"Morning Doctor!" Came a chipper voice filled with excitement. "I would have never expected you would have ended up as an archaeologist! It's so shocking but at the same time so fitting!"
Rei gulped, turning with surprise to spot her old friend who smiled brightly with flowing gold hair behind her.
"Minako-chan," she greeted, a broad smile slowly spreading across her features.
Minako smiled wider, tilting her head with a nod. An overwhelming sense of elation spread through Rei's body, old memories coming to mind as she embraced the girl in a warm hug.
"It's been so long," Rei said, surprisingly happy to see someone she hadn't seen for years. She wasn't always the most sentimental but it seemed she valued her old friends much more than she even realized herself. "What're you doing here?"
"Well," Minako replied, "I was in town and heard that you were here preparing to embark on your first excavation in a few days and knew I couldn't leave without coming by to wish you luck!"
Rei laughed, "That's sweet," she said. "Say, I've got time for lunch if you do…"
"Of course!" Minako cheered, linking arms with Rei as they made their way out the door.
They found themselves entering a popular diner, their booth tucked away in a corner where they ordered their meal and patiently waited.
"So tell me," Rei started. "What're you up to these days?"
Minako blinked a moment, shrugging her shoulders as she took a sip of her water.
"Nothing too spectacular," she replied. "Just been traveling, trying to find my place in the world, so to speak."
Rei nodded, salivating slightly when the food finally arrived.
"That's nice," Rei commented, jumping up when remembering a recent shocking experience. "Did you see Usagi's commercial?"
Minako seemed just as excited, bobbing her head excessively as she smiled.
"I did!" She exclaimed. "I nearly fell out of my seat when I realized who she was. She looks so gorgeous on TV!"
Rei scoffed.
"She does," she admitted. "But I can't help but wonder how many takes it took for her to get her lines right."
The two laughed, nibbling on their entrees while making conversation. It was a nice change for Rei. She didn't acquire many friends in school; rather, she gained admirers who often bugged her with their constant praise. So to be able to talk freely and without much focus on herself, she was immensely appreciative, suddenly growing with reminiscence as she wondered what her other friends were doing now.
When they finished their burgers, they sat back in satisfaction, Minako devilishly ordering milkshakes the two of them knew they could have done without. But, Minako convinced Rei that while she was away from civilization and digging up dead people she would regret not grabbing one while she still had a chance. Thus, Rei agreed to Minako's logic and waited ominously for her Vanilla milkshake as she sat with a protesting stomach.
She sighed.
"Take your time bringing them out," she told the waiter. "We both could use some more time to let our food digest before we gorge ourselves again."
Minako laughed, smiling brightly. As the waiter nodded in understanding, she rushed off to leave the pair silently in their booth.
Blue eyes stared quietly out the window, pedestrians littering the sidewalks as she mindlessly observed their actions. Rei too found her eyes straying out there, a contemplative expression plastered on both their faces.
"Remember when we used to stare out the window of restaurants with the others, just watching people as they passed by?" Minako asked, her eyes still trained on the strangers minding their own direction.
"Yes," Rei affirmed. "It almost felt like we were staring into another dimension. I always felt so closed off back then."
Minako smiled, tearing her eyes from the window to look at Rei.
"You don't still feel that way today?" She inquired.
Rei shrugged, watching the people as they passed.
"Not really," she replied, not completely conscientious quite yet of why she felt differently.
"I see," Minako said, Rei's eyes flitting to her by the strange tone in her voice.
"Do you still feel estranged?" Rei queried, watching as Minako hesitated slightly, pulling her chin to rest against her hand.
"Sometimes," she admitted with a wry smile.
Rei felt herself pique with concern as she wondered the reasons why Minako might bring up such a subject. Uncertain of how she should approach her friend's estranged feelings, she fell silent, sympathetically searching for something to say. However, it seemed Minako would be the one to carry this conversation.
"Do you ever wonder, Rei, what the history of this planet might be?" She asked, Rei taking a moment to contemplate the question.
"What do you mean?" She finally asked as she got the hint that Minako wasn't referring to things that were written in textbooks.
The milkshakes arrived as Minako pondered a response, both thanking the waiter before she again dismissed herself.
