Sailor Moon
"Reflections of a Red Rose"
Rated: PG-13
By: NeoMoon
Chapter Thirty-Seven:
Rei rose quietly out of the Misty place, her eyes scanning the Hub of Dreams as she sped back to her own body. Tears rose to her eyes as she saw images of people she knew from school or the bus, people who had been good friends like Ryo who now traveled the roads of the Misty place trying to find their ways. She wiped her eyes but the tears still came, Ryo's speech, his good bye to Ami resounded in her mind, and she prayed that in the end before she left the misty place she would not see her own love's face amongst the travelers.
Rei opened her eyes wide as she gasped for air like a swimmer coming up from the deep. She lay quietly for a moment trying to think trying to remember. It was cold, and dark, a thin stream of flickering light filtered into the room from a small creak between the wall and the door. Nearby something rustled , and Rei quickly pulled in on herself bringing her body up quickly, unscrambling from the silk sheets someone had wrapped around her, and settled into a defensive stance. Quietly she waited, and the rustling came again, this time accompanied by a soft murmuring. Rei squinted, her eyes and almost laughed, Yuuichirou lay curried into a ball on the floor fast asleep. Rei stood and walked over to him silently, and bent down kissing him softly on the check before placing one of the silk sheets over him.
She stood slowly and quickly walked to the door peeking out to see if her grandfather stood watch, a small smile came to her face, it was clear. Quickly Rei ran to her closet and changed before once again rushing to the door and out of the old temple.
Ami rushed through the destroyed streets of Tokyo's main quarter, scrambling up piles of rubble, and again racing down the streets quickly dodging by what little police tried to patrol the streets, the last thing she needed at this point was to stopped and asked why she was running about in a Crisis Zone. No she didn't have time, no one had. Time was up. Ami laughed as the quaint little phase popped up in her head, it was funny almost like a Rhyme that the Mad Hatter would say.
Ami slid to a stop and quickly surveyed the street that lay before her, and then smiled as she darted out of the alley and hurried to a small outcropping of debris that had slid down the side of a once tall building. Chi slid down beside her, and quickly peeked her head up over the rubble to see if anything new had arisen. After the young Candy Striper was satisfied – which Ami couldn't understand, after all like she would take a risk – she turned to look at Ami and spoke. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" Chi hissed, as she slumped her back against the debris.
Ami tilted her head a little and made sure she gave the girl her best confused look, which for a genius was hard. Chi sighed heavily, then leaned her head back and looked up at the cloudy night sky. "You've been acting weird since we left the hospital. I mean all this flitting around and," she waved a hand at Ami. "Just the way your moving, it s all wrong it isn't Ami."
Ami smiled, and laughed. "Is that it?" She said barely able to contain the joy she was feeling, she was really starting to think that the other girl was losing her mind. "I mean of course it's Ami-like, if it wasn't like Ami then who would it be like?" Ami smiled at her friend reassuringly and then sprung to her feet ready to dart to the next alley, and continue their run through the maze that led to the Sato Bridge. As she went to run Chi grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to the ground, where she held Ami's eyes with her own, suddenly very dangerous blue ones. "What the hell's wrong you're acting like you've gone nuts."
Ami tried another smile, larger brighter, that would work, and even Usagi who was too damn empathetic would be convinced by this smile! "I'm fine!" Ami added, just incase. "See big smile." She finished as she tried to pull out of Chi's grip, but the girl wouldn't let go. Ami pulled harder but Chi squeezed tighter, sending a bolt of pain up Ami's arm. "We're not leaving." Chi hissed, "until you spill."
Ami looked into Chi's dark blue eyes, searching for anyway around the question, around the thinly veiled threat that hid behind it. Ami shook her head, and looked away from Chi. "I'm fine." She whispered, the slight sing song quality that had defined her voice in the last few hours gone, instead replaced by a quiet sadness that that told the truth of her lie. She was anything but fine, and Chi knew. She ripped her gaze from the ground and looked into Chi's eyes, her own pleading, to be released from the question. "Please," she whispered. "Let me go, Usagi needs us." Chi's eyes narrowed darkly for a moment before closing, and removing her hand away from Ami.
She rubbed her arm were Chi had held it for a moment before standing back up. "Come on, I'm certain that this street is patrolled."
Before Ami could start for the next alleyway though Chi spoke, "later, Ami later we'll talk."
Ami nodded and bolted, hoping Chi would not question her any more, and praying that her false bravado would see her though the night.
Rei smiled delighted as she unwrapped the chain from around Yuuichirou's motorcycle, and threw it to the side of the temple. She always wondered why he would struggle with it every day leading it up the countless steps that led to the temple. Now though, Rei thought as she straddled the incredible machine and turned the ignition she could understand. The power the rested between your legs the wind she knew she would feel combing through her hair. Her smile grew and she revved the engine, and with a sound that was a mixture of the bike's purr and a young woman's yelp the bike took off, and started on its extremely bumpy beginning down the massive flight of stairs that led from the temple to the street below.
