Episode 6: And All Will Be Well—Or, a Chorus Without the Notes
Carmen was shuffled off stage, where her father was anxiously ringing his hands, walking back towards the exit. Why hadn't he recognized her? What was happening her? And now these two strange girls were carting her off somewhere she had no way of knowing. And she was…just letting them? Because she wasn't sure what else to do.
Except, now, they weren't so strange as they had been a moment before. Now, somehow, their faces were clear. She didn't know them, but she recognized them: they went to this school as well. She had never spoken to them before.
"Stop," she forced herself to say eventually, when they were in the process of moving her through the arts building. They didn't seem to have a definitive direction; she suspected not even they knew where they were going. "Stop. Where are we going?"
The Indian girl with the nose ring turned to her. "Someone's bound to have called the police. They'll be here any second. We need to find somewhere to hide so we can talk."
Okay, so they did want to explain. Well, she wanted answers. "The costume closet," she shot back, steering them back towards a room closer to the auditorium. "It locks from the inside."
The little cat padded along behind them. She remembered that, moments ago, that cat had spoken to her.
"You must embrace your power! Pick up the scepter and say, Crystal Power Gamma, Make-up!"
What did that mean?
They turned in as she opened the entrance to the costume closet. They really didn't use it in the choir, but Carmen had seen the theater students open it a hundred times during rehearsals.
She shut the door, closing the interior latch. There was something comforting about locking herself in to such a small space.
(She got like that, sometimes. Sometimes, she wanted to curl up and hide.)
She took a breath, her heartbeat slowing down. Still, the residual hurt at her own father failing to recognize her quivered in her bones.
The Indian girl muttered from behind her. "Why does a closet need an inside lock?"
Carmen turned around. Pooling her courage, she clenched her jaw and addressed the girls in uniform. "Alright. We're alone. Now, I want answers." But no sooner were the words out of her mouth than she caught sight of her own reflection in the closet's standing mirror. Her mouth dropped open.
She had felt something change, when she cried out that phrase the cat had spoon-fed her, but she hadn't realized how much. Now, somehow, she was wearing the same uniform, dark grey leotard and skirt. The only differences were the colors, the skirt's second layer a tawny brown, the bow and ascents a light gray. Was that supposed to mean something? For that matter, how had she changed at all? She smoothed a hand over her black tights—what happened to her choir robe?
She recognized the black girl as someone she'd had a bio class with at the start of middle school, but that had been so long ago. Apparently reading her confusion, the girl granted her a mercy. "Okay, first of all, I'm Rory. This is Narma."
Narma waved. "Hey."
Rory's expression grew more serious. "Basically, you are a superhero who draws your powers from another planet. Because of this, you have a crystal inside that lets you access that power. Those monsters, the pithos, want the crystals. You following?"
"That's insane," Carmen shot back immediately. Because there was no other option—they were insane.
Rory crossed her arms. "You just shot magic out of your hands. It's not that crazy."
Carmen peered down at her hands. It sort of scared her, that suddenly she didn't know the capabilities of her own body. She glanced back towards the door.
"Your father didn't you recognize you," Narma cut in, apparently anticipating her next question, "only because you're wearing the uniform. It's not permanent. As soon as you turn back, you'll look like you again."
A part of her relaxed, but her mind was abuzz with questions. "This… I don't understand. How do we have this power? How can we access it?"
The other two looked at each other. The cat stepped forward. "I'm afraid we don't have answers to those questions."
Carmen said, "Why can you talk."
"I am a guide for Sailor Soldiers under my jurisdiction. Unfortunately, something is interfering with my memory, and I only recall bits and pieces of my mission. As I explained to the others, I expect that we may remember more as your squadron gains more experience with your abilities."
That didn't make sense. "Remember how? How are we supposed to remember something from another planet?"
Silence hung in the air. Rory and Narma looked…troubled.
This was too much. Carmen pushed down the stress reflex that wanted her to cry, crossing her arms. "I just…really don't get all this."
Rory bit her lip. "I know it's a lot to take in. For now, it might be better to get you back out there so you can decompress."
"Hm." Carmen's gaze remained on the door, focusing on the musty smell of costumes to ground her.
"Here," said Narma. "I'll show you how to turn back."
Narma walked her through the process to turn back, and then she was standing in the prop closet in her choir robe. The all exchanged numbers, assuring Carmen that they would talk more later. Carmen had no idea if she could trust these girls, but she supposed she had no choice.
