31: "The Battle Escalates"
Azhi Dahaka did not get far before he was harassed by a shining bird of paradise and its mortal arbiter, the Morning Star. Intense beams of searing light blinded its path; the same rays focused into waves of energy, melting scales and flesh off right down to the bone. The dragon had rarely felt such astonishing pain before, and it was not particularly nostalgic. Its enormous claw shot out to swat the tiny bird away; Quetzalcoatl zipped aside at light speed, jerking back so quickly it almost looked like the blow had passed right through it. Sailor Venus immediately fired off a Shooting Star attack (without even needing the requisite time to power up); it impacted the considerably slower arm, bursting into hundreds of steaming comets, peppering the monster's body with skin-scalding attacks. It struck again; Venus and her avatar soared away; the sacred beast opened its wings, bearing fangs, screeching and hissing furiously. Azhi Dahaka groaned and shielded itself with massive paws, unable to bear the attack. It was now officially overwhelmed.
Don't walk the cold and ruthless streets
They drain the life from all they meet
The servants crying underground
Smelling mortal blood like hounds
Sailor Moon came leaping and sprinting across the ruined city to intercept the creature, riding atop a golden stag with antlers that glistened like crystals in the moonlight. Faster and faster it went, beyond the speed of any animal or land-machine, blurring like a jet, nearly approaching Mach One. The Cerynitian stag extended its antlers as it approached the dragon, growing them exponentially until they were the size of the monster's massive foot. It raked beneath the dragon as it stood bewildered by Venus's light, carving huge lines in the beast's flesh that did not easily recover. The blow shook Azhi Dahaka back to the waking world, and its feet stomped the ground in retaliation, smashing the world beneath it in a vain attempt to crush its enemies. Sailor Moon and her avatar were too fast, though, even against a behemoth that could cross a city in minutes, and wove around its feet effortlessly, taking shots and slowly whittling the monster down.
As you crawl the sewer pipes
Deadly sinners set to strike
As you walk around the bend
You'll be dead right there where you stand
"I can see," Mercury exclaimed, straddling a great fish as it leaped and dipped across the sky, drawing water from deep below the city for its path. "I can see," she exclaimed again, thrilled beyond comprehension at the world her new abilities had opened for her. Bonding with the wise fish Llyn Llyw had expanded her perception in ways she thought were unimaginable, beyond science and fantasy, into the realm of godhood. Not only could she see her enemy and all her friends surrounding it, but she could determine the precise strategies and movements each should make in order to maximize efficiency. She immediately understood the full strengths and weaknesses all parties had; could see the history behind Azhi Dahaka, could understand what it was truly after. Llyn Llyw carried her to the dragon's three heads, circling them, tying a ribbon of water around their necks. They snapped and the river turned to ice, impaling the mouths with swords stronger and colder than steel. They lunged at Mercury and her avatar, and both were reduced to steam, impervious to attack. The steam settled on the dragon's arm and became boiling liquid, scalding the creature. As it reeled, the earth split open, gushing out a torrent, and Mercury and her totem with it. She gasped, as if saved from drowning; meanwhile the streets thundered as two mighty warriors and their terrible steeds charged into battle.
Flash of iron, leather, spikes, and swords
Mighty warriors with metal on their side
Enemies of metal, your death is our reward
Triumphant victory when you bring the steel to life
The pavement seared with fire as Sailor Mars drew a volcanic trail to her foe. The war-horse bestowed to her lashed after the dragon ravenously, so eager for blood that nothing could control it, and its partner certainly had no intention of doing that. Instead Mars urged Sleipnir onward, crying for even faster speeds, as the road was carved into rubble by its eight thundering hooves. Magma poured from its mouth; lava shot out of its eyes; the steed leaped at the dragon's legs, a great sword at its master's side, burning brightly as it cut. The flames sunk in deep, hewing layers of flesh, carving through bone, their appetite insatiable. The mighty Azhi Dahaka had no time to reflect on this new pain, though, for it was immediately toppled by Sailor Jupiter, ramming into the creature with the full gale force of a thunderstorm.
Azhi Dahaka caught itself before it could fall completely, but Jupiter's avatar slammed into its arm, breaking its balance and sending the monster crashing. The entire country trembled as the monster fell; meanwhile she had taken Airavata's reigns and had directed the massive elephant to the dragon's heads, where she would finish it off. Jagged spears of crackling white-hot energy shot out of her arm as her partner stampeded, paralyzing the dragon until impact. The head roared in challenge; Jupiter and Airavata merely plowed through it, punching a hole in the monster's throat.