"Well," Minako started. "We know the tale about the Moon and our home planets, how life was simultaneously wiped out everywhere except Earth and Serenity had sacrificed herself to reincarnate us. But in all of that chaos, amidst that war, what exactly was happening on Earth? How were they able to survive destruction?"
Rei frowned, caught by surprise that she had never stopped to consider that fact.
"I doubt Earth was ever a target in the first place. After all, it seemed the war on the Silver Alliance was based on a jealous Earth woman who was scornful enough to seek out power greater than she had anticipated. I doubt that she wanted to destroy her own home," Rei stated, poking with disinterest at her milkshake.
"And so Serenity sends us to the very place responsible for the destruction of our homes."
Rei glanced to Minako, who appeared smiling as she ate away at her chocolate milkshake. She pried for some type of scorn, spite or anything of the sort but could only find a smile and blue eyes that were so light in nature that Rei could hardly detect an ounce of disfavor.
"Minako," she stated firmly, "Are you alright?"
Minako laughed a bit, smiling brighter as she nodded.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I must sound weird with all of these questions and observations on such an old subject. I've just had so much free time that I sometimes can't control where my mind wanders off to. Do you like your milkshake?"
Rei hesitated, then nodded.
"It's okay," she said, "the milkshake, I mean."
"Really?" Minako asked happily, "You still have so much left! You need help finishing?"
"I might," Rei replied, pushing the milkshake to the center of the table. She was troubled by the sudden change in Minako's nature, her amethyst eyes scouring the blonde for any faults in her features. Still, she could find nothing.
"Are we human?"
Rei looked up in surprise, not expecting such a question as she caught Minako's serious expression. She certainly didn't like the ever changing colors of Minako's conversation but she was captivated by the stern expression Minako had made as she genuinely pondered the question.
"I assume that we are," Rei answered. "I mean, we have human parents, don't we?"
"I guess," Minako nodded, sipping once more at the vanilla milkshake in the center of the table. "Then do our powers just come to us because we're the reincarnated souls of planetary princesses?"
"Minako," Rei exhaled, "You're really beginning to worry me with all these questions."
The blonde laughed, trying to make the aura lighter as she beamed.
"Oh Rei, it's all just for curiosity's sake! You know I never like to think too deeply about these things, I'm just scoping for your opinion," she smiled. "But if you don't like the topic, we can talk about something else! Like…oh, the new movie Usagi-chan will be featured in. Do you plan to watch it?"
Apprehensively, Rei felt her suspicions rise, her mind wondering whether she would let it drop or pursue their previous conversation further before Minako decided to avoid dispelling her reasons for bringing up their past life. With a dry throat and tired soul, she chose to take the subject change and go along with Minako's supposed attempt at light-hearted conversation.
"I'll be in Cairo at the time of the premier," she said. "I'll probably try to watch it when I return to Japan."
They continued for another half an hour, leaving afterwards and walking leisurely back to Rei's place. Amethyst eyes often found themselves trailing to the beaming blonde who appeared carefree and happy despite her altering expressions in the diner. When they reached Rei's apartment, Minako hugged her goodbye, turning to leave as Rei watched her from her door.
It caught her by surprise to hear herself speak out so suddenly, Minako's body frozen in place as she caught ear of Rei's voice.
"I remember once, wondering why we couldn't revive our home planets," Rei had said, gulping in unease as she questioned whether it was wise to share this or not. "After all, the Great Freeze would heal the Earth and a kingdom called Crystal Tokyo would rise to guide and protect this planet. I also found myself asking why we couldn't do that on the Moon or Mars where life is so close to being possible. It has always been strange to me that we would sacrifice ourselves and our strength to this planet alone while leaving the rest of the universe barren and dry."
"I used to wonder the same thing," Minako muttered, moving forward as if to leave.
"Minako," Rei interrupted, stalling the blonde briefly. The raven-haired woman was at a loss for words, not quite certain of where she was going with all this. So she sighed in disappointment and said the only thing that came to mind. "Take care of yourself."
Minako turned around with a bright smile, that image being the last Rei would see of her for years.
"You too."