It was a shame really. The Harbinger thought as she flew silently through the night skies above Tokyo, the Moon a cold lover behind her. This world was truly beautiful, and in a few short hours it wouldn't even be able to sustain the simplest bacteria. The Harbinger sighed as she slowed and came to rest on the ledge of a towering building that had survived the earthquakes. Yes it truly was a shame. She flicked her wrist, the long glaive appeared and she gripped it tightly, and licked her lips. It had been so many millennia since she had last been granted to destroy, and she still savored the memories of that bothersome fifth planet as it slowly crumpled within itself as its own molten core turned against it, spewing waves of fire and lava from its depths. Even from her vantage point in space the Harbinger could hear the screams of thousands that had not escaped, although even escaping the planet meant death, for she waited silently in the void of space for those ships, for nothing could escape extinction.
She smiled at the memory, this planet would not feel that wrath, it would be allowed to live, to one bring life once again to its surface, but for the lives that now roamed this world, well nothing could save them. With a smile the Harbinger extended the Glaive outward, pointing it toward the bay that rested so peacefully now, despite the chaos that ruled here not even two days ago. Closing her eyes the Harbinger imagined the void, imaged the purity and beauty of its lifelessness, and imagined peace that would surround her in the purity.
Opening her eyes she stared at the bay, her glaive pointed as it to stab at it. Slowly a blue haze filled the air around the glaive, the Harbinger's hair stood on end, her smile growing larger as the glow grew became stronger, more solid. Again she licked her lips, and the blue light condensed at the tip of the glaive, turning into a small ball of pure blue light. The Harbinger's smile grew as the night already silent grew as cold and still as death, and the small ball of blue energy exploded forward. The Harbinger's eyes widened with excitement as ball of energy hit the bay, making no splash, no ripple no sound, as if it had never even entered the waters.
A second later the world exploded. Water gushed high into the air, over the nearby bridge, expanding outward by the second in every direction. The harbinger turned away from her show of power, from the effects of her needs, and once again dove into the night sky, excitedly counting down to the time why life would be no more. "Soon," she whispered as she dove through the air toward the ground, only at the last second pulling her body into a tight arc, that brought her so close to the ground that her feet scrapped the street as she flew back into the night sky.
Makoto looked blankly at the tall pale woman who stood before her, staring at her with deadly cold eyes. "It can't be." She whispered as she stepped forward. "Setsuna?"
Death shook her head, and replaced the cloak's hood. "Setsuna, is dead." She whispered as coldly as a winter breeze.
Makoto turned away, that couldn't be, Setsuna was standing right in front of her, true she looked slightly different, but still it was Setsuna, and . . . Makoto's thoughts trailed away as Death spoke again.
"Time and Death are one and the same, at the end of a person's time there is death, there is me." Death walked slowly away from the group. "Only one will die forever tonight." Death whispered. "And one will be brought back." A cold wind raced over the bridge, its howl masking the foot steps of Micheru and Haruka as the walked over to the small group.
"Then tell us." Micheru asked as she laced her hand through Haruka's. "Who is going to pass tonight?"
Death looked over at the two young women, who had once been her team of Outer Senshi, and even with the cloak to mask her face and feelings Makoto knew that being this close to people who she had cared for troubled her deeply, because death knew when each would die.
Death shook her head, and backed away from the group, retreating into the shadows. "Only the one who is going to die has the ability to say." The cold whisper of the wind said.
Makoto stared into the shadows, but Death was gone.
She turned back to the group, watching as the others eyed each other trying to figure out who it was death was speaking about, all but one. Usa stood back from the group, her black wings folded around her body like a cloak, a cigarette dangled from her mouth, the burning ember at its edge shadowing her eyes making them unreadable, and yet that was the answer. Usa may be older now, and Makoto missed out on most of the girl's life, but she knew the young Usa, Chibi Usa never stood away from the group, she loved attention, more then even Mamoru.
Slowly Makoto walked over to the young woman, ignoring the stares of the others, Minako went to say something but Makoto just held up hand, motioning for her friend to stay silent, she had know for sure, her gut could be wrong. She reached Usa, and as she saw the almost hollow look in the girl's eyes she knew that she was right. "It's you, isn't it?" She whispered.
Usa looked at her, and took a long drag from her cigarette, the dull ember lit with life and for the first time that night all shadow was lifted from her face, and Makoto could see how painfully drawn Usa's face was. The girl looked beyond exhaustion, almost as if she were already dead. That though was not all that was made evident as Makoto scanned one of her oldest friend's face she could see the acceptance on Usa's face, and as if to confirm what Makoto already saw, Usa lowered her eyes and spoke. "We all die." The girl said her voice strong, fearless, but also hollow. Makoto knew that kind of sound it had resounded from her own lips for years before she came to Tokyo and met her destiny. Strong and empty voice that came from a soul that was defeated and resigned to its eventual fate.
Makoto shook her head and looked Usa squarely in the eyes. "No." She whispered to no one, and then louder, "no. I won't let it!"
Usa shook her head, and placed a hand on Makoto's shoulder. "There's nothing to be done." Usa whispered; smoke circling her head like a halo. "I am not in the histories."
Makoto was about to scream at her, to tell her to screw the histories, but in that moment the world exploded.
Shinneri gripped the wooden table as the world shook, to his left the dead woman, Setsuna's body tumbled of the bar and onto the floor with a terrible crunch, but Shinneri couldn't worry about that now. After all the end of the world was upon him.
