Episode Eighteen, Part Two
As Serena and Amy were talking about the past, Jessica was doing something a little more specific to the present; observing Phacia.
She was unsure as what to make of her. She was giving out so many different conflicting vibes that it was almost impossible for her to see them. And it was aggravating to her.
Ever since she was a little girl, she had always felt a great deal of pride at being to determine who a person was, just by looking at them. It was a sixth sense that she had honed over the years, since her Mother's death. With that sense, she as able to tell if a person was trying to be someone they weren't.
With Phacia, she didn't get that. As far as she could tell, the older woman was exactly as she appeared to be; kind, gentle, helpful, and with a kind of serenity that some people could only dream to have. On the one hand, it meant she could be trusted.
But on the other hand, even if she was all that she appeared, there was a sense of fear about her, like she had something to hide. She wasn't sure what it was, only that she was.
"Are you going to stop watching her like she's an insect?" a voice asked next to her. She quickly recognized it as Sailor Mars, simply by the tone of her voice. "I mean, she hasn't done anything wrong to warrant that kind of attention."
Jessica shrugged. "I'm curious about her," she replied. "I mean… something is off about her. I just don't know what it is." She turned her attention slightly away. "Am I being paranoid?"
"Well..." Rei was silent for a second as she gathered own thoughts on the matter, "I don't sense any kind of threat from her… but you're right. She's hiding something… something she doesn't want us to know."
"Just nothing dangerous?"
"Nothing dangerous."
Jessica nodded, before looking at her in curiosity. "How can you tell?"
Rei smiled. "I have pretty impressive psychic powers. I can sense when someone has evil intentions, and can even locate monsters if I focus hard enough." She paused for a second. "Actually, now that I think about it, I'm not that impressive yet."
"You're probably better than I am, and I'm not afraid to admit it."
"How so?"
Jessica grinned. "I'm still learning to be a priestess," she explained. "And I'm learning quite a bit… but that does require me to actually be at the Shrine." Her grin became a little more self conscious. "I'm only halfway through my training, when I should already be at my final trials."
Rei nodded in understanding. Despite her own age, she was already a fully trained Shinto Priestess. "Because you're always on some adventure?" she guessed.
"And trying to help people in need."
"Pretty selfless, if you ask me."
Jessica shrugged again. "Not as selfless as you think. Truth is, I'm bored at the Temple. I mean, I can't stand being behind closed walls for huge amounts of time, listening to someone drone in a classroom about the glory of the Goddess, and how she had given us the gift of healing magic. I can't really stand it when they say that we are the elite, the chosen of the Goddess." She sighed. "Problem is, no one wants to hear that from an acolyte. They don't want to admit that I have a point."
Rei frowned at that, somewhat mystified by this viewpoint. Ever since reaching Vane, she had been reading up on how magic worked on Lunar. From what she could gather from the number of books she had looked through, only a select number of people actually possessed magic. The rest of the population were simply unable to learn it.
Jessica correctly guessed what the Fire Senshi was thinking. "Althena wouldn't make magic something that only a select few could use," she replied to the unspoken question. "If that were the case, I'd still be in Meribia, working on my mace swing. Anybody with beastman blood in them are supposed to be unable to perform magic of any kind, due to our temperament. And yet here I am, able to use healing magic."
"… … I'm beginning to see your point. So, what you're saying is that the Order of Althena are falsifying the teachings of your Goddess, so they can control who joins them."
"More like misinterpreting them. They don't really go out and say that we're the privileged, just special… but the implication is there. It's hidden in the meaning of the words… like we're the only one's who deserve the power, and that the rest of them should be grateful that we take the time to help them."
Well, when she put it like that, that didn't sit well for Rei, and for many reasons. While the power she possessed was very selective, it wasn't hers alone. Her grandfather had always taught her that if you are granted such power, then you had a responsibility to use such power in the defense of others.
But another one of this lessons was that anyone could learn how to use magic… if one was willing to pay the price it had.
"You know, you're right," she said after a good long moment. "I think they are misinterpreting the Goddess's teachings..."
-
Lilika, perhaps unsurprisingly enough, was the first to detect it.
Her magic was predominately ground based, so she was uniquely tuned to the vibration of the earth around her… even when on a horse. Her gaze began fluttering about, which confused Mimi and Palmon quite a bit. Her next words confused them even more; "Does anyone else feel that?"
The second person to detect it was, surprisingly enough, Serena, as she brought her horse to a halt, head tilting to the side somewhat. Her expression grew more and concerned as the seconds passed.
Amy brought her own horse to a halt, realizing that something had caught her 'sister's' attention. Something that was making her concerned. "Serena?" she asked softly, not even needing to verbalize the question.
Serena nodded. "North-East," she replied, eyes narrowing. "It sounds like… galloping. Multiple horses, all moving in the same direction."
