Disclaimer: All rights to both "Fist of the North Star" and "Sailor Moon" belong solely to their respective creators, Tetsuo Hara and Naoko Takeuchi. I neither own these franchises nor do I profit from the writing of this story.
Author's Note: It has been a while since I last updated this story but I promised that I wouldn't abandon it or leave you all to dry for over a year lol. That being said here is the next chapter. Enjoy.
Kenshiro Arc
Kenshiro was sitting with her eyes closed deep in meditation. She could vaguely hear Shingo playing on his Gameboy and the sound of her two "parents" in discussion in the front seat. It didn't matter. The heir to Hokuto Shin Ken was used to honing her mind even in the midst of chaos.
The fact that she was going out of town had raised some concern. The enemy was still at large and they didn't know when they would strike next. Apparently the Dark Kingdom was trying to acquire the Rainbow Crystals. Kenshiro knew that these crystals were somehow very important considering Zoicite's disposition towards them the last time they fought. Naru had done a brave thing taking the crystal from him and bought Kenshiro enough time to drive the Dark Kingdom general away.
At the moment Toki was in possession of the Rainbow Crystal but even she could not ascertain as to why the enemy was collecting them. What they did know was the fact that these Rainbow Crystals were imbedded in some special human beings. From what the soul of Usagi had told her, Kenshiro knew that the humans in possession of these gems had, in their previous life, been monsters.
It was for this reason that Usagi had granted Kenshiro the use of the Moon Rod and the technique, Moon Healing Escalation. It was meant to revert the transformed humans back to normal with no harm to their bodies. This would prevent the unnecessary death of innocent people.
Unfortunately Kenshiro was no longer in town due to the fact that her parents had decided to go on this trip to the hot springs. This brought up a variety of concerns. If the enemy struck then they would be at a disadvantage. Not that Kenshiro was doubting the abilities of both Toki and Rei but it was unwise to overestimate themselves. Their position was also made all the more precarious due to Raoh's presence.
The thought of the Gou-Ken master had brought a scowl on Kenshiro's meditative state.
Raoh was still supremely powerful and, at the moment, Kenshiro knew that she was no match for her. While Toki was roughly the same level of fighting prowess she was at a disadvantage when it came to their respective Senshi abilities. Toki's Senshi powers only allowed her the ability to analyze and summon a cold fog. Great for reconnaissance, data gathering and retreat but there was hardly any offensive ability that could help Toki if she needed to fall back on her powers.
Raoh, on the other hand, had the ability to summon lightning and even cause thunderstorms. This coupled with her mastery over Gou-Ken made Raoh a very dangerous opponent. Toki's Juu-Ken style could match Raoh's Gou-ken but her senshi powers simply did not match up to that of her older siblings'.
Rei, who was a master of Nanto Suichoken, could potentially kill Raoh if she had an opening but the fact that she was not a practitioner of Hokuto Shin Ken was a huge disadvantage in itself. Rei would not be able to bypass Raoh's fighting aura nor would she be able to pierce Raoh's iron like skin unless the attack itself was suicidal. Her senshi powers had the potential to harm Raoh but Kenshiro knew that it wouldn't kill her. She knew Raoh had trained in the midst of flames in order to harden her body and would not yield to Rei's senshi powers.
The timing of this trip couldn't come at a worse time but Kenshiro was in no position to argue. She still had to remain in the role of Usagi despite her misgivings about it. So she was forced to come along lest her parents and brother start to become suspicious.
Unfortunately, unknown to Kenshiro, the mother had become quite a bit suspicious.
Ikuko had known her daughter for all her life and she knew that there was something different about her eldest. For one her daughter was far too quiet and calm in duration of this trip. Usagi typically was an impatient teenager and would have, at this point, either been whining or trying to steal the Gameboy from her little brother's possession to relieve her boredom.
Yet here was Usagi sitting quietly with her eyes closed. She wasn't asleep that much Ikuko was sure of. It was almost as if Usagi was…meditating. That was strange but not as strange as some of the other things that Ikuko noticed about her daughter.
She tried to bring the issue up to her husband, Kenji, but he had waved her off saying that Usagi was growing up. Truth be told he preferred the change to his daughter. She was more serious in her schooling and, as such, had brought her grades up significantly. She also stopped eating junk food and reading manga the likes of which he considered a waste of time.
Seeing that bringing the subject up to her husband would do her no good Ikuko was forced to observe her daughter in silence as she started to notice more and more strange things about her.
Perhaps the strangest was the fact that her daughter refused to wear anything that was revealing. Now Ikuko was glad that her daughter had a bit of modesty when it came to her attire but she didn't want her daughter to become a prude either. Yet Usagi always wore long sleeved clothing and leggings almost never revealing her skin outside those on her face and hands.
Ikuko had the distinct feeling that her daughter was hiding something but what? The fact that her daughter seemed to be working out as well was worrisome. The blue haired mother couldn't help but think that perhaps her daughter was being bullied in school but she couldn't prove anything. According to Usagi's homeroom teacher, Haruna, there was nothing going on in school that would suggest that Usagi was getting bullied. The only unusual element was the fact that Usagi was serious about her school work for once.
The blue haired mother rubbed her temples as she felt a headache coming on.
