S.I.U. - The Sailor Investigation Unit
by DARK DAY FOR ANIME
Disclaimer - all characters pertaining to the series Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon are owned by Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai and Kodansya. All
other characters were thought up by me. Well, its true, isn't it?
^_^
Part Nine
From Soldiers to Wizards
Aoi paced the floor behind the chair. She was at her wits end
in her search for a photographic match of the shot Pagan had given
her. Kaji, having long since bored of her trawling of the school
photographic records, had left for places unknown. He'd said that
he would be back at some time.
Now it was way past lunch, and she was starving. All she had
to comfort her were her cigarettes, and even then, she would
nervously glance at the fire extinguishers, set in the ceiling. She
had been promised that they wouldn't go off with something as
insubstantial as cigarette smoke, and there certainly wasn't any
workplace ruling about smoking within the building. There were
enough people around her, puffing away, to certify that. But it had
always worried her.
She looked across the partitions that separated the small
office segments. She hated the concept of open plan offices. They
denied aspects of personal space and privacy, and in Tokyo these
were two very limited resources.
Of course, all the really important members of the division
were given private offices elsewhere in the building.
Shimazaki and Katarin had been watching her ever since they'd
returned. She contemplated the two officers. The brash and young
Shimazaki always had a sneer for her whenever he caught her glancing
at him. Katarin was far more reserved, but no less arrogant. She
noticed there were very few women working within the Major Crime
division, and considering the standard of the company, she could
understand why.
They were enjoying her frustration, the fact that she couldn't
get anything done. She'd hated this attitude she'd received ever
since she'd joined the police. Women were only meant for the light
duties... Traffic management, dispatch and clerical work. In
short, not REAL police work. That was why she hated Shimazaki so
much. He knew he'd only have to cruise these next few years and he
would be promoted. Aoi was not going to be given any such leniency.
Whatever the case, none of this introspection was helping her
in placing a name to the face in the photograph. Even by limiting
the search to girls with blond hair, she had failed to get the
numbers down under a thousand. There were obviously a great many
blond Japanese people out there that she hadn't seen before. Her
earlier thoughts about the Sailorsenshi existing in a kind of self-
delusional fantasy world seemed, more and more, to apply to her.
And then something came to her. The piece of paper on which
she'd scrawled the names, from the messages on the answering machine
in Makoto's apartment! She reached into her pocket, fidgeting about
between her cigarettes and lighter, loose change and her set of
keys. She thought she'd managed to grab it the first time, only to
pull out an old chewing gum wrapper. She really had to clean out
the pockets of her coat, one day.
Eventually, her hand hit home and she pulled out the small
slip of paper. Usagi, Kensuke, Rei, Ami, Mina, Haruka, Michiru.
Well, she had scribbled them down as best she could. It wasn't
always easy to define exactly what characters are used in Japanese
names from simple audio transcript. But she was pretty damn sure
how the names were supposed to look in their full kanji form.
Usagi... Rabbit. Something was bugging her about that name.
She'd remarked upon it as she was writing it down. Usagi was hardly
a common name to give to a daughter.... She was certain that there
couldn't have been more than one or two students within the entirety
of Tokyo with the name Usagi. She'd certinly never met anyone
bearing such a name before.
Then it dawned on her.... Of course, the old Japanese legend
about the rabbit grinding the mill on the moon.... Tsuki no Usagi!
What better name to give Sailormoon? She shook her head. It should
have been so obvious. She sat down in the seat before the computer
terminal and typed in the name Usagi as part of the search
definitions. The computer chewed away at her request for several
moments as she impatiently tapped her right heel against the castors
of the chair.
Eventually the computer spat out a list of fifteen girls with
the name Usagi. And there it was, in plain writing, the kanji for
Tsukino Usagi. Aoi had to contain herself as she clicked the icon
of that name.
The picture that appeared on the screen was of a girl several
years younger than the one that was in the photograph, but it was,
by all means, the same person. She flexed her fingers for a moment
and grabbed a pen, quickly scribbling down all the details she could
get on the girl. Eventually, she sat back and stared at the screen.
She fingered her collar. Everything was starting to fall into
place for her. Now she had the identities of two of the
Sailorsenshi confirmed. She thought for a few moments, considering
whether it would be worth her while to check up on this Tsukino
Usagi before investigating any further. Then she thought about the
scare she had whilst rummaging through the apartment of the Kino
girl.... It might be a bit dangerous, especially if Pluto was on
the warpath...
She shook her head. There was no time for indecision in this
matter. It was likely that one or more of the Sailorsenshi were
involved in the murder of their comrade. In almost all cases,
crimes such as murder were committed by someone who were either
close to, known by or related to, the victim. If it was one of the
Sailorsenshi, then she would have to move pretty quickly.