Luna purred, stretching out in feline fashion as she managed to win the affectionate awe of the on-duty guard. She quickly picked herself up, prancing playfully as her tail swayed behind her. A sweet meow sounded from her black cat body, her eyes large with innocence as the on duty Preventer swooned with adoration.
"You are so cute!" She squealed, rewarding Luna with gentle petting behind her ear. Luna blushed, finding it hard to purr in delight as she prodded the Preventer to continue scratching. "How adorable!"
Rei scoffed, laughing inaudibly at how persuasive Luna's performance was. She nearly let her amusement show when Luna actually started to let her feline tendencies take over, her cute little head bustling for more petting behind the ear as she pushed against the Preventer's hand.
"She likes you," Rei commented smugly.
"She sure does," the Preventer cooed, smiling brightly as she coddled the kitten.
"Well, I know its short notice and I'm supposed to get permission from Mr. Winner or Mr. Yuy to see the totem, but do you think I could go in there and take just a quick glance? It'll only be a second."
"Of course, of course," the brown-eyed Preventer replied. "Just don't tell anyone about it and make it quick, okay?"
She pressed the button soon after, a buzzer sounding as the door opened. Rei bowed graciously, smirking as the Preventer waved her off and kept her eyes on Luna. There were certainly many advantages to being a cat.
Hastily Rei keyed in a sequence of numbers, waiting patiently as the glass casing around the totem had lifted. She glanced behind her to be sure no one was looking and once satisfied, she reached in her jacket for an identical totem custom made by Artemis whose ingenuity and craftsmanship was unmatched by any species. She took the actual artifact and replaced it quickly, faking a few turns as though she were genuinely observing the item and not stealing it.
Once satisfied that she had spent enough time looking it over, she returned everything to its place and stepped outside.
"All done," Rei chimed with a smile.
The Preventer jumped, looking at her in surprise.
"That was fast," she said, averting her eyes quickly to look inside the secured room. She sighed in relief when seeing the totem was still there and nodded.
"Well, I didn't want to get you into trouble by taking too long," Rei reasoned. "Besides I just had to check an inscription real quick so I could reference one of my old books. I think I might be onto something."
"Really?" The Preventer chimed in relief. "I'm sure Mr. Peacecraft will be excited to hear that."
"Mmhmm," Rei agreed, "But don't let him know just yet. I don't want to get his hopes up for nothing…"
"Sure," the naïve woman replied. "I won't say a word!"
"Thank you," Rei cordially responded. "I'll be on my way then."
"Good luck Dr. Hino!" The woman called after her. She sighed and again checked for the totem, finding that it was still in its place. Once she was certain all was okay, she looked expectantly for the temporarily neglected cat that recently stole her attention. With a curious gaze she found herself looking at an empty space, her head turning every which way to see where that cute thing could have gone. With a disappointed sigh she gave up, drudgingly turning her attention to her computer to find yet another surprise.
"Hm," she huffed, "When did I open this?"
With a shrug she gave up thinking on that topic too, closing out the security camera feeds and yawning in the process. Beneath her desk was a relieved white cat, his breath escaping in a sigh as he managed to fulfill his task without discovery.
Duo was never one for tabloids but the story on the front cover captivated his attention the moment he saw the pigtailed blonde's picture. With mild curiosity he opened the magazine, skimming the article in search of the meat.
"Famous couple's retreat to a secret getaway home may be a cover for a kidnapping?"
After that line alone he wasted no time in paying for the thing with the change in his pockets. It was true that he was en route to one Dr. Mizuno's house but the story seemed to derail him as his attention jumped full-fledged into this new conspiracy theory.
"A formal ransom has not been requested but Ida Rubella, the Chiba's house keeper of three years, believes the beautiful couple has been kidnapped. Monday morning when she arrived at the happy couple's loft she was met with an apartment where things were strangely well ordered without a single item out of place. Bashfully she admits that Usagi Tsukino-Chiba has never been the most organized person saying, "It is not normal for their house to be so clean. If it was, then I wouldn't have a job." Though a clean house that isn't ordinarily spotless is hardly grounds for suspicion, the mystery does not stop there. Usagi's agent claims to have been called by Mrs. Chiba's mother who was quoted as saying her daughter and her husband would be going on vacation indefinitely. When met with paparazzi on her front porch Monday afternoon, mother of Usagi Tsukino, Mrs. Tsukino denies ever calling her daughter's agent or her son-in-laws peers. She explains, "I don't even have their home phone number. Usagi always forgets it so how do expect me to have the numbers of their bosses?" Keen observation Mrs. Tsukino!"
