~~~~~~~
Chapter 3c: The other shoe drops...
~~~~~~~
-Negaverse, T-minus 7 hours
From the lifeless depths of the dark void
came the order that they had been dreading.
"It is time. Go, and do not fail me."
The three generals knelt partly in respect,
but mostly in fear. Maybe death wouldn't
be so bad after all compared to having to
live in terror and suffering for all eternity.
"As you command, Master."
But it was a millennia too late for them.
They left for the Material Plane with their individual
signatures of teleportation, smoke, cherry blossom petals,
and shards of crystal respectively. But they did not go alone.
A number of smoky, featureless wraiths went with them.
Metall'a was through with being subtle and letting
the Senshi nibble away at her resources, her string
of defeats spanning back to the Silver Millenium
had shown her that when it came to death and
destruction sometimes the old fashioned ways are best.
Instead of using one youma at a time that would quickly get
blasted into Moon dust and result in yet another loss of her
precious psychic energy this time her minions would be prepared
and numerous enough to overwhelm even that old Time Witch. It
would be amusing to watch as the mighty Sailor Pluto was slowly
broken by a thousand years of degradation at her tendrils.
Yes, the Intelligence had many plans for its hated enemies.
If the first attack failed then another would soon follow it,
and another, and another, and so on. It would strain her remaining
reserves to the limit but the end result would be worth the lost power.
Unlike Metall'a the female warriors needed to eat and rest.
For every youma that she lost two would be sent in the next
attack, but when one of the Sailor Senshi eventually fell that
would mean they would have one less for the next attack.
The Senshi were mortal, and therefore weak.
While the Gaki she had created from her own life essence were not
as strong as her greatest warriors, the Seven Shadows, they had one
cruical advantage over her lost minions, they knew their opponents. They
knew their strengths, their tactics, and most importantly of all,
their weaknesses...
It was a foolproof plan.
Too bad nobody bothered to tell a certain Cosmoknight that.
~~~~~~~
-Again that unnamed place
"A bold move, but you've left your King wide open."
The ebony Queen seemed to ooze menace as it slid into
position in front of the opposing ivory ruler.
"Queen takes pawn, Check."
~~~~~~~
-Furinkan High
"Prepare to face the wrath of the heavens, swine!"
{Doesn't this guy ever shut up?! What's his problem anyway?}
Ranma could honestly say that of all the
people and creatures he'd ever met, Kuno
was not the most annoying or even the most
thickheaded. He'd run into people back in
Rifts that made this guy look like a bona fide
genius. But the loudmouthed kendoist definitely
was up in the top ten and he had to repeat to himself
over and over that "A Knight fights only to destroy evil and defend
the innocent...this loudmouth isn't worth it...he's just stupid..."
"Hah! I see that yon base frame doth tremble at the prospect of
facing such a magnifience as mine own! Your foul hands clench in
the grip of mortal terror at the sight on my noble blade!"
{Isn't cruel and unusual punishment illegal on this world?}
"This is pointless. I'm going to class."
With that Ranma pointedly turned away and
started walking.
"You dare to try and flee from the raging
wrath of Kuno!? Take this fool!!!"
Kuno charged toward from behind with his bokken
raised overhead to deliver a deadly slash aimed
toward this insolent newcomer's back.
"Look out!"
Nabiki looked shocked by her outburst.
She wasn't the only one.
*Chungggg*
"Eh?!"
Impossible! How had the cur avoided his perfect
technique?! Instead of the satisfying sensation of his blade
striking flesh he had merely cut a sizable hole in the school
building's side.
"Blast!"
His second swing fared no better, a mere tree branch was
severed instead of the legs he had been aiming for.
This was fast wearing away the few bits of restraint that
Tatewaki possessed. Was he not the greatest warrior in this school...no,
on this planet...no, in the entire Universe!? How could this mere flea
continue to elude his righteous blows?!!
"Hold still! Cease thy infernal movement that spirits
you away from the Blue Thunder's strikes!!"
*Slash*
Miss.
*Slash*
Missed again.