Now, let it be known that in the past, Serena Tsukino had many, many faults. She was clumsy, had a short attention span, could be a cry baby on some days, and couldn't do stealth if her life depended on it. But one thing she could never be faulted for was not having a sharp sense of hearing. When she focused, she could hear the sound of a penny drop drop almost thirty feet away. And that was during the busiest time in Tokyo, when the noise was at its highest level.
Here, in the presence of only twenty plus people that had quieted down as soon as Lilika had said something, in a wide open space where only the occasional bird tweeted, she could hear even better and further without really straining herself. And what she heard… she suspected you didn't hear often on Lunar.
Amy's computer was out, and she was scanning in the direction Serena had pointed out, even as Greg looked around. "I can hear them," he said. "They're still a ways out, but they're getting closer. "You?"
"Definitely. It's probably just a caravan of travelers, but better safe than sorry, dear."
As it turned out, no truer words had ever been spoken, as her scan picked up quite a few things. Things that concerned her. And, as she had taken the time to read up on current Lunarian affairs, her concerns were justified.
"We have a rather large group of people approaching our position," she reported. "They are armed to the teeth, and have quite a lot of stuff with them that most likely isn't theirs."
Jessica and Phacia both cursed, even as the rest of them paled at this. While not unfamiliar with thieves and the like, those from Earth had only known about organized crime through the news and their school classes. Not a single one of them had ever experienced being burglarized, or been robbed. And despite everything they had experienced so far, Alex and Luna Two had been sheltered by Burg and the Weird Woods their whole lives.
Jessica, on the other hand, knew exactly what the brigands would do if they came across their little group. None of it pleasant in varying degrees. At best, they would try and take everything from them. At worst… well, she tried not to think about it.
Phacia knew all of this as well, and even more. For the most part, if a rogue wasn't in a city, then they usually joined up with others. Entire villages had been known to simply cease to exist if these groups were large enough. Caravans rarely left without a fully armed escort, and sometimes even that wasn't enough.
Now, from what she had heard about this group of adventurers, they were more than capable of handling themselves against any adversary they came across, but it was also clear that they would try to avoid any sort of confrontation if possible. And, if she was correct, Amy was already looking for an alternative. She just hoped that she was fast enough to find one.
Her hopes were answered when Amy finally stated, "There's a small woods about half a mile to the west! We can hide in there!" And, as she had learned from Serena, Amy was not someone who gave out bad advice. No orders were given out. They all simply bolted.
The woods, it seemed, was more than willing to accommodate them. It was a lot thicker than first glances gave it credit for, and there were plenty of hiding spots for them to use. Without waiting for directions, most of them began hiding in the foliage. The kids and the digimon all scrambled up trees, making sure to put themselves into areas that weren't too high up, but were also high enough that they weren't visible.
Amy activated her visor, keeping her attention focused on the group that was fast approaching. While it was a good idea to conceal themselves, she also knew that it might not be enough to dissuade the incoming group if they decided to look for them. It all depended on how badly they wanted them and/or their supplies.
The group of dots approached their location, getting closer and closer without signs of stopping. Power began to slowly collect in Mimi's hand. Palmon, who was right next to her, caught sight of this, and grabbed her hand. "Don't," she whispered, getting Mimi's attention. "You'll give away our position."
Mimi looked at her in surprise, then down at her own hand, powering down immediately. That… hadn't been a conscious act. It was as if dormant instincts had risen to the surface, instincts that wanted her to attack this potential threat before it could attack them. It warred against common sense, that dictated that she and the others hide, until the threat had passed, or it was no longer possible. It was something she never thought she would be having issues with.
"Thanks, Palmon," she replied, shelving this for later. Trying to figure out what was going on with her was better explored when one was not trying to hide from cutthroats and thieves.
Fortunately, it looked as those their time of hiding was coming to an end, as Amy finally let out a sigh of relief. "They're moving off," she reported, a slight smile appearing. "It looks like they're heading towards the Nanza Barrier. We're safe… for the moment."
Tai let out a breath that he hadn't even realized he had been holding. "That was close," he grumbled, helping the kids down from the tree they were in. "At least it gets your heart pumping."
"Somehow, I don't think that when Doctors and Healers suggest cardiovascular exercise, running from brigands is the way to do that," Joe said.
"Whatever works," Jupiter replied, stretching out. "So, what now? Do we keep going?"
"We take a break, and have something to eat." Phacia pulled some food from her bag. "Bandits have a tendency to circle back if they think their quarry has managed to give them the slip. If we remain here until we can ascertain where they are going, we can get the jump on them if they return." Her attention shifted over to Jessica. "What do you think, Lady deAlkirk?"
Jessica nodded, a little surprised that the older woman was asking for her opinion. "It's a sound plan. What about you, Alex?"
The young man thought about it for a second. "Let's eat, and go from there," he said. "After all, it's not like we're on a time table or anything."
Izzy nodded. "I can calculate their exact path, while Amy tracks their movements. This way, we can chart a course that will let us go around them."
"Good idea. Get started."
