Seiya hurt. A lot. He had thought the pain would go away sooner, but even with his senshi powers and Hotaru working to heal him, he still hadn't fully recovered. The damage done to him had been far worse than it looked, and right now, he thought Ami had been pretty lucky to heal so quickly.
'Baka, baka, baka, baka! You just had to do that?!' Seiya yelled to himself in his head. He tried to turn over, but the pain caught him again, and he decided it would be better to stay where he was. Even if his legs were falling asleep. 'Yaten offered, so why did I refuse? Baka...'
A sudden shuffling in his room shook him out of his thoughts, and he fought to open his tired eyes...
And he did open them. Only to be staring into a familiar pair of bright blue eyes. He was startled, but when the eyes started to fill with tears, he shook himself out of it.
"Seiya-kun!" Usagi cried, latching herself onto him.
"Gwa!" Seiya cried, surprised by the sudden affection. She hung on him, crying VERY loudly, and Seiya looked around the room in desperation, only to find Haruka and Michiru, standing a good ways away from the bed, trying to stifle laughter. Seiya glared at them, and turned his attention back to the balling moon senshi...
"Oi, oi! Odango! Take it easy!" He tried to laugh, but found it only hurt, and winced. Usagi noticed this, and cried harder. This time, Michiru didn't just watch. She walked up to Usagi and pried the girl off Seiya.
"It's all right, Usagi-chan..." Michiru smiled.
"Ne, Odango! Did you think I was dead?" Seiya joked feebly. Usagi shook her head, wiping away tears.
"Gomen, Seiya-kun... I was just worried about you... Oh! This should have never happened! What if you had been..." Usagi couldn't bring herself to say it. "What then? What would we... what would we do without you?" Seiya looked at Usagi, whose eyes were staring at her feet. He glanced at Haruka, who gave him a sad look, then at Michiru who looked worried. He put his hand on her shoulder.
"Daijobu, Odango! I've been through worse!" Haruka snorted. Seiya glared at her playfully. "I mean, come on! I've been tortured by that one for a day or two now! You think being attacked like that was bad?" Haruka glared at him.
"Oooohhhhh yeah! And like taking care of you has been soooo wonderful, your highness! Expecting us to be at your beck and call..."
"Hey, just because you're so out of shape that you can't even lift your legs..."
"Excuse me? I think you'd better remember just who is not the cripple!"
"You'd only be able to beat me how I am now! That's why you talk so big!"
"Oh sure... I think you must have gotten your head hit pretty hard to come up with such a falsity..."
"Whatever, Haruka-kun, just because you can't admit that you're a loser..."
"LOSER?! I'll show you a loser!"
Usagi and Michiru just managed to get out of the room before the pillows and threats started flying, and narrowly escaped a book being thrown out the door...
"Seiya-kun sure does recover fast, ne, Michiru-san?" Michiru nodded, sweat dropping.
"Hai, Usagi-chan. Ara... shall we go wait for the rest?" This time Usagi nodded. They continued down to the kitchen of the giant mansion, to make tea for the others.
"What kind should we make, green tea, or cinnamon?" Michiru asked Usagi, taking teacups out of the cup board. Usagi froze.
"Ne, Michiru-san..."
"Hai, Usagi-chan?"
"Just... how is everyone getting here?"
"What do you mean? By car obviously..."
"But how? The Three Lights' van was destroyed, and hasn't been replaced!"
"Nani?!"
Seiya smiled and lifted Haruka's face with his index finger.
"Let's not fight, ne, Haruka-kun?" Haruka snorted.
"I should be doing that to you, not vice versa... " Haruka kissed Seiya. Seiya broke the kiss smiling.
"I don't know about you... but I don't think we should be doing this right now..." Seiya kissed Haruka. This time, Haruka broke the kiss.
"Why not? I'm sure Michiru will keep Usagi downstairs long enough for..." They kissed again.
"What if Hotaru comes in, ne? What then? Just practicing your kissing reflexes?" Kiss.
"Hhmff... and I suppose you would have a great time convincing your 'brothers' of our..." Kiss.
"You talk too much!" Kiss.
"Ha! I should be saying that! You're too much like me for your own good..." Kiss.
"Aww... don't pretend you don't like it..." Kiss.
"But look at what I get for it..." Kiss.
"Mmm..." Kiss.
"That's better..."
BUZZ!
"Hai?" Ami could hear her mother speak over their apartment intercom.
"Ami-chan! Your ride's- Kami-sama!"