At least now, she could go home. Not that she felt particularly comfortable at home, but she could at least get work done she needed for class. And sleep.
"We'll text you," said Narma.
Carmen nodded, moving to leave.
"Carmen." A hand caught her wrist.
She looked behind, were Rory stared back with a serious expression. "It's really important that you not tell anyone." She pursed her lips. "It could be dangerous if anyone knew."
Slowly, Carmen nodded. "I won't."
They let her go.
Rory frowned. The inside of the costume closet was the lit with yellow fluorescents; it made everything seem dingey.
Remember how?
Narma strode up, crossing her arms. "Well, that could've gone better."
"Yeah." Rory slowly opened the room door again, now that Carmen had had a chance to go. Peering both ways, there didn't seem to be anyone who could see them. She scooted out. "We should probably leave."
They made their way out the exit by the auditorium's back classrooms. The sound of police sirens squalled somewhere in the background, but it was starting to get dark. She needed to head home. Peering back around the other side of the building, Rory spotted Carmen walking away with her father. At that moment, the girl looked back, meeting Rory's gaze.
Rory's stomach sunk, in a different way than when the pithos had been around. She hadn't expected her to react like that. She didn't even have a guide, like Rory did when she had first discovered her powers. She was just going off alone.
She turned her attention back to Narma. "Can you get home alright?"
Narma waved her off. "Yeah, girl. I walked here in the first place."
"Oh yeah." Rory stuck her hands in her pockets. The evening was cool, the sound of street cars the only noise in the quiet. She scuffed her shoe against the sidewalk. "You think she's gonna be okay?"
Narma eyed her. "Who? Carmen?" She waved a hand. "She'll be fine. She just needs to adjust."
Rory wasn't so sure, but if Narma wanted to offer another possibility, she was going to take it. "Maybe." She waved as they came to the fork she knew was Narma's turn. "We'll talk about it later. Be safe getting home."
"See ya."
Rory made it home and ate dinner with her family without very much commotion—it seemed her mama hadn't heard about the events of the school yet, and she wasn't going to bring up.
Her mama did seem bothered by something, though. She kept staring at her over the table when she thought Rory wasn't looking. Even so, she didn't mention it.
Rory went to her room, and boy was she wiped. These new pithos were no joke, bigger and more resilient than the bear-claw ones had been. She flopped back onto her mattress.
She saw Celene standing in the window, but, for the first time, she was hesitant to let her in. She ignored her for several minutes, pretending she didn't see her, until finally she gave in and let the cat inside. "Hey."
"Aurora," Celene ruffled her whole body, moving to settle in Rory's bean bag chair. "I have some concerns about our latest ally."
Rory let out a breath. "Girl, you're not the only one." Though, probably not for the same reasons.
"So you noticed her reluctance as well?" Celene's ears perked up.
Rory rolled over to look at her. "It would have been hard not to. She seemed really freaked out by it." She peered out the window, where, being on the upper floor, she could just catch a glimpse of the city. "I hope she's okay."
"Yes." Celene whipped her tail anxiously. "I understand is an adjustment for you and your human lives, but it could be exceedingly bad if she tries to deny her powers."
Mind going in ten directions, Rory sat up, restless. "Chill, Celene. She probably just needs some time to think."
"Perhaps." The sound of crickets called outside.
But actually, Rory didn't think so. Carmen had really had more of a normal reaction to her powers than they had, but she hoped the girl would be able to come to terms with what happened. Even so…she couldn't stop thinking about what she'd said.
Remember how?
How were they supposed to "remember" things about the star system their powers came from? That was a darn good question. Celene always used that word, "remember." But how can they remember something they've never experienced?
Something felt weird about the whole situation. She had never questioned Celene before, but really—what assurance did she have that Celene was telling the truth?
The cat watched her from the bean bag.
Rory bit her lip. The thing was, she wanted to trust her. It was just a feeling in her gut.
She sighed, pulling over her laptop. She still had work to get done.
The following afternoon, she threw her purse back on the bed, striping off her jacket from church and changing back into her casual clothes. Her gaze caught on her open laptop, where an e-mail was blinking.
Curious, she pulled up her inbox and clicked on the orange, highlighted message.
It was from Carmen. They gave each other their emails, but Rory had expected a text first. The subject line read Um…
She read the message.
So there may be an issue with that "no one can know" thing.
Below the line, there were a trio of videos linked. The logo in the corner read King5. She pressed play on the first video.
