"Setsuna." Hotaru called as she caught sight of her housemate staring out
the window.
The green-haired woman turned to regard the tall form of Hotaru, who only days ago had been the smallest of the Senshi. "What can I do for you, Hotaru?" She asked calmly as she turned back to gazing out the window.
"Ryoga just called." The teenager said. "He said Ranma won't be coming to pick you up." She hid a smile when Setsuna turned to her, her calm demeanor shattered. It was obvious the Guardian of the Gates of Time was waiting for Ranma to arrive, and wondering why he was late.
"What did he tell you?" Setsuna asked trying to sound detached and failing miserably.
The younger of the two women smiled at seeing her friend's worry clear on her face. Not because she wanted to see Setsuna experience such a feeling, but because it was a human emotion that showed how much the green-haired woman had changed in such a short period of time. "Ranma pissed Hinako off. She gave him..." She trailed off when she saw Setsuna hurriedly turn into her Senshi form and vanish in thin air.
"Hotaru." Haruka said as she entered the room. "Who were you talking to?" She asked, having heard voices but finding the girl alone.
Hotaru smiled.
-----
*Where's everybody?* She thought as she made her way towards Ranma's room. Nodoka had made it quite clear that the Senshi of Pluto should consider the Nova house her home.
She usually had trouble following the older woman's request, but this time she could make an exception.
In less than thirty seconds she was already sliding open the door to Ranma's room. When the smell of burned flesh assaulted her nose she rushed in worriedly. "Ranma..." She whispered when she caught sight of the unconscious man.
The pigtailed martial artist was a mess. Unlike the time he fought Ryoga, when he was covered in cuts and bruises, his body was one big burn. The skin not covered by his clothes, or what was left of them, was a testament to Hinako's affinity with fire. The second born to the house of Nova obviously held back enough not to kill Ranma, but not by much.
Setsuna's eyes narrowed in anger as she took the first-aid kit from the closet. She bought it for the occasions when Ranma sparred with Ryoga, but didn't expect to have to use it anytime soon. *I need to have a word with Hinako.* Setsuna thought as she worked on her lover.
"So much for our date." She muttered.
-----
"This is interesting." Hinako muttered from her place at the table. When both Nodoka and Ryoga turned to her she further elaborated. "I just felt a magical discharge. It must be a portal."
Ryoga smirked darkly as the implications hit him. "Can you locate the source of it?"
Hinako shook her head. "Not yet." She stood up. "I need to be there to trace it."
Nodoka nodded as her children stood up. She calmly took a sip of her tea and turned to regard them. "Chase them off, but don't follow them just yet. Wee need to get everybody else ready."
Both Hinako and Ryoga nodded before the woman opened a black portal and stepped through it. *Ranma sure is in luck.* She thought. *It's probably better this way. I don't like the idea of him risking himself like he intended to do.*
Nodoka sighed as the portal closed. She closed her eyes. *It begins.*
-----
Shampoo was very frustrated right now. She'd tried to convince Mousse or Soap to spar with her, but both of them refused. When she asked why they both said it would be a no contest. That she should spar with someone closer to her own skill level to improve.
The purple-haired girl knew she was not in their league, but being reminded of it hurt. She was the best fighter of her generation. And here she was treated as if she was nothing.
"What seems to be the problem, Shampoo?" Cologne asked as she sat next to the brooding Amazon.
Shampoo looked nervously to the side. This was yet another thing she'd have to get used to. Cologne looked like her sister now, instead of the old shrunken woman she had known for her entire life. Knowing that her great grandmother would now remain young for eternity was also a big shock. With a start she realized she had yet to answer the question and turned to see Mousse and Soap still exchanging blows in one of their sparring sessions. "No problem, great grandmother." She muttered as Soap managed to snake an attack through Mousse's defenses.
Cologne chuckled at her great granddaughter's attempt at hiding her emotions. The girl was like an open book, sitting there with a pout on her face. "Don't feel down, child. Regardless of what you think Mousse and Soap don't look down on your abilities."
The teenager turned to the side and looked at the other woman strangely. "What do you mean, great grandmother? Both Mousse and Soap refused to spar with me."
Cologne nodded and turned her attention back to the fight. "That is correct, child. But they did so for a different reason." She didn't have to look at her descendant to know she was about to ask why. *Was I ever like that? So young and impulsive?* She knew the years had changed her, but looking at the youngest generation was a reminder of how much. "Shampoo. You are my heir."
