoisite's anger descended on him again. His green eyes narrowed into murderous slits. "Whatever possessed you to do that to me?"
Despite his obvious ire, Usagi looked Zoisite in the face as she calmly replied, "Kenji-san, you know what people are apt to think if they discovered that we'd had a coed sleepover even though it was unplanned and totally innocent in nature."
He glared at her. "And I care because?"
"Because I do and that's my family downstairs. To keep up the illusion, you're going to have to wear different, less masculine, clothes." She blushed slightly but her chin remained high, her face demanding.
'Just like a little princess…' Zoisite took a deep calming breath as Kunzite had taught him to. He tried counting. He even tried controlled breathing but his mind kept turning to one thing and one thing only.
"I don't want to be a girl!"
Usagi seemed to decide to try a different tack on the situation. Her eyes widened to their largest, most innocently helpless expression and her lips began to tremble. Somehow she gave the impression of being small and utterly forlorn in the midst of her warm and comfortable bedroom filled with symbols of love and companionship.
"Please Kenji-san? Please, for me?"
For a moment, Zoisite's heart actually began to melt. Then, with a snap, he came to his senses and his heart hardened. She was lying to him and trying to twist him around her little finger with that look. Hadn't he given that exact same look to Kunzite from time to time when he had wanted something? This little minx was as good a liar as any in the Dark Kingdom.
"None of that!" he snapped. "I know that look and it's not going to work."
Usagi shrugged and her stomach rumbled, loudly. She grinned up at him sheepishly. "Well, I think I need some breakfast Kenji-san….I mean Aiko-san."
He grimaced. "Usagi-san, I'm not going to do this. It's completely unnecessary."
"I'm sorry if I am upsetting you, but this really is very necessary." Usagi went to her closet and started rooting around in some boxes in the back of it.
"No, it's not. I could climb out the window and walk away."
"No, you can't. Shingo met you as Aiko and by now has told my parents that a girl named Aiko mysteriously showed up in the middle of the night and slept in my room. No normal girl would appear from no where, spend the night, then disappear again. It doesn't work that way."
Zoisite felt like grinding his teeth. "I'll be an odd exception."
Usagi opened her mouth to reply when the door swung open, a middle aged woman with wavy black hair and kind blue eyes attached to its door knob. "Shingo told me about your unexpected friend. It's a good thing that you're only sneaking your girl friends in and not your boyfriend." She winked at her daughter and her friend. "Your father would skin that poor boy alive." She laughed softly. "Anyway, breakfast will be ready soon so come on down girls." She left and Usagi turned desperate eyes on him. She clutched the front of his SOS shirt in her tiny fists and looked up at him through her eyelashes artfully.
"Please…" she wheedled appealingly. "Please Kenji-san."
"That's not going to work, Usagi-san. I'm gay."
Usagi stared at him. "You're kidding."
Zoisite looked at her steadily. "Nope. I'm a very gay man."
Usagi let go of his shirt and took a step back. Finally, with no apparent shame, Usagi feel to her knees and grabbed him around the knees, pressing her face into his leg.
"Wouldyouwearsomeofmyclothesandpretendtobeagirl?"
Zoisite blinked. "What?"
Usagi took a deep breath and repeated herself.
"Wouldyouwearsomeofmyclothesandpretendtobeagirl?"
Zoisite still had no clue about what she had just asked of him.
"Ask me a third time. This time, slowly."
Usagi took another deep breath and carefully repeated herself for a third time, making certain to enunciate clearly this time.
"Would you wear some of my clothes and pretend to be a girl?"
Zoisite stared at her for a few moments, speechless. "Absolutely not!" he stuttered. "I don't care how many times I have to say it! No means no!"
"But you've got to! Otherwise my father's gonna kill us! Especially me!"
"I will not!" he choked. "It's degrading. I'm a man and proud of it!"
"But—"
"Would he be happier if you told him that I'm gay?"
Usagi seemed to be thinking hard. "That won't help. You're male and you spent the night in my room. We're doomed."
'I could kill them,' Zoisite thought wildly. 'I could kill them all. I may love other men, but I certainly have standards.' He looked at Usagi's tragic face as she mutely continued to beg him. 'But then I wouldn't have her anymore…I could just kill her family, but then she wouldn't like me anymore…Or, I could just follow her insane plan…' He winced. 'This is going to be so humiliating…' Out loud he said in a harsh voice, "I'll do it but no pictures! Understand?" Usagi bounced to her feet and gave him a fierce hug. "Of course not." she replied sweetly. Fifteen minutes later, he sat downstairs at the breakfast table with the Tsukino family still wearing the baggy SOS shirt, a really baggy pair of running pants that Usagi had dug out of a box at the back of her closet and Usagi's large, fluffy white bathrobe, trying to make his voice higher in pitch.
"Are you sure you're not uncomfortable wearing all that?" asked Usagi's father for the fourth time.
"No, I'm just fine," Zoisite lied as he felt rivulets of sweat trickle down his back. "I get cold very easily."
"Obviously." Tsukino Kenji muttered.
Usagi chose that moment to ask that she be passed the pancakes, starting an argument with Shingo that halted further questioning, while Zoisite ground his teeth, pretending that he was really chewing.
…Zoisite shuddered. No, he did not want to be Hanafubuki Aiko again any time soon. He would continue to prowl the streets for her or watch her house from a safe distance. But Aiko would not be putting in an appearance today or ever if he had his way.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Usagi was busy arguing with Hisui over the phone. The topic of their "discussion" was whether or not he was going to tell her how far they'd gotten in their relationship. Usagi maintained that they were far enough along to announce themselves as a couple. Hisui maintained that they were just friends.
"Yeah. Friends who just happen to swap spit upon occasion."
"We're friends and you "swapped spit", as you so charmingly phrased it, with me."
"That was different! You were dying!"
"A kiss is a kiss Usa-chan."
Usagi stomped one foot impotently. "Hisui-kun!" she whined. "You never tell me—"
The doorbell rang. "This isn't going to save you!" Usagi told the man on the other end of the phone line as she marched to the door and swung it open.
"Mako-chan!" she squealed. "What are you doing here so soon?"
"Aequila-kun and I are meeting up early before the picnic tomorrow so I decided to come over early. You don't mind do you?"
"Of course not!"
"Who are you talking to?"
"Hisui-kun. I'm trying to persuade him to bring Setsuna-san to the picnic as part of their date tomorrow." Makoto laughed. Their communicators beeped. Sighing in anticipation of another attack, they opened them to find Hisui had beeped them.
"We are not going on a date tomorrow, Mako-chan!"
Makoto laughed. "You must be going on a pretty hot one to be denying it so venomously."
"Mako-chan!" He rolled his eyes. "Women!"
The girls burst into gales of laughter. "We love you too Hisui-kun" Usagi chortled.
He seemed to look at something off screen for a second. "Right. Look I don't think I'll be able to make it tomorrow but we'll see. I've got to go attend to something. Business."
Makoto winked. "Give our love to Setsuna-san."
He glowered at them. "Bye."
"Bye."
"Bye."
The girls looked at each other then started laughing so hard that they were crying. Minutes later, when they had themselves under control, Makoto was finishing up her inspection of Usagi's kitchen. "Right," she declared. "we're going to need a few things that you don't have here." She scribbled her needed supplies on a piece of paper. "Here. See if you can get this stuff."
Usagi looked at the long list more than slightly dubiously. "Are you sure we need all of this stuff?"
"Well, whose coming?"
"Me, you, Aequila-san, Naru-chan, Motoki-kun, Minako-chan, Hikaru-san, Hotaru-chan and maybe Haruka-san, Michiru-san, and Hisui-kun."
"I see. Let me see that list." Sighing with relief, she handed Makoto the list. Makoto made some marks with a pen, then handed it back. Usagi eyed the list and groaned. Makoto had asked for more of the previous supplies and scrawled a few more besides. "Mako-chan! That's enough for an army!"
"We have to feed you Usagi-chan as well as the people who are coming as well as anyone who may show up. Trust me."
"How am I going to lug all this home?"
"Very carefully."
"I'm not that strong!"
"Usagi-chan, you're Sailor Moon, Warrior of Love and Justice! You should be able to carry a few groceries! Now go on."
Sadly, Usagi collected her purse. "What if I find I don't have enough money?"
"Then bring home what you have and I'll give you some more money to go out and get the rest."
"I can't win can I, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked plaintively.
"No," Makoto replied as she started arranging the ingredients she had, "you can't."
Laughing, Usagi bounded out the door calling, "I'll be back soon" as she left.
Whistling Usagi bounced down the street to the supermarket when she bounced right into someone. Blinking to clear the blackness from her eyes, she peered up at the person she had just knocked the wind out of. "Kenji-san!"
"Usagi-san!" He rubbed his chest where she had run into it.
"I'm sorry Kenji-san! I didn't mean to!"
He laughed. "We meet in this manner again."
Usagi smiled sheepishly. "I meet most of the important people in my life this way."
"You must have a very hard head."
Usagi laughed ruefully. "That's what Rei and the teachers say."
He laughed too. "So where are you going?"
Usagi made a face. "To the supermarket to pick up a few things." She looked at the list in her hand. "Actually a lot of things."
"Then I'll come along to help you."
"Would you really?" She looked up at him gratefully.
"Yes. Really." Mentally he sighed. This was not how he envisioned spending his time with her. She beamed up at him.
"Hey, Kenji-san? How would you like to come on a picnic with me tomorrow?"
"A picnic?"
"Sure. There'll be people there that you don't know but I'm sure you'll have fun. I'll introduce you and it'll be a blast!"
Zoisite's eyes narrowed. On the one hand he was sorely tempted. He had never been on a picnic and Usagi-san would be there. On the other, there would be other people there and human food. He was desperately curious about what a 'picnic' might be and he really didn't have anything monumental going on except to plan and execute a few yoma attacks and think about Kunzite since he couldn't afford to be weak and go visit Kunzite. Of course, submitting to his curiosity was also weakness. And the Master and Nephrite would want to know where he had been and what he was doing. Zoisite gnawed his lower lip. He didn't want to get Kunzite killed… Finally, Zoisite sighed regretfully.
"I'm sorry but I cannot. Maybe some other time."
Usagi nodded regretfully at the resignation in his voice. "I'll miss you then. Maybe we can get together and do something some other time…"
"Maybe."
Usagi grinned naughty. "Maybe we could buy you some new clothes."
Zoisite looked at her in surprise. "What's wrong with these?"
Usagi plucked at one of his baggy sleeves. "They're too big for you."
He shrugged. "I don't particularly care. Clothes are clothes. You wear them and have to wash them."
Usagi stared at him. "What?!"
He grinned at her consternation.
She glared at him.
"You're lucky you can't come on the picnic" she grumbled. "I would have asked the others to help me throw you in the lake."
His refusal to go on the picnic did not stop him from carrying her bags from the supermarket or following her to a small herb shop with them. Eventually, he even carried them home for her. Opening the door, she shouted, "Mako-chan, we're home!"
"Mmmm, really? I'll be out in a second."
Usagi led him into the living room and told him he could deposit his bundles there. Through the doorway into the kitchen, Zoisite spotted her. It was that brunette Amazon that had fought him when he had been sent to take his first Nijuzuishou. Carefully setting Usagi's purchases down, he began to edge along the wall towards the window, listening to Usagi talk to the brunette.
"Did you run out of money like you predicted?"
Usagi laughed sheepishly. "No. I didn't even give myself a hernia lugging all that food home."
"Oh? And why not?"
"Because a really nice friend of mine decided to play the knight in shining armor and carry everything for me."
"Really? Who?" Makoto came to the doorway to the living room, dusting her hands on a dishtowel. She surveyed the living room and looked faintly puzzled. "Are they still here?"
"Of course! He's right here!" Usagi turned to Kenji to find that he really was not "right here" as she had thought. Puzzled, she peered down the entry hallway, then ran her eyes over the entire living room, pausing on the open window. "Oh dear." She sighed. "He's shy. He went and climbed out the window."
"He what?!"
Usagi pointed to the open window. "That wasn't like that when we came in. I guess he got shy and left."
Makoto made an effort and shut her open mouth. "Is he coming to the picnic tomorrow?"
"No. I asked him but he said that he had other plans."
Makoto pursed her lips. "Drat! I'm curious now!"
Usagi laughed. "I'll jump him one day and drag him over to your place to meet you." Her eyes began to twinkle wickedly. "Thinking of leaving your boyfriend for my mysterious friend?"
Makoto glared at her friend heatedly. "Of course not! I love Aequila-kun very much! I would never leave him for anyone!"
Usagi put her hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Calm down Mako-chan! I was teasing you!" Usagi made a wry face. "Do I act like that every time someone teases me about my Mamo-chan?" Makoto blushed slightly. "Sorry." She bent all of her attention on the dishtowel in her hands as if the hem of it were the most important thing in the world. "Speaking of Aequila-kun…" She paused. The corner of the dishtowel was now being wrapped and unwrapped around the index finger of her right hand.
"Yes?" Usagi asked curiously. "Well…Remember how I'd never met Nephrite in this life and had no memories of him until we got the memories from our previous lives back?"
"Yes." Usagi replied slowly, baffled.