A man was speaking into a microphone. "Yeah, I was just waking up when I saw these girls standing over me in uniform. I don't know—I guess they chased the monsters away? It was crazy. I thought the uniform looked familiar."
It was the punk rocker. From the aquarium. Alarms rising, she clicked on the next link.
It was a woman exquisitely dressed, fidgeting with the name badge on her shirt. Rory recognized the white walls of the museum in the background. "T-these creatures, they came down from the ceiling. Then, this girl came out of nowhere, using—there's no other way to describe it; it looked like a wand."
The clip ended. Rory immediately clicked on the third link—it seemed longer than the others. She was met with a cheerleader in her school uniform. She would have been in the auditorium that day. "There were these monsters appearing all over the place. Then these girls started fighting them? I've never seen anything like it."
A voiceover cut in. "All over Seattle, reports are rolling in regarding superheroes, appearing to battle monsters. We asked the local authorities what they had to say about these reports." The clip cut to a burly police officer rubbing his hands together, standing before a storefront. "What is your take on the ongoing sightings of superheroes in Seattle?"
The officer leaned into the mic. "I believe that people cope with fear in many ways. It seems like some folks are handling the recent attacks by creating stories about heroes and monsters—and that's fine. I just don't want anyone to forget there is actual danger here."
"Despite the police's skepticism, dozens of people are corroborating reports of uniformed women battling creatures all over the city. One source drew a startling comparison—that these "heroes" are highly reminiscent of Japan's Sailor Moon.
"The most recent incident, the disturbance of a choir concert at Garfield high school, is being described by police as a prank by a group of students. What do you believe? With King5 news, this is Laura Washington, signing off."
When the clip finished, she forwarded the e-mail to Narma, subject Narma OMG.
She pulled out her phone. Now was as good a time as any to talk.
Carmen, this is Rory
You saw the email?
yeah, I saw it. people are going to see us, that's inevitable.
we're just going to have to hope no one snoops into the identities of those "superheroes"
Still, it was a lot of attention. The openness of the news coverage made her heart pound.
you know how people get about things they don't understand.
For now, I want to understand.
What can you tell me?
Rory sat back. Really, what did she actually know?
What do you know about Sailor Moon?
Fastosus watched from the rooftop as the girl he was tracking entered the building. The building was fronted with an illuminated sign that read Southside Skate Rink. So, this was the young woman Lupido had taken an interest in. Truth, there were few that Lupido didn't "take an interest in," but this human…
Fastosus could only think that the other agent suspected her of being one of Them. His theory had been evident even since their previous attempt at the singing event.
Fastosus grinned, jumping down from the roof to land in the alley. Lupido had shown his hand. He should have known better than to make a wager with the greatest of Purity's Agents.
It was time to make a move.
Carmen didn't know a lot about Sailor Moon. She was a figure she could vaguely recall hearing news stories about, but at the same time, the stories had seemed ridiculous. She had had greater concerns, like keeping up with school, and trying not to be an embarrassment to her father.
Now, she was Sailor Moon.
Well, not exactly. She had powers, powers she didn't understand.
And these things are attracted to us?
yeah. they want our souls.
Carmen shuddered. She remembered the sucking of the…pithos's? Breath. She could feel something being pulled out of it, there was a cold, empty feeling she'd never felt before. It was indescribable. Inside, even the tiniest amount, she had felt a coldness ever since.
She needed to get her mind off it.
She pushed open the door, entering the skating rink. It was a dying breed, but this business had taken the initiative to modernize everything. Neon lights flashed from the ceiling. Radio music played through the speakers, and the slushy machine could make could make twenty kinds of slushies. It looked like the inside of a space ship, if space ships were made for partying.
The rink was large and packed full. Skaters sped by, blurred by the motion. Taking a breath, air heavy with the smell of plastic and pizza, Carmen pulled on her skates and headed out to the rink.
There was something enthralling about skating in a circle. Someone might look at it and think it was boring, but the pounding of the music through her body while she focused on making turns for several hours was almost meditative. Except for the rampant leg cramps.
She probably should have eaten something more that day; after only twenty minutes, even her stomach was starting to cramp. She slowly glided to the wall, working her way to the exit with a self-conscious awareness of how much younger most of the other skaters were. She made her way to the snack bar, where a girl with curly blond hair waved from the counter.
"Hey," Alyssa grinned when she got up to the counter.
