27: "Exodus"
"Are you sure about this?" Motoki squeezed his wife's hand, pools of warmth and concern reflecting in his eyes. She returned his love, pressing their locked hands against her cheek.
"What else can I do? They still need me here, and you're in no condition to be moving around."
"Not yet," he assured her warmly. "I get all that, but is it really okay for the restaurant to be closed so long?"
"Oh, I called a few favors in that regard," she winked. "Besides, we did hire a bunch of new help, sprightly defenders of love and justice notwithstanding. I'm sure they can all get along without us for a month or two."
"A month!? How long do you think this will last?" She shook her head.
"It's just one of those things where we can never say for sure, more of a siege than a quick strike. I'm just assuming we'll be in this for the long haul. But don't worry, we'll check in on the place if we have the free time. Yes, mister, I said we: unless you're planning on lying around here much longer."
"Only until I can laugh without feeling a thousand jagged needles of fire shred my lungs apart."
"Buck up, lover," she said, patting his back. "You're married to a Senshi now, and we expect our husbands to be tough!"
"And their children tougher. I'm glad to hear that Nao and Shin are doing well."
"Mrs. Mizuno's a great doctor," Makoto smiled. "And once Ami heard about what happened, she jumped aboard, too."
"Glad to hear it. So how'd your friends handle your, ah, unexpected return?"
Makoto smiled cheerfully. "Let's just say there was a lot more blueberry pie than humble pie. Oh, I almost forgot: here's where I'll be staying. It's Ami's apartment." She handed him a paper with an address and a number (Ami's number, that is).
"Hmm, very convenient. You'd be able to check in on us more often. But I'd've figured you'd want to room up with Aino."
"Nah, Usagi's place has enough freeloaders already—and Rei's place has been taken over as well, in case you were wondering. Doctor Mizuno, junior was my last hope."
"Oh? Who's crashing at Hino's place?" He chuckled at her, eyes twinkling. "Don't tell me: Haruka?"
"Hmm, close."
"Who, then?" Makoto smiled warmly, closing her eyes.
"Are you sure this is all you brought? This would barely last me three weeks." Rei frowned as she set the last of her guest's bags down. There were five or so cases clustered together on her floor, representing the totality of her new roommate's life. Setsuna Meioh had never struck her as a particularly possessive woman, and she could certainly envision her owning little more than a handful of necessities aside her meager luxuries, but two carrying cases, a duffel bag, one large suitcase, a briefcase, and a purse just didn't seem enough. Setsuna came inside, bearing the last of her belongings (specifically, their lunch), smiling warmly.
"You'd be surprised at how little one can live with."
"Setsu, I'm sure even Gautama himself had more than this."
"Even a makeup kit?" She winked slyly, producing one from her purse. Rei snickered and raided her refrigerator for water. Meager or not, lugging Setsuna's belongings into the apartment had been hot work, so a nice cold drink would hit the spot. Setsuna gave an impressed coo as she glanced inside Rei's refrigerator, plucking out a sake bottle still with something in it.
"I think this calls for a celebration, don't you?"
"It's all yours. There's not enough in there to fill a saucer." Setsuna still tried to divide what was left, and once they found a seat, the two toasted, drank, and ate.
"To unusual circumstances, and our love for them."
"And to unusual people."
"Are you referring to me, or the one that brought me here?" she replied coolly. Rei smirked.
"Even Usagi would never call you unusual, Setsu. However, everybody would agree with me on the, ahem, latter."
"But she's so irresistible, and lovely. It's impossible to dislike her, even for an enemy."
"That's true," she murmured. "Minako has saved us more than once on her charms alone. And for all her quirks, she always pulls through when it counts. I just wonder what came over her, to change her so radically..." She had been muttering to herself; Setsuna looked up in wonder. "Oh, ah, you may not believe this, but Mina used to be so reclusive and introspective. She took everything even more seriously than I did, and hardly ever smiled. Sometimes even Usagi couldn't get through to her. Then she just changes overnight, and... Well, it wasn't right away..." Her cell phone went off, interrupting at just the right moment. It was from city hall, a general message to all civic servants. Rei turned pale and bolted upright as she read and reread the text, making sure she understood it correctly. Setsuna finished the last of her sake and called to her.
"What is it?" Rei closed the message, bracing herself.
