I've offically paid for my domain now. It can be found at
http://www.finalknight.net
I'm unsure if it's working right now, however. If it is there should be
some dumb ass message that sounds like I took it off my answering
machine. I'm very slowly moving everything across, so here's to hoping
it'll be all up soon.
Nothing more to say ri' now.
True Identity
Chapter Twelve : Capture
Li Xiang
"One down, nine to go!" crowed an exultant Saotome Ranma-onna as she
danced into the main computer room, singing her personal victory song.
One of those bloody Senshi was dead, and it was only time until the rest
fell as well.
The rest of the "Egyptian Pantheon" entered the House grinning as well.
The redheaded Bastet was quite the sight, leather clad and bouncing
about. Jei, of course, growled at anyone who got near her.
Rache padded in a goody twenty minutes following this joyous return. She
didn't really know how to feel about what had happened that night.
On the one hand, she was overjoyed. She'd accomplished part of her
mission. She'd destroyed one link to a group of people she'd much rather
forget.
On the other, the girl she had helped to lead to her death had been a
close friend of her former best friend. The bond she'd had with Usagi
may have deteriorated, but it had never truly broken-- and that was the
problem right there. No matter how much she wanted vengeance for what
they'd done to her in the past, years of friendship with Usagi made her
feel guilty.
Oh, not for having a hand in Kino Makoto's death-- but in making Usagi
cry.
Not for the first time, she wished she had her brother's ability to turn
off her emotions. But she was a healer-- and for one to be a good and
capable healer, one must be empathic.
Quite the pain in the ass when on one hand you're killing someone, but
on the other, you're "comforting" the grieving friends.
She _hated_ being an empath.
---
It was dark, silent, and cold.
Omi was wondering why they were preforming the ritual to withdraw the
spirits from the stones in a cave. Although, the fact that he and Xian
Phu were hauling along four bodies appropriated from the Nerima Hospital
Morgue, might have had something to do with it.
They were "recently dead"-- the bodies of a few older folks who had gone
the way of the ancestors not all that long ago-- and therefore, they
weren't exactly degrading yet. Nabiki had said it didn't matter-- as
soon as the spirit entered the decayed body, it would change the age,
and appearance of the dead to fit it's own from it's previous life.
The spirit's memories would be imprinted on the brain as it was
"restarted" by the spirit. It was a whole lot of mystic mumbo-jumbo, to
Omi, that essentially meant that the bodies would be resurrected with a
new soul.
So the trio trudged through the darkness, step-by-step, lit only by a
simple light spell. The bag in Nabiki's hand warmed with each step
closer to her goal. The spirits knew they would be free. It was only a
matter of time.
---
And somewhere out there, a certain fanged Lost Boy finally found out
about Akane's comatose state. A flash of pure depression ki later, and
there was a new basin in the Okanagan that would fill into a lake in the
next rainfall.
Hibiki Ryouga seethed, trembling with a mixture of anger and depression.
He vowed to the heavens, "Damn you, Saotome! I will _kill_ you for
this!!"
For once, he stormed in the direction of Tokyo-- exactly where he wanted
to be.
---
The fifteen year old sunk to her knees, staring off after her best-- no,
ex-best-- friend. The twin blonde pigtails had long since vanished
around a corner by the time she realized that she was drawing stares.
She struggled to her feet, tears boiling painful trails down her cheeks.
Usagi never turned down free food, as that had been what Naru had been
offering. In order to salvage her falling apart friendship, Naru had
asked if Usagi wanted to go for ice-cream-- the redhead's treat.
Usagi had said 'no'.
Since Usagi, in all the years Naru had known her, had never responded
like that about _ice- cream_, something had to be wrong with Naru
herself. As she trudged back towards the Osa-P, the lonely young woman
reflected on Usagi's clique of friends, comparing herself to them.
She wasn't famous, like Michiru or Haruka. She didn't have her own
business, like Setsuna. Naru wasn't insanely brilliant, or strong, such
as Ami or Makoto. She was beautiful or talented to the extremes of
Minako and Rei.
