SailorsPathfinder : Love and Without

By : MakotoJade – makotojade@hotmail.com

Episode 6 : Usako

            Hydra smiled... the battle had begun.  She looked at a chrono that

now ticked beside her.  "General?"

            "Yes, my Queen?"

            "In exactly four hours on my mark, take your fliers and attack,

understood?"

            "Yes, my Queen."

            She watched the chrono tick, "Mark."

            *          *          *

            04:00

            *          *          *

            Sage was into the courtyard before anyone else.  She could see a

darkness in the air in the distance.  She turned as Risa ran up behind

her.  "We waited too long... this is it."

            Risa nodded, "Yes.  Now, you go, you and Leeota, teleport out to

the nearest Hex Leader and help."

            "No, Risa, think!  Send Leeota out there, you go to the nearest

fortress and gather it's Senshi, then have one of them teleport to the

next fortress and so on, we need everybody.  I'll get together everyone

here and head out ASAP."

            Risa grinned, "You always think ahead."

            Sage smiled, "I'd like to think I do... Go!  I'll send Leeota, and

Alan and Ann."

            "Mamoru?"

            "Him, too."

            "Alrighty... catch you later friend."

            "Good journey."

            Risa was gone in an eclipse of red as Leeota and the others ran

out.  Sage turned to them.  "Leeota, head out towards the nearest Hex

Leader and help.  Alan... Ann, head out a little farther then her and help

the next group who needs help," she turned to Mamoru as Leeota dissapeared

in a flash of green, "Can you fight?"

            "Hey, you saw the roses."

            "You'll have to tell me about those later...  can you fly?"

Instantly Tuxedo Mask stood before her.

            "Yep."

            "Then follow them," Sage said motioning at Ann and Alan.  They

took off and flew out over the horizon. 

            Sage turned and ran back into the Fortress.  "Time's ticking..."

            *          *          *

            03:51

            *          *          *

            Risa flared into existence outside the nearest fortress.  She ran

up to the door and threw it open.  Two Senshi guards met her, powers set

to blast her if need be.

            She smiled, "Well... as long as your're ready to attack..."

            *          *          *

            03:47

            *          *          *

            Hex 5 leader suddenly saw a green light and a ray of hope entered

his thoughts. "Leeota?"

            As she came over the hill towards him she smiled, "Need some

help?"

            "Do we ever, can you get up and at all of the fliers around here,

would end a lot of confusion."

            "Understood."  Leeota was running towards the area in which she

could see the nearest flier overhead.  Leaping into the air she chanted

her attack.

            "ECLECTIC LIGHTNING...!"

            Two fliers came towards her.  Inside, she smiled; Outside...

            "SURROUND!!"  Green lightning came from everywhere in the sky and

she redirected it and blasted the two Nites to dust.  She fell to the

ground in a crouch.  She stood up and smiled, "Two down..."   

            *          *          *

            03:35

            *          *          *

            Sage quickly rummaged through her things looking for her datapad

and a bunch of other miselaneous items.  As she found something she

thought she might need she dropped it into a light weight crystalline bin.

As soon as she found her datapad she through it in, grabbed the the bin

and was in Signa's room in half a second.

            "Signa?"

            "Yes, Sage?"

            "When was the last time you updated your backup files?"

            "Two-point-o-seven hours ago, Morovan time."

            "How long for a new reupdate?"

            "Three-point-twenty-seven minutes."

            "Do it Signa, now!"  She was in the courtyard again in a moment.

The seventeen other Senshi of the Outpost Fortress were out there. 

            "Listen up, Pathfinders... this is it, no more defending the

Fortress, this time, defend your life, and the lives of all humans.  You

two," she pointed at two of the average fighters, "You stay here and guard

the Fortress and the people who thrive here, the rest of you, teleport out

to the Hex leaders and armies and ask if you can help.  Help them, help

each other, save the world.  Good Journey."