"And while you do that…" Mimi moved over to Izzy, "I want to talk to you all about something..."
-
Lunch was pretty quiet, and filled with tension. Aside from the fact that getting a fire started in a place like their current hiding spot was a hazard waiting to happen, they also didn't want to be spotted. Smoke had a funny habit of working like that on a sunny day.
Phacia leaned against a tree as she ate, watching the others as they talked quietly among themselves. Before, it was simply banter. Now, it was words of comfort, trying to keep their spirits up as they waited. 'And not to mention words of caution,' she mused quietly, as she watched the human Luna put a gentle hand on Alex's shoulder. (She refused to call her Luna Two, simply because it made her uncomfortable.) 'Understandable, as we have no idea whether or not they will turn around and come for us.'
In fact, the only one who wasn't doling out any sentiments of any kind was Jessica de Alkirk, who was keeping herself busy with her own meal. It seemed that manners were something that she took very seriously… or perhaps it was food she took seriously.
Phacia knew that she would have to talk to the young beast woman eventually, if for no other reason than to satiate her own curiosity. The fact that Jessica hadn't even spoken to her yet was very surprising. Maybe she just wasn't as gung-ho when it came to asking questions… or maybe it was something else entirely.
Deciding to make the first move, the older woman stood up, and went over to her. "Is it all right if I join you?" she asked pleasantly.
Jessica looked up sharply, a little surprised to see her standing next to her. She hadn't expected this by a long shot, though she probably should have. "Of course," she replied after a second. "I've been meaning to talk to you anyway."
Phacia sat down, smoothing her robes out a bit. Taking a bit of time to collect herself. Once she had gathered enough courage, she finally asked, "Why do you adventure?"
"...Why do I adventure?"
"Instead of staying at the Shrine and completing your education. It can't simply be because you are bored."
Jessica thought about it for a second, thoroughly stumped. No one had ever asked her that question before. Most of the time, the Priests would simply shake their heads in exasperation before sending her to the kitchens for her punishment. And Sailor Maes simply accepted it at face value. "It's not just boredom," she finally started with. "I grew up with my Dad telling me stories of all his adventures he and the other Four Heroes had had, of all the people they had met and saved, and who eventually helped them in turn. I figured. Why should I stay safe behind marble halls, while others fight to protect us?" She smiled. "I like helping people. I get a feeling of accomplishment, that I'm doing something that will help someone else.
"But what about your studies? I mean, becoming a Healer is one of the greatest callings a person can answer."
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I love learning how to be a Healer, but I can do that just as easily on the road as I can in a classroom. A Healer can be so much more, learn so much more, by actually being out there, meeting the people."
It was a perfectly valid explanation. Phacia could certainly see the merits of it. The Priesthood of the Althena did cloister themselves behind their walls for the most part, relying on information from the outside world coming to them. It was probably the only thing she didn't like about their religion; the pseudo-isolation they chose to exercise.
"You know," she began, "I had many of the same thoughts concerning their policies. It's one of the reasons why I decided to come out here; to have an adventure and see the rest of Lunar." Her gaze became pensive, as she looked around. "Sometimes, I wonder if they see it."
"See what?"
"The beauty of Lunar. Almost everyone I have ever spoken to speaks of the graceful slopes of the Shrine, the architecture of Meribia, or the awe inspiring feat that is Vane. I hear of the incredible beauty of Kemeka, and they are all beautiful. But I have not once heard about the simple natural beauty of the forest, or how the sun rising or setting on the horizon creates a scene that painters would be envious about. How about the calm tranquility of a lake? Little things like that."
Jessica thought about it for a second, before coming to the realization that... she was right. She also heard nothing but praise concerning the man made structures of Lunar, or the magical achievements that came from man. But there was very little in the way of complements concerning what Althena herself created. And it made her sad to realize this. "Well… I think that it's because they see this every day. It simply does not hold the same allure to them," she replied after a moment. "As such, they tend to talk more about that which they haven't seen before." She smiled bashfully. "I'm kind of guilty of that myself. I mean, I see the trees every single day, and they don't really look any different from any other tree in the region."
"On the contrary; every single tree is different. Some are thicker than others. Some have star shaped leaves, while others have a single point. Some trees are quite young, while others are hundreds of years old." The older woman put a hand on the tree she was leaning against, smiling lightly. "What I'm trying to say is that every single tree has a story, and it can be an incredible story. One must learn to listen, if they wish to hear them."
It was a pretty cryptic statement, to be honest. Jessica wasn't sure what to make of it, only that it seemed pretty important. And for Phacia to make mention of something that she never even though about… that very few on Lunar even though about. It also sounded pretty cryptic, like there was a hidden meaning behind those words.
She did know one thing, though. If nothing else, the older woman at least didn't take the Silver Star for granted…
"They're coming back down the same path," Izzy reported, his eyes glued to the screen of his computer while Mimi sat next to him, head on his shoulder. "Judging from their trajectory, it appears that they're not heading directly for us." He frowned. "I'll keep an eye on their trajectory, and see if I can triangulate the final destination."