It was like her daughter was drifting away from her. They no longer went shopping together or talked. Granted Usagi seemed to be distancing herself from her entire family but this didn't bother Kenji and it made Shingo happy, who felt that his older sister was a nuisance and was glad that she was no longer bugging him. But that didn't make it right. As such Ikuko had pushed that this trip happen as a way for the family to get together. Kenji had agreed and thus they were on their way to the hot springs outside Juuban.
Looking towards the back seat again Ikuko looked over and found, to her dismay, that Usagi was silent. She didn't have her eyes closed and instead seemed to be peering out of the window. The sight of her daughter's eyes was now so foreign. What had once been bright blue orbs of joy and promise were now tired…almost even resigned. And yet there seemed to be a foundation underneath that hinted at indescribable strength and resolve. Ikuko had seen her daughter's gaze turn like this once and it was like her daughter's eyes had turned into iron. What in the world had happened to her daughter to possess such a fearsome gaze?
Ikuko sighed once again.
There was no use beating herself up over it right now. Ikuko hoped that once they got to the hot springs that she could catch Usagi alone and that they would sit down and have a long talk.
She was going to get to the bottom of her daughter's change in behavior no matter what.
It was later that evening that they finally got to their destination. As they got off the vehicle the family had made for a small clearing in the woods as they watched the sun set.
"Man we're in the middle of nowhere. It's going to be so boring." whined Shingo.
"Now, now young man you should appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature from time to time. There is more to the world than just video games you know." said Kenji with a voice of authority.
"That's right Shingo. You need to appreciate the beauties that nature provides. Look at that sunset and tell me if you have seen anything like that before."
As Shingo looked over at the sunset he realized that seeing out in the wilderness was different than seeing the sun set in the city. From where they were at he could see the various colors of sky painted across him. Streaks of blue and orange retreating slowly to the dark of night. A few stars were beginning to shine through the dimming light of the sun and the moon was full and bright.
"You're right. This does look pretty cool." said Shingo in awe.
"You know your father and I have many precious memories here. It is for this reason that we thought it best to bring you and your sister here. Hopefully you'll realize just how special this place is as well." said Ikuko in an almost dreamy voice.
"Oh yeah a lot of precious memories alright." said Kenshi with a perverted grin as he wrapped his arm around his wife's waist.
"Kenshi! Not in front of the children." said Ikuko with a blush on her face.
"Eww gross! Mom and dad are being all lovey dovey. C'mon Usagi let's get out of here." said Shingo as he tugged at his older sister's shirt sleeve.
Kenshiro nodded silently. Truth be told she had enjoyed the sunset and the general serenity of this area. It had been so long since she had seen so much water and trees. The sound of the cicadas chirping as day turned to night and the glow of the fire flies as they started to look for their life mate.
Yuria had loved evenings like this. It was one of the few good memories that Kenshiro had of the dimension she originally came from. There was pain in these reminiscences but it was pain that Kenshiro was willing to bear. She looked up to the sky and clenched her fist. Once her work here was over she would find Yuria no matter what. Kenshiro knew that the battle with Shin was inevitable. They had once been best friends but Shin had betrayed her in the worst way possible. Kenshiro vowed she would make Shin pay no matter what.
"Hello Usagi you there? C'mon let's get out of here!" said Shingo as he interrupted his older sister's thoughts.
Kenshiro shook her head and nodded towards the little boy and soon started to make their way back to the hotel room. She just hoped that everything was going fine back in the city and that Toki and Rei wouldn't have to fight until she got back.
It was late at night as Kenshiro was sitting at the hot spring, alone, as she was covered in a pink towel. Not wanting the family to see the state in which her body was currently in Kenshiro had chosen to avoid bathing with them. Ikuko was upset but Kenshiro did not yield to her demands. There were some things that the family didn't need to know and seeing her body littered with scars was one of them.
Unfortunately Kenshiro had underestimated the tenacity in which Usagi's mother had and was caught by surprise at the sound of the woman's voice.
"Mind if I join you Usagi?" asked Ikuko as she stepped into the bath. The woman went in naked without the covering of a towel.
For a moment Kenshiro couldn't help but stare a bit. The woman was quite beautiful and hid her shapely body underneath the loose clothing she normally wore. Even so it was a beauty in which Kenshiro would admit to but didn't feel anything outside of that. The only woman that Kenshiro had truly been intimate with was Yuria. Without her then nobody else mattered. It was for this reason that Kenshiro wasn't smitten with her own body, unlike Rei who seemed to fondle herself every opportunity that she had. Usagi had a beautiful body as well but Kenshiro felt nothing in seeing its bare form. There was no other woman that could compare to Yuria. Kenshiro made it her life's mission to find and save her wife. She would have no other woman until her mission was completed. It was as simple as that.
"Do what you want." said Kenshiro dully as she looked up at the stars.
Ikuko frowned at the lackluster response from her daughter. Just as she suspected she felt that Usagi had been distancing herself. Even so she vowed that she would have this talk. It was something that she no longer wanted to put off.
"Listen Usagi I understand that you're growing up but that doesn't mean that you can push us away. You know I'm very upset at your right now. I had planned this trip to have all of us spend time together as a family. Instead you isolate yourself from the rest of us. Maybe your father and brother don't mind as much but I do. What happened to you Usagi? I feel like you avoid me whenever we're alone. We don't do anything together anymore and honestly it's hurting me. What have I done to you that would warrant this cold behavior? Is it because I kept getting on your case about your grades? If that's the case then I'm sorry but I'm only looking out for your future. You won't get anywhere just by reading manga and fantasizing about boyfriends all the time."
