16: "The Water Margin"
Thanks to the recent string of disasters, Ami got to spend more time with her mother in the days that had since passed, than the entirety of a few years. Ami had always been at odds with her mother regarding her enormous work schedule—when she was a child, she believed her mother didn't love her, or didn't want anything to do with her—but slow years of maturity, and many of her own hours spent laboring in hospitals, gradually led her to come to a different conclusion. Saeko Mizuno put herself into her work out of love, and she put herself—as much of herself as there was left over—into her daughter, also out of love. She loved them both equally but oftentimes had to take that precarious step back to see the larger picture. Ami might have been neglected a few times, or given too much freedom, but she was a stronger, more resilient, more independent woman because of it. And they were certainly making up for lost time now; Saeko always had a warm glow about her these days. It was almost as if she had patiently waited a lifetime for this moment…
After a rather grueling day of completing transfers, mother and daughter decided to walk home together, or at least as far as their shared paths would allow. Saeko noticed a lightness in her step and an ease in her gait as her daughter walked beside her, and she often spared smiles at Ami. Sometimes Ami would notice, and smile in return, an unspoken but perfectly understood bond forming. Other times, she wouldn't, and Saeko would smile all the brighter. They never spoke of work, and as Saeko personally felt she had little to offer, outside of her family and her career, she gave her daughter the floor and listened.
"Yes, that's what she told us, and I believe her. She's just the sort of person who would do that."
"That ex-girlfriend of yours is enough to confound the lot at Mensa," Saeko sighed. Their conversation had, inevitably, floated towards a certain famous model who, more often than most, exhibited recklessness and impulsive behavior. Saeko hadn't been terribly surprised when her daughter came out—hadn't she always been poor around boys? But then again, that might have come from upraising rather than personality—nor was she taken aback when her daughter brought one of her close friends home for an introduction, on those few instances when she could take some time off. The stale cliché of opposites attracting instantly came to mind when Saeko formally met Minako as her daughter's suitor: she couldn't think of a person or personality who could be more polar.
Or more perfect. Heaven knows Ami needed someone like Minako in her life.
"So she spontaneously abandoned her career for the sake of returning home, presumably to be with you."
"To be with all of us," Ami answered stiffly. Minako actually returned out of a sense of duty, but there was no way Ami could explain that. Unlike Usagi's family, Saeko didn't know about her daughter's alter ego. Then again, there wasn't really much she did know about Ami: the two had never been close until recently. One day, Ami vowed, she'd tell her. Regardless, her mother wasn't satisfied with the answer.
"They say loves makes one perform brazenly. Surely this was the motivation behind Miss Aino's abrupt departure."
"Well, yes, but I can guarantee she didn't have me in mind when she did it."
"If not that, then what?"
"Not just me," she murmured. Saeko still wasn't getting it, and Ami was beginning to wonder if her mother was more right than she believed, when the older woman changed the subject. She reached out and lightly played with her daughter's hair.
"You're not cutting it?"
"Hmm? No, I've decided to let it grow a little longer. I want to see if I can start wearing it in a ponytail."
"Any particular reason?" Ami shrugged.
"I've had short hair all my life. I thought maybe it was time for a change."
"Those four close friends of yours all have very long hair. I always believed you had it cut like this to distinguish yourself."
"And the color didn't do that?" she smirked. Saeko smiled. "Besides, Makoto doesn't really have long hair."
"She's the one with the ponytail." Saeko didn't know her daughter as well as she should have—as well as she wanted to—but she was acquainted with her friends, at least.
"Not anymore. She wears it freely now. Another decision for change."
"Is she the married one?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you and Minako ever get married?" she idly sighed. Ami had explained the breakup to her mother, but evidently Usagi wasn't the only one still pestering her about that. Still, hearing her mother lament like that made Ami feel a little better. It was nice when one's parents accepted their children's choices in partners; it was even better when they echoed the loss. Apparently Minako and her confounding personality had won the older woman over.
"I told you, mother," she whispered, even though it had been a rhetorical question. Saeko sighed.
"But she came back. Whether it really was for you, or for some other reason, your ex-girlfriend came back."
"It wasn't my intention to have her abandon her ambitions like that. I've moved on."
"Speaking of which, I still haven't met this lawyer friend of yours."