"Nani? What's wrong, Oka- Kami-sama!" Ami looked out the window of
the apartment that she lived in with her mother. Even from how high up
they were, the very large black stretch limo that waited in front of the
apartment was very visible... 'What is going on? It must be because of
the van getting destroyed... what a choice!' "What are they thinking?!"
"Ami-chan... Friends like that..." Akane sighed. "Ami-chan, be careful..."
"Don't worry Okaa-san..." Ami gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek, but before she could leave, her mother caught her by the arm.
"Ami-chan, tell that nice young man I said 'hi'." Ami looked at her mother for a second, then smiled, nodding. She quickly closed the door behind her, and rushed outside, as to not keep them waiting. 'Stop it, Ami! You know why you hurry...' Ami blushed at her own thoughts, and blushed even redder when she saw Taiki waiting for her in the lobby. They just looked at each other for a moment, then Ami giggled, causing Taiki to chuckle.
"What were you two thinking, Taiki-san?" Ami giggled again, as they headed towards the limo.
"What do you mean? Only the best for the beautiful ladies..." Taiki quickly took her hand and kissed it, then opened on of the back doors to the limo for her. She flushed, but managed to get into the limo gracefully.
She sighed, as Taiki headed to the front of the limo to get into the driver's seat, and froze when she heard a snicker. She turned her head to see Yaten, lounging across four of the seats, laughing to himself.
"You two... oh stars!" Yaten started laughing again, causing Ami
to turn absolutely red.
Just outside the Tomoe Mansion, three figures were waiting, crouched
in the shadows that the wall surrounding the large estate made. To anyone
who would happen by, they would feel an odd tingle at the back of their
neck... the tell tale sign of evil.
"Maa... Hikyou-kun! I can't wait any longer! Why must we attack
at midnight? Why not now?" Hikyou shook his head in patience, and looked
over to the direction of Utaguri.
"Ne, ne, Utaguri-kun! Tell this baka why we must wait..." Utaguri
sat up straight suddenly, and shook his head, to clear the mist fogging
his eyes. He uttered an exasperated sigh.
"Why can't you... oh, never mind... you've broken me out of my trance as it is... Fujitsu no baka... we have to wait for all the senshi to arrive, and then we must catch them off guard... Malevolence-sama will then put the plan into action... but she needs the light of the full moon in sync with certain stars to do so... which is at midnight, now be quiet and let me scan further..."
"What are you scanning for anyway? You know that they can't detect us, and we know who happens to be in there at the moment, so why bother?" Fujitsu asked. Utaguri growled.
"You are so immature! Must you constantly question me? If you saw this, you would scan further too!" Utaguri spat, and continued his trance.
"Peace, peace, Utaguri-kun." Hikyou said calmly. Utaguri suddenly went upright in attention.
"It seems to be getting interesting..." Utaguri's lips formed into a sinister smile.
"What have you found?" Hikyou asked.
"Well, well..." Utaguri looked at the other two. "I believe we should call Reikoku-san... I think she will like this..."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying... that your senshi has a few secrets she doesn't want yet discovered..."
"Exactly-" Utaguri cut off suddenly, and went into a fighting stance, and the others mimicked him in a heart beat. Utaguri then relaxed, and pushed them all further into the shadows.
"What was that about?" Fujitsu asked.
"Nothing... just a flaring of soul seeds all at once... the inner Sol senshi have arrived, with the other two senshi of the stars."
"Excellent... we hadn't expected all the senshi to show up..." Hikyou said.
"Wait... wasn't there something Malevolence-sama said about there being more than that? Something about another moon senshi and one other..." Fujitsu wondered out loud.
"Daijobu, Fujitsu-kun... the other moon senshi doesn't belong in this timeline, and she doesn't exist right now..." Hikyou reassured his fellow senshi.
"I hope your right... I want to be prepared..."
"Well, with that time bitch gone, all we have to make sure of, is that we get rid of Ikinie-san's senshi first..." Utaguri told the other two.
"But she has no power." Fujitsu complained. "Can't we just torture her?"
"Iie, she is the first to die... and the quickest... just have fun with your senshi, and don't worry. Ikinie-san is the one who is missing out." Hikyou said. Utaguri snorted.
"Are you kidding? As long as Ikinie'san can collect the death energy, or at least have them all dead, she'd be fine. You know very well that she'd probably just kill them all with no second thoughts."
"Hmff. She's no fun." Fujitsu pouted.