Deadly sinners
Victory
Deadly sinners
when you bring
Deadly sinners
the steel to life
The monster sprang to its feet, spurting bile uncontrollably, blindly thrashing about in rage and agony. Mercury called for everyone to step back, give the beast some room—but Sailor Pluto didn't heed her. A serpent rose up from the dragon's feet, coiling itself around and around the monster, pinning its legs and arms and even its three heads. The serpent's head emerged from the surface, Pluto aloft, and clamped down tight on its tail.
"Ouroboros has played her part," she announced, heedless of the thrashing beast next to her. "Now we shall end it. Wouldn't you two agree?"
"But of course," Sailor Neptune smirked, rising from the ocean atop an enormous dragon. Unlike Azhi Dahaka, a three-headed titan of unspeakable girth, the Long-Wang was sleek, fluid, and graceful (not unlike its partner), slipping through the air upon the crest of a tidal wave. Water and dragon struck the enemy hard, bowling Azhi Dahaka over again, setting it up for the next attack. Uranus rode in swiftly atop the great turtle which legends say held the entire world upon its shell, the one the Balinese call Bedawang, and the Hindu, Kurma.
"Okay, so I got Gamera," she muttered as the creature soared through the air (not on jets, mind). "But this totemic avatar of mine is as strong and relentless as a mountain, swift as a gale, cutting as a hurricane. Now you'll only wish you were still in bondage, you fiend!" Bedawang crushed Azhi Dahaka's second head with its immense weight, and kept it pinned with an unendurable storm. Sailor Moon was soon galloping in for the kill.
Deadly sinners
Victory
Deadly sinners
when you bring
Deadly sinners
the steel to life
"I will not have you destroy any more of our beloved world! I do this in vengeance for all the wonders you have desecrated, all the people who have fled their homes in fear, all the lives you have robbed in the past, and all the corruption and evil you stand for! In the name of the Moon..."
Suddenly Azhi Dahaka erupted, breaking free from its serpentine bonds, ripping Pluto's partner to shreds. Before the Guardian of Time could so much as scream, the dragon grabbed hold of Bedawang, upsetting Uranus, and cracked the good turtle in half, throwing the shell at Long Wang. Neptune leaped off just as her partner's head snapped from the impact; Mars and Venus caught them. Sailor Moon was still halfway through her attack, too stunned to continue. The scars healed and the two heads grew back just as she regained her senses and withdrew.
It had all happened so fast...
"Damn it!" Jupiter screamed. "What the hell just happened?! Are you three okay?" Pluto was screaming, bowled over in pain; Uranus and Neptune looked like they were about to become sick.
"I can feel it," Neptune said, clutching her head. "It's such agony... Like my own skull was caved in."
"Is this what that Marduk guy tried to warn us about?" Uranus grunted, clutching her abdomen. Pluto keened, thrashing about, babbling—as if her entire body had been torn apart. Sailor Moon turned white with horror.
"Mercury! Are they...?"
"Physically, they're fine! And they can still summon their totems as well! But it seems as though there's some sort of psychic-symbiotic link!"
"A what?"
"Are you saying we're connected?!" Venus screeched. "As in...connected?!"
"I would need more data, but...it would appear so." She touched Llyn Llyw, feeling its quicksilver scales rejuvenate her, invigorating, imparting newer sensations. They were and were not the same, bound together but separated, sharing a life and a soul but each accordingly. Even she could not explain it any better.
"So that's the catch, huh?" Mars frowned as she stopped to let Uranus off. "We get these awesome powers but we're connected to our totems. Maybe you were right, Haruka. Um...are you okay?"
"I'd feel a lot better if I could crush more of that monster," she grunted, struggling to stand. Neptune assisted her, pained though she was.
"Not if Long-Wang and I beat you to the punch, love. Oh, Setsuna!" They all turned to face Setsuna, who had collapsed on the floor. Her face was covered with sweat and tears, and she was still convulsing. Sailor Pluto winced in pain, curling into a ball, screaming uncontrollably, opening herself body and soul, eyes flashing, limbs stiff as rods. The creature called Ouroboros pierced through her body, crawling out afresh, slithering and soaring up until it was freed, then it began feeding on its own tail again. Sailor Pluto fell to her knees, breathing and perspiring heavily, a broad smile across her face.
