*DISCLAIMER*
None of these characters, situations, places, names, letters or silicon pathways belong to me. In fact, I'm not even writing this fanfic.
Tail Kinker Presents
F L U X
Part Two of Six
"Are you sure this is the place?"
Mercury examined her computer. "Yes, this is the place. There is a small amount of negative energy present, enough that an inactive youma might be present. Plus, all three curves point to this area. Given the pattern of attacks we've seen so far, this is the logical place for the next attack to occur."
Sailor Moon frowned. "But all the other places were big cities. This place is...well, it's nothing!"
"True." Sailor Mercury scratched her head. "I don't really understand it myself."
Jupiter leaned over. "Uh, Ami, I hate to burst your bubble...but would that over there count as an active youma?"
Mercury glanced up...and boggled.
On a nearby ridge was a massive creature that appeared to be part gorilla and part bull. It stood on two back legs, and had arms that ended in huge fists. In addition, it had two white feathered wings and four long tentacles projecting from its back. It appeared to be ignoring the Senshi, and was tromping towards the only house in the valley.
"Guys, we gotta stop it! It's gonna flatten that house!"
Mercury scanned the creature quickly. "Makoto, it's not a youma."
"Oh, come on! LOOK at it!"
Mars spoke up. "I really don't think it matters whether or not it's a youma, Ami. We have to stop it before it kills whoever's in that house."
Mercury snapped her computer shut. "That...thing...has a negative energy signature, but it's weak. We might be forced to rely on physical combat."
Sailor Moon nodded. "Got it." She jumped towards the creature.
"Wait!" Mercury tried to grab her, but was too slow.
Jupiter paled. "That thing'll pound her into gravy! Let's go, guys!"
Mercury watched helplessly as the other four Inner Senshi followed their Fearless Leader into battle. Even Chibi-Usa seemed anxious to mix it up.
"This is insane!"
She snapped the computer shut and leapt after them.
* * * * *
"A home is a place built on love and dreams, and must never be needlessly destroyed. In the name of the Moon, I shall punish you!"
"Oh, shut up, Usagi!"
The creature turned and gazed balefully at Sailor Moon. It snorted, and she got the distinct impression that she was being laughed at.
Sailor Mercury had her computer out and was scanning the monster. "Remember, the last one we fought was immune to our later attacks."
"Right." Sailor Moon reached for her tiara.
"Wait!" Mars looked concerned. "I thought you said it wasn't a youma!"
"It's not."
"Then--"
"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon launched the glowing tiara at the monster, and was surprised to see it calmly bat the projectile out of the air.
"Sailor Moon! We have to rely on physical combat, remember?"
"Physical? I suck at that stuff."
Sailor Jupiter growled, and cracked her knuckles. "I don't."
She launched herself at the beast, and opened up with a three-hit combo - knee strike, punch and spin kick. But the monster calmly absorbed the punishment, then raised a hand and casually knocked her down.
"Ow!" She rolled to her feet, rubbing her shoulder where the creature had hit her. "That thing is really tough."
Mars landed next to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah." She scowled. "Let's tag team this sucker."
Jupiter attacked high, aiming a flying kick at its head. When it moved an arm to defend itself, knocking her flying in the process, Sailor Mars attacked low, slamming a fist into its solar plexus. The creature *whuff*ed, then grabbed her with a tentacle and tossed her across the valley. She smacked into one of the bamboo poles, yelping at the impact, then fell into the pool below.
"Mars!" Sailor Venus paused for a second, but Mars did not surface. "Chibi-Moon, go help Mars!" She turned towards the creature, a deadly look in her eyes.
"Crescent Beam!"
The beam sliced through one of the creature's arms, burning a neat hole all the way through. The creature roared in pain.
Mercury blinked. "It worked?" She turned to Sailor Moon. "Try another attack!"
"What's the point? My Moon Tiara just bounced. And it's my most powerful attack against this sort of youma."
"I keep telling you, it's not a youma!"
Chibi-Moon ran into the fray. "You hurt my friend! You're gonna pay!"