*Slash*
Sorry, better luck next time.
"Um...that's the whole point of dodging."
"Silence Fiend!"
For just a brief moment he considered
just ignoring the pompous buffoon and let him
find out on his own that sticks and stones would
NOT break Ranma's bones.
"Demon! Honorless dog!! Fight me!!!"
{Ah, the heck with it.}
Throwing any pretense of caution aside, Ranma
ran straight toward Kuno and the school doors behind him.
"I have you!!"
Kuno proclaimed triumphantly as
he brought his sword to bear.
*Swish*
The running figure's lines blurred as he zoomed past
the attempt to strike him down.
At that moment the young knight did commit
an error most grievous that would bring him only more headaches
in the future. Even as he reached his class right before
the bell rang the upperclassman remained outside, frozen in
mid-swing by a small cluster of nerves in his wrist that had
been hit just right. Unmoving except for a insane fire in his
burning eyes.
For he had a perfect view of his blade and the desecration
performed upon it. It had been intended as a lesson of sorts,
to give the young man time to think about the errors of his ways
as he was forced to see the message left to him by the upstart
newcomer.
So it was that Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, did swear to have his revenge
upon the foul sorcerer, for only the most dark and vile magic could have
defeated a noble samurai warrior. He looked at his defiled sword and his
rage burned ever hotter.
Scratched deeply into the side of Tatewaki's bokken was one simple word.
[Imbecile.]
~~~~~~~
Noble Rook moved into position, putting the Dark Queen
in peril now.
"Ah, I didn't see that reversal..."
~~~~~~~~
"What the heck is he doing?"
The sounds of lots of big heavy things being
moved around was quite noticeable.
"You know how he is, always a performer at heart."
Shadow didn't look up from where he was standing
even as he answered his counterpart.
"Does he really need that many speakers?"
"Well he said he wanted to give the scenes a little more pizazz."
"More like he's going to give us a temporary case of deafness at this
rate."
The Guardian really wished he'd gotten a pair of earplugs, the
Half-elf's reputation was not without some basis in fact. In that
minstrel's hands music was literally a lethal weapon.
"I'm almost ready...."
*SSSRRRRIIIEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCHHHHH*
The feedback squeal nearly blasted the entire
gathering into next Tuesday.
"oops."
"I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO LET HIM DO THAT!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I CAN'T HEAR YOU! MAYBE IT
WAS A BAD IDEA TO LET HIM BE IN CHARGE OF THE BGM."
~~~~~~~~
Tokyo, T-minus 3 hours
"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
`Wow! This is so cool!"
"The truck!! The truck!! Watch out for that TRUCK!!!"
Driving with Mihoshi was a unique experience.
The same way skydiving without a parachute is a
unique experience. It wasn't that she was a bad driver,
rather the detective seemed to have forgotten about a
few basic concepts like inertia, gravity, and friction.
"It's just like being in a rollercoaster!"
Needless to say, Sasami was having the time of her life.
"Look out! Wrong lane!! Wrong lane!!!"
Kiyone was well on her way to a nervous breakdown.
For the umpteenth time since buckling her seatbelt at the
start of this little demolition derby from Heck she swore
that she was never going to do this again. Kiyone made
a lot of promises like that, sorta like how she always promised
herself she would get a transfer and a new partner.
"Oh...umm....now where are those brakes again?"
The Eternally Innocent Blonde was oblivious to her passenger's
reactions as it required all of her attention and reflexes at these speeds
to keep the car from winding up as a metal and glass stain
on the road.
Her partner's skin was starting to turn the same color as her hair.
Kiyone gave serious thought to praying for divine intervention.
*thunk**smash**crunch*
Mihoshi let out a nervous giggle.
"Oops! Umm.....oh well, they didn't really need that sign anyway."
Kiyone then considered fainting.
~~~~~~~
"Black Bishop moves to block."
The named piece slid into place to defend the
stronger piece from danger.
In response a white pawn knocked off one of the opposing knights.
"Cute, but that won't work a second time."