She started to close the search program, then glanced back
into the office space. What would happen if someone like Shimazaki
were to pry into her information search using the access records?
He'd be on her tail in seconds. And Shimazaki was exactly the kind
of person to do it, too. She didn't want him anywhere near her when
she confronted the Sailorsenshi. This was HER case, her baby.
It didn't take her very long to erase the records of entry.
She stood, stretching her neck, which had become sore with all the
sitting down, and noncalantly walked away, past both Shimazaki and
Katarin, who watched her as she pressed the button of the office
lift. After a few moments, the doors opened and she entered,
smiling at them as she turned around and pressed the button for the
ground floor.
When the doors closed on her face, Katarin motioned to
Shimazaki, who smiled, nodding. The pair of them grabbed their
jackets and made for the stairs.
----o
Joachim Schneider quietly strode down the corridors of the
Sacred House building, their darkened gothic interiors slowly
working their soporific magic on his mind. It was only within the
walls of the Sacred House itself that he felt completely safe and
secure. For a man of his age, security was everything. But then,
it probably always had been.
He disliked conflict of any kind, but conflict had always
pursued him, from the days when he had been posted to Japan by the
Nazi Regime as a member of the diplomatic attache's clerical staff,
underseeing that Japan kept to the Anti-Comintern Pact, and thus
being forced to endure the war years within Japan itself, through to
the support of the American forces during the Korean War. By that
stage, he had long shed any connections to his homeland. His family
had been killed in the air raids.
It was whilst he was acting as a political go-between, for the
members of the Diet and the American forces based in Japan, that he
first encountered the mysterious organisation known as The Sacred
House. The group had, apparently, strong links to members of the
Diet and the Public Service. What they actually were, he had no
idea, but with the doctrine, of freedom of religion, that had been
set up as part of Japan's constitution after the war, it was not
unusual to find various religious cults popping up to fill what was
seen as something of a cultural necessity, in a society that had
been reduced to an apocalyptic shambles.
He had become fascinated with this particular group, for some
reason or another. What would later be described by his mentor,
Tani Hiroyuki, as an attraction to his own kind. After learning of
its existence, he researched its powerbase and its practices, and
was eventually caught in its web....
....For the very reason that he'd heard of its existence was
because the Elders of the Sacred House wanted him to. Because they
knew what he was, and what he was capable of. It was far better for
them to have someone like Joachim Schneider on their side than on
the side of the cursed Coven of Atrocity.
Joachim was the first foreigner to join the Sacred House. It
had founded as a special protectorate for those who had blood ties
to the Others within the rigid social structure of very early
Japanese history, and might have even evolved from groups in China
before that. Nurtured in Japan's hothouse environment, the Sacred
House had been able to flourish where similar groups elsewhere in
the world had been subject to persecution.
He had learnt that in his early days with the House. He had
been posted under the guiding wing of Tani Hiroyuki, a member of
one of the House's most honoured family bloodlines. Hiroyuki had
been well over two hundred years old at that stage, and didn't look
a day over thirty. Joachim knew, instinctively, the moment he was
introduced to Hiroyuki, what the man was. He also discovered, at
that moment, that the only reason Hiroyuki wasn't trying to tear
his throat out was that his condition had long been rendered
controlable by the usage of a medication that was known as Vasculin.
Joachim didn't know what Vasculin was... what it contained and
such. All he did know was that it had an amazing effect upon those
such as the Tani clan. And upon other branches of their kind.
There were various forms of Vasculin, packaged in brightly coloured
boxes for easy identification. Hiroyuki would take Vasculin Blue.
All Tani clan members used Vasculin Blue. He knew of those groups
for which the varieties of Vasculin were produced. But the only
individual he knew personally who was taking the medication, other
than a member of the Tani and related clans, was Sherrie.
She was a difficult case. Her need for Vasculin Orange was
imperitive.... She was quick to recover from its effects, and her
natural state was frighteningly bestial. Although it wasn't
impossible to get her to intellectualise on her actions once the
full transformation from human to demon had occured, the road there
would be paved with the blood of many. And that was a risk the
House was unwilling to take.
So was the risk of killing her. Very few, even Sherrie
herself, realised just what she was fully capable of doing. The
energy of her sonic powers were merely the tip of the iceberg.
Whatever the case, the Irish legends of the Bean Sidhe had proven
to be sadly correct.
"You seen troubled." He heard Carey's soft voice from the
shadows of the columns. He paused in his stroll and looked aside
at her. Even within the darkness, he could see her eyes. As bright
as they were, lined with dark lashes, they looked liked twin lasers
homing in on their target.