Rei suddenly went completely erect in her seat in the large stretch limo Taiki was driving, as they turned into the great mansion's driveway. Makoto, Minako, Ami, and Yaten all turned to look at her.
"Rei-chan! Daijobu?" Minako asked. Rei narrowed her eyes, then closed them completely.
"Chikuso!" Rei swore, suddenly opening her eyes. She looked to the others. "They're here... I can feel it... such evil! When we get to the house, I must set up wards!" Everyone nodded.
"I will go with you, Rei-chan!" Makoto slammed her fist into her palm for emphasis. "Those bastards... I won't let them get away with any of this!"
"Iie, Mako-chan. I will go with Rei-chan." Yaten said quietly. Rei and Makoto looked at him.
"Y... Yaten-kun...?" Minako asked. "Are you sure?" Yaten nodded.
"I will do what I can. I can feel them now too, Rei-chan." He growled quietly. "And I can practically smell the one that attacked Seiya... damn him... he's... he's gloating?! Yurusenai!" Everyone practically cowered from Yaten's anger, except Rei, who put her hand on his shoulder.
"Yaten-kun. Don't let you empathic powers get the better of you. You have to have a clear head for this... Hmm..." Rei seemed to think for a moment. "I think... I think I may be able to..." She nodded to herself.
"Nani?" Ami asked. Rei shook her head.
"Later. There isn't any time now. The limo suddenly came to a halt.
"We're here." Taiki announced, and opened the door by Ami, letting her out first. Everyone sweat dropped. The others got out, and Rei and Yaten started out behind the house, while the others went inside.
"No... no.... N-" Hotaru woke up from her nightmare, instinctively strangling the cry that threatened to escape her throat. She hugged her knees, and sat on her bed, drawing in ragged breaths, trying to calm her tense nerves, and to stop the tears from flowing. She rocked back and forth, desperately trying to regain her grip on reality.
'This fear... Kami-sama... no... the cold... I can't bear it anymore!' Hotaru whimpered, and smothered her face in her pillow, to muffle the sobs that came. Her shoulders shook, and she cried for what seemed like hours...
'Its just not fair! Why must I... suffer... like this... But I have to decide... one or the other... will it be me? Or the other... I... I can't deal with this...' Hotaru suddenly spasmed. "No!" She whispered violently into the darkness of her room. "No... I... can't... understand it..."
Hotaru cried, cried until the tears would flow no more, and then
she dragged herself out of bed, to greet the inners that she knew were
waiting...
Taiki, Ami, Minako, Makoto, Usagi, Michiru and a tired Hotaru all made their way to the room that Seiya currently occupied. They walked along quietly, just in case Seiya might have been sleeping. Taiki's face was a mask of sadness, and Ami put her hand on his shoulder for comfort. Michiru led the way, and as they approached the room they could hear... noises. Coming from the room.
"Nani? What's that?" Usagi asked, putting her ear to the door to listen better. The others did the same, as they heard someone groan loudly.
"Harder... harder! Come on, Haruka-kun!" They all gasped as they recognized Seiya's voice. They listened closer.
"Maa... you're so impatient! It'll hurt if I do it too hard... here, how's this?" They all gasped, and looked at Michiru as they recognized Haruka's voice.
"Oh yeah... right there... faster..."
"Uhn... man, don't you ever stop? We've been doing this for a few minutes now..."
"But I want more..." An impatient groan.
"Seeeeiya!"
"Aww... don't make me beg... do it again!"
"Fine, fine... you've got to learn to do this yourself already..."
"Ahhh yeeeeessssss..."
"Ha... like that? Try this..."
"Mmmm... again! Again!" Taiki suddenly grabbed the door handle, and threw the door open, causing everyone to practically fall into the room. They all stared in the direction of the bed...
...only to see Haruka sitting beside Seiya... scratching his back in a place he couldn't reach himself. The all face vaulted.
"Nani?" Seiya blinked. "Taiki? Minna?" Taiki rushed over to Seiya, and fell to his knees on the opposite side Haruka was on, hugging Seiya. "Boku... Taiki..." Everyone picked themselves up off the floor and looked at each other for one tense moment. Then laughed hysterically at what they had all just assumed. Haruka and Seiya gave everyone a sideways look.
"What's wrong?" Haruka asked. Everyone realized they were staring wide eyed, and coughed, sweat dropping. Usagi laughed nervously.
"Ah ha ha... nothing at all, Haruka-san!"
