Soul Eaters
-dew
I do not own Sailor Moon, nor do I pretend to.
(Note: to the easily offended reader (even though this is rated PG-13)
a curse word appears twice in this chapter)
Chapter 8. Blood, Sweat, and Tears.
_______________________________________________________________________
Ami tapped her pencil against her notebook irritably. Since when
did she have such trouble paying attention to her studies on a Sunday?
A day without school gives one the opportunity to study, but she just
couldn't keep her focus this morning. Sighing, she leaned back in the
chair at her desk to strech her aching
muscles.
Ami knew why she couldn't pay attention - she just didn't want to
give it a structure in her mind. She didn't want to form thoughts and
images to the horrors of the past few days. It seemed that if she didn't
think about it, it didn't exist.
But that, of course, was ridiculous. She needed to form a plan…
any plan… Something! Anything!
Her mind had been working overtime since last night, sorting out
the scientific law that should bring some clues as to how to find or
identify the killers. Knowing the motive, she realized, doesn't solve
the puzzle alone.
Ami rested her elbow on the surface of her desk and propped her
chin on the palm of her hand, closed her eyes. She was the genius of
the group, was she not? The so called brains? If she was as smart as
all of that, then surely she would have found some way to stop these
murders by now. But try and try as she might, nothing came to mind.
They now knew the motive, but they didn't know anything else.
There were too many mysterious and no clues.
It was like a puzzle that Ami could not figure out - a chess game
against a master. But time was running out and Ami, and the soldiers,
were quickly losing - their king was in 'check'.
In a rare show of frustration, Ami threw her pencil down on her
notebook causing it to bounce off of her desk and fall on the floor.
-----------------
On the other side of town, any outsider happening upon a particular
apartment, and, taking a peek inside, would simply admire a tall girl's
astonishing dedication to mastering her culinary arts. So tirelessly
did she work, in fact, that every available counter and table space
was filled with delicious looking foods.
However her friends, had they have seen her, would know immediately
she wasn't merely persuing a well loved hobby - she was furious.
The way she stormed around the kitchen, throwing ingredients in pots and
later, scrubbing them until her fingers were red from the hot water,
was a clear sign that she was in a rage.
Pausing to lean her hip against a counter, with her arms crossed
and a wooden spoon held tightly in her fist, she took a deep breath.
'Calm yourself down, girl' thought Makoto in vain.
She stared off into the distance for a long moment, gritting her
teeth and counting to ten, before she hurled the innocent spoon she was
holding across the room. As soon as it hit the adjacent wall it
splintered into pieces.
This was ridiculous. Why in the world was she standing here, cooking,
when she should be out beating up someone!
But…there was no one to beat up.
Well, of course, out there… somewhere… there were at least two very
deserving murderers that Makoto would LOVE to beat until they cried to
their Mamas. But at the moment, she had no idea who they were.
The tall girl snatched the handkerchief off of her head and sagged
her broad shoulders. She felt so… Oh, what's the word Ami always uses?
Impotent. That's it! She felt impotent. Impotent and burning. Yes!
Burning with the desire to bring justice!
Why, she could even smell the smoke of her wrath now!
Sniffing the air, Makoto stood up straight, abruptly.
Wait. That's not her wrath… That's her cookies!
With a lamenting cry, she swooped toward the oven to rescue what
was left.
--------
"Young Miss! A hot cup of tea for you! It will warm you up! Only
a few yen! Miss?"
Minako politely shook her head and continued walking down the
sidewalk, dodging street vendors. She had woken up this morning feeling
depressed and useless. So, she got up, got dressed, and, what better way
to relieve frustration and get your mind off of things, than to go shopping!
Minako walked from store to store, trying to fool herself into good
spirits. Eight stores, and no shopping bags later, she realized she was
deceiving no one. Not even shopping, the best past time in the world,
was lifting her spirits this morning.
She glanced at her watch with a sigh. Eight o'clock. Was she really up
this early on a Sunday morning? She wasn't supposed to meet up with the rest
of the girls for another two hours.