Kenshiro almost wanted to just leave. There was no reason why she should have to answer to this woman. Granted she was Usagi's mother but Kenshiro wasn't Usagi despite occupying her body. She was on a mission and unfortunately it had nothing to do with Ikuko.
"With all due respect mother I have done everything that you wished for. I have risen my grades and now consistently am in the top five percent of my class. My time and thoughts have been spent on productive endeavors such as studying and strengthening my body. I do not waste my time on idle fantasies. Perhaps I have not spent as much time with you as you like mother but perhaps this is a consequence of your own decisions. You asked me to be more productive so I have been. Unfortunately that means that the time I can spend with you is limited. Before you start to place blame on my character perhaps you should evaluate what you truly want from me as your daughter. Until you do I think we will still remain at an impasse."
Ikuko was shocked dumb at the response she had gotten from her daughter.
Since when did Usagi have the ability to make such a convincing counter argument? I almost feel like an idiot right now because what she has said holds some truth.
Yet Usagi would never do this. At this point she would either be whining or stuttering over her words.
I should be happy that Usagi seems to be maturing and yet I can't help but feel that it is all so…odd. Why am I not happy about her change of behavior? She studies more now and doesn't waste her time reading manga or watching anime. So why is it that I can't be happy with her following my wishes?
Gathering herself the older woman put on a stern face as she soon spoke.
"What gives you the right to question my motives concerning your well-being Usagi? Perhaps what you have said is true but still I cannot help but feel that something is amiss. You're sudden change of behavior has me concerned. I get the feeling that you're hiding something from me but what it is I cannot ascertain. Tell me Usagi are you hiding something that I should know about?"
"There is nothing that I am hiding. I am a product of your parenting. I have followed your wishes so that I do not bring disrespect to you or our family."
"Be that as it may Usagi I can't help that even that is unusual. I have known my daughter for all my life and never did she ever bring up the notion of honor. The few times that I have spoken to you I feel that you are no longer my daughter but a stranger. And the more I talk to you now the more I feel that I don't who it is that I'm talking to. What I do know is that I'm not talking to my daughter."
Kenshiro narrowed her eyes. The intuition of the woman before her was quite sharp. Didn't they call it woman's intuition? She had gone through something like this with Naru sometime before. Fortunately Kenshiro had been able to convince Naru that she was still Usagi through the excuse of being a Sailor Senshi.
However it seemed that such a façade would not work with Ikuko. The woman was far too perceptive to be fooled by such a cover. Then again Kenshiro couldn't afford for her secret to come out either. What was she going to do?
"Believe what you want to believe mother but I am your daughter. Whether you choose to admit that to yourself or not is not for me to decide. Now please if you excuse me I will be going."
With that Kenshiro made her way out of the hot springs and started to make her way back to the hotel room leaving a very thoughtful and sullen Ikuko behind.
Queen Beryl looked over in slight curiosity as Zoicite, Malachite and Endymion were before her with their heads bowed low.
She had been upset with Zoicite's failure to bring the Rainbow Crystal from his last mission but overall she wasn't too worried yet. They had a Rainbow Crystal of their own in their possession. As long as they had one then they could prevent the Sailor Senshi from restoring the Imperium Crystal. At the moment that was all that mattered.
However now she was being given a report that spoke of one of the vigilantes had gone on an outing with her family. Endymion had shown that there was a demon spirit in the lake that was similar to their own youma. The Prince had said that if they could utilize the monster they could perhaps have a chance in killing the vigilante without having to expend their own resources.
"That's seems to be a very good plan but how do we know if we can retain control over this demon? What if it turns on us?" asked Queen Beryl in concern.
"That is a risk that I feel we should be willing to take. Now I know that I'm relatively new to this entire situation my Queen but if I may overstep my boundaries then I will say this. You have extended much resources in finding me and now that I know of my true purpose I intend to show my loyalty by doing everything possible that can benefit this kingdom. For this I will personally take on this mission. If the demon turns on me then I will be the one to face the risk. We cannot afford to send either Malachite or Zoicite as their position is far too important in this mission. I'm willing to risk my life in this dangerous mission to show my loyalty to you my Queen." said Prince Endymion as he bowed low and kissed Queen Beryl's hand.
The Queen was supremely pleased with this development. She had loved Endymion but he was stolen away by the Princess of the Moon. It was something that she could never get over but after ten thousand years she was finally reunited with him.
The thought of sending him on such a dangerous mission filled her with unease but there was no getting around it. Both Malachite and Zoicite were due on their own separate missions soon in order to acquire the other Rainbow Crystals. If Prince Endymion was able to harness this demon and use it to kill that meddlesome vigilante then their mission would become significantly easier. Even so Queen Beryl would not let Prince Endymion go completely alone.
"My heart is glad to hear your faithfulness to our cause Prince Endymion. In the time to come I will be sure to reward your faithfulness. However it must be noted that you are still the Prince of Earth even though your kingdom has long fallen. You are important, more so than you realize. It is for this reason that I'm sending an escort with you. Now don't think that this is a slight on your abilities. But I would rather I expend a little bit of our resources to see your mission succeed rather than be too greedy and lose both the mission and you."
