Sailor Moon - Rise of the Exalted Knights
by Lisseas
Chapter Fifteen - The Sky is Falling
Posted: 09/07/2017
"It wouldn't…hurt them…to slow…down!" Venus huffed, as the streets of Tokyo flew by in a blur. It was all she could do to just keep up with Uranus and Jupiter at their current pace. "Maybe…let the rest of us…catch up?"
Ahead of them, silhouetted against the setting sun, was Sailor Moon. Her friend was a barely-visible blur, more a collection of characteristics than anything, but Venus saw a pair of wings and ponytails. Sure looks like her…and it's not like we haven't seen her this worried over Chibiusa before. Heck, I'm just as worried. Chaos' self-proclaimed purpose is causing Usagi pain. There's nothing it wouldn't do!
"I don't like this."
She glanced left and found Sailor Mars keeping stride, her face tight with unease. "What?"
"This," the miko repeated, breaking her grim countenance just long enough to roll her eyes. "Do me a favour, will you?" She gestured to the communicator on Venus' wrist. "Try reaching Usagi."
Distracted, the blonde very nearly tripped on a downed powerline. Her cheeks burned, even as she somehow recovered and avoided the fall, but Mars didn't even seem to notice. That in itself was of concern to Venus, and it convinced her to play along. Careful to keep one eye on the street ahead, she opened the device and brought it to her lips. "Sailor Moon?"
There was no response. Looking ahead, the silhouette gave no indication she'd even heard her; Moon just kept right on running, Uranus and Jupiter hot on her heels.
"You are broadcasting," Mars assured her, with an odd little grimace.
Venus confirmed it for herself, feeling a frown of her own coming on. "She must be receiving, so why isn't she answering?" A hint of dread fluttered into being, twisting her stomach into knots. Just stop and talk to us, Usagi. Please.
Without a concrete reason not to, however, they followed regardless. Around the next corner, down another deserted street, and deeper into Tokyo. One of the city's many malls lay ahead, six stories of shopping nirvana looming ever nearer. Venus had never been to this complex in particular, but it was just the sort of place she might spend a lazy Sunday afternoon mourning her lack of disposable income and all the great bargains she was missing out on.
Before this nightmare unfolded, she thought bitterly. Maybe never again.
Her stomach lurched again as the main entrance came into view, now clearly their destination. The large, steel security door was down…but a ragged hole had been torn right through its centre. It would take a monstrous beast indeed to accomplish such a feat, and there was only one denizen of Tokyo that came to mind. The Senshi of Love began to slow immediately, anticipating some planning, but Sailor Moon continued on without hesitation, Uranus and Jupiter close behind her.
"Wait!" she cried urgently. "Hold up, Sailor Moon! We can't just run in there without a plan!"
Mars and Mercury joined her in putting on the brakes, but Saturn flew by unabated. Whether out of friendship with Chibi Moon or loyalty to her Princess, she followed the others in heading straight for the waiting hole.
"What are they doing?" Venus wondered anxiously. "I'm usually the one who runs in without a plan, but even I think this a bad idea."
A series of urgent beeps emerged from Mercury's computer. Her head snapped up, eyes widening in alarm behind her visor. "Wait! There's nothing there!"
Mars' tone matched the blue-haired Senshi's expression. "What do you mean nothing?!"
"I mean nothing! That's not Sailor Moon!"
The miko cursed under her breath. "By the ancestors, I knew something was off about this!"
Venus was somewhat more restrained. "Uranus? Jupiter?" Receiving no answer, she found herself taking a step forward without realising…then another. "Saturn? Can you hear me?" Not just silence, but a now-familiar static. "It's not Sailor Moon!" The interference only grew stronger; a troubling indicator of nearby Chaos energy. "Are you listening? I say again, that's not Sailor Moon!"
Mercury uttered a dejected sigh. "It's no use, Venus. They can't hear you."
The blonde snapped her communicator shut with a frustrated snarl. It's been nothing but challenge of late, she thought acidly. I've been called out on a supposed lack of dedication. Not only to Usagi, but to my friends as well. They think I've neglected my duty as leader.
"Venus?"