Minako gave the dozen more stores awaiting her an apologetic shrug and
started walking back in the other direction.
------------------
Rei kneeled in front of the Holy Fire silently. She had long since
given up trying to divine anything from the sacred flame. Resigned, she
admitted to herself that her focus just wasn't in it that morning.
At least Artemis and Luna were being useful this early - trying
desperately to find clues around the city on a Sunday morning.
It was Sunday, wasn't it? Already Sunday? Where had the week gone?
She reflected over the events of the past few days calmly. There
had to be a way to beat this monster… if only she could concentrate.
The door behind her slid open and Rei turned around, still on her
knees, to identify the intruder. Ami closed the door ,walked in and
kneeled behind the priestess.
"Ami? What are you doing here so early? We aren't supposed to
meet for another hour and a half."
"I know, but I couldn't concentrate on my studies, so I thought
I might come by here. Please forgive me for coming so early. Am I intruding?"
Before Rei could respond, the door slid open again and Makoto
and Minako stood in the doorway, clearly surprised that Ami was also there
so early.
"I brought cookies," blurted out Makoto, as if that justified why she
had showed up over an hour early.
Minako strode in, without pretense, and plopped and the tatami mat
beside Ami, shrugging her shoulders. "There were no sales this morning."
Rei looked around at the group, mildly surprised. "Well this is something
new. But, I'm afraid we can't discuss anything until Usagi gets here a
few hours late."
A cough sounded from the hallway and the girls turned to see Usagi,
smiling proudly at the door. She sat down among the girls, still gloating.
"You can close that gaping mouth of yours, Rei."
"What are YOU doing up this early??"
Usagi lowered her gaze to her lap and fidgeted. "Actually, I couldn't
sleep so well last night. I've been up for a few hours now."
-----------
An hour later, the girls sat facing each other with blank expressions
on their faces. Luna and Artemis had both returned and proclaimed, with heads
lowered in shame, that they had learned nothing new. With a sigh, Rei gave an
irritable look at Usagi, who was curled up in a ball on the floor, using her
arms as a pillow, and snoring softly.
The priestess swept her gaze around the room, and, finding the other
girls preoccupied with the cookies Makoto had brought, found it safe to soften
her expression as she watched the sleeping girl.
Poor Usagi. Rei felt a sadness emanate from her friend that wasn't due to
the frustrated state they were all in,though that of course, that affected her too.
No, this sadness was deep in Usagi's heart.
Even if Rei didn't have the special ability to divine into other people's souls,
it would be clear to her that Usagi was in pain by the small circle of wet fabric on
the pillow underneath Usagi's cheek. Tears during dreams never lie.
Rei leaned forward, intending, in a rare moment of tenderness, to stroke
her hair in order to sooth her dreams.
Abruptly Usagi shot up into sitting position, startling Rei into a
surprised shriek that immediately got the group's attention.
"I saw him! The murderer from last night! In my dream! I know where
he is!"
--------------------
Within minutes the sailor soldiers were flying over the rooftops
of the city, chasing after Usagi as she led them over a maze of buildings
in persuit of her nightmare. Usagi knew exactly where she was going, but,
curiously, didn't tell the rest of them.
Feeling like she had no time to lose, she shouted at them to follow
and they were out the door. She ran faster and faster, not caring if the
other's had caught up or not. What if he got into a cab and drove away?
What if he walks into a crowd and she can't spot him?
She stopped breathlessly on the top of a building in a district in
Tokyo. The other scouts, panting from their exheretions, looked about them.
Usagi pointed out a man standing apart from the crowd with a bag in his hand.
"The sick bastard is shopping," said Sailor Venus with disgust.
"Not shopping," said Usagi, leaning down to brace her hands on her
thighs and swallowing to bring some moisture into her mouth.
"Searching. Searching for a victim."
The man they are watching lifted his arms, arched his neck, and stretched.