~~~~~~
-A certain temple, T-minus 1 hour 37 minutes 25 seconds
"Keiichi, have you seen Skuld?"
"No, I haven't seen her all day now that you
mention it."
"She must have gone out for ice cream again."
"I'm sure she'll be fine Belldandy, Skuld's a big
goddess now. Plus Banpei's not here either,
she probably took him along too."
"I hope you're right, I'm just worried that something
bad is about to happen...."
Once again Keiichi Morisato faced that age old dilemma.
How do you reassure a goddess that is both smarter and
more powerful then you could ever hope to be?
Well...hot tea helps.
~~~~~~
Furinkan High
"Class, I'd like you to welcome a new student recently
arrived from China, Mr Ranma Saotome."
Hushed whispering broke out.
{"He's only a sophomore?!"}
{"Wow! I thought for sure he was a senior..."}
{"Looks so mature for his age..."}
{"Sayuri! You already have a boyfriend!"}
{"You can have Daisuke, good thing I brought an extra lunch with me."}
{"No fair! Who wants that Akane chasing loser?!"}
"Uh…hi."
Ranma knew he was forgetting something important. But all the stares
he was getting since he'd entered the room were making it hard to
concentrate on remembering the customs of this time period.
"Hello Ranma!" The all female chorus replied, their voices
dripping with sugar and spice. The boys that were supposed to
be in here had all mysteriously come down with some ailment just
minutes earlier (a sudden need for spine transplants, perhaps).
The predatory undertone to their greeting were completely missed by
the uncomfortable target, though not by a glowering Akane. Just her luck
that she wound up in the same class as that...that...
{How dare he act like he's innocent! That womanizer!}
Now he remembered! He was supposed to bow
as a sign of respect to the class.
"Ranma Saotome, at your service."
Instead of the traditional polite gesture that the class
was expecting, they were treated to a bow more
fitting for a royal palace then a simple school classroom.
"Wow! It's so romantic..."
"Like a prince out of a fairytale..."
"...We must not rest until one of us dates with him!"
~~~~~~~~
Juuban District, T-minus 45 minutes
Trouble was brewing...
Skuld looked a little guilty as she exited
from the ice cream parlor, she knew she
was supposed to tell one of the others or
leave a note behind so that Belldandy, Keiichi,
and Urd (yes, even her) wouldn't worry about where
she was. But there had been a sale! A real honest to
goodness half-price on all three hundred twenty seven
flavors of that cold sweet ambrosia! Once she'd seen the
advertisement in today's paper the next thing Skuld knew
she was riding on Bampei and telling him to get the lead out.
And it had been worth it. Oh had it ever been worth it!
The sugar rush alone was enough to have the petite
techno-goddess floating a few centimeters off the ground.
Banpei, her trusty robot sidekick, was currently in scooter
mode and parked a little further down the street.
Skuld wasn't worried, Banpei's scanners would pick up
any trouble way in advance and give her plenty of time
to deal with it. Her patented super duper weapon system
would easily wipe out any possible threats if they dared to
show their faces here.
She would not have been so confident had she known that
Sailor Mercury's visor was just as high tech and the Sailor Senshi's
attacks had grown over the years to such an extent as to match even
divine craftsmanship. But Metall'a's minions had come prepared with
just such an eventuality in mind. So quietly had they crossed over that
even the Guardian of Time herself was unable to detect them...at
first. So it was that while the guardian robot's screens remained clear,
evil had already penetrated into the heart of the city and prepared to
strike the first blows of their mistress's revenge.
Skuld's morale would have plummeted even further had
she noticed the watching darkness lurking above, where
no shadows should be. A darkness that paid very close
attention to the unsuspecting Goddess...
Black Rook takes remaining Bishop.
~~~~~
Juuban District, T-minus 30 minutes
Amazingly despite Kiyone's worst fears they had all arrived
alive and in one piece. After taking a moment to kiss the sweet
ground and then another one to verbally chastise her partner
(i.e. screaming and ranting only to find that Mihoshi wasn't
paying attention again) the three finally walked into the supermarket.