            "Good Journey," was the chorus of replies. The there were 15

flashes in a rainbow of colors, and the remaining two took up position by

the outer doors.

            Sage was once again in Signa's room.  "How much longer?" 

            "One-point-o-three minutes."

            Sage sighed and paced the room, was there anything else she needed

to do?   Not anything... have to get out there...  She reached out with

her mind, to try and contact her friends.  Leeota was fine, dusting

DarkNites left and right; Mamoru seemed okay, though her contact with him

wasn't that strong; Ann and Alan were fighting... Ann and Alan...

            "Done Sage."

            "Uh, thanks Signa," she opened the drive and pulled out the backup

disks and gently placed them in the bin and had it form-seal itself shut.

She kissed her hand and then put it to the wall.  "Stay safe, Signa."

            "You as well, Sage.  Good Journey."

            "Thanks, Signa, you too."  She ran out into the main hall, almost

to the courtyard, and stopped and looked around the building.  She had the

eeriest feeling that she would never see it again.  She shook the feeling

away and ran towards the door... then skidded to a stop just before

reaching it.  Ann and Alan... I shouldn't... if I die, they'll never

know, but I have to...  She hefted her bin, turned towards the West Wing

and took off in the run.

            *          *          *

            03:15

            *          *          *

            Risa landed in a red flash before Hex 5 leader.  "Need any help?"

            "Leeta is out there taking out fliers, if you could help my people

take out the elementals on the ground-"

            "Understood."  Risa ran off towards where she could see flashes of

blaster fire.

            She saw a human fall from a blast from a DarkNite, and she

summoned her powers as she ran to attack it.

            "RED POWER... BLAST!!"

            The DarkNite fell.  She fought on.

            *          *          *

            02:59

            *          *          *

            It took Ann, Alan, and Tuxedo Mask awhile to fly out to a group

which had no senshi, but when they reached Hex 6 squadron and saw the

death, they knew they had found a group that needed their help.

            A soldier ran towards them as they landed, "Hex 6 Leader is dead!

Please can you help us?"  Blood oozed from a slash on his arm, every human

around seemed to be fighting a loosing battle. 

            Not for long... thought Alan.  "Of course, you need help...

Tuxedo Mask, before you fight, collect all the injured and take them over

past that hill," he pointed a short ways off. 

            Tuxedo Mask nodded, picked up the man and flew off towards the

hill.

            Alan smiled at Ann, "Ready?"

            She grinned, "Of course!"

            They turned, quickly floated into the heat of the fight and began

blasting away at every DarkNite in sight.

            *          *          *

            02:29

            *          *          *

            Tuxedo Mask punched the attacker once more and the thing finally

hit the ground and stayed.  He had hurriedly moved all of injured and now

fought. 

            He spun around, trying to check on Ann and Alan.  Both seemed

fine, blasting monsters left and right.  He wondered how everyone else

was. 

            He didn't have much time to worry, though, as some other DarkNite

jumped out in front of him.  He yelled as he attacked...

            *          *          *

            02:11

            *          *          *

            Risa suddenly found herself surrounded by a group of DarkNites.

She smiled, "Oh, I love using my other powers!"  She spun herself around

in a circle and then jumped up into the air.

            "INTERTWINED RED THUNDER!!"

            Thousands of energy tendrils whipped from her, bound themselves

into several stronger pieces, and each piece ran through one of the

DarkNites.  "Dusted!"

            Yet, even as she fell, another DarkNite attacked she dodged and

blasted at it with her Red Power Blast and vaporized it.  She looked over

at Leeota who had finished off the fliers and was dodging an enemy as she

fired at the same time.  She smiled and found another target.  The battle

seemed to be in their favor.

            *          *          *

            01:56

            *          *          *

            Ann blasted at another monster and almost enjoyed watching it die,

but she fought back the emotion... Death should not bring one joy...

But, she hesitated one moment too many, for suddenly she was being grabbed

from behind.  She yelped, but it fell from her in a moment.  She spun

around and found Alan smiling at her, "My dear, please watch your back."

