6: "Le Gran Retour"
Thanks to the smokescreen Tsukino had thrown, Toha had to guess where the creatures were, and take extra time with his shots. He was in a populated area now, and one stray bullet could cause irreparable harm. He wished that his new partner had chosen a slightly more useful tool out of the car— a police-issue taser, a flash grenade, the other spare shotgun— but he could cut her some slack: this was her first day on a new assignment, after all, and the situation was extraordinarily unusual. He doubted he would've acted any differently under the same circumstances. In any case, the smoke gave him good cover, and the creatures didn't seem to like it. In fact, their wet, hacking coughs helped direct his aim.
"There you are," he whispered, seeing a shadow behind the thick haze. He fired, and was rewarded with a satisfying, blood-curdling shriek. The monster suddenly whirled around and charged directly at him, bursting through the fog barrier. Toha emptied his clip but the monster kept coming. He made a break for the car, narrowly avoiding mutilation, and groped around for the spare clip box. The beast grabbed his leg just as he touched the container, and pulled him away before he could flip it open. Toha grunted under the monster's incredible crushing power— he felt his bones snap and muscles squishing— but he struggled to the bitter end, jamming the butt of his gun onto the monster's hand as hard as he could. The beast let go; he pulled out a large knife, and half-limped, half-leaped onto it, plunging the steel into its flesh. The monster flailed, whirling around like a mad bronco, and Toha hung tight, thrusting the blade in and out whenever he could. Suddenly, he was plucked off by a second beast and thrown aside, where he rolled to a halt and lay still.
Clutching his teeth in pain, Toha sat up, squinting as the monster silhouetted the sun, and threw his gun at it. The beast knocked it out of the air, leering at him, closing in for the kill. Toha bared his teeth, defiant to the end. A great flash of light blinded him, and an intense force— he couldn't call it hot or cold— struck him and the creature. Both monsters were enveloped by this abrupt blast, wailing in agony as their flesh was seared off and melted away. Toha's eyes burned as he squinted through them, refusing to flinch in the face of his demise. A heavenly sensation swept over him, all wounds were healed, all hurts restored, and an angel brighter than a day's glory descended from on high to greet him.
Were it not for the acrid odor of the road flare, Toha would've sworn he was in Heaven.
"What in the…" The figure stood blurred and shadowy against the brilliant sunlight for a few more seconds, gesturing broadly.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here to help. Listen to me very carefully: I need you and the rest of the police force to herd all of these creatures into one place. Can you do that for me? Lead them to the base of the '109' building, and I'll handle the rest. Don't kill them if you can help it. They may look like monsters, but inside, they're still human. Do you understand?"
"Nope," he blurted, rather shocked by what he was experienced. "I don't understand none of this. Who are you?"
"I'm just here to help. Remember, put them all in a single place, near the '109' building, and don't kill them!" The entity leaped away, faster than his eyes could follow, despite his shouts.
"Wait! What the hell just happened? Who are… Aw, dang it, never mind!" He turned away and noticed that the monsters had disappeared, only to be replaced by men. They were both unconscious, and more alarmingly, both dressed in shredded prisoner's clothes. Toha turned pale, wondering if it was coincidence or not. He decided it was best to not ask questions, crawled back into the squad car, and opened up an All-Points Bulletin. He still didn't understand what was going on, but if this was the chance that they needed to exterminate these brutes, he would gladly take it.
…
"AAH! Get off! Get away from me!"
Hayashida had taken refuge inside of a police van when the pandemonium spread to headquarters. She had just left to go on lunch when the monsters jumped her, and had been unprepared for the assault. She made it as far as the motor pool before one of them clung to her foot, but she kicked it away, found a van, and dove in. The beasts were relentless, though, and hounded her even as she slammed the door on them. Their long, massive, scaly hands broke through the tempered glass and groped for her; she fought them off with all her strength but was hopelessly outmatched.