A bit of ceiling crashed in front of him, sending up a large cloud of smoke and dust. Cursing Shinneri waved a hand in front of his face as he stumbled away from the table and made his was to the insanely warped door. With a final lunge he was outside of the old wreck of a café, and alone in the near blackness of the destroyed city's night. Falling to his knees He began to cough, and hoped as he continued to hack up what ever he had breathed in that the building contained nothing that would have harmed him.
A shadow fell over him, which was odd because there wasn't enough light to create a shadow, but still one stood over him now. Slowly, and still coughing, Shinneri turned his head, and wished almost instantly that he hadn't. Behind him stood an impossibly large figure clad completely in a black cloak that seemed to move against the wind. Shinneri tried to scramble away, but he was to off balance and the creature of blackness reached out for him, grabbing at his throat with an icy cold hand as pale as the moon itself.
The creature lifted him into the air, its icy grip growing colder with each second, and seemed to spread through him, as if it drained him of all warmth. "The body." The wind hissed at him as the creature held him in the air. "Do not leave the body."
Shinneri stopped struggling and looked at the creature as the hand loosened and dropped him to the ground. "Do not leave the body." The wind repeated with its same icy voice as the creature of blackness disappeared into the shadows.
Shinneri waited for a few second, just sitting there and then scrambled into the crumbling building not caring if his own body was injured, because in that last second before the creature had dropped him, he had seen past the shadows of the cloak and saw the face of the person that wore it. The same face as the one who now lay dead on the café floor.
The motorcycle arced as Rei slid to a stop on the cluttered street, and watched horrified as light exploded around the bay, near the bridge. "No." She whispered as the light slowly faded and rain, no doubt the displaced bay water, washed over the ruins of the city. "Please, please don't let it have started." The earth began to shake, and Rei was thrown from the bike, but it only lasted a moment.
Rei lifted herself of the ground and rushed over to the bike, lifting it up and jumping back on. A second later with the tires squealing Rei raced down the street heading for the Sato Bridge.
Chi couldn't help screaming as the street rose up before them, throwing both her and Ami back. She hit the ground hard and rolled finally stopping as she hit the side of a burned out car. Shaking she pushed herself to her knees, Ami lay on her stomach a good twenty feet behind her. Chi stared horrified for a moment as the girl didn't move, she couldn't even make out if Ami was breathing. Another small tremor passed over thrown Chi back to the ground, the whole time though she kept watching Ami, amazed that even as the second tremor passed over them that she didn't move.
Once again Chi pushed herself to her feet, and waited. After a few moments Chi sighed, releasing the breath that she hadn't known she held, and pushed to her feet rushing over to Ami, letting her medical training wash over her, letting it calm and reassure her. Ami would be fine, she told herself. She's a Senshi.
Chi bent down next to her friend, and closely surveyed the ground sliding her hands carefully underneath Ami, testing for blood, and hoping she wouldn't find any, then moved on to checking to make sure Ami hadn't broken anything. Chi smiled with relief after she had gone through her training, Ami was mostly fine the only problem was her foot which Chi knew was already broken from the train wreck. Knowing everything was fine Chi carefully turned the girl over, and swallowed deeply. Blood clotted against her forehead, Chi must have missed it, and that mistake could mean very serious problems. Taking a calming breath Chi felt Ami's pulse again, it was stable, the girl was only unconscious, maybe a concussion, hopefully not a bad one. Chi took another breath and silently scolded herself her not looking more carefully. Dipping into the pocket of her uniform, Chi pulled out an ammonia capsule, and broke it below Ami's nose.
Ami's eyes shoot open as she choked for air and trying to curse at the same time. "What happened?" Ami asked, her voice slightly slurred, after her coughing fit was over.
"Nothing much." Chi said calmly as she tilted Ami's head back a little with her fingers to get a better look at them with the moon's dim light. "Just a small earthquake." Chi sighed and held up three fingers in front of Ami's face. "How many."
Ami looked at her confused for a second, and then laughed. "Chi I'm fine, I'd know if I had a concussion." Her voice was still slurred, but not as bad.
Chi narrowed her eyes the way she always did with the old ladies who didn't want the dinner the order. "How many, Ami? Please."
Ami sighed obviously displeased by the fact that she, the future doctor was being examined by a Candy Striper. "Six." Ami said, then narrowed her eyes, and looked harder. Finally she sighed. "which is definitely not the right number."
Chi stood, and held at her hand. This was good, it could be worse, much worse, but still Ami's pupils were dilated, her voice was slurred, and she wasn't seeing correctly. Ami grabbed her hand, and Chi helped her off the ground guiding her as she stumbled to her feet. "Ami I'm taking you back to the hospital."
Ami pulled away from her, stumbling back a few feet before steadying herself. "No!" She pleaded. "Chi, please Usagi needs us, all of us!"
Chi shook her head. "You're in no condition," Chi said her voice low and matter of fact. "Besides what makes you think we can help her?"
"Because we're both Senshi!"
Chi's eyes widened. Impossible the only ones who knew she was a Senshi were her brother and Usagi. Did Mamo-chan tell the other, did Usagi? Chi shook her head in answer. No they wouldn't have told unless she wanted them to. "How – how did you know?"