            She smiled sweetly and then blasted the monster who stood behind

him, "My dear, please watch YOUR back," she replied, mockingly.

            He grinned, and then they turned, back to back, and continued to

fight.

            *          *          *

            1:31

            *          *          *

            Tuxedo Mask had suddenly found himself outnumbered.  He threw

another rose at someone else, but they simply dodged... they were

learning, they expected it.  Well, it's time to do something they don't

expect.

            He concentrated and transformed himself, but somehow... it was

different this time, it seemed harder to transform... but it happened,

even so, and then Prince Endymion stood before the group of DarkNites.

            One courageous one lunged at him.  "Aw, you shouldn't have done

that," he said as he dodged, "you've gone and make me mad."   He drew

his sword and smiled.  In several quick slashes, he was alone.

            Ann was hovering a short ways away from him, arms crossed.  "That

was very gruesome."

            "Uh, thanks... I think.  What's Alan doing?"

            "Nothing much."  Endymion turned to find Alan hovering towards

him.

            "Well, what do we do now?" asked Endymion.

            A soldier strode up to them, "I'd like to thank you for helping

us."

            Alan smiled and took her hand, "Our pleasure, do you have any idea

what we can do now?"

            "Well," she smiled, "I'd love to ask you to stay here and help us

clean up," her expression grew cold, "but Hex squad three has been

screaming all over the headsets for help, they're running out of men and

time."

            "How can we get to them," asked Ann.

            "Well, did you come fron the Outpost Fortress?"  They nodded.

"Well, you probably headed out straight east and hit us, Hex three is

South East of the O.F. so head in that directin," she pointed off in the

distance, "and you'll run straight into them, if they're still there by

the time you get there..."  she said thanks once more and then jogged over

to where the squadron was amassing.

            "Well, let's get going."  Alan began to fly off in the proper

direction. 

            Endymion detransformed back into Tuxedo Mask, "Ow."

            "What?" Ann looked at him, concerned.

            "My transformation... hurt somehow.  Ah, well, figure that out

later."  He leapt into the air... and fell flat on his face.

            Ann was instantly beside him, "What happened!!"

            "I-I don't know... I, I can't fly."

            Alan was coming back, "What's wrong?"

            "Mamoru can't fly!"

            Tuxedo Mask tried to move up into the air, but only managed a

slight hover before he fell to the ground, gasping.  "I-I..."

            Suddenly Alan picked him up under his shoulders and pulled him

into the sky, "We'll figure out what's wrong later, now, we have to help

those people." 

            The trio took off in the direction of Hex 3 Squadron.

            *          *          *

            01:06

            *          *          *

            "RED POWER BLAST!!!"

            Brilliant red energy leapt once more from Risa's gloved finger

tips.  Another DarkNite fell as she swung to attack again... there were

just so many of them...

            "FLIGHT STRIKER!!"  She could hear Leeota attacking, although she

could not see her... there were so many of them... they needed help...

            "PATHFINDERS, JUMP!!  HEX SQUADRON FIVE, GET DOWN!!"

            Risa actced without thinking, leaping into the air, in her

peripheral vision she saw Leeota go up as well.

            "SHINING STAR.... ANNIHILATION!!!!!" 

            A sweeping wave of pink stars tore through the field, killing

everything still standing on the ground.  Risa hit the ground as soldiers

stood up, dusted themselves off, and cheered the figure standing up on the

hill.  She looked up just in time to see that figure collapse.

            "SAGE!!"  she tore across the field towards the hill.  Leeota was

a second ahead of her.  Their friend lay in a heap on the ground.

Whenever a Pathfinder used their greatest power, it drained them for a

time... could be an hour, could be a week, it depended on the Sailor.

Sage, luckily, was a quick rejuvenator. 

            She grinned as they hauled her up and draped her arms over their

shoulders, "Did I get them all?"