"Well, Aequila-kun…" she took a deep, controlled breath. "…looks almost exactly like him."
Usagi stood there for a moment, slightly numb with shock. "So you're saying that he's the reincarnation of Boreas?"
Makoto nodded. "I think so."
Usagi grinned at her. "Wow! This is great! He's probably one of the ones that we need! Of course, Hotaru-chan is the only one who could say for certain but—"
"No!"
Usagi blinked. "Um…Did I say something wrong?"
Makoto gnawed at her lower lip a few moments before answering. "This is going to sound incredibly selfish but I don't want you to wake him up. Not yet."
"Why?"
Makoto closed her eyes. "What we have is…well, I want to call it love. True love, like yours and Mamoru-san's but it's not strong yet. It's still fragile like a tiny sapling and it really hasn't had time to grow up yet. If we revive him…I want him to love me for me, and for me to love him for him, not because we're 'meant to be together'!"
Usagi understood instantly. Carefully, she asked, "What about you, do you love him because you're 'meant to be together'?"
Makoto shook her head, half smiling. "No. That's just it. There's no pressure to love him so I can take matters as they are. If it won't work out in this life, at least we know before things get all complicated by his waking up. Besides, maybe we aren't the right ones to decide whether or not to wake him up."
"What do you mean?"
"He's Mamoru-san's protector. Maybe Mamoru-san should be the one to wake him up."
"How? I love him but, for that kind of thing, Mamo-chan has the telepathic powers of a cabbage."
"Usagi!"
Usagi flushed slightly. "It's the truth Mako-chan. He can't do it. Luna and Artemis can for sure."
"And you."
Usagi stared at her. "What gave you that idea?"
"You did that mind-to-mind Crescent Moon thing on Motoki-kun…" Makoto trailed off, seeing the incomprehension on Usagi's mobile face. "You know, the thing where your Crescent Moon came out," she put her index finger over where the Crescent Moon would be on Usagi forehead, "and hit Motoki in his forehead," her finger traveled across the distance between them to rest lightly in the center of her own forehead. "And something happened and then he was okay again. You can probably do lots of mind things."
Usagi looked at her, shocked.
Makoto laughed. "You mean that you hadn't thought of it?"
"No…No I hadn't." Usagi looked thoughtful. "Although it would certainly explain some things."
"Like what?"
"Like how my future self saved Chibiusa and I that first time she came back. Or even how she told Chibiusa to come back in the first place for that matter."
"So what are you going to do now?"
Usagi suddenly grinned wickedly up at Makoto and slid a furtive glance at the kitchen doorway. "Well, first I'm going to try at least two of everything that you managed to whip up while I was out!" And she darted towards the kitchen.
"Usagi!" Makoto lunged at the smaller girl and a cheerful wrestling match over the future of Makoto's food began.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Zoisite flopped down on his throne. Now that he had returned to the Dark Kingdom, his misery had returned full strength too. He always missed Kunzite, even when he was with the delightful Tsukino Usagi. She seemed to take his mind off of his problems and put it to some of the most useless tasks imaginable. Things like worrying over pretending to be a girl or how good chocolate tastes or the beauty of the flowers in the park. Even though he had been carrying her groceries, shopping with Usagi-san had been fun. She had been so delighted to have his company and so excited about her picnic. They had even managed to make each other laugh while joking and clowning around. He shook his head. He had never thought that he would consider any aspect of manual labor 'fun' or life without Kunzite even marginally bearable. Usagi-san was a bad influence on him. He sighed.
She had never said anything but she was waiting for a certain boy. He could tell by the way she looked at the human boys on the streets of Tokyo: casually but not really interested. They had that in common at least. He was waiting for someone too. Only his love was trapped in a wall by nasty vines that would suck the life out of him in a very painful manner if he did not perform properly and gather enough energy. He wanted to go see Kunzite so badly…
But that would be admitting weakness to their 'overlord', something Kunzite taught him never to do. He gnawed him lower lip until it bled, as his need for Kunzite swept over him in intense waves. Sighing, he pushed his feelings toward a small, dark box at the back of his mind and heart. For a moment, he opened the box to trap his longings and emotions inside and the contents of the box nearly escaped and overwhelmed him. Moaning, he forced it all back, added to it, closed the box and then assumed as mask of collected calm. When it was finally time to open the box and let it all out, Zoisite shuddered to think what would happen. Instead of dwelling on the future, he hauled himself out of his throne and teleported in a shower of cherry blossoms to go find Nephrite and plan tomorrow's attack on Tokyo.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"I have called this meeting to address a number of issues so that we'll all know what is going on. Firstly, when Gekidoku returns to Rubeus, will you join her Kikyoku?"
"Of course!"
"I don't understand how she has stood that moron so long without killing him anyway" muttered Sado.
"That is why she and Kikyoku are assigned to babysitting him and you are not."
Sado made a face at his older sister. Zetsumei ignored him and continued her briefing. "Thank you Kikyoku. During her stint with Rubeus, Gedkidoku found Zoisite's weak point. It is a human girl that Gekidoku and Kikyoku will be obtaining for us tomorrow. To cover this, and distract the Sailor Senshi, Rubeus will be leading an attack tomorrow on the other side of Tokyo. Zoisite's leader has given us his blessing to destroy Zoisite so we have no retribution to worry about from that corner as long as we do not harm Kunzite."
"Why does Zoisite's weakness matter to us if we can strike at Zoisite directly?" asked Kikyoku.
"The girl is Zoisite's weakness and Zoisite is Kunzite's weakness. To strike at her, then Zoisite, is to strike at Kunzite first indirectly, then directly." Kikyoku made a face at her sister who sweetly smiled back.
"Very good Gekidoku" approved Zetsumei. "Now, Ekiri has developed a crystal that will allow us to capture yoma and bend them to our will, thus augmenting us." She fished her crystal out of her pocket. "I am please to say that the crystals work." She grimaced wryly. "Although, there are some dangers."
Ekiri immediately leapt to the defense of his creation. "It's a prototype! You can't expect it to be perfect on its first trial run!"
Zetsumei smiled wryly. "The danger had nothing to do with the crystal but everything to do with the yoma I captured. She was very…determined." An image of the yoma's eyes as she screamed her last defiance flashed in Zetsumei's mind, causing her to pause long enough for Kikyoku to ask worriedly, "Were you hurt?"
Zetsumei smiled gently at her little sister. "Not seriously, no. Just a few cuts and bruises." Her face became more serious. "Now back to business. Ekiri, can you create more of these things?"
"Of course!" He looked a little sheepishly at his sister. "Um…do you think that I could see it though?" Zetsumei fished her crystal from a small pouch that had been hidden in a pocket in the sleeve of her dress. Carefully she handed it to her brother.
"Can you take the yoma out for me to examine?"
"No. She's still resisting the crystal and my dominance."
"So what do we do?" Sado asked, gesturing at himself and Shikaku.
"Shikaku will accompany Gekidoku and Kikyoku to be certain that Rubeus gives them no trouble. Once he has ensured the stability of their positions he will return and help Ekiri as you and I will be. At 1:00 tomorrow afternoon, the girls will go and wait for the human in the park. Sado and Shikaku will leave and join Rubeus to ensure that the attack starts off well. Assuming that everything goes as planned, they will leave."
"Rubeus is—"
"Of no concern to us." Zetsumei interposed firmly. "The battle is for diversion and assessment purposes. Not an invasion. Every spare moment between now and tomorrow will be spent capturing yoma with the crystals. The girl we want should be captured by 3:00 tomorrow afternoon, when we will be assembling in the throne room to dispose of her and he who was so kind—or perhaps so foolish—as to sent us free."
The other members of the Shiin family laughed. Ekiri returned Zetsumei's crystal to her. It disappeared into its sleeve. "I will repeat the plan one more time. Kikyoku and Gekidoku will keep an eye on Rubeus until tomorrow. Ekiri, Sado, Shikaku, and I will be creating crystals in the meanwhile. At 1:00 tomorrow, Sado and Shikaku will join Rubeus, replacing Kikyoku and Gekidoku, and make sure that he doesn't ruin the attack somehow. The attack and the kidnapping will occur simultaneously at 2:15. As soon as the attack appears to be going well, Sado and Shikaku will return to Ekiri's lab. In the meanwhile, Gekidoku and Kikyoku will have captured the girl and brought her to the throne room. Our longstanding goal at the moment is yoma collection. From now on, we will spend every waking moment either creating crystals or trapping yoma. For example, Gekidoku and Kikyoku will spend the hour between handing Rubeus over to Shikaku and Sado and capturing the girl, capturing yoma for themselves."
"Only Ekiri knows how to make the crystals." Kikyoku pointed out.
"But he can teach the rest of us." Shikaku replied.
"Now, I assume you know your assignments. If you think of any questions ask me. I'll be helping in Ekiri's lab. Now, move out!"
Kikyoku, Gekidoku, and Shikaku teleported after Rubeus.
Sado, Ekiri, and Zetsumei left for Ekiri's lab.
And somewhere, deep in the bowls of the Dark Kingdom, where Beryl's Great Leader had once resided, the Master cackled his glee.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Nephrite sat bolted upright in bed, staring wildly into the darkness. His breath came in labored gasps and sweat poured from every pore in his body. Rapidly, his hands swept over his body, checking for damage. It had been dark and he had been wounded badly. He was dying. His back had been riddled with minor wounds but his shoulder…. Something large and sharp had been protruding from his shoulder. He probably would have survived the minor wounds in his back if it weren't for this thing sucking his energy, and thus his life, out of him. Not only was it draining his life but it was doing it in such a way that every fiber of his body screamed in agony. His body had been soaked in his own warm, green blood.
She had been there. He had been protecting her, that was how he had gotten hurt so badly. They had wanted something from him, something that he wouldn't give them, so they had tried to hurt her. She could have left him during the battle, but she hadn't. Now he lay in her arms, looking up into tearful blue eyes, framed by her bedraggled reddish brown. She was covered in his blood too, not that he noticed. His mind was fading, but not the pain, she was begging him to stay with her, and the stars were singing a sad, yet comforting melody on the cool night air. Her voice faded into the song of the stars. Everything in his world faded to the pain in his body, the music of the stars, and her eyes, sparkling with love and tears. The pain increased exponentially then….he woke up. Trembling, he lowered his face into his unstable hands. What was going on? Was he going insane? Were those some of the memories that the Master said he had lost?
He sat there for what felt like a long time. A hunched and solitary figure amidst the twisted and sweat soaked sheets, breathing raggedly with his face in his hands and his long hair fall around him and a tangled chestnut curtain. Finally, knowing he would have no more sleep, he moved. Struggling out of bed, he headed for the bathroom and a steaming hot bath.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
At the Crown Fruits Parlor Furuhata Unazuki served the girl her fruit drink. "Anything else?" she asked, clutching her tray to her chest. The other girl shook her head. "No, thanks…" Unazuki turned to go, "Has a girl with long blond hair in a red ribbon come in here?"
Unazuki turned back. "Minako-chan?"
Hikaru started. "You know Aino Minako?"
"Of course! Everyone here knows her! Are you waiting for her?"
"Sort of. We were going to meet here, play a few games in the arcade, then go to the hospital."
"The hospital! Is everything alright?"
Hikaru smiled at the girl's obviously genuine concern. "No everything's fine with. We're just going there to volunteer."
"Oh! I though about doing that." Unazuki slipped into the seat across from Hikaru. "Tell me, do you really have to empty bedpans?"
Hikaru leaned forwards and earnestly began to explain what one does when volunteering at a hospital.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Usagi was singing to herself happily as she brushed her hair. She was accompanied by her softly playing radio and the sound of the shower running. For once she had gotten up earlier than Makoto and was already finished showering when the other girl had woken up. The shower shut off. Several minutes later, Makoto appeared at her door. Makoto was dressed in a pair of loose khaki pants and a rather tight forest green sleeveless turtleneck. She also wore tan ankle high boots and her customary rose earrings. Her damp hair was up in her usual ponytail, wisps of her chestnut hair tumbling around her face. Her reflection grinned at Usagi in the mirror.
"Excited?"
"Yup." Usagi smiled happily at the figure in the mirror. "I'll get to see some of my old friends and make some new ones. And I'll get to meet your significant other. It's going to be a good day." Usagi announced cheerfully.
Luna and Artemis wandered into the room. Artemis trailed Luna who walked stiffly, her head high.
"But Luna," the white feline began when the other cut him off.
"I don't want to hear it, Artemis! You're a peeping tom!"
"It was an accident!"
"I don't care. It was unforgivable!"
Usagi and Makoto exchanged bewildered glances.
"So…um…What happened you two?" Makoto asked cautiously.
"We're not talking about it!" Luna snarled.
Artemis hung his head miserably as Luna stalked over to the bed and, leaping onto it, curled up in a ball, glaring at him balefully. Usagi took pity on the white cat and, picking him up, gently cuddled him. Makoto settled on the bed next to Luna, comfortingly caressing the black cat.
"So what happened?" Usagi asked gently after awhile. Luna ducked her head.
