Senshi: the Gathering of Five
Part Twenty-four
Haruka smiled slightly, her sandy hair falling into
her eyes as she and her ally approached the mortal
band. The blonde haired warrior called Usagi looked at
the rift, then at Setsuna. "That leads into the Oni's
realm?" she asked.
"Yes," Setsuna said grimly, "possibly right to the
queen."
"Then we're going in," Usagi said grimly.
"Daring," Haruka acknowledged, a slight smile teasing
her lips, "exactly what I would expect from the
Princess out of Shadow."
"I can't talk you all out of this?" Rei's grandfather
asked, the balding little man giving them a gently
worried look.
"If we don't take the chance to end this now," Rei
said softly, "more lives could be lost."
Taking a set of prayer beads off he laid them around
Rei's neck. "Then I wish you luck," he said, "and will
pray for your safe return."
Rei kissed her grandfather on the cheek as she sighed,
"Thank you."
"I should introduce you to my allies," Setsuna said
softly, power shimmering around her, "this is Haruka,
a storm elemental and Michiru, a water elemental."
"It is a honor meeting ones who have fought so
valiantly," Michiru murmured, her green hair flowing
around her like water.
"Yo," Haruka waved.
"We don't have much time," a bit of strain was showing
in Setsuna's voice as she continued, her dagger
throbbing red in the tear in space, "I can't hold the
rift open for long."
"Ami?" Usagi looked over at the professor.
"I've got my freeze gun ready," Ami nodded, her blue
hair damp with sweat. "No freeze bombs left," she
added regretfully.
"Ready," Sailor V said simply, her golden chain
gleaming between her hands.
Rei slung her bow over her shoulders, the black haired
miko looking confident as she said, "Let's do this."
"I've wanted a chance like this from the start,"
Makoto answered, the brown haired woman cracking her
knuckles, her studded gloves looking dangerous on her
strong hands.
"We'll follow you, mistress," Luna said, Artemis
nodding in agreement. Oddly the two cats seemed to
have forgotten their mutual hatred in the heat of
battle.
"Setsuna?" Usagi looked at her worriedly.
The black haired woman nodded, her face a bit pale.
"When you're ready I can expand the rift into a
portal, but there is a risk," she said.
"Yes?" Rei asked softly.
"The rift will close once we go through," Setsuna said
grimly, "we'll have to find or create a portal once we
defeat the Queen and her servants."
"So it could be a one way trip," Makoto murmured. She
shrugged casually, "I've never planned to live
forever." The members of the group quietly chimed in
their intention to carry through, each putting it in
their own way.
"I think they're everything we hoped for," Haruka
murmured to Michiru admiringly.
Michiru looked up at Haruka thoughtfully, "That they
are."
"I'm not leading us into this to die," Usagi sheathed
her sword, setting it across her back as she
continued, "I intend to do everything I can to bring
you all home again."
"Then let's do this," Setsuna said to them firmly,
"while we still have the element of surprise on our
side." With that she began to chant, ancient words of
weight and substance, power rising up all around them.
The tear in space shifted, growing swiftly, then
finally stabilized a little larger than the tallest
among them.
Usagi moved to go in first but Makoto reached out a
hand, "Let me, please."
"I..." Ami started to say something then stopped with
a frown.
One by one they ran through, until finally Haruka,
Michiru and Setsuna were the only ones left. "Does it
bother you," Haruka finally said, "that we may be
sending these mortals to their deaths?"
"Their fate is their own to decide," Setsuna answered
her honestly. She smiled slightly as she continued, "I
believe in them."
"Good enough," Michiru hesitated then reached out to
take Haruka's hand, "let's go." And together the final
three leapt through the portal.
Makoto hit the ground first, looking around the
crowded hall warily. The Oni seemed confused, thrown
off balance and she followed up on that ruthlessly to
clear a space for the others. Reaching out she grabbed
two of them and hammered their heads together then
unleashed a devastating spin kick to throw more of
them backwards,
"Duck!"
Makoto dodged instinctively even as the first flight
of arrows zipped by, igniting as soon as they struck
the stunned Oni. Rei Hino set her next flight of
arrows arching up, plunging into the mob of Oni that
faced them, sowing more confusion and chaos among
them.
"More than I expected," Sailor V murmured, swinging
her weighted chain out to capture a enemy and breaking
his neck with a twist of her wrist.
Usagi smiled, a frightening, almost feral look on her
beautiful face. "Just more and easier targets," she
answered, her blade a shimmering blur as she cut two
Oni down in a single sweep. "Luna, Artemis, go!" she
commanded.
The cat's shifted, growing to human form as they
followed Usagi and Minako, each watching their
mistress' back. Luna tossed a handful of throwing
blades into a Oni's face, staying close to Usagi even
as she scowled, "Where is the Queen?"
"That would be my question," Haruka scowled, lightning
dancing around her. A single bolt exploded the rough
cavern floor, sending Oni flying backward, but dozens
more rushed forward.
Setsuna's eyes glowed purple even as Ami sprayed the
front rank of Oni with pure cold, freezing a few where
they stood. "She's here," she murmured, "but where?"
"Buy me some time," Ami said as she drew her personal
computer from the bag and slipping her visor on.
Calling up the search program she designed for the Oni
portals she modified it, scanning the cavern for the
strongest energy signatures...
Manticore emerged from the mob, her eyes wild with
rage and grief. "How dare you follow me here?" the
rose tinted warrior cried, swinging her blade
viciously.
Usagi parried, metal ringing on metal as she met the
other woman's maddened eyes. 'Is that what I'm like,'
she wondered, 'when I fall into one of my rages?'
In deadly silence Usagi fought on, the sounds of
battle falling away around them as the Oni and Senshi
watched in awe as the duel went on. Back and forth
they went, each one only able to gain a momentary
advantage, then slowly but surely the tide turned.
Maybe it was Usagi's greater will, her determination,
but for whatever reason she began to drive Manticore
to the defensive.
"No," Manticore cried as her blade faltered, then her
mouth dropped open in shock as Usagi cut her down with
her return stroke.
Michiru watched Usagi, frowning slightly. 'She really
isn't too far from the Oni herself,' she mused, 'the
bloodline calls to her.'
The Oni fell back a bit, watching the ten warriors who
had suddenly appeared in their midst. "I think I've
found her," Ami called, "the strongest power reading
in approximately 100 meters north!"
"Guess we'll just have to break through," Makoto said,
cracking her knuckles.
"Maybe not," Sailor V murmured as she quickly moved to
murmur something to Usagi.
"You can't be serious," Usagi looked at her in
surprise.
Sailor V smiled slightly, "It's worth a try."
Usagi turned to the Oni, her long blonde hair flowing
like a banner. "AS the princess of the Oni I command
you to move aside," she said, raising her blade still
smeared with some of Manticore's blood, "or face the
consequences."
Slowly at first, then with more speed, the Oni force
parted.
"Weak," the Queen muttered from where she watched
through a silvery orb, "they're all too weak!"
"Don't worry," Mamoru said softly, "I will defend you,
m'lady."
"You and another," Serenity murmured, gazing to the
shadows.
She emerged from the darkness, short black hair
flowing around her expressionless face. Calmly Hotaru
Tomoe hefted her rune decorated glave and murmured, "I
live to serve, m'lady."
To be continued...