She was nothing like Usagi's new friends, and more often than not,
whenever Naru wanted to see her ex-best friend, none of them would let
her even get a glimpse of blonde hair. It was depressing to know that
Usagi was purposely pushing her away, and using her clique of friends to
do so.
She had thought they'd be friends forever.
It didn't look that would happen anymore.
---
Once again, the band felt themselves become worried. Xue Shi was later.
While an occurrence that was slowly becoming more and more common, due
to various "activities" that she participated in, it still left them
nervous as they began to warm-up on stage.
Where was she?
Oz's eyes passed over the crowed, before a shock ran through him. It
couldn't be...
The Sailor Senshi, in civilian form, were in the crowed. All of the band
had been informed of their identities as an extra precaution, should the
Senshi assume the band was part of the enemy. This way, the band could
fabricate stories about Xue Shi appearing and disappearing, if asked.
But their presence also explained in part why Xue Shi was late. Dammit,
she was cutting this very thin... he paused as an amused blue gaze faded
in from nothingness in front of the stage. No one else seemed to notice
it, as they searched the stage and wings for a glimpse of the redheaded
idol.
'Pick a Song' she mouthed, and he nodded ever-so-slightly. Oz turned to
the band, muttering the title of the song he wanted to do.
Xue Shi's eyes glowed as Oz began-- and then she startled everyone
around her as she began to belt out the lyrics, leaping onto the stage.
"Take a step off your soap box and see
What it's like on the ground
Check your ego in detox, maybe
Cause you're becoming unwound
And it's killing me.
Everyone complains about you
They don't even know what I've been through
I don't want the pain to doubt you
I just want to throw you to the...
Crowd! Ask them what they want
I'll tell you what they'd say
A hundred million people voting my way loud
And everything is wrong with everything you say
A hundred million people seeing my way
Go ahead play the hero this time
If you have any spine
I'm a tolerant zero today
You can say anything to make me stay
With everything that's happened to me
Losing faith in everything I see
Waiting for the walls to break free
I'm listening but I can't hear a
Sound! Ask them what they want
I'll tell you what they say
A hundred million people voting my way loud
And everything is wrong with everything you say
A hundred million people seeing my way
[Here, Xue Shi gave a yowl of the feline variety]
You'll learn some day
You'll see my way
Don't be afraid
Just go my way
Ask them if they want
I'll tell you what they say
A hundred million people voting my way now
And everything is wrong with everything you say
A hundred million people seeing my way
A hundred million people seeing my way now
A hundred million people voting my way now
A hundred million people seeing my way!"
Once finished, she gave the crowd a mocking bow, "Welcome, welcome,
welcome. I hope you're enjoying yourselves."
In the crowd, the Senshi grabbed their henshin pens, awaiting the
"inevitable" attack upon the unsuspecting crowd by the "evil" Bastet.
Xue Shi thought it was amusing the way they all visibly tensed.
"Since," she proclaimed, "I'm in an odd mood... I think we'll take
requests tonight. Ask away!"
After running through 'Crawling', 'One Step Closer', 'Hollywood', 'Money
Bought', 'Jacob's Ladder' and 'Deny', Xue Shi bounced back to the center
of the stage, having taken a break off to one side for a bit of a
breather. She put on a depressed facade, "I know everyone wants to
continue with the concert, but something's come up. One of my
roommates-- idiot that he is-- managed to get himself injured enough to
go to the hospital. So I have to go visit my dear, dear, Kenken."
There was a general feeling of disappointment that it was over so
quickly, as Xue Shi left the stage.
The Senshi frowned, waiting and waiting. The club emptied, and there was
no sign of Bastet. Confuse, the Senshi trudged out of the club, their
positive belief that the enemy would take any chance to attack, shaken.
The Senshi split up and Ami found herself walking home alone. The loss
of Jupiter still hung heavily over their heads.
"God dammit! What the _hell_ are _you_ doing here?!"
That was... Bastet's voice! Ami hit the all-call on her communicator,
moving silently towards her target. She broke into an outright run at
the next voice-- Charon's.