Shampoo blinked. "What?"
Cologne chuckled again. "Great granddaughter, do you really think that because of what happened you stopped being my heir in the tribe?"
Shampoo's eyes widened in realization and she turned to see Mousse capture both of Soap's hands before running his hand down her side, pressing several shiatsu. The effect was evident since Soap barely managed to escape the hold, and even in doing so she stumbled clumsily away, her body going numb. "You mean they didn't insult my skills?"
"Of course not, child. They refused to spar with you respecting the fact that I'm the one teaching you." Cologne said. "I will continue your training. I know you have great potential." *A potential that was going to waste after you won the tournament. I hope these events make you start training seriously again, great granddaughter.* Cologne added to herself.
Shampoo smiled gratefully at the woman that looked so much like her, only a little older, and nodded with determination.
-----
Soap sighed in relief when she felt the last of the numbness fade away. Mousse was still too hard a foe for her, even if she did manage to break through his defenses once in a while. "That was a great match, Mousse."
Mousse smiled from his lotus position only a few feet away. As soon as the fight ended he sat down to wait for the blond Amazon to recover. She did so faster than he expected after hitting those pressure points on her side. "You're improving as usual, Soap. In a matter of a few years you'll be giving us a lot of trouble." *Especially since you'll start to train with Ranma daily again.* He knew the pigtailed martial artist wanted to live with Setsuna and Soap in the cabin twenty miles north from this clearing. If that happened Soap would improve at a rate that none other than Ranma would be able to match.
The Amazon master laughed lightly. "I don't think I'll be able to give you a real fight for centuries, Mousse." She said modestly.
Both martial artists looked at each other before laughing.
The man's mirth was short lived, though, for he turned sharply to the side. His eyes narrowed when he felt the beginning of a teleportation spell.
His sudden change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Soap and Cologne, who rushed to his side as he stood up. Shampoo followed quickly and stood behind the three as they all assumed fighting stances.
Cologne and Soap didn't feel the magical emanations, but they could easily tell someone was coming.
They didn't have to wait long before the approaching people entered the clearing.
Upon seeing them Mousse's eyes narrowed further, his stance changing to a defensive one. In front of them stood several Silver Millennium soldiers. And they were led by none other than a white-haired man, Queen Serenity's favored advisor. "Come with us peacefully." Artemis ordered. "You have much to answer for, son of Neptune."
-----
Michiru stood up from her violin practice when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Came Haruka's voice as the short-haired woman walked to the door. The sound of the door opening was heard as Michiru started to sit down to continue with her art. "Who are y...?!" Haruka was cut off by a crashing sound that made Michiru drop the violin and rush to the receiving room. Something inside told her something really bad was about to happen.
Her blood turned cold when she caught sight of the scene taking place. Haruka's unconscious body was slumped next to the wall, which was cracked from an obviously strong impact. The blonde's nose and mouth were bleeding as she lay there in a heap. "Haruka!" She cried as she rushed to her lover's side. Or at least tried, because she felt a magic buildup to the side and turned just in time to see a brown-haired girl preparing a magical blast. She didn't even have time to scream before she was hit full force and, since she wasn't in Senshi form, lost consciousness.
Nabiki lowered her hand and with a smirk turned to a figure covered by a dark cloak. "This was easier than I thought."
The other person spoke, revealing itself to be a woman. "Don't be overconfident. There's still one left and she's the strongest one." With that she started to walk inside the house. "We have to move fast or the Novas will have time to return from China."
Nabiki rolled her eyes and signaled for the soldiers to pick up Michiru and Haruka. "Take them through the portal." With that she joined the other woman in searching the house for the third person they were interested in. The soldiers silently obeyed her command, picking up the unconscious Senshi and dragging them outside.
The middle Tendo sister reached the top of the stairs to find her cloaked companion sneaking a glance inside one of the rooms of the house. She silently approached to give her some back up if the need arose.
-----
Hotaru was reading a book when she first heard the commotion downstairs. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she felt the magical buildup, which was followed by a scream of pain. *Michiru.* She thought worriedly as she rushed out of bed and to her window, knowing that whoever was downstairs would inevitably come looking for her. *Damn it!* She thought when she saw Silver Millennium soldiers dragging Michiru and Haruka towards a portal.