Tai nodded, taking that as a sign that he should leave his resident computer geek alone to do his job. He quickly made his way over to where Sora was, and sat down next to her. "Hopefully, Izzy can chart a path for us that keeps us away from those guys."
"Meanwhile, we're stuck here for who knows how long," Sora muttered, looking over at her horse as she grazed nearby. She pulled her Secar Triad deck out and began going through it. "If I knew that I was going to be dragged into a parallel reality, I would have brought my cassette player. Either that, or a book. Just so I had something to do."
"Your Mom didn't get you a CD Player?"
"She did. I just rather use my cassette player. Less chance of it skipping on me as I walk."
"Oh… well, I guess I can see where you're coming from with that." Tai pulled out his two books. "Here," he said, handing one over to Sora. "This was next to the book pertaining to the Warriors of Courage, and I picked it up as well. This is pertaining to the Heresy Wars, and is pretty informative about the other Crests."
"Really?" That was something she didn't even think about. She didn't even have to ask any more questions concerning the subject. There was only one set of Crests that they knew about. And since the Crest of Courage was already known to be here, it stood to reason that the others were as well. "So, where can I find information on my Crest?"
"Page 256, I think. It's about twenty pages of every single lady who held the Crest. In fact… we know one of them."
"Oh? Who?" Sora asked, flipping to the page in question.
"… My Mom."
Sora looked over at him, more than a little surprised. Tai's father being the Warrior of Courage was one thing, but Tai's mother? That was definitely something that was unexpected. She looked at the page, and found that he was right.
After a second to process this, she asked, "Does Kari know about this?"
He shook his head. "No. I haven't told her about Dad, either. I mean, I don't know how to. I'm still trying to come to grips with this." He sighed. "Why, though? Why didn't they tell us?"
"Maybe they thought you were too young."
"After the Digital World? I don't think they were ever planning to tell us."
Sadly, she was force to agree with him there. After the Digital World, they were no longer the innocent children they had been. Too much had changed for them.
"They probably didn't know how to tell you," she finally suggested. "They had to have been about our age. They most likely put it behind them, and didn't want to think about it again."
"...You're probably right," Tai grumbled as he considered her explanation. His lips quirked a bit. "I think they got our Crests all mixed up. You should have been the Keeper of Knowledge."
Sora smiled as she turned her attention back to the book. That was high praise coming from him, and she was grateful for that.
-
Amy leaned back against Greg as her computer beeped quietly, tracking the bandits path as they moved. She wasn't paying full attention to it, as she had long since perfected the art of multitasking. Some of her attention was focused on Greg's hand as it rubbed small circles over the back of hers, while was focused on Serena and Darien, who were doing something similar. Really, it was remarkable to watch, if one knew what to look for.
"She is a study of contrasts, isn't she?" Greg murmured quietly as he smirked at Amy, knowing fully well what she was doing.
Amy gasped in mock astonishment at this, knowing that he was only teasing her. "Greg Urawa, are you implying that I watch Serena for no other reason than scientific curiosity? For shame, good sir. For shame."
The young man chuckled. "In all seriousness though, I'm glad everything is working out between them. I heard it got a bit tense for a few months."
"It definitely was," she murmured, her back stiffening slightly at the reminder of Crystal Tokyo. "When we get to the age of Crystal Tokyo, remind me to slap Darien upside his head for that little stunt."
Greg nodded, his humor growing at this. Amy could get quite violent when it came to Serena's happiness, and vice versa. And speaking of that… "So, quick question; during the age of the Silver Millennium, how crazy did it get with trying to set them up?"
Amy started giggling, even as Serena and Darien's attention was piqued. "It got pretty crazy," she replied. "Mother was hell bent on getting them together, and not just because of the political benefits of a union between the Moon and Earth Kingdoms. There were moments when they were locked in broom closets after being shoved in one… completely by accident. There were walks through the gardens where Mother just 'happened' to set up but did not attend. It was really mysterious."
"And I called bull on that every single time," Serena added, shifting slightly to get more comfortable. "Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three and more is a pattern." She glowered at Amy. "Besides, she didn't do the same for you, my Goddess."
"She never got the chance, my Heart. And it worked… after I got involved."
"And I got you both back for that."
Amy smirked. "We still got you two together, so being forced to wear clothes that not only clashed with my hair, but common sense, was worth it." She paused. "Though I think making Mother's skin multiple neon stripes may have been a bit much."
Darien began to chuckle at this. "I wish I could remember that. It sounds like it was a very good time."
Serena started to laugh. "It definitely was," she agreed. "Earth lit dinners on the balcony. The aforementioned walks in the garden. We were even locked in a bedroom once."
"Don't forget all of the aforementioned broom closets," Amy added helpfully. "Grant you, nothing we did compared to our first meeting with you, Darien while we were swimming. Completely by accident, mind you. And it was your general's fault in the first place."