"I'm going to beat you and take you to Sailormoon to be healed!"
Ami came around the corner, and froze. Charon stood there, weilding her
blade. That was not all-- said blade's tip was right on Bastet's
jugular. Charon appeared to be winning-- so Ami fell back, raising her
pen to henshin--
And found it floated away from her. A second later, he arms were pinned
to her sides. Shocked, she found herself staring up into Charon's
brother's face.
Schuldich's voice chilled her, "Time to try out that new move, Bishoujo.
The Senshi are coming."
Ami's face turned ashen when Charon released Bastet, and stepped closer
to her brother. The girl named for a goddess stepped closer as well.
"Iron Body Defense Cloth revised! Hidden in the Shadows![1]"
Ami couldn't tell if anything had happened until the Senshi leapt into
the alley, searching in confusion. Charon's hand over her mouth
prevented any action, however, leaving her to stare as the Senshi left.
They had decided Ami must had taken the fight elsewhere.
Once gone, Bastet sunk against a wall, "Remind me not to do that again.
Hiding multiple people is hard!"
Charon snorted, "You just have to build up your ki reserves, Ranma."
"I don't need to hear you two arguing," Schuldich grumbled, "besides, we
have a mission."
"Right, right," Charon muttered a bit sourly, turning to the Mizuno
girl. Said girl was staring at her, and Charon changed the position of
her hand-- from covering the girl's mouth, to cupping her cheek, "Sorry
'bout this."
"About what?" Ami's eyes narrow as she spat at the redhead, "That you're
a traitor to our Princess?!"
"Your Princess," Charon corrected, fairly evenly, "I was never a Sailor
Senshi. I'm the younger sister of an assassin."
"One hired to kill you," Schuldich purred into his captive's ear, "So
guess what we're going to do now?"
---
End Chapter
[1]Ever notice that attacks have lame ass names in anime? I just thought
I'd carry on the tradition...
I'm an evil bitch for ending it here, aren't I? *sadistic grin*
http://www.finalknight.net
I'm unsure if it's working right now, however. If it is there should be
some dumb ass message that sounds like I took it off my answering
machine. I'm very slowly moving everything across, so here's to hoping
it'll be all up soon.
Nothing more to say ri' now.
True Identity
Chapter Twelve : Capture
Li Xiang
"One down, nine to go!" crowed an exultant Saotome Ranma-onna as she
danced into the main computer room, singing her personal victory song.
One of those bloody Senshi was dead, and it was only time until the rest
fell as well.
The rest of the "Egyptian Pantheon" entered the House grinning as well.
The redheaded Bastet was quite the sight, leather clad and bouncing
about. Jei, of course, growled at anyone who got near her.
Rache padded in a goody twenty minutes following this joyous return. She
didn't really know how to feel about what had happened that night.
On the one hand, she was overjoyed. She'd accomplished part of her
mission. She'd destroyed one link to a group of people she'd much rather
forget.
On the other, the girl she had helped to lead to her death had been a
close friend of her former best friend. The bond she'd had with Usagi
may have deteriorated, but it had never truly broken-- and that was the
problem right there. No matter how much she wanted vengeance for what
they'd done to her in the past, years of friendship with Usagi made her
feel guilty.
Oh, not for having a hand in Kino Makoto's death-- but in making Usagi
cry.
Not for the first time, she wished she had her brother's ability to turn
off her emotions. But she was a healer-- and for one to be a good and
capable healer, one must be empathic.
Quite the pain in the ass when on one hand you're killing someone, but
on the other, you're "comforting" the grieving friends.
She _hated_ being an empath.
---
It was dark, silent, and cold.
Omi was wondering why they were preforming the ritual to withdraw the
spirits from the stones in a cave. Although, the fact that he and Xian
Phu were hauling along four bodies appropriated from the Nerima Hospital
Morgue, might have had something to do with it.
