Soul Eaters
-dew
Chapter 6. Questions Part II.
--------
"Hey Usagi! Who was that guy you were talking to?" asked Minako, as the
girls settled around their favorite booth.
"Oh, that was Mr. Fuhiro. You know, that guy I ran into the other day,"
she said.
"He's cute! "
Luna cleared her throat to gain attention. "Enough. It's time to get
down to business. We can't just sit like ducks until he strikes again, and
Usagi's idea about following around influential people will be harder than
it sounds. There are so many people in this city - "
"Wait. Where's Mako?" asked Usagi.
Ami glanced at her watch. "She said she would be here at six. I guess the
bake sale was so successful, that she'll be a little late this evening."
"Bake Sale?"
"Yes. She organized an informal bake sale at the park, in which all proceeds
go to the Tree Beautification Project which plants trees around the city. Minako and
I stopped by earlier, but we didn't get the chance to say hello. She looked very busy."
The group looked around at each other with the same thought formulating in their
minds. Makoto had been working really hard and poured a lot of energy in organizing and
baking for the sale. She was being a community leader, was she not? Without a word, they
all stood up and walked out, headed towards the park.
----------
The soldiers moved cautiously through the streets, sticking to shadows and
alleyways so as not to attract attention in their brightly colored sailor uniforms.
They had transformed together with silent agreement just a few minutes earlier. This was
nota time to be caught unawares.
Despite flashy outfits and heels that would click on any type of pavement,
the soldiers moved with silence and grace from shadow to shadow. No samurai could
have been stealthier, given the circumstances, than these young, teenage girls in
short skirts. Gone was the rowdy bunch of girls seen earlier - these swift shadows
of justice were intent on a single thing:
Getting to their friend and comrade before something nastier gets to her first.
Closer to the park, the crowds of people thinned. It was too cold to go out on
a stroll and the bake sale was cleaned up and ended. A few streets from the park
entrance, Sailor Mars abruptly stopped. She raised a hand to signal the stop of the
others around her and the group stood, looking expectantly at the psychic girl.
She didn't say a word, because it was suddenly obvious to the others that
something was wrong when they looked around and the street was deserted.
Sailor Moon stepped forward, her hand clasped to her chest. The streetlights
were flickering and after a few short moments, gave up their feeble glow of yellow
and went out. The moonlight was thin, but it illuminated the area through its veil
of clouds enough to make shadows and shapes out of objects. Sailor Moon's heart sounded
fast and loud in her ears and she sucked in her breath. She knew this place…
Oh no! She forgot to tell them..!
"You guys, watch out. This was in my dream last night."
Before any of them could question her, a shadowy form ahead of them caught
their attention as it crouched over a long body. Certainly, that couldn't be Mako…
Could it?
A gust of cold wind brought them the smell of blood. Sailor Venus,
glancing at the terror stricken and frozen Sailor Moon, stepped forward
cautiously.
"You there! Stop your wicked deeds! By the divine power of Venus-"
"And Mars!"
"And Mercury!"
"And Jupiter, "came a voice from behind them. Sailor Jupiter stepped
into their midst with an apologetic smile for being late. Seeing that Jupiter
was with them now, and not lying at the feet of the dark creature, Sailor Moon
shook herself out of her stupor and stepped forward boldly.
"And the Moon, we will punish you!"
The shadow raised its head and smiled. The white of the creature's teeth
was the only clearly visible feature it had.
"So, you are the ones," It said, in a surprisingly human voice. It stepped
over the body with a sickening kind of nonchalance and stepped into the thin
stream of moonlight.
Sailor Moon's hand flew to her mouth as Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars
both took a step back. Sailor Jupiter, her hands clenched tightly, stepped forward.
Sailor Mercury, in shock, stood where she was, transfixed, along with Artemis and Luna.
"Human."
The word Mercury whispered seemed to bring to light their worst fears.
It weighed down their souls while the little hairs on their necks and arms rose.
The man continued his smile as the knife he held in his right hand pointed
downwards, letting the blood spattering softly in sickening designs on the pavement.
"You are too late, little girl warriors. Thanks to the blessed von Mayer,
I have come for what I had came for. We will meet again soon - that you can count on."
The street lamps flickered back on, momentarily blinding the girls in their
brightness after straining to see in the dark. After the brief moment when their eyes
adjusted, they found themselves standing alone in the street, save for the one body,
still lying on the ground in front of them. Sailor Mercury was the first to walk towards
it ,followed by Sailor Jupiter, while the
other soldiers looked around in vain. After seeing nothing but the dark around them,
they formed a half circle behind the two girls examining the body. Sailor Jupiter
turned around, her face pale.
"She was one of the volunteers helping me, this afternoon," she whispered,
in shock. She was very helpful to Makoto - always working her hardest, with a smile
on her face. Sailor Jupiter sank to her knees, finding it hard to stomach the fact
that this girl was alive only minutes before she left to join the others, and now….
For a long moment, the rest of the soldiers stared at Ami's back as she bent
over the body, not willing, or not able, to look at the body directly. Sailor Mercury
stood up and turned towards them, carefully stripping off her bloody gloves and
shaking her head.
"There's nothing we can do here," she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
"I suggest we regroup back at the temple before the police come. A group of short skirted,
sailor outfitted girls is strange enough, but add in a dead body and there is bound to be
questions."
"But…" Sailor Moon reached out towards the figure on the ground, as if her simple
touch could bring it back to life, before she recoiled her hand. Sailor Mars placed a hand
on her shoulder while looking sympathetically at Jupiter, and shook her head.
"She's right, Sailor Moon. There's nothing else we can do here. Let's go back to
the temple."
-----------------------------------------
End of Chapter 6 part I.
