PREY OF THE QUEEN SPIDER
Chapter 11: "Be Careful What You Wish For"
A Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Mamoru pounded on the armrest of his train seat in frustration. The train was still ten minutes out of Tokyo and from there he'd have to drive to the resort. It was taking too long. No matter how much he tried to will the train to go faster, he knew by the feeling in the back of his head that it was quickly becoming futile.
He wasn't going to make it.
"There's nothing you can do, Rei," Luna advised the frantic woman on the phone. "It's best you stay and take your final examination."
"TO HELL WITH MY EXAM!" spat Rei. "Usagi's in trouble! I can feel it!"
"There's no need to tell me," the black cat replied stiffly. "I've had feelings of unease all night. But the simple facts are that you'd never arrive in time. If she's confronted whatever has Makoto, the battle would be over before you'd get there. We just have to trust in Usagi's ability to triumph and in the Outer Senshi's ability to guard her."
"I'm amazed they found the time," sneered Rei. "And Usagi can't tie her own shoes without help!"
"Rei Hino," Luna scowled. "That's quite enough. Must I outline ALL of Usagi's victories to you? I would think that's earned a little trust."
The phone was silent for the longest time.
"Rei?" Luna asked.
"It's just," Rei began and Luna could hear how choked with emotion she was, "if something happens to her - - and I'm not there . . ."
"I feel your pain, Rei," Luna said softly. "But she is the princess. She is destined to become Queen Serenity and bring a new era to the world. But she - - she can't do it if we keep her penned up under glass because we're frightened she might break." Luna stopped to gather her emotions. "We have to trust in her, Rei. We have to believe. We've no choice, really."
The phone again grew silent.
"Damn little ditz," Rei whimpered softly. "How's she expect me to pass my test now?"
"I'll phone you the moment there's word," Luna whispered.
"The minute my test is over, I'm coming home," Rei exclaimed. "And if you haven't heard anything, I'm going after her!"
"And I shall be perched upon your shoulder," Luna countered. "And woe to the villain who may have laid her low"
Usagi struggled beneath the Kumo-onna, valiantly trying to throw the demon off of her spread-eagled body, to slip the grip or somehow escape the clutches of it. The spider queen was preoccupied with the brooch she held in her hand. Silver lights danced in her gold eyes as she held it up in the dim moonlight of the forest. She was like a child enchanted by a shiny toy. Her hand lovingly cupped it as she examined it, basking in her triumph and in the power that seemed only moments away from being hers.
Then her hand closed around it, gripping it so that none might take it from her.
"PLEASE!" Usagi shrieked, frantically trying to stop what she could see was coming. "PLEASE DON'T DO IT! I'M BEGGING YOU!"
"I hope you beg as fervently when I'm about to consume you," the Kumo-onna said, smiling mirthlessly down at Usagi pinned beneath her bloated spider body. "It will be music to my ears."
From the ground behind them, Sailor Pluto watched this unfold as she struggled to keep from being cocooned by the Spider Goblin atop her. She was at a disadvantage, pinned as she was by the weight of the goblin atop her. The silk wrapping around her torso was strong as piano wire and clung to her skin and her fuku like glue. And all the while, Usagi's terrified shrieks hammered at her ears until Pluto wanted to scream herself.
They were failures as guardians, her and the other outers. Pluto didn't even know if Uranus and Neptune still lived, nor if Makoto did either. She could see no way to avoid what was coming. She had failed, failed her friends and failed her princess. And she needed no other proof than the shrieks resonating in her ears.
Satisfied that Usagi no longer posed a threat to her, the Kumo-onna tightly gripped the brooch and held it above her head. Her black hair blew around her shoulders, whipped up by the sudden change in the elements of the immediate area. Had the mere movement of the Silver Crystal done that? The spider queen felt a growing warmth in her hand. She looked up at the brooch and found it glowing silver.
"Yes!" she gasped happily. "Yes, give me thy power! Make me ruler over all! Give me the power to rule this world for a hundred lifetimes!"
The glow increased, as did the feeling of warmth in her hand. The Kumo-onna was so excited she almost jumped out of her skin. She could feel the power building in her hand, power like she could never imagine. Oh how she and her brood would feed. The Earth would be their web and everything that lived would be their prey. With every passing second the power increased and her dream came that much closer to coming true.
And just like that the Kumo-onna's euphoria crashed. The brooch began to burn in her hand. Confusion colored her and was quickly replaced by fear. As her flesh began to sizzle, the spider queen tried to fling the brooch away from her. However, her fingers refused to release the brooch. The darkness of the forest became illuminated by the bright glow of silver from her outstretched hand. Again she flung her hand, but once again her grip could not release from around the brooch and the Silver Crystal housed within it. Panicked, she stared down at Usagi beneath her.
"I tried to warn you," Usagi whimpered, gazing up at her through tear-stained eyes.