"Nastya. You will."
"Are you in love with her?"
Ami smiled bashfully. "Mother, we've barely been dating a month."
"Have you gotten anywhere with her?"
"I've been afraid to kiss her because she smokes," she joked. In truth, the two had already become fairly intimate—but Ami would never reveal something like that to her mother. It was just too embarrassing… "No, we like each other well enough. We get along. It's difficult understanding each other, but we manage."
"A doctor and a lawyer," Saeko mused. "But she smokes. That's a filthy habit, Ami."
"I know. She doesn't do it often. Only when stressed."
"I chew gum when I'm stressed. You swim. Your Nastya needs to pick up healthier habits."
"We're not at the stage yet where we can nitpick."
She said, despite the intimacy.
Saeko knew when to back off, and changed the subject again, asking about Ami's friends. All her questions, concerns, and curiosities revolved around her daughter; she never mentioned anything in her own world. Saeko had completely abandoned the "self" long ago, instead focusing all of that energy on the "external". Whenever Ami asked something personal about her mother, she'd always brush it off. It was as if Saeko Mizuno's entire existence was only poured into her work and her daughter.
Ami supposed that was all well and good. Some people are just good at giving. She was proud to have inherited that from her mother. But then there are people like Usagi…
Or Minako…
We're always coming back to each other, aren't we Mina, she wondered. Do you think about me? Who was it that you came back for, really? Usagi? Sailor Venus? Or…
The silence between the two women was interrupted as a car suddenly swerved off-road, heading directly towards them. Saeko gasped and jumped back, pushing her daughter with her. The car missed, crashing into a street light, crumbling it in two. Saeko immediately went to the driver's side and opened the door, pulling the driver out.
"I'm a doctor. Are you all right? What happened? Ami."
"I'm on it." She immediately called an ambulance; the driver looked haggard with terror.
"Some kinda monster in the middle of the road… It just came out and jumped on my…"
"Hold still, please." It wasn't Saeko's place to concern herself with delusions; she only wanted to examine. Aside from a few bruises and a natural epilepsy brought on by overwhelming fear, the man was in good condition. Ami, however, pressed him about what he had seen, but before he could answer, screams issued from across the street. A number of people were running towards them; a fast blur of dark mass jetted across the telephone poles and street lamps, pausing at the one that had been knocked over. Ami lurched; it looked like a man, a frog, and a salamander had all been pressed together in a chimerical mockery of biology. Her Senshi instincts immediately kicked in, and she nearly went for her brooch.
Saeko, ever calm and composed, faced the monster with steely resolve.
"What gives you the right to scare this man, you senseless brute? Haven't you any consideration at all? Get down here at once, and take off that silly disguise!" The creature grinned, nasty flat teeth flashing, a long tongue dripping with saliva.
"You smell delicious!" it screeched. It leaped down, nasty slimy arms outstretched, eyes glazed over with crazed hunger. Saeko didn't doubt its intentions for a moment, jerking away from the creature before it could pounce. Ami desperately wanted to fight it off—not just because it was her duty, but because the life of a loved one was at stake—and if she had had a stronger resolve, and perhaps less concern for her innermost secret, she would've abandoned herself and championed the cause in a flash. But she just wasn't ready yet. Usagi could do it; Rei and Minako might be comfortable doing it; not her.
"Mother, the ambulance will be here any minute. You should go with this man and make sure he's taken care of."
"Ami, what are you saying? You're coming with me! I can't leave you alone with this…horrible thing!"
"Who are you calling horrible, meat?!" the monster cackled. It lurched closer, skulking about on all fours like a crab. Ami stood resolute, the child protecting the parent.
"Please, mother, I can take care of myself. I promise. Remember, I've had very good martial arts training."
"You've had what?" Another surprise for Saeko, one she should've picked up on years ago. Ami may have been the weakest of the Senshi in terms of physical power, but she was far from helpless. Rei and Makoto had trained her just as much as she had prepared each of them mentally.
"Just trust me," she said, her composure as steady as any doctor's. Saeko still doubted, because this was an unusual case, and she wasn't as aware of her daughter's abilities as her peers, and she was a mother. But Ami was a grown woman now, who had made her way in the world. If she said she could accomplish something, then she would.