Kill the tyrant's endless conquest
With no mercy, straight for his heart
Bloodlust will overtake anger and violence
With no warning, lightning strikes in the dark
Strikes you in the dark!
Lightning strikes
"Heavens," she panted. Sailor Venus approached her—but cautiously.
"Um...Setsu, you okay there, sweetie? Ah...that looked really, um..."
"Messed up?" Uranus offered. Pluto laughed.
"It felt remarkable. Now I know what a snake feels like after it's shed its skin. Don't worry, I'm fine. I think I just had sensory overload, that's all." Pluto was helped to her feet; soon the avatars of Uranus and Neptune returned, ready to do battle. Jupiter, Moon, and Mercury were already engaged, keeping their enemy fully occupied while everyone else got their bearings.
"Everyone okay?" Mars said. They affirmed it heartily. "Then let's get to it! Come on, we can kill this thing! We just gotta overpower it!" She led the charge, spewing fire at every step; Venus and Quetzalcoatl lit the way in the air, shredding the dragon with prismatic claws and piercing rays.
THE DARK!
RULING THE NIGHT!
WINNING THE FIGHT!
TAKING IT ALL! Right Now
Deadly, deadly sinners,
Through the night!
Mercury and Llyn Llyw already had the dragon's enormous left foot completely encased in crystal, and were clouding the entire area in thick fog. Sailor Moon could see perfectly through the mist, though, and guided her steed up to higher grounds, bounding and leaping with effortless grace. Azhi Dahaka struggled to free its foot, occasionally swatting helplessly as Jupiter assaulted it from below. When Airavata trumpeted, the whole world trembled; when its tusks struck, painful blasts of lightning shot through the dragon's veins. Jupiter leaped off as it rammed into the dragon again, catching the end of its tail as it swept by. She called forth a sphere of lightning and fired it off, flying away as the tail lashed. Her powers fully blossomed as she unleashed a titanic blast that carved a ghastly chunk into the dragon's body, leaving a hole large enough to fit a truck through.
"Hey, Mars! See what you can do with that before it heals!"
"My pleasure! HYA!" Sleipnir galloped up the dragon's scaly body, Mars firing searing bolts to keep the beast distracted. It finally broke free from Mercury's grasp and bellowed loud, dispersing the fog, but paid no attention to the warrior goddess scaling its height. Sleipnir drew her into position and Mars called up the full fury of her righteous indignation, firing an ear-shattering explosive fireball that cauterized the open wound and sealed the flesh in its place. The dragon might yet heal, she realized, but it would be taxing and painful. A smile spread in victory.
"Watch out, that's not enough to stop him," Mercury called. Llyn Llyw offered her a clear view of the battle and the hundreds of possible tactics and outcomes she could bring to it; several alarmed her of the failures each action could bring. Sailor Jupiter was soon in danger as Azhi Dahaka grabbed her elephant familiar and threw it into the atmosphere; she slipped out and fell helplessly. Mercury wanted to save her but Venus was also in dire straits, as the dragon focused on swatting her and her familiar out of the air for good. She called out in warning but wasn't fast enough; both mount and rider soon felt the shattering blow. Venus didn't even get time to form a barrier, and in spite of her astonishing new powers, still fell limply in defeat. Mercury despaired over who to save until Azhi Dahaka turned its mythical fury towards her. Llyn Llyw acted quickly, spewing a scalding geyser from its mouth, dipping down to the ground, swerving over the broken rubble and encasing everything with thick ice. She reached out and grabbed Sailor Jupiter just as Uranus crashed Bedawang into the monster, upsetting it enough to that it slipped out of control.
"Jupiter! Jupiter, wake up! Come on, Makoto! Oh, no!" She watched helpless as Venus plummeted, slack-jawed as she seemingly disappeared from view, and finally overwhelmed with relief as a golden stag galloped close, bearing her beloved.
"Jeez, that was a close call!" she heard Sailor Moon say. Mercury met up with her, Jupiter slowly coming to.
"Usagi! Are you two all right?" Sailor Moon gestured sheepishly to her burden.
"I guess it takes awhile for everyone to get back into the groove, huh? Hey, maybe you can wake her up with a kiss!"
"Which 'her' are you referring to?" she tittered. Jupiter groaned back to life, and even Venus seemed to recover.
