-Ten-Faced Paladin
Moon Armada
By Ten-Faced Paladin
Chapter 7: Vacation? What Vacation?
It had been a rough day for Serena and Rini. It started nicely when they were just coming home from school, but now they seemed to have become part of a war that had spanned over millions of years. Just their luck. They had returned from the battle victorious after Optimus prime, the Autobot leader brought them home. Rini had a bubbly smile on her face as she had Arvee with her even after the conflict.
"You're going to love it here Arvee!' Rini smiled in delight. "There's a lot of fun things to do here!"
Serena smiled at the younger girl's delight. She just knew Rini was going to show off her new friend to anyone she could. That included Stetsuna and Hotaru.
Serena, at the thought of the time guardian, became thoughtful. Did she know anout the Autobots and Decepticons already? She probably already did, knowing her. She figured that they needed to know more about their new friends and enemies. Maybe the Autobots could actually make Crystal Tokyo even more likely to happen.
Serena came to her front door and grasped the handle. Right now she was just looking forward to sitting down and eating some snacks. She opened the door and was expecting some peace and quiet, but...
"Serena!" an angry Luna shouted. "Where have you been! I haven't heard from you for hours and who was that man in the red truck?"
"Woah Luna," Serena spoke, holding her hands up in a calming manner. "Calm down. I'll explain up in my room."
"You'd better," Luna frowned. "To have ridden home with a complete stranger. Honestly."
Serena sweatdropped slightly as she picked up Luna and headed for her room. Arvee and Rini followed quickly behind. They didn't want Serena's parents to see her new friend and freak out. That was the last thing they needed after having to deal with the Decepticons.
Serena and Rini walked into her room and Luna planted herself on Serena's bed after being let down. Arvee sat on a free chair at Serena's vanity table. Seren sat down on the bed next to Luna and sighed in relief.
"All right Serena," Luna began. "Now, who was that man in the red truck?"
"That wasn't just any guy Luna," Serena replied. "That was Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. He wasn't in the truck either. He was the truck."
"Optimus Prime!" Luna gasped. "You actually met the Autobots!"
"The Decepticons too," Rini added. "They're a bunch of jerks."
Both girls then launched into explanations on what had happened to them. Rini went to how she and Amy met up with Hotshot and Serena told about her battle with Starscream. Luna listened intently and was surprised to hear how Starscream deflected her tiara. Both girls finally finished their story where Optimus drove them home.
"I see," Luna nodded. " I am glad to hear that you're unharmed, but it seems plain that the Decepticons are indeed very powerful."
"What are you talking about Luna?" Serena said somewhat arrogantly. "We beat them. It's as simple as that."
"No it is not Serena!" Luna snapped.
Both girls sweatdropped at Luna's outburst.
"The Decpeticons are obviously a very evil and powerful force," Luna continued. "Judging from the one you battled, how he delfected your tiara and was only put down for a short time by Raye's attacks proves that."
"But-but he broke his sword in the process!" Serena sputtered.
"True," Luna nodded. "That tells us that we can fight them. We are fortunate that the Autobots are willing to assist us. My largest concern lies with their leader Megatron. He was not present at the battle?"
Arvee chirped with a few beeps and Rini listened intently.
"Arvee says he wasn't there," Rini translated.
"I see," Luna spoke. "After hearing about how the Decepticons are so strong and violent. I must wonder that if Megatron, as the leader, must be the strongest of them all."
Serena and Rini looked to the floor. Logic dictated that would be true. Thugs like the Decepticons always did flock to whoever was the strongest. Megatron must have been strong if he could keep them in line.
"So what should we do?" asked Serena.
"I think we should notify the other scouts and Darien," Luna advised. "If the Decepticons should return then we shall be prepared for them."
"Uh-oh," Rini gulped. "I just remembered. We won't be able to find Haruka and Michelle."
"Why's that Rini?" asked Serena.
"They went on vacation," Rini gulped while pulling out a postcard and handing it to Serena.
Serena took it curiously and read it over. "They're in okinawa. those lucky bums! I bet they're enjoying the beaches as we speak!"
Serena began going into a rant about how unfair it all was. Luna began growling in annoyance. Rini decided to take a step back to give the approaching explosion some space. As she backed away, Arvee beeped to her.
"Huh?" Rini asked. "Oh, Haruka and Michelle are Sailor Scouts like us. They're also girlfriends."
Arvee tilted her head to the side. She didn't quite understand what Rini meant about the girlfriends comment.
"Serena!" Luna finally shouted, ending the older girl's rant. "Haruka and Mchelle are out of contact with us now. They have no idea what's going on here."
"Do you think they'll be attacked?" Serena asked worriedly. "I mean, The Decepticons probably won't come unless there's a Mini-con, right?"