            "Sure did,"  Leeota smiled, "you like doing that, don't you?" 

            "Mhmm," Sage sighed, "just wish I didn't feel so driained."  They

dragged her down to where Hex 5 leader stood giving orders to his squad.

He smiled at Sage, "Thanks."

            She grinned, "Anytime."

            "What can we do to help?" Risa asked him.

            "I suggest heading towards Hex 3, they sound desperate."

            "And they are?"

            "That way." he pointed off in the distance, thanked them again,

turned and began barking orders.

            Leeota looked at Sage, "Can you teleport?"

            Sage nodded, "If you two help."

            Risa smiled and grabbed Sage's right hand as Leeota squeezed her

left, "Let's go!"

            They dissapeared in a flash of weak pink, bright red and green.

            *          *          *

            00:49

            *          *          *

            Tuxedo Mask looked around.  Death and human blood scarred the

ground, screams of terror echoed amongst the hills.  "Dear Lord..."

            Alan blasted at a nearby DarkNite, "Let's get to work."

            Sheer energy and deadly roses zinged through the air.

            *          *          *

            00:27

            *          *          *

            Risa blasted at another DarkNite.  This seemed easy, almost too

easy...  But then one had to consider the fact that six warriors were

fighting with this Hex sqadron... still, a chill ran through Risa,

something just didn't seem right.

            *          *          *

            00:13

            *          *          *

            Leeota fired again and again, "FLIGHT STRIKER!!"  Sage watched her

from a distance.  Leeota and Risa had set her down behind some large

rocks, far off, where she could be safe, drained of power as she was, but

by now, she could feel them coming back.

            The body of a rather human-looking DarkNite lay near.  Looking

around she darted over to it.  It was disgusting looking and black blood

oozed from it's chest.  Suddenly, however, Sage could hear a crackling

sound coming from it's head.  She discovered it wore a headset over it's

ears.  What a find!!  I wonder what I can pick up... 

            Sage pulled the headset off and put it on over her own ears.  "Set

and ready...fliers launching now... in almost eight minutes..."  her eyes

widened in sick horror as she listened...

            *          *          *

            00:07

            *          *          *

            A cheer went up as Risa's red energy punched through the last

DarkNite.  She smiled as Leeota ran up and hugged her.  "You did it!"

            Risa smiled as Alan, Ann, and Tuxedo Mask ran up to them, "No, we

all did it!"

            She looked around, those who remained of Hex 3 squad cheered and

hugged each other, Alan and Ann hugged each other... she looked at Tuxedo

Mask... I wouldn't mind if he hugged me...   

            Suddenly Sage's voice rang through the cheer, she was running

towards them, "HURRY, we have to go, we have to, we have-"

            *          *          *

            00:05

            *          *          *

            Suddenly, without warning, a group of DarkNites flew low overhead.

"Get DOWN!!" Tuxedo Mask shouted.  He saw Ann pull Alan to the ground, and

Risa and Leeota dove down, but Sage stood summoning her powers, "SAGE!!"

            "INFINITE FLARE BURSTS!!"  She shot up waves of energy at them,

but the DarkNites seemed laugh.  The pink energy richoched off of a

shimmering energy field and then streaked back towards Sage.  She couldn't

get out of the way fast enough...

            Until Tuxedo Mask dove at her, carrying them enough to just miss

the pink energy which proceded to blast into the ground, showering them

with stones and dirt.

            *          *          *

            00:04

            *          *          *

            But Sage tried to push him off of her, "We have to attack!"  She

finally succeded in thrusting him away.

            "Too late, they went that way,"  Sage looked to see Alan pointing

to the North West.

            "NOOO!!"  Sage stumbled up and started running in that direction.

            *          *          *

            00:03

            *          *          *

            Hydra stared at the chrono, "Almost..."

            *          *          *

            00:02

            *          *          *

            Everyone ran after her.  "NOO!!" she shouted once more, "SIGNA!!"