"Hey," Carmen panted, leaning on the counter. "A water, please?"
Alyssa was one of the few people she really felt like she could relax around. They'd met when she'd gotten the job at the rink, and Carmen, a frequent flyer, gravitated towards her down-to-earth personality.
Alyssa waved her wallet away when she tried to pull the cash out of her pocket. "Eh, don't bother. These things only cost us 99 cents, But, anyway, I'm surprised you made it out here, with everything that's been going on. It's crazy!"
And Carmen realized her plan to distract herself was doomed to fail. "Yeah," she sighed. "This is the second time the police have been called to the school this week."
"Terrorists, huh?" Alyssa shook her head, wide eyed. "Crazy world."
"Yeah. Terrorists." Though, now, she knew that wasn't true.
"Alright, everyone," the DJ called out over the com system. "We got black-out skate coming up at five, and the speed-skating contest at six. It's shaping up to be a good one! Stick around. In the mean time, as always, we're accepting requests here at the music booth, so if there's a particular song you'd like to skate to, come on by!"
Black-out skate was one of her favorites—there was something comforting about no one being able to see your face. She had better get back out, soon.
"…honestly, I'm just trying to get my mind off it."
Alyssa covered her mouth. "Right! Sorry, I wasn't thinking, Of course you would have been stressing over it. I'll shut up about it now."
Carmen said, "No, you're fine. Trust me, everyone's got questions they can't answer." Wasn't that the truth.
Alyssa glanced behind the counter. "Nah, I'll drop it. Tell you what—drop back by here after the black-out skate, and I'll give you a free piece of pizza. Sound good?"
"Cool. I'll be back then." Nodding, she took a swig from the water bottle and heading back towards the rink.
She did her rounds, but even under the pounding of the music her mind kept wandering.
It just seemed sort of backwards that they were supposed to be the city's protectors, and the monsters were attracted to them.
"Alright guys! Black out skate for the next hour. After that, we got the speed skaters. Get ready for some excitement!"
In a matter of moments, the lights went off, and the black light came on. The white skates glowed in the darkness, everyone's feet becoming white streaks. Carmen could see several couples skating in little circles, or pulling each other along one behind the other. It was a more intimate feel.
Following a whim, she took the opportunity to do some little weaving moves in the center. She was no expert, and probably wouldn't having stood in the middle of things in broad daylight, but it was fun to try some of the more complicated moves. The disco ball turned overhead.
A bright shape moving in and out of her vision caught her attention, and she pulled her eyes away from her feet.
A man was skating along side her. He had dark skin, and a head full of wild dreads loosely pulled back. His bright white button-up was a beacon under the blacklight, the same whiteness shining from his teeth. He smiled wide as their met one another's gaze.
He skated idly, not saying anything to her as she followed his path around her with her eyes, but her stomach gave a sharp twist. It was stupid, she knew, but there was just something about him that reminded her of a lion.
She had to stop letting this get to her. The incident at the auditorium was going to keep following her everywhere if she let it.
He finally skated off, moving to another part of the rink. She let herself relax. She wanted to skate some loops again, but she didn't want to risk running into him again, and so she retired from the black-out skate fifteen minutes early.
She glanced back towards the snack counter, and saw a sign posted at the desk. On break! Back in fifteen! Glancing back out on the floor, she spotted Alyssa'a long blond mane; she must have come out for the end of the black-out. Taking a breath, she moved into a dim corner of the rink's side seating. She was just going to have to wait.
Above, the black lights were blaring, illuminating the rank of bright white. At that moment, Carmen became aware of a hum in the air. It almost sounded like the buzz of fluorescents, but lower. And the fluorescents were off, so what…?
On the floor, a trio of skaters suddenly fell all at once. Normally, if a person lost their balance and fell, it would make aloud smack as the wheels ripped off from the linoleum. This time, the three seemed to simply sink to the ground.
Weird. Carmen stood, peering over into the rink. Are they sick or something?
The DJ sounded off from the booth, spectators stopping to stare at the floored skaters. "Hey! Those guys okay? Do we need an ambulance?"
Suddenly, the skaters cried out, and, somewhere, smoke started erupting. No—the smoke was erupting from the skaters.
Oh no. Here? That looked way too familiar.
"No need to panic, everyone," that same guy with the dreds turned smoothly into the center of the blackened rink. "We're only here for the purest among you. Surrender! You don't stand a chance."