His face, upturned as it is during his strech, showed the easily recognizable
smile of pleasure that stretching gives to someone who has stood still
for too long. The simplistic and very human gesture made Sailor Mars'
stomach drop. This man was undeniably human.
He opened his eyes mid strech. Unfortunately, his line of sight
centered directly on the spot the girls were standing.
"He's running, the coward!" yelled Sailor Mars as she jumped to
the next rooftop nearest to where the man below was running.
"Wait! Sailor Mars!" Sailor Moon chased after her, calling her name.
It only took a few brief moments for the soldiers to realize that
this man possessed speed that no other human had, and were, because they were
tired from their run over to the shopping district, quickly falling behind.
Sailor Venus gave quick nod of her head and some brief gestures to the
surrounding girls as they ran. The soldiers, having working together as a
team for so long, obeyed quickly and without hesitation. There were like a
flock of graceful birds - changing direction and creating formations by
wordless and soundless consent. Jupiter, the fastest runner of the group,
sprinted ahead of the man running along the ground, and jumped down into an
alley. While the others caught up, Jupiter used the element of surpise to push
the man off balance and into the alley, away from the street.
Soon, they soldiers had him surrounded and away from the street into
the alley that was brightly lit by the cloudless winter sky.
With a flourish, the man smiled and bowed dramatically.
"I never did introduce myself, did I? My name is Subaru, and it truly
is a pleasure seeing you young ladies again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll
be on my way.
Sailor Moon pointed her wand like a gun towards his chest threateningly.
"You aren't going anywhere."
"We know your plan," said Sailor Venus, readying her chain.
"We know all about you soul eaters."
"Soul Eaters?" Subaru chuckled, delighted. "I think that is a
beautifully suited name. My master will be pleased when I tell him."
"And just who is your master, Subaru?" asked Sailor Mars.
"Oh come on now, little girls. Do you think that I would tell the
who's, what's, where's, and why's? What's the point?" Subaru opened the
paper bag he was carrying and started reaching into it, all while speaking
slow and calm, as if they were friends chatting about the weather. " I will
tell you this, though. My master has been searching for you girls. He has
been watching school age girls around Tokyo and following them, in looking
for you. It was good that we hadn't found you right off, though. It has given
us time to …perfect our skills. Why it seems like just yesterday I was observing my
master rip those sweet little girls buying comic books. What were those girls'
names anyway? No matter, its of no importance now."
"You…you sick bastard," said Sailor Venus, calling him, again, the
only name that she could find that suited his black soul.
"Bastard, yes. Sick, no. At least, I for sure won't be when I
collect your tremendous energies and present them to my master…especially when
he lets me absorb one or two of your," Subaru licked his lips," succulent souls."
He finally got a firm grip of what was in his bag and drew out a
wicked looking, curved machete.
"I do apologize, little girls, but now I will have to kill you all."
The soldiers shared looks with each other. As sick and as fast as
this man is, did he really think he could take on and defeat the magical
Sailor Suited Warriors? He? A mere human, even touch one of the powerful
soldiers? Impossible.
-----------
"I can't believe they left us behind," shouted Artemis as he ran through
the streets of the shopping district with Luna at his side. " Do you still
see them?"
"No," gasped a breathless Luna. She really should exercise more.
" I lost sight of them ever since they jumped between those buildings."
They dashed past a few more buildings before taking a sharp turn
into the alley. A dozen yards from the street, they saw the battle that had
only started minutes before.
They both skidded to an abrupt stop.
"Oh my God," whispered Artemis.
Sailor Venus was a little ahead and to the left of them, struggling to
her feet while bracing herself against the brick wall of a building. She was
holding her arm as her blood dripped onto the ground, staining not only her
gloves but her white bodice as well. From the shear amount of blood and the
pallor of her face, it was clear that she had an open artery.
Sailor Jupiter was on the right, grim and bruised, with an apparent broken
leg. But even as she was in pain, she was supporting Sailor Mars who looked
faint and giddy due from loss of blood from the gash in her forehead that
matted her raven hair and dripped down her face.