Prince Endymion clenched his fist a bit but soon relaxed. The Queen's reasoning was sound. He had wanted to go on this mission to mitigate their loss of resources since their energy was now beginning to run low but he knew that if the mission failed and he died then all the time and energy spent on looking for him would be wasted. He only hoped that in the future the queen would have more faith in his abilities.
"I understand my liege. Tell me who my escort is so that we can proceed with our mission."
"Very well. I'm glad that you understand Prince Endymion. Now come to me Mimus singer of songs!"
There was a column of light that formed before the queen and her generals. The sound of a harp playing could be heard reverberating about the hall as musical notes flowed to and fro. All the notes then converged to form a lovely looking youma.
She was nearly human in appearance with long, raven hair that went down to the small of her back. She held a small lyre as she wore a crown of leaves. Her pale skin contrasted harshly to the ruby red eyes that she possessed. Like Tidus before her Mimus was one of the Queen's personal guard of youma. She was well regarded in the ranks of youma and her power was only surpassed by the generals and the DD Girls.
"My queen calls for me to sing for her once more?" asked Mimus as she bowed low to her queen.
"Ah yes my good Mimus! I would like you to accompany the prince to Earth. The mission is dangerous but I'm sure that the prince will fill you in with the details. Practice caution however and make sure that the Prince comes back to us alive!" commanded the Queen.
"Your wish is my song to sing. I will protect Prince Endymion with my life." said Mimus.
"Very well. You both are free to go now."
Both Prince Endymion and Mimus bowed low before teleporting out of the Dark Kingdom in order to start their mission. Meanwhile Malachite, who had been silent, soon stepped forward and spoke.
"How can you trust him so much my Queen? He may have once been the Prince of Earth but who is to say that he won't defect and turn against us? I believe you are giving him too much freedom." said Malachite in concern.
"I understand your concern Malachite but at this point we cannot afford to waste any more time. It is a risk that I'm willing to take for the gains will be great once the Imperium Crystal is in our possession. With that said I need both you and Zoicite to proceed with your missions already. Now that one of the vigilantes has departed and is away from her comrades now is the time to strike. We will catch them unawares and we will succeed. Understood?"
"Yes my liege!" said both Malachite and Zoicite at once.
"Good. Now proceed with your missions!"
With that both Malachite and Zoicite soon teleported out of sight leaving Queen Beryl alone. The monarch stood up before feeling a bit faint as she leaned on her staff for support.
It seems that my condition has worsened more than I realized.
Damn it. We NEED to obtain the Imperium Crystal and soon otherwise our kingdom will face certain destruction.
My dear Prince Endymion I pray for the day that we will spend the rest of our lives together. I have waited for over ten thousand years and now you are within my grasp. Once the crystal is in our possession we will remake this world and form it into our own paradise. With it we can withstand our enemies as we continue to expand our powers throughout the galaxy and beyond.
Nothing will be beyond our reach my Prince. The very stars will one day be within our possession and we will share an eternity together. I have dreamed of this day for so long and now we are so close.
I pray that I can hold out until we have the Crystal in hand.
It was midnight and Ikuko could not help but think of the words her daughter had said to her. Usagi had been gone for a long while and though Kenji was concerned Ikuko adamantly insisted that she search for their daughter alone. Kenji gave up and instead decided to spend some time with his son as the two of them stayed up late into the night playing fighting games.
Meanwhile Kenshiro was over near the lake side as she beheld a statue of two lovers entwined with each other. For whatever reason Kenshiro was drawn to the statue as she made her way forward and placed a hand on it. Yuria soon came back to Kenshiro's mind. It seemed that she had been thinking of her beloved so much more while in this place. It occurred to the heir of Hokuto Shin Ken that her mind had been so preoccupied with their current battle against the Dark Kingdom that she had no time to think about Yuria.
Now that she was here she found that Yuria was the only person she thought about. Then again it was the same when Kenshiro was still back in her dimension. Back when she would roam the wasteland in her eternal search for Yuria. It would often be in the dead of night that Kenshiro would think back on the happiest times in her life as she laid alone in the wasteland.
For some reason being in solitude brought a sense of comfort to Kenshiro but then again she had been alone for so long that she had forgotten what it was like to be in the constant company of other people.
"So this is where you have been Usagi."
Kenshiro turned around to see, once again, Ikuko standing there in the moonlight. The blond sighed as she turned her back and continued to look out into the night sky as the full moon casted a soft glow over the lakeside.
"You know the statue there represents an impossible love. There was once a man who was an ordinary farmer. He was on his way back home after a hard day tending to his crops when he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was injured and the man went to her only to find that she had wings. She was an angel! Even so he tended to her the best he could. Being earthbound the angel had to remain under the man's care for a long period of time. Eventually she grew to love the farmer as his kindness endeared her to him. Unfortunately there was a witch who was also in love with the farmer and grew to curse the angel under his care. She attempted to kill them both by assuming the form of a powerful demon. In her spiteful envy the demon witch killed the farmer much to her dismay. In rage the angel banished the witch into the lake to be sealed forever. The angel took the hand of the farmer who had been killed as she lifted his body to Heaven never to be seen once more. If you ask me I think it's such a sad story." said Ikuko.
"I see." said Kenshiro quietly.
"You know that I love you Usagi. Perhaps your behavior has caught me off guard but understand that you are still my daughter and it is natural for me to worry about you. Please don't take my prying as an insult. I…just can't believe that you're growing up so fast." said Ikuko as she placed a hand on Kenshiro's cheek.