She was already moving as Mars spoke up, breaking into a sprint and beelining it for the mall. There was little to no conscious thought behind her decision; she was just reacting as she had so many times before. "Come on! We have to warn them before it's too late!"
The conviction she heard in her voice felt right, despite everything that had happened of late. Uranus and Jupiter may not be my favourite people right now, especially Jupiter, but they are Sailor Senshi, and we were friends. It's my duty to keep them safe, just like Usagi!
A faint distortion in the air ahead announced the arrival of a Hunter. Sure enough, he appeared out of thin air, an oversized revolver in hand. It fired, spitting a gout of flame towards her. Venus fell back into a baseball slide and the bullet whizzed overhead, mere inches from her face. She crashed into the assassin's legs, bringing him down to the ground as she flipped up and over him, landing an elbow in his ribs for good measure. A quick roll got her back to her feet, with barely any lost momentum at all.
"Burning Mandala!"
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"
Her friends engaged the Hunter as she pressed on, doing what they could to keep him off her back. As another shot rang out, she almost turned…but the part of her that was Venus took over and kept her going. One foot in front of the other; Usagi had to come first, on that they all agreed. Being the leader meant trusting her fellow Senshi to take care of themselves. Minako was still learning, but of that she was certain. Even when she tripped, when she stumbled, Venus knew better. Venus carried on, just like Artemis had taught her.
Rushing through the jagged, gaping hole in the door, she found herself in darkness. Chaos had made infrastructure an early target of its assault on Tokyo, power and water among others. It made sense that the mall would be without electricity. The foyer stretched up above, an open plan extending all the way up to the tower's ceiling. Now, to find her friends...
"Just a little further now." Sailor Moon's voice drifted out of the darkness ahead. "I'm sure of it."
Jupiter's followed, noticeably warier now. "We should wait a minute. Give the others a chance to catch up."
"No!"
Venus could hear it now that she was closer and, admittedly, probably because she knew it wasn't her Usagi. The panic, the grief; she'd heard the real thing before, when the Order of Black first kidnapped Chibiusa from Crystal Tokyo, and this Sailor Moon wasn't it.
"Please, Jupiter!" The imposter seemed to pull back a little, like an actor rolling back their performance from melodrama. "There's no time. Chibi Moon isn't-"
"She isn't here." Venus slowed to a jog beside Saturn, gripping the girl's arm gently. "Stop. She's not real. Mercury ran a scan and got nothing. No reading at all."
Uranus and Jupiter stopped immediately, quickly shifting to defensive stances. Only seconds later, a brief but potent explosion went off behind them. The entrance they'd used collapsed beneath it, the four Senshi now trapped inside. Venus stiffened as a chilling giggle fluttered back from 'Usagi'.
"Oh, silly Venus…" She turned slowly, revealing a face that certainly resembled their friend…but with no life in her eyes, like a doll. A series of small cracks opened up in her skin, working their way across its surface like an ever-growing spider's web. "Of course, I'm not real!"
Jupiter recoiled as the façade shattered completely, revealing a featureless black void beneath. They had seen such creatures before. "Construct!"
'Sailor Moon' began to laugh in a familiar voice. Female still, but deeper. Less melodic. Venus tensed again as she finally placed it: the current voice of Chaos, Order of Black Paladin Megumi Shoto. More cracks appeared in the Construct's form, an ominous crimson light shining through. They spread at a rapid pace, the glow from within growing in strength with each passing second.
"Get back! It's-" Jupiter let out an abrupt, startled shriek as the floor itself split open beneath her, a pair of clawed, ebony hands breaking through to grab her ankles.
Uranus moved to help, but found herself restrained by another pair. "What the hell is this?!"
More of the ghoulish hands erupted through the tiles, sprouting like a sick form of flower. Venus was able to avoid most of them with a quick leap. She stumbled upon landing, though, falling to one knee as a set of claws dug into her calf. There was a fierce cry from her right as Saturn whirled in, swinging her Glaive in a downward arc. Several fingers sailed into the air, trailing negative energy like blood as they dispersed into nothingness.