"Chibi-Usa, get out of there! That thing's really dangerous!"
The creature absent-mindedly slapped the young Senshi into a nearby pool.
"No!" Sailor Venus launched herself towards the pool. She couldn't let the girl drown...
Sailor Moon watched in horror. Three of the Senshi had fallen in under five seconds. Things were coming apart at the seams. Why couldn't she think of something to do?
Mercury snapped her computer shut. "We've got to end this!" She leapt into the battlefield. "Shabon Spray!"
She knew that none of her attacks were particularly dangerous. But perhaps she could distract it long enough for someone else to deal with it...
The Shabon Spray enveloped the creature, and it howled in frustration. Sailor Mercury turned to Jupiter. "Nail it!"
"Too right. Supreme Thunder!"
*BAM*
The combination attack produced a cloud of superheated steam, and a supersonic shockwave as the now-boiling Shabon Spray expanded outward. It worked better with Rei in the mix, but...
The steam cleared, to reveal...a young man lying in a muddy crater.
"What the hell...?"
"Nooo!" Sailor Moon dropped to her knees and started bawling.
"What? What is it?"
"You killed it! And I didn't get a chance to finish it off!"
Jupiter dropped her face into her hand. "Oh, lord."
Mercury walked up to him and scanned him with the Mercury Computer. "It's the monster that we were just fighting. His Kirlian Aura is identical. Plus, look here." She indicated the small, cauterized wound on his arm. "It's where Venus shot him. But how...?"
Jupiter rubbed her chin. "Perhaps the monster form was the result of demonic possession? Where's Rei? She knows all about this sort of thing."
"Not Demon."
"Huh?" The three Senshi turned to face the speaker. He was a rather pudgy man, dressed in the official uniform of the Maoist Party of the Republic of China. Oddly, he carried a teakettle in one hand.
Sailor Moon stood up to face the man. "You know about this?"
"Yes. Is very tragic story." He sat down on a nearby log, and reached down to pet a rabbit. Sailor Moon blinked.
"So what is he? And where are the other three?"
"They here." The man pointed down to the rabbit at his feet. Another one, smaller and with slightly pink fur, was sitting nearby. "One other, over there." He pointed across the way, at a hawk balancing on a pole.
"What are you talking about?"
"This place is Training Ground of Cursed Springs, Jushenkyou. There over one hundred pools here. Each one have very tragic story, that always end in drowning. This place magical, so that anyone who fall in spring become what drown there first."
"You're joking, right?"
"Ummm...Jupiter..." Mercury had her computer open again. "Bear in mind who we are, then ask yourself if he's joking."
"...Right."
Sailor Moon stared at the two rabbits. The pink one was obviously Chibi-Usa, making the other one - a more normally-coloured rabbit - Sailor Venus, who'd jumped into the spring to save Chibi-Usa. The hawk, therefore, would be Mars. "How...how do we fix it?"
The guide raised the kettle, and poured it over the larger rabbit. Almost instantly, it morphed into Aino Minako.
"Oh, thank the Kami!"
Minako blinked, then scowled. "Someone wanna pass me some clothes?"
Sailor Moon blinked, then giggled. "Ummm...Sorry, I don't actually have a spare set."
The guide passed her a black shirt, a yellow sweater and a black pair of pants. "These belong to a previous guest, but he leave behind. Maybe they no fit, but better than nothing."
Minako scrambled into the clothing in record time.
"So all we need to do is to pour water on them, and they'll be fine?"
"No. Must be hot water. And only for while." The guide poured some more water on the other rabbit, who morphed back to Chibi-Usa. He then handed her some clothes. "These belong to my daughter. She too big for them now. You can keep."
Sailor Mercury nodded. "So it's only a temporary fix. How long?"
"Until cold water. Cold water make turn back into rabbits. Hot water work again."
"This is terrible!" Sailor Moon was back into full wail. "And it's all my fault!"
"Hardly." Minako sniffed. "I should have thought twice before diving in after Chibi-Usa."
"But now you're cursed!"