Carmen pressed herself back against the wall. This guy—he was one of them. But he was speaking? Was he their leader or something?
She didn't think he saw her. Subtly, taking in the pithos standing near the doors, she reached into her pocket and felt for the scepter. Her hands shook.
She needed to get somewhere no one would see her. Her eyes flicked towards the restroom. She'd have to go past two pithos to get to them. Her gaze darted across the room, searching for another option.
She abandoned the skates, crouching to the floor. There were those weird round seats every few feet between her spot in the corner and the restrooms. Maybe she could…she had no choice.
Double-triple checking she had her scepter and her phone in her pocket, she lowered herself to the floor, crawling along the wall.
Those lion things, the pithos, were going mad. The flung their claws at anyone who passed them, their wicked breath sucking like tornados at anyone they captured. If nothing happened, they were discarded like old trash. Carmen ducked behind another round, watching to make sure the lions had their attention elsewhere before crawling to the next.
Marveling that she made it so far, Carmen peered across at the restroom door, the pithos blocking the exit beside it. How am I going to get out there without that thing seeing me? It was vigilant, and, unlike the others, it seemed determined not to leave the door. If she could distract it…maybe.
An idea struck her. She grit her teeth. Pulling out her phone, she punched two contacts in her list, typing a message.
Need help asap! Pithos at southside roller rink!
Seconds later she got two responses.
On my way. Rory.
oh shit. be right there. Narma.
Resigned, she pulled her arm back and lobbed her phone in the opposite direction. It landed with a thud.
The pithos's head whipped to the origin of the noise.
Nerves screaming, Carmen darted over to and through the door.
She locked the door behind her. Panting, she moved to the furthest stall, calling out the phrase the cat (bizarre!) had given her the previous day.
"Crystal Power Gamma, make-up!"
Pithos. Apparently, you can't go a day without them.
Geez.
Rory pounded down the stairs, snagging a hand in her backpack strap and shooting for the door.
"Where are you going in a hurry?"
Rory skid to a halt, peering back to where her mama stood at the counter, kneading a loaf of bread. "I-I left something at school. I'm going to get it."
Her mama gave her a squint eye. "Isn't the school closed on a Sunday?"
Rory scrambled for an excuse. She usually didn't lie. She hated lying! "There's a game on tonight, so it'll be open a little while longer."
Her mama stared for another moment, putting her hand on her hip. "Well, dinners in an hour. Can't you get it tomorrow?"
"No," Rory said. "I need it tonight. I'll be quick."
Mama frowned. "Alright. Don't be out too late."
"Okay." Rory moved for the door.
She took off, feet pounding on the sidewalk as the shape of Celene ran up beside her. "You sensed it too, Aurora?"
The cat's voice echoed up to her as she reached a climbing point. She wall-climbed, propelling herself up to catch the roofs edge. "No," said Rory as the cat leapt up the fire escape. "Carmen's in trouble."
Rory flew through the city, rooftops skipped and leapt across under her feet. She knew where the skate rink was, though, she had only been there once. She hoped she could make it in time. Stopping for a second, she pulled out her phone.
Eta?
I can be there in 10
OK
Rory glanced around, then pulled out the scepter. "Crystal Power Beta, make-up!"
Ribbons of dark light fell over her.
Sailor Beta picked up the pace; Carmen's message was so vague, there was no telling what she might be up against.
She climbed down at the rink, Celene not far could see an amorphous shape on the other side of the door. She remembered the pithos blocking the exit to the gymnasium before. Couldn't make this easy on me, could you? On impulse, she turned the handle and threw herself into the door, plowing into the pithos beyond. The pithos roared, falling to the ground as she muscled her way in.
It was bad in here. She could see at least four pithos, and one guy in the middle who was conspicuously unafraid of the creatures. Could he be another one of those Agents? Who were they?
The pithos stood. The beast stared at her from its place before the door, growled, "Star Soul detected," and opened its jaws, inhaling.
Beta was caught off-guard by a sucking sensation in her chest—that's right; this thing can suck out my soul. Quickly, she thrust the scepter out. "Dire Stellar Gust!" The glass swept through the pithos's shadowy appendages, tearing them to smithers to reveal the scratched up face of the boy beneath.
He collapsed. Sorry, guy.
She looked up. Suddenly, she had the room's attention, every pithos turned to face her. That was…actually a lot of creatures.