'Construct Moon' continued laughing in Chaos' voice, the 'cracks' now the remaining black between blinding crimson light. The laughter reached an unsettling crescendo before it stopped…and 'Moon' exploded. Not your ordinary, everyday explosion either. It was utterly silent, yet no less intense. The light was reminiscent of Hikawa Shrine's destruction, the same crimson shade and devastating force. It obliterated the grasping hands and picked up Uranus and Jupiter, tossing them effortlessly. Saturn was next in its path, slammed to the floor despite bracing against it…and then the blast hit Venus.
She followed Saturn's example, setting her feet and crossing her forearms before her face. The heat was intense, bringing an immediate burning sensation as it washed over her exposed skin. Resisting was impossible; she was sent sailing through the air by the impact, slamming hard into one of the foyer's many pillars with enough force to crack its outer shell.
Plaster fragments rained down around her as she hit the floor, biting back a pained cry as her lower back locked up tight. The pain was overwhelming, sharp and agonising and familiar. Hoping against hope that she hadn't just broken another vertebra, Venus dragged herself across the floor towards Saturn. The younger Senshi was already up, using her Glaive like a crutch. Her fuku was tattered or burned, her skirt in a similar condition; the blonde began to realise her own uniform was probably just as bad.
We should all be screaming in pain, she thought idly, finally noticing the bright red burns across her forearms as she crawled. It was a strange observation, but one that came to mind nonetheless. It's shock, I guess, and adrenaline. That's what Ami would say, right?
Uranus and Jupiter lay perhaps twenty feet away, just as banged up as Saturn if not more so. Venus struggled to her feet, her taut skin and back protesting fiercely…and immediately took a knee at the sound of a more conventional explosion. Another followed, and another; a ring of them from above, taking out the ceiling. Another series of blasts followed, decimating the support pillars around them. She nearly toppled to the floor all over again as she was peppered with shrapnel, her left shoulder and thigh stinging with the bite of several hits...but they were nothing compared to the burns.
"…on!" Someone was speaking. "…have…move!"
It was only then that Venus realised her ears were ringing. The explosions, she realised. Saturn took hold of her shoulder and yanked her to her feet. The younger girl's left eyebrow was bloodied, with soot and burn marks to match, but she was screaming with grim determination.
"We have to get out of here!"
The Senshi of Love nodded her understanding, wishing irritably the ringing would fade already. "We have to get the others!"
They staggered towards their fallen allies, navigating around a steady trickle of falling debris. Saturn abruptly shoved her, sending her sprawling to the floor as a huge, rebar-studded mass of concrete landed right where she'd been standing. Venus gulped and managed a whispered "thanks", picking herself up again. They're trying to bring the whole building down on top of us!
Somehow, they made it to Uranus. The ceiling itself appeared to be holding together, but a constant stream of debris was falling around them like rain. Saturn took a deep breath, clutching her ribs, and raised her Glaive high.
"Silence Wall!"
The violet barrier sprang into existence, spreading out around the Glaive like a shimmering umbrella. A few seconds passed in peaceful silence as it deflected much of the smaller debris…before the place went to hell all over again. A second round of explosions went off above, signalling the completion of Chaos' trap. The trickle of rubble became a torrent; Saturn stayed on her feet, but her arms quivered worse with each passing second. There was no way she could keep it up for long.
Venus lunged from cover and grabbed an unconscious Jupiter by her wrist. She cringed at the state of her uniform, blackened and torn to expose blistered red skin beneath. There was no doubt about it; she'd taken the worst of it alongside Uranus and, no matter their recent troubles, the blonde felt nothing but sympathy. I wouldn't wish this sort of pain on anyone.
"I can't…hold out…much longer!"
Saturn's frightened cry was drowned out by an almighty crack and a persistent, ominous rumble. The mall's foyer stretched six stories up, surrounded by walkways and escalators in a grand, open design; the ceiling, seemingly so high above, was now well and truly collapsing. A massive piece of steel and concrete struck her shield, driving the girl to one knee.
"What can we do?!" Venus wasn't even sure who she was asking at this point. She just knew she was scared, desperately looking for a way out. For an all-too-brief moment, she pictured Corey's face and decided she was never going to see him again. We'll be buried in here, and Usagi won't be able to wish us back. Her gaze fell on Uranus' barely conscious face and her heart sank. Just like Michiru. We're all going to die here.
"There!"