"Urgh, ow... Boy, do I feel queasy. Falling long distances like that used to be easier, as I recall."
"Yeah, no kidding. Say, what's this about a kiss?" Sailor Moon smiled warmly as Mercury helped Venus stand, and exchanged a small token of affection. Venus blushed; she hadn't been expecting it. "Um, thanks. I feel...better already. So it looks like our attacks are only slowing him down, which is still a big improvement from before. If that thing didn't heal itself so rapidly like that..."
"Even if it didn't, we're really not making much headway," Jupiter added. "It only looks like we're tearing that thing apart. Truth be told, we're still getting decimated."
"No time to chat," Sailor Moon announced, staring intently before her. "It's coming our way again. Listen, I'll draw its attention. You guys try and make it fall again—do whatever it takes. Then we'll all join forces and try to blow its heads off. Cutting one off might do us no good, but three... HYA!" She galloped away in a flash, stymieing the monster with Mars soon at her side. Pluto had already tied the dragon's heads together with Ouroboros, while Neptune and Uranus kept it from breaking the bond again by simultaneously biting and beating it on both sides. Venus smiled wearily at her old friend, placing her hands on the two people most important to her.
"You know, for a woman riding a creature from Greek mythology, it's sort of ironic she doesn't know what she's talking about."
"Are you suggesting Rei cauterizes their necks once we sever the heads?" Venus grinned at her former lover's assessment.
"Wow, so you were paying attention whenever I rambled!"
Another sweet kiss silenced her.
"I hung on every word. I'm going to join up with Haruka and Michiru: I have an idea I'd like to test out."
"I'll try and topple it, then!" Jupiter said. Venus made a face as she tried figuring out what she could do.
"Gee, um... At times like this, shouldn't the brave and beautiful leader do something equally daring and heroic?"
"Just distract it, sweetheart," Mercury called, as Llyn Llyw raised her into the air. "And be careful!" She waved and blew a kiss; Jupiter grinned at her lewdly.
"It's so great seeing you two back together! Later." She was off stampeding at once, calling forth Airavata from the heavens. Venus pouted as she was left alone.
"Hey, we're not back together! Makoto, don't leave me stuck with the distraction job! I hate that! Urgh, fine, whatever! Quetz, time to dangle a turnip before the hamster!"
I'm sure even Azhi Dahaka rolled his eyes in shame at that one.
Flash of iron, leather, spikes and swords
Those mighty warriors with metal on their side
Enemies of metal, your death is our reward
Triumphant victory when you bring the steel to life
With Sailor Venus acting as the "turnip", Mercury slithered out of the dragon's view, waving to Uranus and Neptune. They were a little surprised to see her flying through the air on a fish that was constantly drawing in water from its surroundings, but they had seen plenty of bizarre spectacles in their careers as Senshi, so they chalked it up to semantics.
"What can we do for you, little dolphin?" Neptune said. Mercury's expression was steely, unfazed by her rival's candid greetings.
"Ever hear the story of Heracles versus the Hydra? Usagi and Rei want to try the same plan here."
"Oh? I thought Minako was the mythology expert in our group."
"It might be our only hope at this point," Uranus added. "But like Michiru said, what can we do?"
"I noticed that a concentrated blast of frost can briefly contain the dragon, but even with my new powers, I can't restrain him entirely. That's where the two of you come in. I'd like to combine my powers with yours and create an enormous ice-storm. We'll encase its entire body, have Jupiter and Venus knock it down, and Sailor Moon and Pluto can sever the necks. After that, it's all up to Rei."
"You're forgetting that one of the Hydra's heads was immortal," Neptune replied. She smiled and added, "But it's certainly worth a try. Shall we both go at the same time, or separately?"
"All at once. Call on the wind and waves to create the best storm possible. Llyn Llyw and I will blanket everything with ice."
"So is that your totem's name?" Uranus smirked. Mercury beamed at them, and the two lovers began their craft: Neptune implored Long Wang to aid her, summoning the greatest portion of its kingdom to her cause, a tidal wave to rival (if not surpass) the one she had used earlier. At the same time, Uranus called upon the mighty Bedawang to stir up the four winds, agitating the air until a gale-force hurricane erupted from the calm. The skies grew ominously dark, thundering with promises to come. Even Sailor Jupiter paused to behold the heavens.
"Ami, you need my help with anything?" she called over their communicator.