Artemis sighed heavily. "I didn't mean to." He muttered by way of introduction. Luna hissed her breath out softly. "We were hunting around for traces of Dark Energy. There was the fish shop owner—we don't get along well—who thought that we were going to…er…relieve him of some of his fish when all we were really doing was looking for Dark Energy in that part of town. We ran and he chased us. We finally got away by jumping over a fence…right into a pile of the most fragrant refuse I've ever had the misfortune to have a close experience with. To cap it all, this all happened in a giant mud puddle. We were not happy kitties and decided to come home to one of you girls' house. Preferably the closest one. Mako-chan's apartment to be exact. On the way there, I decided to take a bath instead of licking myself clean. I didn't think that Luna had the same plan." He put his head between his paws. "I decided to change into my human form to take the bath…haven't been able to do that in centuries…and…well…"
"Walked in on Luna, as a human, bathing?" Makoto supplied. Both cats nodded.
"So why didn't you hop in with her?" Usagi asked impishly. Both cats looked at her in shock.
"USAGI!"
Usagi and Makoto laughed.
"Well why not? We know that you two have a daughter in the future. It's not like you're never going to—"
"USAGI!"
Usagi and Makoto couldn't help themselves. When they finally had control of themselves again, Usagi said, "It was just an accident."
"Could've happened to anyone." Makoto added.
"So let it blow over."
The two cats looked at each other. Luna with hostility and Artemis with misery.
At that moment, their communicators go off. Makoto and Usagi flipped the tops off of their watches. Sailor Pluto's face appeared, dirty and smudged, a few strands of bedraggled hair in her face.
"Usagi here."
"Makoto here." "We're all here now." Minako's voice reported.
"Indeterminate number of yoma in the subway system. Saturn, Jadeite and I are hard pressed and Saturn and I were separated from Jadeite by the initial wave. We're using guerrilla tactics so be careful when you get here. Pluto out."
"We've got to go help them!" Usagi said excitedly.
Ami's voice cut in. "There are other attacks going on. One group of two in the park, one of four near Juuban High, and of course the street roamers. I see two of those groups. Three in one and two in the other."
Usagi bit her lower lip. Difficult, unpleasant decisions had to be made.
"How close are they to any of the other groups?" Rei demanded.
"Not very. The trio are near Usagi's housing area and the duo are on the way to Juuban High, near the Arcade."
"We're going to have to help some people before others. There's no other way." Haruka's voice was hard.
"She's right." Michiru's voice was expressionless. "We're in the park, so we'll deal with those two."
"Mako-chan and I will deal with the trio near my house."
"Ami-chan and I can deal with the yoma near the Arcade because we both live fairly close to them." Minako announced. "Rei-chan, you live so far away that you can come and help as you can. Head towards Juuban High. You'll pass Usagi's house, the park, and the arcade as you go."
"And everyone will converge on the yoma near Juuban High." Ami added. "From there, we will all travel together and attack the subway yoma."
"I hope that Jadeite, Pluto, and Saturn can last that long." Usagi murmured.
"They'll have to." Minako stated firmly.
"Right! Everyone be careful! Good hunting! Usagi out!"
"Shall we go?" Makoto asked as she gestured towards the window.
"We shall!" And with that, Usagi swung herself out of her window and shinnied down the tree's trunk, closely followed by Makoto. Together they ran off to find the yoma and a deserted alley.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Gently, she placed the tips of her fingers on the bark of the tree. Carefully, so as not to loose the tiniest bit, she drew the life's energy out of the tree. Under her fingers, the tree's leaves turned brown around the edges, then began to whither and fall off. The twigs and branches of the tree grew fragile and crumbled while the sap boiled in the trunk and roots before finally evaporating. The tree hissed and steamed as it finally blackened before catching fire and collapsing in a heap of ashes. Smirking, she removed her fingers from the bark and fastidiously rubbed them against each other, causing a small shower of ashes to fall onto the pile. Calmly she turned to the next tree to do the same to it when Nephrite called out in a harsh voice, "Not that tree." He teleported from his watching place to reappear, leaning against it's trunk. "This is the one tree that you may not touch in this park." He could tell that she was curious, but she did not ask him his reasons. One never asked one's superior his or her reasons for their decrees. Instead of asking her questions, she bowed her head and moved on to a small sapling.
When she was done with it she turned to her partner, who was doing something very similar to a pair of the park's squirrels. She finished a matter of seconds after the first yoma, leaving a pair of oily, foul smell black globules in her wake. She wiped her fingertips on the grass before allowing her partner to help her to her feet. "With your leave my lord?" she asked. Nephrite nodded his acquiescence and hand in hand, they teleported back to the Dark Kingdom to deposit the energy that they had collected in the last hour.
Nephrite sat down, leaning against the trunk of the tree. He didn't understand why he had saved this tree from the yoma. He just felt attracted to it. Like it held a part of him. It was like the clothes that he was wearing. He wasn't certain why he was wearing them or even why they were in his closet but it had felt so right to wear them on this trip to Earth. He closed his eyes and images flashed against his closed eyelids. He and a young girl sitting beneath this tree, laughing at something she had said. She struck a chord in his heart with her wavy, auburn hair and her sparkling blue eyes. He gasped in recognition. It was her! From the dream! Then the subject of his nightmares came back, stronger than ever and moaning, he slid even further down the tree trunk until he was lying on his side, curled up into a protective ball, in the grips of memories he wished that he didn't have.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Pluto stuffed her communicator back into her subspace, avoiding Saturn's searching gaze.
"Why didn't you just talk to them, mind to mind? It would have been quicker."
'But not easier for me in the long run' Pluto thought. Out loud she whispered, "Hush, someone's coming."
Saturn cocked her head, only now hearing the faint clatter of many feet on the cement. The two looked at each other and nodded. tensing for their next course of action. When the footsteps got close enough, the two women leapt into the open, not even bothering to look at their targets beyond confirming the fact that they were yoma. Then they were dead yoma, their remains messily splattered on the walls and floor. Grimly, they went in search of either more yoma or Jadeite, whichever they found first.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
In the park, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus were sprinting, looking for anything unusual that would lead them to the yoma. Screams were coming from their right and they swiftly changed directions to see what the disturbance was, betting that it was the yoma. Barely, they stopped before barging into the chaos that was unfolding. A yoma, with dark pink hair and large, purple eyes was holding a human corpse up by his throat, draining what little energy was left to him. She wore long, flowing white robes whose wide sleeves came to her elbows and whose hem came down to her ankles. On her feet she wore ebony black slippers that matched the thin cord around her waist. Her face was twisted in inhuman ecstasy as she gather energy from the poor man. Behind her was another yoma who was doing something similar to the nearest tree. Dressed in exactly the same garb, she had dark blue hair and large, purple eyes. Huddled against the tree that the purple haired yoma was draining were a group of men, women, and a few small children. Neptune pointed at herself, then the yoma with pink hair. Uranus nodded her assent, then pointed to herself and the purple haired yoma. Nodding to each other, the soldiers prepared their opening attacks.
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"
"WORLD SHAKING!"
Neptune hit her yoma in the side, causing her scream and drop the half decayed corpse, orange blood streaming from her wound. Uranus hit hers squarely in the back, screaming she released the tree which fell over, rotted to the core, as yellow blood coursed out of her back. The people desperately scrambled out of the falling tree's way and used the distraction to run for it. Ignoring the humans, the yoma moved close together and scoured the tree line for the sources of the attacks. The pink haired yoma used the palm of one of her hands to cauterize the wound in her side while using the out to cauterize her partner's back. Together, Uranus and Neptune strode from the trees to stand back to back.
"Invited by a New Age, acting beautifully, the Soldier of the Wind, Sailor Uranus!"
"Invited by a New Age, acting gracefully, the Soldier of the Seas, Sailor Neptune!"
Behind them, a deep blue, almost black, background appeared as mysterious music began to play. Together they said, "For your murders, we will punish you!"
Then they attacked, running at the yoma. The purple hair yoma though, rapidly shot powerful beams at them from her palms. The soldiers had to abandon their attack in favor of dodging the beams. From behind the cover of a pair of trees, they retaliated.
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"
"WORLD SHAKING!"
Both yoma put up their palms to absorb their attacks. Then, standing back to back, they waited for the next attack, their bodies already mending their previous wounds. Neptune's eyes narrowed. *What will we do? We need a plan.*
*And no Ami-chan here to help us.* Uranus thought back wryly.
Neptune mentally snorted. *We did well enough without her. Not that I wouldn't mind having her tactical genius here right now.*
*But we don't have her. Let's test their defenses.*
*How? I doubt that they're going to let us close enough to hit them.*
*But let's try anyway.*
With that, Uranus burst from her cover and once again tried to physically assault the yoma. This time, both yoma shot beams at her. Uranus dodged their fire expertly. As she was leaping towards cover, though, a treacherous tree root seemed to snag her ankle, tripping her ad tangling her foot in itself. She went down hard.
"URANUS!"
The yoma shot particularly strong beams at their unmoving target as she struggled to wrench her foot free.
"SUBMARINE REFLECTION!"
Neptune shot a particularly powerful bolt of her own out of her mirror. The blasts met in midair, nearly on top of Uranus who, with a final tug, got free of the root and scampered for cover.
*Are you alright?* Neptune demanded silently.
*Yes. I don't think that's going to work.*
Neptune let that pass. *They're like batteries. What if we could overwhelm them?*
*Like an electrical surge? It might work. It would cost us lots of power though.*
*We need to get to the subways, remember? I'm willing to make the sacrifice.*
*There shouldn't have to be a sacrifice this time. What if you distract them with your idea and I hit them from behind?*
*That would be even better. Let's do it.*
Neptune took a deep breath and stepped into their line of sight.
"SUBMARINE REFLECTION!"
She held the beam, putting less energy that usual into it, keeping the yoma's attention as they absorbed her attack. Silently, Uranus moved around until she was behind them.
"WORLD SHAKING!"
The pink yoma turned just in the nick of time to absorb her attack. Swiftly, she fired one of her own at the place where she thought the attack had come from. Uranus had already moved. They continued this for a few minutes, until the pink yoma was too slow to react one time and was hit, squarely and hard, in the chest. Her eyes rolling back, she crumpled to the ground. Neptune cut her attack off and retreated. The purple haired yoma kicked her partner tentatively but received no response. She leaned down and began to drain her partner.
Disgusted, Uranus leapt from the bushes.
"WORLD SHAKING!"
The yoma blocked her attack one handed, as she continued to drain her partner.
Neptune silently moved around to her other side.
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"
The yoma blocked her too.
The senshi were undeterred as they continued to attack, retreat into the bushes, move to a new position, and attack again. Still, the yoma blocked them.
*Rush her Neptune. I'll cover you.*
*Hai.*
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"
Rushing forward on the heels of her attack instead of retreating as usual, Neptune caught the remaining yoma by surprise. She was not so surprised however, that she allowed the opportunity to shoot beams at Neptune to go by. In her zeal, and growing concern that Neptune hadn't retreated under her fire but was still trying to close in on her, she forgot to watch for Uranus. By silently slipping around until she was at the yoma's back, Uranus had a golden opportunity to spring her trap. Slipping forwards, she herself ran at the yoma's back. The yoma turned at the last possible second, just in time to see the Space sword appear in Uranus's hand and see Uranus sever her head from her body.
Both senshi stood there for a few moments, panting, as what little energy was left form the encounter fled the dead body and returned to either the rotten tree or the human corpse. Unexpected pain exploded through their heads, causing them to gasp, "Venus!" Not waiting anymore they ran from the park and towards the Arcade, praying that they were in time to help.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Jadeite readied a ball of flames in one hand as he listened for telltale footsteps. The man next to him was slumped against the lee of the wall.
"Why?" He muttered softly.
Jadeite sighed. "Listened," he hissed "if you don't become quiet really soon I'm going to silence you myself."
The man beside him continued on, either not noticing or not caring. "Why did they attack the subway system? We don't deserve—" He cut off as a hand slapped over his mouth. Jadeite leveled a cold, and rather threatening gaze, on the other man.
"I would be very, very quiet if I were you. We are in serious danger here and I have no plans for dying any time soon. Now. Shut. Up." The man's mouth shut with a snap, his eyes wide. Feet pattered, coming their way, accompanied by muffled sobs and panting. Jadeite removed his hand from the other man's face to carefully shield his flames. Patiently he waited for the footsteps to come closer. He waited until the last possible second, then attacked. Leaping from hiding, he fried a pair of yoma that were chasing a woman, who was carrying a small child tucked under one arm. The woman eyed him with terrified eyes, shielding the child with her body. Jadeite put his hands up soothingly. "It's okay." He murmured reassuringly. "I'm not going to hurt either of you."
"But…But, your hand…the f-fire…" her voice trailed off.
"I'm a friend of the Sailor Senshi." He winced as he muttered unwillingly. "I fight for love and justice."
A voice behind him said, "Do you hear that Pluto? He's Sailor Moon's man."
"I heard." Pluto's voice answered. "It seems we have lost him to the Moon."
They emerged from the shadows at the back of the platform. Saturn pretending to pout. "I so wanted him to be a Warrior of Death and Rebirth and fight under the protection of the Star of Destruction, Saturn." Her face brightened with a brilliant smile. "D'you think I can get Sailor Moon to give him to me? If I'm really, really nice to her?"