"Itai!" Seiya yelped.
"Ara.. daijobu?" Taiki asked. Seiya gasped.
"Tai... Taiki... You're crushing my ribs..." Taiki released Seiya quickly, sweat dropping.
"Gomen, Seiya! I just..." Taiki blushed. He didn't usually show that kind of affection. Seiya smiled warmly, and looked up at the others.
"How did you all get here?" He asked. Taiki laughed nervously, as Minako rushed up to him.
"You totally won't believe it! Taiki-san and Yaten-kun picked us all up in this gigantic black limo! It's so totally cool! It had a TV, a mini fridge, a satellite dish, a stereo system..."
"Nani?!" Seiya gasped. "What were you thinking?! That must've cost a small fortune!" Taiki stepped back at Seiya's flare of anger.
"Demo... it was Yaten's idea! Honest! I wouldn't have picked something so expensive..." Michiru decided at that moment to come out of shock and join the conversation.
"Ne, ne... Taiki-san, I thought you said that you picked it out?" Taiki blushed furiously, and tried to back out of the room. Seiya tried to throw himself at Taiki, but only succeeded in falling over, writhing in pain. Haruka and Michiru caught him simultaneously. Taiki rushed back to Seiya's side.
"Shimatta! What happened, Seiya-kun? Who exactly attacked you?!" Makoto swore. Seiya grimaced, and looked at the very angry senshi of nature. And froze. He blinked a few times, then rubbed his eyes. He looked back at Makoto.
"Masaka!" He whispered. The anger left Makoto's eyes.
"Nani? What is it?" she asked.
"Minna, the knight that attacked me, Fujitsu no Knight, he... he looks almost exactly like Mako-chan!" Everyone gasped.
"No... gomen nasai, Seiya-kun! I'm sorry!" Makoto whimpered. Seiya looked at her.
"Nani? Doushite?" Seiya asked.
"Because he was probably from my planet... I probably knew him or something... like Ami-chan knew Giman no Knight..." She trailed off. 'Powerless.' She thought. 'Once again, I'm powerless... and it's my fault this time too...' Seiya closed his eyes.
"Haruka-kun, Michiru-san?" He asked, opening his eyes.
"Hai?" They both asked.
"There's something I forgot to show you..." Seiya concentrated for a moment, and then reached into his intra-dimensional space pocket, and in a flash of light, puled out a small object. Everyone crowded around to see what the strange object was. Makoto gasped.
"It... it looks like..." Seiya finished for her.
"It looks like one of the leaves from your Oak Evolution attack... hai, I know..." The little dart did indeed look like a leaf. It was made of silver with a small green handle. It was a larger version of one of Makoto's leaves yet it was amazingly light. Seiya handed it to Makoto. She grasped it gingerly, inspecting every corner of it.
"Kirei..." Usagi whispered.
"Hai... it is..." Makoto muttered back. She looked at Seiya, anger flaring in her eyes. "How did you manage to get this? What did the monster look like exactly? Where did this happen? If he did anything else-"
"Mako-chan!" Seiya yelled. She bit her lip. "I'm fine Mako-chan... calm down..." He put his head in his hands, trying to think. "Lets see now... okay... what happened was, this... wacko attacked me on my way here to pick up Hota-chan-" He stopped abruptly and looked at Hotaru. "Ah! Gomen, Hota-chan! I never got to apologize for that! I'll make it up to you, ne?" Hotaru beamed, and gave him a brief hug, mending a few more internal hurts. He smiled blissfully at the warm glow.
"Don't worry, Sei-chan!" She patted his head as if she was his elder. "It wasn't your fault..."
Haruka laughed. Seiya mock-glared at her.
"Anyway," he said, turning his attention back to Makoto. "The knight... he looked so much like you... I just didn't notice because I was trying to get away with my life... we attacked each other at the same time, and he got my, right here... Seiya motioned to his chest. "Then, when he thought I was too weak to throw an attack, I did. He reacted with about four of these darts, and I caught one before I teleported myself as far away as I could manage... which was just into an alleyway a block down..." Taiki gasped.
"What were you thinking? In such a weakened state... and all by yourself... why did you risk it?!" He grabbed Seiya's shoulders, looking him in the eyes. "Oh, Seiya... what have you done?" Seiya looked down.
"What are you talking about?" Michiru asked. Seiya sighed, and Taiki let go of Seiya.