She twirled around when she heard a sound coming from the hall. *This is not good.*
-----
*Idiot!* The cloaked woman thought angrily when Nabiki stumbled. She rushed into the room, but it was already too late. The sound of breaking glass filled the room and she saw the back of a tall woman jumping out the window.
Nabiki rushed after her companion and cursed herself for her clumsiness. All she caught sight of as she entered the room, a magical blast at the ready, was her companion running towards the window.
The woman jumped out the window after Saturn, who had taken out the soldiers dragging Michiru's body towards the portal on her fall. She studied the damage and realized they were not going to get up from that. Ever. *She's as powerful as I remember.* The woman thought as she landed lightly on her feet and moved to intercept the Senshi of Silence from rescuing Haruka.
-----
Hotaru jumped out the window and willed the Silence Glaive to appear in her hand. She didn't give the soldiers a chance to turn and look what was going on. She used the force from her fall to kick one of them in the back with both feet. She rolled with the fall and, before the other soldier carrying Michiru could reach for his sword, swung the Silence Glaive in a wide arc. The soldier's head fell to the ground with an explosion of blood. At the same time the other body hit the floor, his spine protruding from his chest.
She spared only a glance to make sure Michiru was alright before turning to the shaking soldiers still holding Haruka. Without a word the Senshi of Silence rushed them with the intent to kill. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, however, and was barely able to block a sword swing from injuring he shoulder. Using her superior strength she pushed the attacker back and assumed a stance.
The cloaked woman attacked again with her sword, to which Hotaru blocked effortlessly. The results weren't what she expected, though. Her sword's blade was cut in two cleanly, leaving her with only a couple of inches of steel. *This is not good.* She thought frantically trying to come up with something. It wasn't everyday you were face to face with the most powerful of the Senshi. Even if she was using her magical sword instead of this piece of crap she'd hesitate to attack, without it she was astronomically outmatched.
Hotaru took a step forward and felt a magical buildup from behind. She jumped to the side and prepared her own attack when she realized with dread she wasn't the intended target.
-----
Nabiki gulped nervously when she saw the way Sailor Saturn easily dealt with the soldiers and her cloaked companion. *That armor can take a lot of punishment and she kicked through it casually.* The way the Silence Glaive cut through steel wasn't lost on her either. Working a plan in her head as quickly as she could, she charged a blast of magical energy. *I just hope this works.* She thought before firing on Michiru's unconscious form.
-----
"Michiru!" Hotaru cried when she saw the woman's body fly through a wall and into her house. Without a thought she rushed after the woman, knowing she only had a couple of seconds of life at best. *Forgive me, Haruka.* She silently pleaded when she felt the portal closing. She knew the blond woman would want Hotaru to save Michiru's life, but she couldn't forgive herself for letting them take her away like this.
She reached Michiru's body and instantly was on her knees and with hands extended down, healing the damage done to the aquamarine-haired woman's body. Nearly every bone in her body was broken after crashing through the wall, not to mention the shock of receiving such a powerful magical blast. "Hold on!" Hotaru cried out as she continued pumping energy into the dying woman.
-----
"Get down!" Mousse shouted as he let loose with a chi blast. Cologne barely had time to drop to the ground and even then she felt her back burn from the intense heat generated by the attack.
Cologne rolled to her side and jumped back and onto her feet, inspecting the damage done by Mousse's attack. Her eyes widened when she saw the armored soldier started to get up. *That blast would've killed me.*
The fight was not going well for the group. Mousse and Soap were good enough to defend themselves and, even if they were so badly outnumbered, squeeze out a victory. The problem was they also had to protect Shampoo and, to a lesser degree, Cologne. Artemis, who was commanding the attacking forces, took advantage of this and ordered his troops to hand him Shampoo and Cologne's heads.
The fact that those armors could take a lot of damage before being destroyed didn't help in the slightest.
Soap was most definitely unhappy with the current events. She had a couple of bruised ribs and a deep bleeding gash on her left thigh, all those injuries acquired because she had to push Shampoo out of harm's way. The youngest Amazon did as best as she could, but her attacks just didn't do enough damage.
*This is bad.* Mousse thought as he dodged a sword slash. So far he and Soap had killed a good number of soldiers, yet more came to take their place. *And Artemis is yet to make a move.* He knew nothing good could come out of that.
His fear was justified, for after a couple of minutes more he found himself without an opponent to fight. He turned all around and paled when saw just how bad their position was.
Soap gulped and tightened her stance, worry evident in her face.