"A notice from the Prime Minister, passed down to all section heads and their subordinates. In conjecture with the national guard, the entire Tokyo area is to be evacuated. Everyone has to leave the city within a week's time."
"I was expecting something like this to happen," Setsuna murmured quietly. Rei stared at her; she took a deep breath. "The attacks perpetrated by these supernatural beings have increased in scope and destruction. Too many people are being put at risk, so in order to protect the public, they're being relocated."
"And they think that'll solve everything?!"
"Perhaps not, but why is our own little corner of the world once again the focal point for these attacks? Have you ever stopped to wonder why all of our enemies focused on this city, on this country—why they even took a glimpse at this planet?"
"I never bothered. I was usually too busy fighting them off to care."
"Beryl's people likely waged war here because the planetary guardians—the Senshi, in other words—were focused here as well. Reincarnated, one could say. The Black Moon Kingdom came here because this was where their future essentially began. The Death Busters arrived because of Hotaru. Noticing a pattern?" Rei flared.
"Are you saying we're responsible for all this?" Setsuna shook her head.
"I can't say for certain. Perhaps all they were really after was the power buried beneath us, contained by these presumed 'gods'. Suppose a a great power had been buried underneath Tokyo for...oh, say, seven-thousand years. This treasure, let's say, could end disease, hunger, and war, or give its wielder absolute dominion over all life. Or it could be another Pandora's Jar, one in need of a seal. The Senshi hypothetically congregated around this area in response to that power—basically, as a means of protecting or preserving it. They weren't meant to have it or use it, only keep it from opening, or falling into the wrong hands. But say that power opened all by itself."
"And now you're saying it came about because we let our guard down!"
"Listen to me, Rei," Setsuna said firmly. "I'm grasping at straws here. I'm not placing the blame on anyone or anything. The point is that the Earth has experienced crises the likes of which normal people cannot defend against, so the Senshi were called in response. I do find it odd that Tokyo, even Japan, has received 'special' attention from these groups, but until I find out why, these theories are all I have. The attacks are happening here and so the Prime Minister is getting people out. And that means you and Usagi will be very busy in the future."
Rei's phone rang again in the ensuing silence.
"Starting now, I suppose," she sighed. Rei answered: it was the office. The day off she had requested was being redacted; she was expected to come back in and help with this exodus. She was given fifteen minutes and no chance for an excuse. She and Setsuna exchanged a grim look when she hung up. They said nothing as the younger woman picked out a few belongings and left for the door. She had one foot out when Setsuna broke the silence:
"I'll be sure to let everyone else know. Something big is about to happen, Rei; I can feel it. I'm sure you can, too. I don't know what it is yet, but..."
She finished her meal, stood up, dusting her dress. A smile, for luck.
"Watch the skies."
…...
"A citywide evacuation? Seriously?" Haruka disregarded the initial reports at first—oh, she didn't doubt it was the right thing to do, it's just that the whole concept bordered on ludicrous—but a few days later, she was staring out her bedroom window as thousands of pedestrians, cars, trucks, government vehicles, helicopters, ambulances, and even tanks passed by. This had become reality before her eyes; the joke had become gravely serious. Tokyo and her surrounding districts and cities had definitely faced crises before, but seldom on this scale, and never for very long. The Senshi, and the police, had always been able to subdue those problems before things got out of hand. From what she had seen, though, there was no clear victory in sight, no way to quickly end things and "save the day", as there had been in the past. Usagi and Rei had mentioned two different units at work here, equally mysterious and powerful, without clear-cut definitions as to their motives. Compounding that, the attacks were more frequent and sporadic; they couldn't be predicted based on a sudden interest in this activity, or a spike of mental, physical, or spiritual energy: the "flavor of the week" was in tumultuous flux. One minute things would be relatively calm with "only" a handful of ugly freaks to deal with (of which even Haruka disposed of one); the next, monstrosities dug from hoary legend would wreak massive pandemonium, justifying this radical move.
She took a deep sigh, still watching the procession. It never seemed to end. There were always a thousand other people to round up and move out; the roads were always filled; there was always a police officer or national guardsman on sight. Never ending. Every argument against her sedentary lifestyle was laid out before her, and what would inevitably follow this, the reason why so many people were fearfully leaving the city, would put an end to Haruka's peaceful lifestyle. All she could do now was watch, but sometime in the future, she would have to make a decision. She could not make any excuse; it would either be join or flee. And even when she was racing, Haruka never fled from anything; she fought to stay at the head of the pack.