Greg blinked at that statement. "Were you… wearing something at least?" he asked after a second.
Darien looked down at Serena curiously, wanting to know as well. Despite being a good man, he would have had to be cold as ice not to wonder the same thing. "Good question. You know, just so I have another memory of my past life, of course."
The girls traded mischievous looks at that. "Of course," Amy mocked, grinning. "Sadly, Greg, Darien… that is for us to know, and you to deduce."
Serena laughed at the dejected looks on their faces. 'And who said Amy can't tease?' she thought gleefully. 'Besides, its none of their business… yet.'
It was a somewhat humorous night, in hindsight… especially after the day they had had…
Her musings were cut short when the Mercury Computer pinged, letting them know that it had finished its calculations. She shook her head at that. 'Technology can be so irritating sometimes,' she thought.
With a small apology to Greg, and an accompanying whine of protest from the aforementioned man, Amy got up, heading over to Izzy. "I've finished extrapolating their destination," she said. "Can you see if there are any structures nearby that they might be using as a base of operations?"
"Of course." Izzy fed the coordinates into his computer, Mimi shifting slightly so she could see the screen a little better. "Okay, there is a structure on their projected path, about six miles away. This is most likely their destination."
Amy nodded, before turning to Jupiter. "Hey, Lita, do you have map on you?" Lit nodded, handing it over to her. She quickly a look at it, then at the screen. "Damn it," she growled. "Everyone, we have a problem."
Everyone's attention focused on her almost immediately. Or rather, the Scouts focused on her immediately, with the rest of them following shortly thereafter. When she said that, then you knew that it was serious.
"What is it?" Nash asked.
Izzy sighed. "We have calculated their trajectory and most likely destination, and it appears that they are heading for the shrine, just like us."
Nall let out a hiss as everyone traded worried looks with one another. In the time they had been together, they had learned one very important thing; that shrines, even abandoned ones, were considered safe havens for those in need. If the bandits had turned such a place into their hideout, they had essentially desecrated a holy site.
"Mercury, can your computer tell us if they have actually entered the shrine or its grounds, or if they simply set up camp near it?" Jessica inquired urgently.
Amy shook her head. "It's good, but not that good. We'll need to be in visual range for it to be effective. I can then tell you exactly what we're dealing with, and how large the opposition is. By the way way, what is considered a large force on Lunar?"
Phacia rose up. "If the bandits are lucky, about five hundred swords," she replied. "Around a hundred bowmen, and possibly one or two healers." Her gaze shifted slightly. "The real danger won't be in their numbers, but in how well they are trained. Most bandits who amass usually have had stints as soldiers."
"And have either fallen on hard times, or were kicked out due to criminal activities," Artemis finished, shaking his head sadly. It seems that no matter the universe, the same problems existed.
Nash nodded. "Well, since we know where they are heading, what do we do?" he asked. "Because I'm going to assume that turning back isn't an option."
"You assume right," Tai replied firmly. "If they're planning on desecrating a spiritual site, then we need to stop them from doing that."
"Just wanted to make sure." Not that he disagreed. The spiritual purity of a shrine was of the utmost importance to the Shrines. Most of them were jointly run by Mages and Priests alike. If there was even a hint of taint, the magical efficiency would drop substantially. And removing such taint was time consuming, and difficult. Better to cut it off at the pass, as it were.
Phacia, it seemed, shared that sentiment. "We will have to get to them, first," she reminded them. "Our best option, if they haven't been using the site as a base of operation, is to simply go around them. If they have entered the grounds… then we will have to find a way to lure them out."
Serena stood up, an unusually intense look in her eyes. "Well, we're not going to do that if we just sit around here," she declared. "Let's get to the site, and go from there. After all, we know more about them than they do about us. We should be able to out-think them."
Luna One's eyes widened a bit at this assertiveness. Never before had she heard such a tone come from the Moon Princess, even during the Silver Millennium. Yet another subtle change to her that she didn't expect to happen. 'Lunar is most definitely having more of a positive impact on Serena than I thought,' she mused. 'In fact, we may all be better for it in the long run.'
-
Bandit Caravan
"You were right, Sir. They took refuge in the forest."
The Commander took a swig of water, grinning. "And I'm guessing that they're heading in our direction?" he asked rhetorically.
"Yes, Sir. They started moving about two minutes ago."
"Trying to get to the Shrine, no doubt. They'll either fight, or try to circumvent us." His attention sharpened. "Send a scouting party," he ordered. "Find out how many there are, what weapons they possess, and if they are carrying anything of value. The usual."
The Scout saluted. "I'll assemble them immediately." Turning on his heel, he made his way back into the encampment, collecting a few of the brigands laying about at random.
The Commander looked at the horizon for a second more, before heading into his tent. He wanted to look over the various reports of caravans before he had to deal with their 'visitors.'
-
Lilika was understandably stumped.
