Back to the Nest

Chapter three:

Sailor Deimos gulped and stepped out of the elevator at the third try, shaking like jelly when she did so.

"Cut out the theatrics," Red Crow scolded, "you know we're protected against the cold."

"I'm up to my hips in gray snow, wearing little more than a bikini!" the cerulean one retorted, "The very idea is enough to send chills down my spine."

"Onee-chan despises winter with a vengeance," Sailor Phobos said as she shook her head, "Yet, I must say this place is much too gloomy for me to live in." It was obviously colder since they were much farther away from the sun; it was darker as well, the light sources were phosphorescent lichen and little glowing mists that floated above.

"I agree on that," the copper-skinned woman replied, "Let's check out the map so we can get out of here as soon as possible." She unrolled the scroll and the twins got closer. "Let's see, the thieves need the gate in order to use the arrows, so if we head that way, there's a chance we'll run into them, even if they're following a different route. Right now we're in this forest, facing south, so we should head in…that direction, right over those mountains," she signaled.

"It's a race and we're stalling," Sailor Deimos figured out, "Flying should eliminate our disadvantage. Those mountains don't seem too high, we could go over them easily." No sooner she said this, they saw an owl-like bird come out of one of the black trees, then a large cat jumped out of another one and grabbed it by the neck with its sharp fangs. Quite a hair-raising sight. "Then again, I hear climbing is an excellent exercise."

"I don't believe taking the shortest route is the best idea," her sister said, "We're after the thieves, not the gate, taking the long way round will increase our chances of meeting them. Let's start by going in that direction," the scarlet-eyed senshi proposed as she pointed towards several smoke columns. "There has to be a town over there, maybe even a city."

"Whatever it is, it will be a source of information," Red Crow noted, "We may even be able to update this old map. Okay, let's get going."

The first few miles were uneventful, just walking and small talk.

"I just thought of something," Sailor Deimos said, "Red Crow-san, auntie Coronis mentioned that you obtained power as a result of being part of Galaxia's army. But as I recall, you had several abilities beforehand."

"Your memory's better than I thought at first," Red Crow praised, "True, Galaxia didn't give me anything, all she did was increase what I already had. My crystal turned out to be unexpectedly strong, Queen Coronis was very surprised when she found out. I'm not a senshi, never was, but I have been granted several of the benefits you possess."

That explains why you've hardly aged, Sailor Phobos thought. "I wonder if this was true for the other animates."

"I can't speak for them all," the longhaired woman responded, "the only ones I really got to know were our group of four: Ion Mouse, Teen Nianko, Lumina Siren and myself."

"And what happened to them?" the cerulean-eyed twin inquired, "Are they doing well?"

"Yeah, you could say they are." Red Crow started telling the tales of her once companions. "Ion had it easy since she was swindled, the poor kid wanted to be like her idol, Sailor Chu, instead, she was brainwashed into becoming the doom of her planet."

"Ara, that's terrible!" Sailor Deimos exclaimed, "Is that what they did to you? The reason you attacked us?" The copper-skinned woman turned away and bit her lip.

"Yes, it had a lot to do with that… (Ahem) Teen betrayed Sailor Mau out of jealousy, typical of a cat. She was so repentant when she returned to Mau that her punishment wasn't too harsh, she'll be done with her penance in little time. And Lumina's is an interesting story, she was my recruit. She was a soldier in Sailor Mermaid's army, like we were, just not very confident of her abilities. I noticed her potential and offered to train her in exchange for her allegiance." She looked back at the twins, their stares were hard to interpret. "Go ahead, say that I ruined her life."

"You must've meant well, Red Crow-san," Sailor Deimos assured, "teaching is a part of you. Don't forget, you were our sensei."

"And Lumina-san's fate must have been a positive one," the scarlet senshi added, "I'm assuming this out of the tone of your voice."