Her head snapped up at Saturn's call. The girl nodded frantically towards a distant doorway. Nearby signage showed a familiar, stylised train carriage.
"The subway!"Venus cried, a spark of hope cutting through her fear. "Can we make it?"
"We can try!" Saturn reached down and seized Uranus' wrist, keeping her Glaive aloft in one hand. "Come on!"
Venus began dragging Jupiter along, doing her best to ignore the searing, stabbing pain in her back. "Just hold on, Saturn!"
"I'm…trying!"
Another impossibly loud crack sounded as the supporting pillars ahead gave way. The first floor in all its entirety began to come down, sliding towards them with like a deadly avalanche of glass, concrete and steel. Venus pulled Jupiter in closer, trying to squeeze the two of them under Saturn's diminished shield. Her eyes closed as she exhaled, her thoughts turning one final time to Corey…
A sudden rattling inhale from Uranus pulled her back to reality, the Sky Senshi's eyes fluttering open. "Hold on…to your asses…girls. One subway exit…coming right up!" Amber magic swirled around her fist as she drove it into the ground at their feet. "World…SHAKING!"
The tiles gave way with ease, then the concrete beneath. Her roiling orb of destruction tore open a wide, gaping maw under them, continuing ever downwards, and the Senshi began to fall. Venus flailed wildly as her stomach leapt into her throat; she'd feared long falls ever since her plummet from the top of Tokyo Tower.
Saturn's shield began to shift as she tried to form a sphere around them. It was not to be, though, flickering as it struck the edges of their makeshift tunnel. Her wide eyes revealed her fear as the barrier flickered again...before giving out completely.
Jupiter began drifting away as they fell. Venus grit her teeth and held on with all her might, but still found herself pulled away from the others. Another burst of stabbing pain erupted in her back as it struck an outcropping, and she began to spin. Nausea rose in her stomach now, only adding to what was already a problematic situation. The rumble above sounded like the roar of some terrible beast, pursuing them into the darkness. All at once, with no warning at all, there was a sharp blow to the back of her head and it all went mercifully silent.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"
Mercury felt her attack coalesce, swirling in her palms. She held it a moment, letting it build to full strength before unleashing it at the Hunter's legs. Luck wasn't on her side, however; he dodged to one side and whirled about, bringing his oversized revolver to bear. The report was like thunder, a sharp crack that split the air itself. She dove into cover behind an abandoned police car, flinching as the bullet tore a fist-sized hole through its door.
"You must have some weaknesses," she muttered, lowering her visor and producing her computer. "I just need more scans."
"Fire Soul!"
Mars' attack streaked towards him, burning brighter and brighter with each passing moment. There was little sign of concern from the Hunter, though; he simply raised his left arm before him…and let it hit him.
No, Mercury noted, as her computer chirped softly. That's right. They can shield themselves from our attacks. It absorbs our magic, or perhaps cancels it out. Just like we've seen before.
Another thunder-like shot shook her from her thoughts, sending a shiver down her spine. Hopefully, Mars was alright. Peering out from cover with a hint of trepidation, she was relieved to see the red-skirted Senshi moving freely…and the Hunter's back exposed. This was their chance. She couldn't be squeamish now.
I have to try something stronger, she decided, squeezing her right hand into a fist. That shield of his might just have an upper threshold.
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
The image of a watery harp appeared but for a moment as she loosed the attack. Across the street, as if anticipating her actions, Mars reappeared and fired off one of her own.
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
It was a perfect coming together of ideas. Their opponent was caught between them with nowhere to go…or so they thought. Without a moment to spare, he leapt straight up, far more agile than any regular human should be. Mercury's watery blast swallowed up Mars' arrow as it detonated, a massive cloud of steam expanding in their wake.
"How the hell did he do that?" Mars sputtered, furious.
"I'm not…" Mercury's visor registered a hint of movement as a shadow appeared within the steam, followed by a sudden spike in negative energy. "Mars! Get out of-"
"Reaper's Grasp!"
There was scarcely time for her mind to decipher the English phrase before Mars collapsed. She was suddenly, frightfully pale, her body wracked by a series of convulsions. Mercury's computer began beeping in alarm, registering a dramatic drop in the miko's vital signs. Like something is stealing her very life force!