Sailor Moon was still standing with a tear in her thigh that she
seemed not to have noticed yet, and in front of her, trying her best to
defend her princess, was Sailor Mercury, beaten and bruised. Both scouts
were sweating despite the fact that, just a dozen yards behind them to the
street, there were people bundled up in coats and scarves.
"What happened here?" cried Luna as she ran up behind Sailor Moon.
Sailor Mercury glanced at the walls of the alley, directing the cats
attention to the scorch marks and scarring on the bricks.
"He's…stronger than we anticipated," she answered. " He absorbs our
attacks. He even cut through my spray."
"My crystal," began Sailor Moon, not taking her eyes off of Subaru.
"He even absorbs my crystal's attack."
Subaru chuckled. "Wow. Talking cats. Now I have seen it all. But
she's right you know. I can absorb all forms of energy now, even the
amazing power of Sailor Moon's crystal. I am Invincible!"
As if to prove to the remaining soldiers how powerful he really was,
he lunged at the girls, knocking Sailor Moon down.
She got back up as fast as she could.
"No! Sailor Mercury!"
Subaru had an arm wrapped about Sailor Mercury's waist, clamping her
to him. The other arm went across her chest to anchor the machete he held in his
hand against her throat. Sailor Mercury whimpered as he pressed the sharp
edge against her throat harder.
Sailor Moon looked around desperately. Apparently, the blow that knocked
her off of her feet had knocked Jupiter and Mars off of theirs too. They didn't
get back up and they weren't moving. Artemis and Luna were on the other side of
the alley, trying frantically to wake up Sailor Venus, who was hunched against
the wall, not responding.
Subaru kissed Mercury's pale cheek and whispered into her ear.
"Good bye, little girl."
He began to pull the knife across Mercury's neck when a sudden scream
made him pause. Sailor Moon lunged at him, going for the knife. He released his
grasp on Sailor Mercury's neck and she scrambled out of the way as Sailor
Moon and him struggled violently. Reaching for the hilt of the machete, Sailor
Moon gripped it and pushed, causing both of them to topple over onto the hard concrete.
-----------
Sailor Moon was on her back looking up at the brilliant sky for what seemed
like an eternity before air whooshed back into her lungs. Gasping, she lay
staring at the sun, shining from its throne of heavenly glory. The world seemed
so quiet and so peaceful.
The world seemed to flow in slow motion. It took what seemed like days to
lift up her head, weeks to roll to her side and struggle to her elbows, and months
to realize that Subaru's machete wasn't sheathed in its paper bag, but instead,
it was buried into its master's chest.
"Oh my God."
Sailor Moon pulled herself to her knees and looked dumbly at the blood
blooming around the machete.
Red blood - human blood.
Subaru's eyes were open and staring, but seeing nothing.
"Sailor Moon?" Luna padded quietly to her side. "What is it?
What's wrong?"
Sailor Moon turned her head to look at the black cat with
tears brimming in her eyes.
"I killed him, Luna. I...I didn't mean to." She stared down at
her blood stainined gloves. "I could have healed him somehow, I'm sure
of it. I've...I've commited murder!"
Before Luna could reply, translucent looking smoke started seeping
out of the wound in Subaru's chest. It curled on the concrete like fog before
drifting up, past Sailor Moon's face, causing her cheeks to turn cold, and hot,
at the same time. She turned at a sound behind her to see Sailor Mars, holding a
piece of cloth to her forehead, and Sailor Jupiter, sitting on the ground,
not far behind Mars. They were both watching the smoke's gentle journey up,
higher and higher.
"It's their souls. The few that he's killed. I suspect his master has the
most of them but... Those... They are being set free," said Sailor Mars, hoarsely.
Silently, they watched the barely visible energy circle up above the
dingy buildings cradling the alley, and up over the city that harbored their painful
and hideous murders, and up to disappear against the beautiful, blue winter
skies to, as Sailor Moon liked to think, soar amongst the clouds.
"Rest in peace," She murmured.