Kenshiro looked down at Ikuko with those same mournful eyes and the older woman could not help but feel disheartened.
"Why is it that every time I look into your eyes Usagi that all I can see is pain and suffering?"
Kenshiro didn't answer as she turned her back so that she could look into the night sky once more. Ikuko took her side besides her daughter and looked up as well.
For a while there was nothing but silence between the two women. Even so Ikuko didn't feel bothered by it. For once she was finally spending some time with her daughter and while it was not in the way she was intending it was still precious to her.
Unfortunately their quiet time was soon interrupted as the lake side before them suddenly erupted as a column of water rose to the sky.
"W-What's going on?" asked Ikuko in slight panic.
"Get behind me." said Kenshiro as she pushed the older woman behind her.
There was the sound of cackling as Kenshiro looked up and narrowed her eyes in anger at the sight of Prince Endymion, in his suit of armor, and Mimus. From the column of water there emerged what looked like a woman with a serpentine lower body.
Her hair was pink and her skin was fair with dark black orbs for eyes. She was naked from the waist up but the bottom portion of her body was that of a large serpent with green scales and yellow under belly.
The demon witch looked over at Prince Endymion and Mimus and soon spoke.
"Who are you?" spat the demon witch.
"Your saviors. Now I will present you with a choice demon. Kill the young girl below and live the rest of your days freely or defy us now and die. The choice is yours."
The demon witch felt a surge of anger for being ordered around like this but she could tell that the two figures that freed her were quite powerful. She would do their bidding and then hold them to their word. Besides the blond girl below looked far too much like that accursed angel that imprisoned her and she would be glad to vent her frustrations on a likeness of that creature.
"Very well. I will kill that girl but you will keep your word."
"Of course." replied Endymion.
With that the demon witch soon flew down to Kenshiro with her mouth wide and her clawed hands ready to strike.
"Oh my god Usagi we need to get out of here now!" screamed Ikuko in fear.
"We'll just be run down and besides I am not going to risk father's or my brother's life by luring this creature to them. I will dispense with her." said Kenshiro bravely.
"What are you saying Usagi! You can't fight that! Neither of us can! Now you listen to me and do as I say. I'm your mother and I say that we need to run and find help NOW!"
It was then that the demon witch finally got within striking range and swung a terrible blow towards Ikuko so that she could kill her first.
Kenshiro intercepted the blow by blocking with her forearm, her body glowing with an intense white aura as she grabbed at the offending limb and squeezed harshly.
"L-Let go of me you whore!" screamed the demon witch.
"As if I would let a demon like you live." said Kenshiro harshly as she gripped down harder.
Ikuko, meanwhile, was absolutely flabbergasted. How as Usagi able to hold back a supernatural creature like that with only her bare hands and with no weapons at that? What was even more perplexing was the clearly visible white flame like aura around her daughter. Already Ikuko could feel an intense amount of heat just coming from the aura alone.
Usagi what in the world is happening to you?
Meanwhile the demon witch, desperate to escape the vice grip, soon opened her mouth and screamed loudly. The yell caught both Kenshiro and Ikuko off guard as it seemed to pierce their very ear drums. Kenshiro let go of the demon witch as she covered her ears only to find a clawed hand make its way to her stomach.
Kenshiro felt a terribly sharp pain to her stomach as the demon witch dug her claws into her. The wound wasn't deep as Kenshiro fortified her body at one hundred percent and the demon witch herself was surprised that she had not run her hand clean through Kenshiro's body. Even so the pain was still excruciating as Kenshiro grunted.
Ikuko, who was barely getting her bearings from the loud scream from earlier, screamed herself at seeing her daughter wounded as she was. The mother tried to get up and rush to her daughter's aid but found herself disorientated and fell down to her knees. She looked up helplessly as she started to sob thinking that her daughter was going to die.
However what Ikuko didn't expect was for her daughter to suddenly roar out her indignation as she rose her fist and crashed it down on the demon witch's arm so hard that it broke it like rotting wood.
The demon witch howled in pain as Kenshiro then blitzed forward and soon yelled out.
"Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken!"
Ikuko's eyes widened in astonishment as she saw her only daughter literally beating the demon witch to death. She didn't know whether to be amazed or frightened by her daughter's display of brute force.
U-Usagi…is this really you? Since when have you been able to fight in such a lethal manner before?
Kenshiro soon proceeded to finish off the demon witch by striking her on the face sending the creature flying back onto a tree. The demon witch struggled to get up as she started to cough up blood.
"Y-You're a monster." spat the demon witch.
"Only to those who wish to bring harm unto the innocent. As you have attempted to sunder a pure love now you find yourself on death's door."
The demon witch soon roared as she forced herself up and brought up good arm up and pointed it accusedly at Kenshiro.
"If you think I'm finished then you're sorely mistaken. You may have taken my arm but I will be sure to repay the favor. I think I'll start by ripping your little head off!" roared the demon witch.
"You won't be able to." said Kenshiro solemnly.
"How come?"
"Because you're already dead!"
With that the demon witch suddenly felt as if all her organs were exploding all at once. She screamed in utter agony as her body was torn apart from the inside out. She howled her last howl before falling to the ground in a mass of blood and torn flesh.
Kenshiro sighed and made her way toward the frightened Ikuko. The blond knew that the older woman was frightened out of her mind.