"We have the ability to teleport, as you all know, because I suspect
you all have the same power..." Taiki looked pointedly at Usagi. "However...
its really hard on us... it uses up a certain amount of personal energy...
even teleporting together is very taxing on all of us. But one of us alone...
Seiya! Kakyuu-hime made you promise not to do it!"
"Gomen nasai..." Seiya whispered. Taiki's eyes misted, and he
hugged Seiya again.
"Never mind, Seiya... as long as you're okay..." Seiya squeezed back.
"Is this why its taking so long for you to heal?" Usagi asked. They all face vaulted.
"Nani yo?" Seiya gasped. "It's only been about a day or two..."
"He has to take time to heal, Neko-chan..." Haruka said, sweat dropping. Usagi frowned.
"Demo... Ami-chan healed quickly... her senshi powers ensured that she was basically okay... she was just a bit weak, but look at Seiya-kun... he can't walk without painkillers or help..." Everyone backed up a bit.
"U... Usagi-chan's right..." Ami stammered. "She's exactly right..." Minako put her hand to Usagi's forehead.
"Usagi-chan, can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, bath salts... tranquilizers, MEI, CATscan?" Minako asked. Usagi blinked.
"Nani?" she asked, wide eyed. She looked around at everyone who just stared at her. "Nani? Nani? NANI YO?!"
"Ara... never mind, Usagi-chan..." Michiru smiled.
"Uhm... okay..." They all say there in an uncomfortable silence,
until suddenly, the door flew open.
Everyone turned around.
Rei and Yaten stood in the doorway. Yaten scowled.
"We've got a problem..." He said quietly.
"What is it?" Haruka asked. Rei shook her head.
"The house is being watched..."
"Shimatta! I knew it!" Seiya exclaimed. "Why did you tell me to stay, baka?!" Seiya yelled at Haruka. Haruka glared at him.
"Because we couldn't let you get into more trouble!"
"I told you I didn't want to stay! And now we may all be in big trouble, and it's all my fault!" Seiya cried.
"Bakayarou!" Yaten yelled. "Whatever the situation, it doesn't matter what happened! Seiya, it's not your fault, but what we have to do know is more important!" Seiya stared at Yaten, and finally nodded.
"Quiet!" Rei yelled harshly, causing everyone to quiet. "Yaten-kun has helped me to set up protections and wards around the mansion... it may not be much help, but at least we are safe from evil spirits..."
"Demo..." Makoto asked.
"But... the knights won't be stopped by the wards... one of the is a Shinto priest.
"Nani?!" Everyone exclaimed.
"But I thought Shinto priests and priestesses were all good? How can there be an evil priest?" Minako asked. Rei sighed.
"One must have a pure heart to be Shinto... and unfaltering desires of that heart... it doesn't mean you can't have a pure evil heart..."
"The opposite of your pure one, ne, Rei-chan?" Usagi asked quietly. Rei nodded sadly.
"What a perversion of the faith..." Michiru spat.
"Well, the question is... what do we do now?" Makoto asked. Rei looked at her.
"And now... we wait..."
Fujitsu no Knight looked over to Utaguri no Knight.
"Ha. I've called Ikinie-san. She'll be here momentarily." Utaguri nodded. He looked over to Hikyou no Knight.
"Hikyou-kun?" Hikyou looked at Utaguri, then up to the dark midnight sky. A full moon was suddenly revealed between the dense clouds. He nodded.
"It's time." They jumped into the darkness of the night.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
All the senshi in the Tomoe's living room turned to look at the direction of the large front double doors. Michiru quickly pulled out her Deep Aqua Mirror, and looked into it.
"Iie..." Everyone turned to her.
"Ne, ne, Michiru-san?" Usagi asked. Michiru swallowed, and looked at Haruka.
"Ruka-chan... it's for you..." Haruka's eyes narrowed, and she nodded curtly to Michiru, standing up. Seiya tried to make a grab for Haruka's arm.
"Don't be stupid, Haruka-kun! You can't expect to beat them alone!" Seiya pleaded, trying to keep himself angry looking.
"She won't be alone." Michiru stood up. The two nodded to each other.
"URANUS CRYSTAL POWER!"
"NEPTUNE CRYSTAL POWER!"
"MAKE UP!" They cried in unison, and soon, in a blinding flash of light, Sailor Uranus, Space Sword unsheathed, and Sailor Neptune, Deep Aqua Mirror in hand, replaced Haruka and Michiru.
The two strode purposefully out the front doors, into whatever
was awaiting them...