The hawk flew down to alight beside the guide. He administered the hot water, then handed her some more clothes - a red silk chinese outfit. Rei, blushing furiously, scrambled into the clothes.
"There's gotta be a more permanent cure."
"But where?!"
Mercury turned back to the guide. "Sir, of all the springs here, are there any springs of drowned girl?"
Sailor Moon stopped bawling. "Good idea!"
The guide lit his pipe, and puffed on it once or twice. "There is two. One made fifteen hundred year ago. Very tragic story of girl raped and murdered by--"
"Woah! Ten minutes in the penalty box for excess information!"
The guide blinked. "Other is very new, only one year old. Tragic story of girl drowned in spring, then brought back to life."
"How is that tragic?"
"Others use spring to try to murder her husband."
Rei stood. "Well, if you'll just show us to one of these springs..."
"Not good idea."
"Why not?"
"Curse not..." He struggled for the words. "Two curse make new curse. Like boy over there." He pointed at the still-unconscious man in the crater.
Ami glanced over. "You mean he went into more than one spring?"
"Yes."
"Oh..." She shuddered.
"What is it?" Chibi-Usa looked at her. "What's wrong?"
"Well, if I understand him correctly...Let's just say that if you were to jump into the spring of drowned girl. You'd still be cursed, but your cursed form would be half human and half rabbit."
"Cool!"
Mercury shook her head. "Quite frankly, I don't think we need to complicate the issue any more than it already is." She turned back to the guide. "Do you know of any permanent cure?"
"So sorry."
"Do you know of anyone who does?"
The guide considered, took a puff on his pipe, then nodded slowly. "There is village of Amazon women near. But they no like outsiders."
"We'll have to take that chance. How do we get there?"
* * * * *
The Senshi had transformed back to their normal form, once they'd left the guide behind. Now, they stood before the main gates to the village of Joketsuzoku, faced with an insurmountable problem: the sentries.
"You go away."
Usagi took a quick look at the women's weapons, and muscles, and made a quick decision. "What a great idea! Come on, girls, let's take these ladies' advice..."
Rei grabbed her collar. "Get back here, you wuss."
Ami stepped up to one of the Amazons, and mustered her best Cantonese. We need to speak with an Elder regarding Jushenkyou.
They stared at her, and she began to worry. Then, one of them addressed her. There is only one Elder from this village with knowledge of the Cursed Springs. And she is not here. You have wasted a journey.
Where may I find this Elder?
The Amazon frowned. We do not simply tell anyone the location of our elders. You must prove yourselves worthy.
Ami started to sweat. And how do we do that?
Through battle, of course. The Amazon turned and handed her mace to the other sentry. You may choose your champion.
"Oh, great." She turned to the others.
"So what's the deal, Ami? Are they gonna let us in?"
"Well, Usagi...they say we need to go see their Elder, who isn't here, but they won't tell us where the Elder is unless..."
"Unless?"
Ami sighed. "Unless we defeat one of them in battle."
Makoto cracked her knuckles. "I can handle this."
"I don't think you can, Makoto." Usagi shook her head. "I got us into this mess. I'll try to figure out some other way to get us out of it."
"I'll do it," said Rei.
"This is not a time to be brave, Usagi. Either of those women could paste you."
"Oh, and you'd do any better?"
"I'm a good scrapper."
"I'll do it," said Rei.
"Oh, sure, Makoto, but you're just a brawler. These two are trained martial artists."
"I've got a hell of a better chance than you do."
"I SAID--" Rei sighed. "You idiots."
"Huh?" Both the girls looked at Rei. Usagi scratched her head. "What did we do?"
"I'll fight them." Rei started some warm-up stretches. "I've got martial arts training, plus some weapons training, and I'm almost as strong as Makoto."
"But--"
"Shut up, Usagi. You've got your skills, and I've got mine. Go sit down and watch the show." She turned to the Amazon. "I'm you're opponent."
"Is good. I Lo Fan." She bowed, hands in front of her, in the Chinese style. "We fight no weapons, is okay?"