Pluto pretended to think it over. "Possibly. I'd throw food into the deal and I think that you've got him for your very own."
"Ladies," Jadeite ground out "I am not a side of beef. And I do not belong to Sailor Moon."
The woman finally found her voice and gasped, "You-you are really Sailor Senshi?"
Saturn nodded. "Sailors Saturn and Sailor Pluto at your service."
She pointed at Jadeite. "And…And he is your friend?" She smiled faintly. "A warrior for love and justice?"
"Yup. Although he didn't get his spiel quite right." Saturn looked at Jadeite critically. "D'you think that it'll be difficult to train him?"
"Quite probably." Pluto commented. "He's probably heard that speech more time than he cares to remember yet he still can't get it right. You might have problems with that."
"I'm not so sure that he'd make a good Warrior of Saturn." The woman commented thoughtfully as she put the child under her arm, a girl, down. "He just doesn't fit the role of 'Warrior of Death and Rebirth under the Star of Destruction.' His hair is too blond."
"Too blond?" Jadeite demanded, slightly miffed. "I like my hair!"
"Oh, I agree it's a nice enough color" she agreed cheerfully.
"So what's wrong with my hair?!"
Saturn looked at Jadeite critically for a moment. "I see your point." Saturn agreed. She glanced at Pluto slyly. "What do you think of him as a Warrior of Space and Time under the protection of the Star of Eternity?"
The woman watched through her lashes as Pluto turned slightly pink under her tan skin while Jadeite, with his pale coloring, turned cherry red. From the corner of her eye, she watched Saturn squirm with delight. She pretended to size Jadeite up. "Oh, I can definitely see him as a 'Warrior of Space and Time under the protection of the Star of Eternity.'" Saturn laughed gleefully at her friends' darkening color. "Oh yeah! I like this woman!"
"I made a mistake saving her." Jadeite muttered. "I should have let the yoma have her."
"I don't see how you can play games and crack jokes at a time like this." whined a masculine voice. A tall, thin man with thinning black hair and large, thick glasses appeared. Jadeite sighed. "My other mistake." He muttered by way of introduction to the others as the man span the small distance between them in a matter of second ranting and raving about their inappropriate behavior in his high, nasal voice. The woman cut him off in mid-rant with. "Hello. I'm Suzuki Takara and this" she gestured to the small girl standing next to her" is Suzuki Mai, my little sister. And you are?"
"Yamamoto Kentaro."
"From personal experience, Yamamoto-san, I believe that it's important to laugh when life is at its darkest. It's either that or cry, and crying makes your nose runny and your eyes red. Laughing's much more fun."
He sniffed. "I do not agree."
She shrugged. "That's your look out of course. I can't tell you how to live your life."
"I should certainly hope not!"
Jadeite cleared his throat, interrupting what promised to be an interesting argument. "Mai-chan is acting better that either of you. Now, we need to move along. And move along quietly. We can't really afford to be stealthy and leave you lot but we can't sit still and allow others to die either."
Kentaro opened his mouth to say something but Mai pulled on his jacket. Looking up at him seriously, she put one finger over her mouth. "Shhhhhhhhh." Kentaro, looking highly offended, shut his mouth with a snap and stalked away.
Jadeite chuckled slightly. "From the mouths of babes."
Takara arched an eyebrow at Jadeite, putting her finger over her mouth. Jadeite scowled at her. Saturn giggled and went after Kentaro, Takara and Mai in her wake.
"I should have let the yoma kill them both and saved only Mai-chan."
Pluto quietly laughed.
"You don't mean that." She started after the others.
"I most certainly do!"
Pluto's laughter drifted back to him in reply.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The trio of yoma were wandering down the main street, less than three block's from Usagi's house. All three of them were women, at least seven feet tall, and the most masculine yoma Sailor Moon had see in a long time. All were large and extremely muscular in build. The first had long blond hair and brilliant red eyes. Dressed in a short, tight red tunic embroidered with gold, she stomped down the street leaving holes in the pavement where she stepped. The second, with short purple hair and dull blue eyes, also wore a short, tight tunic but hers was black embroidered with silver. She moved more daintily than the other yoma had and left the pavement intact. The final member of the trio moved more loosely and easily as she strode along in her short, dark blue tunic and snug forest green pants, her shoulder length white hair swinging to her strides and her gray eyes scanning everything.
The humans tried to rapidly flee the yoma but most did not get away. Those that tried to hide were wrenched from their hiding spots and drained of their energy as ruthlessly as those who ran. A young mother and her small child were pedaling away from the yoma as fast as the child's small legs would pump. The first yoma snatched the small boy off of his tricycle by his shortly cropped black hair and hugged him. The boy's screams of pain and terror grew less and less as his struggles grew weaker and weaker while her raucous laughter grew louder and louder. His mother, screaming incoherently, desperately leaped off of her own bicycle, attacking the yoma herself. Screaming curses, the woman beat on the yoma's stomach with her bare fists. Smirking, the second yoma lifted her up by her hair and began draining her too. The third yoma leaned against a picket, watching, casually draining the life from a nearby potted tree.
From the roof of a nearby house, a silver discus arced down and hit the yoma draining the small child between the shoulder blades. Seconds later, a green blur leapt from the roof of a building.
"JUPITER KICK!"
Screaming the first yoma dropped the child, hard and, arching her back, fell back against one of the white picket fences with a resounding crack as her skull hit the fence, hard. The fence collapsed, with her lying prone on top of it, a pool of dark pink blood forming around her head. The third yoma stumbled in order to maintain her balance. Rays of white light suddenly shone from the dead yoma's body, all of her collected energy returned to the boy then, where she was laying, was a pile of moon dust. The other living yoma dropped the mother as she fell back onto the pile of dust, scattering it to the four winds.
A short figure in a Sailor Soldier fuku with long pigtails that blew in an unfelt breeze leapt to the ground from the rooftop. She struck a pose as a crescent moon on a starry background appeared behind her and music began to play. "I am Sailor Moon, Warrior of Love and Justice!" The other, tall, soldier stepped forward, striking a pose of her own. Her own music started, joining and blending with Sailor Moon's as a forest green background with lightening bolts appeared behind her. "And I am Sailor Jupiter, Warrior of Love and Nature."
Sailor Moon continued her speech and gestures. "For endangering the lives of these families, ruining their Saturday and disrupting picnics I cannot forgive you. In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"
"I am Aloysia." snarled the standing yoma as she fell into a fighting stance, somehow managing to watch both sailors at the same time. "You will find it difficult to punish me." She nodded at the other yoma. "Although you might have an easier time with Jolan here."
The other yoma shrieked at the insult as she scrambled to her feet to clumsily. "Aloysia!" she shrieked, turning to her partner. "How can you say that?"
"Watch the soldiers!" Aloysia snapped at her. "They'll bring death to you on silver wings." The other yoma quieted and fell into a fighting stance of her own, still glaring darkly at her remaining partner. Aloysia, without so much as a flicker of changing expression, charged Sailor Jupiter. A serious fistfight between the two ensued. Jolan was considering intervention into the fight, having completely forgotten about the small Senshi of the Moon standing on the peak of the nearest house. She actually had a ball of energy hovering over the palm of her hand, when she was rather rudely reminded of the other senshi.
"SAILOR BODY ATTACK!"
She barely had time to look up before a fast-moving object slammed into her chest, sending her flying. The senshi used the force of her attack to do a flip and land gracefully, ready to fight. Glaring daggers at the much smaller senshi, she scrambled into a ready stance of her own. She noticed that the girl's shoulder was burned, rather badly. 'Either it doesn't hurt as much as it looks like it would,' she thought while studying the other's intent face, 'or she's trying to ignore the pain.' She looked at the other's clouded eyes and decided that this was going to be the easiest fight of her life. She prepared a giant ball of energy between her hands as the other pulled a wand of some sort out of thin air. With a shriek, she released her ball of energy at the same time the other cried out,
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"
A giant heart appeared, absorbing her attack as it head straight for her! With a muffled shriek, she lunged out of the way and allowed the heart to hit the spot where she had been standing, leaving a gaping crater that smoked horrendously. Jolan reconsidered her evaluation of this fight as she cautiously circled to the left of her opponent. Perhaps…Unexpectedly, Jolan stopped circling her adversary and attacked her, head on. The girl unleashed another attack.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!" Howling, Jolan tried to avoid the many spirals of energy, the crescent moons, and the tiny stars that flew at her but it was an impossible goal. She was hit more than a few times. Abruptly, the barrage stopped. Cautiously, Jolan peeked up through her arms in time to see the girl begin another attack.
"RAINBOW MOON HEART ACHE!"
Jolan barely had time to scream before she was no more than a pile of dust, her energy dispersing back to whomever she had stolen it from.
Sailor Moon was slightly wobbly as she turned to the fight between Sailor Jupiter and the other yoma. Kicking Sailor Jupiter in the stomach so that the tall girl flew backwards, she leapt back, suspending the battle as she regarded Sailor Moon, the pile of dust that was once Jolan, and Sailor Jupiter as she struggled to her feet. Her upper lip curled contemptuously. "Jolan always was worthless in a fight. There's no way I can win, so I'll be off." With that she leapt into the air and disappeared in a puff of blue smoke. Sailor Moon rushed to the other senshi.
"Jupiter, are you alright?"
The other girl nodded, "I'm fine except for my pride. That was one of the most obvious tricks in the book!"
"That's probably why it worked so well."
Jupiter had been eyeing Sailor Moon's shoulder with mounting concern.
"How bad is that?"
Sailor Moon grimaced. "It hurts."
"No kidding." Sailor Jupiter ripped her lower skirt into strips. Using them she created a field bandage of sorts to quickly bind up Sailor Moon's shoulder.
"How's that?" she asked her friend.
Abruptly pain exploded through their heads, causing them to gasp. Their eyes met, "Minako-chan!" they whispered in horror.
"It'll have to do." Sailor Moon replied grimly as they took to the rooftops.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Kentaro had been quiet for awhile before continuing his whining monologue. All of five minutes to be exact. It would have been a whining monologue except for Takara. Presently, they were viciously snipping at each other as they walked. Emphatic hand gestures being used to drive their points home. Mai, whose short legs had gotten tired fairly early on, was being carried by Jadeite. Along the way, the two Senshi and Jadeite had picked up several other survivors, almost all of whom grumbled or complained or sullenly did as told. One woman had started having hysterics so Jadeite, thoroughly sick of being nice to people he wanted to kill, knocked her unconscious precisely thirty seconds after her hysterics had begun. No one had had a loud case of anything since and everyone except the Senshi and Mai gave him a wide berth.
In the common language of the Silver Millennium, Jadeite had been cursing for awhile. Presently he snarled under his breath, "That's it! I am going to kill them. I'm going to kill them all." In his right hand, Jadeite began to form a fireball. "Right now."
Pluto grabbed his wrist before he could incinerate the humans. "Stop that!"
"But they're not worth it! Let's kill them and get some new humans! Nicer humans!"
"Even the nicest human isn't very pleasant under stress. Some of these may be very nice humans. You just can't tell at the moment."
Jadeite's eyes remained hard. "Let go of my hand Pluto-san."
"No."
Their eyes met in a silent contest of wills.
Mai's small hands wormed their way around Jadeite's neck, startling Jadeite and breaking his concentration. "Are we in danger Jadeite-san?"
He glanced angrily at the little girl causing her to flinch and tremble slightly in his arms. With an effort of will he relaxed his expression. "No Mai-chan, you aren't." He closed his hand into a fist around the fireball. He met Pluto's eyes wryly. Then, before he could think about it, he leaned over and peaked her on the cheek. Shocked, Pluto released his wrist, her hand going to her cheek where he had kissed her. "I-I think I should go check on Saturn."
Jadeite watched her retreating form, smirking slightly, his mood infinitely better. Mai began to giggle. "Jade-ite and Plu-to sit-ting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Jade-ite with a baby carriage!" Jadeite interrupted her chanting by tweaking her nose.
"Enough you. This is a secret. A S-E-C-R-E-T between you and me and Pluto-san."
She giggled.
"—And I don't see why they have to herd us like cattle!" The conversation between a elderly lady and five young women drifted back to Jadeite, making his muscles tighten and his jaw clench angrily. "Always on the move! My feet hurt! And I don't really think that there's any real danger!"
"They just want us to be dependent on them" put in one of the girls wisely.
"Wonder what they expect from us in payment?" added a second.
"Well, they aren't getting a yen from me!" the old woman declared spiritedly.
"There are other ways of saying 'thank you'." A third slyly put in, her eyes sliding over toward Jadeite.
"What are you insinuating?" asked a fourth.
But the fifth girl seemed to understand all too well. "We can only hope" she agreed.
'That's it! I don't care what the Senshi think! I'm going to kill them all!'
"Jadeite-san! Jadeite-san!" Mai's childish voice penetrated his rage. "Jadeite-san, you're hurting me! You're squeezing me too tightly!"
Jadeite immediately loosened his grip on the small girl. "I'm sorry. I just…"
"Was angry?" the girl finished for him helpfully.
"Yes."
She snuggled against his shoulder. "They're just stupid. I know that you're saving our lives. Thank you."
Jadeite was shocked. "You didn't have to do that."