Dew_drop@myself.com
-dew
Chapter 6. Questions Part II.
--------
"Hey Usagi! Who was that guy you were talking to?" asked Minako, as the
girls settled around their favorite booth.
"Oh, that was Mr. Fuhiro. You know, that guy I ran into the other day,"
she said.
"He's cute! "
Luna cleared her throat to gain attention. "Enough. It's time to get
down to business. We can't just sit like ducks until he strikes again, and
Usagi's idea about following around influential people will be harder than
it sounds. There are so many people in this city - "
"Wait. Where's Mako?" asked Usagi.
Ami glanced at her watch. "She said she would be here at six. I guess the
bake sale was so successful, that she'll be a little late this evening."
"Bake Sale?"
"Yes. She organized an informal bake sale at the park, in which all proceeds
go to the Tree Beautification Project which plants trees around the city. Minako and
I stopped by earlier, but we didn't get the chance to say hello. She looked very busy."
The group looked around at each other with the same thought formulating in their
minds. Makoto had been working really hard and poured a lot of energy in organizing and
baking for the sale. She was being a community leader, was she not? Without a word, they
all stood up and walked out, headed towards the park.
----------
The soldiers moved cautiously through the streets, sticking to shadows and
alleyways so as not to attract attention in their brightly colored sailor uniforms.
They had transformed together with silent agreement just a few minutes earlier. This was
nota time to be caught unawares.
Despite flashy outfits and heels that would click on any type of pavement,
the soldiers moved with silence and grace from shadow to shadow. No samurai could
have been stealthier, given the circumstances, than these young, teenage girls in
short skirts. Gone was the rowdy bunch of girls seen earlier - these swift shadows
of justice were intent on a single thing:
Getting to their friend and comrade before something nastier gets to her first.
Closer to the park, the crowds of people thinned. It was too cold to go out on
a stroll and the bake sale was cleaned up and ended. A few streets from the park
entrance, Sailor Mars abruptly stopped. She raised a hand to signal the stop of the
others around her and the group stood, looking expectantly at the psychic girl.
She didn't say a word, because it was suddenly obvious to the others that
something was wrong when they looked around and the street was deserted.
Sailor Moon stepped forward, her hand clasped to her chest. The streetlights
were flickering and after a few short moments, gave up their feeble glow of yellow
and went out. The moonlight was thin, but it illuminated the area through its veil
of clouds enough to make shadows and shapes out of objects. Sailor Moon's heart sounded
fast and loud in her ears and she sucked in her breath. She knew this place…
Oh no! She forgot to tell them..!
"You guys, watch out. This was in my dream last night."
Before any of them could question her, a shadowy form ahead of them caught
their attention as it crouched over a long body. Certainly, that couldn't be Mako…
Could it?
A gust of cold wind brought them the smell of blood. Sailor Venus,
glancing at the terror stricken and frozen Sailor Moon, stepped forward
cautiously.
"You there! Stop your wicked deeds! By the divine power of Venus-"
"And Mars!"
"And Mercury!"
"And Jupiter, "came a voice from behind them. Sailor Jupiter stepped
into their midst with an apologetic smile for being late. Seeing that Jupiter
was with them now, and not lying at the feet of the dark creature, Sailor Moon
shook herself out of her stupor and stepped forward boldly.
"And the Moon, we will punish you!"
The shadow raised its head and smiled. The white of the creature's teeth
was the only clearly visible feature it had.
"So, you are the ones," It said, in a surprisingly human voice. It stepped
over the body with a sickening kind of nonchalance and stepped into the thin
stream of moonlight.
Sailor Moon's hand flew to her mouth as Sailor Venus and Sailor Mars
both took a step back. Sailor Jupiter, her hands clenched tightly, stepped forward.
Sailor Mercury, in shock, stood where she was, transfixed, along with Artemis and Luna.
"Human."
The word Mercury whispered seemed to bring to light their worst fears.
It weighed down their souls while the little hairs on their necks and arms rose.
The man continued his smile as the knife he held in his right hand pointed
downwards, letting the blood spattering softly in sickening designs on the pavement.
"You are too late, little girl warriors. Thanks to the blessed von Mayer,
I have come for what I had came for. We will meet again soon - that you can count on."
The street lamps flickered back on, momentarily blinding the girls in their
brightness after straining to see in the dark. After the brief moment when their eyes
adjusted, they found themselves standing alone in the street, save for the one body,
still lying on the ground in front of them. Sailor Mercury was the first to walk towards
it ,followed by Sailor Jupiter, while the
other soldiers looked around in vain. After seeing nothing but the dark around them,
they formed a half circle behind the two girls examining the body. Sailor Jupiter
turned around, her face pale.
"She was one of the volunteers helping me, this afternoon," she whispered,
in shock. She was very helpful to Makoto - always working her hardest, with a smile
on her face. Sailor Jupiter sank to her knees, finding it hard to stomach the fact
that this girl was alive only minutes before she left to join the others, and now….
For a long moment, the rest of the soldiers stared at Ami's back as she bent
over the body, not willing, or not able, to look at the body directly. Sailor Mercury
stood up and turned towards them, carefully stripping off her bloody gloves and
shaking her head.
"There's nothing we can do here," she said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
"I suggest we regroup back at the temple before the police come. A group of short skirted,
sailor outfitted girls is strange enough, but add in a dead body and there is bound to be
questions."
"But…" Sailor Moon reached out towards the figure on the ground, as if her simple
touch could bring it back to life, before she recoiled her hand. Sailor Mars placed a hand
on her shoulder while looking sympathetically at Jupiter, and shook her head.
"She's right, Sailor Moon. There's nothing else we can do here. Let's go back to
the temple."
-----------------------------------------
End of Chapter 6 part I.
Dew_drop@myself.com