"Okay," she said tentatively, "but I'm calling the police, too. And you!" She glared at the monster, who had idly leered at its lunch with unusual patience.
"Food not getting away!"
"We'll see about that," Saeko said darkly. "I swear, if you so much as touch my daughter, I'll make you suffer for it. Any pain you cause her will pale in comparison to what I'll do to you."
"Just go, mother!" The monster had already begun to attack; Ami demonstrated her capabilities by slamming her palm on its face, followed by a weak but sharp kick to the chest. Saeko was more shocked to see her supposedly meek daughter fighting than be intimate with another woman, but…
"Okay, I'm gone. Just hang on, sir, the ambulance will be here shortly." She helped guide the man away from the creature, leaving her daughter alone just long enough. Ami freed herself from the beast's attacks, glaring hotly.
"Silly thing!" it cackled. "You know that once I'm done peeling the flesh from your bones, I'm going after them next! They both seem so scrumptious!"
"You won't live long enough to get the chance," she growled, touching her brooch. A quiet mental thanks to Minako was in order; then, it was down to business.
"MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!"
The monster shirked away in terror as the feeble human dinner was vaporized before its eyes, only to be replaced by a cool, calculating, powerful goddess of ice. Before it could recover, Sailor Mercury rushed in (no corny speeches necessary), slamming her fist into its ribcage, nearly sending it flying with her uppercut. As her fist connected, she called forth a raging torrent, and the pavement unveiled, surging out a blast of water that tore the creature apart. Without even pausing to catch her breath, Mercury opened her Heads-Up Display visor, scanning the area for further disturbances.
These monsters are like weeds, Usagi had sagely remarked once. Where there's one, there's five others! Mercury didn't doubt it at all; in fact, when her visor couldn't pick up anything, she was more disturbed than relieved.
"Surely it couldn't be working alone…? It was too weak to be anything more than a minion."
"Then perhaps I can offer more of a challenge." Mercury jerked back, startled by the voice. Her visor still showed nothing, and yet whatever had called out to her was very close. She expanded and closed her field of vision, but still saw nothing.
"You won't find me that way," the voice said again. "Whatever magic you're employing, little Apkallu, I'm afraid it's quite wasted on me. Right above you!" Mercury glanced up, just in time to see a much larger blur of darkness eclipse the sun. A strong, thick, rubbery coil wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side, squeezing slowly. She struggled; her teeth gnashed; she felt her muscles weaken and her bones bending. And then the creature revealed itself, descending from the sky, grotesque and monstrous yet vaguely human. It had one extraordinarily long arm which had completely stretched around Sailor Mercury, great fangs protruding from the edge of its mouth, purple skin, yellow eyes, and a forked tail.
"What…are you?" she grunted. The creature's grip tightened; she felt the air crushed out of her lungs. Another minute and she'd pass out; one more after that, and she'd be broken in half.
"I am known in your world as Kur, one of the Druj, the enemies of universal law. To have met an Apkallu, a sage of Ea himself, is a rare privilege; perhaps it was fate."
"You're…with Nasu…"
"AND YOU KILLED HER!" His rubbery arm nearly crushed Mercury in half, the anger emanating from his body rippling through space to become manifold. Kur lifted Mercury off the ground, high into the air, and slammed her onto the pavement, with all the rage of one whose closest family had been unjustly slain. "You took part in her destruction! She was filth and defilement, you insignificant flea! It may be the fate of Druj and Asha to battle one another, but you had NO RIGHT…"
Again, he lifted her up. Again, she came crashing down. Mercury felt herself black out, and struggled to stay conscious.
"…To slay her!" he continued, tightening his grip so much that Mercury's vision blurred. Mercury struggled to breathe; her arms and ribs felt like they were splintering; her body was electric with agony. A normal human would have been blessedly killed long ago. Lucky her, entrusted with powers that allowed this torture to be prolonged.
"I had all the right in the world," she strained, her voice hoarse. "It's…my duty…to…"
"Then lay down your life for your duty." Kur stretched his arm out farther than Sailor Mercury thought any material could go, demonic or not. She found herself raised high above the cityscape, to a precipice where even a Senshi would be killed—and, with his monstrous arm still crushing her body, Kur slammed her back down to earth with all his might.
