ZASYEDAENE
(Meeting)
The world is the creature's.
The desert winds do not affect the creature so much now. It troops walk
silently through the door, to Mobius, to the other world.
Home.
That's where it will start. Where she will arrive. Where everything will
fall into place.
The creature knows that, by the time Knuckles returns to Albion, it will be too
late. Everything will be into position.
But there is one thing...
The letter might have fallen into his hands. If it did...and the learn...
The creature jerks out and shakes its head. Let them find it out. All the
better, they will tremble in fear upon the name of the creature. Then, the
queen will fall either way.
The creature smiles. Even now, everything is truly going to plan.
--------------
The door opened slowly, quietly, a small breeze blowing from within.
"There is no time left." Pluto looked at Uranus. "To bring
everyone to the warp would raise too much suspicion in Albion. And...if this
'Dark Legion' has agents there..."
"Of course." Uranus turned to Sally. "You don't mind then, do
you, if we give the princess the time key?"
As if Uranus' word was command, a key suddenly appeared in Sally's right breast
pocket. Sally looked down to see it.
"Huh?!"
"I have some instructions for the usage of the key." Pluto looked at
the other Freedom Fighters. "First, the time key holder must think of
where they wish to go, and those who follow must think of going with the key
holder. But traveling through the time warp is extremely dangerous. Once she
activates the key, you must make sure you do not let go of each other."
"Why?" Antoine cocked his head. "Eezat bad?"
"Those without a time key can be blown away, lost in time forever. They
might also find themselves stranded in the edge of time, a dark and hellish
void from which there is little hope of returning." Pluto turned back to
Sally. "That is why you must be extremely careful. You must not let anyone
go."
"...Of course..." Sally looked at her friends, her face creased with
worry. "Remember. No letting go."
The group nodded, grabbing each other. Grabbing Sally's hand was Sonic, who had
Tails and Bunnie on his side. On the other side was Knuckles, who had Antoine
and Julie-Su.
"Are we ready?"
Sonic looked over to Tails, his eyes wideneing. The emeralds, now smaller in
size, were hidden in Tails' backpack.
"I think we're all ready..."
Knuckles.
Sonic leaned over and mouthed towards Knuckles. Knuckles turned around lazily,
noticing the black hedgehog cocking his head towards the backpack.
"Huh...?"
"How will I know where to go?" Sally asked. "I've never been
there before."
"...Knuckles?"
Pluto tapped the echidna's shoulder with her rod. Knuckles, staring at Tails'
backpack quickly jumped up and faced Pluto.
"Tokyo."
"Yeah." Knuckles sweat. "I know how to get there."
"We don't have any time left." Neptune began to enter the doorway.
"Come on."
Sally looked at Sonic, her grip on his hand tightening. Sonic looked down at
their hands, then looked back up, turning bright red.
Must....must not be too forth....must not be...
One by one, the entire group slowly walked into the time warp, their bodies
floating up as they entered the stream. When the last person - Tails - went
into the warp, the doors closed behind them and became opaque to the naked eye,
disappearing in the first beams of the moon.
----------------------
"Mmmm..."
Locke slowly got up from the ground. Blood poured from his nose.
"He might've broken my nose..."
"Dammit." Kakyuu shook her head. "What is his problem?! I don't
understand why he took such a terrible event out on you."
"...Because."
Locke leaned against the wall, his mind numb from what had happened. It was not
the first time something like this had happened to him. Long ago, he had been
in something similar....with another woman...her hair red, her eyes drawing him
in, but she left him...
......What was her name again....
"Locke!"
Kakyuu's head turned to see a breathless Rei at the door, looking over at
Locke.
"Locke!! Are you-"
"Fine." Locke muttered. "I'm all right. Just a bloody
nose."
Rei looked over worriedly towards Locke before turning herself forcefully to
Kakyuu.
"....Pluto wants us to go to Crown Arcade."
"Huh? Why?"
"I don't know. But she called me from...from somewhere..."Mobius.
It had to be Mobius... "She said to make sure I brought Locke with
me."
Kakyuu looked at Locke, still holding his nose.
"We'll need a fresh towel first." Kakyuu looked at Rei. "Here. Give
me some water to wipe the floor..."