Ami reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like a Palm Pilot. "I scanned you." She said frankly. "You give off energy patterns similar to a Senshi."
Chi nodded, she should have known Ami would have done something like this. It was after all only logical to scan the sister of the former Prince of Earth. Chi shook her head and smiled, then looked back at Ami. "This goes against everything I've been taught at the hospital."
Ami shrugged, and wobbled a little with action. "Same goes for me."
Chi nodded. "Alright, but you me."
Ami nodded, and together the two girls started again for the bridge, which lay only a few blocks away.
What an amazing night. Haruka thought as stumbled away from the bridge a slumped against one of its land held struts. After the explosion all hell broke lose and if wasn't for Usa and her ability to fly, Haruka knew that at least two people would have died. Herself and Minako.
The force of the wave that hit after the explosion drove them off the bridge and into the still spring cold water. She didn't know what had happened all she could remember was the wave hitting them and then everything went dark, when she woke up it was to find Micheru looking down at her, her eyes large and frightened. "I thought I'd lost you again." She whispered as she softly kissed Haruka on the cheek.
Since then the small group of gathered Senshi had been trying to figure out what had happened, but without Rei's spiritual guidance, and connection to the planet's spirits, or Ami's logic it had quickly dissolved into wild speculations, and to make matters worse Usa, the once child from the future, and now defacto leader, stood away from the rest, gazing up into the night as if waiting for it to fall. Which, Haruka had come to think, might actually happen considering every other wild event recently.
A small pool of light washed over the bridge, pulling Haruka out of her thoughts. She squinted and saw a small sports motorcycle racing toward the bridge. The bike slid to a stop, arcing as it did so just like in the movies, and Haruka couldn't help but shake her head at its rider's childish display.
Pushing off the strut Haruka walked over to the bike, watching the shadowy rider as they kicked out the stand and pushed off the bike.
"Hey." Came a too familiar voice that caused Haruka to stop dead in her tracks. Then she smiled.
"Hey, yourself." She said as she finished her walk to the bike and started to circle around it, nodding approvingly. Even in the dim light of the moon Haruka knew this bike, had stared at its picture in numerous magazines over the last few months, saving every penny from her races to buy it. "You got good taste Rei." She said as she ran a hand along the cool fiberglass frame. "A Kawasaki ZX-R, 636cc, not racable, but still." She looked up forcing herself to stop touching the beautiful machine. "How did you afford it?" Even in the dim light she could see Rei's embarrassed look. "It isn't yours is it?" Rei shook her head, and Haruka smiled, if it wasn't Rei's it must by the bum she was dating. "Well you tell what's his name I want to race him sometime." She looked over at the bridge noticing the others were starting to make their way over. "If we live through this." She added more soberly.
Rei nodded, and stepped away from the bike and a second later Haruka joined her and together they walked to the others to await their destiny.
Michael Ross stared at the monitor in disbelieve as the scene record two hours earlier replayed over and over again. Finally he paused the recording and turned to the small group of scientist from England, Japan and America that had come to the outskirts of Tokyo to study, and hopefully destroy the energy field that had wrapped itself around the city shortly after an earthquake so powerful it had never before been even thought possible. Ross rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. The earthquake bothered him, there hadn't even been a hint at its coming, and Japan had the best detection systems in the entire world, but what scared him even more, what had caused him to never leave the small cramped tent that housed all the gear that he and the other scientist had brought with them was the energy field that encompassed the city, blocking any and all rescue workers and relief agencies from the city, and at the same time blocking anyone from the city from leaving. Ross knew for a fact that thousands of people had survived the earthquake, thanks to the simplistic yet ingenious ways of communicating that the police on the other side had come up with. Ross allowed himself to smile, whoever would have thought Morse Code would be needed in this day and age, especially when it came from a patrol car's headlights. And the story that those police told was truly frightening, thousands, if not more dead, only one hospital operational, and it had run out of supplies almost twenty hours ago. Fires ravaging what little was left of the city, and the strange stories coming from survivors of winged women flying through the sky. Ross knew they had to destroy the barrier and soon, or who knew what might come of this mess.
Taking in a deep breath Ross pointed back at the screen. "Can someone please tell me what this is?"
Miaka Kamasaki, a Physicist from Izumi, raised her hand. "Well, it appears to be a pillar of light," she paused as she stood and walked over to the large projector screen which held the same image, and pointed to the long thin line of white/blue light. "Emanating from the Tokyo Bay near the Sato bridge." Ross nodded and smiled as she sat down, silently giving himself a memo to tell her how excellent her English was.
"Anything else."
Again Kamasaki raised her hand. "Well, it could be any number of phenomenon, but I believe we're seeing some kind of discharge."
Ross raised an eyebrow, instantly curious; all the others had said it was an odd from of the Aurora Burilous. "What kind of discharge."
Kamasaki shook her head. "I don't know."
Ross nodded and turned back to his own monitor. "People, we've got a very short period of time before the JSDF tries their approach, and their might cost even more lives." He tilted his head back and could see the conviction in every one of his team members eyes, none of them wanted the Special Defense Force's plan to go into action. "All right, everyone get back to work."
As chairs shuffled and people moved back to their stations, Ross closed his eyes and imagined the tiny timer ticking away what little time they had. Behind him he could here Kamasaki whisper what he saw. "Twelve hours."