For the youngest princess of Jurai, it was like stepping into her own
little world, all these yummy ingredients to cook lots of delicious
meals for everyone were stacked from floor to ceiling all around her.
The smell of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices mixed with that of
beef, fowl, fish, and cheese to become a heady perfume that tickled
and teased the palate.
Sasami loved the supermarket with a child's innocent glee, for it
was here as in the kitchen that she wielded ultimate power. Washu
knew science, Ayeka had manners and rituals, Kiyone carried the
GP manual in her heart, Ryoko could party like no one else, and
Mihoshi...Mihoshi...could...could...karaoke and knew the story
of every soap opera in known Universe. But when it came to
cooking, it was Sasami who they all bowed down to.
Kiyone and Mihoshi quickly became loaded down by the little
sprite's shopping list. Surprisingly there weren't many people
shopping that day which left the usually bustling building rather
quiet.
In the silence a certain stomach growled.
"Mihoshi!"
"Waa! I'm sorry, but I'm just so hungry Kiyone!"
"You just ate a few hours ago!"
"But that was just breakfast!"
"Well just wait till we get back to the house!"
"I...I...I can't!"
"Mi...ho...shi!"
"Waa!"
*Boom**Crash**
"Oh no!"
"This is all your fault Mihoshi!"
"I'm sorry!"
"Why me?! If I've offended some unknown deity and am
being punished for it by this...then I'm sorry already!!"
"Kiyone!!"
"*Ack*...can't....breathe...let go..Mihoshi..."
"Kiyone!!"
A flood of tears worthy of the Anything Goes School
poured onto the rapidly turning blue officer's new skirt.
"...*gasp*...*everything going dark*...*must escape
from hug of death*..."
Somewhere in the excitement the third
member of their party had vanished.
~~~~
The White Queen took the other rook.
Now both sides had completely lost an advantage in the field.
Yet Black still held the upper hand.
{What are you planning old friend? This stratagem is only
delaying the inevitable. You can't hope to win by staying on the
defensive, not against me at any rate.....what are you up to?}
(to be continued)
Chapter 3c: The other shoe drops...
~~~~~~~
-Negaverse, T-minus 7 hours
From the lifeless depths of the dark void
came the order that they had been dreading.
"It is time. Go, and do not fail me."
The three generals knelt partly in respect,
but mostly in fear. Maybe death wouldn't
be so bad after all compared to having to
live in terror and suffering for all eternity.
"As you command, Master."
But it was a millennia too late for them.
They left for the Material Plane with their individual
signatures of teleportation, smoke, cherry blossom petals,
and shards of crystal respectively. But they did not go alone.
A number of smoky, featureless wraiths went with them.
Metall'a was through with being subtle and letting
the Senshi nibble away at her resources, her string
of defeats spanning back to the Silver Millenium
had shown her that when it came to death and
destruction sometimes the old fashioned ways are best.
Instead of using one youma at a time that would quickly get
blasted into Moon dust and result in yet another loss of her
precious psychic energy this time her minions would be prepared
and numerous enough to overwhelm even that old Time Witch. It
would be amusing to watch as the mighty Sailor Pluto was slowly
broken by a thousand years of degradation at her tendrils.
Yes, the Intelligence had many plans for its hated enemies.
If the first attack failed then another would soon follow it,
and another, and another, and so on. It would strain her remaining
reserves to the limit but the end result would be worth the lost power.
Unlike Metall'a the female warriors needed to eat and rest.
For every youma that she lost two would be sent in the next
attack, but when one of the Sailor Senshi eventually fell that
would mean they would have one less for the next attack.
The Senshi were mortal, and therefore weak.
While the Gaki she had created from her own life essence were not
as strong as her greatest warriors, the Seven Shadows, they had one
cruical advantage over her lost minions, they knew their opponents. They
knew their strengths, their tactics, and most importantly of all,
their weaknesses...
It was a foolproof plan.
Too bad nobody bothered to tell a certain Cosmoknight that.
~~~~~~~
-Again that unnamed place
"A bold move, but you've left your King wide open."