"Asagiri! Toha! Tsukino! Hari! Anyone? I could really use a hand here!" As she flailed around, Hayashida clutched onto a police baton that had been left in the van— and better still, found a gun, some clips, and other tools. Right now she was more concerned with freeing herself than mounting a defense, so she smashed the baton against the wriggling arms until it broke, then dug out a high-powered flashlight normally used in inclement weather. She blasted it full-force on the creatures, stunning them and driving them away. Speaking of driving, Hayashida climbed her way to the driver's seat and, after finding a spare set of keys in a hidden compartment, revved up and peeled out of the motor pool, crushing at least two of the monsters on her way out.
"YEAH! How do ya like them apples?!" she screamed. Hayashida was absolutely gripped with fear; displaying such bravado like that was the only thing that kept her sane. She swerved out of the lot and onto the main roads, but didn't get very far, as a massive number had emerged and surrounded the motor pool exit. She careened out of their path but was overturned, and the beasts had covered the van in no time, pounding and tearing away at the steel chassis in a fanatical attempt to reach her.
"Oh, crap," she wailed, struggling to rise. The throw had pressed her against the passenger's side, and contents had shifted. All of the weapons and tools she had found were on the far side now— the side of the van presently buckling under the considerable pressure. Hayashida didn't dare retrieve them, and she didn't dare escape by the only door available, and she didn't dare stay inside. All she could do was find whatever object was available, wait for the inevitable, and go down fighting.
Just as she consigned herself to a torturous demise, a collective scream issued from the creatures, and all their pounding, hissing, clawing, screeching, roaring, and flailing was instantly silenced. Hayashida froze. Her body shook with fear. She gasped slowly, wide-eyed, her pulse so powerful that it amplified her trembling. She let out one final scream as the van's rear doors were pulled open—
"Calm down, officer! I'm here to help you! The creatures have been dealt with."
"Wh…who are you?" Hayate couldn't see properly; there was a great washing wall of light radiating out of her mysterious savior. Despite this blinding disadvantage, though, she distinctly saw the entity smiling.
"A friend, back from a very long vacation."
"What do you…"
"Hold on a second!" The person jumped away, leaving Hayashida confused. Gradually, she climbed to the back of the van and pulled herself out, just in time to watch a stray creature heading her way. Fear gave way to exaltation as she beheld her savior, flying through the air, graceful and gorgeous, glittering with holy light, thrusting a wave of purifying energy right at the approaching beast. The monster screamed as it was cleansed, and its scaly skin broke away like a scab, leaving only a groaning, disheveled human being behind. Hayashida's savior touched down again, and turned around, smiling at her.
"Sorry about that; I missed one. Guess I'm still a little rusty, huh?"
Hayashida's heart nearly burst. Only one person in the world had the capacity for such feats.
"You're…" She swallowed, tearful. "You're…her…aren't you?" Her savior winked.
"Could I ask you for a favor, officer? It's very important."
"Uh…of course," she stammered, standing to her feet. Hayashida braced herself and uttered the name of the fantasy she had been in love with all her life. "Anything you want…
"Sailor Moon."
…
The sensation of transforming from Usagi Tsukino, average citizen, into Sailor Moon, champion of love, truth, and justice, was alarmingly different at first— so much so that Usagi had believed all her fears and doubts were true. She felt aflame, livid, bursting free from her skin, like she could explode and spill her essence all over her apartment. Time and space were nonsense; life and death were one; she became intuitive to all that went on, all that would be, all that had passed, and felt herself melting away. But the flames surging through her cells were renewing her, taking all that she was and improving upon it exponentially. The explosion was only a burst of light; the sensation of death was a glorious rapture that led into a new rebirth; everything that she was ceased to be; everything that she could potentially become resurfaced, forging within her great power— a power so great that this spectacular reincarnation was a necessity. It took her awhile before she understood that this was the way it had always been; she had merely forgotten. And deep down, she understood that this was the way it was meant to be, and that all of her desires for good were becoming manifest. She was now, fully, wholly, unquestionably, Sailor Moon.