Artemis was smirking arrogantly as he stared at the result of his little plan. After seeing Soap and Mousse fight so well he couldn't help himself become angry, but instead of letting his emotions take control of his actions he watched carefully. He came up with this plan. "Well, well." He said smugly at the four martial artists, who were completely surrounded by a neat circle of soldiers that were pointing their swords towards the center. "It seems to me you're very strong, son of Neptune, but you find yourself in a dire position regardless."
Mousse gritted his teeth but refrained from responding.
Artemis laughed. "Better turn yourself in. I'm quite certain you'll survive if I give the order to open fire, but your friends will most certainly not." Soap, Cologne and Shampoo glared defiantly at the white-haired man, which only caused him to laugh harder.
Mousse was about to grudgingly agree when he felt a power build-up. He smirked at Artemis, who was too busy gloating to notice it. "I wouldn't be so confident if I were you."
The white-haired man shrugged. "I was going to kill them anyway." Then to his men. "Fire!"
The soldiers all let loose with fireballs cast from their swords, all directed at the four surrounded people. Shampoo and Cologne braced for impact, while Mousse and Soap stood their ground.
A huge explosion sent burning gusts of wind throughout the forest. Artemis covered his eyes and waited patiently for the worst of the explosion to pass. When he looked at the center of the explosion he wasn't pleased. Not in the slightest.
The soldiers stared incredulously at the black dome of energy now in front of them.
A giggle to the side brought their attention to a beautiful woman sitting on a tree branch, her body barely covered by a skin-tight black dress.
"Hira!" Artemis hissed. He knew there was a probability that the Novas would make an appearance, but this was too fast for his taste. And from the looks of things the second born of the house of Nova had been there watching the fight for a while.
Hinako smiled down at the staring soldiers. "I must thank you, boys. You took so long fighting here you gave me enough time to find the source of your portal." She winks. "We'll be giving your friends back home a visit, but no longer have a need for you to stay alive."
In so saying Hinako raised her hands and released a huge blast of fire, which completely incinerated a group of five soldiers that was the closest to her. The few fireballs that came here way, from a couple of soldiers that didn't know of her, exploded harmlessly against an invisible wall she erected to protect herself. She continued throwing around fire, killing all the soldiers in sight.
Artemis growled and turned to run away. He hated retreating but otherwise he would die. The Queen needed him to fulfill her plans. He didn't expect to find Razt a few inches from him, though. He didn't even have time to scream before his world exploded and turned to nothingness.
Ryoga snorted as Artemi's headless corpse hit the ground. He punched it a little too hard and his head exploded from the impact. Without pause he turned towards the woods and rushed in, intent on finishing off the few soldiers that managed to escape his sister.
Hinako floated down to the ground and removed the protective dome she cast just before the explosion. She walked over to see if anyone was hurt.
-----
Nodoka sighed as she tucked Hotaru in her own bed. She was forced to knock the outer scout unconscious. *She's still too emotionally immature.* She thought.
Hotaru arrived to the house with an unconscious Michiru in her arms. After she made sure the aquamarine-haired woman would be fine she turned her attention to the distraught girl, who was crying about losing Haruka to the enemy. All that grief turned into anger very soon, and the Senshi of Saturn was more than ready to start blowing things up. *Too bad the enemy is nowhere in sight, yet.* Hotaru's reaction was understandable, but not acceptable for a young lady with her destructive power. She needed more control or next time one of her close ones was hurt or, worse yet, killed she could very well destroy the planet.
"How is she?" Setsuna asked worriedly as soon as Nodoka left her room.
Nodoka closes the door and smiles faintly. "I sometimes forget you ladies are human. Don't worry about her, she'll wake up in a couple of hours." She started walking down the hall, ignoring the confused looking Setsuna.
"What did she mean by that?" The green-haired woman asked herself, wondering on the wording chosen by Nodoka. She shrugged it off and turned to regard the closed door to the older woman's room, in which Hotaru now rested. *The attacks have begun. And they definitely have the mark of Serenity in them.* With that somber thought in mind she walked down the hall and to Ranma's room. She needed to do something about him.
The battle was about go begin.
END PART 15
Author's notes: I know. A very short chapter after a very long delay. Sorry, but real life was really hard on me with so many things to do for the last couple of months. I won't bore you with the details, but I'll tell you this. I graduated this December.
This chapter deals mostly with the first attacks coming from the enemy, the next couple of ones will cover the retaliation from the Novas and their allies.