Duo laughed in amusement, skipping a few paragraphs as the madness continued. More theories were formulated as half-baked speculations were described throughout the story. As he neared the end of the article he started to regret having spent his change on this useless magazine.
""I just want to be sure Mr. and Mrs. Chiba are okay. They are the sweetest people I have ever known and it would kill me to see them get hurt," explains Ida Rubella, housekeeper of three years. She even expresses her concern for the couples' adored Ying and Yang pet felines—"
"What?" Duo gaped, bringing the magazine close to his face as he read the italicized Page A3 in reference to the mentioned "Ying and Yang pet felines". He flipped the pages quickly, almost dropping the magazine as the image read perfectly in his eyes.
Two cats posed innocently for the picture, black fur next to white as crescent-moons shimmered on both their foreheads. Duo put a disbelieving hand to his head and shook it.
"And the coincidences just don't stop."
"Ready?"
Rei nodded as Haruka leant patiently against the wall. The sandy blonde sighed, pushing off the wall and nodding back.
"How good are you with your skills these days?" Haruka questioned with a smirk.
"You'd be surprised," Rei laughed as she pulled out the totem.
"Still need to transform to draw out your powers?" Haruka inquired.
"Do you?" Rei challenged, a wave of heat brushing through the air as the chill wind shivered around them.
"Hn," Haruka scoffed. Luna and Artemis observed nervously from the side, anxiously hoping for the best.
"You two be careful," Luna advised. "There's no telling how much strength Elysion has revived."
Both senshi nodded. It was strange being the only two involved at the moment, but both Rei and Haruka were determined to succeed. They jumped off in a heartbeat, leaving the Preventer's Headquarters far behind them.
"You think they'll be okay?" Artemis inquired.
"I hope so," Luna replied.
"It took you long enough," commented an unenthused Milliardo Peacecraft who glowered in the direction of the stern woman before him.
"I apologize for the delay," she stoically replied. "But you're not my only client, Mr. Peacecraft. Though you may be placed on a pedestal by the rest of the world, I make it my duty to treat all my clients equally and your call was last minute. So naturally I had to take care of those that actually made an appointment."
Milliardo frowned, regretting his decision to try to guilt her when immediately remembering she was never one to just back down.
"In that case, I'm glad you've finally made it," he gruffly responded, suddenly taking notice of a teenage girl with short, violet hair. "And this is…"
"Tomoe Hotaru," she answered. "I've recently become responsible for her. I hope you don't mind that she'll be accompanying me during my stay here."
"It's fine," Milliardo stated. "So long as she doesn't get in the way."
"She'll be at her best," the ruby-eyed woman affirmed. "Now for the security system—"
"The mainframe is still in the same place. Please direct yourself accordingly, I've recently acquired a mission I cannot ignore. I hope you can understand, Dr. Meiou."
Setsuna nodded, watching skeptically as Milliardo paced away from them. Hotaru came up close behind her, quietly asking if she should do something.
"It'd be best to lay low for a while," Setsuna explained as soldiers ran to their orders. An escaped researcher and soldier were reported over the intercom and a pursuit mission was in quick assembly where weapons were handy and men and women piled into planes for departure. "This is in Haruka and Rei's hands now."
Makoto hummed, rolling out a newly prepared batch of cookie dough onto the counter as Xiang happily sorted through the cookie cutters to pick out her favorites.
"No Tenzin?" Makoto asked, taking notice of the unusually solo child.
Xiang sighed, shaking her head.
"Tenzin's busy training," she said with a frown.
"Really," Makoto stated with interest. "Alone? You guys feeling okay?"
"Of course," Xiang chimed, smiling brightly at her mother. "But lately we've been seeing things in a different way," she explained. "Tenzin would rather train more and I just want to do what we normally do."