"U-Usagi h-how did you-"
"Now isn't the best time to tell you." said Kenshiro solemnly.
It was then that Kenshiro felt an intent to kill and immediately grabbed Ikuko in her arms and jumped away before a ball of black energy had hit the ground where they had just stood.
Even so Kenshiro wasn't given respite as the youma, Mimus, held a large musical note in her hand brought it down to cave Kenshiro's head in.
Kenshiro swiftly turned and kicked Mimus in the face forcing the youma back. The blond was able to land with a frightened Ikuko in her arms.
"Well, well it seems that the Queen was right about you. You're quite powerful. However I want to know just how powerful. Face me!" said Prince Endymion as he drew his sword which cackled with dark electricity.
"U-Usagi who are these people and how do they know you?" stammered Ikuko fearfully.
"If we live through this ordeal then I'll be sure to tell you everything." said Kenshiro sternly.
With that the blond shot forward and engaged Prince Endymion. The prince rose his sword and brought it down only for Kenshiro to block it with her forearm. However the prince smiled as she let loose a torrent of black electricity. The blond felt her body seize up for a moment before Endymion slammed the butt of his sword on Kenshiro's already torn stomach and then released a ball of black energy that tore into Kenshiro causing her to fly back from the force.
Ikuko screamed as she saw her daughter slam right through a small tree breaking it apart in an explosion of splinters. She started to cry as she knew that her daughter was dead. There was no way that she could have survived that.
"Why! Why did you do have to kill my daughter you monster?" screamed Ikuko at Prince Endymion.
Prince Endymion smirked as Mimus came down to join him. Both of them walked over to Ikuko before the prince placed a hand underneath her cheek.
"Your daughter had already killed many of our soldiers and even one of our generals and you would have me ignore her? No. She is our enemy and has time and time again hindered our plans. We will pave the way for a new future for Earth but unfortunately neither you nor your daughter will live to see it. Goodbye."
Ikuko could only fall limply on the ground as she saw the ball of black energy beginning to build on the man's hand.
S-So this is really it huh? I'm going to die.
I'm going to die…and I won't see Kenshi or my children ever again.
Someone help…please….
Anyone…..
It was then that a large splinter of wood had come out of nowhere and hit Prince Endymion smartly on the chest. The ball of black energy dissipated as he fell back coughing and heaving. Mimus was shocked to see the prince struck from nowhere before she felt an intent to kill.
Forming a large musical note she used it to block Kenshiro's attack from above though her attack had shattered the music note like nothing. With that Kenshiro rose her fist back and slammed it smartly on Mimus' cheek sending her flying back.
Ikuko was relieved to see that her daughter was alive but soon nearly screamed at the sight of her beloved daughter. Usagi was bloodied all over and yet that was not the worst part. Her clothes had ripped off leaving her bare from the top and Ikuko could see all the scars littering her daughter's body.
Yet Ikuko wasn't given any time to console her daughter as she saw her speed forward and engage in combat once more.
Kenshiro had started toward Prince Endymion and was punching at a furious pace. The prince was having a hard time defending but soon found a small opening as he ducked a punch and ran his sword across Kenshiro's chest.
Imagine Prince Endymion's shock at seeing that his sword did nothing more than cause a shallow wound on the girl's body. Then again the fact that she was still alive after being hit by one of his strongest attacks was phenomenal in itself.
"You wench! You should be dead already!" screamed a frustrated Endymion.
"The art of Hokuto Shin Ken knows no defeat." replied Kenshiro sternly.
"Then let me be the first to prove that wrong!"
With that the Prince's body started to cackle with dark electricity before he blitzed in and kneed Kenshiro in the stomach. The blond didn't have much time to react before she found her body being slammed to the ground. Prince Endymion rose his sword and rose it up high aiming to stab Kenshiro's prone form.
Yet Kenshiro was not down and out and turn immediately grasping the sword between her hands. Yanking harshly Kenshiro ripped the sword from Endymion's hands and saw her chance. Her fist glowing white she formed a cross formation with her arms before slamming it on Prince Endymion's neck.
The prince felt like his throat had shattered and yet was powerless. He looked down as he saw the teenage woman pull her arms back. He knew that it was going to be all over.
"Hokuto Juji Zan!"
Yet before Kenshiro could land the technique Mimus had suddenly appeared out of nowhere grabbing at the prince and then teleporting some distance away.
"You need to retreat Prince Endymion!"
"No! Let go of me! I'll rip her to pieces I swear!" roared Endymion.
"Are you so willing to go to your death and cause our Queen grief? Let me handle it from here!" commanded Mimus.
The prince looked to disobey the order but soon calmed down.
"Very well. But do not die." said Prince Endymion.
"Of course. Now go!"
With that Prince Endymion soon teleported away leaving Mimus alone with Kenshiro.
"It seems that you are badly injured. I think I might be able to get away with using this technique as I'm sure you won't withstand me." said Mimus.
Kenshiro snorted when she heard this.
"It doesn't matter. You will fall to my fists regardless." said Kenshiro.
Mimus didn't respond and instead just grinned madly as her body started to glow a dark red. She produced a lyre and soon started to play.
The melody was unlike anything Kenshiro had ever heard. It was beautiful and enchanting at the same time. She tried to move and yet found that the musical notes coming from the lyre bound her body tightly. Mimus came closer as her eyes glowed a dark red. It was then that she stopped short as she chuckled in surprise.