The green-haired woman turned to regard the tall form of Hotaru, who only days ago had been the smallest of the Senshi. "What can I do for you, Hotaru?" She asked calmly as she turned back to gazing out the window.
"Ryoga just called." The teenager said. "He said Ranma won't be coming to pick you up." She hid a smile when Setsuna turned to her, her calm demeanor shattered. It was obvious the Guardian of the Gates of Time was waiting for Ranma to arrive, and wondering why he was late.
"What did he tell you?" Setsuna asked trying to sound detached and failing miserably.
The younger of the two women smiled at seeing her friend's worry clear on her face. Not because she wanted to see Setsuna experience such a feeling, but because it was a human emotion that showed how much the green-haired woman had changed in such a short period of time. "Ranma pissed Hinako off. She gave him..." She trailed off when she saw Setsuna hurriedly turn into her Senshi form and vanish in thin air.
"Hotaru." Haruka said as she entered the room. "Who were you talking to?" She asked, having heard voices but finding the girl alone.
Hotaru smiled.
-----
*Where's everybody?* She thought as she made her way towards Ranma's room. Nodoka had made it quite clear that the Senshi of Pluto should consider the Nova house her home.
She usually had trouble following the older woman's request, but this time she could make an exception.
In less than thirty seconds she was already sliding open the door to Ranma's room. When the smell of burned flesh assaulted her nose she rushed in worriedly. "Ranma..." She whispered when she caught sight of the unconscious man.
The pigtailed martial artist was a mess. Unlike the time he fought Ryoga, when he was covered in cuts and bruises, his body was one big burn. The skin not covered by his clothes, or what was left of them, was a testament to Hinako's affinity with fire. The second born to the house of Nova obviously held back enough not to kill Ranma, but not by much.
Setsuna's eyes narrowed in anger as she took the first-aid kit from the closet. She bought it for the occasions when Ranma sparred with Ryoga, but didn't expect to have to use it anytime soon. *I need to have a word with Hinako.* Setsuna thought as she worked on her lover.
"So much for our date." She muttered.
-----
"This is interesting." Hinako muttered from her place at the table. When both Nodoka and Ryoga turned to her she further elaborated. "I just felt a magical discharge. It must be a portal."
Ryoga smirked darkly as the implications hit him. "Can you locate the source of it?"
Hinako shook her head. "Not yet." She stood up. "I need to be there to trace it."
Nodoka nodded as her children stood up. She calmly took a sip of her tea and turned to regard them. "Chase them off, but don't follow them just yet. Wee need to get everybody else ready."
Both Hinako and Ryoga nodded before the woman opened a black portal and stepped through it. *Ranma sure is in luck.* She thought. *It's probably better this way. I don't like the idea of him risking himself like he intended to do.*
Nodoka sighed as the portal closed. She closed her eyes. *It begins.*
-----
Shampoo was very frustrated right now. She'd tried to convince Mousse or Soap to spar with her, but both of them refused. When she asked why they both said it would be a no contest. That she should spar with someone closer to her own skill level to improve.
The purple-haired girl knew she was not in their league, but being reminded of it hurt. She was the best fighter of her generation. And here she was treated as if she was nothing.
"What seems to be the problem, Shampoo?" Cologne asked as she sat next to the brooding Amazon.
Shampoo looked nervously to the side. This was yet another thing she'd have to get used to. Cologne looked like her sister now, instead of the old shrunken woman she had known for her entire life. Knowing that her great grandmother would now remain young for eternity was also a big shock. With a start she realized she had yet to answer the question and turned to see Mousse and Soap still exchanging blows in one of their sparring sessions. "No problem, great grandmother." She muttered as Soap managed to snake an attack through Mousse's defenses.
Cologne chuckled at her great granddaughter's attempt at hiding her emotions. The girl was like an open book, sitting there with a pout on her face. "Don't feel down, child. Regardless of what you think Mousse and Soap don't look down on your abilities."
The teenager turned to the side and looked at the other woman strangely. "What do you mean, great grandmother? Both Mousse and Soap refused to spar with me."
Cologne nodded and turned her attention back to the fight. "That is correct, child. But they did so for a different reason." She didn't have to look at her descendant to know she was about to ask why. *Was I ever like that? So young and impulsive?* She knew the years had changed her, but looking at the youngest generation was a reminder of how much. "Shampoo. You are my heir."
Shampoo blinked. "What?"