____________________________________________________________________________
Dew_drop@myself.com
-dew
I do not own Sailor Moon, nor do I pretend to.
(Note: to the easily offended reader (even though this is rated PG-13)
a curse word appears twice in this chapter)
Chapter 8. Blood, Sweat, and Tears.
_______________________________________________________________________
Ami tapped her pencil against her notebook irritably. Since when
did she have such trouble paying attention to her studies on a Sunday?
A day without school gives one the opportunity to study, but she just
couldn't keep her focus this morning. Sighing, she leaned back in the
chair at her desk to strech her aching
muscles.
Ami knew why she couldn't pay attention - she just didn't want to
give it a structure in her mind. She didn't want to form thoughts and
images to the horrors of the past few days. It seemed that if she didn't
think about it, it didn't exist.
But that, of course, was ridiculous. She needed to form a plan…
any plan… Something! Anything!
Her mind had been working overtime since last night, sorting out
the scientific law that should bring some clues as to how to find or
identify the killers. Knowing the motive, she realized, doesn't solve
the puzzle alone.
Ami rested her elbow on the surface of her desk and propped her
chin on the palm of her hand, closed her eyes. She was the genius of
the group, was she not? The so called brains? If she was as smart as
all of that, then surely she would have found some way to stop these
murders by now. But try and try as she might, nothing came to mind.
They now knew the motive, but they didn't know anything else.
There were too many mysterious and no clues.
It was like a puzzle that Ami could not figure out - a chess game
against a master. But time was running out and Ami, and the soldiers,
were quickly losing - their king was in 'check'.
In a rare show of frustration, Ami threw her pencil down on her
notebook causing it to bounce off of her desk and fall on the floor.
-----------------
On the other side of town, any outsider happening upon a particular
apartment, and, taking a peek inside, would simply admire a tall girl's
astonishing dedication to mastering her culinary arts. So tirelessly
did she work, in fact, that every available counter and table space
was filled with delicious looking foods.
However her friends, had they have seen her, would know immediately
she wasn't merely persuing a well loved hobby - she was furious.
The way she stormed around the kitchen, throwing ingredients in pots and
later, scrubbing them until her fingers were red from the hot water,
was a clear sign that she was in a rage.
Pausing to lean her hip against a counter, with her arms crossed
and a wooden spoon held tightly in her fist, she took a deep breath.
'Calm yourself down, girl' thought Makoto in vain.
She stared off into the distance for a long moment, gritting her
teeth and counting to ten, before she hurled the innocent spoon she was
holding across the room. As soon as it hit the adjacent wall it
splintered into pieces.
This was ridiculous. Why in the world was she standing here, cooking,
when she should be out beating up someone!
But…there was no one to beat up.
Well, of course, out there… somewhere… there were at least two very
deserving murderers that Makoto would LOVE to beat until they cried to
their Mamas. But at the moment, she had no idea who they were.
The tall girl snatched the handkerchief off of her head and sagged
her broad shoulders. She felt so… Oh, what's the word Ami always uses?
Impotent. That's it! She felt impotent. Impotent and burning. Yes!
Burning with the desire to bring justice!
Why, she could even smell the smoke of her wrath now!
Sniffing the air, Makoto stood up straight, abruptly.
Wait. That's not her wrath… That's her cookies!
With a lamenting cry, she swooped toward the oven to rescue what
was left.
--------
"Young Miss! A hot cup of tea for you! It will warm you up! Only
a few yen! Miss?"
Minako politely shook her head and continued walking down the
sidewalk, dodging street vendors. She had woken up this morning feeling
depressed and useless. So, she got up, got dressed, and, what better way
to relieve frustration and get your mind off of things, than to go shopping!
Minako walked from store to store, trying to fool herself into good
spirits. Eight stores, and no shopping bags later, she realized she was
deceiving no one. Not even shopping, the best past time in the world,
was lifting her spirits this morning.
She glanced at her watch with a sigh. Eight o'clock. Was she really up
this early on a Sunday morning? She wasn't supposed to meet up with the rest
of the girls for another two hours.