"Actually, she hasn't yet decided her path to follow. After Chaos' defeat, Lumina had no idea of where to go or what to do, so she chose to stay with me until she could come up with a decision." Red Crow crossed her arms behind her neck and stretched. "As for me, I'm thinking about becoming a mercenary. A soldier of my skill level can earn a good reputation in no time, not to mention a lot of money."

"A soldier of your skill level shouldn't even consider such a profession," the cerulean-clad senshi disapproved, "Selling your skills to the highest bidder, that's the same as whoring yourself."

"Nicely put, onee-chan."

"Hmph, at least I'm making my own choices, there's no one to tell me what I can't do or where I can't go." The crimson-eyed woman punched a tree in anger then leaned against it. It took a few minutes for her to calm down again. "Lumina assured me that she would manage on her own until my return," she muttered to herself, "but I'm worried, even if Coronis was kind enough to leave some guards with her." The former animate bit her thumbnail in frustration. Sailor Deimos came up and placed her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Gomen, I didn't mean to insult you. It's just that you were our sensei, and not only that, Coronis' finest fighter. I'd hate to see you throw all that away because of a mistake."

"Your lessons were of great importance to us," Sailor Phobos added, "all of them, even the ones that were too rough to bear."

Flashback:

Young Phobos raised her short sword to block the continuous attacks, which were forcing her to back away further and further. Finally, she figured out that a backflip would put enough distance between herself and her opponent to execute a proper counterattack. The black-haired girl put her plan into action, but the moment she landed, the whip entwined around her knee and pulled her down. Before Phobos could react, a foot was pressing against her throat.

"One firm push and you'll choke on your own blood," Red Crow growled. Her crimson eyes gave a stare as hard as flint, and just like that, it was replaced by a wide smile as she held out her hand. "Come on, get up."

"Damn it, Red," the scarlet-eyed girl protested, "Did you have to do that? You scared me half to death!"

"What are you complaining about?" Deimos asked as she approached, rubbing her sore flank, "My half was beaten out."

"Look, her majesty requested this favor from me personally, to train you in the art of combat," the copper-skinned girl explained in a serious tone, "If I'm hard, it's so you two can become the best. Phobos, your left leg was too far ahead when you landed, that's why it was so easy to grab you; and Deimos, you keep raising your arm too high each time you try a frontal slash, this lowers your defenses completely."

"Don't I know it," the longhaired twin grunted. "What really irks me is that those rotten choreography lessons are next." She made a falsetto and started mimicking their dance teacher, "Too quick, too slow, too apart, too close, you have to move together. Urgh, it's been nothing but work, work, work ever since we've turned ten! And for what? Can anyone tell me the reason?"

"I have no idea," Red Crow responded, "you know how secretive her majesty can be. Perhaps she's preparing you for some sort of special destiny."

"If that's true," Phobos replied, "I certainly hope it's worth all this trouble."

"And it was worth it," the scarlet girl concluded, "I had no idea we would go into Princess Mars' service and live in the Moon kingdom."

"Right, it was quite an event when you two left," the red-haired woman sighed, "Do you remember anything else?"

"Ie, I'm afraid not," Sailor Phobos answered, knocking her head, "my memory's got more holes than a sponge. Red Crow-san, we've spent our childhood together, surely you can tell us a lot." The copper-skinned woman gave a slight frown.

"Coronis forbade me to do so, she wants you two to remember on your own."

"Nani? But why?" Sailor Deimos questioned.

"My guess is the queen is still fond of surprises." The red-haired woman walked up to her former pupils and flicked them on the forehead. "I suggest you put those brain cells to work," she said as she left the twins behind, rubbing their temples.

"Phobos-chan, is it just me, or did you also notice something odd about Red Crow-san?"

"Hai, Onee-chan, there's something she wants to tell us and it's very important, vital even. We better do our best and remember as soon as possible." Sailor Phobos took hold of her sister's hand and started running. "Hurry up, we're gonna lose her."