They were "recently dead"-- the bodies of a few older folks who had gone
the way of the ancestors not all that long ago-- and therefore, they
weren't exactly degrading yet. Nabiki had said it didn't matter-- as
soon as the spirit entered the decayed body, it would change the age,
and appearance of the dead to fit it's own from it's previous life.
The spirit's memories would be imprinted on the brain as it was
"restarted" by the spirit. It was a whole lot of mystic mumbo-jumbo, to
Omi, that essentially meant that the bodies would be resurrected with a
new soul.
So the trio trudged through the darkness, step-by-step, lit only by a
simple light spell. The bag in Nabiki's hand warmed with each step
closer to her goal. The spirits knew they would be free. It was only a
matter of time.
---
And somewhere out there, a certain fanged Lost Boy finally found out
about Akane's comatose state. A flash of pure depression ki later, and
there was a new basin in the Okanagan that would fill into a lake in the
next rainfall.
Hibiki Ryouga seethed, trembling with a mixture of anger and depression.
He vowed to the heavens, "Damn you, Saotome! I will _kill_ you for
this!!"
For once, he stormed in the direction of Tokyo-- exactly where he wanted
to be.
---
The fifteen year old sunk to her knees, staring off after her best-- no,
ex-best-- friend. The twin blonde pigtails had long since vanished
around a corner by the time she realized that she was drawing stares.
She struggled to her feet, tears boiling painful trails down her cheeks.
Usagi never turned down free food, as that had been what Naru had been
offering. In order to salvage her falling apart friendship, Naru had
asked if Usagi wanted to go for ice-cream-- the redhead's treat.
Usagi had said 'no'.
Since Usagi, in all the years Naru had known her, had never responded
like that about _ice- cream_, something had to be wrong with Naru
herself. As she trudged back towards the Osa-P, the lonely young woman
reflected on Usagi's clique of friends, comparing herself to them.
She wasn't famous, like Michiru or Haruka. She didn't have her own
business, like Setsuna. Naru wasn't insanely brilliant, or strong, such
as Ami or Makoto. She was beautiful or talented to the extremes of
Minako and Rei.
She was nothing like Usagi's new friends, and more often than not,
whenever Naru wanted to see her ex-best friend, none of them would let
her even get a glimpse of blonde hair. It was depressing to know that
Usagi was purposely pushing her away, and using her clique of friends to
do so.
She had thought they'd be friends forever.
It didn't look that would happen anymore.
---
Once again, the band felt themselves become worried. Xue Shi was later.
While an occurrence that was slowly becoming more and more common, due
to various "activities" that she participated in, it still left them
nervous as they began to warm-up on stage.
Where was she?
Oz's eyes passed over the crowed, before a shock ran through him. It
couldn't be...
The Sailor Senshi, in civilian form, were in the crowed. All of the band
had been informed of their identities as an extra precaution, should the
Senshi assume the band was part of the enemy. This way, the band could
fabricate stories about Xue Shi appearing and disappearing, if asked.
But their presence also explained in part why Xue Shi was late. Dammit,
she was cutting this very thin... he paused as an amused blue gaze faded
in from nothingness in front of the stage. No one else seemed to notice
it, as they searched the stage and wings for a glimpse of the redheaded
idol.
'Pick a Song' she mouthed, and he nodded ever-so-slightly. Oz turned to
the band, muttering the title of the song he wanted to do.
Xue Shi's eyes glowed as Oz began-- and then she startled everyone
around her as she began to belt out the lyrics, leaping onto the stage.
"Take a step off your soap box and see
What it's like on the ground
Check your ego in detox, maybe
Cause you're becoming unwound
And it's killing me.
Everyone complains about you
They don't even know what I've been through
I don't want the pain to doubt you
I just want to throw you to the...