"But I wanted to. Thank you for saving me Jadeite-sama. My life belongs to you now."
"Nani?" Jadeite choked.
"You saved me. So I belong to you."
"Where'd you get that crazy idea?"
"From a book."
"You can't believe everything you read!"
"Of course not. That would just be silly."
"I don't particularly need a slave or servant at the moment."
"I could be your companion, Jadeite-sama."
"I don't particularly need one of those either right now." He glared at the 'rescued' people. "I have so many at the moment."
"Then, I'll wait for you Jadeite-sama."
Jadeite groaned.
She reached up and patted his hair. "I don't care what my sister says Jadeite-sama. I love your hair and you can be anything that you want to be."
"Thank you." Jadeite was silent, trying to think of some way to disabuse the girl of the idea that he owned her.
"Jadeite-sama" she asked presently.
"Yes?"
"What were they talking about earlier?"
"They who?"
"Those women that made you so mad. What were the last three talking about when one said "There are other ways to say 'Thank you'" and another one replied "We can only hope" ?"
Jadeite blushed. "It's not that important."
"But it made you angry."
"I need to listen for the yoma now, Mai-chan. Can you please be very quiet for me?"
"Anything for you, Jadeite-sama." The girl agreed cheerfully.
Jadeite breathed a sigh of relief.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Sailor Venus caught up with the pair of yoma headed towards Juuban High fairly quickly. Kneeling on the roof of the Arcade, she watched them approach her.
The larger of the pair appeared to be closely related to a reptile. She was approximately thirty feet in length with muscular arms and a long serpentine tail. Her looks were not helped by her green pigment, her scales, or by the facts that she was hairless, had narrow, dead eyes, and a tiny mouth from which her tongue was constantly flicking. Dressed in a short toga that came down to where her hips would have been, she slithered up the street and over whatever got in her way.
Her partner was a birdlike female that flew over her, occasionally swooping down to drain a victim before taking to the air again. Her body type was overall human but she had large black wings for arms and huge talons for feet. The center of her face was adorned with a large, hooked beak and her eyes were large, cold, and pitiless.
Venus carefully calculated her plan of attack. Mercury would be here soon but for now she would have to stop this pair on her own. They needed to be dealt with as soon as possible to keep the human casualties low and to do that they needed to deal with the next set of yoma as soon as possible. Venus carefully took aim.
"CRESCENT SHOWER!"
Her first attack hit the yoma as she was diving towards another victim, a young woman, paralyzed with fright. The shower of laser beams hit her by surprise, cutting large holes in her wings. Some of her feathers even caught fire. Screaming with pain and fear, she began to plummet towards the hard pavement below.
"CRESCENT BEAM!"
Her second attack, a single large and powerful laser beam, hit the yoma squarely in the chest. Abruptly the yoma stopped screaming as her vital organs were either splattered by the impact of the beam onto nearby buildings in the form of green goo or were boiled in her own blood. Lifelessly, she fell to the ground to hit the pavement with a number of sickening crunches. Her body began to decompose into a large mound of goo.
Venus leapt to the ground. Behind her an orange background appeared. Stylized against it was an oyster and Venus stood where the pearl would be. Along with the background, music began to play.
"The Beautiful Sailor Soldier of Love and Beauty, Sailor Venus. For—" She cut off as the remaining yoma surged forward. With a muffled shriek, she leapt out of the way of attacking yoma. "I'm not finished yet!" she wailed as she dodged the rapidly following attacks. "How come everyone listens to Sailor Moon's speeches but I can't even finish one of mine!"
"You're finished alright!" the yoma hissed. "I'm going to give you a death so painful it will be beyond your imagining."
"Only if you catch me!" Venus cheerfully responded as she continued to dodge the yoma's flurry of attacks. During the ensuing battle, the bay window of the Crown Fruit Parlor was shattered by the yoma's tail as she narrowly missed Venus. When her tail emerged from the window though, she had a struggling girl tightly wrapped in her tail. Venus' heart skipped several beats.
"Now what are you going to do, Senshi? I can kill her with the greatest of easy." She squeezed her victim just to demonstrate. "Now stop running and fight."
The girl, who looked a great deal like Ami and had a rather large cut under one eye, was none other than Hikaru!
"All right." Venus ground out between her teeth. "I'll bring the fight to you!"
She switched directions and, leaping onto the yoma's tail so that she was straddling it about six inches from Hikaru, ran her finger across the broad tail, cutting the yoma's tail off and leaving a narrow trench in the pavement about six inches deep. The yoma reared back screaming horribly as Venus dragged Hikaru from the still wriggling tail. Furious and in agony, the yoma whipped around spitting lasers and acid that turned the pavement into boiling liquid as she charged the pair.
Sticky with the yoma's blood, Venus snatched Hikaru up into her arms and did her very best to dodge the yoma's magical and physical attacks. She was actually doing a very good job of it when she slipped in one of the trails of the yoma's blood that lay all over the pavement. Tripping she fell, dropping Hikaru on her bottom. From there things seemed to slow down for Venus. Rolling onto her knees, she turned and saw the yoma spit another laser and more acid. Heard Hikaru suck in her breath as she realized that they were directly in the line of fire. Then things seemed to speed up as Venus lunged, covering Hikaru with her own body. Indescribable pain sufficed her body as the laser cleanly cut through her shoulder to shatter the pavement near Hikaru's face and the acid hit Venus in the center of her back. She didn't hear herself screaming or the tears that came to her eyes. She didn't even realize when she passed out.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Sailor Mercury arrived in time to see Venus slip, fall, drop the girl, and throw herself over the other girl in a final attempt to protect her. Mercury paused in horror, then an icy rage filled her. Eyes like chips of ice,
"SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!"
She turned the yoma into an icy statue.
"MERCURY AQUA RAPSODY!"
And then shattered it.
Swiftly she leapt from the rooftop down to the street and ran to Venus. She pushed the sobbing girl away from Venus, "Go," she commanded coldly, "go wait for the ambulances. I'll attend to this."
Still sobbing the girl backed away. Mercury had no mind for her though as her mind fell into a healing trance and she began her work. Around the pair a glowing ice blue column of power formed. Chips of ice actually floated around in the column and the pavement around the column cracked and shattered from the extreme cold. Shivering Hikaru moved even farther away from the column never noticing the four figures that crouched on a nearby rooftop holding a silent conversation.
*Venus is hurt badly.*
*But Mercury's taking care of her, Jupiter. With Mercury watching over her, she'll be fine. Let's go finish off the ones at the school. Pluto and Saturn aren't hurt yet but they and Jadeite can't hang on in the subway for much longer.* They started running towards the school.
*Maybe, but that leaves us two short Sailor Moon.*
*No Neptune, three. Sailor Moon's hurt.*
*I can still fight Uranus!*
*Not in the hand-to-hand fighting. You fight from a distance only.*
*My shoulder—*
*The purpose of the Sailor Senshi is to protect you. If it is necessary, I will tie you to a tree before we go into battle.*
*Uranus!*
*She's right and I agree with her Princess.*
*You too Neptune? Are you against me too Jupiter?*
*I'll hold you down while Uranus ties you up.*
*Jupiter!* Sailor Moon sighed in defeat. *I'll be good and stay out of the fighting. I promise.*
*Good.*
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
As she passed the park, she ran her mind over it and stumbled to a stop. There was still Dark energy there! Uranus and Neptune had said that they would deal with it. Had they been hurt or killed? Mars was at a loss. Sailor Mars staggered as pain screamed through her head. "Minako-chan, I'm coming!" she breathed as she automatically started running again. Then she stopped again. Minako needed help! But there was a large source of Dark energy in the park…For once Mars didn't know what to do. Her friend, her sister really, or her duty… 'But this isn't my duty!' she thought rebelliously. 'It isn't the duty of any of the Senshi. We're suppose to protect our Princess and our planets not Earth. I love Earth but this is Mamoru's job! I shouldn't have to make this decision!' Her heart hardened. 'I won't make this decision!'
Reaching for Minako, she touched darkness and pain. Minako was unconscious. She reached for Uranus, Neptune, Moon, Jupiter, and Mercury. She touched all of their minds except Mercury's. There she ran into a slippery wall of ice.
*Does anyone know what happened to Minako?*
*She was badly hurt by a yoma. Mercury's working on her now. She'll make everything better.* Sailor Moon replied confidently.
Mars was slightly relieved.
*Uranus? Neptune?*
*Mars?!*
*What do you need?* Neptune asked.
*Have you already been to the park?*
*Of course. Why?*
*I'm at the park now. There's still Dark energy there.*
*What?!* They demanded.
*We killed the two yoma we found there!* Uranus replied angrily.
*Well, there's something else in there now. I'll go check it out.*
*Right. Let us know what it is.*
Mars spun on the ball of her foot and ran into the park, toward the energy she felt. She didn't even pause as she passed the place where Uranus and Neptune had had their fight earlier. Presently she became aware of where she was going and paused. 'The energy's coming from where Nephrite died! I wonder why this place?' Shrugging she walked on, tensing as she got near the clearing. Leaping to a low branch of a large tree on the edge of the clearing, she peered down at the place in question and involuntarily gasped. Huddled underneath the tree was none other than Nephrite himself!
'So why did I feel him? He's dressed up like any other human so that means he's in disguise. Unless…He wasn't as good at illusions as Jadeite is but he was good enough to create and maintain an identity. After we learned who he was pretending to be, we knew where he was and what he was going to do. That must have been what happened. He was resurrected by whomever resurrected Zoisite and now he's…I don't know what he's doing.' She took a deep breath and detransformed into her Shinto priestess robes. 'Only one way to find out.' She stepped into the clearing.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
When Moon, Neptune, Uranus and Jupiter made it to Juuban High they found the gym in ruins. Where the gym building should have been, no two bricks stood on top of each other. Sailor Moon was furious. "I cannot forgive this! They were so close to the math wing and they missed! Why do the yoma always have to have bad timing and bad aim?" she keened. Despite the situation, the others chuckled at her distress. They found the yoma destroying the cafeteria. Already one wall was collapsing.
"THEY'VE GONE TOO FAR!" Sailor Moon screamed as she charged the building. Jupiter and Uranus caught her and lifted her off the ground. Angrily, she snapped, "PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!"
"Your promised Sailor Moon!" Neptune reminded her serenely.
Sailor Moon froze and glared at her. Finally she ground out, "I remember. You can put me down now. I won't do anything you wouldn't like." Slowly they lowered her to the ground. "Right. See you soon."
They ran into the cafeteria and Sailor Moon leapt up onto a high windowsill. "If I can't be in it, this is going to be a really short fight." She muttered defiantly.
The four yoma were absorbed in their work and Sailor Moon ground her teeth. All female, they looked all the same. All of them had blond hair, one blue and one green eye, and long veils that hung from their pointed ears and covered the rest of their faces. All were lithe and small but incredibly strong. The only way to tell the difference between them was the color of their diaphanous vest and pants suits, black, brown, gray and purple. Sailor Moon didn't like the looks of them and shuddered to think what other attributes they had.
*Guys?* she called to the others.
*Yes?* Jupiter asked warily.
*Let's just nail them and get it over with. Nothing drawn out. For one thing they're really strong.* She sent an image of what she had seen to the others.
*And they probably have other abilities* Jupiter agreed.
*So what do you suggest?* Uranus asked.
*Let's each attack a yoma, then announce ourselves to any of them that survive our first attack.* Jupiter proposed.
*Sounds reasonable.* Neptune agreed. *Let's do it.*
Sailor Moon stood up.
"MOON GORGEOUS MEDITATION!"
She utterly dusted the purple one. The other's turned and looked at her in surprise and anger. She struck a pose, the illusion of a full moon appearing behind her and her music starting. "I am Sailor Moon, Warrior of Love and Justice! You destroyed the gym and cafeteria, somehow utterly missing the rest of the school! From countless students you have stolen the best class of the day! Lunch! For this most serious of crimes, I cannot forgive you! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"
The yoma hissed from between their teeth, baring fangs.
"SUBMARINE REFLECTION!"
"SPACE SWORD BLASTER!"
The black and brown yoma became mushy globs on the remains of the floor. The gray yoma shrieked in shock and leapt into the air, hovering. From the shadows of the destroyed gym, somehow gracefully gliding over the rubble as they stood back to back in their opening stance. Behind them, a deep blue, almost black, background appeared as mysterious music began to play.
"Invited by a New Age, acting beautifully, the Soldier of the Wind, Sailor Uranus!"
"Invited by a New Age, acting gracefully, the Soldier of the Seas, Sailor Neptune!"
Together they said, "For the destruction you have created, we will punish you!"
The remaining yoma twirled in the air sending out spirals of energy at the three senshi. Sailor Moon fell off of her ledge into the building as Neptune and Uranus leapt to either side.
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"
Caught by the unexpected attack, the yoma screamed, then became a disgusting black mess in the wreckage of the cafeteria.
Sailor Moon stood up, her good hand holding Jupiter's bandage in place on her other shoulder. "I guess that's that. Let's go to the subway."
"Sailor Moon! You shoulder!" Jupiter exclaimed. Through the once white fingers of her gloved hand, red blood slowly oozed.
"Sailor Moon, you promised!" Uranus snarled as she ripped her own bottom skirt up for another bandage.