As the group continued on their journey toward the Shrine, she began to notice a strange silence descend upon two of their friends. The first was obviously Luna Two, most likely because she was wondering what she was going to learn once they actually arrived at their destination. It was completely understandable, so she didn't give it any more thought.
It was Serena, who had grown quite pensive, that had caught her attention. As far as any of them were concerned, she had no divine mysteries to unravel, no questions to answer. But as they got closer and closer, it seemed that her good cheer was dissipating. A strange sadness seemed to envelop her, one that was so at odds with how she was usually.
Looking over at Mimi, who was talking to Palmon about something private, she decided to go and talk to the Meatball Head(something she heard Rei call the blonde quite affectionately,) and see if she could figure out what was bothering her.
Serena's head turned slightly, catching sight of Lilika as she joined her. "Hey there," she said in greeting, a slight smile appearing. "What's up?"
Lilika shrugged. "You seemed a little… pensive, so I thought I would talk to you," she replied. "Maybe I can help you with whatever is worrying you."
"Hmm… yeah… maybe I just need to speak to someone about this. Something is bothering me." Serena frowned. "Problem is, I don't know what's bothering me. I just feel… … sad. And it started about a half hour ago."
"Right about the same time we entered the divinity sphere." Lilika had heard about this phenomenon from passing travelers as they came through Meribia, but they were always conflicting stories. As such, she had always believed that it was a myth.
"...Divinity Sphere?"
"… It's the land surrounding a holy site that has literally soaked in the energy of a goddess, which includes their memories and emotions. And it is always shaped as a perfect circle." Lilika paused for a second as a thought occurred to her. "You must be incredibly sensitive to feel it from this point, as most don't start sensing it until they're much closer… like almost on top of it."
Serena thought about it. "Okay… I don't really understand, but it sounds like an accurate explanation," she admitted. "You're basically saying that this is where Goddess or a being of equal power hands their hat when they aren't up in heaven, and they leave a pretty potent imprint."
"...Pretty much."
"Cool."
Lilika shook her head in disbelief at this. Serena was obviously more intelligent than most of them gave her credit for. It just seemed to be more focused on interpretation and short term panning than anything, so long term strategy was not her cup of tea.
But she was definitely far more sensitive than the rest of them. She wasn't exaggerating when most others only started to feel it until they were almost at the focal point.
'Perhaps there is nothing to worry about, but I think I will speak with Amy about this,' she decided. 'She knows Serena better than anyone else. She might be able to figure this out.'
-
"The scouting party has returned with their report," the lieutenant reported. "There are about two dozen of them. At least eight of them appear to be… monsters of some sort. The rest appear to be human."
"Monsters… journeying with humans..." the commander mused, a little surprised and concerned by this. There were monster trainers out there, but they were few and far in between. They were considered to be quite valuable, and quite dangerous. If there was a group of them traveling together... "Well, we'll just have to choke the monsters out with their own leashes then, won't we?"
"Actually… they didn't have any leashes, Sir."
"… … … They weren't leashed?"
"No collars, either."
The commander rubbed his face, trying to figure out how this would factor into their strategy for dealing with these intruders. When one lived and moved across the land, one needed extensive knowledge of the various flora and fauna within that region, and what it was capable of. It also required that one have sufficient knowledge concerning the local populace and travelers that came through.
If a group of humans were entering a region with monsters that weren't collared… that was something they had never encountered before. They would need more information.
Thinking for a second, he nodded. "We'll need to capture one of the monsters, and one of the humans," he decided. "We will need to find out who they are, and what they can do. And, perhaps, find a way to use that to our advantage."
"What of the rest of them?"
"If you can dispose of them, do so."
"Yes, Sir."
-
"Has she always been like this?"
Amy blinked somewhat at the rather… ambiguous question Lilika threw at her. "Who has always been like what?" she asked in return.
"Serena."
"Ah." Now that she knew the name of the girl in question, she quickly guessed what Lilika was inquiring about. A slight grin appeared. "She's always been like that since… well, since we first met. So long as I don't nerd out too badly, she can always figure out what I'm saying without any difficulty." She paused. "It was the same thing back in the Moon Kingdom. If Mother couldn't understand what I was saying, she asked Serena to translate."
"Ah." It was just as Lilika had expected. No mystery to be had there.
"But..." Amy's forehead creased in thought, "However, to be able to sense this 'Divinity Sphere...' I've never heard of that before. It could be an ability that she developed recently, as part of her natural evolution as Sailor Moon."
That was also what she was expecting, but it also meant that they were going in blind where Serena was concerned. "Do you have any other theories beside evolution?" she asked.
"Well… just one." Amy took a breath, as she was about reveal something very few others knew. "The Silver Crystal is theorized to be condensed divine energy. In essence, it's a teardrop from the Moon Goddess Selene, as it is far more powerful than most Senshi Henshin tools. Perhaps… perhaps the energy of the crystal is mixing with the ambient magic of Lunar, and Serena is just soaking it up, much like a sponge. And she is strongly attuned to the Crystal, having been exposed to it for so long."