The Hunter emerged from the now-dispersing cloud, hand outstretched towards the fallen Senshi. A cold ball of dread formed in Mercury's stomach as a flash of orange-red energy collected in his palm. She lurched into action without a second thought, heading straight for him in a desperate effort save her friend.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!"
His arm came up to block her attack, as expected, but that didn't matter. Mars settled immediately, his hold over her broken. The Hunter shifted focus, advancing on Mercury with the customary quiet of his fellows. She stepped into his initial punch and blocked it, reciprocating with one of her own. It was brushed aside almost effortlessly, and he launched a veritable onslaught. The blue-haired Senshi found herself forced back, her defence clumsy by comparison as she took blow after blow across her forearms.
An opening finally presented itself. Able to create just a little space, Mercury stepped forward, aiming a high kick at his jaw...but he simply snatched her leg out of the air. Cold, metal gauntlets closed tight around her ankle, picking her up and swinging her over his shoulder. She landed hard on the street, the air rushing from her lungs as her vision blurred. Still, she kept on fighting; Mars needed her. A leg sweep took him down and she dropped a boot heel across his face, resulting in an audible grunt of pain.
A sudden crimson light flared within the mall, followed by a series of devastating explosions. Mercury struggled to rise, staring up at the building in dismay as it began to collapse. "Jupiter?" she called into her communicator. "Venus? Anyone?!"
Something crashed down on the base of her skull, sending her sprawling forward to her knees. Slow, methodical footsteps moved around her, finally coming to rest before her. The scrunch of leather was followed by a quiet, mechanical click, and Mercury found herself staring up into the barrel of his gun.
The Hunter's voice was surprisingly soft, even subdued. "For the Black."
Mercury slapped the gun aside as he pulled the trigger, his little bit of ceremony leaving just enough of a window to act. The blast was deafening so close, leaving her ears ringing, but she was still alive; that was all that mattered. She willed herself up to her feet, driving an elbow into the softer armour over his stomach. As he bent forward in response, she smashed a forearm into his mask, then another. A small trickle of blood dribbled out from under it, trailing down his throat.
You can do this, she told herself, swaying woozily. You can win. You just have to-
The Hunter struck her hard in the ribs, moving with abrupt and impossible speed. Mercury fell to one knee as all the air was driven from her lungs again. Just breathing was an effort, and she quickly diagnosed a broken rib or two. The tell-tale ring of metal on metal followed as he drew a small knife from his belt.
"Now, Senshi, you die."
I have nothing left, she confessed silently. This is it. This is where it ends. Her eyes fell on the ruins of the mall behind him, and a small note of satisfaction sprang up within. At least I'll be with my friends again.
She flinched at the gunshot, despite belatedly remembering he no longer held it. The knife fell from his grasp as his hand rose, fingers probing a gaping hole in his chest. He turned slowly, gaze falling on a kneeling Sailor Mars…and the large revolver in her trembling hands, faint wisps of smoke rising from its barrel. He gurgled in a failed attempt at speech and toppled backwards, motionless.
Mercury took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to calm herself. She stumbled, cradling her aching ribs as she barely made it back to her feet. Her thoughts weren't for herself in that moment, however; she was focused only on her friend. "Mars? Rei…?"
"I had nothing else." It was a faint whisper, perhaps not even directed towards her. "I was drained. It landed right beside me…" The gun fell from her hands as she continued to speak, clattering against the asphalt. "We were fools, Ami. Naïve fools."
"Shhh." Mercury placed a hand gently on Mars' shoulder, noting some muscular tremors beneath her skin. "You're in shock. Whatever he used on you, it-"
"We were never coming out of this clean. They'll never stop coming." The miko met her gaze at last, her eyes remarkably calm. "Not until we're all dead…or they are."
"Just hold still," Mercury persisted, doing her best to tune out. "Let me take a look at you."
A more familiar stubbornness returned now. "No, I'm fine, I'm just…I'm tired. Drained." Mars shook off some of her initial morbid candour, concern now replacing it on her face. "Gods, Ami, you're in way worse shape than I am. He pummelled you!"
The doctor-in-training wasn't exactly pleased with that assessment. "You make it sound utterly one-sided."