"Well, I couldn't stay on my ledge! I would've been blasted! I really didn't mean to fall on it! And I didn't fight so I didn't break my promise!"
"That was the purpose of the promise and you know it!" Neptune snapped uncharacteristically as she gently rebound the wound.
"It was an accident!"
"That looks nasty."
They all looked up at the source of the voice.
"Jadeite!" Sailor Moon squealed.
"In the flesh." He landed. "We need to get to the subways. Saturn and Pluto are doing their best but they can't do everything and they can't sense the yoma."
"You can, though." Jupiter put in. "Why did they send you? One of them could have teleported here just as easily."
Jadeite ducked his head, blushing. Under his breath he mumbled something.
"So you ran out on them." Uranus' voice was cold.
Jadeite's head snapped up and he glared daggers at her. "No! I'm sick of being mistrusted! What do I have to do to drive it through your thick skulls that I'm not evil and I don't want anything?"
Uranus snorted.
"No longer being evil and never being trusted are two separate things." Neptune supplied. "We know you're not evil any more but we will never trust you."
Jadeite started forward at the pair. "And why not?" he growled.
Sailor Moon grabbed his wrist. "Jadeite" she began. He shook her off, not bothering to even listen to her. Jupiter stepped between him and the Outers. "Jadeite—"
He shoved her into Sailor Moon and kept going.
"You will never understand what kind of day I've been having" he growled "and this is the last straw! No more!"
Uranus and Neptune got into their ready positions.
"This is what we'd expect from you." Uranus remarked conversationally.
"We don't have time for this!" Sailor Moon shrieked. The trio ignored her. Sailor
Moon turned to Jupiter. "We've got to stop them!"
Jupiter frowned. "How?"
When they less than a foot apart. . .
"JUPITER THUNDERDRAGON!"
"MOON DISCUS!"
"MOON DISCUS!"
"MOON DISCUS!"
Jupiter's trademark dragon flashed between them. Easily Uranus, Neptune and Jadeite warded off the initial passes of the discuses. Jadeite, recognizing the tactic, immediately teleported, reappearing directly behind Sailor Moon. Jupiter grabbed him.
"ENCIRCLE!"
Neptune and Uranus weren't so lucky.
The two Outers glared at Sailor Moon impotently.
"Take this off of us." Uranus grated.
"No." Sailor Moon's spare discus arced around toward her. Calmly she caught it and reabsorbed the energy instead of allowing it to continue chasing Jadeite. "I don't know why you're being so stubborn about it but we all know that Jadeite isn't evil anymore and we all know that he can be trusted. I owe him my life." Jadeite winced at that. "Stop being vindictive. You never fought him and he never harmed you. I can understand Mars' prejudices, even if I personally do not agree. I do not, on the other hand, understand yours."
"We are your protectors!"
"That means it is our duty to protect you!"
"From evil! From those that would hurt me! Not from those that wish to befriend us!" They stared at her coldly.
Moon sighed. "So be it. Promise to behave if I let you down?"
"I promise." Neptune said, icy as the oceans she embodied.
"I promise." Uranus said, as distant as the winds.
Moon held out her hand. The silver circlets encircling the pair disappeared. "And you?" Sailor Moon asked Jadeite.
"I promise."
Jupiter let him go. "Venus is hurt." Jupiter told him sadly.
"I know. Checked in on them before coming here."
"How's Venus?" Sailor Moon asked eagerly.
"Mercury's working on her still but she looks like she'll be just fine. At least she does to my inexperienced eye."
"How'd you know where to find us all?" Jupiter asked.
"Saturn told me."
"You say the others need us?" Uranus asked.
"There are an indeterminate number of yoma in the subway systems." He made a face. "We've been saving humans and shepherding them around the subway, killing yoma as we go."
"Why didn't you just teleport them out of there?" asked Jupiter.
"We tried to but they threw such a big fit about the very idea…" he shrugged.
"So lets go!" Sailor Moon demanded.
"Not you!" Neptune snapped. "Certainly not with that shoulder."
"But Saturn and Pluto need me!"
"We three can handle matters." Neptune answered condescendingly.
"But Jadeite said—"
"We will have Saturn and Pluto as well." Uranus interrupted.
"We need her too." Jadeite quietly interrupted. "Saturn and Pluto will be tired and they have been dealing with humans since the attack began. And she strong, even if she is wounded."
"'Dealing with humans all day'…" Jupiter repeated softly. She and Sailor Moon exchanged looks. This was not the Jadeite they had spoken with yesterday.
"Look at that shoulder!" Uranus snapped. "She can't fight with it!"
Jadeite turned to Sailor Moon and bowed deeply, one arm across his chest. "What do you wish to do Princess?"
Sailor Moon looked started, caught off guard. Recovering quickly, she drew herself up to her full height of 4' 11" before answering in surprisingly mature tones. "I will fight magically. You four will do the hand to hand fighting." She ruined the moment by looking anxiously at Jadeite, "Is that good?" He looked down at her and smiled a small smile at her. "It's a great plan, Usa-chan." He reached down and swung her up into his arms. "Everyone hold on to me and let's go."
"What are you planning to do?" Neptune asked coldly.
"To teleport us all. You said yourself that Sailor Moon is weak. This is the quickest, easiest way to accomplish our ends without draining any of you."
Jupiter grabbed one of his arms tightly. "We really don't have time for this. You may not like Jadeite but he's right. The other Outers need us and the Princess has ordered us into battle. Or will you defy her will?"
The faces of the two Outers became emotionless as the silent women stiffly placed one hand on each of Jadeite's shoulders. Jadeite closed his eyes and concentrated. They felt his energy mount, then there was a moment of sickening vertigo and extreme cold. Sailor Moon squealed as she clutched her arms around Jadeite's neck. Jupiter hugged his arm tightly. Neptune and Uranus didn't increase their light pressure on Jadeite's shoulders but instead reached for each other and held each other's hand tightly. The moment passed and they were now standing in the subways of Tokyo. Uranus, Neptune and Jupiter let go of Jadeite. Sailor Moon, on the other hand, sat in Jadeite's arms, transfixed by the darkness.
He cleared his throat. "Sailor Moon, I'm having trouble breathing."
She laughed, slightly hysterically, and loosened her grip. "Sorry about that." She apologized, sliding out of his arms. Reaching into her subspace pocket, she pulled out a headset.
"What's that for?" Jupiter asked as Moon adjusted it for her head.
"To talk to the Boss." Into the microphone, "Hello? Boss?"
"Sailor Moon?"
"Hey! Feel like helping me again?"
"Are you trying to sneak into the movies?"
"No! I'm in the subway trying to destroy yoma!"
He laughed. "I'm teasing."
"Oh. I know where the other Senshi are, just not how to get there."
"I'll pull up a map of the subway and superimpose your locations on it so that I can tell you where to go."
"Okay."
"Right. Go forward…I'll tell you when to turn."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
On silent feet, Rei approached the man she knew to be a Dark King. Gently she touched his shoulder, "Gomen, but are you well sir?"
He started and looked up at her through dark and clouded eyes. "What?" he asked foggily.
"I asked if you were well Sanjouin-san?"
"What did you call me?"
"Sanjouin-san. Did I give offense?"
"Why did you call me that?"
"Is that not your name? Sanjouin Masato?"
His eyes clouded again. "I don't know."
'His mind was erased,' Mars thought with a flash of insight. Carefully, she asked, "Are you unwell?"
He laughed bitterly, a laugh that Rei knew all too well as Mars. "I don't know."
"Would you care to come with me to my temple?"
His gaze sharpened again. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"I sensed an evil in the park. Two Sailor Senshi came and killed two yoma though, so doubtless what I am feeling is the aftereffect of that battle." She leaned closer. "You really don't look well. Would you please come with me?" He shrugged and seemed to answer himself more than her. "I have nothing else to do right now." She offered him a hand up but he ignored her offer, standing up by himself. Rei's hand fell against her thigh. "Follow me" she ordered. Shrugging, he smiled a twisted smile and did as she said, walking at her side. They walked up the streets that she had run down so frantically only a little while ago in silence.
Walking the other way on the other side of the street came a couple that caused Rei to pause and Nephrite to stop dead. It was Naru, dressed in a green dress, a yellow blouse and black slippers and Umino, dressed in black pants and a white polo shirt. The boy had an arm casually draped around the girl's waist, which she reciprocated. They were animatedly chatting, occasionally making expressive hand gestures with their free hands. Pale, Nephrite stood there, staring hungrily after the girl and Rei stood with him, carefully watching him. At last, when Naru and her boyfriend had disappeared around a corner and Nephrite was now staring at the spot that they had disappeared, Rei asked, "Do you know her?"
He blinked at her in surprise, apparently having forgotten her presence.
"No. She reminds me of someone though."
Rei started walking again, predicting that he would fall into step with her. She had guessed correctly. "Her name is Osaka Naru." If it was possible, he paled even more. Rei pressed on, as if she had not noticed his growing discomfort. "Her best friend is also my best friend, Tsukino Usagi." Nephrite looked positively sick. "You look worse," Rei said, "Let's rest awhile." She steered him towards the nearest bench. Presently, when he was looking less sick, Nephrite asked, "Do you know anything else about her?"
"She goes to Juuban High with Usagi. They've been best friends for years. She has a nasty track record with the yoma and—"
"What?"
Rei blinked. "Excuse me, but what are you asking?"
"What did you mean, 'a nasty track record with the yoma'?"
"She gets attacked a lot. The Sailor Senshi all know her by name."
"Oh." He frowned darkly. "That boy that was with her. Would he happen to be her brother?"
"No. Umino-kun is her boyfriend."
His frown darkened. "Where are you taking me anyway?"
"My temple. It's nearby. Are you well enough to walk?"
He stood up. "Of course. Let's go."
Silently, Rei rose and led the way.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Having had the good fortune to meet up with Pluto and Saturn, things took a nasty turn. The group, while heading for a subway exit to evacuate the humans, was surrounded and attacked by yoma. The five Senshi and Jadeite took up defensive positions. During formation they "accidentally" forced Sailor Moon into the midst of the human rabble they were protecting. Sailor Moon fumed. 'And how, exactly, am I to fight while being kept as far from the lines as possible?' Concentrating, she disappeared in a flash of silver to reappear several hundred feet up the tunnel. Floating in midair, she encased herself in a bubble of power and shot down the tunnel toward the battle.
The four Outers and Jadeite were being rather hard pressed when it happened. A silver bubble containing the form of their leader shot into the battle, indiscriminately incinerating the yoma in it's path.
SAILOR MOON!
Hi guys! She jauntily waved to her friends. Told you I'd fight magically.
Jadeite, unable to hear the conversation, was nevertheless laughing so hard that tears came to his eyes.
When this is over, let's kill her. Jupiter suggested grimly.
The Outers silently agreed.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Venus sat up with a groan. "Ugh." She croaked. "Mercury? My back hurts."
Mercury smiled at her friend tiredly. "I did my best but that was really nasty poison."
Venus paled as she thought about the boiling pavement. "I got hit by the poison?!" she squeaked. She lunged forward and gave Mercury a fierce hug. "Thank you!"
Mercury laughed and hugged her back. "The hurting will go away with time. You don't remember?"
"I just remember the laser. I'm glad I don't remember the poison."
She sat up straight and took stock of herself and Mercury. "You have bags under your eyes." She noted.
"So do you." Mercury countered.
Venus' hands flew to her face. "Really?! How terrible! I wish I had Neptune's mirror!"
Mercury laughed rustily. "It's not that bad."
Venus and Mercury reached for the others.
Where are you guys? Venus asked.
Tokyo subways. Fighting. Jupiter replied.
Mars isn't here. Moon added. She's checking something out in the park.
We'll join you. Mercury told the others. We'd know if Mars needed us.
Right. See you here. Jupiter confirmed before the link faded.
The two senshi stood up shakily. "I'm more tired than I thought." Venus said.
Mercury nodded. "I know. They need us though."
"So let's go."
Mercury dropped her column and, taking to the roof tops, they ran off, leaving rapidly melting ice and snow where they had been.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
They cleaned the yoma out of the subways rather quickly after Mercury and Venus arrived. Detransforming in a nearby alley, the group tiredly made its way back to Rei's temple. The senshi fussed over and at Usagi who refused to let either of the healers in the group heal her shoulder. "It's healing as we speak. You all know what a quick healer I am. Besides, Ami-chan and Hotaru-chan are tired." As a result of their persistence and Usagi's stubbornness, the entire group arrived at the temple in varying states of annoyance and amusement. Usagi was amused because she noticed, if no one else did, that Setsuna and Hisui walked side by side the entire way to Rei's temple despite the chilly silence between them. Hisui was churning with amusement, embarrassment, rage and confusion. Amusement at how much trouble the Sailor Senshi were giving their leader and Princess, something that would never have happened in the Dark Kingdom, and embarrassment over Mai-chan's behavior over their separation. He was enraged at all the stupid humans that he had helped save that day and confused over Setsuna-san behavior in the tunnels and her current coldness. 'Why do she want people like that procreating any way?' he wondered silently. Everyone else was distinctly not amused. When they arrived at the temple, they found Rei thoughtfully sweeping the steps.