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Within the confines of hte Autobot base, Jetfire and Scavenger were busy dealing with the Mini-con that had just awoken.
"It figures," Scavenger grumbled. "Right when there's barely anyone here."
"Oh quit grumbling," Jetfire laughed from his terminal. "You have a lock on it yet?"
Scavenger tapped some buttons and the holgraphic screen came up. It showed an island somewhere on the eastern side of the planet. It looked pretty close to where Optimus and the others went, but it was on a completely different island. By the time the others got back and then sent there, the Decepticons would have probably gotten it by then.
"Well Vice-commander?" Scavenger asked with a smirk. "What do we do?"
"What do you think?" Jetfire asked, a smile in his voice. "We go after it. What else?"
Scavenger nodded and the two Autobots headed for the warp room. They set the controls to automatic as they both transformed to vehicle mode. The warp gate opened quickly and in a flash, both of them were gone. Their destination? Okinawa, Japan.
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In the waters near that very island, deep underwater, Tidal Wave and Demolisher warped into sight.
"Okay," Demolisher spoke. "I'll check the island for the Mini-con. Tidal Wave, you check out the water here. Got that?"
The giant Decepticon nodded with a low rumble. He then turned around and began heading for acoral formation.
"Don't let the humans see you!" Demolisher shouted after him.
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The warp gate closed and a beach found itslef host to a bulldozer and a space shuttle. The bulldozer tested it's treads while the shuttle remained still.
"Nice place," Jetfire admired.
"I guess," Scavenger agreed. "The Mini-con?"
"Right," Jetfire agreed. "I'll do some circles around this place and see if I can triangulate the Mini-con's position. You stick to the ground for your search."
"Make sure to keep an eye out for Decepticons," Scavenger spoke seriously.
"Don't have to tell me twice," Jetfire remarked.
Jetfire then activated his thrusters and went to the skies. Scavenger dug his treads into the gound and began moving. The search was on.
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The sun was shining brightly on the beaches of Okinawa. It made them beautiful to the eye and also a wonderful day to visit them. Two guests in particular were taking the time to enjoy the day.
Haruka was one such person who was enjoying the day. She sat in a beach chair with a book she was reading at her own pace. The ocean breeze ruffled her hair as she read. She was donned in a white button up shirt and thin white pants. She may not have been showing it, but she was enjoying her vacation.
"Haruka," her partner Michelle spoke. "It's not a vacation unlessyou really have fun."
Haruka glanced at Michelle and smiled. The blue-haired woman was lying on a beach towel in a flower print bikini, sunning her back. She had even unclasped the top so not to get tanlines.
"I am having fun," Haruka replied plainly. "It's like when you play your violin or make your paintings."
Michelle smiled as she reclasped her bikini. She then sat up and tipped her sunglasses so that she could look at Haruka with her own eyes.
"I guess so," she smiled. "But a vacation means to cut loose and have some fun."
Haruka looked up from her book with a ready retort, "I thought vacations were meant to be relaxing."
Michelle began pouting cutely. She was breaking out her secret weapon. Haruka had little chance of surviving such an assault.
"Fine, be that way," Michelle pouted. "Then I guess we can just do nothing for the whole week."
"Nothing?" Haruka asked, her eyebrow rising.
"Absolutely nothing," Michelle replied while stretching. "And I mean nothing."
Haruka stared at her partner in defeat. When all else failed, target the libido. That was a sure-fire way for Michelle to get Haruka to do anything.
"Nothing?" Haruka asked.
"That's right," Michelle smiled.
Haruka sighed in defeat. Sometimes there was just no fighting against it.
"Then I'd go insane," Haruka muttered. "If I'm not there already that is. What did you have in mind for today?"
Michelle smiled in victory.
That was how Haruka found herself hiking up a trail behind Michelle. It was in a wildlife park. The scenery was beautiful and there was all sorts of things to see. What michelle had in mind was to make it to the top of the trail. She was aiming to share a romantic spot with her lover. Haruka had no idea about this and thus was not quite enthusiastic about the trip.
"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Haruka asked gloomily.
"Oh come on Haurka," Michelle laughed. "We never get to do things like this at home."
"I wonder why," Haruka huffed.
Normally, Haruka was a tough person and never really complained. Then again, even she had her limits. An uphill hike for what seemed like two hours was one of the things that would break through anyone's resolve.
Michelle had actually made it a good distance ahead of Haruka. She was definently more into the trip to the top than Haruka was. She was also anticipating what was waiting for them at the end.
"You're actually enjoying this?" Haruka asked sarcastically.
"Of course," Michelle giggled.
Haruka sighed, but she couldn't help but smile. Hearing Michelle laugh was something she enjoyed to hear. She looked up the trail and saw that she had stepped to the side to let Haruka catch up. Suddenly, Michelle gave a cry of terror and seemed to have gotten sucked into the ground.