"I am merely thinking things over."
"About the blood lineage of the Sailorsenshi?"
"Actually, the thought of what they may become has concerned
me about more pressing matters, closer to home."
"Ah yes. We are concerned about Sherrie, are we not?"
He nodded, rubbing his eyes, tiredly. Slowly, Carey stepped
forward from the shadows as he replaced his hand within the large
black cloak he would wear to increase his already impressive
physical presence.
Carey paused in front of him and opened her mouth, as if she
were going to speak. She stopped and looked aside, trying to gather
her thoughts, then looked back up at Joachim.
"We have certified that all the tablets have been... consumed.
At least, the packaging has been returned, empty."
"In the case of Sherrie, there is no guarantee. She is an
impetuous child. She has been ever since I brought her here.
Surely, you remember the old days? The days where she had to be
locked away for both her safety and that of others."
"I remember them. It took close to six months to finally
crack her. To bring her round to our ways."
"Yes, but did we? Did we really succeed?"
"If what you are saying is true, then she is withdrawing from
her medication, by her own choice. And if that is so, she may
revert to a wild state." She paused. "More than may, It'd be a
certainty."
Joachim nodded. "I saw her earlier today. She seemed fine,
then. And yet, I had this nagging sensation... that things weren't
quite right with her." He sighed. "I've had a report, sent in from
Rumiko, that Sherrie's behaviour has become erratic within the last
hour or so. More erratic than is normal."
"Should we withdraw team two, then? Team three is more than
ready to replace them."
"No, not just yet... They are in pursuit of Lacey. I want to
see what the Coven are up to, and they're the closest to finding
out. If they lose Lacey's trail, then we have missed an
opportunity."
----o
The car sat on the roadside verge that ran along the edge of
the canal. The grass slopes that ran towards the sides of the
running waterchannel were now little more than muddied waterslides.
The starkly industrial surroundings of the channel did not
impress Rumiko or Sherrie one little bit. Keiko, for her part,
couldn't have cared less, not that anyone was asking her opinion.
"Great. The trail ends here." Rumiko stood, leaning against
the open driver's door, looking back at Sherrie, who was trying to
sniff the air.
"I know he's around here, somewhere. I can smell him."
"Look, all we have to do is follow his trail, wherever it
leads us, okay? We don't need to hunt him down."
Sherrie bit her lip. "Pity. He smells particularly
delicious, today." She looked back from the rear of the car at the
bridge that crossed the canal, running into the factory yards on the
other side. Sherrie took a breath. "He's in there. In the
factory."
"Well, that's just great. he can stay there for as long as he
likes." Rumiko sat back in the front seat of the car, tapping her
fingers against the steering wheel.
The stale smell of cigarettes permeated the interior of the
car. None of them were smokers, but whoever had used the car before
them certainly was, and had forgotten to clean out the ashtray. The
smell eventually wore on Rumiko's sensitive nose, and she pulled out
the ashtray, flicking its contents over the grass verge. Keiko
watched the tiny fragments float to the ground.
"Pretty colours..." She said, simply, her vacant stare locked
on the particles. Rumiko looked over at her as she replaced the
ashtray, sighing.
"Yes, Keiko. Pretty colours." Rumiko replied, tiredly. For
a few moments, she thought Keiko was looking at her with
disappointment. The girl eventually found something more
interesting to look at in the sky... Yet more passing clouds for
her to fascinate over.
Rumiko was about to close the door when she noticed that
Sherrie was no longer standing in the back doorway of the car. She
leaned out and looked back. Sherrie was wandering, slowly, across
the bridge to the factory grounds.
"What the hell is she doing?" Rumiko stood from the car.
"Sherrie! Where are you going? Sherrie!" She shouted. Her calls
had no effect on the redhead, who took off into the factory grounds.
"Shimatta!" Rumiko hit the roof of the car with her fist.
She heard the passenger-side door open, and turned to see
Keiko getting out. The girl stared at the bridge, blankly.
"Keiko..." Rumiko said, softly. "What are you..."
"No... Sherrie shall be danger. Sherrie is my friend."
Keiko began forward. Rumiko quickly caught up with her and
took her by the arm.
"What are you doing?" Rumiko spun her round. Keiko looked
up at her, then aside, trying to avoid her gaze.
"Must help Sherrie-san. My friend."
"You'll only end up getting hurt, too."
"Sherrie will get hurt. Want to help her." Keiko began
pulling away from Rumiko. "Must help her."
"Alright! ALRIGHT! Just stay by me, okay?"
Keiko went quiet, then nodded, slowly. Rumiko sighed and
went back to the car, locking it as Keiko stared into space, waiting
for her.