"I see," Makoto responded. She continued to roll, her hands firmly pressing against the rolling pin until she was able to level out the dough at a sizeable thickness.
"Mommy?" She heard Xiang ask.
"Yes sweetheart?" She replied, still adamant on getting the dough spread out.
"Is daddy a superhero?"
She ceased her movement, looking up with surprised green eyes and then smiling.
"I suppose in a way he is," she said brightly. "After all, he protects the peace just like a hero so yeah, I'd say daddy is a superhero."
"Mom," Xiang whined with a frown, "A superhero doesn't just protect people, they have to have superpowers too! Does daddy have any superpowers?"
Makoto nearly laughed as she watched her daughter's expression grow stern and serious. With a sigh, Makoto leant forward on the counter, contemplatively tapping her chin in thought.
"Well," she smirked, "Your father can fly…"
"Only because he's a pilot," Xiang rebuked with disappointment.
"But doesn't that count as a power?" Makoto inquired enthusiastically.
"Only if you can fly without a machine!" Xiang pointed out.
"Oh," Makoto replied, again going into deep thought as she pondered more features of her husband. "Well he once fought off about twenty men at once, perhaps he has super strength."
Xiang groaned in frustration, shaking her head as though she were caught in a highly unfavorable situation.
"Dad can fight off many men at once because he's trained to do it," Xiang explained. "But a superpower is something you gain by accident or without knowing."
"Wow," Makoto chimed with enlightenment. "You are very bright Xiang, I honestly never knew there were such distinct differences between skill and superpowers."
"I only know because Tenzin told me," Xiang admitted. "He's been reading a lot about it, I think."
"Hmm, that Tenzin sure is insightful and studious. He must get it from his father," Makoto smiled, Xiang nodding in agreement. "Now how about we choose which cut outs we want for these cookies, huh?" She suggested.
Xiang suddenly jumped with excitement, bobbing her head enthusiastically as she went for hearts and crescents.
"Mommy," she sounded again.
"Yes sweetheart," Makoto replied adoringly.
"Tell me the story of the Moon princess again."
"Alright," Makoto sighed, taking a seat next to her daughter as she helped cut the cookies. "Long ago there was a princess who lived on the Moon."
"Mom!" Xiang whined. "With more detail!"
Makoto laughed apologetically.
"Okay, okay," she sighed, taking a deep breath. "Long ago there was a BEAUUUTIFUL princess, whose golden hair flowed like silk and blue eyes shone like diamonds. She was a kind princess, one who loved full-heartedly and treated people warmly. She was known to the world as the Moon Princess, defender of peace and keeper of justice. Come to think of it, I think she and your father would get along pretty well, don't you agree?"
Xiang laughed, nodding in agreement. Makoto smiled.
"Well, on with the story, the Moon Princess had many friends but some would say the princesses of the inner planetary system were her closest. She spent much of her time with the Princess of Mars whose element was fire, the Princess of Mercury whose element was ice, the Princess of Venus whose element was light and the Princess of Jupiter whose elements were thunder and nature."
Xiang seemed to blink with surprise, her hand suddenly freezing in place as she listened to the descriptions.
"The Princess of Jupiter had thunder and nature?" She queried.
Makoto thought nothing of the question, nodding as she realized that this was the first time Xiang had ever acknowledged the descriptions of the Moon Princess's friends. Usually, her daughter would vehemently beg for her mother to get to the part about the Moon Princess' forbidden love with the Prince of Earth but today it appeared she was a bit preoccupied with the minor characters.
"Yep," she said, continually cutting out hearts and occasionally opting for stars.
"Could she…like…talk to trees, or hear them whispering?" Xiang asked, Makoto blinking slowly before looking to her.
"At times," she said. "Why?" Makoto queried with a soft smile, finding it a bit curious that Xiang should suddenly be interested in such details.
"N-no reason," Xiang replied, quickly resuming her task with her crescent-shaped cookie cutter.
Makoto caught herself frowning suspiciously, her head shaking quickly afterward as she discarded her concerns. It seemed Xiang had forgotten about wanting to hear the story but Makoto didn't mind it as she quietly placed the cookies on sheets and went to place them in the oven.
