Sailor Kyuumu..

((K-chan's note: The result of staying home sick and pondering the stories of my characters. Introducing Sailor Kyuumu.. just a prolouge, more on the way! ))

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Came her scream, cutting like a knife through the silence, and following it, a short pause full of suspense. Yet again, her voice raised, in another scream, first wordless, and then forming understood speech. "I TOLD YOU! DON'T TOUCH ME! GET AWAY!" Silence again, save for the quick breaths of the girl that had just shouted.. and then a muffled giggle broke the silence.

"Miss Kintsu, perhaps you'd like to inform the class as to what you're screaming about?" The classroom had been silent, every student working quietly and the teacher grading papers in the front when one the girl in the back had begun to scream. Her name was Kintsu, and generally she was a quiet sort, one who made A's and worked hard at her studies.

"Don't touch me," she whimpered again, oblivious to snickers and her teacher's stern command. Kintsu was a petite little thing of nine or so, in the third grade, and where she had before been something of a snob with her intelligence, now she trembled.

"Miss Kintsu?" Now her teacher was worried, and the snickers had faded to whispers of worry. The girl in the back didn't even notice her teacher draw near.

"Don't, don't, don't touch me!"

"Miss Kintsu!" The tone carried alarm, as the teacher glanced at the students who occupied nearby desks. "Did any of you touch her?" Fervent negative answered the teacher along with shaking heads, as all eyes returned to the still shaking girl.

"NO!" screamed Kintsu, jerking her head back as if to let free the shout, flinging her short hair out of the clip that had held it from her face. She held this position; head tilted far back, wisps of hair hanging around her face. While she gasped for air, frightened murmurs raced across the classroom. Slender limbs continued to tremble, as if the short school uniform wasn't enough to ward away a sudden chill - even though the room was quite warm. "Please.. No.." The words now were whispered, and shook the teacher out of shock; leaning forward, he grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her.

"Miss Kintsu! Please, what's wrong?" Moments passed, and all Kintsu did was shake, her only reply. Slowly, the teacher removed his hand, looking up. "You!" He cried, pointing to one of the other students. "Go get a nurse!" Scrambling out of her seat, the child complied, racing out the door and down the hall. The others silently this one of their peers, and also was glad it was not them - anything to get away from the girl who had suddenly gone insane, but anything to stay and watch and see what happened.

A whimper escaped Kintsu's lips at this moment, drawing all attention back to her. Her head was still tilted back, as if she had no power to raise it, her entire body rigid. What her eyes saw, no other did, no matter how they looked. All was silent, save for the rasping breath of the one who held everyone's attention.. until a scream rent the air once more.

It wasn't Kintsu. It was another girl, one of the ones watching, and it was joined by others. Because without visible cause, a slash had opened itself on Kintsu's bared neck. Blood spurted, and even the teacher scrambled with the others to get away. Later it would be described as an invisible knife parting her fair skin, as a nightmare, a haunting, a thousand things.

When the nurse came, and then the ambulance, it was too late. Kintsu was taken away in a zipped up black bag, but her story wasn't forgotten. For weeks after the children were terrified and those that had been in her class were subjected to therapy. Questions were asked, but none of them had answers. Slowly, things returned to normal, and slowly, the children got over their fright as the memory faded.

Then it happened again. More screams, and more blood before anyone could do anything. Another black bag. Horror swept through the school. Children were sent home. Even more queries were posed, but even fewer answers were available. Investigations found nothing. No one had any answers for the mourners; school remained out.

Things were even slower to quiet down this time, but as they finally began to do so - another black bag was needed. In front of her family at dinner, a young girl began to scream. Her head jerked back, and blood rained down.

That was when everything went to hell.

Across Japan, reports of youma attacks varied, though there were often reoccurring themes. Possessions. Deaths. Drainings of energy and blood. The people prayed, called, searched for saviors, but no one came. The sailor senshi were nowhere to be found. So people died, were hurt, were taken over; Japan was a country under siege, and no one could save them.. because the plague that belonged to them was slowly spreading outward to the rest of the world. And people wondered if everything could have been stopped, everyone could have been saved, if only the sailor senshi had been there. The question was a moot point, however. There were no senshi, and thus there was little hope.

Life continued, but it was life at war.

Until things changed.

Until Sailor Kyuumu showed up to stop a war.