But she still felt like fainting.
There was no time for that, of course: she ran outside, cleansed the impure souls attacking her partner, and made her way to the heart of the city. There were far too many of those creatures running around for her to track down individually, so her plan was to gather them together in one spot, purge them of the wicked anathema all at once, and retire in graceful mystery, just like the old days. Of course, Sailor Moon's plans never really fulfilled themselves as she intended them to. No doubt a number of the beasts were dead, and some might have escaped the city entirely. Those that remained would most certainly not be shepherded complacently, and even if the police managed to track down the majority and focus them on a single spot, Sailor Moon doubted whether she could restore them all.
Discovering that she could still harness her powers, after all these years, was a relief, but healing the two creatures outside her apartment, and the dozen or so that had assaulted Hayshida (not to mention all the running, leaping, and other daredevil gymnastics she had pulled off in between), was beginning to take its toll. Sailor Moon ran into a large number of them on her way to the "109", and focused her strength on restoration. She raised her scepter, issued the words, waved the prismatic aura over their heads, fretted as she missed a few, fell to her knees as the others regained their natural forms.
The monsters she had missed lunged right for her. Sailor Moon's grace, ability, and strength was magnified from her mundane form, and years of training to keep herself in police officer shape helped Usagi maintain exceptional stamina, but using her power and making the long run from her apartment to the main city was strenuous. Sailor Moon tried to ignore the desperate pounding in her chest and the heaving in her lungs as she stood up and fought off the monster horde.
She counted four, and they all struck at once— a tactic which, if she did it right, she could use to her advantage. She cart-wheeled away just as they all struck, grounded herself, and blasted them with sacred light, scorching their demonic bodies to cinders. Four human men collapsed on the street, but she was the one who felt truly exhausted. Normally, Sailor Moon fought one monster, vaporized them (or, in some cases, exorcised them from their human host), and called it a day, and in most of those cases, she had her four friends by her side. Now she was up against a veritable army, with only her own grit and moxie as support. She was failing quickly, and if she didn't end this soon, then it would be the end for her.
"Not yet," she winced, standing up again. "I'm not done yet. Just a little while longer… Just a few more to go."
But HOW many? Fifty? A hundred? TWO hundred? And how many of those can I handle? Better save my energy for the main event.
That proved impossible, though. A new breed of creatures soared overhead, crying out like falcons from Hell, swooping down and clawing at Sailor Moon with their deadly talons. She got the full force of their surprise attack and was knocked to the floor, her suit shredded and her back scarred. The injury wouldn't be permanent— that was one of the big advantages of the transformation process— but she'd bear it as long as she was Sailor Moon. She got up again, keeping watch over the monstrous falcons as they circled around for another attack. Her strength felt drained, though, her arms like rubber. It was as if lead weights were strapped to every square millimeter of her body, and the burning sensation on her back didn't help at all. Somehow she managed to stand, focus her energies, and unleash a great burst of power that blasted the falcons out of the air. Two men tumbled onto the asphalt, their bodies smoking from the exorcism, while Sailor Moon stood panting. Sweat poured down her skin; when it touched her injury, she yelped and cringed. The pain helped her focus, and she limped closer to the "109" building. The soft blare of sirens in the distance, coming to a crescendo, helped soothe her weariness a little, but soon this was drowned out by an enormous rumbling. A great thunder was rolling across the streets of Shibuya, and it was a storm of Sailor Moon's own design.
"They're coming," she hissed to herself. A shiver ran down her skin, and she stumbled into the famous landmark. Four of the enormous lizard-like monsters had their backs to her; they turned round and snarled at the intruder. As weak and weary as she was, Sailor Moon was not about to be slowed down by this obstacle. She glared angrily, soft blue eyes bubbling like magma, her skin burning with indignation. A shaky arm lifted her scepter once again.
"Get out of my way."