"Ahead of the pack, huh?" she muttered to herself, eying the line. The place where she and Michiru called home would be checked out by authorities in three days. They would be forced to leave with everyone else during that time...unless, of course, they weren't there. The Senshi would certainly confront this problem, and whether she wanted to be a part of that team or not, Haruka was a Senshi. Michiru would understand if she chose to stay out of it, and she would follow (more out of trust than love), but Haruka knew that if she planted her heels and turned against the oncoming tide, her partner would begin to glow, and give her that subtle smile of approval and pride. Well then, that chose her path for her, didn't it?
"Michiru!" she called, still gazing at the procession. "What do you think?"
"Salmon, definitely. Noodles, too. Oh, do you mean to drink? Raspberry lemonade and sauvignon blanc."
"I mean about this," she said, tapping the window with her palm. Halfway across their home, the second half of the partnership hesitated to think. She knew precisely what her partner was alluding to—at least now, anyways.
"Formal wear. I will if you will, at any rate."
"The will's the way, then."
"Sweetheart, I'd elbow you smartly for that."
"Your will, I mean."
"Ours, don't you?"
"And if I don't?"
"Could I go on without you?" A smirk. That seemed reasonable enough.
"If I do?"
"Try not to forget it this time."
"Sheesh, it happens once and I never hear the end of it," she murmured. Deep breath. Two-second meditation.
"Any word from Setsu?"
"Your decision, love. Think clearly and let your own reasoning speak."
"Yeah, but she's the wisest one."
"Shoveling your troubles onto other shoulders? As if you're honestly torn up about this."
"Damn it, you know me too well." Another sigh. "Noodles, you say?"
"No sauce, please, it's bad for my digestion."
"Big baby," she laughed. "Just take some of those calcium pills."
"They taste like chalk, sweetheart." Michiru finally came in, dressed formally, as she had announced. Haruka appraised her and smiled warmly. She only had shirt, shorts, sandals. Sigh.
"We really must synchronize these dinners of ours better. Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen." A kiss; a parting. Haruka frowned, wishing Michiru could stay out of her head.
"Yep," she grumbled, "my fate's been decided for me. Better go get the good perfume."
…...
Shingo hefted the last of the bags onto the moving van, pausing to rest and evaluate his work. The houses in his parents' district had been called to join the herd, and since the government assured all citizens that evacuation took priority over...well, everything, he was excused from college (partially to help, partially to join the massive exodus). His mother was already negotiating with her neighbors, while father was still canoodling with the press, leaving him to wrap everything up. His older sister had made a sweep of the area earlier, but the two scarcely had time to say hello before her convoy moved on, alerting everyone else in the area of the changes. Despite the dramatic turn of events, Shingo still couldn't believe how mature and responsible his sister seemed—but then again, she always did seem to behave herself whenever there was a serious situation.
"Oh, Shingo, honey! Was that the last of it?"
"Yes, we're all set. Everything essential, anyway."
"Okay, thank you. Say, could you do me a favor? Please call the Osaka family for me. I want to see how Naru and her mother are doing."
"Shouldn't Usagi be doing that?" he wondered to himself, before realizing how busy his sister must be. He put in Naru's number and got a recording; placing a message, he tried several of his own friends before moving to Usagi's. Shingo smiled as he saw Ami's number glowing back at him, and decided to call her on a lark. Not surprisingly, he got the same treatment.
"Hey, um, it's Shingo. I, ah...suppose you know why I'm calling, Mizuno. Ah...well, I guess you're probably helping with the effort and all, since you're a doctor. Um...gee, that came out wrong. Anyway, just calling to see if you're okay or not. I guess it's hectic everywhere, huh?" He hung up, frowning. His mother was calling for him, so after telling his father where to meet up with them, he boarded the van and stared listlessly out the window.
"How long do you think she'll stay?" he said to his mother. She shook her head.
"You mean... Well, the police will certainly be the last ones out. They'll be doing constant checks until they're sure it's been all cleared. But since the national guard will be moving in soon after, I'm guessing they'll remain behind indefinitely. One way or another, Usagi's not going anywhere."
"Good point. I guess that means Hino and Mizuno will be staying behind as well."
"The city will need leaders, assistants, and medical personnel long after we're gone...so yes, I suppose."