Chapter Thirty-Seven:
Rei rose quietly out of the Misty place, her eyes scanning the Hub of Dreams as she sped back to her own body. Tears rose to her eyes as she saw images of people she knew from school or the bus, people who had been good friends like Ryo who now traveled the roads of the Misty place trying to find their ways. She wiped her eyes but the tears still came, Ryo's speech, his good bye to Ami resounded in her mind, and she prayed that in the end before she left the misty place she would not see her own love's face amongst the travelers.
Rei opened her eyes wide as she gasped for air like a swimmer coming up from the deep. She lay quietly for a moment trying to think trying to remember. It was cold, and dark, a thin stream of flickering light filtered into the room from a small creak between the wall and the door. Nearby something rustled , and Rei quickly pulled in on herself bringing her body up quickly, unscrambling from the silk sheets someone had wrapped around her, and settled into a defensive stance. Quietly she waited, and the rustling came again, this time accompanied by a soft murmuring. Rei squinted, her eyes and almost laughed, Yuuichirou lay curried into a ball on the floor fast asleep. Rei stood and walked over to him silently, and bent down kissing him softly on the check before placing one of the silk sheets over him.
She stood slowly and quickly walked to the door peeking out to see if her grandfather stood watch, a small smile came to her face, it was clear. Quickly Rei ran to her closet and changed before once again rushing to the door and out of the old temple.
Ami rushed through the destroyed streets of Tokyo's main quarter, scrambling up piles of rubble, and again racing down the streets quickly dodging by what little police tried to patrol the streets, the last thing she needed at this point was to stopped and asked why she was running about in a Crisis Zone. No she didn't have time, no one had. Time was up. Ami laughed as the quaint little phase popped up in her head, it was funny almost like a Rhyme that the Mad Hatter would say.
Ami slid to a stop and quickly surveyed the street that lay before her, and then smiled as she darted out of the alley and hurried to a small outcropping of debris that had slid down the side of a once tall building. Chi slid down beside her, and quickly peeked her head up over the rubble to see if anything new had arisen. After the young Candy Striper was satisfied – which Ami couldn't understand, after all like she would take a risk – she turned to look at Ami and spoke. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" Chi hissed, as she slumped her back against the debris.
Ami tilted her head a little and made sure she gave the girl her best confused look, which for a genius was hard. Chi sighed heavily, then leaned her head back and looked up at the cloudy night sky. "You've been acting weird since we left the hospital. I mean all this flitting around and," she waved a hand at Ami. "Just the way your moving, it s all wrong it isn't Ami."
Ami smiled, and laughed. "Is that it?" She said barely able to contain the joy she was feeling, she was really starting to think that the other girl was losing her mind. "I mean of course it's Ami-like, if it wasn't like Ami then who would it be like?" Ami smiled at her friend reassuringly and then sprung to her feet ready to dart to the next alley, and continue their run through the maze that led to the Sato Bridge. As she went to run Chi grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to the ground, where she held Ami's eyes with her own, suddenly very dangerous blue ones. "What the hell's wrong you're acting like you've gone nuts."
Ami tried another smile, larger brighter, that would work, and even Usagi who was too damn empathetic would be convinced by this smile! "I'm fine!" Ami added, just incase. "See big smile." She finished as she tried to pull out of Chi's grip, but the girl wouldn't let go. Ami pulled harder but Chi squeezed tighter, sending a bolt of pain up Ami's arm. "We're not leaving." Chi hissed, "until you spill."
Ami looked into Chi's dark blue eyes, searching for anyway around the question, around the thinly veiled threat that hid behind it. Ami shook her head, and looked away from Chi. "I'm fine." She whispered, the slight sing song quality that had defined her voice in the last few hours gone, instead replaced by a quiet sadness that that told the truth of her lie. She was anything but fine, and Chi knew. She ripped her gaze from the ground and looked into Chi's eyes, her own pleading, to be released from the question. "Please," she whispered. "Let me go, Usagi needs us." Chi's eyes narrowed darkly for a moment before closing, and removing her hand away from Ami.
She rubbed her arm were Chi had held it for a moment before standing back up. "Come on, I'm certain that this street is patrolled."
Before Ami could start for the next alleyway though Chi spoke, "later, Ami later we'll talk."
Ami nodded and bolted, hoping Chi would not question her any more, and praying that her false bravado would see her though the night.
Rei smiled delighted as she unwrapped the chain from around Yuuichirou's motorcycle, and threw it to the side of the temple. She always wondered why he would struggle with it every day leading it up the countless steps that led to the temple. Now though, Rei thought as she straddled the incredible machine and turned the ignition she could understand. The power the rested between your legs the wind she knew she would feel combing through her hair. Her smile grew and she revved the engine, and with a sound that was a mixture of the bike's purr and a young woman's yelp the bike took off, and started on its extremely bumpy beginning down the massive flight of stairs that led from the temple to the street below.