In response, the monsters shot out their arms, thrusting nails in her direction. Some missed, some glanced against her skin, and two carved deep gashes in her leg and chest. She grit her teeth, undaunted. The words of restoration came out strong, disintegrating all of the evil, leaving only the humane. Her arms soon fell limp to her side, and her knees began knocking uncontrollably. Sailor Moon was nearing the end of her reserves, and there was still an army waiting outside, courtesy of the police. Even now, she could hear the growling and snarling as the creatures surrounded the "109" building. Gingerly, feebly, Sailor Moon shuffled to the elevator, closed the door, hit the button for the top floor, and slid down until she was laying on the bottom of the car.
During this blessed lull, she took time to assess the damages and consider her next move. She touched her chest and brought her glove up to her face. The blood ran from the tip of her finger down to her wrist. She sighed to herself, smiling helplessly, and rested her head against the doors.
"Well, I've really gone and done it this time. I'm Sailor Moon, all right. I sure am going to catch hell from everyone."
The elevator chime went off. Sailor Moon braced herself, stood up, and faced the door as it opened. The hallway was covered with monsters.
"Could you BE any more cliché?" she jested. The desperation built up until it overflowed from her body as a surge of light, leveling the opposition and making way for her final performance of the evening. Sailor Moon ran purely on the strength of her own willpower, as her body was beginning to fail, and even the enormous power which she strove to be worthy of, had kept hidden for ten years, and emerged laughing and glorious as if the long hiatus were nothing, was fading. This would be all she could do today. Hopefully, whatever was causing this would relent a little— or, ideally, go away entirely.
She made it up to the rooftop without incident, and stared down at a crossroads teeming with voracious beasts. The police were using non-lethal force to keep the creatures in line— tear gas, stun guns, smoke, batons— but they wouldn't be able to dam the tides for long. Sailor Moon made it all the way to the enormous "109" sign that gave the building its namesake, and with her last ounce of strength, cried out her triumphant return to the world:
"I am Sailor Moon! And to the army of darkness which lies spread below me, I have only this to say: in the name of the moon, I SHALL PUNISH YOU!"
That felt good, she thought to herself. She took a deep breath, performing the rites of healing, stretching her powers well beyond their limits. The surge of holy energy emanated from her body and spread over the entire building, engulfing everything in range with a searing white light. For humans, this energy healed and restored all hurts; for demonkind, it blasted the body and cleansed the soul, leaving nothing at all, save what life it had taken over. The effects were immediate and dramatic, both on the horde and on Sailor Moon. She leaned against the sign, gasping and laughing and dripping great beads of sweat, utterly drained and utterly triumphant.
Not a bad way to make a comeback.
An immense blinding light not of her own making surrounded her. The wind kicked up fiercely, battering her and making her lose balance. All sound was drowned out as the helicopter moved in closer, its pilot and passengers staring at their discovery.
"YOU THERE, ON THE ROOF! PUT YOUR WEAPON AWAY AND GET DOWN ON THE GROUND! IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY WITHIN FIVE SECONDS, WE WILL BE FORCED TO OPEN FIRE!"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she muttered. Far below, Hayashida (and more than a few diehard Sailor Moon fans) screamed for the helicopter to stop— this was Sailor Moon, they had the wrong person, she had just saved everyone!— but their words were useless. Sailor Moon wasn't given any time to think, and so with a year's worth of battles crammed into a handful of hours weighing down on her, a catalog of bodily injuries, and not enough power to heal a scraped elbow, Sailor Moon made a run for it— not back down to the elevator, but over the rooftops to the nearest building.
"Stay on her," the helicopter copilot said. The pilot grunted.
"I know, I know. Damn, she's quick. Look at those jumps! Is she human?"
"What do you think? Did you see what she did to those…things?"
"Hell, I saw it and I still don't believe it. She looks human enough, though. Are we really gonna open fire on her?"
"And allow unknowns like that to roam the city as they please? The order came from the commissioner himself. Apprehend and interrogate."