Cologne chuckled again. "Great granddaughter, do you really think that because of what happened you stopped being my heir in the tribe?"
Shampoo's eyes widened in realization and she turned to see Mousse capture both of Soap's hands before running his hand down her side, pressing several shiatsu. The effect was evident since Soap barely managed to escape the hold, and even in doing so she stumbled clumsily away, her body going numb. "You mean they didn't insult my skills?"
"Of course not, child. They refused to spar with you respecting the fact that I'm the one teaching you." Cologne said. "I will continue your training. I know you have great potential." *A potential that was going to waste after you won the tournament. I hope these events make you start training seriously again, great granddaughter.* Cologne added to herself.
Shampoo smiled gratefully at the woman that looked so much like her, only a little older, and nodded with determination.
-----
Soap sighed in relief when she felt the last of the numbness fade away. Mousse was still too hard a foe for her, even if she did manage to break through his defenses once in a while. "That was a great match, Mousse."
Mousse smiled from his lotus position only a few feet away. As soon as the fight ended he sat down to wait for the blond Amazon to recover. She did so faster than he expected after hitting those pressure points on her side. "You're improving as usual, Soap. In a matter of a few years you'll be giving us a lot of trouble." *Especially since you'll start to train with Ranma daily again.* He knew the pigtailed martial artist wanted to live with Setsuna and Soap in the cabin twenty miles north from this clearing. If that happened Soap would improve at a rate that none other than Ranma would be able to match.
The Amazon master laughed lightly. "I don't think I'll be able to give you a real fight for centuries, Mousse." She said modestly.
Both martial artists looked at each other before laughing.
The man's mirth was short lived, though, for he turned sharply to the side. His eyes narrowed when he felt the beginning of a teleportation spell.
His sudden change in demeanor didn't go unnoticed by Soap and Cologne, who rushed to his side as he stood up. Shampoo followed quickly and stood behind the three as they all assumed fighting stances.
Cologne and Soap didn't feel the magical emanations, but they could easily tell someone was coming.
They didn't have to wait long before the approaching people entered the clearing.
Upon seeing them Mousse's eyes narrowed further, his stance changing to a defensive one. In front of them stood several Silver Millennium soldiers. And they were led by none other than a white-haired man, Queen Serenity's favored advisor. "Come with us peacefully." Artemis ordered. "You have much to answer for, son of Neptune."
-----
Michiru stood up from her violin practice when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." Came Haruka's voice as the short-haired woman walked to the door. The sound of the door opening was heard as Michiru started to sit down to continue with her art. "Who are y...?!" Haruka was cut off by a crashing sound that made Michiru drop the violin and rush to the receiving room. Something inside told her something really bad was about to happen.
Her blood turned cold when she caught sight of the scene taking place. Haruka's unconscious body was slumped next to the wall, which was cracked from an obviously strong impact. The blonde's nose and mouth were bleeding as she lay there in a heap. "Haruka!" She cried as she rushed to her lover's side. Or at least tried, because she felt a magic buildup to the side and turned just in time to see a brown-haired girl preparing a magical blast. She didn't even have time to scream before she was hit full force and, since she wasn't in Senshi form, lost consciousness.
Nabiki lowered her hand and with a smirk turned to a figure covered by a dark cloak. "This was easier than I thought."
The other person spoke, revealing itself to be a woman. "Don't be overconfident. There's still one left and she's the strongest one." With that she started to walk inside the house. "We have to move fast or the Novas will have time to return from China."
Nabiki rolled her eyes and signaled for the soldiers to pick up Michiru and Haruka. "Take them through the portal." With that she joined the other woman in searching the house for the third person they were interested in. The soldiers silently obeyed her command, picking up the unconscious Senshi and dragging them outside.
The middle Tendo sister reached the top of the stairs to find her cloaked companion sneaking a glance inside one of the rooms of the house. She silently approached to give her some back up if the need arose.
-----
Hotaru was reading a book when she first heard the commotion downstairs. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she felt the magical buildup, which was followed by a scream of pain. *Michiru.* She thought worriedly as she rushed out of bed and to her window, knowing that whoever was downstairs would inevitably come looking for her. *Damn it!* She thought when she saw Silver Millennium soldiers dragging Michiru and Haruka towards a portal.
She twirled around when she heard a sound coming from the hall. *This is not good.*
-----
*Idiot!* The cloaked woman thought angrily when Nabiki stumbled. She rushed into the room, but it was already too late. The sound of breaking glass filled the room and she saw the back of a tall woman jumping out the window.