"No, no, I guess you got your licks in, but you…" Her friend trailed off, actually managing a brief little laugh. "Have a listen to me. I shot someone dead, and here I am arguing with you like nothing happened." Her head dipped forward, her brow furrowing. "I'm such a hypocrite. I tore shreds off of Rinjirou when he killed that Hunter to protect me, when he admitted he felt nothing, but now that I'm in his place...I don't think I feel sorry at all." A hint of desperation entered her voice. "I don't…I don't feel anything, Ami. I just pulled the trigger and…nothing."
"You're just in shock," Mercury assured her, taking a surreptitious scan with her visor. "Emotionally numb. It's completely normal in situations like this. You'll feel it later, trust me."
The miko seemed to shrink away a little, withdrawing into herself. "At least one of us is sure."
The sudden skitter of falling concrete and other debris had Mercury whirling about faster than her ribs could handle. She dropped to her knees with a pained groan, hand clasped protectively over them. It was telling that Mars was also slow to react, obviously more drained than she was letting on.
Thankfully, no black robes or other uniforms appeared; just a flash of white and pink, followed by an ornate, key-shaped staff and what they knew as the Garnet Orb. Relief bubbled up from beneath the pain, and Mercury couldn't help but smile. "Chibi Moon. Pluto."
The pink-skirted Senshi rushed to her side, her concern apparent. "Mercury! What happened?!"
Pluto, true to character, was far more reserved. She strode calmly to the Hunter's body and prodded it with her staff. "That seems obvious, Small Lady."
"As dispassionate as ever, I see," Mars observed, with a weak smile. It faded quickly, however, as her own concern took over. "Wait, where's Sailor Moon?"
"We were ambushed by the Black Death and several Hunters," the Guardian of Time answered, with a hint of anger. "Sailor Moon was injured in the fight, but she's safe. We were saved by-"
A familiar golden flash interrupted her, resolving into a tall, armour-clad man. Gleaming silver plate, golden wings extending from the helmet, and a long, trailing black, gold-trimmed cloak hanging from his pauldrons.
"Corey!" the miko exclaimed, finishing Pluto's sentence for her. She quickly caught herself, though, dampening her enthusiasm. "You, uh…you came back."
"We're friends," he said quietly, evidently taking the high road. "Despite everything that's happened between us, I'll always be here when you need me. That hasn't changed."
"Quite," Pluto agreed, with a faint smile. "Now, at the risk of sounding impatient, we must find the others."
Chibi Moon nodded her agreement. "Yeah. We need to regroup and plan for our next fight with this Super Hunter jerk!"
Silence was their answer. Mercury shared a grief-stricken glance with Mars. She'd almost forgotten about their friends in the aftermath of the fight, and it seemed she wasn't alone there. How are we supposed to tell them?
"They're…in there," Mars said, taking the lead as she gestured dejectedly to the collapsed mall. "By the ancestors, they're in there. Under there. Hotaru, Haruka, Mako, and…" She finally turned to the Guardian Knight, almost reluctantly. "…and Minako. They're all in there."
He turned to face the ruined structure. His helmet made reading his face impossible, but the faint, barely-there slump in his body language was plain to see. "Aw, shit."
There's not really any other way to put it, Mercury agreed, with a heavy heart. Shit indeed.
AN: So, there was a death in the family a few weeks ago and I will freely admit to struggling with this chapter. I just had no inspiration or motivation for the longest time following it. I don't say this as an excuse, per se, but I hope you all can at least understand why this was so delayed. This is almost completely different from the draft I had beforehand, and I cut a lot out just so I could post SOMETHING, but I hope it's at least enough to tide everyone over while I'm getting back into something of a groove with my writing.
Of course, the good news about cutting a lot of content is that I have a decent outline in place for my next chapter. That's something positive. I get I left things on a pseudo-cliffhanger with four Senshi unaccounted for, but I hope you can look past that in favour of me just getting the chapter posted. Thanks so much for your continued readership and support. I hate knowing I'm not updating at the speed I want to, that I'm keeping you all waiting...but that's been life for me of late. Bear with me, though. I'm doing my best to push through it all and get back to where I was with Last Guardian Knight, or even Order of Black.
Thanks again.
Lisseas