But fortunes, and perspectives, can reverse. Mercury's arms had been bound but her hands, and her powers, were still free to wreak righteous havoc. Even as she fought to keep from passing out, she was summoning another gush of water, linking her mind with the underground system that provided flow to fire hydrants. Kur had been standing right above one of the main pipes; all it would take was a little persuasion on her part, and…
He screamed as the geyser erupted, rocketing him into the sky while freeing Sailor Mercury. She quickly covered herself in a protective bubble, harmlessly floating to the surface, and dismissed both geyser and bubble as she touched down. Kur flailed for a moment before composing himself, stretching both arms out to catch himself. They retracted slowly; he came to a stop hardly the worse for wear.
Much, much angrier, though.
"Let that be a lesson to you, monster," Mercury scowled, clutching her bruised ribs in agony. "My name is Sailor Mercury, nothing else. That's the name you're going to fear. I'm the one that is destined to slay you."
"And 'Kur' is your doom as well!" he roared. His arms lashed out, supple and fast as whips, powerful as a boa constrictor, able to stretch ten times their master's length. Sailor Mercury could barely even stand; she was in no shape to perform gymnastics. She hastily raised an ice shield, expending much of her power. The arms crashed against the wall, flailing back uselessly, but dauntlessly slammed against the barrier, eventually cracking and shattering it. Not one to rely too much on a single plan, Mercury gathered the broken pieces of ice flying about and hurled them at the monster, a hundred needles straight at his body. Kur's great arm slapped most of the projectiles away, but a few found their way home, slicing him apart from head to toe. He roared and gnashed his teeth, staring daggers of torment and destruction at his foe.
Disquietingly, his rage turned to glee. Mercury prepared herself for the worst.
"Before you and I formally met, O mercurial sailor, you were anticipating a number of my minions, were you not? Then may you be satisfied by my offering." With a twisted laugh, Kur stepped back, gesturing to the air. Seven of the same reptilian/amphibian hybrids emerged from below, like men shaped from the mud, cackling and licking their chops with glee.
"Have your fill, my friends," Kur gestured. "The world is thy banquet. But first, an appetizer of Apkallu." The fiends chortled gleefully, whooping and calling out as they surrounded Mercury. Wounded though she was, the Senshi of ice and water struck first, grabbing the nearest monster and burying her knee in his stomach. As he bowled over, she clapped her hands on his head, calling forth a barrage of ice, crushing his skull flat. The monster faded away into a pile of sickening goo, leaving the other six to rethink their strategy.
"I told you," she said, "my name is Sa—" Shots rang out before she could issue another word, and two of the toadies were taken out. The other four scattered, hopping away on great frog-legs, leaving Kur to scowl. Sailor Mercury stood dumbfounded as the Shibuya Police Department arrived at the scene, thanks to her mother's promised call (of course, their reaction was about the same).
"Oh, hell," Toha said as he beheld the blue-haired warrior. "Another one? Is this like some kinda comic book or something? Where the hell are all these vigilantes coming from?"
"It's not a vigilante, Toha," Hayashida insisted, "it's Sailor Mercury! Don't you recognize her?"
"Hey, I don't care if it's Popeye the Sailor: no civilian's gonna do my job, and nobody's gonna run around with those crazy-ass powers! Lady, are you gonna cooperate, or—" Mercury's attention was suddenly drawn to a hopping figure lost in the crowd, one crowned with a very familiar pair of golden buns in her hair…
"Look out, Sailor Mercury!" She had just enough time to jump out of the way before one of Kur's long arms lashed out of nowhere, ripping apart the pavement with his blow. Three more of the frog-fiends rose out of the streets (someone muttered nonsense about kappa), and the police finally had someone more appropriate to focus their energies on. Mercury took this distraction to cover herself in a sheet of thick fog, and made a clean getaway. The fog was even gracious enough to cover the police officers, one of whom prudently used it for a similar tactic.
"What the—kff, kff—hell was that?" Toha coughed, waving away the mist. "Some kinda smoke screen? But it's wet like mist. Damn, how'd she do that?"
"I told you, Toha, that's—"
"Never mind, Hayashida," Asagiri said. "Where'd Tsukino go? She's not at her post."
"Probably went after one of them creatures," Toha said grimly. "Damned fool's always running off on her own. Heh, and speaking of comic books, maybe she's a superhero, too. Isn't she always running off whenever we need her?"