Minako gave the dozen more stores awaiting her an apologetic shrug and
started walking back in the other direction.
------------------
Rei kneeled in front of the Holy Fire silently. She had long since
given up trying to divine anything from the sacred flame. Resigned, she
admitted to herself that her focus just wasn't in it that morning.
At least Artemis and Luna were being useful this early - trying
desperately to find clues around the city on a Sunday morning.
It was Sunday, wasn't it? Already Sunday? Where had the week gone?
She reflected over the events of the past few days calmly. There
had to be a way to beat this monster… if only she could concentrate.
The door behind her slid open and Rei turned around, still on her
knees, to identify the intruder. Ami closed the door ,walked in and
kneeled behind the priestess.
"Ami? What are you doing here so early? We aren't supposed to
meet for another hour and a half."
"I know, but I couldn't concentrate on my studies, so I thought
I might come by here. Please forgive me for coming so early. Am I intruding?"
Before Rei could respond, the door slid open again and Makoto
and Minako stood in the doorway, clearly surprised that Ami was also there
so early.
"I brought cookies," blurted out Makoto, as if that justified why she
had showed up over an hour early.
Minako strode in, without pretense, and plopped and the tatami mat
beside Ami, shrugging her shoulders. "There were no sales this morning."
Rei looked around at the group, mildly surprised. "Well this is something
new. But, I'm afraid we can't discuss anything until Usagi gets here a
few hours late."
A cough sounded from the hallway and the girls turned to see Usagi,
smiling proudly at the door. She sat down among the girls, still gloating.
"You can close that gaping mouth of yours, Rei."
"What are YOU doing up this early??"
Usagi lowered her gaze to her lap and fidgeted. "Actually, I couldn't
sleep so well last night. I've been up for a few hours now."
-----------
An hour later, the girls sat facing each other with blank expressions
on their faces. Luna and Artemis had both returned and proclaimed, with heads
lowered in shame, that they had learned nothing new. With a sigh, Rei gave an
irritable look at Usagi, who was curled up in a ball on the floor, using her
arms as a pillow, and snoring softly.
The priestess swept her gaze around the room, and, finding the other
girls preoccupied with the cookies Makoto had brought, found it safe to soften
her expression as she watched the sleeping girl.
Poor Usagi. Rei felt a sadness emanate from her friend that wasn't due to
the frustrated state they were all in,though that of course, that affected her too.
No, this sadness was deep in Usagi's heart.
Even if Rei didn't have the special ability to divine into other people's souls,
it would be clear to her that Usagi was in pain by the small circle of wet fabric on
the pillow underneath Usagi's cheek. Tears during dreams never lie.
Rei leaned forward, intending, in a rare moment of tenderness, to stroke
her hair in order to sooth her dreams.
Abruptly Usagi shot up into sitting position, startling Rei into a
surprised shriek that immediately got the group's attention.
"I saw him! The murderer from last night! In my dream! I know where
he is!"
--------------------
Within minutes the sailor soldiers were flying over the rooftops
of the city, chasing after Usagi as she led them over a maze of buildings
in persuit of her nightmare. Usagi knew exactly where she was going, but,
curiously, didn't tell the rest of them.
Feeling like she had no time to lose, she shouted at them to follow
and they were out the door. She ran faster and faster, not caring if the
other's had caught up or not. What if he got into a cab and drove away?
What if he walks into a crowd and she can't spot him?
She stopped breathlessly on the top of a building in a district in
Tokyo. The other scouts, panting from their exheretions, looked about them.
Usagi pointed out a man standing apart from the crowd with a bag in his hand.
"The sick bastard is shopping," said Sailor Venus with disgust.
"Not shopping," said Usagi, leaning down to brace her hands on her
thighs and swallowing to bring some moisture into her mouth.
"Searching. Searching for a victim."
The man they are watching lifted his arms, arched his neck, and stretched.