"The 'M-girls' will have a harder time digging their heels in, but I doubt they'll give in. I almost wish I could stay behind and see it."
"It's a miracle I haven't thrown up yet," she said shakily. Shingo sat next to his mother, put his arm around her. Police officer or not, Senshi or not, grown woman or not, Ikuko would still worry herself frantically over Usagi's well-being. Whether she chose to act as an officer or a guardian hero, she'd still be in the thick of the coming pandemonium. Shingo could offer no condolences, only his presence and his silent assurances. Ikuko kept herself busy with calls to Kinsei,who was handling the exodus fairly well, considering. She had actually called Rei, her father Takashi, and his secretary Kaidou, in an effort to keep a certain cemetery as pristine as possible. While Rei wondered why Minako's mother would care so much about her own mother's burial plot, and had her doubts about her father's involvement, she swore she'd do everything possible to keep it from being ruined.
"Strange how we're all connected," Shingo regarded. His moment of relative tranquility was ruined as the convoy came to an unexpected and violent halt. There were strange creatures up ahead on the road, and their police escorts were entangled with them. Shingo immediately knew what that meant and called his sister; surprisingly, she picked up.
"Sorry, Shingo, make it quick. I've got three more blocks to do and then I'm on patrol duty."
"Might wanna revise those plans, dumpling-brain: our convoy's under attack."
"You mean right now? Are you okay?"
"For now. We've got some of your friends helping us out."
She paused. "Which ones?"
"The police, rock-head. Sure could use the other ones, though."
"I can't pull away, Shingo, I'm sorry! Have you tried anyone else?" He bit his lip in thought. Rei and Ami would be equally swamped; that only left "the M-girls".
"Minako by herself may not be enough."
"It's okay, Makoto told me she'd be living here for now. Call her and I promise she'll come."
"Okay. You wanna say anything to mom right now?"
"Just tell her I love her, and I'm safe!"
"Tell her yourself!" He thrust the phone at his mother; she cradled it as if Usagi were already in her arms.
"...Usagi?" She screamed as the van they were riding in was rammed, dropping the phone. Shingo reached for it and fell out of his seat as the van was struck again. A third blow tilted it onto its wheels; one more and it would fall over.
"Brace yourselves, everyone!" the driver called. Shingo scrambled to pick his phone out, but it was no use: it slid out of sight and was lost in the clutter as the van tipped over. The back doors immediately opened, revealing a pair of misshapen creatures that were almost too hideous to look upon. One bounded into the van, grabbing the closest body it could find (which was Ikuko's); the other remained behind to make sure nobody could escape. Ikuko wailed as the monster clutched her throat with one hand and drew a sickly serrated blade with the other, placing it on her stomach. It gurgled at her in a foul tongue, teeth flickering as it grinned with bloodlust. Shingo eventually recovered his footing and tore after the creature, but the monster flicked its wrist, stabbing him with the knife as he rushed. Shingo clenched his teeth in pain as his mother screamed, but bore it and clung onto the monster's arm, giving himself leverage. He pulled himself close and slammed his fist on the creature's face with all his might, but the monster blocked his attack with his other arm.
"SHINGO!" Ikuko sprang to life the instant she was freed, thrusting her hand into her purse, pulling out a can of pepper spray. She opened fire directly into the monster's eyes, nose, and mouth, sending it screaming and whirling in agony. The second monster decided to join his fallen comrade, knocking the can out of Ikuko's hand, thrusting his own knife down. Shingo shoved his mother aside, taking another blow, yelling in pain, clutching onto the monster's ankles. He pulled at them with all of his might, tripping the beast until it sprawled on the floor. The knife clattered; he picked it up; down it went right on the creature's windpipe. Without wasting a moment, Shingo lunged at the first beast, putting it out of its misery, and fell limply to the ground, bleeding profusely. His mother's voice rang dimmer over time; his hands felt flimsy as they tried covering his wounds.
"Damn it, Usagi," he muttered, "hurry up and get here already..." He blacked out briefly, coming back to the waking world as he heard shouts, explosions, gunfire, and lasers.
Wait—lasers?
"Hold still. I wish I could do better than this. My God, what a time for all of us to be spread out like this..."
The voice of an angel brought him back from the brink, and as his eyes adjusted from the dimness of a near-death experience, he beheld the vision of a golden goddess. Venus smiled at him warmly, her hands focused on his wounds, devoting her power to closing and restoring them.