"Don't be absurd, Toha," Hayashida said, "Tsukino's always on duty and she always has an excuse for—"
Wait a minute! Toha's right! Tsukino DOES have a strange habit of isolating herself from the rest of us whenever there's a crisis! I mean, it's always in the name of police work, but that's still an eerie coincidence! And now that I think about it, she and Sailor Moon have a remarkably similar hairstyle. …No way, it couldn't be! She CAN'T be!
"Well, why can't she be?" Hayashida whispered to herself. A shudder went up her spine as she considered the possibility. Hayashida suddenly realized she'd never be able to let this matter drop until she knew for certain. A call went out for the officers to split up and find the rest of the frog-lizards, so what better time for her to catch up to her fellow officer? If nothing else, a rookie like Tsukino would need some backup.
…
Even considering Tsukino's clumsy nature and loud shrieks, a normal person would've given up searching for her if she had run off under cover of fog. Despite having a particular predilection for sweets, Tsukino could run quickly when the need arose, and she was light and compact, even fully grown, enabling her amazing agility and nimble reflexes. Add onto that years of police training, and one would be hard-pressed to keep up—but Hayashida didn't need to see her to know which direction she went. Her ears worked perfectly well in the mist, and they had heard Tsukino and the mysterious blue-haired warrior gingerly identified as Sailor Mercury heading off in the same direction. Interesting.
Hayashida trusted her hearing and was soon rewarded, as the sounds of battle echoed across the city streets. A flash of pale blue, a sparkle of ice, a flicker of water, and the screams of demons confirmed she was in the right place.
Hayashida quickly found cover behind the corner of a skyscraper, watching as Sailor Mercury finished off one of the repulsive amphibians. A much more sinister-looking monster exchanged dark words with her, and to Hayashida's disgust, stretched its arms out to grotesque lengths, wrapping them around her. Before he could ensnare her, who else but Sailor Moon should show up, bright as day with a voice like a bugle. Hayashida nearly squealed as two of her all-time heroes stood in defiance of the monster, but soon they were surrounded by more of the creatures. To make matters worse, during Sailor Moon's glorious entrance, the monster with the long arms ensnared her, crushing and constricting while Mercury was trapped by the small army.
"Oh, crap!" she hissed to herself. "I gotta do something!" Hayashida took careful note of the enemies' position, lining her sidearm up, adapting a firm stance as she took a deep, careful breath. She'd only be able to get one shot…
Suddenly, one of the creatures harassing Sailor Mercury jerked forward, its head spewing black ooze. It fell to the earth and dissolved; the others froze, glancing around at their attacker. Even Sailors Moon and Mercury seemed surprise, especially when Hayashida ran out and revealed herself.
"Sailor Moon! Sailor Mercury! I've come to help out! You take the big guy, I'll handle the small ones!"
"Officer, we can handle it!" Mercury exclaimed. "Get to safety, quickly! You're no match for them."
"Hey, that's my line!" she grinned, adding a cavalier wink. "Besides, it looks like you need all the help you can get. Why not let me stay and—oh, no you don't!" One of the beasts was trying to slink away, but Hayashida stopped it dead in its tracks. The others wailed and scrambled away, terrified of this strange power. Even Kur seemed daunted.
"What manner of mortal can throw death at so great a distance, without spear or bow?"
"The kind that's gonna fill you full of holes, jerk! Go on, Sailor Mercury, help Sailor Moon! I promise I can handle these creeps!" Mercury hesitated—she wasn't used to being helped by regular people—but her duties toward Sailor Moon won out. Noticing how rubbery and elastic Kur's limbs were, she prayed her aim would be true and sent a jet of bitter, icy wind biting at his long arm. Just as rubber turns solid in extreme cold, so too did his arms. Sailor Moon was now encased in a cage of icy, firm flesh, and with her strength magnified by her powers, she could easily break out.