"Michelle!" Haruka cried.
The girl in question was sitting on a dirty ground with the light casting down on her from the hole she fell through.
"Ow," Michelle muttered to herself. "Where am I?"
She looked around and saw that she was in some kind of underground temple. Roots were growing all over the walls. There were statues were worn and cracked. Nothing seemed to be intact. The colors on the pillars were faded and dust was everywhere.
"Michelle!" Haruka's voice shouted down to her.
"I'm okay!" Michelle called to the surface. "I just had a fall. You won't believe what I found."
"What?" Haruka asked.
"I think it's a temple," Michelle replied. "Just give me a minute."
Michelle peered through the darkness. She noticed a small shrine that was at the end of a path that was lined with statues. She stepped closer and saw that each of the statues were depicting samurai. Something odd seemed to be that the statues on the right seemed to be protecting something while the others seemed to be attacking. She also saw that the statues on the right had a marking on their chestplates. A box-shaped face that had a small mouth and red lines running down from the eyes. The attacking statues had a pointed face which the eyes seemed to be gazing at her with intense hate. There were also dusty Japanese writing on the first statue on each side. The right read 'Jido robotto' while the other side read 'Itsuwari shujin.'
"What kind of soldiers would make these things?" Michelle asked herself.
She drew closer to the small shrine and saw that green light was beginning to radiate between the cracks. Michelle grasped her henshin stick and cautiously stepped closer. She was half expecting a youma to attack her. After a few more cautious steps, Michelle grabbed the small doors and opened them. The green light blinded her for a moment before her eyes adjusted. She found herself looking at a plate that gave off a green light. On it was a symbol with the letter M on it.
"What is this?" she asked herself.
Reaching out, she gently touched the edge of the plate. It didn't react. Taking a deeep breath, Michelle grabbed the plate and lifted it from it's place. She could feel her heart beat as she wited for something to happen. Nothing did. Breathing in relief, she began to step away from the shrin and back towards the hole that she fell through. Looking up to the light, she saw Haruka still gazing down in concern.
"I found something," Michelle called. "Help me up."
"Right," Haruka nodded, curious as to what Michelle had found.
Michelle, holding the plate, used the roots which hung from the celing and pulled herself up. When she was high enough, Haruka held out her hand and pulled Michelle up when she grasped it. When she was up on solid ground again, Michelle revealed what she had found.
"What do you think it is?" Haruka asked suspciously.
"I'm not sure," Michelle replied. "It might be dangerous. That's why I took it. That way no one else would find it."
Haruka nodded. that made sense. She just couldn't help but think that this object was going to lead to something big.
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In the skies above, Jetfire was working on trying to find the Mini-con. So far he had gotten nothing but open sky. He was about to try someplace else when it started coming in loud and clear.
"All right!" he cheered. "Hey Scavenger! I found it!"
"Really?" Scavenger replied through his radio. "Where is it?"
"I found it up on a mount...oh slag," Jetfire groaned. "We have a bigger problem. I just got visual and it seems that two humans found it first."
"That is a problem," Scavenger sighed. "Wish Rad, Carlos or Alexis were here."
"Well, they aren't," Jetfire snorted. "Might as well get Rollbar to...oh slag!"
"What now?" Scavenger groaned in annoyance.
"Demolisher!" Jetfire replied quickly. "I just saw him roll over the hillside. He must have locked in on the signal. Those humans aren't going to know what hit them!"
"Hold him off!" Scavenger shouted. "I'll move in and get those humans out of there."
"You got it!" Jetfire smirked as he roared his thrusters.
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Haruka and Michelle were heading back down the hill when they heard ot. A low rumbling sound which echoed through the air. Haruka looked around while trying to locate the souce. Michelle clutched the panel to her chest while she did the same.
"What is that?" Michelle asked.
"Not sure," Haruka replied. "I don't like it though."
The rumbling grew louder and the animals could be heard screeching and cawing. Whatever was coming was apparently getting closer and it was probably big. The crashing sound that the two Sailor Scouts assumed to be trees being crushed was getting louder. Haruka and Michelle turned to their right when they could determine the source of the noise. It was then the source came crashing through the final mass of trees and vegetation.
Haruka and Michelle found themselves staring down the barreals of a large tank that had four barrels. It also had what seemed to be machine guns. Both of them were rather surprised to see it and were wondering why a tank was up on the trail like this.
The weirdest part was when it actually spoke, "Gimmie that Mini-con!"
To Be Continued
A/N: There ya go! Enjoy! I know I'm going to be questioned about this later so I'll translate the writing that Michelle saw on the statues. The right was Automatic robot-Autobot. The left was Deceptice convict-Decepticon. I just thought it would sound more dramatic untranslated. So now two of the outers are thrown into the battle. Will they be able to get through?