Episode 9

"Well…now what?"

Tomo's question rang throughout the room, drifting into each of their heads slowly. Ami knew what Usagi would no doubt say before she even said it. She had been broken by Chibiusa's kidnap ever since it happened. It was bound to be her response: "Save Chibiusa!"

"And Yui, too!" Miaka said, "She's smart! She's bound to know everything about ACROSS by this point, right?"

"Absolutely…" Tama said, "And maybe she knows who's side they're on in any case!"

"Well…I'll go…" Usagi said, rising, "Me and the rest of the Sailor Senshi will go after ACROSS."

"Okay…but what about us?" Miaka said, "The rest of us need to do something! I'm going to go with you guys!"

"I'll go with Miaka," Tama said, standing by her side.

"Niether of you are going anywhere, I'm afraid," Kurama said, "Yui knows that you are on a mission. You can't go off saving her like that. She'd understand, I'm sure…"

Miaka starred at him as though he had lobsters crawling out of his ears. Had Yui done something in the past to create that reaction? Or, perhaps it was that she herself would never forgive herself if she didn't go and save her best friend? Ami took the latter choice. It made more sense that way.

"There's no way I'm letting anyone else go, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me!"

There was a thud sound that echoed throughout the room. Miaka collapsed onto the floor. Ami gasped in shock as Sanosuke stepped over her body, sighing. "Well…that'll keep her out until you guys rescue Yui…"

"Thanks…" Usagi said.

"You bastard!" Tama smashed his fist straight into Sanosuke, but he blocked quickly enough.

"Asshole! Do you really want her being killed? We don't know what their powers are! Besides, we need Miaka to unite all the worlds!"

"How so?" Tohru asked, curiously.

"Miaka and Yui are Priestesses," Tama began, "Of Gods. Once they gather seven chosen people of each God, they can summon that specific God. Then, they are granted three wishes. If those wishes are unselfish, they'll survive. If not, they'll be devoured."

"That's awesome!" Tomo said.

"Well…what would you wish for?" Yomi commented, "Anything for yourself, and you become God-food."

Tomo's face fell as she sobbed, "It's not fair….why!?"

"You were never able to do it anyway!" Yomi shouted.

"Still…" Kurama muttered, "I wonder if that is why they kidnapped Yui. Perhaps they have their own intentions for her god?"

"Most likely!" Usagi said, "Should we go?"

"Yes…don't expect to fight the God. If we don't know how to summon them, they shouldn't either."

"They're too stupid to anyway," Kyo muttered, grudgingly.

"In any case…" Kurama said, turning to the foreigners, "Chiyo-chan, translate please. "You four will be searching for information on members of the enemy. If you encounter one in the process…destroy him or her post haste."

Alucard nodded, grinning broadly. Seras smiled as well. Abel didn't react, but Vash turned white, muttering rapidly in English. Chiyo-chan translated, "He just said that no one deserves to take the life of another."

"Tell him to drop it! After this is all done, we'll need to resurrect everyone! Every last soul, good or bad, that was alive before this occurred."

"What?!" Kyo snarled, "So all the evil people will still be reaching havoc?!"

"We should do them a favor by killing them off!" Tomo shouted.

"We can't. We aren't supposed to be connected. Everything must be the same way it was when we left it. So we have to restore everyone and everything to its original state. There is no way around it."

"I see…" Yuki said, "It makes perfect sense."

"We, as a group, will try to find a way to summon Miaka's God, Suzaku…" Kurama said.

"Alright…" Tohru said, tensely, "I won't let you down!"

"Tomo here might do that fine enough," Yomi said, gesturing toward her friend.

-----

"The time has come…time to split up…" Hiei muttered, "Ed! Dark! You are group A. Sasuke and myself are group B, and Vegeta will work alone in group C. The objective for all is the same: obliterate all opposition. Completely!"

"That will be fine…after what they did, I'll be sure to make sure they pay…Al…" Ed muttered, angrily under his breath.

"They want a war…we'll give them Hell!" Vegeta snarled, punching the air, "Kakarrot…when you went with Shenron after we defeated Omega…I pushed myself to the edge of my limits simply to triu—"

"Vegeta's talking to himself again!" Dark shouted out to the room as a whole.

"Shut up you annoying brat!"

"Stop these minor arguments. They are so pointless!" Hiei snarled, "Our main goal that unites us is defeating Gendo and every lacky he sends for us! It is best we do our job!"

"What about Kurama's group?" Sasuke muttered.