With a powerful thrust, she tore open her bonds, flinging chunks of Kur's icy arm everywhere. Kur screamed in terror as Sailor Moon plowed through the rest of his frozen limb, chipping away at the icy flesh with her scepter, knocking pieces everywhere until she had reached the demon itself. In a last-ditch bid for self-preservation, Kur opened his maw and released a red-hot beam of pure energy, but Sailor Moon focused her powers and held it back with her hands. She lurched forward, clamping his jaw shut, calling out to Sailor Mercury. With Hayashida fighting off Kur's reptilian minions, Mercury was free to open the floodgates, and the force of a deluge tore into the demon with such power that his legs were severed at the shins, and his neck cut in two. Sailor Moon proclaimed judgment on the surviving pieces, obliterating them with a single grunt.
Hayashida was just beginning to get winded when the surviving minions discovered the loss of their lord. Suddenly filled with uncontrollable fright, they scattered to the winds, yelping and cawing mindlessly. Hayashida let out a heavy sigh, but had strength enough to remain standing and holster her gun. She even gave a thumbs up.
"Not a bad fight, eh? We make a pretty good team, don't we Senshi!"
"We sure do," Sailor Moon grinned. Even Sailor Mercury had to admit that they might not have won without her intervention.
"I guess this goes to show that even with 'vigilantes' like ourselves, Tokyo still needs its police force."
"Yeah, but I think we'll leave the demon extermination to you," Hayashida winked. The three laughed; then the officer laid her cards on the table. "Isn't that right, Tsukino?"
"Tsukino?" Sailor Moon said, still chuckling. "What do you mean? Who are you talking about?"
"Come on, Tsukino, don't give me that. I know I'm a lot younger and less experienced than you, but I'm not stupid. I mean, why else do you always run off by yourself whenever there's an emergency?"
"Um…I actually don't know what you mean," she managed, feeling flustered. "I'm Sailor Moon, a princess of the Silver Millennia…"
"Or so says the anime and manga. Tsukino…" Hayashida then closed her eyes, taking a calming breath. "Usagi, please don't treat me like a fool. I saw you heading in this direction. I didn't actually see you transform, but I can put two and two together." Well, she had her caught. Sailor Moon had far too much respect for her coworkers (and her friends) to deceive them like this. It was pointless keeping her identity secret from someone under these conditions.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I hope you can understand. Please, Hayashida, you can't tell anyone. I mean, I know most people have forgotten, but if Chief Hari ever found out what I was doing…"
"Don't worry," she added with a laugh, "your secret's safe with me. I mean, I've been a fan of yours all my life. To find out that you're a real person… Someone that I actually know…"
"Believe me, I know the feeling all too well." The two women smiled, and sealed their new pact with a handshake. Hayashida then threw herself at them, hugging Mercury the tightest.
"Actually, I've always liked Sailor Mercury the best! Blue is my absolute favorite color!"
"I'm a pretty big fan of hers myself," Sailor Moon grinned. Poor Mercury blushed; even now, she had no idea she was so popular. Hayashida promised she'd help back up whatever story Sailor Moon would concoct when she returned to the police, and would even vouch for Mercury, whom she quickly guessed to be Ami Mizuno.
"I'm still blown away to find out that all this is real," she remarked. "Oh, and Tsukino? From now on, just call me 'Hayate'."
"Okay," she smiled warmly. "And you can call me 'Usagi'."
"Usagi," she laughed, shaking her hand. Sailor Moon grinned.
"Hayate! Dr. Mizuno!"
"Ladies," Mercury said amicably. While the three of them were getting acquainted and straightening out their stories, another pair of eyes watched from a safe distance. Saeko Mizuno couldn't bear to leave her daughter alone, no matter how many times she pleaded—call it a mother's protectiveness. Once the man had been secured inside an ambulance, Saeko excused herself to return to the scene, only to find her daughter's trail cold. She followed the sounds of battle and came across an amazing sight, as the legendary Senshi returned from the mists of obscurity to fight evil once more.
Yet that was nothing compared to the wonders awaiting her when the two women resumed their normal selves. Saeko watched raptly as Sailor Mercury turned into the very last person she expected.
Author's notes:
Having Saeko Mizuno actually interact with her daughter is rare, so I just thought I'd include it, since they now work at the same hospital (and yes, that's her official name). I'm not sure what Kur is supposed to be capable of, so I just made him a generic bad guy with a gimmick (hey, does that make me an official Sailor Moon screenwriter now?). Finally, although I doubt anyone will make the connection, the chapter's title can also be translated as "Suikoden", one of the four great classic pieces of Chinese literature (and a darn fine RPG series as well).