"Mesmeric pacification!" The shout came from the other side of the room. Rory turned to see Carmen, Sailor Gamma, standing at the far end of the rink. The same bright cast fell over the pithos as Beta had seen the previous evening. The creatures tensed for a moment, then shook off the light, which harmlessly dissipated. Gamma's mouth dropped open.
Beta rushed down to her side. "Thanks for calling us. Epsilon is on her way." She gave Carmen a look, hoping she understood she was referring to Narma.
"It failed," Carmen said, peering down at her hands.
Rory bit her lip. "The pithos yesterday were really weak when you hit them. Maybe we just need to weaken them first."
Carmen's eyes were wide. "But that's the only attack I have!"
"It was rather ineffectual."
Sailor Beta turned to look at the guy in the middle as he spoke up. "Who are you supposed to be?"
The blacklight flashed over him, and he bowed. "I am the greatest Agent of Purity. My name is not yours to know." He pointed a finger to them. Wow, this guy is dramatic. "What you should know is that I won't stop until we have the Star Souls. And that means you."
Rory crouched, ready to go in. On all sides, she could see the pithos gathering, ready to strike. He must not have wanted them in interrupt his monologue. "We dusted one of you guys already—we can dust another."
The man held up a hand. "Enough talking." The man raised his hands in the air, and Beta watched with fascination as smoke gathered in his hair and around his throat, coalescing into a mane of shadows. His grin widened impossibly. "Your souls are already mine!"
The door burst open. Sailor Epsilon stood in the doorway. "Surprise, bitch! Typhoon Strikedown!"
Water gushed from the ceiling. It crashed into the closet pithos to the door, and into the Agent, who held his hands over this head trying to catch the brunt of the attack. The deluge ended, and the closet pithos stood, trying to shake off the attack.
Chaos.
The two pithos closest to Epsilon went charging in her direction. It must have been like Christmas to these guys, the number of star souls in the room. Carmen peered over at Rory uncertainly. "Just follow my lead, until we knock these guys down enough."
From the middle of the rink, the Agent straightened, his lion-esque silhouette casting an enormous shadow into the dark rink. He opened his mouth.
Raaagh.
They stumbled back as the roar hit them like a sonic wave. Rory grounded her feet into the linoleum. There was a ringing in her ears. "Rude."
He charged at them. Even so, he seemed to forget he was wearing skates, and he didn't get very far. Changing positions, he pushed off, gliding towards them.
Now that's just unfair. Not like either us them have skates.
"That was a cute trick," the Agent said, wiping moisture from his eyes as he slid to a stop in front of them. " Don't expect to take me off guard so easily again."
Beta watched his wheels spin. She said, "Bet I can. Dire stellar gust!"
The force of the wind blew him back, his skate-laden feet unprepared to stop him before he collided with the back wall. Still, he didn't seem injured. Darn. "Fine," he growled. "This doesn't get to be fun anymore."
As he surged forward, Gamma fell back, dodging a swipe of his massive, clawed arm.
In an instant, his skates evaporated from his feet. Must have changed his mind. Skaters around the outside of the rink cowered as his bared his shadowy maw. Unlimited by the skates, he stomped towards them.
Beta flipped back onto the wall as Gamma scrambled to get out of range. "We need to lead him away from the civilians."
"We've got another problem," Gamma gestured behind them.
Two other pithos—crap, there must have been five, not four—had found their way onto the floor.
Narma lead the two pithos in circles, finding positions they couldn't get into and staying there to keep them distracted. But they were apparently getting sick of the roundabout. Their attention was slowly turning back to the battle in the rink.
"No, you don't," Epsilon kicked out at the pithos above her, the creature sucking in air as it clawed at her position in the play house. She glanced at the rink: there were two pithos out there now, plus the leader guy. I need to get back out there quick. But I need to deal with these guys first.
She leapt away from the play house, getting the pithos's attention back on her. "Hey, cats. Got what you want right here—a nice tasty soul."
Did they actually eat the souls? Their goals were sort of a mystery. Regardless, they followed her away from the play area, She thought it had probably been long enough that her Strikedown would work again, but from experience she knew that that was only sure to take down the one she had already hit. She needed to get rid of both of them. It would be helpful if they were closer together. But how could she do that?
Nearby, close behind her, she spotted the door for the maintenance closet. "Hey," she said, backing up against it. "You'd better not try and attack me now; I am tired."