"So what was in the park?" Haruka asked.
"Nephrite."
Usagi sat down where she was. "Is he here now?" she asked.
"No. He left a few minutes ago. He walked down the steps and probably teleported back to the Dark Kingdom in the nearest alley."
"You brought him here?" Michiru demanded.
"Yes. He doesn't know about Mars' identity. Even if his memories hadn't been erased, he would have assumed I was just some weak human trying to be kind to him."
"What?" demanded Minako incredulously.
"Yes, I brought him here. He doesn't know about Mars. Even if his memories hadn't been erased, he—"
"There! Stop! How do you know his memories were erased?"
"For starters, he didn't recognize his own alias, Sanjouin Masato. Then, we saw Naru-chan with Umino-kun on the way back. He didn't recognize her either, although he got even paler. He looked positively sick when he found out that Umino-kun and Naru-chan are dating."
Usagi scrambled to her feet and lunged at Rei, grabbing the front of her robes. "Did she see him? Did anything happen?"
"No she didn't see him. All that happened was he stopped and we had to watch her until she and Umino-kun walked around a corner and out of sight. Then we came back here. He was the old Nephrite, not the one who died for Naru-chan." She slapped Usagi's hands, ordering imperiously, "Now let go!" Usagi let go, rubbing her stinging spots.
"So what are we going to do?" Makoto asked.
"Nothing." Usagi answered. "We're going on that picnic and the others are doing whatever it is they were planning to do today."
"You're not planning to let this go?!" demanded Rei.
"We can't do anything anyway. Jadeite can't talk to Nephrite and we really can't hunt him down and force him to be a good person. We're just going to have to wait and see what he decides to do. Maybe he'll come talk to Rei-chan and he'll definitely go find Naru-chan."
"So Rei-chan should expect a visit from him and we should watch Naru-chan?" Minako summed up. "Easy as catching mice in a barrel."
Ami looked pained. "It's 'Easy as shooting fish in a barrel', Minako-chan."
Minako laughed. "Whoops. It's kinda close."
"But shouldn't we keep a watch over Naru-chan?" Jadeite asked.
"She'll be at the picnic today." Minako answered. "And after that, she's going to be invited on an unbelievable number of sleepovers." She glanced at her watch and screamed.
"OH NO!!! I AM SO LATE!!! HIKARU PROBABLY THOUGHT I FORGOT AND LEFT WITHOUT ME AND NOW THAT EVIL NURSE BEHIND THE DESK IS GOING TO GET TO YELL AT YELL AT ME!!!! I'VE GOT TO GO! JA!!!!"
And then she was off, bounding down the long flight of stairs and sprinting up the street. Usagi laughed as she glanced at her watch and screamed.
"OH NO!!! WE ARE SO LATE!!! MAKO-CHAN'S GOING TO MISS HER DATE AND MOTOKI-KUN WILL THINK I LIED AND GO HOME AND THE PICNIC WILL BE RUINED! WE'VE GOT TO GO!! JA!!!!" And then she was off, bounding down the long flight of steps and sprinting up the street, dragging a weakly protesting Makoto in her wake. Everyone had to laugh at the expense of the two blondes before parting to go their separate ways.
"You know," Haruka said, "I could have given them all rides."
"Or I could have teleported them."
Hisui and Haruka shook their heads.
"How embarrassing." Rei murmured.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Minako made it home, showered, changed, ran to the Crown Fruit Parlor and Arcade, found that Hikaru had already left for the hospital and ran to the hospital, all in record time. She was right though. She was extremely late and the evil nurse behind the desk did yell at her before sending her to Kane-san's room.
The hospital staff had discovered her talking to him on her first day and decided what her one saving virtue was: she could make almost anyone like her, or at least get along with her. Inferus Kane was still no fun for the staff to take care of and he was still the nurses' least favorite patient but he was much easier to deal with than he was before he had met Aino Minako.
As a direct result of this knowledge, it became Minako's job to travel from room to room, cheering up the patients. She usually had different people everyday, or at least, never had the same person to visit more than two days in a row with the notable exception of Inferus Kane. She was sent to see him everyday almost as soon as she reported for duty.
Tiredly she slid into the seat next to his bed.
"Hello Kane-san."
"You're late." His voice was cool and clipped.
"There was a yoma attack. It delayed me."
"Were you hurt?" There was now an unidentifiable undercurrent in his chilly demeanor.
"The attack made it difficult for the police to maintain order and there were lots of damages."
"I see. You aren't your normal self today."
"I'm very tired. That's all." She leaned forward and rested her forehead on the edge of his bed. "And my back hurts." His hand, recently unbandaged along with the rest of his right arm, fumbled across the bed sheets, eventually finding her hair and following it up to the back of her head. Gently he stroked her head. "What's in your hair?" he asked.
She shifted, her voice becoming muffled by the bed covers. "A bright red bow. I always wear one."
"Why?"
"A boy a liked told me that he thought that I would look good with a red bow in my hair so I tried it. Later he turned out to be a yoma but it didn't matter because I'd found that I liked wearing it. It just felt right."
Nothing passed between them for awhile. Finally, "Kane-san?"
"Yes?"
"Are you happy?"
His hand paused. "Why do you ask?"
"I want to know. Are you?"
"Happy?" He paused and thought. "Yes." He said finally resuming his fondling of her hair.
Silence. Then, "You're lying."
He stopped again. "What makes you say that?"
She ignored his interruption. "You haven't been happy in a long time."
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm happier than I've been in a long time right now. I think that that qualifies as happy."
"Are you happy when I leave?"
"What kind of question is that?" he blustered.
"Are you happy when I leave?" she persisted, this time a little more intensely.
Silence for a long time, so long she thought that he wasn't going to answer. Then, "No. I'm not."
"Why are you unhappy when I'm away?"
"A number of reasons."
She looked him over critically. "Hold on a second." On silent feet she moved around the bed to his left side.
"Don't leave me." His voice was level, but there was a trace of some unnamable emotion that caught at Minako's heart.
"I wasn't going to." Carefully, she climbed into bed with him, sliding around the bars that kept him from falling out at night, to lay on her stomach next to him, her cheek pressed against his side. He stiffened with surprise, then relaxed, as her arm tentatively slipped around his waist.
"Am I hurting you?"
"No. It feels nice. You're very warm."
"Are you cold?"
"No. Not right now." His own hand crept down to continue playing with her hair.
"What do you do, when I'm not here?"
"I go to therapy mostly and sleep and eat."
"Therapy?"
"To practice using that parts of me that were hurt."
"What happened to you, anyway?" He stiffened and she hastily added, "You don't have to tell me."
"No, it's okay." He was silent for a long time. "I loved a girl very much. So much that I was considering asking her to marry me. We were shopping one day when yoma attacked. I tried to hold the yoma off while she escaped and the plan worked very well except for the fact that I'd forgotten how nasty those things are. The Sailor Senshi showed up of course, but not before the yoma had nearly killed me." Minako bit her lip. His voice turned bitter. "The girl showed up once when I was in here. She took one look at the bandages and told me that I was certainly going to be ugly. Said she really couldn't date an ugly man and had a new boyfriend anyway. Later, you unlucky loser."
Minako gasped. "You're kidding! She didn't really say that!"
"As good as."
"That's terrible. You're better off without her anyway." He didn't say anything and Minako tightened her grip around his waist fractionally. "It doesn't matter. She doesn't matter. There are people in this world that don't care whether your beautiful on the outside or not, it's what's on the inside that counts with them."
"Would you date a disfigured man?"
"Yes. If he was beautiful on the inside and I loved him, I would marry that man." She thought of two of her past boyfriends. She had dated them simultaneously. They had been incredibly gorgeous. It turned out that they had been dating her for a bet and later stolen her dream mirror. She'd been displeased about that. Past enemies, who were decidedly beautiful, also came to mind. "I know from personal experience that the most beautiful of faces can hide the darkest of souls. True beauty and love come from unexpected sources."
She could feel him smiling. "What would I do without you, Minako-chan?"
She laughed. "I expected you'd do fabulously. You're a survivor."
"What about you? Are you in love with anyone?"
Minako grew unnaturally still. She was as serious as she was when she had first come in. "Right now? No. I have been in love though. Mostly, the boys either discover that they love someone else or they die." Her voice hardened. "Or they betrayed me."
"I'm sorry."
"Why? You haven't broken my heart." Then she changed the subject to her cat and soon had the man lying next to her laughing so hard that he was wheezing.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Motoki pulled up beside the entrance to the park where Naru, Hotaru, Makoto, and Aequila were waiting for them, talking uncomfortably amongst themselves. While the girls all knew each other, outside of their dealings with Usagi, Naru had not talked to either of the others for any length of time. Thus, it was with a certain amount of relief that they saw Motoki's car pull up. Usagi rolled down her window to precariously lean out of the car and say, "I bet you're glad that we're here. After all, what's a picnic without food?"
Naru laughed. "Do you plan everything around food, Usagi-chan?"
Usagi leaned farther out of the window to make a face at her friend.
"Be careful Usagi-chan." Hotaru cautioned quietly. "You're face may freeze that way."
Usagi leaned even further out the window to shoot another face at Hotaru. Makoto and Hotaru, who had been looking at Usagi with a certain amount of concern, found their concern multiply tenfold at this new balancing feat. Aequila looked like he was tensed up for instantaneous exertion. Usagi caught the look on their faces and leaned out further still, teetering unsteadily. "What?" Comprehension dawned. "HEY! I'm not going to faaa—" Gravity asserted itself and Usagi fell out of the car's window. Instantly Aequila lunged forward to steady the girl while Motoki fell across the car to try to haul her back in. Unfortunately, it was already too late to try to reestablish Usagi's balance and she tumbled out of the car…And onto Aequila, to end up in a tangle of arms and legs.
Makoto knelt down next to the stunned pair. "Aequila-kun! Are you so bored with me already? And seeking solace from my best friend no less!"
Naru knelt on their other side. "Really, Usagi-chan! I thought better of you than to start chasing your friends' boyfriends. For shame! And Mamoru-san has only been gone for such a short time!"
Aequila groaned while Usagi scrambled off of him, nearly falling on a giggling Hotaru in the process. Motoki appeared at her other side, laughing.
"Really, Usagi-chan! Gravity works, no need to prove it! Are you okay?"
Usagi smiled at him. "Yes." Anxiously, she turned to the man who had broken her fall. "Thank you for rescuing me. Are you okay?"
He smiled up at her. "Fine thanks." Then he sent a reproachful look at his girlfriend. "You could have asked if I was okay. She did and she doesn't even know me yet."
She sniffed. "I know that you're fine. You have a very hard head."
He groaned again.
Makoto eyed his luxurious chestnut locks fanning out all over the pavement before grinning naughtily. "You have gum in your hair."
Instantly he shot to his feet. "Get it out."
The others in the group laughed at his reaction.
"What? Haven't any of you had gum in your hair before?" More laughter. "It's so irksome to get out. And it multiplies! One minute you only have one wad of gum in your hair, two seconds later you have ten wads of the stuff in there and more on the way!"
The laughter increased exponentially.
Naru finally got out, "You don't really. She was just teasing you."
He shot his girlfriend a dirty look. Laughing, Makoto got to her feet and lightly kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. "Better?"
He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her against him tightly before thoroughly kissing her.
"Much better." He murmured when they finally came up for air.
Playfully, she hit him on the shoulder. Makoto turned tragic eyes on the others. "He's so mean to me!" she wailed.
"HEY! That's my line about Rei! Copycat!" Usagi mock glared at her friend. Then inspiration hit and, imitating herself as Sailor Moon she struck her poses saying, "For being a Copycat, in the Name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
"Oh! You do that so well, Usagi!" squealed Naru, which sent Usagi, Makoto, and Hotaru into peals of laughter while the males looked on in surprise. Naru's lips twitched but she widened her eyes as she watch the other girls regain their control.
Makoto pretended to be properly terrified as she cowered behind her upraised arms.
"Oh no! Please don't hurt me! Please!"
Aequila moved in front of her and puffed up his chest. "I cannot allow you to threaten a sweet damsel. In the Name of Spaghetti, I will protect the fairest of damsels. I—"
"HEY!" Usagi interrupted. "Are you saying that Naru, Hotaru-chan, and I are ugly?!"
Three girls glared daggers at the suddenly silent young man.
"Well?" Naru demanded dangerously.
"Eep!" He yelped and leapt behind Makoto. "Protect me!"
"Are you crazy? From them?!"
Hotaru leveled one of the patented gazes of Sailor Saturn on him, going straight through Makoto. "We are waiting for your answer."
His eyes widened and his mouth move, but no noises issued from his throat.
Motoki, taking pity on the other man, decided to try to help him out. He cleared his throat. And immediately regretted it. Three death gazes, one from the Guardian of Death, fixed on his unprotected form. Bravely, he continued. "What he meant, was that, to him, Mako-chan is the most beautiful girl alive. I'd say the same thing about Reika-chan." The gazes softened slightly. "As I'm sure the men in your lives would say about you." The girls looked at each other, slightly misty eyed.
"I think we can forgive him." Usagi said to the other girls. They nodded.
Then, they turned flinty eyes on Aequila, once again looking through Makoto.