It was a shame really. The Harbinger thought as she flew silently through the night skies above Tokyo, the Moon a cold lover behind her. This world was truly beautiful, and in a few short hours it wouldn't even be able to sustain the simplest bacteria. The Harbinger sighed as she slowed and came to rest on the ledge of a towering building that had survived the earthquakes. Yes it truly was a shame. She flicked her wrist, the long glaive appeared and she gripped it tightly, and licked her lips. It had been so many millennia since she had last been granted to destroy, and she still savored the memories of that bothersome fifth planet as it slowly crumpled within itself as its own molten core turned against it, spewing waves of fire and lava from its depths. Even from her vantage point in space the Harbinger could hear the screams of thousands that had not escaped, although even escaping the planet meant death, for she waited silently in the void of space for those ships, for nothing could escape extinction.
She smiled at the memory, this planet would not feel that wrath, it would be allowed to live, to one bring life once again to its surface, but for the lives that now roamed this world, well nothing could save them. With a smile the Harbinger extended the Glaive outward, pointing it toward the bay that rested so peacefully now, despite the chaos that ruled here not even two days ago. Closing her eyes the Harbinger imagined the void, imaged the purity and beauty of its lifelessness, and imagined peace that would surround her in the purity.
Opening her eyes she stared at the bay, her glaive pointed as it to stab at it. Slowly a blue haze filled the air around the glaive, the Harbinger's hair stood on end, her smile growing larger as the glow grew became stronger, more solid. Again she licked her lips, and the blue light condensed at the tip of the glaive, turning into a small ball of pure blue light. The Harbinger's smile grew as the night already silent grew as cold and still as death, and the small ball of blue energy exploded forward. The Harbinger's eyes widened with excitement as ball of energy hit the bay, making no splash, no ripple no sound, as if it had never even entered the waters.
A second later the world exploded. Water gushed high into the air, over the nearby bridge, expanding outward by the second in every direction. The harbinger turned away from her show of power, from the effects of her needs, and once again dove into the night sky, excitedly counting down to the time why life would be no more. "Soon," she whispered as she dove through the air toward the ground, only at the last second pulling her body into a tight arc, that brought her so close to the ground that her feet scrapped the street as she flew back into the night sky.
Makoto looked blankly at the tall pale woman who stood before her, staring at her with deadly cold eyes. "It can't be." She whispered as she stepped forward. "Setsuna?"
Death shook her head, and replaced the cloak's hood. "Setsuna, is dead." She whispered as coldly as a winter breeze.
Makoto turned away, that couldn't be, Setsuna was standing right in front of her, true she looked slightly different, but still it was Setsuna, and . . . Makoto's thoughts trailed away as Death spoke again.
"Time and Death are one and the same, at the end of a person's time there is death, there is me." Death walked slowly away from the group. "Only one will die forever tonight." Death whispered. "And one will be brought back." A cold wind raced over the bridge, its howl masking the foot steps of Micheru and Haruka as the walked over to the small group.
"Then tell us." Micheru asked as she laced her hand through Haruka's. "Who is going to pass tonight?"
Death looked over at the two young women, who had once been her team of Outer Senshi, and even with the cloak to mask her face and feelings Makoto knew that being this close to people who she had cared for troubled her deeply, because death knew when each would die.
Death shook her head, and backed away from the group, retreating into the shadows. "Only the one who is going to die has the ability to say." The cold whisper of the wind said.
Makoto stared into the shadows, but Death was gone.
She turned back to the group, watching as the others eyed each other trying to figure out who it was death was speaking about, all but one. Usa stood back from the group, her black wings folded around her body like a cloak, a cigarette dangled from her mouth, the burning ember at its edge shadowing her eyes making them unreadable, and yet that was the answer. Usa may be older now, and Makoto missed out on most of the girl's life, but she knew the young Usa, Chibi Usa never stood away from the group, she loved attention, more then even Mamoru.
Slowly Makoto walked over to the young woman, ignoring the stares of the others, Minako went to say something but Makoto just held up hand, motioning for her friend to stay silent, she had know for sure, her gut could be wrong. She reached Usa, and as she saw the almost hollow look in the girl's eyes she knew that she was right. "It's you, isn't it?" She whispered.
Usa looked at her, and took a long drag from her cigarette, the dull ember lit with life and for the first time that night all shadow was lifted from her face, and Makoto could see how painfully drawn Usa's face was. The girl looked beyond exhaustion, almost as if she were already dead. That though was not all that was made evident as Makoto scanned one of her oldest friend's face she could see the acceptance on Usa's face, and as if to confirm what Makoto already saw, Usa lowered her eyes and spoke. "We all die." The girl said her voice strong, fearless, but also hollow. Makoto knew that kind of sound it had resounded from her own lips for years before she came to Tokyo and met her destiny. Strong and empty voice that came from a soul that was defeated and resigned to its eventual fate.
Makoto shook her head and looked Usa squarely in the eyes. "No." She whispered to no one, and then louder, "no. I won't let it!"
Usa shook her head, and placed a hand on Makoto's shoulder. "There's nothing to be done." Usa whispered; smoke circling her head like a halo. "I am not in the histories."
Makoto was about to scream at her, to tell her to screw the histories, but in that moment the world exploded.
Shinneri gripped the wooden table as the world shook, to his left the dead woman, Setsuna's body tumbled of the bar and onto the floor with a terrible crunch, but Shinneri couldn't worry about that now. After all the end of the world was upon him.