            A sick feeling suddenly took over Tuxedo Mask.  He ran fast enough

to grab her arm, and tried to pull her to a stop, "What do you mean?"

            *          *          *

            00:01:00

            *          *          *

            "Almost..."

            *          *          *

            00:00:31

            *          *          *

            Sage simply shook him off and kept running.  They all followed her

towards a hill.  She stumbled and ran up towards it's top.

            "Four..."

            "Oh, Please..."

            "Three..."

            "Oh, Please..."

            "Two..."                       

            "SIGNA!!!"                 

            "One..."                       

            "NOOOO!!!"  

            *          *          *

            00:00:00

            *          *          *         

            "Boom."  An utterly evil laugh reaked through the current.

            *          *          *

            Sage hit the top of the hill, stopped, and fell to her knees.

"NNNOOOO!!!"

            In seconds the rest saw what she screamed of.  Off in the

distance, something, something big, was rapidly and cataclysmically

exploding.

            Risa screamed as she fell to her knees, while Leeota stood in

shock, both of them understanding.

            Ann, Alan and Tuxedo Mask looked to Sage, words came through her

sobs, "I heard it... on one of their headsets... anti-matter bomb... why

didn't I realize... was so easy...  if only sooner... could have stopped

them... oh Signa..."

            Tuxedo Mask pointed off towards the destruction, "That's not... I

mean it isn't-"

            Leeota looked at him, the eeriest look on her face, "I'm sorry, my

prince, it is..."

            Ann screamed, "The TREE!!"

            Sage looked up at her, "No, I-I moved it, before I left, it-it's

in the forest.."

            Ann fainted into Alan's arms, "thank you..." he whispered.

            Tuxedo Mask grabbed one of Sage's arms and hauled her up to face

him, "Did you happen to grab any of those crystals!?!"

            Sage sobbed.

            He shook her, "Did YOU?!?"

            "The-the cr-ystal technology... was a part of Signa's core system,

and he's... he's..."  she sobbed.

            "I CAN'T LEAVE... I CAN'T GO BACK?!?!?"

            "I-" she gulped, "I'm sorry," she whispered.

            He dropped her and she fell to the ground. 

            Tuxedo Mask staggered away down the hill, towards the destruction,

and stopped when his legs threatened to give way beneath him.  He held his

head in his hands.  Tears filled his eyes... he squeezed them shut, shook

his head... it was all a nightmare, a horrible twisted nightmare.

            He opened his eyes and blurrily saw the final explosions of the

Outpost Fortress.

            A cold emptiness filled him as he moaned and then screamed into

the air, "Usagi!!!  NNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

            "UUUUSSSSAAAAKKKKOOOO!!!"

            *          *          *

            *          *          *

            Usagi sat up in bed with a gasp.  She had had the same nightmare

again; only it wasn't a normal nightmare... it was real, because every

time she relived it, every time the crystal shattered... he was still

gone.

            She fell back down on her pillow.  She gazed around her new room.

It was identical to her old one, but there were bare spots here and there

where items she had had on her shelves and walls were missing, having been

destroyed in the attack.

            She had been able to sleep in Mako's apartment, and she had slept

almost soundly wrapped up in his bed... but she would never be able to

sleep here again... every waking moment it happened in her mind again.

            Usagi got out of bed and walked over to her closet.  She pulled a

duffel bag out from behind a couple of boxes.  She unzipped it and pulled

out one of his shirts.   Then she picked up the pillow which had also lay

in the back of the closet. 

            She pulled off her pajama top and kicked off the bottoms.  Then

she pulled on one of his shirts and hugged it to herself.  Then she

dragged the pillow towards the center of the room.

            Usagi lay down on the floor, hugged the pillow to her, closed her

eyes and cried... How can I go on?  How can I possibly live like this?

He's always there... always in my mind...  Maybe, maybe I should try... to

forget...

            She slowly fell asleep...

End Ep. 6