Crowd! Ask them what they want
I'll tell you what they'd say
A hundred million people voting my way loud
And everything is wrong with everything you say
A hundred million people seeing my way
Go ahead play the hero this time
If you have any spine
I'm a tolerant zero today
You can say anything to make me stay
With everything that's happened to me
Losing faith in everything I see
Waiting for the walls to break free
I'm listening but I can't hear a
Sound! Ask them what they want
I'll tell you what they say
A hundred million people voting my way loud
And everything is wrong with everything you say
A hundred million people seeing my way
[Here, Xue Shi gave a yowl of the feline variety]
You'll learn some day
You'll see my way
Don't be afraid
Just go my way
Ask them if they want
I'll tell you what they say
A hundred million people voting my way now
And everything is wrong with everything you say
A hundred million people seeing my way
A hundred million people seeing my way now
A hundred million people voting my way now
A hundred million people seeing my way!"
Once finished, she gave the crowd a mocking bow, "Welcome, welcome,
welcome. I hope you're enjoying yourselves."
In the crowd, the Senshi grabbed their henshin pens, awaiting the
"inevitable" attack upon the unsuspecting crowd by the "evil" Bastet.
Xue Shi thought it was amusing the way they all visibly tensed.
"Since," she proclaimed, "I'm in an odd mood... I think we'll take
requests tonight. Ask away!"
After running through 'Crawling', 'One Step Closer', 'Hollywood', 'Money
Bought', 'Jacob's Ladder' and 'Deny', Xue Shi bounced back to the center
of the stage, having taken a break off to one side for a bit of a
breather. She put on a depressed facade, "I know everyone wants to
continue with the concert, but something's come up. One of my
roommates-- idiot that he is-- managed to get himself injured enough to
go to the hospital. So I have to go visit my dear, dear, Kenken."
There was a general feeling of disappointment that it was over so
quickly, as Xue Shi left the stage.
The Senshi frowned, waiting and waiting. The club emptied, and there was
no sign of Bastet. Confuse, the Senshi trudged out of the club, their
positive belief that the enemy would take any chance to attack, shaken.
The Senshi split up and Ami found herself walking home alone. The loss
of Jupiter still hung heavily over their heads.
"God dammit! What the _hell_ are _you_ doing here?!"
That was... Bastet's voice! Ami hit the all-call on her communicator,
moving silently towards her target. She broke into an outright run at
the next voice-- Charon's.
"I'm going to beat you and take you to Sailormoon to be healed!"
Ami came around the corner, and froze. Charon stood there, weilding her
blade. That was not all-- said blade's tip was right on Bastet's
jugular. Charon appeared to be winning-- so Ami fell back, raising her
pen to henshin--
And found it floated away from her. A second later, he arms were pinned
to her sides. Shocked, she found herself staring up into Charon's
brother's face.
Schuldich's voice chilled her, "Time to try out that new move, Bishoujo.
The Senshi are coming."
Ami's face turned ashen when Charon released Bastet, and stepped closer
to her brother. The girl named for a goddess stepped closer as well.
"Iron Body Defense Cloth revised! Hidden in the Shadows![1]"
Ami couldn't tell if anything had happened until the Senshi leapt into
the alley, searching in confusion. Charon's hand over her mouth
prevented any action, however, leaving her to stare as the Senshi left.
They had decided Ami must had taken the fight elsewhere.
Once gone, Bastet sunk against a wall, "Remind me not to do that again.
Hiding multiple people is hard!"
Charon snorted, "You just have to build up your ki reserves, Ranma."
"I don't need to hear you two arguing," Schuldich grumbled, "besides, we
have a mission."
"Right, right," Charon muttered a bit sourly, turning to the Mizuno
girl. Said girl was staring at her, and Charon changed the position of
her hand-- from covering the girl's mouth, to cupping her cheek, "Sorry
'bout this."
"About what?" Ami's eyes narrow as she spat at the redhead, "That you're
a traitor to our Princess?!"
"Your Princess," Charon corrected, fairly evenly, "I was never a Sailor
Senshi. I'm the younger sister of an assassin."
"One hired to kill you," Schuldich purred into his captive's ear, "So
guess what we're going to do now?"
---
End Chapter
[1]Ever notice that attacks have lame ass names in anime? I just thought
I'd carry on the tradition...
I'm an evil bitch for ending it here, aren't I? *sadistic grin*