"What is this? Now this is interesting. I see why we have had such a hard time defeating you and your band of vigilantes. To think that the Dark Kingdom would be losing to a motley crew of little girls when, in reality, you are not who you say you are aren't I right Fist of the North Star?"
Kenshiro's eyes widened in surprise and yet it was Ikuko who was the most shocked.
F-Fist of the North Star? Why is she calling my daughter that? And what is this Dark Kingdom anyway?
Damn it Usagi is this what you have been hiding from me and your father this whole time? Fighting these monsters using such obscure and yet lethal martial arts.
Wait a second. There has been news of some reported Sailor Senshi stalking the streets at night stopping all sorts of petty crime and, supposedly, fighting monsters. And here I was thinking that the news had finally gotten desperate and were making stories up.
Could it be that my Usagi is possibly one of them?
Meanwhile Kenshiro found that she still couldn't free herself from her bindings but still held a hostile gaze towards Mimus.
"How do you know that name?"
"Well I have a special ability. You see the music I create comes from the souls of my victims. And I say that your tale is quite tragic. I wonder how I can interpret it with my music. I suppose I might as well try!"
With that Mimus started to play on her lyre once more and the music started to spread forth. Before Kenshiro and Ikuko's eyes they saw the musical notes start to whirl around before converging into a form.
From that mass was a beautiful woman with deep, auburn hair. Kenshiro's eyes widened in complete surprise as she started to stammer.
"Y-Yuria?"
The woman turned to find Kenshiro bound by the musical notes and her face fell.
"Kenshiro. Here you have been all this time fighting battles for others while abandoning your quest to save me. Am I so unimportant to you? Was your love for me so fickle?"
Kenshiro could only look down solemnly as she saw the love of her life berate her. The music was becoming overwhelming sad and desperate. The blond felt her resolve to fight evaporating.
"I have always loved you Yuria. Believe me if I could I would still be looking for you. But I was spirited away here and have not been able to go back." said Kenshiro sadly.
"It's just like you Kenshiro. You didn't have the resolve to defeat Shin and now you don't possess the resolve to find a way back to me. And you wonder why Shin was able to take me from you. You only have yourself to blame Kenshiro. And now you will die to an enemy you never had to fight to begin with. You will fail this world as your death will lead to only victory for the Dark Kingdom. You will also fail me and all of those who could have depended on you in our world. You, Kenshiro, are nothing more than a failure."
Hearing these words from Yuria broke Kenshiro's spirit as she no longer attempted to resist. She stayed prone as Yuria soon came forth with Mimus behind her a musical note now finely sharpened to a blade. Mimus was grinning psychotically. She would finally kill this meddlesome vigilante and gain favor with Queen Beryl.
Meanwhile Ikuko was finally beginning to comprehend what was going on.
So Usagi really isn't Usagi. I had a feeling and yet I thought it was impossible.
Yet here is clearly someone who isn't my Usagi standing before me and yet I still wish to protect her. I still feel pain in seeing her suffering and being brought down low by the very person who is supposed to love her. How dare she!
I don't know what has happened to MY Usagi but that doesn't mean that I'm going to abandon this Usagi either. Because when it boils down to it I'm still her mother am I not?
With that Ikuko went forth and placed herself in front of Kenshiro and before the image of Yuria.
"I don't know who you truly are but I will say this. Even though you are not my daughter still I care for you. Now let me ask you something. Do you honestly believe that the love of your life will say such horrible things to you? Look into your heart and I'm sure you'll find the right answer." said Ikuko.
Mimus scowled as the image of Yuria disappeared. The youma harshly backhanded Ikuko causing the woman to fall to her knees.
"I suggest you stop meddling lest I make your death a painful one. This…creature before you isn't your daughter."
Ikuko stared defiantly at the youma.
"Perhaps but that doesn't mean I won't help someone that is need. This person has risked her life to save my life. It's only proper that I return the favor."
Mimus' face screwed up in rage as she held her lyre up and started to play furiously.
"If that's the case then die you stupid wench!"
With that the musical notes from the lyre converged to form the body of a tall, muscular blond haired man.
"Ah Kenshiro once again you find yourself succumbing to a force of greater resolve then yours. When will you ever learn? And now I will not only have the pleasure in killing you again but killing this delectable little woman here as well."
Kenshiro, who seemed almost lifeless before, was suddenly stirred to utter rage at the sight of Shin.
"Shin!"
With that the blonde's body glowed a terrific white as she broke her bonds and immediately rushed toward Shin. Pulling her fist back she aimed it at Shin's head and punched right through it. There was a frown on Shin's face before he exploded into many musical notes.
Mimus wasn't expecting this reaction from Kenshiro. She was so sure that seeing Shin would have caused her to regress even further into the pits of despair. That was how Mimus enjoyed killing her enemies. They would be so despondent and hopeless through her music that she could take her time killing them.
And yet here she was inadvertently reigniting Kenshiro's desire to fight once again. Mimus was frightened as she saw Kenshiro's eyes devoid of her pupils and instead were only white sclera. Her body was glowing like a white flame.
"You would take that which is dear to my heart and use it against me? You would use Yuria as a means to defeat me? My beloved? Foul creature! Now you will see why Hokuto Shin Ken is unmatched! Prepare yourself!"
With that Kenshiro burst forward like a meteor. Mimus was barely able to defend herself as she rose a large musical note as shield to stop Kenshiro's blow but it shattered easily.