In Keiko's mind, she could see Sherrie dying. And what was
worse, she could see Sherrie reborn... as a monster.
----o
Aoi sniffed as she stepped into the front office of the Police
Department building... A large office space with a large, spotless
front desk.
There was something in the air, she could smell it. Something
that fairly shouted "trouble". She noticed it as soon as she exited
the the corridor. Several of the dispatch officers had turned to
look at her, and she stopped.
"Wh.. What?" She stared back at them.
"Uhh... Kiko-san, can I have a few words with you?" Watanabe
Miki, a woman Aoi's age who had joined the force within the same
class, took Aoi by the arm and pulled her aside.
"What is it?" Aoi looked at her, bewildered.
"Can you go to interview room 3. We have someone there who
wishes to speak with a member of the SIU." Miki looked at her
earnestly. "She said it was very important."
"She?" Aoi blinked.
Miki looked aside. "Our superior said it was best if you
spoke to her, since you're the expert on what the Sailorsenshi look
like."
Aoi was speechless. "Is she...?"
"She confessed to being one of the Sailorsenshi. That's all
she has told us...."
Aoi looked across the office space, to the corridor that
lead to the interview rooms, as all the dispatch and front desk
officers stared at her.
"Would you like me to come with you?" Miki asked, softly.
Aoi nodded, saying nothing. Slowly, Aoi and Miki stepped around
desks and filing cabinets, entering the corridor.
The cold grey of the corridor matched the sickening sense of
anticipation Aoi felt as she approached the door marked with the
number 3.
"Is she with anyone?" Aoi asked, softly.
"No, she's on her own. She asked to be alone."
Aoi took a breath and opened the door.
The girl looked up at her, blinking, trying to compose
herself. It was obvious to Aoi that she had been crying.
Aoi slowly entered the room, followed by Miki, who closed the
door behind them.
"So, we meet at last, Sailormercury." Aoi said simply as the
blue-haired girl's eyes flashed in surprise, as did Miki's.
"You mean she really is..." Miki's voice croaked.
Ami's head dropped, leaning against the single table in the
middle of the soundproofed room. With the door closed, the walls of
the room were made to feel like the limit of all existence.
"Yes, it's true. I am Sailormercury." Ami almost choked on
her words with a sob. Aoi sat opposite the girl.
"And your real name is..."
"Ami... Mizuno Ami." She lifted her head. "I'm sure you
know that, already. You're a member of the SIU, aren't you?"
Aoi nodded. "It was fortunate for you that I was in the
building at the time. My name is Aoi. Kikotsuka Aoi."
Ami managed to compose herself enough to bow slightly. Well,
thought Aoi, she was certainly brought up well, if nothing else.
She recognised her from the moment she saw her. For whatever
reason she was able to see through the magic that surrounded the
identities of the Sailorsenshi, the breakthrough with the first now
seemed to have opened the floodgates for her. This time, she didn't
even have to look twice.
Miki sat next to Aoi as she continued. "Now, Ami... You
didn't come here for idle chat, I'm sure."
Ami nodded. "I... I wanted to say..." She choked on her
words again. Aoi waited patiently as Ami regained her composure.
"I'm.... I am the one who is responsible for the death of.... my
friend" She choked again. "It's my fault. I confess, I'm the one
who had her killed."
Aoi and Miki stared at each other.
"Since..." Aoi tried to pick her words carefully. "Since we
haven't made it public that it was a Sailorsenshi who was murdered,
Ami, then...." She shook her head. "We'll need a full statement
and confession from you. This really isn't under the jurisdiction
of the SIU."
"I don't care. I did it. That's all that matters, doesn't
it?" She stared at them, tears flowing from her eyes. Aoi sighed,
turning to Miki, who nodded. She turned back to Ami.
"Mizuno Ami, I am arresting you on suspicion of involvement in
the murder of Kino Makoto, also known as Sailorjupiter...."
END OF PART 9
Notes
Gwaahhhh! Notes in a chapter of SIU ^_^
Anyway, as some may have worked out, SIU is something of a crossover
fic between the worlds of SM (Sailormoon) and the worlds of SM
(Silent Mobius). Just thought you'd all like to know. Anyone who
has any idea about the background of Silent Mobius will know the
events that lead to the opening of that story are about to occur
(not long now, people ^_^).
PS, the Sailorsenshi in this story are all around 19 years of age,
so they are out of High School (except for Hotaru). The SIU's
expectation that the body of the senshi was that of a 17 year old
girl is based on the misbelief that most Magic Girls, when they
appear, are pre-adolescent.
Most are, if you've seen enough of those shows.