"Mom?" She heard Xiang say.
"Yes dear," Makoto responded, her head watching the cookies as they sat in the oven.
"It's dark outside."
Makoto looked up in surprise, now catching a glimpse of the dark gray clouds rolling in from the horizon. She went to the window in shock, a discomforting churn ripping at her gut as she felt goose bumps ripple across her skin. Mindlessly, she stepped outside, Tenzin standing there on the porch with just as much astonishment.
"Is this normal for this time of the year?" Tenzin had asked, Makoto pulling him close to her side subconsciously.
"No, it's not," she stated dryly. She looked nervous as she watched the sky darken, her senses quaking as she felt anxiety wash through her.
"Mommy?" She heard Xiang say, her hand tugging lightly on her dress.
Makoto looked down, smiling for reassurance.
"Let's get inside, you two. I wouldn't want anyone getting sick."
She ushered her twins into the house, closing the sliding door quickly before gazing out into the distance. The rain started to pour and for the first time in a long while, she felt thunder sparkling around her in the succinct moment that it rumbled through the sky.
Haruka cursed, dropping her resolve to remain perfectly human in the Preventer's sight and firing a large surge of energy at the tormenting beast behind them. She could see the soldiers' astonishment and knew she'd have a hell of a time explaining it but at the moment her deepest concern was getting out.
She and Rei had been able to infiltrate the cavern without difficulty but as they slinked around the corners and dark halls of this underground place, they realized they had been followed when Elysion's revived followers had captured two teams of Preventers.
Conflicted, she and Rei opted to separate and find the two teams in hopes of getting them back home. With the known breach, she was certain their chances of finding Usagi, Relena and Mamoru were completely depleted. Frantic and growing weary, she pushed the soldiers through the dingy halls, her eyes wincing when noticing the hazardous injuries they had acquired from the supernatural captors. Two men had already been killed and she couldn't help but feel guilty for it though she knew she couldn't be blamed entirely for their mistake.
"How many of you came?" Haruka questioned through grit teeth as she grabbed one by the collar.
"T-Two teams of eight," he answered. "And more outside."
Haruka's jaw clenched, her hand releasing the man as she hid in their temporary corner. She doubted the enemy would leak to the outside since a core number of people were starting to retreat inward. In the worst case, they'd probably send one of their ancient creatures thought to be extinct to handle them, but Haruka thought that highly unlikely.
She glanced down, sighting a soldier with a severe cut in his right leg. Scoffing, she pulled her useful handkerchief and wrapped it around his wound. The men seemed shocked that she'd help him in that way and she couldn't help but shake her head in disapproval.
"I work over half a decade with you soldiers and the moment you see me shoot light out of my hands you assume I'm the enemy," she frowned, turning back to look around the corner to gage the situation.
"Listen closely," she said in a hushed voice, the soldiers straining to hear her. "When I run, I want you all to stay directly behind me. Don't try to be the hero and fight cause you won't win, not with these animals on our tail. If it looks human, shoot it, if it looks like a dinosaur, let me handle it."
The men nodded apprehensively, a sigh escaping as Haruka gripped her abdomen inside her jacket. Back in the Silver Millenium she remembered her father used to buy monstrous animals from Earth and transport them to Uranus. They were used for security and land transportation but Haruka remembered them best when in the training room. Her father was always suspicious of Earth and since the other planets lacked such large creatures he thought that it was Earth's finest advantage. Hence, Haruka was placed in combat against them ever since the first day she could walk. Queen Serenity always challenged her father's brutal training sessions, claiming he should at least wait until Haruka's planetary powers kicked in but he refused. Haruka scoffed, if he saw her now and the way she struggled against the very monsters she once trained with she was sure he'd be scowling in disappointment.
"Ready?" She asked, the men nodding behind her as they prepared themselves to sprint, the largest soldier opting to carry his injured comrade on his back. "Let's go."
Rei's resolve to keep her powers under wraps while in the presence of the Preventers was soon dissolved as she melded the fire into a large bow and arrow and shot with precision. The monstrous beasts were difficult for her to combat, their speed and raw power often surprising her when she tried to tactically maneuver herself through the cavern. Her weaker fire attacks only bounced off their armored skin, her bow and arrow the only option as she aimed for openings in the creature's armor.