"Sai...lor Ve...nu..."
"Hey, don't do that, you'll open your wounds again. I suppose bravery and recklessness run in the family, huh?" Shingo laughed, coughing bitterly, groaned, laid still at last. Sailor Venus did all she could do and sighed, resting from her handiwork. Many other monsters had attacked the convoy, but thanks to her timing and the relentless efforts of the police and national guard, things were safe again. A group of officers came and surrounded her, demanding her surrender. Venus groaned at them.
"Don't you all have more important things to do? I'm trying to heal this brave young man here! Now get these people to a safer location! There's no telling when more of those creeps will show up!"
"Stay where you are," one of the officers barked. "No sudden movements until we say so! Identify yourse—OOF!"
"You idiot," an older officer growled, "don't you know anything? That's Sailor Venus! Begging your pardon, ma'am," he smiled, tipping his hat. "Most of these rookies have no manners. We'll leave you to your work, ma'am, unless there's some place you'd rather us be."
"Oh! Really? Um, thanks! Always nice to meet a fan!" She laughed and bolted upright, even blushing a little. Venus turned around and gave the Tsukinos a wink, blowing Shingo a kiss before sprinting away. The belligerent officer grumbled as she got away.
"Lieutenant Ittou, are you sure we should just let her get away like that? Chief Utnapishtim made it pretty clear we're to apprehend those vigilantes." Ittou slapped the rookie on the head again.
"You've got a lot to learn, kid. Besides, she's right: we gotta get these people to safety! Mrs. Tsukino, Shingo, are you two all right?"
"Ah...y-yes, Asanuma, thank you. We were fortunate that Min—erm, Sailor Venus was around."
"We sure were," he winked. He then tapped Shingo on the chin with his fist. "What you did took a lot of guts, old friend. Ever think about joining the police force with your sister?"
"Ugh, don't even joke about that, Asanuma! I spent fifteen years of my life locked up with that dumpling-head! I've already served my time!" Ittou laughed and quickly got everyone back on track, whispering one final thanks to Sailor Venus before resuming the exodus.
Unfortunately for both the Senshi and the police and national guard, events like this were happening all over Tokyo. Whether they were acting on their own, actively challenging the "sages" to skirmishes, or the cogs of a much greater design, monstrosities of all sorts launched attacks across the city. Occasionally one of the Senshi would be able to fight them off and save the day, but more often than not, the police or the national guard had to fight them, and they didn't always win. People were hurt; some were even killed. Usagi, Rei, and Ami were the most helpless, as their jobs required them to work with and around the public, and the rare chances they had for breaks were usually spent resting. During the entire exodus, the three Senshi made, perhaps, seven appearances total. Makoto and Minako had much more freedom, but that was not saying much considering they had all of Tokyo to worry about and felt responsible for every one of her millions of citizens. Setsuna actually stepped in to help them from time to time, and during one particularly harrowing battle, even one of the so-called gods lent their divine aid (happy to finally meet the Apkallu in person). But generally the Senshi were spread too thin to do any appreciable good. All the same, though, Tokyo's millions were slowly moved to safer areas, leaving the streets emptier and emptier over a period of seven days.
It was during this tribulation that Naru and Umino were finally reunited. They had very little to say, though, as they were heading in different directions, and...well...
Eventually, Saeko and Ami gave Motoki and his children a clean bill of health, and personally volunteered to get the family to safety. Even his little sister Unazuki stopped by, having gotten word of his injuries. She was shipped along with her brother, niece, and nephew; soon it would be Saeko and Ami's turn—or rather, Saeko's. She wondered just how her daughter would excuse herself from this mess. Maybe then it would be time to talk with her...
Nastya only saw Ami once during the confusion. She still couldn't muster up the courage to confess her fornication.
Rei found herself inexplicably working with her father and Kaidou for nearly the entire time. Although still feeling hostile towards one and fairly awkward around the other, she was nonetheless able to act professionally around them both, and even managed some placid downtime with them. Her father still seemed distant, though, far more occupied with his work than his daughter. Rei was mature enough to give him the benefit of the doubt this time, since it was an emergency. Still, she behaved coldly, a trait which Kaidou was quick to pick up on.
"I guess some feelings are hard to suppress, huh?"
"You got that right," she murmured, staring at him longer than she intended.