Well, it's as good an excuse as I can think of. ^_^;;
DDFA ayanami@internode.on.net
19th Mar 1998
by DARK DAY FOR ANIME
Disclaimer - all characters pertaining to the series Bishoujo Senshi
Sailormoon are owned by Takeuchi Naoko, Bandai and Kodansya. All
other characters were thought up by me. Well, its true, isn't it?
^_^
Part Nine
From Soldiers to Wizards
Aoi paced the floor behind the chair. She was at her wits end
in her search for a photographic match of the shot Pagan had given
her. Kaji, having long since bored of her trawling of the school
photographic records, had left for places unknown. He'd said that
he would be back at some time.
Now it was way past lunch, and she was starving. All she had
to comfort her were her cigarettes, and even then, she would
nervously glance at the fire extinguishers, set in the ceiling. She
had been promised that they wouldn't go off with something as
insubstantial as cigarette smoke, and there certainly wasn't any
workplace ruling about smoking within the building. There were
enough people around her, puffing away, to certify that. But it had
always worried her.
She looked across the partitions that separated the small
office segments. She hated the concept of open plan offices. They
denied aspects of personal space and privacy, and in Tokyo these
were two very limited resources.
Of course, all the really important members of the division
were given private offices elsewhere in the building.
Shimazaki and Katarin had been watching her ever since they'd
returned. She contemplated the two officers. The brash and young
Shimazaki always had a sneer for her whenever he caught her glancing
at him. Katarin was far more reserved, but no less arrogant. She
noticed there were very few women working within the Major Crime
division, and considering the standard of the company, she could
understand why.
They were enjoying her frustration, the fact that she couldn't
get anything done. She'd hated this attitude she'd received ever
since she'd joined the police. Women were only meant for the light
duties... Traffic management, dispatch and clerical work. In
short, not REAL police work. That was why she hated Shimazaki so
much. He knew he'd only have to cruise these next few years and he
would be promoted. Aoi was not going to be given any such leniency.
Whatever the case, none of this introspection was helping her
in placing a name to the face in the photograph. Even by limiting
the search to girls with blond hair, she had failed to get the
numbers down under a thousand. There were obviously a great many
blond Japanese people out there that she hadn't seen before. Her
earlier thoughts about the Sailorsenshi existing in a kind of self-
delusional fantasy world seemed, more and more, to apply to her.
And then something came to her. The piece of paper on which
she'd scrawled the names, from the messages on the answering machine
in Makoto's apartment! She reached into her pocket, fidgeting about
between her cigarettes and lighter, loose change and her set of
keys. She thought she'd managed to grab it the first time, only to
pull out an old chewing gum wrapper. She really had to clean out
the pockets of her coat, one day.
Eventually, her hand hit home and she pulled out the small
slip of paper. Usagi, Kensuke, Rei, Ami, Mina, Haruka, Michiru.
Well, she had scribbled them down as best she could. It wasn't
always easy to define exactly what characters are used in Japanese
names from simple audio transcript. But she was pretty damn sure
how the names were supposed to look in their full kanji form.
Usagi... Rabbit. Something was bugging her about that name.
She'd remarked upon it as she was writing it down. Usagi was hardly
a common name to give to a daughter.... She was certain that there
couldn't have been more than one or two students within the entirety
of Tokyo with the name Usagi. She'd certinly never met anyone
bearing such a name before.
Then it dawned on her.... Of course, the old Japanese legend
about the rabbit grinding the mill on the moon.... Tsuki no Usagi!
What better name to give Sailormoon? She shook her head. It should
have been so obvious. She sat down in the seat before the computer
terminal and typed in the name Usagi as part of the search
definitions. The computer chewed away at her request for several
moments as she impatiently tapped her right heel against the castors
of the chair.
Eventually the computer spat out a list of fifteen girls with
the name Usagi. And there it was, in plain writing, the kanji for
Tsukino Usagi. Aoi had to contain herself as she clicked the icon
of that name.
The picture that appeared on the screen was of a girl several
years younger than the one that was in the photograph, but it was,
by all means, the same person. She flexed her fingers for a moment
and grabbed a pen, quickly scribbling down all the details she could
get on the girl. Eventually, she sat back and stared at the screen.
She fingered her collar. Everything was starting to fall into
place for her. Now she had the identities of two of the
Sailorsenshi confirmed. She thought for a few moments, considering
whether it would be worth her while to check up on this Tsukino
Usagi before investigating any further. Then she thought about the
scare she had whilst rummaging through the apartment of the Kino
girl.... It might be a bit dangerous, especially if Pluto was on
the warpath...
She shook her head. There was no time for indecision in this
matter. It was likely that one or more of the Sailorsenshi were
involved in the murder of their comrade. In almost all cases,
crimes such as murder were committed by someone who were either
close to, known by or related to, the victim. If it was one of the
Sailorsenshi, then she would have to move pretty quickly.