"Kyōsatsu Shitotsu Ken!"
With that Kenshiro struck Mimus on the chest with a harsh karate chop. Then was struck once more by a hand thrust that shattered the youma's sternum causing Mimus to scream in pain.
Knowing that the youma would not die to the attack to her not having the same pressure points as a human Kenshiro soon started to gather all of her power together before managing to form the Moon Tiara into existence. Already Kenshiro could feel the drain of the Tiara's existence was having on her tired body.
"No! This can't be! To die to a lowly human who doesn't even have the resolve to fix his own problems lest try to stop our glorious Dark Kingdom from achieving our goals!"
"Such is the penalty for underestimating my resolve demon. I WILL save Yuria and I WILL kill Shin for betraying me. But you won't live to see me finally come to an end of my labors."
With that Kenshiro threw the Tiara with all the power she could muster towards Mimus. The tiara cut cleanly through the youma. Mimus could only scream before her body disintegrated into Moon Dust. It was over.
Ikuko only sighed as she tended to her 'daughter's' wounds as she cleaned them at a nearby hot spring. It was difficult to believe that the young woman before her wasn't her daughter but even so she had chosen not to speak until they were properly relaxed.
It was already two in the morning and Ikuko was sure that Kenji was worried sick about them. She would be sure to make it up to him. However what was important was her quality time with Usagi even though she technically wasn't Usagi.
"You know I actually would slap you for putting my daughter's body through such abuse. Her beautiful skin is now full of scars and these unsightly muscles! No man is going to want to marry her now, not with this body." said Ikuko sadly.
"I apologize for not caring for her body as well as I should but unfortunately the nature of our enemy doesn't allow me to get out of battle unscathed."
"Be that as it may I want to know where my daughter is at. Please you must tell me." said Ikuko sadly.
Kenshiro frowned. It was bad enough that she nearly died in this battle having to fight off three enemies at once. She knew that she was going to have to pay Toki a visit so that she could get back up to full strength. What was worse was the fact that this woman was now distressed over the fact that she now knew that Usagi was no longer with her.
"Your daughter, unfortunately, has been captured by the Dark Kingdom. Her liberation is part of the reason why I'm on this mission to vanquish this Dark Kingdom." said Kenshiro.
"But how?" asked Ikuko sadly.
"To know that I must start from the beginning. Your daughter is the reincarnated spirit of Sailor Moon, a solider of the Moon Kingdom which existed over ten thousand years ago. I don't know much outside what has been told to me but there was a battle between it and the Dark Kingdom. The battle resulted in the death of Sailor Moon and her comrades. They were reincarnated millennia later to fight the revived Dark Kingdom. It was Usagi's destiny to come into her powers and fight the Dark Kingdom and prevent them from overtaking the world. Unfortunately the enemy was aware of this robbed her and her fellow comrades of their destiny before it begun. Their souls are now prisoners of the Dark Kingdom."
"As for myself my name is Kenshiro and I am the heir to Hokuto Shin Ken. I am not from this dimension. The dimension I hail from is very different from this one. In my world man became his worst enemy and destroyed himself in nuclear war. The Earth is now a vast wasteland with the remaining people fighting for resources. Cruel men can do as they please with no laws to hold them back. Warlords hold large stacks of land for themselves. Cruelty, misery and destruction is all I have seen. My happiness only came from being with Yuria but she was taken from me by Shin, master of Nanto Seiken. He defeated me in battle and left me for dead. But I survived the ordeal and started on my quest to save my wife and defeat Shin once and for all."
"Unfortunately I was spirited away to this dimension shortly after my battle with Shin and found myself inhabiting this girl's body. I do not know who it is that brought me here. Your daughter had told me that it would have been one of the Outer Sailor Senshi or Queen Serenity but for now we do not know. I'm sorry if this is no consolation to you but I am doing everything in my power to liberate your daughter for, in saving her, I can return back to my own world and pursue my own justice."
Ikuko looked mournfully at the sky before sighing as she continued to dress the wounds on Kenshiro's body.
"So you have spoken to my Usagi. At least she is alive. But now I understand that this entire arrangement is just as unfair to you as it is to me. I have lost my daughter and you have lost your beloved and neither of us are allowed to do anything about it until this mess with the Dark Kingdom is taken care of. How cruel. But I am surprised by the fact that you are from another dimension. I would have thought that such things were only in science fiction. But I can't imagine a world ravaged by nuclear war. It must be horrible."
"It is not a world where I would wish for you or your family to visit but it is still my home regardless and my destiny lies with it."
"I see."
There was some silence between the two women as they pondered the words in which they had spoken to one another. Soon Kenshiro spoke.
"I would ask that you not utter a word of this to anyone. I do not want to distress your husband and son."
"I understand. But I need you to promise me one thing heir to Hokuto Shin Ken."
"What is it?"
"Save my daughter…please."
With that Ikuko soon broke down into tears as Kenshiro was left feeling once again the weight of the world was bearing down onto her shoulders.
Author's Note: So yeah I wanted to bring Ikuko into this since she had to find out eventually that her daughter isn't who she thinks she is.
The next set of chapters are going to really focus on one character as they fight their trials alone. As such Kenshiro is done with this chapter. The next one will probably be Rei though I'm tempted to do Raoh next. Anyway let me know what you all think.