Rei did it quickly, walking briskly to the linen closet. As she had been to
Mamoru's house many times, it was no time before she was at the kitchen sink,
dousing the cloth under the hot tap. Her eyes were on the two as she did all of
this.
During this time, Kakyuu walked over to Locke and slowly wiped his face with
her own handkerchief, her face concerned and lined with worry for the old man.
Too concerned...they really are lovers, aren't they?
Rei couldn't help but wince at the jealous thought as she squeezed the water
out of the washcloth.
-------------------------
The hand grasped the door handle as Mamoru slowly contemplated the contents of
what was within.
....Usako.....are you even mine anymore?........
The thoughts of a thousand years, the uncertainty which had plagued him since
his first glance at Locke, the first move, rebounded with zeal. Mamoru's hand
stopped at mid-turn, uncertain whether to go all the way. Visions of Crystal
Tokyo, truly a city of the future they were supposed to have together, seemed
hazier at the moment than he had ever seen them.
Perhaps....her feelings truly have changed....
"Why don't you go in?"
Mamoru's head flipped to see Seiya on the other side of the hall, leaning
against a pole.
"You want to go in." Seiya looked up at the prince. "I know you
do. And you must, even if you don't want to."
"Star Fighter..."
"Go." Seiya's head motioned towards the door. "She wants to talk
to you."
With a slight nod of his head, Mamoru turned back around, took a deep breath,
and opened the door.
"..........Mamo-chan...........................................................!!"
Mamoru's ear rang with the familiar voice, the same voice that had greeted him
so many time before, at home, at work, in bed, in heaven, even in hell. In
almost every single conceivable place that he could think of, that voice had
always been there to greet him.
This time, however, the voice was weaker, almost silenced by strange
circumstance. Mamoru found himself looking down onto a bed, his Usako wrapped
in bandages, her face paler than her namesake. Even her bright blue eyes seemed
paler, softer, died down from the hit she took.
"Usako..!!"
"I knew..." Usagi struggled in her excitement. "I knew....you'd
come..."
With a sudden gasp, she flopped back, her hand towards her chest.
"Luna....why isn't..."
"It will take time. You'll have to wait for Hotaru."
"But....Mamo-chan...."
The cat looked up at Mamoru's confused face. With a small nod, she jumped off
the bed and out of the room once more.
"..........Mamo-chan..."
"Usako."
Mamoru sat down next to her, his head down. He remained silent for several
moments, obviously not sure what to say.
------------------------
Darkness....the eyes shut tight.
Please...let me think let me think let me-
Then it is. The wind stops. All stop.
The smell of shark.
----------------
The winds of time scattered, breathing out the life of the travelers as they
suddenly found themselves alive, on land.
In a city.
"We're here."
Pluto's body appeared from behind the Freedom Fighters, her head up, eyes
closed.
"This is Tokyo."
Knuckles looked around, his face pale.
"This....is...."
The cold streets spread out before the newcomers, whose sense reeled from the
thought of a new world, a new place. Tails, however, seemed unmoved at first as
he began to walk.
"This place..." Sonic looked around, his mouth open.
"It's....like Robotnik's fantasy land."
The foggy depths of despair seemed to loom in onto the Freedom Fighters as they
saw a half-destroyed obelisk in the distance.
"Is that the castle?"
"No." Pluto looked over. "That is a radio tower."
"Radio..!!"
"We have very little to go, Freedom Fighters." Pluto continued
walking. "Just keep your heads up."
Sonic could feel Sally's hand squeeze into his own.
"Sonic..." Sally's voice was in a whisper. "Tails....he seems
affected by it."
Sonic turned to see Tails, the disguised emeralds slung on his back, looking
around. It was not so much horror now, in his face as there seemed to be
realization, hurt.
Like...some sort of uneasiness once more...something, again, that he
knows...
"I know..." he whispered back.
"I'm thinking the sooner we get this done, the better."
Higher in the sky....to look into the eyes of the devil...
"I know what you mean."
---------------
"Mamo-chan..."
"Please." Mamoru looked away from Usagi. "The truth. Why to
Locke?"
"I didn't know... he was there."
"Where?"
"At the summit. It's true."
Mamoru rubbed his head.
"The summit?"
"It's,...true. I heard..." Usagi closed her eyes. "The
thunderous rage........the strange.....powers of....evil....hurting my
friends...."