"They aren't against us," Hiei said, after thinking a few seconds, "However…if they get in our way…they must be removed forcibly if necessary…"

-----

"Lady Yui…" Nakago said, "I have found the next Seiryu warrior…"

Yui sat calmly in a beautifully crafted throne. She enjoyed the way this Organization was treating her, thanks to Nakago. He was so gentle and kind to her. Death must have changed his twisted view of the world. She knew it. There was too much warmth in him now compared to last time.

After pledging allegiance to Gendo, she had been handed information directly from the leader of this group itself about their plots. She couldn't possibly leave them yet or else she'd blow her cover, and all would be lost. No…she'd need to be completely hidden, and let nothing give her away. Nakago was the only one who knew the truth about her. Even Miaka couldn't know. She'd spill everything out anyway.

"Who's the member?" Yui asked.

"Miboshi…his soul is within the heart of an individual named Dark…"

"What?"

"He is working for an enemy side. Someone will accompany you on your trip. Simply encountering Dark will add his aura to your earring. Then, we shall kill him."

"Are you sure that's necessary?"

"Absolutely…"

Yui sighed. This was turning out to be trickier then she had originally imagined. She wondered, for a moment, what kind of horrors Dark could do. After all, Miboshi had the power to possess a human being after death. Perhaps Dark had a similar power of possession.

"Lady Yui…the time has come for you to go…" Nakago said, turning, "Shall I decide which person shall accompany you?"

"No…I'll do it myself…" she sighed, "How about Krad?"

------

Itachi walked onward, looking for the target. This foe was the reason all this was happening. He knew the truth, and he alone knew it. He had things he wanted to accomplish during his lifespan, and the worlds all dying would certainly put a stopper to them. That was something he simply could not allow.

"Alright…where are you…? Come out for me to destroy you utterly…"

------

"HAIL ILLPALLA—"

"Nyu!"

"Hey!" That freak was really getting on Excel's nerves. Such disrespect toward their fearless leader. The girl's hair was pinker than bubble gum, and had two stubs of horns emerging from under her hair. She was so cute and adorable, granted, but Excel still didn't understand why this girl was their "secret weapon".

"Very well then…I will now assign the new positions regarding the return of one of our original agents and the appearance of—"

"Nyu!"

Illpallazzo paused a second, waiting for absolute silence, and then continued, "the appearance of a new agent, Agent Lucy!"

The pink haired girl whom Illpallazzo called Lucy screamed, "NYU!!!!!" out into the air.

"Will you shut up!?" Excel snarled, going out of her mind.

"Now you have a small taste of what I deal with…" Illpallazzo muttered.

"What was that, Lord Illpallazzo?"

"Nothing at all…"

"Sir Lord Illpallazzo….?"

"Yes, Agent Hyatt?"

"Why was it that you said that there was a returning member of ACROSS, sir?"

"Why…Agent Cosette…"

"Ah…almost forgot about the lil' brat…" Excel muttered.

"Nyu!"

"But…more importantly…Cosette is working on a special assignment, Excel…"

"Special Assignment!?" What could Illpallazzo trust Cosette with that even Excel could know?

"Yes, Excel…something that you cannot interfere with…"

"Why not, Lord Illpalla—"

"Bluntly put, you'd f it up…"

Excel stared at him for a moment before bursting into tears, "My dear Lord Illpallazzo, what could Excel possible screw up so badly?! Have I not done everything you've ever requested—"

"Lucy, please shut her up…"

Excel felt her throat grow funny. It felt as though a small piece of paper had scrapped it. When she opened her mouth, however, she coughed into her hand. Looking at her palm as she pulled away, she saw fresh blood. She put a hand to her throat, and saw even more red liquid dripping out of a thin scratch.

"Lord…Illpallazzo…?"

"Oh, now what you'd done…Lucy, on a future note, try not to kill Excel…"

"Nyu nyu?"

"Can't…breathe…" Excel was being choked by her own blood, "Is this the end of Excel?! How can the heroine of this story…argh…"

"Hyatt…oh, she's gone and died again…what a pity…Excel will just need to wait for Hyatt to come back to life…oh well…I hope Cosette gathers the intelligence…"

"Nyu?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand, but Excel is incredibly dense, and—"

"Excel is not dense, Lord Ill—"

Illpallazzo rose to his feet, "It seems that a miracle has occurred! If Excel can speak then surely she does not require any medical aid at all!"

"Nope…still bleeding…"

"Excellent…then lay down like a good corpse…"

"Hail…Ill…pall…a…zzo…."