Panic was replaced by sheer terror, the primal terror that all creatures feel when death is imminent. Frantically the Kumo-onna tried to fling the brooch away, but her hand wouldn't release. Suddenly the hand burst into spontaneous combustion. The spider queen shrieked wildly as the flesh of her hand seared. The fire quickly spread down her arm. All thought of Usagi was forgotten as the Kumo-onna bolted for the forest in a blind panic. Not ten steps away from the fallen princess of the Silver Millennium though, the Kumo-onna's body was completely engulfed in flames. She shrieked once, a pitiful wail of complete uncomprehending terror, and then was consumed by the flame. The pyre burned brightly and then died out, leaving nothing but white ash and scorched grass. Amid the ashes was Usagi's brooch.
The sight of its mistress consumed by fire was enough to send the remaining Spider Goblin scurrying into the black of the forest. Pluto, her legs and torso partially cocooned, watched Usagi rise up, shoulders bent and head bowed. The woman trudged over to the pile of ashes, reached in and retrieved her brooch as Pluto's heart ached for her. Usagi cupped the brooch to her breast momentarily, head bowed over it. Then she straightened reluctantly.
"Moon Eternal Make Up," Usagi said, softly and with a respectful tone one might reserve for speaking of the dead.
She transformed into Sailor Moon, then turned and approached Pluto. Her hand reached out and the Moon Tier appeared in it. Pluto looked up at her and she could see more tears welled beneath her wide blue eyes.
"Silver Moon," she choked out, "Crystal Power - - Kiss."
A wave of silver energy washed over Pluto and dissolved the silk holding her. Pluto fought to her feet and walked over to her princess. When she was near enough, Sailor Moon collapsed against the taller woman.
"Forgive me, My Princess," Sailor Pluto said. "I have been a failure as your guardian."
"You did your best," Sailor Moon sniffed. "Why wouldn't she listen? The energy of the Silver Crystal is too strong. She couldn't handle it safely. I'm not sure anyone outside of the royal line of Silver Millennium could. Why wouldn't she listen?"
"The thirst for power is a seductive song, My Princess," Pluto told her. "Few can reason with one lost in its clutches. Do not blame yourself. The Kumo-onna sowed the seeds of her own destruction."
"But it's such a waste!" sobbed Sailor Moon.
"Come. We must still find Makoto, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune."
Sailor Moon nodded and slid away from Pluto. Pluto retrieved her staff and the pair ventured into a forest that suddenly no longer seemed so ominous and foreboding.
"What's with the passenger in the end seat?" Akio, the train stewardess from the next car, asked Natsumi, the stewardess for this car.
"He's been like that the entire trip," Natsumi replied. "I think he's having a migraine or something. And he's in an awful big hurry to get to Tokyo."
"Hmm," Akio nodded. "He's cute, but guys who are THAT intense are kind of scary," Akio glanced over at him again. "Wonder what's up now?"
"What?" Natsumi asked, turning to look at Mamoru.
"He just sagged - - like he just unclenched or something. Seems kind of happy now. You figure his migraine broke or something?"
"Maybe," Natsumi shrugged. Then she looked harder. "Wow. Hey - - is he crying"
The wave of relief flooded over Rei from out of nowhere. It was such a surprise that her legs gave out from under her and the woman sank to the floor. Leaning against the wall, her breaths coming in short gasps, Rei began to feel tears streaming down her face. Her lower lip quivered. Reverently she bowed her head.
"Thank you for delivering her from whatever evil threatened her, Kami," Rei whispered. "I'm grateful"
Sailor Jupiter struggled mightily, though she lay motionless on the ground. She was far too fatigued to struggle any longer against the spider silk binding her. Her struggle at the moment was internal.
There was no noise around her as she blindly lay in the forest grasses, no sense of movement. Everything was still, so still that her breath fluttering against the silk over her mouth seemed cacophonous. A notion kept forming unbidden in her brain and that was what she struggled with. For Jupiter couldn't help but wonder, amid the chilling silence, whether Uranus and Neptune and the spiders they'd fought were all dead. Though she tried not to think about it, if it was true then she faced the very real and very ugly prospect of dying helpless and alone,slowly and painfully, and with nothing else to keep her company but her own mounting terror.
She struggled not to dwell upon it, but it always seemed to lurk and command her thoughts whenever she let her guard down.
"Ami would know what to do," Jupiter thought, huffing in frustration through the silk over her mouth. "Ami would know a way out of this." Her head lolled back limply. "I can't believe I'm never going to see her again - - or Blondie or Rei. And Usagi - - oh Usagi, I hope you survived. I want - - I want to look down on Crystal Tokyo from heaven."
The cocooned senshi lay still, save for the rise and fall of her chest.
"God, Shinozaki is going to be so hurt by this!" Jupiter thought. "Why is this happening? If I'm going to die, why couldn't I go quick? How much more of this do I have to face?"