The ebony Queen seemed to ooze menace as it slid into
position in front of the opposing ivory ruler.
"Queen takes pawn, Check."
~~~~~~~
-Furinkan High
"Prepare to face the wrath of the heavens, swine!"
{Doesn't this guy ever shut up?! What's his problem anyway?}
Ranma could honestly say that of all the
people and creatures he'd ever met, Kuno
was not the most annoying or even the most
thickheaded. He'd run into people back in
Rifts that made this guy look like a bona fide
genius. But the loudmouthed kendoist definitely
was up in the top ten and he had to repeat to himself
over and over that "A Knight fights only to destroy evil and defend
the innocent...this loudmouth isn't worth it...he's just stupid..."
"Hah! I see that yon base frame doth tremble at the prospect of
facing such a magnifience as mine own! Your foul hands clench in
the grip of mortal terror at the sight on my noble blade!"
{Isn't cruel and unusual punishment illegal on this world?}
"This is pointless. I'm going to class."
With that Ranma pointedly turned away and
started walking.
"You dare to try and flee from the raging
wrath of Kuno!? Take this fool!!!"
Kuno charged toward from behind with his bokken
raised overhead to deliver a deadly slash aimed
toward this insolent newcomer's back.
"Look out!"
Nabiki looked shocked by her outburst.
She wasn't the only one.
*Chungggg*
"Eh?!"
Impossible! How had the cur avoided his perfect
technique?! Instead of the satisfying sensation of his blade
striking flesh he had merely cut a sizable hole in the school
building's side.
"Blast!"
His second swing fared no better, a mere tree branch was
severed instead of the legs he had been aiming for.
This was fast wearing away the few bits of restraint that
Tatewaki possessed. Was he not the greatest warrior in this school...no,
on this planet...no, in the entire Universe!? How could this mere flea
continue to elude his righteous blows?!!
"Hold still! Cease thy infernal movement that spirits
you away from the Blue Thunder's strikes!!"
*Slash*
Miss.
*Slash*
Missed again.
*Slash*
Sorry, better luck next time.
"Um...that's the whole point of dodging."
"Silence Fiend!"
For just a brief moment he considered
just ignoring the pompous buffoon and let him
find out on his own that sticks and stones would
NOT break Ranma's bones.
"Demon! Honorless dog!! Fight me!!!"
{Ah, the heck with it.}
Throwing any pretense of caution aside, Ranma
ran straight toward Kuno and the school doors behind him.
"I have you!!"
Kuno proclaimed triumphantly as
he brought his sword to bear.
*Swish*
The running figure's lines blurred as he zoomed past
the attempt to strike him down.
At that moment the young knight did commit
an error most grievous that would bring him only more headaches
in the future. Even as he reached his class right before
the bell rang the upperclassman remained outside, frozen in
mid-swing by a small cluster of nerves in his wrist that had
been hit just right. Unmoving except for a insane fire in his
burning eyes.
For he had a perfect view of his blade and the desecration
performed upon it. It had been intended as a lesson of sorts,
to give the young man time to think about the errors of his ways
as he was forced to see the message left to him by the upstart
newcomer.
So it was that Tatewaki Kuno, age 17, did swear to have his revenge
upon the foul sorcerer, for only the most dark and vile magic could have
defeated a noble samurai warrior. He looked at his defiled sword and his
rage burned ever hotter.
Scratched deeply into the side of Tatewaki's bokken was one simple word.
[Imbecile.]
~~~~~~~
Noble Rook moved into position, putting the Dark Queen
in peril now.
"Ah, I didn't see that reversal..."
~~~~~~~~
"What the heck is he doing?"
The sounds of lots of big heavy things being
moved around was quite noticeable.
"You know how he is, always a performer at heart."
Shadow didn't look up from where he was standing
even as he answered his counterpart.
"Does he really need that many speakers?"
"Well he said he wanted to give the scenes a little more pizazz."
"More like he's going to give us a temporary case of deafness at this
rate."
The Guardian really wished he'd gotten a pair of earplugs, the
Half-elf's reputation was not without some basis in fact. In that
minstrel's hands music was literally a lethal weapon.