When the trio reached their destination, they were greeted by a mystery, the village was completely deserted. No people could be seen, all the doors and windows were closed, and there weren't any lights.

"It can't be a ghost town, we all saw the smoke," Sailor Deimos reminded, "Look, a little bit is still coming out of that chimney."

"It's very suspicious," Red Crow said as she knelt, "These tracks indicate an impromptu exodus."

"By the whole town?" the cerulean-eyed girl questioned, "That makes no sense, unless they're setting up an-" A twig snapped. "Ambush!" Over a dozen men came out of nowhere, armed with pitchforks, hoes, rakes and other such tools. The twins summoned their rapiers and Red Crow drew out her whip, alas, taken by surprise there wasn't much they could do.

"Crimson-Arrgh!" Two men got hold of Red Crow and twisted her arm behind her. "What are you waiting for? Use your powers, you idiots!"

"We don't even know what they're supposed to be, baka!" Sailor Phobos snapped back. "Kyaa!" She was tackled down by four.

"Phobos-chan! Nani?" Before Sailor Deimos realized it, she was bound by strong ropes and so were the others. Their weapons and backpacks were taken as the mob dragged them away.

"Lock them up in the granary," an elderly man with a bushy white mustache commanded, "We'll think of what to do with them later."

"Hands off, you creeps!" the copper-skinned woman roared, "What's the meaning of all this? Let me go, now!"

"And let you murderous bitches do as you please?" the one holding her snorted, "Forget it!"

"Murderous? Wait a second, what are you-Whoa!" She was thrown inside and landed on top of Phobos. The doors closed and the three were left in the dark.

"(grunt) Are you all right, Red Crow-san?"

"Oh yeah, peachy." They all sat up as best they could. "This is obviously a case of mistaken identity. We better clear things out before it gets any worse."

"I don't think it can get any worse," the cerulean-eyed senshi replied, "I saw the look in their eyes, they were terrified of us."

"Terrified? How do you figure that out?" her sister wondered, "Didn't you see them fight?"

"Remember when Princess Mars was ten and she saw that spider? She was swinging that broom so hard she nearly opened up a canyon in the middle of the yard."

"If that's true, then we're in serious trouble," the older woman figured out, "I've been to places where these situations end up with the innocent captive being executed while the real culprit gets away." The black-haired twins gulped. "However, if they do give us the chance to speak, we better keep our place of origin a secret. I don't think they'll react well to the idea of a floating city miles above their heads."

"Hai," Sailor Deimos agreed, "since this town looks like something out of the dark ages, we might be burned at the stake."

"Hush you two," Sailor Phobos said, "someone's coming." The door opened and the light of a lamp ushered the entry of a young, bearded man. He was bandaged and had to walk with the aid of a crutch. He looked at the girls then turned to the ones accompanying him.

"Who are they?" he asked.

"The ones you told us about, of course. Twins dressed in red and blue, carrying weapons that look like feathers."

"I did say that, but these are women, the ones that attacked my town were men."

Moments later, everyone was reunited at the elder's home. Just like Sailor Deimos had said, the ambiance was medieval, to be more precise, it was a lot like the one found in Norse countries: snow, cabins, large fireplaces, leather and furs.

"Please forgive us," the elder repeated, "you must understand, we had to defend ourselves. Our refugee described a cruel spectacle."

"I'm guilty as well," the injured one added, "for not giving complete information."

"Don't worry, it could have happened to anyone," the cerulean-eyed senshi replied, shaking her hand, "Fortunately, no one was hurt." Her companions shot sharp gazes. "Eto, other than our pride."

"Tell us about the ones you expected," Sailor Phobos asked the bearded man, "It's too big a coincidence that they are also twins."

"I will." The injured man leaned back on his chair. "But first, why do you want to know? Furthermore, what are you here for?"

"We were sent here to capture some thieves," Red Crow answered, "and I wouldn't be surprised if they were the ones. Did you notice if they were carrying a package or something?"