The Dark Legion.
Mamoru's mouth twitched.
Wait...if she felt it....then.....what if-
"Mamoru?"
Luna's head popped in.
"Mamoru....you're wanted at Crown Arcade."
--------------
Kakyuu and Locke sat nervously in their seats at the table, the lights of Crown
Fruit no brighter than candles.
"Stop that."
"Hmm?" Locke looked up nervously. "Stop what?"
"You're making me nervous twiddling your fingers like that." Yaten
muttered. "And it is certainly not like I have much of a fondness of you
in the first place."
"Yeah, well…" Seiya looked at Yaten, her face stern. "It doesn't
matter what your opinion is at this time."
"I…" Locke knew he had nothing to apologize for. "I think we
should just put aside any differences right now."
"Yeah." Minako smiled. "I mean, our differences don't really
matter at this point anyway. Or…at least they shouldn't. I mean, if I had to
choose between world destruction and Locke, Yaten, well…"
The comment was responded to with a slightly angry glare at Minako's direction.
Minako began to sweat.
"It's true!"
"Yes…" Mamoru looked down. "And what else is important is that
whomever we are meeting will help us somehow in unmasking our enemy."
Locke and Kakyuu looked at each other uneasily as Mamoru spoke. It was obvious
that the events of the past several days was, at the very least, not sitting
well with Mamoru. As Locke looked at the bereaved prince, he pondered how it
was possible that he could keep his sanity intact with all that had happened -
the topping of it having been that his girlfriend being shot….by an echidna.
Tonight, however, they knew that when the "other party" arrived….for
only the three outers knew who the other invitees were…
"…..So…….." Locke felt himself at a slight impasse of things to say
to the man whom probably thought that Usagi and Locke had something that could
have been an affair. "What do you think of Fortinbras?"
"….He's a good man." Mamoru was obviously faced with the same problem
with Locke, but perhaps for different reasons. "Locke, who are we meeting
tonight?"
"I don't know..." Perhaps...
"Yeah…" Makoto looked confused. "Rei, all you have told us is
that we'll be 'meeting some people who'll shed light on the situation'. Why
won't you tell us more?"
"I don't know anymore. Besides," Rei looked at Makoto. "There is
a very good reason for us not knowing until they arrive."
"My thoughts exactly." Ami took out her computer. "I say we just
take our minds off of this for a few minutes and simply just talk about silly,
inane things for a bit."
"Inane things?" For the first time in a long while, a smirk
came up on Taiki's face. "How inane would you like us to get,
Ami?"
"Well…" Unheeding of the trap, Ami shrugged. "Talk
about…well….inane….things. Like….like.."
"Soap!"
Minako's remark resulted in some desperately needed smirks and chuckles. Even
Mamoru had a smile on his face.
"Come on…soap's as inane as you can get in conversation topics."
"Minako…" Makoto snorted. "Where do you come off with
soap?"
"Actually, if you really want to know…"
Minako's voice trailed off at the sound of a clicking door. The moment of eased
humor ended abruptly as the group snapped their heads towards the door.
"Is anyone here?"
Pluto's voice came into the room, and Locke gratefully restarted his heart when
he heard it. The entire group of ten remained silent for a few moments at the
table, their nerves slowly returning to normal state from the unnecessary shock
they had received.
"Sailor Pluto." It was Kakyuu who finally broke the silent.
"Everyone's here."
"Yes." Pluto's voice came again. "As is everyone I
summoned."
The room became silent again, save for several heated whispers overheard by
Ami.
"Go." The first was female. "Go on."
"Noo-oo…" The male whisper that came back was more reluctant.
"You go. You're the ruler!"
"Guys…" The third whisper made Ami gasp. "If you're so indignant
about it, I'll go…."
"Ami?" Rei's whisper entered her ear. "What's wrong?"
"That voice…"
"..there's nothing to worry about…"
At that, some movement came from behind the cracked door, and the door opened
wide, allowing the speaker to enter.
"…….No…." Yaten's eyes widened as the shadow of the speaker appeared.
"You've….got to be joking…"
The red head slowly peeped out from behind the booth which covered the view of
the door. As the echidna's entire body came out, and walked towards the table,
Kakyuu nearly fell over at the sight. The obvious similarities between Locke
and his son, even with the two being in two different forms, were more apparent
to the princess in the dark of the café than in the sunny fields of Albion's
outskirts.