A bit of ceiling crashed in front of him, sending up a large cloud of smoke and dust. Cursing Shinneri waved a hand in front of his face as he stumbled away from the table and made his was to the insanely warped door. With a final lunge he was outside of the old wreck of a café, and alone in the near blackness of the destroyed city's night. Falling to his knees He began to cough, and hoped as he continued to hack up what ever he had breathed in that the building contained nothing that would have harmed him.
A shadow fell over him, which was odd because there wasn't enough light to create a shadow, but still one stood over him now. Slowly, and still coughing, Shinneri turned his head, and wished almost instantly that he hadn't. Behind him stood an impossibly large figure clad completely in a black cloak that seemed to move against the wind. Shinneri tried to scramble away, but he was to off balance and the creature of blackness reached out for him, grabbing at his throat with an icy cold hand as pale as the moon itself.
The creature lifted him into the air, its icy grip growing colder with each second, and seemed to spread through him, as if it drained him of all warmth. "The body." The wind hissed at him as the creature held him in the air. "Do not leave the body."
Shinneri stopped struggling and looked at the creature as the hand loosened and dropped him to the ground. "Do not leave the body." The wind repeated with its same icy voice as the creature of blackness disappeared into the shadows.
Shinneri waited for a few second, just sitting there and then scrambled into the crumbling building not caring if his own body was injured, because in that last second before the creature had dropped him, he had seen past the shadows of the cloak and saw the face of the person that wore it. The same face as the one who now lay dead on the café floor.
The motorcycle arced as Rei slid to a stop on the cluttered street, and watched horrified as light exploded around the bay, near the bridge. "No." She whispered as the light slowly faded and rain, no doubt the displaced bay water, washed over the ruins of the city. "Please, please don't let it have started." The earth began to shake, and Rei was thrown from the bike, but it only lasted a moment.
Rei lifted herself of the ground and rushed over to the bike, lifting it up and jumping back on. A second later with the tires squealing Rei raced down the street heading for the Sato Bridge.
Chi couldn't help screaming as the street rose up before them, throwing both her and Ami back. She hit the ground hard and rolled finally stopping as she hit the side of a burned out car. Shaking she pushed herself to her knees, Ami lay on her stomach a good twenty feet behind her. Chi stared horrified for a moment as the girl didn't move, she couldn't even make out if Ami was breathing. Another small tremor passed over thrown Chi back to the ground, the whole time though she kept watching Ami, amazed that even as the second tremor passed over them that she didn't move.
Once again Chi pushed herself to her feet, and waited. After a few moments Chi sighed, releasing the breath that she hadn't known she held, and pushed to her feet rushing over to Ami, letting her medical training wash over her, letting it calm and reassure her. Ami would be fine, she told herself. She's a Senshi.
Chi bent down next to her friend, and closely surveyed the ground sliding her hands carefully underneath Ami, testing for blood, and hoping she wouldn't find any, then moved on to checking to make sure Ami hadn't broken anything. Chi smiled with relief after she had gone through her training, Ami was mostly fine the only problem was her foot which Chi knew was already broken from the train wreck. Knowing everything was fine Chi carefully turned the girl over, and swallowed deeply. Blood clotted against her forehead, Chi must have missed it, and that mistake could mean very serious problems. Taking a calming breath Chi felt Ami's pulse again, it was stable, the girl was only unconscious, maybe a concussion, hopefully not a bad one. Chi took another breath and silently scolded herself her not looking more carefully. Dipping into the pocket of her uniform, Chi pulled out an ammonia capsule, and broke it below Ami's nose.
Ami's eyes shoot open as she choked for air and trying to curse at the same time. "What happened?" Ami asked, her voice slightly slurred, after her coughing fit was over.
"Nothing much." Chi said calmly as she tilted Ami's head back a little with her fingers to get a better look at them with the moon's dim light. "Just a small earthquake." Chi sighed and held up three fingers in front of Ami's face. "How many."
Ami looked at her confused for a second, and then laughed. "Chi I'm fine, I'd know if I had a concussion." Her voice was still slurred, but not as bad.
Chi narrowed her eyes the way she always did with the old ladies who didn't want the dinner the order. "How many, Ami? Please."
Ami sighed obviously displeased by the fact that she, the future doctor was being examined by a Candy Striper. "Six." Ami said, then narrowed her eyes, and looked harder. Finally she sighed. "which is definitely not the right number."
Chi stood, and held at her hand. This was good, it could be worse, much worse, but still Ami's pupils were dilated, her voice was slurred, and she wasn't seeing correctly. Ami grabbed her hand, and Chi helped her off the ground guiding her as she stumbled to her feet. "Ami I'm taking you back to the hospital."
Ami pulled away from her, stumbling back a few feet before steadying herself. "No!" She pleaded. "Chi, please Usagi needs us, all of us!"
Chi shook her head. "You're in no condition," Chi said her voice low and matter of fact. "Besides what makes you think we can help her?"
"Because we're both Senshi!"
Chi's eyes widened. Impossible the only ones who knew she was a Senshi were her brother and Usagi. Did Mamo-chan tell the other, did Usagi? Chi shook her head in answer. No they wouldn't have told unless she wanted them to. "How – how did you know?"
Ami reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like a Palm Pilot. "I scanned you." She said frankly. "You give off energy patterns similar to a Senshi."