"Who? The twins or one of their soldiers?"

"Soldiers?" The cerulean clad one raised an eyebrow. "You're talking about a band, ne? Five or six people."

"Make that fifty or sixty."

"(Gulp)"

"They fell upon us like a hailstorm, sudden and brutally, nothing was left standing." The bearded man tightened his grip on his pint of ale. "My wife and children didn't survive."

"I'm sorry," Red Crow said. She was reminded of the many atrocities she'd committed. "They couldn't have attacked without reason. Did you keep anything important at your village? An heirloom, an artifact…"

"They're coming!" A lookout barged into the room. "Ten of them, maybe more, armed to the teeth." The elder went over to the window and had a look for himself. He gasped in terror.

"They're strong. An ambush won't work this time, even if we were twice as many they'll defeat us instantly." The old man shook his head sadly. "We're doomed."

"Not on your life," the copper-skinned woman countered, "Give me back my whip, I'll show you what a knight captain is capable of."

"The fields look nice and healthy" one of the invaders noted, "it was a good idea to come here for supplies."

"Personally, I'm not too fond of being a delivery boy," another one complained. He checked out his axe. "Well fellas, you know the drill: bashing, pillaging, burning and ravaging, not in that particular order."

"Who the hell are they?" The platoon stopped on its tracks at the sight of three beauties standing there with weapons at the ready.

"Well now, if this is the welcoming committee, this place is going to have more survivors than usual."

"I'm going to bring back something more than food."

"In your dreams, jerk," the copper-skinned woman huffed, "Go back the way you came now." She finished this order by cracking her whip loudly. The twins took this as their cue to step forward.

"We are the squires of Princess Mars, blessed by the moons of the red planet," they said in unison, "We are Sailor Phobos and Sailor Deimos, leave these people in peace or face the consequences."

"Not bad," Red Crow praised.

"And we didn't even rehearse."

"Leave?" The raiders started laughing and pointing at the female trio. One that was armed with a war-hammer came closer. "Who's going to make us, you?"

"That's right. Crimson Tornado!" The whip shot forward in a spiral pattern, sending out a blast of wind that knocked away five of the men. "Phobos, Deimos, while they're confused, attack!" Red Crow charged, lashing away left and right. The twins went over to the sides and took on their own opponents. Sailor Deimos was confronted by two brutes, much bigger and stronger than she was, but the petit senshi surpassed them in skill and dexterity. The fat one never knew when his sword left his hand, and when he turned around his face slammed into a foot. The other one tried to crush her with his mace, but Sailor Deimos ducked and cut him at the knees.

"Phobos-chan, how are you doing?"

"Couldn't be better, onee-chan," the scarlet senshi responded, already she had three at her feet. She looked up and saw a fourth about to tackle her with a spiky shoulder pad. Sailor Phobos took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Concentrate, the words are in your heart, all you have to do is let them out through you lips. The raider was almost on top of her when she raised her hand and yelled: "Ruby Dust!" The red particles solidified around the villain, encasing him in crystal.

"Awesome move, Phobos-chan," her sister congratulated, "Now it's my turn. Sapphire Gale!" this windy attack was like throwing a gigantic punch that took out most of the remaining foes.

"We can't do anything against them, retreat!" The villagers came out cheering when they saw the enemy turn tail and run.

"We are in your debt forever!" the elder cried, "How will we ever repay you?"

"We'll think of something," Red Crow quipped, "You can start by-Huh?" There was a tremor, then another and another, stronger and louder each time. "I don't like the way that sounds." Everyone turned and saw a ten-foot-tall giant approach, armed with the largest axe and shield anyone had ever seen! He gave a roar so fierce the mountains shook.

"He's a little slow, so it took a while for him to get here," one of the invaders called jokingly, "Have fun."

"Get away, now!" Sailor Phobos told the villagers. The trio stood guard and sized up their new opponent. "That thing's not human. How are we going to beat it?"