"Dad." Knuckles noticed Yaten and Taiki's horrified looks, but simply
decided to not react. "Everyone's here."
"Dad??!" One of voices shouted. "Wait, your dad's alive?!?!"
The door flew open, and in skated a black….thing, which started and
stopped at such a fast rate it caused almost every candle in the café to blow
out from the wind caused by its entrance. Upon stopping, Seiya noticed the soft
white fur covering its chest, and the red stripes which also adorned his
spikes, arms and legs. Added to the cat-like sleekness of the strange
creature's physique, the soldier found the thing to be a wonderfully exotic
creature - one that was beautiful to behold.
Yaten and Taiki's horror of beholding the savage creature as it too approached
seemed to have no end, which also deeply amused Seiya.
"Hey….Knux…" The black creature crimped a red bordered-eyebrow.
"I don't see your dad. Are you…"
"No, Sonic." Knuckles pointed. "I'm not insane and I'm not
seeing things."
Locke could only look down and shuffle his feet as Sonic gave a yelp.
"What?!?" The creature's eyes bulged. "That's your dad?!?
But…I thought he was an echidna."
"He is an echidna." Sonic looked up to see Taiki glaring at
him. "And I should like to know what you are."
"A hedgehog."
"Hmph." Yaten stood up, rolling her eyes. "Another disgusting
rodent."
"Eh?" Sonic crimped an eye.
"You heard me." There seemed to be no end to the Starlight's disgust.
"You've got a problem with me?"
"Perhaps I do."
"Then you should leave if it's troubling you so much." Sonic
rolled his eyes. "Otherwise, shut up and sit down."
Yaten's eyes widened in anger and horror, but in noticing that the other
soldiers were staring at her, she realized she could do nothing. Her cheeks red
with humiliation, she sat down. Slowly, Taiki sat as well.
"Sonic?"
Soon, others came - a brown squirrel thing (Ami could only deduce it from the
coloration). A rabbit (it was something everyone recognized) with cybernetic
parts (which surprised everyone just as well). A purple walrus (the
tusks gave it away for Makoto), and a strange fox (it could very well have been
a coyote to Mamoru). They each turned the corner, each of them stopping at the
sight of the humans who beheld them with the same level of surprise.
"In all mah stars…"
"Overlanders!!"
"What the…."
"Uncanny…"
"Let's get down to business."
Julie-Su appeared behind Pluto, her arms crossed. Shaking her head, she looked
at each of the soldiers, her face set like stone.
"There was obviously a reason you brought us here from Mobius." She
looked up at Locke. "And I doubt that it was just to have us marvel at
each other. Am I right?"
"Yes…"
Locke turned to Pluto, whom simply nodded. Uranus and Neptune, whom entered
after Julie-Su, quietly sat at the other end of the table, filing past the
Mobians, who slowly began to scan for seats past the soldiers' side of the
table. Unhesitantly, Knuckles sat next to Kakyuu.
"Hello."
"H-hello."
"What's wrong?"
"Oh….nothing." Kakyuu smiled. "I….you just look like your father
even in this form."
Yaten and Taiki stared at Kakyuu, their eyes simply filled with horror. They
were suddenly interrupted by a bump in their sides.
"Sorry, sugahs." The rabbit squeezed in between the two Starlights.
"This is the only spot open."
"Is everyone seated?"
Locke looked back down, his eyes slowly scanning the table. He glanced at dear
Kakyuu, who simply looked at him.
"Locke."
Pluto's hand went into her suit, and the tattered paper became visible. She
silently threw it upon the table.
"What is..?"
"Read it."
Locke slowly, reluctantly, took the paper up. Unfolding it, his eyes widened in
horror as his eyes hit upon the first words.
Vanguard...............
The papers folded out upon him like a geyser. Suddenly, everything, even that
which he did not know, was made clear.
"It is Russian."
"I.....I know......"
Locke seemed completely shocked. His words were cracked, almost to a point
where he could have been scared.
"Dad." Locke felt Knuckles looking over his shoulder. "Tell us
what it says."
"....Where did you get this?"
"Gala-Na."
"..................My God.................." Locke's eyes widened.