All eight soldiers were still alive in the squad she found but half of them were hard of hearing as their ears bled out disparagingly so it was hard to direct them.
She breathed heavily as she tried to calm herself enough to sense Haruka's location, her sixth sense wavering severely due to fatigue and stress. She cursed herself constantly for her sloppiness, her mind racing to see where she could have slipped up and gotten the Preventers to follow them. Even en route to this cavern, Rei should have sensed them. If only she wasn't too preoccupied with finding Usagi and Mamoru at all costs then perhaps they could've avoided this unwanted turn of events.
Forcefully, she compelled herself to stop thinking of her mistakes and instead focus on getting out. With sweat dripping from her body she closed her eyes, searching desperately for Haruka.
"Found her!" She breathed out, the soldiers staring at her hesitantly. She ignored their expressions and peered around the wall to see what they were up against.
Elysion's soldiers were retreating inward, but their vicious guard animals were still on active duty. She cursed. If it were the soldiers, they would all stand a better chance, but with those animals where bullets bounced off and only Rei's powers could penetrate, she could feel the overwhelming strain on her conscience.
"Dr. Hino," one man had spoken, her eyes skimming to him coldly. He looked concerned, brown eyes shining with determination despite his trembling hands that clung tightly over his gun. They were scared and Rei couldn't blame them. They weren't used to things like this and she was certain they never expected it could be possible.
"My mission was to capture you and bring you back to the Preventer's Corps for interrogation," he stated. "But my first concern is for my men. Please—"
"Tch," Rei scoffed in frustration. "You don't need to say such useless things," she cut him off. "Isn't it obvious that my intent is to get you fools out of here?"
He winced, apologizing with a slight bow before retracting his plea. She frowned, briefly glancing at the scourged men behind him and exhaling.
"Haruka's nearby, if we catch up to her, we might be better equipped to get out. Stay close!"
Haruka heaved hazardously, her body wracked with exhaustion as she pushed through with the platoon behind her. These creatures were harder to defeat than she remembered and the power it took to take them down was starting to take its toll on her body.
She jumped when she felt the wind change, the large horn of an oversized bull barely grazing her arm. She bounded off the stone walls, drawing out her sword as she went to swing. She made a large crater in the ground where she landed, the bull dodging the attack and charging back in to skewer her. She went to dodge but struggled when the weight of her body refused to let her carry herself. She cursed, the soldiers fruitlessly shooting at the bull only making it angrier. Preparing herself for the hit, she focused her power on creating a barrier, her heart thumping louder as the bull grew closer.
She could almost feel its breath blowing on her, the fight in her wavering as she anticipated the painful contact.
Her body flinched in surprise when she felt someone land in front of her, her eyes shocked when she saw a wave of raven hair, a fiery bow and trained arrow in full flame. Rei's calm aim centered on the beast's head, her fingers releasing exactly as the horns were about to delve into her chest. She breathed heavily, her crouched position still intact as her bow burned in her hands.
"Hn, I guess I should thank you," Haruka remarked playfully, Rei frowning at her joking nature when in a serious situation.
"I almost didn't make it in time," Rei bitterly responded.
"Why fret with the almosts?" Haruka reasoned. "They mean practically nothing when you do succeed."
Rei rolled her eyes, picking herself up from her position and helping Haruka off her knee.
"Let's just get out of here," Rei groaned, looking to Haruka's rescued crew and back to her own.
"Thirteen," Haruka counted. "You lost one."
Rei's fist clenched, her temple twitching with regret.
"He took a bite for his friend," she said. "There was no saving him."
"So they've released the carnivores," Haruka tensed. "We should move quickly then."
Without another word, they were off, fumbling as quickly as they could for the exit. One of the men howled in pain, forcing the group to take a moment as they huddled in a small compartment with Rei and Haruka as the watchmen.
"You seem to know a lot about these creatures," Rei commented, Haruka nodding beside her.