Something touched her shoulder suddenly. Blind and unaware of another presence so close, the startled Jupiter lurched away as much as the cocoon would allow her. Who was there? Was this it? Had the Kumo-onna returned triumphant, ready for her victory meal?
"Mako-chan! It's me!"
It was Sailor Moon. She was alive. She was there to save her. A tidal wave of relief washed over Sailor Jupiter. She experienced a euphoria she hadn't reached since - - since Sailor Moon had restored her star seed and brought her back to life. Bless that woman! How many times was Sailor Moon going to save her?
"Don't move, Mako-chan," Sailor Moon said. "Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss."
With that, silver energy flowed over Sailor Jupiter. Her eyes closed in rapture and she felt at peace, now as much at peace as she had been scared and anxious before. When she opened her eyes, Jupiter was free of the spider silk.
She was free.
And at once Sailor Moon grabbed her and crushed Jupiter to her breast. Torrents of sobs cascaded out. Some of them were hers - - most were Sailor Moon's.
"Thank you," Jupiter whimpered. "God, I-I can't stop crying. I'm crying like a little baby! This is so embarrassing."
"Don't be ashamed," Sailor Moon sobbed. "So am I!"
"Guess we're just," Jupiter said, sniffing loudly, "a couple of mushy old senshi."
Sailor Moon hugged her more tightly.
"My Princess," Sailor Pluto ventured cautiously. "I have found Uranus and Neptune. They are in need of you as well."
Pluto led them to Neptune first. The senshi was partially cocooned and struggling to free herself. When she saw Sailor Moon, she quieted. Sailor Moon raised the Moon Tier. The silver energy dissolved the binding silk and healed the scratches and bruises Neptune had obtained from the massive tremor Uranus had caused.
"Where's Uranus?" Neptune asked Pluto immediately. Pluto could see she was fighting to keep her head through her concern for her lover. Silently Pluto gestured. Neptune headed for the spot immediately, Sailor Moon following. Pluto stopped to support the still shaky Jupiter, and followed at a slower pace.
The first thing that greeted her was the blast hole. It was a crater in the dirt nearly three meters wide. As Sailor Moon approached, she could see Neptune kneeling over Uranus. Uranus lay on her back amid the decaying remnants of three Spider Goblins. They lay in the blast hole and all the felled trees fell away from the spot, indicating it was ground zero. Neptune was silent, but Sailor Moon could tell by her body language that Neptune didn't like what she was seeing. Peering over Neptune's shoulder, Sailor Moon gasped.
Uranus had a severe stomach wound. It was black and ugly from the blast and infection. Bruising radiated out from the wound. It was like someone had taken a club and just beaten Uranus with it. On the verge of tears, Neptune lightly brushed the sandy blonde hair from her lover's forehead.
"Haruka?" she ventured softly. "Can you hear me?"
She didn't move, but her eyes opened slightly. That put Neptune over the edge and the tears cascaded down.
"Silver Moon Crystal Power Kiss," Sailor Moon said hoarsely.
Neptune watched as the silver energy shone down on Sailor Uranus. The swelling began to recede. The bruising gradually dissipated. The wound began to lessen, contracting back into the body. Concerned, Neptune glanced back at Sailor Moon, for she knew the toll it was taking on her.
Suddenly Uranus struggled to a sitting position. Neptune moved to stop her, but Uranus shoved her hands away. The wounded senshi paused for a moment and then, grinding her teeth and grunting from the strain, she pushed to shaky feet. Uranus reached out and, to Sailor Moon's astonishment, grabbed the Moon Tier. Immediately Sailor Moon's healing emanations ceased.
"Enough," Uranus grunted gruffly.
"But Uranus, you're still hurt!" Sailor Moon cried.
"I'm well enough to walk," Uranus scowled. "Don't strain yourself on my account. Not again."
Sailor Moon stared at Uranus, as stunned as if Uranus had slapped her across the face. For her part Uranus looked away, but she didn't back down.
"Please don't be offended," Neptune added, sliding in to give Uranus physical support. "She doesn't want you to hurt yourself healing her any further. That's just her way of being grateful." Neptune paused a moment to gather her emotions back under control. "We are grateful to you, Sailor Moon, for finding us and for rescuing Jupiter when we failed."
Sailor Moon beamed.
"Where's the Kumo-onna?" Uranus asked.
Sailor Moon's face fell. Her eyes sought the ground.
"The Kumo-onna is dead," Pluto pronounced, supporting Jupiter. "Consumed by her own greed."
"Good," sneered Uranus. Sailor Moon stared at Uranus, aghast, but the battered woman again wouldn't back down.
"Then our work seems to be done here," Neptune suggested diplomatically. "Let's go home."
Sailor Moon nodded. Following Neptune and Pluto, since they seemed to know the way, she headed away from the last stand of the Spider Goblins.
Concluded in Chapter 12