She started to close the search program, then glanced back
into the office space. What would happen if someone like Shimazaki
were to pry into her information search using the access records?
He'd be on her tail in seconds. And Shimazaki was exactly the kind
of person to do it, too. She didn't want him anywhere near her when
she confronted the Sailorsenshi. This was HER case, her baby.
It didn't take her very long to erase the records of entry.
She stood, stretching her neck, which had become sore with all the
sitting down, and noncalantly walked away, past both Shimazaki and
Katarin, who watched her as she pressed the button of the office
lift. After a few moments, the doors opened and she entered,
smiling at them as she turned around and pressed the button for the
ground floor.
When the doors closed on her face, Katarin motioned to
Shimazaki, who smiled, nodding. The pair of them grabbed their
jackets and made for the stairs.
----o
Joachim Schneider quietly strode down the corridors of the
Sacred House building, their darkened gothic interiors slowly
working their soporific magic on his mind. It was only within the
walls of the Sacred House itself that he felt completely safe and
secure. For a man of his age, security was everything. But then,
it probably always had been.
He disliked conflict of any kind, but conflict had always
pursued him, from the days when he had been posted to Japan by the
Nazi Regime as a member of the diplomatic attache's clerical staff,
underseeing that Japan kept to the Anti-Comintern Pact, and thus
being forced to endure the war years within Japan itself, through to
the support of the American forces during the Korean War. By that
stage, he had long shed any connections to his homeland. His family
had been killed in the air raids.
It was whilst he was acting as a political go-between, for the
members of the Diet and the American forces based in Japan, that he
first encountered the mysterious organisation known as The Sacred
House. The group had, apparently, strong links to members of the
Diet and the Public Service. What they actually were, he had no
idea, but with the doctrine, of freedom of religion, that had been
set up as part of Japan's constitution after the war, it was not
unusual to find various religious cults popping up to fill what was
seen as something of a cultural necessity, in a society that had
been reduced to an apocalyptic shambles.
He had become fascinated with this particular group, for some
reason or another. What would later be described by his mentor,
Tani Hiroyuki, as an attraction to his own kind. After learning of
its existence, he researched its powerbase and its practices, and
was eventually caught in its web....
....For the very reason that he'd heard of its existence was
because the Elders of the Sacred House wanted him to. Because they
knew what he was, and what he was capable of. It was far better for
them to have someone like Joachim Schneider on their side than on
the side of the cursed Coven of Atrocity.
Joachim was the first foreigner to join the Sacred House. It
had founded as a special protectorate for those who had blood ties
to the Others within the rigid social structure of very early
Japanese history, and might have even evolved from groups in China
before that. Nurtured in Japan's hothouse environment, the Sacred
House had been able to flourish where similar groups elsewhere in
the world had been subject to persecution.
He had learnt that in his early days with the House. He had
been posted under the guiding wing of Tani Hiroyuki, a member of
one of the House's most honoured family bloodlines. Hiroyuki had
been well over two hundred years old at that stage, and didn't look
a day over thirty. Joachim knew, instinctively, the moment he was
introduced to Hiroyuki, what the man was. He also discovered, at
that moment, that the only reason Hiroyuki wasn't trying to tear
his throat out was that his condition had long been rendered
controlable by the usage of a medication that was known as Vasculin.
Joachim didn't know what Vasculin was... what it contained and
such. All he did know was that it had an amazing effect upon those
such as the Tani clan. And upon other branches of their kind.
There were various forms of Vasculin, packaged in brightly coloured
boxes for easy identification. Hiroyuki would take Vasculin Blue.
All Tani clan members used Vasculin Blue. He knew of those groups
for which the varieties of Vasculin were produced. But the only
individual he knew personally who was taking the medication, other
than a member of the Tani and related clans, was Sherrie.
She was a difficult case. Her need for Vasculin Orange was
imperitive.... She was quick to recover from its effects, and her
natural state was frighteningly bestial. Although it wasn't
impossible to get her to intellectualise on her actions once the
full transformation from human to demon had occured, the road there
would be paved with the blood of many. And that was a risk the
House was unwilling to take.
So was the risk of killing her. Very few, even Sherrie
herself, realised just what she was fully capable of doing. The
energy of her sonic powers were merely the tip of the iceberg.
Whatever the case, the Irish legends of the Bean Sidhe had proven
to be sadly correct.
"You seen troubled." He heard Carey's soft voice from the
shadows of the columns. He paused in his stroll and looked aside
at her. Even within the darkness, he could see her eyes. As bright
as they were, lined with dark lashes, they looked liked twin lasers
homing in on their target.