It was a ridiculous thing to say, but whether the pithos could understand it or not, they were always ready to fight. She reached a hand back for the knob. I have to time this just right…
As the pithos swarmed on her, she opened the door, dropping down to the floor beneath her. The pithos, still charging, were mostly in the closet before they realized she'd moved. Throwing her full body weight against the door, she shoved the remainder left out inside. She locked the door.
The door shook, racking with the furious roars of the pithos behind. Hope this works. Concentrating, Narma directed a large gush of water directly to the other side of the door: closer than usual, so potentially more powerful. She heard it crash.
Silence.
Carefully, opening the door, Epsilon stepped back as two unconscious, regular human beings fell forward out of the closet. "Nice."
Narma's gaze moved to the rink. She could see Carmen and Rory fighting the agent, Carmen waiting for an opportune need to use her attack while Rory threw out a sporadic dire gust.
She hopped over the wall, moving to flank Rory's other side. "You look like you could use some help."
Rory laughed. "No kidding."
The agent snapped shadowy jaws at them, and they all scattered in different directions. The two other pithos in the rink eagerly chased after them. They were fast, for being so big. Narma turned her focus down a leading the pithos away. "Alright, come at me."
Behind, the agent was inhaling to blast them with the air again (or maybe he was trying to suck out their souls; hard to judge the guys intentions. ) Getting an idea, Narma stepped back, where the pithos charged after her.
At that exact moment, the Agent released his gale force roar. Narma dropped to the floor, but the wind hit the pithos head on, and it screamed under the assault.
"Hey!" The agent screamed. "Clever to use my power against me, but consider it a one off."
Narma rolled her eyes. If this guy were smart, he would stop talking and start fighting.
The agent threw himself at them, standing over her before she had the chance to stand up. She rolled to avoid him, the wooden floor burning her elbows.
"Mesmeric Pacification!"
The light haze fell over the wind blasted pithos. It seemed the roar had done enough damage; the creature collapsed to the ground, smoke fading.
"Hey!" The agent shouted again, his face contorting into obvious rage. Then, a smile stretched across it.
Alarm bells ringing, Narma looked up to see the other pithos standing behind Carmen, claw raised to strike.
"Watch out!"
The voice was one Narma didn't recognize, but when she turned in its direction she saw a blond girl barrel into the pithos which, reacting to the yell, violently swung its arm out.
The clawed limb slammed into the bystander, throwing her back into the wall of the rink with a crack.
From her position, Beta heard Gamma—no, Carmen—scream. "Alyssa!" Carmen ran to where the girl had crumpled to the floor, crouching beside her.
Beta was hit with a mix of shock and anger. No civilian had been injured that badly while she was fighting these creatures before. "Alright, that's it. Epsilon, this guy has to go."
Narma maneuvered to her side. "No joke. What do you want to do?"
The agent struck out at them. His two massive paw swept right past Beta's face, but she scrambled back, as did Epsilon.
Even so, Rory could feel an odd sensation in her fingertips. Peering over to Narma, she said, "You know that thing we tried yesterday? I think we should try it again."
"Yeah," said Epsilon. "We got it this time. I can feel it."
The agent inhaled, both of them struggling to keep their footing against the vacuum. She could feel it in her chest, how to do this. The show was over.
"Ready?" Beta called. Epsilon didn't reply aloud, but she knew that she was.
Rory heard the words clearly in her mind.
They spoke them at the same time: "Extreme Slashing Vortex!"
Synchrony. Beta's wind caught Epsilon's geysers, picking them up into a swirling maelstrom of air and water. The room shook, the neon lights flickering as the cyclone overtook the agent, the gust's shards and the typhoon's immense pressure enveloping him all at once.
The agent screamed, the vortex spinning unrelentingly. The vortex had captured the other pithos as well, and when the vortex dropped, only an unconscious shoe seller and a much worse for wear agent remained.
The agent's shadowy vestments were entirely gone, and his shoulder was leaking dust. Before any of them could react, he bolted for the door, jumping the rink wall and then he was gone. Rory was just about to go after him, when she remembered Carmen.
Carmen was still by the girl's side, checking her over for injuries. "I can't get her to wake up, but she's still breathing." The girl looked panicked, the same sort of jittery anxiousness Rory had seen from her coming out the auditorium door that first night. But this...this was serious.
Carmen's hands hovered just over the surface of the girl's body.
"It must have knocked her unconscious." She raised her gaze to the rink proper. "...you go change. We'll call an ambulance. There's a lot of injured people here."