"I know, I know. Wow, there she goes again! Are those…wings?"
"Focus!" The helicopter pilot wasn't having much difficulty keeping up with Sailor Moon, but his target was always just out of range. Spent though she was, Sailor Moon always had just that little bit extra to offer. She leaped from the "109" to the next building, swerved around for cover, moved to the next one, hopped down to another building, hid behind a large sign as she caught her breath, slithered away and descended further, shrieked as gunfire went off…
"Easy, watch it! Don't get so trigger-happy!"
"Hey, who's the pilot here, you or me? I thought I had a clear shot."
"We can't get her to talk if she ain't alive for it."
"I wasn't really aiming for her, I just— "
"Bah, excuses, excuses!" Ignorant of the banter taking place above her, Sailor Moon continued to evade the helicopter, darting across one rooftop after the other, making death-defying leaps which would perplex even the staunchest of stuntmen. She wanted to choose buildings smaller than the ones she was one— both to evade the helicopter and get her closer to the ground— but she was running out of options. Eventually she came to a building that was only surrounded by taller skyscrapers, and was cornered. Glancing around frantically, she noticed one of her neighbors was particularly close, and so with an uttered apology, she made a break for it, and with all her power, broke through the window, rolling to a stop. Carefully, she stood up, dusting off the glass shards, looking around to see a wide-eyed boy grinning ecstatically at her.
"That was totally AWESOME!"
"Thanks, kid!" She winked and gave a thumbs-up as she ran out of the boy's room. After yelling something about paying back the damages to the owners, Sailor Moon found another window, prudently opening this one the old-fashioned way. Waiting for her on the other side was the helicopter.
"WE'RE NOT GOING TO WARN YOU AGAIN. SURRENDER IMMEDIATELY. NEITHER ONE OF US WANTS ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO THESE PEOPLE. JUST GIVE UP NOW AND YOU'LL BE TREATED FAIRLY."
"You don't know me very well, do you?" she smirked. "When someone tells me to give up, that only makes me want to fight even harder!"
Well, unless there's a TEST involved…
Bravado aside, Sailor Moon knew she was caught. She couldn't go backwards, she couldn't go up, she couldn't go down, or to the side…so the only option left was to keep going forward.
And so she gave herself some space, took off running, leaped into the empty air, straight towards the helicopter, and clung onto the railing for dear life.
"Holy— !" The pilot swore as the chopper buckled under the sudden weight. "What happened? Where'd she go? She disappeared!"
"Search around! She couldn't have just vanished!"
"Kojiro, this person, if you want to call her that, just transformed upwards of a hundred of those monsters into human beings! She gave us the chase of our lives across the rooftops of Shibuya! She broke through a tempered glass window using her feet! I don't think vanishing acts are gonna be a problem for her!"
"Crud, maybe you're right." The pilot and copilot grumbled to themselves, and all the while, Sailor Moon clung tight to the rail. While they were distracted, she reached for her transformation pen— another long-forgotten old friend— turned it into a line launcher, and glided down to the ground, smooth and silent. She took a moment to turn around and wave at her worthy adversary, then limped back home, grunting from the pain, happier than she had ever been in a long, long time.
…
Toha was long gone when Sailor Moon finally returned, but that was to be expected. Nobody else was around, so nobody would bear witness to their savior as she carried her mangled body into the apartment building. Sailor Moon was so intensely fatigued that it was all she could do to keep from falling to the ground; somehow she unlocked her door, secured herself inside, and let out a sigh of relief.
"Who's there?" Sailor Moon panicked as she heard a voice. The surprise she felt at this unexpected revelation was nothing compared to what was in store for her when the owner showed up, emerging from her hallway. Both women gasped.
"Mom!"
Author's notes:
I keep forgetting to mention this, but Naru's unusually close relationship with Makoto is developed further in my fanfic, "When the Soul Speaks". Yes, that was a completely shameless plug— but seriously, it's pretty good. Why not read it in between chapters?