"The outer planets weren't quite as involved as the inners about maintaining peace. We were more comfortable preparing for battle just in case whereas Queen Serenity and the inners focused on dimming down their defenses to show how determined they were to prevent war. Naturally, we outer planets studied Earth's defenses, agriculture, species and geography religiously since we knew they'd be the ones we'd have to fight if a war should arise. Their magic is fairly mediocre but their resources have always been superfluous. Back then we'd never battle them on their home ground, it was considered suicide."
"Because of the number of species they have here," Rei stated.
Haruka nodded.
"They always kept it secret how many existed, but my father was vigilant and had spies who worked in the black market on Earth and bought the most dangerous animals for transport to Uranus."
Rei scoffed. "I would have never suspected Earth was this dangerous."
Haruka laughed. "Of course you wouldn't," Haruka stated with a smirk. "You were one of the Silver Millenium Hippies trying to spread love not war. Tell me, did it ever work out between you and that Earth general?"
Rei glared daggers at Haruka, the blonde truly amused by her reaction. She had always known the outers were more informed than they were but she accounted that to their difference in age. However, she didn't think there was such a difference between them in ancient times too.
"Look, Rei," Haruka suddenly sounded stern, the princess of Mars attentively listening. "With the carnivores on the loose, there's no outrunning them. Not with this group."
"What're you saying?" Rei replied, anxiety welling as she noticed Haruka's eyes grow serious.
"They'll catch up to us soon. Especially now that we've stopped."
"Then why didn't you say something sooner?" Rei almost yelled, anger flaring in her eyes.
"No use contemplating that much," Haruka sighed, ruffling her sandy hair in the process.
The two were quiet, both knowing what would have to be done in order for most of them to make it out alive.
"We can both stay back and let them run out as we stall the carnivores," Rei said quietly.
"I thought you might say that," Haruka laughed. "You inners are always so bent on teamwork."
Rei looked at her gravely then diverted her gaze to the group of bloodied soldiers who stood no chance of survival without them.
"Then why let me say it, if you've already decided what's going to happen?" Rei questioned solemnly, her heart wrenching at the fact that she'd have to do this.
"Just wanted to see if I was right about you," Haruka smirked. "Seems I am."
Rei shook her head, getting onto her feet as she motioned for the group of thirteen to do the same. Haruka pulled out a cigarette, sheepishly asking Rei for a light.
The girl scowled, but torched the end of the stick without falter.
"Don't make me regret this," Haruka told her as her ears perked when hearing the familiar howl of the carnivores.
"You better not die," was Rei's parting phrase, Haruka scoffing at her words.
"Can't really promise that," she muttered to herself as she turned away from them. The ground shook as she shot the walls with her power, stones falling to create a wall behind her. The first carnivore came bounding towards her and she started with a blast straight through its heart.
Rei wasted no time in hustling the severely injured men out of the cavern, her fire blazing whenever she met with an enemy who had straggled behind. Once outside, she was forced to stop, suspicious soldiers taking aim at her as they rushed their returned men to the medics. Her body was fatigued, unable to cope quickly with the excessive use of her power as she struggled to stay standing. Obediently, she raised her arms in the air, her soul relishing in anger as the Preventer's deemed her a prisoner and took her into captivity.
Thank you for reading! There was quite a bit of action going on here and some placement of senshi in different places. I hope it was enjoyable or bearable. Action is definitely difficult for me to write so I tried my best! Again, thank you for reading and of course I am especially grateful to those that reviewed! It is much appreciated!
Kagayaku: Thank you so much for your review! I'm so flattered that you like it so much and my only hope is that I'm able to keep it interesting and believeable! That, I'd say, is my main goal ^^ Again, thank you for your review. I am always so excited when people leave comments good or bad! So, in short, your review was very helpful in motivating me to continue!
nadeshiko-yuna: Thank you so much for your review! And I know what you mean. I had to reread this a few times myself to remember what I had written but once I realized where I was trying to go with this I got so excited and had to update it! lol ^^; I am super happy that you were able to fall in love with this again and your words of encouragement are always so nice! Thank you again for your review! And I hope these latest updates were enjoyable!
Comments and suggestions are always welcomed! Disclaimer: I do not own SM or GW.
JPandS