The pandemonium gradually subsided as more and more people got into the groove of the exodus. Experiencing the vicious attacks first-hand led them to be much more cooperative with the government; countless volunteers sprang up from the masses, helping to keep the procession moving quickly and efficiently. One day, Ami and her mother were officially relieved from their duties, classified as "volunteers" until the situation demanded otherwise. Ami approached her mother and was about to offer her some excuse to support her unexpected departure, but Saeko stopped her cold, smiling warmly.
"You go do what you have to, dear. And be safe." Ami was a little put off by her mother embracing her—and could she have figured out the truth? But why else would she be so willing to let her child go? Even though they would soon be parting, Ami felt like she had never been closer to her misunderstood mother, and hugged her back, even kissing her cheek.
"You too, mother. We'll have a talk once I'm finished." Saeko sighed as she watched her daughter slip back into the city. The faintest glimmer of a blue flash flickered in the distance, and Saeko smiled to herself, unimaginably proud of her daughter.
"Good luck, Sailor Mercury, my dear child..."
Elsewhere...
"Okay, mom, I gotta go save the world now!" A pause, a preparation. "VENUS CRYSTAL POWER!" An explosion of power, a smile. "Whew! Let's keep in touch, okay?"
"Will do. Go tear those bad guys a new one, Minako. And give my love to Ikuko's daughter! Oh, and that sweetheart of yours!"
"Ex-sweetheart, mom. I told you we already broke up!"
Kinsei Aino winked. "Suuuuuure you did, honey. Whatever you say."
And...
"Gladto hear it, babe. Hey, see if you can't hook up with Reika and Shinozaki—umm, the 'big' one, I mean. Oh." Sailor Jupiter grinned and waved as she saw a pig-tailed police officer scrambling towards her, breathless and pale. She finally made it. "Usagi says 'hello'."
"Don't forget to tell her about her heroic little brother."
Jupiter giggled. "I wish you could see the look on her face! She's going to flip! Okay, lover, you take it easy, now. Can I say 'hi' to Nao and Shin real quick?" Usagi finally caught up to Sailor Jupiter just as she was bidding farewell to her children, and even though she was late, "Aunt Bunny" got to say her farewells, too. Jupiter put her cell phone away and gave her longtime partner, princess, and friend a watery smile. Usagi returned it once she stopped gasping.
"You here?"
"I'm here."
"How is everyone else?"
"Mina's coming soon; Ami's going to be here any minute. Still no word from Rei yet, not that we have any doubts."
"Yeah," she smiled, "it'll take more than the Prime Minister's orders to stop her. What about Setsuna?"
"She's already scouting the city. I gotta admit, it's pretty spooky without any people here—well, except for your buddies, I mean."
"Yeah," she shivered, "it's like a ghost town. And it's starting to get colder every day. Brr. Well, better swap my uniforms." Usagi was soon eclipsed; her renewed self clasped hands with Jupiter, proud and ready for action. "Let's make this a fight for the ages! Whatever comes our way, we'll be ready!"
Right on cue, the ground trembled. Sailor Jupiter winked.
"Heeeeeey, how about that, huh?"
"Not funny, Mako," she said, still grinning despite her fear. "That could just be tanks."
The ground trembled again. Harder.
"Electricity being rerouted."
In the far distance, they heard a low roar.
"Maybe you should stop daring the universe," Jupiter squeaked. Sailor Moon grumbled.
"It's not my fault! I'm just hoping for the best here! Oh—hey, you made it! Welcome to the party!" Sailor Mercury came rushing into view, with Sailor Venus close behind her. They reported that Sailor Mars wasn't far behind, just "whispering sweet nothings to a special guy" (in Minako's words).
"Oh, don't blow things out of proportion, Mina," Mercury sighed. "She was talking with her friend Kaidou. You know, the married man?"
"Oh, poo, you're no fun. And here I thought Rei finally found someone. So what's happening, everyone?"
"Sailor Moon's taunting fate," Jupiter gestured. Sailor Moon fumed.
"I am not!"
The ground rumbled again. Something big was on its way.
Correction: something VERY big. Sailor Moon turned pale.
"Whatever you are, shut up! We're having a rally here!"
"Let's all calm down, all right?" Venus said, her voice even and serious. "Whatever's coming, we need to prepare for it. Mercury, see if you can find it on your visor. Sailor Moon, try and get in touch with Rei, tell her what's going on, maybe set up a rendezvous point. Jupiter, find Setsuna; maybe she knows something."