"Now.........It makes more sense................"
With a reluctant gulp, he began to slowly translate the following, that which
he knew to be what cleared everything up for all. The battles, the
assassination, the problems of Mobius....all that was to come.
"Dearest Lien-Da.
"It has come to my attention that, within the next two days, will be the
attack. Do your best to speed up any plans you had of escape, lest you be
caught in the crossfire my current boss, Atrava, is planning.
"I pray that, in keeping my part of the bargain, you will be safe to keep
the rest of yours.
"Atrava thanks you for the data he needed.
"Truly, humbled and with no choice,
"Vanguard"
-----------------------
"HALT!!"
"Surrender or else!!"
"Aaaaaaah!!!!"
The Albions ran, their numbers instantly dwindling in the moment of battle. The
rumble of marching feet could have been heard from miles away. Yet the people
of Albion did not realize exactly who was coming towards them until it was
almost too late. They had figured that some of Albion's troops that had simply
been out to battle in Knothole (for rumors were circulating in the city about
their head councilor and her blasphemous conduct in front of the judges) were
returning. Yet it was their carelessness of the precarious situation on the
other side of the world which allowed the enemy to approach and sack their
beloved city.
"Come on!" One of the brigade leaders threw his hands up disgustedly.
Three gas-drenched figures stood up. "Not too much! We need some buildings
standing! Haha!"
As if his words had been warning, some of the flames on the building suddenly
caught onto the soldiers, and the three could only writhe in pain as they were
slowly charred to death. Laughing, the brigade leader turned to it, who quietly
snickered as well.
"Lovely, master, isn't it?"
"Indeed." A raspy voice replied. "Indeed."
Those who surrendered were corralled in front of the creature's caravan as it
marched triumphantly in the main street of the city, flames engulfing it like hell
upon the living plane. The creature was hooded like the others but in a far
more imperial way - its robe was much more colorful, made of richer cloth from
lands unknown to the echidnas. It sat in a way upon its chariot which, if
looked upon by those whom had the courage, emulated that of a seductive harlot
whom looked upon the weary traveler, the city, beckoning it to enter its
territory and share the rich flow of whatever was within. A harlot who would
rob him blind of all Albion had, its money, its pride, its life.
Sitting next to the creature as it proceeded to the Hall of Justice was a
hard-bound book, a book of gold lettering. "TSKINTSU" was written
upon it, flowers around it engraved with a cloth not seen in the universe since
the fall of a long-ago kingdom. Snickering, the creature lovingly touched the
cover.
"We have little time left." The entrance of the Hall of Justice
loomed in front of them. "Break the door down."
The door, engraved with the image of Steppenwolf, crumbled easily under laser
fire. Slinking off of the chariot, the creature took the Tskintsu up once more
- since it had obtained it, it was never out of its sight - and proceeded into
the court. All around it, lasers shot out, screams were heard, people fell,
blood flowing in front of everything.
The sound and sights comforted the creature as it proceeded into a room where
no one in its place had gone. In the creatures' state of triumph, the screams
could have been a chorus singing praise to their savior. The blood of the
slaughtered seemed to creep ever so perfectly into a line, becoming a red
carpet to the star of the show.
In the wake of the treatment, it was suddenly back to business. The creatures'
eyes hardened as its troops dragged out two men.
"Here!" The two elders were thrown to the ground. "Two of the
three Elder Judges."
"Perfect."
"It…is impossible!" One of the judges' eyes widened. "The Dark
Legion?!"
"You all died upon the Island!" The other began to shake violently.
"We have proof!"
So pitiful.
With a wisk of fire, the two fel down upon the ground, dead as the Island.
"Master, everything is secure!"
"The people are surrendering and fleeing. Albion is ours."
"Perfect."
The creature, after centuries, finally took off the hood.
The red hair fell to the back, her hat, her feather uncovered. That which was
put up was under. The steel blue eyes looked around and nodded.
"The letter."
"Gone."
"Sad." She was unmoved. "Eh well. Let them know! All the same,
they'll fall."
"What now until they arrive, Grandmaster?"
She took a deep breath. The stale air of death pleased her, being so close to
what she wanted.
"Man your stations." Thoughts of blonde and blue eyes paraded darkly
within her thoughts. "We are yet done."