His face, upturned as it is during his strech, showed the easily recognizable
smile of pleasure that stretching gives to someone who has stood still
for too long. The simplistic and very human gesture made Sailor Mars'
stomach drop. This man was undeniably human.
He opened his eyes mid strech. Unfortunately, his line of sight
centered directly on the spot the girls were standing.
"He's running, the coward!" yelled Sailor Mars as she jumped to
the next rooftop nearest to where the man below was running.
"Wait! Sailor Mars!" Sailor Moon chased after her, calling her name.
It only took a few brief moments for the soldiers to realize that
this man possessed speed that no other human had, and were, because they were
tired from their run over to the shopping district, quickly falling behind.
Sailor Venus gave quick nod of her head and some brief gestures to the
surrounding girls as they ran. The soldiers, having working together as a
team for so long, obeyed quickly and without hesitation. There were like a
flock of graceful birds - changing direction and creating formations by
wordless and soundless consent. Jupiter, the fastest runner of the group,
sprinted ahead of the man running along the ground, and jumped down into an
alley. While the others caught up, Jupiter used the element of surpise to push
the man off balance and into the alley, away from the street.
Soon, they soldiers had him surrounded and away from the street into
the alley that was brightly lit by the cloudless winter sky.
With a flourish, the man smiled and bowed dramatically.
"I never did introduce myself, did I? My name is Subaru, and it truly
is a pleasure seeing you young ladies again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll
be on my way.
Sailor Moon pointed her wand like a gun towards his chest threateningly.
"You aren't going anywhere."
"We know your plan," said Sailor Venus, readying her chain.
"We know all about you soul eaters."
"Soul Eaters?" Subaru chuckled, delighted. "I think that is a
beautifully suited name. My master will be pleased when I tell him."
"And just who is your master, Subaru?" asked Sailor Mars.
"Oh come on now, little girls. Do you think that I would tell the
who's, what's, where's, and why's? What's the point?" Subaru opened the
paper bag he was carrying and started reaching into it, all while speaking
slow and calm, as if they were friends chatting about the weather. " I will
tell you this, though. My master has been searching for you girls. He has
been watching school age girls around Tokyo and following them, in looking
for you. It was good that we hadn't found you right off, though. It has given
us time to …perfect our skills. Why it seems like just yesterday I was observing my
master rip those sweet little girls buying comic books. What were those girls'
names anyway? No matter, its of no importance now."
"You…you sick bastard," said Sailor Venus, calling him, again, the
only name that she could find that suited his black soul.
"Bastard, yes. Sick, no. At least, I for sure won't be when I
collect your tremendous energies and present them to my master…especially when
he lets me absorb one or two of your," Subaru licked his lips," succulent souls."
He finally got a firm grip of what was in his bag and drew out a
wicked looking, curved machete.
"I do apologize, little girls, but now I will have to kill you all."
The soldiers shared looks with each other. As sick and as fast as
this man is, did he really think he could take on and defeat the magical
Sailor Suited Warriors? He? A mere human, even touch one of the powerful
soldiers? Impossible.
-----------
"I can't believe they left us behind," shouted Artemis as he ran through
the streets of the shopping district with Luna at his side. " Do you still
see them?"
"No," gasped a breathless Luna. She really should exercise more.
" I lost sight of them ever since they jumped between those buildings."
They dashed past a few more buildings before taking a sharp turn
into the alley. A dozen yards from the street, they saw the battle that had
only started minutes before.
They both skidded to an abrupt stop.
"Oh my God," whispered Artemis.
Sailor Venus was a little ahead and to the left of them, struggling to
her feet while bracing herself against the brick wall of a building. She was
holding her arm as her blood dripped onto the ground, staining not only her
gloves but her white bodice as well. From the shear amount of blood and the
pallor of her face, it was clear that she had an open artery.
Sailor Jupiter was on the right, grim and bruised, with an apparent broken
leg. But even as she was in pain, she was supporting Sailor Mars who looked
faint and giddy due from loss of blood from the gash in her forehead that
matted her raven hair and dripped down her face.