Nabiki rushed after her companion and cursed herself for her clumsiness. All she caught sight of as she entered the room, a magical blast at the ready, was her companion running towards the window.
The woman jumped out the window after Saturn, who had taken out the soldiers dragging Michiru's body towards the portal on her fall. She studied the damage and realized they were not going to get up from that. Ever. *She's as powerful as I remember.* The woman thought as she landed lightly on her feet and moved to intercept the Senshi of Silence from rescuing Haruka.
-----
Hotaru jumped out the window and willed the Silence Glaive to appear in her hand. She didn't give the soldiers a chance to turn and look what was going on. She used the force from her fall to kick one of them in the back with both feet. She rolled with the fall and, before the other soldier carrying Michiru could reach for his sword, swung the Silence Glaive in a wide arc. The soldier's head fell to the ground with an explosion of blood. At the same time the other body hit the floor, his spine protruding from his chest.
She spared only a glance to make sure Michiru was alright before turning to the shaking soldiers still holding Haruka. Without a word the Senshi of Silence rushed them with the intent to kill. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, however, and was barely able to block a sword swing from injuring he shoulder. Using her superior strength she pushed the attacker back and assumed a stance.
The cloaked woman attacked again with her sword, to which Hotaru blocked effortlessly. The results weren't what she expected, though. Her sword's blade was cut in two cleanly, leaving her with only a couple of inches of steel. *This is not good.* She thought frantically trying to come up with something. It wasn't everyday you were face to face with the most powerful of the Senshi. Even if she was using her magical sword instead of this piece of crap she'd hesitate to attack, without it she was astronomically outmatched.
Hotaru took a step forward and felt a magical buildup from behind. She jumped to the side and prepared her own attack when she realized with dread she wasn't the intended target.
-----
Nabiki gulped nervously when she saw the way Sailor Saturn easily dealt with the soldiers and her cloaked companion. *That armor can take a lot of punishment and she kicked through it casually.* The way the Silence Glaive cut through steel wasn't lost on her either. Working a plan in her head as quickly as she could, she charged a blast of magical energy. *I just hope this works.* She thought before firing on Michiru's unconscious form.
-----
"Michiru!" Hotaru cried when she saw the woman's body fly through a wall and into her house. Without a thought she rushed after the woman, knowing she only had a couple of seconds of life at best. *Forgive me, Haruka.* She silently pleaded when she felt the portal closing. She knew the blond woman would want Hotaru to save Michiru's life, but she couldn't forgive herself for letting them take her away like this.
She reached Michiru's body and instantly was on her knees and with hands extended down, healing the damage done to the aquamarine-haired woman's body. Nearly every bone in her body was broken after crashing through the wall, not to mention the shock of receiving such a powerful magical blast. "Hold on!" Hotaru cried out as she continued pumping energy into the dying woman.
-----
"Get down!" Mousse shouted as he let loose with a chi blast. Cologne barely had time to drop to the ground and even then she felt her back burn from the intense heat generated by the attack.
Cologne rolled to her side and jumped back and onto her feet, inspecting the damage done by Mousse's attack. Her eyes widened when she saw the armored soldier started to get up. *That blast would've killed me.*
The fight was not going well for the group. Mousse and Soap were good enough to defend themselves and, even if they were so badly outnumbered, squeeze out a victory. The problem was they also had to protect Shampoo and, to a lesser degree, Cologne. Artemis, who was commanding the attacking forces, took advantage of this and ordered his troops to hand him Shampoo and Cologne's heads.
The fact that those armors could take a lot of damage before being destroyed didn't help in the slightest.
Soap was most definitely unhappy with the current events. She had a couple of bruised ribs and a deep bleeding gash on her left thigh, all those injuries acquired because she had to push Shampoo out of harm's way. The youngest Amazon did as best as she could, but her attacks just didn't do enough damage.
*This is bad.* Mousse thought as he dodged a sword slash. So far he and Soap had killed a good number of soldiers, yet more came to take their place. *And Artemis is yet to make a move.* He knew nothing good could come out of that.
His fear was justified, for after a couple of minutes more he found himself without an opponent to fight. He turned all around and paled when saw just how bad their position was.
Soap gulped and tightened her stance, worry evident in her face.