"… How long?"
"Most of my previous life," Serena replied, having ridden up to join them. "There is also the year from this life, after we reassembled the Crystal. Long story there. The Silver Crystal doesn't have an off switch, so it constantly gives off a small wave of energy." She smiled. "Besides, I'm not the only one, remember Amy?"
"I know, I know." Amy returned the smile. "What I'm trying to say, is that Lunar's magic may be amplifying your absorption of that energy, pushing you along much faster than you have naturally."
"And the Crystal is allowing it."
"Exactly."
Lilika raised her hand slightly, confused by what they meant by that. "Uh… what do you mean by that?" she asked.
The two Senshi looked at each other, than at her, before realizing what she was wondering. "The Silver Crystal has a degree of sentience to it," Serena explained. "In order to utilize its various abilities, a sort of symbiotic relationship is created between it and the wielder. For myself and, to a lesser extent Amy here, we gain an increased sensitivity to our surroundings and to possible youma incursions. Another long story there. In exchange… the Silver Crystal absorbs life energy."
"It absorbs… life energy."
"More like… the potential energy that is kept in reserve. Now, during the day, we use our energy for our day to day lives. But we have pretty large reserves due to a lifetime of activity."
"So, it usually takes its share at night, when I'm sleeping," Serena added. "It's the reason why I was always so lethargic in the morning before coming here."
"And why you eat so much," Lilika added, understanding dawning. "It's the only way for you to recover all of that energy."
"Exactly. It's annoying, let me tell you."
Amy giggled. "I have the same problem, though not to the same degree," she confessed, even as Lilika's head began swinging back and forth between the two of them. "Because Queen Serenity pretty much adopted me, I was in the presence of the Crystal a large amount of the time. As a result, I have many of the same abilities, and I can use it with reasonable success."
Serena nodded. "And, considering that the connection can't be severed by even death and rebirth, no one else can use the Crystal without our consent. Queen Beryl found that out the hard way."
"The benefits definitely outweigh the cons," Amy finished with. "If they didn't, Serena's ancestors would have stopped using it centuries ago."
Lilika nodded, understanding a little bit better. "Well..."
That was as far as she got before her vision was suddenly obscured by a wall of thick smoke.
-
The second the first smoke bomb hit the ground, Jessica realized that they had been duped.
The bandits had clearly known where they had been the entire time and, rather than attack them in a spot where they would have been at a tactical advantage, they chose to lull them into a false sense of security. They must have had lookouts watching them from afar, discovered which path they would take, and set up an ambush for a naive group of adventurers.
And they, the naive group of adventurers, fell for it.
Recriminations would have to wait, as she heard the sound of running toward her. She immediately dismounted, bringing her mace to bear with one hand while keeping a firm grip on her reins with the other.
And it was a good thing she did, as a bandit suddenly flew into sight, blade already swinging down. The priestess barely managed to block it, and retaliated in kind. Her attack proved more effective, catching the man in the helmet. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, which she found to be rather gratifying.
Unfortunately, that was about all she could do at the moment. All around her, she could hear the others shouting, trying to see what was going on. It was clear that none of them had had any experience with this type of combat.
Thankfully, in an open field like this, a smoke bomb's effectiveness only lasted a full minute, and would soon dissipate. And the use of multiple ones wasn't a viable option, especially for bandits, as they were very hard to come by.
Sure enough, the smoke began to dissipate rather quickly. She could soon see the others as they milled about, looking rather confused. And for good reason; it looked like only a few of them had been attacked. Phacia's knuckles were bruised, but that was about it. It looked like they still had all of their provisions, so stealing hadn't been the objective. 'Maybe they simply didn't have time,'she thought, but dismissed that as unlikely. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone through with it.
Now she was confused. Even a minute would have been enough time to do a bit of damage, so what happened here?
"Is everyone okay?" Alex immediately asked, with everyone calling out that they were fine. "All right, let's take a moment to… Amy?"
Jessica's attention shifted to the blunette, whose gaze had become extremely cold. It was a cold that made her shiver. But what could have set her off like that?
And then she saw the empty horse right next to Amy, and it suddenly clicked. Oh, did it click.
Turning her attention back to Alex, she said only one thing. "Sailor Moon has been kidnapped."
The other Senshi's heads snapped toward her in surprise. Despite the fact that their Princess was not as combat skilled as the rest of them, she was still no slouch.
"And it will be the last mistake they will ever make," Amy added rather calmly. "This, I promise you."
Now they were all shivering at her tone. That was the voice of the Sailor Soldier who, in two different lifetimes, successfully did the impossible, and defeated the near unbeatable Queen Beryl in one on one combat. The voice of the Sailor Soldier who stopped the creation of the Invincible Shadow. The one who moved Heaven, Earth, and Hell to help Sailor Moon when she needed it the most.