Sailor Moon was still standing with a tear in her thigh that she
seemed not to have noticed yet, and in front of her, trying her best to
defend her princess, was Sailor Mercury, beaten and bruised. Both scouts
were sweating despite the fact that, just a dozen yards behind them to the
street, there were people bundled up in coats and scarves.
"What happened here?" cried Luna as she ran up behind Sailor Moon.
Sailor Mercury glanced at the walls of the alley, directing the cats
attention to the scorch marks and scarring on the bricks.
"He's…stronger than we anticipated," she answered. " He absorbs our
attacks. He even cut through my spray."
"My crystal," began Sailor Moon, not taking her eyes off of Subaru.
"He even absorbs my crystal's attack."
Subaru chuckled. "Wow. Talking cats. Now I have seen it all. But
she's right you know. I can absorb all forms of energy now, even the
amazing power of Sailor Moon's crystal. I am Invincible!"
As if to prove to the remaining soldiers how powerful he really was,
he lunged at the girls, knocking Sailor Moon down.
She got back up as fast as she could.
"No! Sailor Mercury!"
Subaru had an arm wrapped about Sailor Mercury's waist, clamping her
to him. The other arm went across her chest to anchor the machete he held in his
hand against her throat. Sailor Mercury whimpered as he pressed the sharp
edge against her throat harder.
Sailor Moon looked around desperately. Apparently, the blow that knocked
her off of her feet had knocked Jupiter and Mars off of theirs too. They didn't
get back up and they weren't moving. Artemis and Luna were on the other side of
the alley, trying frantically to wake up Sailor Venus, who was hunched against
the wall, not responding.
Subaru kissed Mercury's pale cheek and whispered into her ear.
"Good bye, little girl."
He began to pull the knife across Mercury's neck when a sudden scream
made him pause. Sailor Moon lunged at him, going for the knife. He released his
grasp on Sailor Mercury's neck and she scrambled out of the way as Sailor
Moon and him struggled violently. Reaching for the hilt of the machete, Sailor
Moon gripped it and pushed, causing both of them to topple over onto the hard concrete.
-----------
Sailor Moon was on her back looking up at the brilliant sky for what seemed
like an eternity before air whooshed back into her lungs. Gasping, she lay
staring at the sun, shining from its throne of heavenly glory. The world seemed
so quiet and so peaceful.
The world seemed to flow in slow motion. It took what seemed like days to
lift up her head, weeks to roll to her side and struggle to her elbows, and months
to realize that Subaru's machete wasn't sheathed in its paper bag, but instead,
it was buried into its master's chest.
"Oh my God."
Sailor Moon pulled herself to her knees and looked dumbly at the blood
blooming around the machete.
Red blood - human blood.
Subaru's eyes were open and staring, but seeing nothing.
"Sailor Moon?" Luna padded quietly to her side. "What is it?
What's wrong?"
Sailor Moon turned her head to look at the black cat with
tears brimming in her eyes.
"I killed him, Luna. I...I didn't mean to." She stared down at
her blood stainined gloves. "I could have healed him somehow, I'm sure
of it. I've...I've commited murder!"
Before Luna could reply, translucent looking smoke started seeping
out of the wound in Subaru's chest. It curled on the concrete like fog before
drifting up, past Sailor Moon's face, causing her cheeks to turn cold, and hot,
at the same time. She turned at a sound behind her to see Sailor Mars, holding a
piece of cloth to her forehead, and Sailor Jupiter, sitting on the ground,
not far behind Mars. They were both watching the smoke's gentle journey up,
higher and higher.
"It's their souls. The few that he's killed. I suspect his master has the
most of them but... Those... They are being set free," said Sailor Mars, hoarsely.
Silently, they watched the barely visible energy circle up above the
dingy buildings cradling the alley, and up over the city that harbored their painful
and hideous murders, and up to disappear against the beautiful, blue winter
skies to, as Sailor Moon liked to think, soar amongst the clouds.
"Rest in peace," She murmured.
____________________________________________________________________________
Dew_drop@myself.com