"I'm almost ready...."
*SSSRRRRIIIEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCHHHHH*
The feedback squeal nearly blasted the entire
gathering into next Tuesday.
"oops."
"I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA TO LET HIM DO THAT!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I CAN'T HEAR YOU! MAYBE IT
WAS A BAD IDEA TO LET HIM BE IN CHARGE OF THE BGM."
~~~~~~~~
Tokyo, T-minus 3 hours
"AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
`Wow! This is so cool!"
"The truck!! The truck!! Watch out for that TRUCK!!!"
Driving with Mihoshi was a unique experience.
The same way skydiving without a parachute is a
unique experience. It wasn't that she was a bad driver,
rather the detective seemed to have forgotten about a
few basic concepts like inertia, gravity, and friction.
"It's just like being in a rollercoaster!"
Needless to say, Sasami was having the time of her life.
"Look out! Wrong lane!! Wrong lane!!!"
Kiyone was well on her way to a nervous breakdown.
For the umpteenth time since buckling her seatbelt at the
start of this little demolition derby from Heck she swore
that she was never going to do this again. Kiyone made
a lot of promises like that, sorta like how she always promised
herself she would get a transfer and a new partner.
"Oh...umm....now where are those brakes again?"
The Eternally Innocent Blonde was oblivious to her passenger's
reactions as it required all of her attention and reflexes at these speeds
to keep the car from winding up as a metal and glass stain
on the road.
Her partner's skin was starting to turn the same color as her hair.
Kiyone gave serious thought to praying for divine intervention.
*thunk**smash**crunch*
Mihoshi let out a nervous giggle.
"Oops! Umm.....oh well, they didn't really need that sign anyway."
Kiyone then considered fainting.
~~~~~~~
"Black Bishop moves to block."
The named piece slid into place to defend the
stronger piece from danger.
In response a white pawn knocked off one of the opposing knights.
"Cute, but that won't work a second time."
~~~~~~
-A certain temple, T-minus 1 hour 37 minutes 25 seconds
"Keiichi, have you seen Skuld?"
"No, I haven't seen her all day now that you
mention it."
"She must have gone out for ice cream again."
"I'm sure she'll be fine Belldandy, Skuld's a big
goddess now. Plus Banpei's not here either,
she probably took him along too."
"I hope you're right, I'm just worried that something
bad is about to happen...."
Once again Keiichi Morisato faced that age old dilemma.
How do you reassure a goddess that is both smarter and
more powerful then you could ever hope to be?
Well...hot tea helps.
~~~~~~
Furinkan High
"Class, I'd like you to welcome a new student recently
arrived from China, Mr Ranma Saotome."
Hushed whispering broke out.
{"He's only a sophomore?!"}
{"Wow! I thought for sure he was a senior..."}
{"Looks so mature for his age..."}
{"Sayuri! You already have a boyfriend!"}
{"You can have Daisuke, good thing I brought an extra lunch with me."}
{"No fair! Who wants that Akane chasing loser?!"}
"Uh…hi."
Ranma knew he was forgetting something important. But all the stares
he was getting since he'd entered the room were making it hard to
concentrate on remembering the customs of this time period.
"Hello Ranma!" The all female chorus replied, their voices
dripping with sugar and spice. The boys that were supposed to
be in here had all mysteriously come down with some ailment just
minutes earlier (a sudden need for spine transplants, perhaps).
The predatory undertone to their greeting were completely missed by
the uncomfortable target, though not by a glowering Akane. Just her luck
that she wound up in the same class as that...that...
{How dare he act like he's innocent! That womanizer!}
Now he remembered! He was supposed to bow
as a sign of respect to the class.
"Ranma Saotome, at your service."
Instead of the traditional polite gesture that the class
was expecting, they were treated to a bow more
fitting for a royal palace then a simple school classroom.
"Wow! It's so romantic..."
"Like a prince out of a fairytale..."
"...We must not rest until one of us dates with him!"
~~~~~~~~
Juuban District, T-minus 45 minutes
Trouble was brewing...