"Right. What will you do?" Sailor Venus glanced up at the sky. The sun was setting; soon night would fall.
"Get a better view." Up and away she went, flung by her Love Me Chain, keeping the Senshi com line open with regular reports. Rei was found fairly quickly, and she had already adopted her Senshi persona. More importantly, she was poised on top of a tall skyscraper, and was imploring everyone else to join her. Venus rejoined her friends and they performed a Sailor Teleport together, zipping from the city streets to the windy skies.
Tokyo was still, quiet, lonely, and getting darker by the minute. The five Senshi took a moment to absorb everything, and prepare for what was coming.
"Looks like it's the clam before the spoon," Venus muttered, still very serious. Sailor Mars glanced at her, too nervous to feel upset.
"How you can still joke around at a time like this is beyond me."
"Everyone be quiet," Mercury said. "I'm picking up a reading."
"Where?"
"Umm..." Sailor Mercury felt a bead of cold sweat trickle down her face as she stared at her Heads-Up Display. According to her readout, the threat was... "Umm...everywhere."
"What?"
"It's everywhere," she murmured fearfully. "They're all over the place. Every square millimeter of the city is infested..."
"But there's nothing out there, Ami!" Moon said. "The streets are totally abandoned!"
"I know. It's just that..." She took another look at her screen. Only two explanations were possible for the readings she was getting, and one of them simply could not be. "Either the entire city is overrun with the enemies we've been fighting...or else there's a singular unit with equivalent energy, and the reading's so massive that it only seems to be everywhere. But that's simply inconceivable. Why, even if we combined the strength of every enemy we've fought in the past—and I mean every single one—we'd never even come close to—"
Suddenly, there was a thud. The distant roar they heard was no longer so distant.
"Oh, dear."
The building they were perched on—the block where they were situated—the city they lived in—the region it was tucked away in—the entire nation—vibrated with a single, terrible shudder. All of creation held its breath. The Senshi prepared themselves for anything. Suddenly, an enormous pillar shot out from below, high over their heads, curling down until it touched the roof. A second pillar followed, piercing an area close to the first. All five of the Senshi fit comfortably between the two pillars—and then they realized what they were.
They were talons of an enormous claw.
The other two fleshy pillars soon surfaced, digging deep into the roof, the strength of it so great that the entire building began to buckle and crumble. An enormous "thumb" slithered up to join them; the Senshi backed up as a hand as big as the entire roof, followed by an arm the size of a dinosaur, were raised up. And then the owner of the gigantic pillars and the enormous hand and the colossal arm appeared, lifting itself up, up, up, up, up, towering over the skyscraper and the entire cityscape, a behemoth to dwarf all other behemoths, a titan greater than all other titans, a beast so incalculably gargantuan that its shadow overwhelmed the entire city and sealed it in darkness. The monster had the form of a dragon, inconceivably mammoth, with three heads large enough to eat Japan's entire navy. As the Senshi stared in slack-jawed astonishment, it bellowed out a piercing shriek, the force of its roar so great that everything in the surrounding area was forced back by hurricane-level winds. The Senshi held their ground, for what good it did.
Sailor Mars swallowed nervously as the dragon turned its attention to the five insignificant specks below.
"Oh, shit."
To be continued...
Author's note:
I can't tell everyone how much I've been looking forward to this chapter. Until now, the Senshi have been facing some fairly challenging opponents, but nothing that could REALLY overpower them (or even overwhelm them). One could even go so far as to say I've been easy on our heroines, and that every time they've been in over their heads, somebody's always swooped in to rescue them. Well, not anymore. The gloves come off from here on in, and I'm throwing the worst possible monstrosity I can think of at them. But who, or what, is this colossal creature? You'll just have to keep reading, I'm afraid.
The final line was meant for dark humor; I normally like to keep harsh language to a minimum, as some of you might have noticed. Usually, I won't whip out the big bombs unless the situation demands it, and I'm sure if you were confronted with a dragon so huge, it could eat Godzilla in one bite, you'd do no different.
Finally? Yay, Michiru appears! And if I had fun letting Haruka and Motoki banter, I assure you it was MUCH more fun letting her back-and-forth with Michiru. Suddenly the pairing makes sense to me!