Carmen hesitated, before getting up and heading for the restroom.
Epsilon, no, Narma, stared towards the door. "Should we go after him?"
Beta, no, Rory, shook her head. "Nah. Dude was leaking dust. He's toast."
Narma crossed her arms, staring around at the wrecked rink. "Guy should have watched his damn hubris."
Nearby, Fastosus limped away, trying to hold in the smoke and dust that poured from his limbs. With the last of his strength, he dragged himself to the rooftop. He needed to leave a message. Those Sailor Soldiers would regret messing with the Agents of Purity.
Fastosus stopped when he noticed a figure at the far end of the roof, peering off into the horizon. "Lupido. Quick, we must contact the Moving Palace. These Sailor Soldiers are not to be underestimated. Now that they are three, they pose a much greater threat. Pull up the coordinates map."
But Lupido didn't move. His gaze did not waver from the sunset. Did he not hear him? Fastosus grit his teeth, the dust still pouring. "Lupido, didn't you hear me? We must—"
"You lost."
Fastosus cut himself off. He must have misheard him. "What?"
Lupido turned in his direction. He smiled. "I'm afraid you've lost, Fastosus."
He gaped. Lupido couldn't be serious. His strength waivered; he fell to his knee. "Lupido, this is serious! We have to tell Lady Pandorana—"
"Oh, I'll tell her." Lupido turned, sauntering over to his side of the roof. He kept his hands in his pockets, making no move to assist him. He stared down at him. "It's a shame you were too pathetic to complete our mission."
Understanding set in—Lupido had no intention of trying to help. Body giving in, Fastosus crumbled. He just managed to hear Lupido's final words of parting:
"Don't worry. The mission is safe in my hands."
Fastosus's dust wisped off the rooftop, carried by the evening breeze. It was a shame—Lupido had been looking forward to putting the Agent in his place beneath him. Oh well.
He punched in the coordinates to the Moving Palace, watching the communication go through.
The image appeared: Lady Pandorana, as always, was seated on the throne, Elpis watching Lupido carefully through the feed. "Lupido, I'm glad to see you call in," his Lady grinned with a gaze that felt as if it were piercing through him. "I was beginning to believe all of our disciples had forgotten about me."
He bowed his head. "I apologize, my Lady. I'm afraid I come with unfortunate news. While scoping out my strategy against the Sailor Soldiers, I came across Fastosus's remains. It seems he was defeated."
From his spot beside the throne, Elpis squinted at him. He pursed his lips.
Lady Pandorana crossed her arms. "Those Sailor Soldiers have taken out another one of my Agents? And after he had utilized so many of my precious pithos? I'm beginning to think my capable forces are not so capable after all."
Lupido pushed down the smirk that so desperately wanted to rise to the surface. As far as the Lady was concerned, all of the pithos deployed over the past few days had been Fastosus's; exactly as planned. He put a hand over his chest. "Not to worry, my Lady. I believe I can finish this mission with only the barest of resources."
Her eyes brightened. "Oh?"
"Yes. I'm employing another strategy—my work is more hands-on. You should expect to receive a Star Soul in the next few days."
In the background of the Palace, the unmistakable bright shape of the Host star shined. From within it, a great shadow writhed. It wouldn't be much longer now until that place could be made pure. Then, they could begin anew.
With certainty, he gazed into the projection. "The Great Beast will be fed."
Carmen shuffled restlessly from foot to foot. The sound of the heart monitor was stark in the little white room, Alyssa still unconscious in the bed. The nurse looked up from the chart. "We've contacted her parents," he said softly. "They should be here anytime."
Carmen drew her gaze from her friend's face. "Thank you."
The hospital was quiet. They hadn't yet been able to determine the damage done, but she hadn't shown any sign of awareness.
Just a couple of hours ago, Alyssa had been fine, laughing and commiserating about how out of control things had gotten in just a matter of days.
Now, she was here. The IV stood out against her skin like a machine wire, purple standing under her eyes.
"Crazy world."
Subconsciously, Carmen brought her hand up to her chest. Under her fingers, an energy pulsed—she could feel it.
"I just—" her feet pulled her towards the exit. "I just need a moment."
The nurse regarded her quietly. "Of course."
Carmen fled the room. Mind unfocused, she moved down the hall almost trance-like, until she came to a supply closet.
She pulled herself into the closet. Sliding down against the wall, she put her hands over her eyes, hoping that, eventually, the shaking would stop.