Artemis was smirking arrogantly as he stared at the result of his little plan. After seeing Soap and Mousse fight so well he couldn't help himself become angry, but instead of letting his emotions take control of his actions he watched carefully. He came up with this plan. "Well, well." He said smugly at the four martial artists, who were completely surrounded by a neat circle of soldiers that were pointing their swords towards the center. "It seems to me you're very strong, son of Neptune, but you find yourself in a dire position regardless."
Mousse gritted his teeth but refrained from responding.
Artemis laughed. "Better turn yourself in. I'm quite certain you'll survive if I give the order to open fire, but your friends will most certainly not." Soap, Cologne and Shampoo glared defiantly at the white-haired man, which only caused him to laugh harder.
Mousse was about to grudgingly agree when he felt a power build-up. He smirked at Artemis, who was too busy gloating to notice it. "I wouldn't be so confident if I were you."
The white-haired man shrugged. "I was going to kill them anyway." Then to his men. "Fire!"
The soldiers all let loose with fireballs cast from their swords, all directed at the four surrounded people. Shampoo and Cologne braced for impact, while Mousse and Soap stood their ground.
A huge explosion sent burning gusts of wind throughout the forest. Artemis covered his eyes and waited patiently for the worst of the explosion to pass. When he looked at the center of the explosion he wasn't pleased. Not in the slightest.
The soldiers stared incredulously at the black dome of energy now in front of them.
A giggle to the side brought their attention to a beautiful woman sitting on a tree branch, her body barely covered by a skin-tight black dress.
"Hira!" Artemis hissed. He knew there was a probability that the Novas would make an appearance, but this was too fast for his taste. And from the looks of things the second born of the house of Nova had been there watching the fight for a while.
Hinako smiled down at the staring soldiers. "I must thank you, boys. You took so long fighting here you gave me enough time to find the source of your portal." She winks. "We'll be giving your friends back home a visit, but no longer have a need for you to stay alive."
In so saying Hinako raised her hands and released a huge blast of fire, which completely incinerated a group of five soldiers that was the closest to her. The few fireballs that came here way, from a couple of soldiers that didn't know of her, exploded harmlessly against an invisible wall she erected to protect herself. She continued throwing around fire, killing all the soldiers in sight.
Artemis growled and turned to run away. He hated retreating but otherwise he would die. The Queen needed him to fulfill her plans. He didn't expect to find Razt a few inches from him, though. He didn't even have time to scream before his world exploded and turned to nothingness.
Ryoga snorted as Artemi's headless corpse hit the ground. He punched it a little too hard and his head exploded from the impact. Without pause he turned towards the woods and rushed in, intent on finishing off the few soldiers that managed to escape his sister.
Hinako floated down to the ground and removed the protective dome she cast just before the explosion. She walked over to see if anyone was hurt.
-----
Nodoka sighed as she tucked Hotaru in her own bed. She was forced to knock the outer scout unconscious. *She's still too emotionally immature.* She thought.
Hotaru arrived to the house with an unconscious Michiru in her arms. After she made sure the aquamarine-haired woman would be fine she turned her attention to the distraught girl, who was crying about losing Haruka to the enemy. All that grief turned into anger very soon, and the Senshi of Saturn was more than ready to start blowing things up. *Too bad the enemy is nowhere in sight, yet.* Hotaru's reaction was understandable, but not acceptable for a young lady with her destructive power. She needed more control or next time one of her close ones was hurt or, worse yet, killed she could very well destroy the planet.
"How is she?" Setsuna asked worriedly as soon as Nodoka left her room.
Nodoka closes the door and smiles faintly. "I sometimes forget you ladies are human. Don't worry about her, she'll wake up in a couple of hours." She started walking down the hall, ignoring the confused looking Setsuna.
"What did she mean by that?" The green-haired woman asked herself, wondering on the wording chosen by Nodoka. She shrugged it off and turned to regard the closed door to the older woman's room, in which Hotaru now rested. *The attacks have begun. And they definitely have the mark of Serenity in them.* With that somber thought in mind she walked down the hall and to Ranma's room. She needed to do something about him.
The battle was about go begin.
END PART 15
Author's notes: I know. A very short chapter after a very long delay. Sorry, but real life was really hard on me with so many things to do for the last couple of months. I won't bore you with the details, but I'll tell you this. I graduated this December.
This chapter deals mostly with the first attacks coming from the enemy, the next couple of ones will cover the retaliation from the Novas and their allies.