Chi nodded, she should have known Ami would have done something like this. It was after all only logical to scan the sister of the former Prince of Earth. Chi shook her head and smiled, then looked back at Ami. "This goes against everything I've been taught at the hospital."
Ami shrugged, and wobbled a little with action. "Same goes for me."
Chi nodded. "Alright, but you me."
Ami nodded, and together the two girls started again for the bridge, which lay only a few blocks away.
What an amazing night. Haruka thought as stumbled away from the bridge a slumped against one of its land held struts. After the explosion all hell broke lose and if wasn't for Usa and her ability to fly, Haruka knew that at least two people would have died. Herself and Minako.
The force of the wave that hit after the explosion drove them off the bridge and into the still spring cold water. She didn't know what had happened all she could remember was the wave hitting them and then everything went dark, when she woke up it was to find Micheru looking down at her, her eyes large and frightened. "I thought I'd lost you again." She whispered as she softly kissed Haruka on the cheek.
Since then the small group of gathered Senshi had been trying to figure out what had happened, but without Rei's spiritual guidance, and connection to the planet's spirits, or Ami's logic it had quickly dissolved into wild speculations, and to make matters worse Usa, the once child from the future, and now defacto leader, stood away from the rest, gazing up into the night as if waiting for it to fall. Which, Haruka had come to think, might actually happen considering every other wild event recently.
A small pool of light washed over the bridge, pulling Haruka out of her thoughts. She squinted and saw a small sports motorcycle racing toward the bridge. The bike slid to a stop, arcing as it did so just like in the movies, and Haruka couldn't help but shake her head at its rider's childish display.
Pushing off the strut Haruka walked over to the bike, watching the shadowy rider as they kicked out the stand and pushed off the bike.
"Hey." Came a too familiar voice that caused Haruka to stop dead in her tracks. Then she smiled.
"Hey, yourself." She said as she finished her walk to the bike and started to circle around it, nodding approvingly. Even in the dim light of the moon Haruka knew this bike, had stared at its picture in numerous magazines over the last few months, saving every penny from her races to buy it. "You got good taste Rei." She said as she ran a hand along the cool fiberglass frame. "A Kawasaki ZX-R, 636cc, not racable, but still." She looked up forcing herself to stop touching the beautiful machine. "How did you afford it?" Even in the dim light she could see Rei's embarrassed look. "It isn't yours is it?" Rei shook her head, and Haruka smiled, if it wasn't Rei's it must by the bum she was dating. "Well you tell what's his name I want to race him sometime." She looked over at the bridge noticing the others were starting to make their way over. "If we live through this." She added more soberly.
Rei nodded, and stepped away from the bike and a second later Haruka joined her and together they walked to the others to await their destiny.
Michael Ross stared at the monitor in disbelieve as the scene record two hours earlier replayed over and over again. Finally he paused the recording and turned to the small group of scientist from England, Japan and America that had come to the outskirts of Tokyo to study, and hopefully destroy the energy field that had wrapped itself around the city shortly after an earthquake so powerful it had never before been even thought possible. Ross rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. The earthquake bothered him, there hadn't even been a hint at its coming, and Japan had the best detection systems in the entire world, but what scared him even more, what had caused him to never leave the small cramped tent that housed all the gear that he and the other scientist had brought with them was the energy field that encompassed the city, blocking any and all rescue workers and relief agencies from the city, and at the same time blocking anyone from the city from leaving. Ross knew for a fact that thousands of people had survived the earthquake, thanks to the simplistic yet ingenious ways of communicating that the police on the other side had come up with. Ross allowed himself to smile, whoever would have thought Morse Code would be needed in this day and age, especially when it came from a patrol car's headlights. And the story that those police told was truly frightening, thousands, if not more dead, only one hospital operational, and it had run out of supplies almost twenty hours ago. Fires ravaging what little was left of the city, and the strange stories coming from survivors of winged women flying through the sky. Ross knew they had to destroy the barrier and soon, or who knew what might come of this mess.
Taking in a deep breath Ross pointed back at the screen. "Can someone please tell me what this is?"
Miaka Kamasaki, a Physicist from Izumi, raised her hand. "Well, it appears to be a pillar of light," she paused as she stood and walked over to the large projector screen which held the same image, and pointed to the long thin line of white/blue light. "Emanating from the Tokyo Bay near the Sato bridge." Ross nodded and smiled as she sat down, silently giving himself a memo to tell her how excellent her English was.
"Anything else."
Again Kamasaki raised her hand. "Well, it could be any number of phenomenon, but I believe we're seeing some kind of discharge."
Ross raised an eyebrow, instantly curious; all the others had said it was an odd from of the Aurora Burilous. "What kind of discharge."
Kamasaki shook her head. "I don't know."
Ross nodded and turned back to his own monitor. "People, we've got a very short period of time before the JSDF tries their approach, and their might cost even more lives." He tilted his head back and could see the conviction in every one of his team members eyes, none of them wanted the Special Defense Force's plan to go into action. "All right, everyone get back to work."
As chairs shuffled and people moved back to their stations, Ross closed his eyes and imagined the tiny timer ticking away what little time they had. Behind him he could here Kamasaki whisper what he saw. "Twelve hours."