"Just attack him," the red-haired woman answered, "We'll figure out what to do." She sprinted and made a frontal attack, the giant blocked with his shield. "Too easy, he can only block one side at a time."

"Gotcha," Sailor Deimos replied, "Phobos-chan and I will take the sides." The girls got into position and attacked. "Sapphire Gale!"

"Ruby Dust!"

"Crimson Tornado!" It wasn't as easy as Red Crow had thought, for the shield generated a force-field that surrounded the large barbarian entirely, and even though a crystal dome was formed, it was easily broken.

"Chikuso!" the scarlet senshi swore. She'd made a leaping attack and landed right at her opponent's feet. One glimpse and the giant swung his axe, Sailor Phobos raised her rapier to block, to everyone's surprise, the smaller weapon resisted the blow. "I don't know what this thing's made of, but thank the kami it's such sturdy material." Her bones, however, felt like pudding. The giant was going to strike again, but Red Crow's whip wrapped around his axe.

"Forget it, you're not touching one single hair on her head." The copper-skinned woman started pulling, intending to bring down her foe. "Come on, you stupid ox, fall already! Yikes!?" The giant yanked her over, then hurled her against a cabin. Red Crow crashed against the wall and fell.

"Red Crow-san!" Sailor Deimos shouted, "By the kami, we're not ready for this. Even without that shield he'll be strong enough to resist our…" Her cerulean eyes widened as she turned to her sister.

"Combined forces!" Sailor Phobos realized it as well. The longhaired twins took position side by side and raised their rapiers, the giant sensed they were about to attack and readied his invincible shield. The neo-senshi moved as one.

"Mirror Stab!" they yelled. A purple, spiral beam shot out of the tip of their weapons. It crashed against the shield, pushing the giant back a bit before the metal started cracking. The large barbarian howled in pain as the beam finally bore through both his shield and body. As it fell, the husk turned into ice and stone.

"We," the cerulean-eyed girl's panting turned into laughter, "we did it. We actually did it!"

"The twin senshi, Sailor Phobos and Sailor Deimos!" the scarlet one cheered.

"You did great," Red Crow said as she approached, "I'm proud of you two." Behind her came the villagers, ready to congratulate the pair for this second and definite victory.

Moments later, Red Crow, Phobos and Deimos were ready to leave again. The villagers gave the twins, among other things, a new attire, so that there wouldn't be any future misunderstandings. They wore leather pants and a fur jacket, both white; and to keep their respective colors, their vests were red and blue. Red Crow was offered clothing as well, but all she took was a black fur to use as a cape.

"My village was in that direction," the bearded man indicated, "unless I'm mistaken, those barbarians must be further east by now."

"Domo arigato," Phobos replied, "and don't despair, we'll stop them from causing any more destruction."

"Goodbye, and thank you," the elder said, "next time you visit, we'll give you a hero's welcome." The trio received many other indications and words of encouragement before leaving. As they went over a hill, the twins talked amongst themselves.

"You know, onee-chan, when Red Crow-san told us about the animates, she revealed her plans for the future but not her past, the reason she joined Galaxia in the first place."

"I noticed, Phobos-chan, but I don't think we should question her about that, it wouldn't be proper."

"Hai, we'll wait until she's ready to open up to us."

Elsewhere:

"Twins?" the man in blue armor asked, raising a scarred eyebrow.

"Yes, sir, very powerful too. They defeated the berserker in one blow," one of the men assigned to pillage the town reported, "I don't think they'll be able to handle us in larger number, however, if we head back we'll-"

"No," the one in red spoke up, "we can't waste time on them. Gather up the gear and prepare to advance." The soldier saluted by hitting his chest and left. "Well, brother, Lady Luck smiles upon us once more."

"Indeed, everything is going according to plan. Soon our family's honor will be avenged." The one-eyed twins looked out the window at the starless sky. They sneered evilly and spoke together.

"This dark world shall become your grave, Phobos and Deimos."