"Is okay." Rei bowed, then shifted to a battle stance. "Any time you're ready."
The kick was so sudden and vicious that Rei never even hand a chance to raise a hand in defense. The Amazon's foot connected with the side of her head, and she was knocked back a step. She recovered, and launched a series of quick punches and kicks at the Amazon.
Lo Fan quickly and efficiently blocked all of the strikes. She sniffed. "If this best girl can do, this not take long." She stepped in close, and her hands blurred, striking Rei repeatedly, faster than the eye could follow.
Usagi jumped to her feet. "Rei!"
The Amazon stepped back, leaving Rei standing unsteadily, weaving back and forth. She propelled herself into a vicious spin-kick, thowing Rei back ten feet, and leaving her face down in the dirt.
Lo Fan snorted and turned away. "I win. You go away."
"No..."
The Amazon turned back. Rei had staggered to her feet, and was moving towards her again. She was obviously groggy from the kick, but stood with hands ready in a kempo stance.
"Where are you going? I'm not dead yet."
"Will be soon, stupid girl." Lo Fan slid back towards her, then spun into a nasty sweep-kick. Rei jumped the kick, but was knocked flying again by the follow-up kick. This time, the Amazon paused, and watched with amazement as the girl got back up.
"Stupid girl not know when to quit." Lo Fan stepped forward, and with incredible speed, drove a quick series of snap punches into Rei's face.
Rei's head snapped backward, and she was forced to take a few steps back to avoid falling. She shook her head to clear it, then quickly wiped at the blood flowing from her nose.
"I can't..."
"Stupid girl! Why you no quit?" The Amazon kicked her again. Rei was simply to groggy to dodge, and took the hit on the leg. She gasped in pain, and fell to the ground, but started pulling herself back up.
The Amazon hissed, and moved forward, one hand cocked for a killing blow. Usagi reached for her locket - she couldn't just sit and watch as her friend was killed...
Stop.
The Amazon turned to look at her partner. The other sentry had stepped forward, and pointed at Rei.
This one is worthy.
The Amazon nodded, then turned to face the other girls. "You pass test. You find Elder Kuh Lon in Nerima, in Japan. Good luck." She turned back to Rei, and helped her to her feet. "What is your name?"
Rei shook her head, trying to get her addled brains back into order. "H--huh?"
"What is your name?"
"Hino Rei."
Lo Fan bowed to her. "You true warrior. You no abandon mission, even if mean death. You always welcome here."
Rei smiled slightly. "Thanks."
* * * * *
The train rattled along the railway, every joint in the rails bouncing the entire car in a continuous clackity-clack. Not at all the quiet, constant thrum of a Japanese railcar.
Usagi stared out the window. *It's all my fault. The curses, Rei getting hurt, Hotaru getting hurt...*
She looked around the compartment. Most of the Senshi were asleep, though how they could sleep through the racket, she did not know. One of them, however, was gazing out the window at the night-time landscape.
"Rei..."
Rei looked up at Usagi. "Look, Meatball Head, just sit down and don't worry about me. You've been hovering over me for the last three days. I'm not made of glass, you know."
"But...you were beaten so badly. I mean, your nose was broken, and you've got a fractured leg--"
"Greenstick fracture. It'll heal in a week."
"--and so many bruises. And it's my fault." She sighed. "I should have fought the Amazon."
"Forget it." Rei shook her head. "You're way too important. As much as that disturbs me."
"But--"
"It's my job to protect you. Right? I can't very well sit back and let an Amazon pound on you."
"Rei..." Usagi sighed. "Thanks."
"No problem...Just do me a favour, okay?"
"Sure. Anything."
"Remember this phrase...'You should see the other guy'..."
* * * * *
Author's Notes:
This one's not getting pre-read. Let's see how well I do with no error correction. :)
As with the last chapter: I know only a little about Sailor Moon after the first couple of seasons. If you see any glaring errors...Please try to understand. And if you can't understand...just cope.
Comments and Criticism can be sent to tailkinker@home.com. Flames can be sent almost anywhere else.
Ja ne!