"Next time," Hotaru advised quietly, "express yourself more clearly."
He nodded.
"He will." Makoto stated firmly. "We'll work on that."
Usagi glanced at her watch and smiled brightly at everyone. "Minako and her friend will be here shortly." Unnoticed, a cloud of dust appeared on the horizon, approaching quickly. "Actually in five. . .four. . .three. . ." The cloud was much closer now. "two. . .one. . .time."
Almost simultaneously, a pair of blurs came to a halt next to the group that solidified into Minako and a girl who looked shockingly like Ami. Minako removed her hand from Hikaru's wrist, which she had been dragging the other girl by, to lean on her knees panting. "A-A-Are. . .w-w-we. . .l-l-late?"
Usagi laughed. "Nope."
Minako glanced at her friend and wheezed tiredly, "S-see? T-told ya th-that w-we wou-wouldn't b-be l-late."
Hikaru managed to glare at her friend as she panted angrily. "O-only c-cause w-we sp-sprinted s-s-so f-fast th-that I th-thought m-my h-heart was g-gonna b-burst!"
"But we're h-here!"
The other girl contented herself with a silent glower as they righted themselves, still breathing heavily.
When she had more air in her lungs, Hikaru demanded, "Why did we have to stop for the cats anyway?"
"Minako shrugged as she let Luna and Artemis out of her backpack. "It wouldn't be a picnic without them."
Hikaru threw her hands up in the air. "Why?" she demanded tragically. "Why me?!"
Motoki laughed at the girls. "I'll give you two a ride when you need to go back," he promised. Minako leapt at him to give him a hug, laughing. "Thank you Motoki-kun!" she squealed happily.
Hikaru bowed formally. "Arigatou Furuhata-san."
Usagi waved a hand imperiously. "Okay, okay. Now let's get to the important part of any picnic! Guys, let's grab the food!"
"USAGI-CHAN!"
"WHAT?!"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
"She may have a point."
Silence.
"He didn't have to save her from the daggers."
Silence.
"Or help Setsuna and Hotaru in the subways."
"But what's to say that he isn't using us?" Haruka demanded angrily as she took a corner particularly tightly. Michiru pulled her whipping hair out of her eyes. "Nothing. Except she trusts him."
"She trusted the Starlights."
"And they didn't betray us. They protected her."
Another tight turn and a jump in speed.
"I didn't like them until they left."
"And you don't have to like him. We just have to get along with him."
"Why?"
"Because it's hurting her. Because we're hurting all of the others—except maybe Rei-chan." Michiru took a deep breath. "And because we're being unfair."
Several car horns blared as Haruka switched several lanes at once without signaling at all. "What makes you think that?"
Michiru looked at her partner steadily as she ran a clearly red light. "Haruka."
Haruka glanced at her significant other, then away. Scowling, she took a sharp left despite the fact that she was in a lane that prohibited it.
"We could be wrong about him."
"Better be safe than sorry."
"We can't protect her from everything."
"But we can certainly try."
"She has to grow up. We have to let her grow up." Haruka sighed and slowed down. "I like protecting her Michiru. It gives the battles, the sacrifices. . .the deaths. . .a purpose. When things are hard, I look to her and I know why we fight. Why we gave everything up to be Sailor Senshi. Her light is so warm…so innocent. . ."
"You have to have faith in her. Commitatus cannot exist without trust. We love her now but I imagine that we'll love her even more one thousand years from now when she is grown up and Neo-Queen Selenity. I don't believe her shine will change with age. Rather, I believe that she will shine more brilliantly and more beautifully."
"But. . .it's dangerous."
Michiru sighed. "Steel cannot be forged without fire. We have to expose her to the fires."
"And if she gets burned?"
"Then we allow her to get burned. It's a risk everyone has to take."
Haruka sighed. "I don't like it." she muttered rebelliously.
"But it's both right and necessary." Michiru snuggled against Haruka's shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't like it either."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
The picnic was in full swing under a huge cherry tree by the lake when it happened. Makoto, Minako, and Usagi suddenly jerked all at the same time. Then they, and Hotaru, were instantly serious and grim. From experience, Naru knew something very bad was going to happen very soon. She was interested to note though that Hotaru was reacting with Usagi, Minako, and Makoto.
"Something isn't right." Usagi murmured.
"There's something very evil around here…" Minako added.
They stood up, Makoto, Minako, and Hotaru going to stand around Usagi protectively as they scanned the surrounding area. The cats joined them. The foursome stood between the rest of the picnickers and the park, shielding them against the tree. Naru wondered if that was a practiced move or if it was instinctive or if it was something else entirely.
"That would be us." A childish voice said.
Looking up, the group saw a pair of diminutive girls, floating down to the ground. Everyone else scrambled to their feet. Landing, the girls continued to hold hands. The speaker, an angular girl, had long ebony black hair that brushed the back of her legs and clouded green eyes. Her skin was lightly tinted with a sickly green color underneath which she was deathly pale. She wore a scarlet skirt that ended just above her knees and a scarlet turtleneck that had long sleeves and ended around her hips. Around her waist, she wore a woven red belt. Her companion had sky blue hair that brushed her shoulders and misty gray eyes. Her face had been powered until it was white and she wore makeup over the powder that made her appear to be crying. Her dress, brown and shift-like with short sleeves, was badly frayed at the sleeves and hem. Both girls were barefoot and neither carried a visible weapon. Curiously though, each bore a small, black purse on a string around her wrist.
"You." She pointed at Usagi. "Come here now."
"Why?"
"Because I said to." A needle formed between her fingers that she flicked at the huge tree that they were under. The needle imbedded itself in he bark of the tree. Around that spot, the tree's bark suddenly grew black and flaky with nasty green streaks radiating outwards. Where the green streaks touched, the blackness followed. They watched in horrified fascination as the tree began to rot before their very eyes. "That will happen to those with you if you do not come with us. Only it will happen much more slowly."
"We don't care." Minako snapped defiantly. "She's not going with you!"
Minako and Hotaru stepped in front of Usagi as Makoto grabbed her arm. Naru grabbed Usagi's other arm as Hikaru stood next to Minako. Aequila and Motoki moved to stand in front of Minako and Hotaru.
Usagi ignored them. "And if I come with you?"
"We shall not harm them."
"Who are you?"
"I am Gekidoku and she is my twin Kikyoku."
"I agree to come with you Gekidoku-san, Kikyoku-san." Usagi moved to go to the girls but Makoto and Naru held her in place.
"Usagi-chan—" Makoto hissed vehemently.
Gently Usagi pried the larger girl's fingers off. "It'll be okay." She took off her broach and placed it in the other girl's hand, curling her fingers around it. Usagi met Makoto's eyes. "As a promise that I'll return to you." She pried Naru off next. "Everything will be okay Naru. You'll see."
Bending over, she patted the cats at her feet, picking Luna up in the process.
Aequlia stepped forward. "Kidnapping and torture are against the law."
The girls laughed. Kikyoku spoke for the first time. "We are above your laws."
Usagi, Luna still in her arms, walked through Hotaru and Minako. Half turning she caught their eyes with her. "I promise." Was all she said outloud. Aequila and Motoki moved as if to grab Usagi and forcefully restrain her but Minako and Hotaru grabbed them. Usagi joined the girls.
"What are you doing?" Motoki demanded angrily. "You can't let her do this!"
"It's a calculated risk." Hotaru replied coldly.
"You're SELLING Usagi-chan to save yourselves!" Minako, who was holding Motoki, momentarily lost her temper. Letting him go for a moment, Minako slipped around in front of him and slugged him in the stomach. Hard. Emotionlessly she stood over the young man as he gasped and hunched over instinctively. "This is more difficult for us than you will ever comprehend. Do not judge us."
Hikaru gasped. "What kind of monster have you become, Aino Minako? To sacrifice lives!" Surprisingly, it was Naru who grabbed Hikaru and slapped her across the face, leaving an angry red mark that was a perfect impression of her hand on Hikaru's cheek. "SHUT UP!" She screamed angrily at the shocked Hikaru.
"But you're her best friend! How can you—" The other girl began when Naru created a red hand on Hikaru's other cheek.
"I can't believe that you're giving up on her like this!" Aequila snarled, glaring at Makoto. "I thought she meant more to you than this!"
Makoto's eyes filled up with tears but that didn't ruin her aim as she lashed out at him, punching him in the jaw. Hotaru, instead of holding him back as she had been originally, now held him up.
Usagi watched them sadly as, smiling unpleasantly, the causes of this ruckus released each other's hand. Each girls pulled out a crystal. Gekidoku was a sickening shade of green while Kikyoku's was gray-blue.
Together they held them out and for a moment each crystal glowed it's respective color brilliantly. Combined, they produced eight yoma. Both girls returned their crystals to their pouches.
"But you promised!"
"That we wouldn't hurt them. We said nothing about our minions!" Gekidoku sneered.
"Perhaps you should listen more closely when making deals with demons." Kikyoku mocked.
"We wish to leave a calling card for the Sailor Senshi. You friends' corpses should make a very good impression on them."
"Monsters!" Usagi gasped.
"Quite probably." Gekidoku agreed.
Kikyoku called to the yoma, "Kill them all, then return to us!"
Then the girls grabbed each other's hand and one of Usagi's shoulders and teleported.
"Gals" Minako said grimly, "HENSHIN YO!"
As one Minako, Makoto, and Hotaru leapt into the air. Domes of light engulfed the three as unseen choruses began to sing. Pink light claimed Makoto as blackness took Hotaru and orange light surrounded Minako. The women who landed were not what the other onlookers expected to see, Naru knew. She was a little shocked herself at Hotaru's alternate identity but she knew it was nothing compared to what the others were feeling.
"I AM SAILOR VENUS! WARRIOR OF LOVE AND BEAUTY!"
"I AM SAILOR JUPITER! WARRIOR OF STRENGTH AND NATURE!"
"I AM SAILOR SATURN! WARRIOR OF DEATH AND REBIRTH!"
"WE'LL DESTROY YOU!"
With bloodcurdling war cries they attacked the yoma.
And, this time, Naru knew what to do. Urgently she shook Aequila's shoulders. With a visible effort, Aequila ripped his eyes away from Sailor Jupiter as she a yoma's sword to rip him open from his bellybutton to his jaw. "Get him." Naru ordered him, gesturing at Motoki. Then she went to Hikaru. Hikaru was watching Sailor Venus with a kind of sick fascination as Venus chose that moment to smash a yoma's head open with a Crescent Beam, sending boiled brain particles everywhere. Naru shook her, feeling slightly guilty about the hand-shaped bruises she would be sporting later. "Come on." Naru demanded, "or do you want to be used as bait?"
Hikaru blinked. "Huh?"
Naru grabbed her wrist and dragged her over to the men. She took stock of her companions. Hikaru was obviously in shock. Motoki looked positively sick. And Aequila…She couldn't tell what was going on inside of him. Surprisingly Minako's cat, Artemis, took that oppertunity to leap onto her shoulder, digging his claws into her shirt. Oh well. She'd never really liked it anyway.
"Let's go hide. We're putting the others at a disadvantage."
Aequila nodded.
"We'll see them after the battle."
Aequila nodded again. Motoki made no sign that he had heard but when Naru, leading Hikaru, started running away, Motoki followed her. Aequila deliberately brought up the rear.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Here are the translations if you need them…(If you didn't notice I added some of my own names to the character names from the series—ex.-Jadeite's and Zoisite's human names.)
Tsukino Usagi = Serena = Sailor Moon = Princess Selenity
Mizuno Ami = Amy Anderson = Sailor Mercury
Hino Rei = Raye Hino = Sailor Mars
Kino Makoto = Lita = Sailor Jupiter
Aino Minako = Mina = Sailor Venus
Meioh Setsuna = Sailor Pluto
Tenoh Haruka = Sailor Uranus
Kaioh Michiru = Sailor Neptune
Tomoe Hotaru = Sailor Saturn
Chiba Mamoru = Darien Shields = Tuxedo Kamen/Mask = Prince Endymion
Luna = Luna
Artemis = Artemis
Jiyuujin Hisui = Jadeite = Jedite
Nephrite = Nephlite = Nephlyte
Hanafubuki Kenji = Zoisite = Zoicite = Zoycite
Kunzite =Malachite
Rubeus = Rubeus
Safir = Sapphire
Prince Demando = Prince Diamond
Tsukino Shino = Sammy, Serena's brother
Tsukino Kenji = Serena's father
Tsukino Ikuko = Serena's mother
Furuhata Motoki = Andrew (from the arcade)
Reika = Rita
Ryo Urawa = Greg
Osaka Naru = Molly Baker
Hikaru = She's from the Sailor V manga and Minako's best friend. Oddly enough she both looks and acts a lot like Ami.
My Characters:
Tellosummo Ventum Aequila = ( vice versa) = Eagle from the Top of the World
Inferus Kane
Kikyoku = Serious Depression
Gekidoku = Deadly Poisons
Sado = Sadism
Ekirei = Plagues
Shikaku = Shadowy Assassinations
Zetsumei = Death
Shiin = Death
Ate = Discord
Aloysia = Teutonic, "famous for war"
Jolan = Hungarian, "violet blossom"