"I am merely thinking things over."
"About the blood lineage of the Sailorsenshi?"
"Actually, the thought of what they may become has concerned
me about more pressing matters, closer to home."
"Ah yes. We are concerned about Sherrie, are we not?"
He nodded, rubbing his eyes, tiredly. Slowly, Carey stepped
forward from the shadows as he replaced his hand within the large
black cloak he would wear to increase his already impressive
physical presence.
Carey paused in front of him and opened her mouth, as if she
were going to speak. She stopped and looked aside, trying to gather
her thoughts, then looked back up at Joachim.
"We have certified that all the tablets have been... consumed.
At least, the packaging has been returned, empty."
"In the case of Sherrie, there is no guarantee. She is an
impetuous child. She has been ever since I brought her here.
Surely, you remember the old days? The days where she had to be
locked away for both her safety and that of others."
"I remember them. It took close to six months to finally
crack her. To bring her round to our ways."
"Yes, but did we? Did we really succeed?"
"If what you are saying is true, then she is withdrawing from
her medication, by her own choice. And if that is so, she may
revert to a wild state." She paused. "More than may, It'd be a
certainty."
Joachim nodded. "I saw her earlier today. She seemed fine,
then. And yet, I had this nagging sensation... that things weren't
quite right with her." He sighed. "I've had a report, sent in from
Rumiko, that Sherrie's behaviour has become erratic within the last
hour or so. More erratic than is normal."
"Should we withdraw team two, then? Team three is more than
ready to replace them."
"No, not just yet... They are in pursuit of Lacey. I want to
see what the Coven are up to, and they're the closest to finding
out. If they lose Lacey's trail, then we have missed an
opportunity."
----o
The car sat on the roadside verge that ran along the edge of
the canal. The grass slopes that ran towards the sides of the
running waterchannel were now little more than muddied waterslides.
The starkly industrial surroundings of the channel did not
impress Rumiko or Sherrie one little bit. Keiko, for her part,
couldn't have cared less, not that anyone was asking her opinion.
"Great. The trail ends here." Rumiko stood, leaning against
the open driver's door, looking back at Sherrie, who was trying to
sniff the air.
"I know he's around here, somewhere. I can smell him."
"Look, all we have to do is follow his trail, wherever it
leads us, okay? We don't need to hunt him down."
Sherrie bit her lip. "Pity. He smells particularly
delicious, today." She looked back from the rear of the car at the
bridge that crossed the canal, running into the factory yards on the
other side. Sherrie took a breath. "He's in there. In the
factory."
"Well, that's just great. he can stay there for as long as he
likes." Rumiko sat back in the front seat of the car, tapping her
fingers against the steering wheel.
The stale smell of cigarettes permeated the interior of the
car. None of them were smokers, but whoever had used the car before
them certainly was, and had forgotten to clean out the ashtray. The
smell eventually wore on Rumiko's sensitive nose, and she pulled out
the ashtray, flicking its contents over the grass verge. Keiko
watched the tiny fragments float to the ground.
"Pretty colours..." She said, simply, her vacant stare locked
on the particles. Rumiko looked over at her as she replaced the
ashtray, sighing.
"Yes, Keiko. Pretty colours." Rumiko replied, tiredly. For
a few moments, she thought Keiko was looking at her with
disappointment. The girl eventually found something more
interesting to look at in the sky... Yet more passing clouds for
her to fascinate over.
Rumiko was about to close the door when she noticed that
Sherrie was no longer standing in the back doorway of the car. She
leaned out and looked back. Sherrie was wandering, slowly, across
the bridge to the factory grounds.
"What the hell is she doing?" Rumiko stood from the car.
"Sherrie! Where are you going? Sherrie!" She shouted. Her calls
had no effect on the redhead, who took off into the factory grounds.
"Shimatta!" Rumiko hit the roof of the car with her fist.
She heard the passenger-side door open, and turned to see
Keiko getting out. The girl stared at the bridge, blankly.
"Keiko..." Rumiko said, softly. "What are you..."
"No... Sherrie shall be danger. Sherrie is my friend."
Keiko began forward. Rumiko quickly caught up with her and
took her by the arm.
"What are you doing?" Rumiko spun her round. Keiko looked
up at her, then aside, trying to avoid her gaze.
"Must help Sherrie-san. My friend."
"You'll only end up getting hurt, too."
"Sherrie will get hurt. Want to help her." Keiko began
pulling away from Rumiko. "Must help her."
"Alright! ALRIGHT! Just stay by me, okay?"
Keiko went quiet, then nodded, slowly. Rumiko sighed and
went back to the car, locking it as Keiko stared into space, waiting
for her.