And they all made a solemn vow. They vowed to never get on Amy Mizuno's bad side. A vow that the bandits probably should have made as well.
-
The Commander watched as the raiding party rejoined their group, his eyes narrowing as he performed a head count. Noting that one of them was missing, he rubbed his eyes. "Did you at least accomplish your job?" he demanded.
"Partially," the head of the party replied. "We were able to acquire one of the humans, but were unable to do the same with one of the monsters. And we lost Jack."
"So in other words… all you have done is give them an excuse to come after us."
"We did learn one thing, though… those monsters are very intelligent. Almost as intelligent as a human."
The Commander took a moment to absorb this, before nodding. "So they have awareness," he mused. "They can make decisions on their own, and can apparently restrain themselves, which would explain the lack of restraints." He turned his attention to their captive. "Well, if had to just bring one of the humans, at least you brought a lovely goddess of a woman. Now, let's get moving. We can decide what to do with her when we reach the Shrine."
"Yes, Sir."
-
It didn't take long for them to tie up the one remaining thief, and wake him up. And then the interrogation began. It didn't take long for him to spill everything to them; probably because he was completely surrounded by people who would be more than willing to take him apart if he decided to play mute.
It probably helped that Mercury was standing there, ice forming in a perfect circle around her.
"To be fair, this does make a whole lot of sense," Luna Two admitted, once they had knocked the man out and dumped him a good distance away. "These bandits are used to knowing everything about this particular area of Lunar. We represent something new, and as such, we are a threat to their control.
"So they decided to kidnap two of us; one human and one digimon." Jessica rubbed her eyes as a headache formed. "They're thinking that if they can figure out one of you, they'll figure you all out."
Palmon frowned as something occurred to her. "You know… one of those bandits tried to grab me, now that I think about it. I just thought he was going to throw me." She turned her attention to Phacia. "Thanks for stopping him, by the way."
Phacia inclined her head. "You are welcome, Palmon." She shifted her attention to Alex. "Do we have an idea for rescuing her?"
"We don't."
Everyone turned to Mercury, who was busy scanning for Serena's new location. "We… don't?" Mars repeated, a little stupefied.
"We don't save her." Mercury snapped her computer closed, turning around. "We track her, certainly, but we don't save her. And for very good reason."
Tai frowned. Something about Amy's demeanor was rather disturbing. It looked like she was looking forward to what was going to occur in the enemy camp. Not exactly what he was expecting from a member of the Sailor Scouts. "Uh… Amy?" he asked. "Why are we not going to save her? I mean, that is kind of the right thing to do."
"Because she won't need to be saved. And that is for two reasons. One; they need her unharmed in order to get any information out of her. As such, they will not harm her."
"...And the second option?" Lita asked.
Amy grinned ferally. "The crybaby, clumsy meatball head you all know is somewhat of a facade. A mask that she wears so her enemies don't know her true capabilities. She is actually quite capable in life when she needs to be. She can actually defeat multiple opponents in combat without any assistance, as Luna One can tell us."
Luna One nodded, realizing what the blunette was going with this. "She's right. Sailor Moon can hold her own against multiple opponents. She did it several weeks before we found Sailor Mercury. And she is very good at bringing a person's defenses down."
"And getting people to trust her," Greg added, grinning as he caught on to his girlfriend's line of thought.
"So you see, we don't need to help her," Amy finished, a slightly dark grin spreading across her face. "All we have to do… is follow her signal, and wait for the chips to fall."
Everyone shuddered at the expression on her face, and all reaffirmed their vow to never get on her bad side. But it did bring one more question to them all.
Just how terrible was Serena's anger, if she was ever roused to anger?
-
Slowly, ever so slowly, Serena regained consciousness, a little disoriented.
She wasn't really sure what happened. One moment, she and Amy were talking to Lilika. The next, a wall of smoke suddenly blinded her. And, before she could react, something stung her in the back of her neck, knocking her out.
She did know that she was moving, and that she thrown over a horse like a slab of meat. She knew that because she was looking at said animals hind leg, and was just grateful that it wasn't stepping on her hair. She felt coarse ropes binding her wrists, and quickly guessed that she wasn't with her group anymore.
'I've been kidnapped,' she groused irritably. 'Just how I wanted my day to turn out.' She wasn't really that irritated by it. Being kidnapped was a concern, but not a very terrifying one. She had been kidnapped before.
No, what was irritating about this was the fact that this was going to delay their trip to the Shrine, as the others now had to track her down. Not to mention the fact that she feeling a little uncomfortable. 'Might be because I've been thrown over the back of a horse, and my arms tied behind me.'
She knew one thing, though; they needed her for some reason. Otherwise, they would never had gone after them in the first place. The big question was… why?
She had a feeling that she would get an answer to that soon enough… and the chance to actually sit up.
And here is Part 2 of Episode 18. It's a little on the short side, and I promise Part 3 will be longer, but this did seem like the best place to stop. Again, apologies for the delay.