Skuld looked a little guilty as she exited
from the ice cream parlor, she knew she
was supposed to tell one of the others or
leave a note behind so that Belldandy, Keiichi,
and Urd (yes, even her) wouldn't worry about where
she was. But there had been a sale! A real honest to
goodness half-price on all three hundred twenty seven
flavors of that cold sweet ambrosia! Once she'd seen the
advertisement in today's paper the next thing Skuld knew
she was riding on Bampei and telling him to get the lead out.
And it had been worth it. Oh had it ever been worth it!
The sugar rush alone was enough to have the petite
techno-goddess floating a few centimeters off the ground.
Banpei, her trusty robot sidekick, was currently in scooter
mode and parked a little further down the street.
Skuld wasn't worried, Banpei's scanners would pick up
any trouble way in advance and give her plenty of time
to deal with it. Her patented super duper weapon system
would easily wipe out any possible threats if they dared to
show their faces here.
She would not have been so confident had she known that
Sailor Mercury's visor was just as high tech and the Sailor Senshi's
attacks had grown over the years to such an extent as to match even
divine craftsmanship. But Metall'a's minions had come prepared with
just such an eventuality in mind. So quietly had they crossed over that
even the Guardian of Time herself was unable to detect them...at
first. So it was that while the guardian robot's screens remained clear,
evil had already penetrated into the heart of the city and prepared to
strike the first blows of their mistress's revenge.
Skuld's morale would have plummeted even further had
she noticed the watching darkness lurking above, where
no shadows should be. A darkness that paid very close
attention to the unsuspecting Goddess...
Black Rook takes remaining Bishop.
~~~~~
Juuban District, T-minus 30 minutes
Amazingly despite Kiyone's worst fears they had all arrived
alive and in one piece. After taking a moment to kiss the sweet
ground and then another one to verbally chastise her partner
(i.e. screaming and ranting only to find that Mihoshi wasn't
paying attention again) the three finally walked into the supermarket.
For the youngest princess of Jurai, it was like stepping into her own
little world, all these yummy ingredients to cook lots of delicious
meals for everyone were stacked from floor to ceiling all around her.
The smell of fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices mixed with that of
beef, fowl, fish, and cheese to become a heady perfume that tickled
and teased the palate.
Sasami loved the supermarket with a child's innocent glee, for it
was here as in the kitchen that she wielded ultimate power. Washu
knew science, Ayeka had manners and rituals, Kiyone carried the
GP manual in her heart, Ryoko could party like no one else, and
Mihoshi...Mihoshi...could...could...karaoke and knew the story
of every soap opera in known Universe. But when it came to
cooking, it was Sasami who they all bowed down to.
Kiyone and Mihoshi quickly became loaded down by the little
sprite's shopping list. Surprisingly there weren't many people
shopping that day which left the usually bustling building rather
quiet.
In the silence a certain stomach growled.
"Mihoshi!"
"Waa! I'm sorry, but I'm just so hungry Kiyone!"
"You just ate a few hours ago!"
"But that was just breakfast!"
"Well just wait till we get back to the house!"
"I...I...I can't!"
"Mi...ho...shi!"
"Waa!"
*Boom**Crash**
"Oh no!"
"This is all your fault Mihoshi!"
"I'm sorry!"
"Why me?! If I've offended some unknown deity and am
being punished for it by this...then I'm sorry already!!"
"Kiyone!!"
"*Ack*...can't....breathe...let go..Mihoshi..."
"Kiyone!!"
A flood of tears worthy of the Anything Goes School
poured onto the rapidly turning blue officer's new skirt.
"...*gasp*...*everything going dark*...*must escape
from hug of death*..."
Somewhere in the excitement the third
member of their party had vanished.
~~~~
The White Queen took the other rook.
Now both sides had completely lost an advantage in the field.
Yet Black still held the upper hand.
{What are you planning old friend? This stratagem is only
delaying the inevitable. You can't hope to win by staying on the
defensive, not against me at any rate.....what are you up to?}
(to be continued)