In Keiko's mind, she could see Sherrie dying. And what was
worse, she could see Sherrie reborn... as a monster.
----o
Aoi sniffed as she stepped into the front office of the Police
Department building... A large office space with a large, spotless
front desk.
There was something in the air, she could smell it. Something
that fairly shouted "trouble". She noticed it as soon as she exited
the the corridor. Several of the dispatch officers had turned to
look at her, and she stopped.
"Wh.. What?" She stared back at them.
"Uhh... Kiko-san, can I have a few words with you?" Watanabe
Miki, a woman Aoi's age who had joined the force within the same
class, took Aoi by the arm and pulled her aside.
"What is it?" Aoi looked at her, bewildered.
"Can you go to interview room 3. We have someone there who
wishes to speak with a member of the SIU." Miki looked at her
earnestly. "She said it was very important."
"She?" Aoi blinked.
Miki looked aside. "Our superior said it was best if you
spoke to her, since you're the expert on what the Sailorsenshi look
like."
Aoi was speechless. "Is she...?"
"She confessed to being one of the Sailorsenshi. That's all
she has told us...."
Aoi looked across the office space, to the corridor that
lead to the interview rooms, as all the dispatch and front desk
officers stared at her.
"Would you like me to come with you?" Miki asked, softly.
Aoi nodded, saying nothing. Slowly, Aoi and Miki stepped around
desks and filing cabinets, entering the corridor.
The cold grey of the corridor matched the sickening sense of
anticipation Aoi felt as she approached the door marked with the
number 3.
"Is she with anyone?" Aoi asked, softly.
"No, she's on her own. She asked to be alone."
Aoi took a breath and opened the door.
The girl looked up at her, blinking, trying to compose
herself. It was obvious to Aoi that she had been crying.
Aoi slowly entered the room, followed by Miki, who closed the
door behind them.
"So, we meet at last, Sailormercury." Aoi said simply as the
blue-haired girl's eyes flashed in surprise, as did Miki's.
"You mean she really is..." Miki's voice croaked.
Ami's head dropped, leaning against the single table in the
middle of the soundproofed room. With the door closed, the walls of
the room were made to feel like the limit of all existence.
"Yes, it's true. I am Sailormercury." Ami almost choked on
her words with a sob. Aoi sat opposite the girl.
"And your real name is..."
"Ami... Mizuno Ami." She lifted her head. "I'm sure you
know that, already. You're a member of the SIU, aren't you?"
Aoi nodded. "It was fortunate for you that I was in the
building at the time. My name is Aoi. Kikotsuka Aoi."
Ami managed to compose herself enough to bow slightly. Well,
thought Aoi, she was certainly brought up well, if nothing else.
She recognised her from the moment she saw her. For whatever
reason she was able to see through the magic that surrounded the
identities of the Sailorsenshi, the breakthrough with the first now
seemed to have opened the floodgates for her. This time, she didn't
even have to look twice.
Miki sat next to Aoi as she continued. "Now, Ami... You
didn't come here for idle chat, I'm sure."
Ami nodded. "I... I wanted to say..." She choked on her
words again. Aoi waited patiently as Ami regained her composure.
"I'm.... I am the one who is responsible for the death of.... my
friend" She choked again. "It's my fault. I confess, I'm the one
who had her killed."
Aoi and Miki stared at each other.
"Since..." Aoi tried to pick her words carefully. "Since we
haven't made it public that it was a Sailorsenshi who was murdered,
Ami, then...." She shook her head. "We'll need a full statement
and confession from you. This really isn't under the jurisdiction
of the SIU."
"I don't care. I did it. That's all that matters, doesn't
it?" She stared at them, tears flowing from her eyes. Aoi sighed,
turning to Miki, who nodded. She turned back to Ami.
"Mizuno Ami, I am arresting you on suspicion of involvement in
the murder of Kino Makoto, also known as Sailorjupiter...."
END OF PART 9
Notes
Gwaahhhh! Notes in a chapter of SIU ^_^
Anyway, as some may have worked out, SIU is something of a crossover
fic between the worlds of SM (Sailormoon) and the worlds of SM
(Silent Mobius). Just thought you'd all like to know. Anyone who
has any idea about the background of Silent Mobius will know the
events that lead to the opening of that story are about to occur
(not long now, people ^_^).
PS, the Sailorsenshi in this story are all around 19 years of age,
so they are out of High School (except for Hotaru). The SIU's
expectation that the body of the senshi was that of a 17 year old
girl is based on the misbelief that most Magic Girls, when they
appear, are pre-adolescent.
Most are, if you've seen enough of those shows.
Well, it's as good an excuse as I can think of. ^_^;;
DDFA ayanami@internode.on.net
19th Mar 1998