"No, just stay focused on keeping our enemy occupied. When you see the signal, try and topple it with everything you have!"
"What signal?"
"You'll know it when you see it," she sang.
Deadly sinners
Victory
Deadly sinners
when you bring
Deadly sinners
the steel to life
Nearly half of the ruined city was being overcome by the storm; the winds blew so fiercely that they picked up large bits of rubble and debris, overturned trees and broken windows, street lamps and broken walls. The Senshi's hair and skirts were buffeted, but they remained protected from their spectacular efforts. The wind howled sharply as icy blasts were added, and a deadly blizzard stirred. The three Senshi fought to maintain control of the storm, guiding it across the blasted landscape to their foe. The others had performed well in keeping their enemy from going anywhere, but were badly in need of a reprieve. Jupiter, who had been watching for suspicious activity, saw the ice-storm and called for everyone to brace themselves. Azhi Dahaka noticed it as well, but too late: the winds and waves and ice struck it hard, covering every square meter of its gigantic frame. So great was the force of the three Senshi's storm that even the most powerful servant of evil to have ever trod upon the earth was frozen solid.
Deadly sinners
Victory
Deadly sinners
when you bring
Deadly sinners
the steel to life
"I guess that's the signal!" Jupiter shouted, urging her comrades on. "It's our turn now, Mina! Hit him with everything you have!"
"You got it!" Jupiter and Airavata rammed into the icicle with the power of a thunderbolt; Venus and Quetzalcoatl lashed at the same time, toppling it over on its side. Sailor Pluto wasted no time, commanding her avatar to bind the dragon's necks to the ground, and to aid in their dismemberment even at the peril of its life. Ouroboros crushed its throats with the steely grip of a god; meanwhile Mars and Moon thundered to the fallen creature's side, slashing away desperately. Sailor Moon was actually able to carve clean through one of the necks (half with her tiara and scepter, half with the Cerynitian stag); Mars charged up for the final blow. The wall of fire sealed the stump, burning away any chance of it regenerating again.
"Awesome!" Sailor Moon yawped. "Now for the next one!" She guided the sacred stag toward the center head, urging it to charge at full speed. Its antlers grew and sharpened, glowing with golden-white light, a hundred sabers glistening, each powerful enough to cleave through diamond. Mars was close behind, gorgeous and terrible, starved for battle. She yelled in warning two seconds too late as the center head revived and lashed at her princess, dismounting her with the force of a wrecking-ball. Her steed stumbled away, disoriented and wounded; the good mount suffered under the oppressive palm of the dragon's claw as it crushed the deer, and with a mighty push, Azhi Dahaka stood once more, shivering until its coat of ice no longer restricted it. The head did not recover, for what little good that did, and all seemed lost.
Ruling the night, winning the fight
Taking it all right to the end
Winning the night, ruling the fight
Take one last step before you die
"Sailor Moon!" The dragon turned its attention to the unconscious princess, and Mars tore off to save her, heedless of her own existence, weaving around the dragon's titanic feet (forcing herself not to look at the place where Sailor Moon's avatar had hitherto lain). She hurled rings of flame at it to draw it away, but the dragon paid her no mind. A column of fire aimed specifically at its underside finally got its attention, but Mars paid for her daring as the beast stomped the earth, vaulting her from Sleipnir's saddle. Azhi Dahaka lowered itself until one of its heads roared directly in her face; the other scooped up the rubble where Sailor Moon laid. Mars could not even attempt a defiant finish, so terrible and hopeless was the situation. She couldn't move; fear had finally overcome her indomitable will.
Something prevented the inevitable, as it always seemed to do, but it was a strange new sensation, one Sailor Mars could not easily place. The dragon jerked in pain as what appeared to be a bird smashed into its exposed back. Moments later, its chest exploded, revealing the creature. Mars felt herself renewed simply by basking in the bird's presence; even Sailor Moon scrambled to her feet, firing her tiara to distract the beast. The dragon lurched back in pain; the bird stared at Mars for a moment, then at Sailor Moon, before fluttering away. Mars blinked, stunned.
"That was a Phoenix," she whispered. Vaulting to her feet, she summoned Sleipnir again, following the bird. Sailor Moon was not far behind, atop her reborn avatar, no worse the wear from its apparent destruction. She had recognized the legendary bird as well, as had all the Senshi, and each rushed in pursuit. They couldn't quite place it, but something compelled them to follow this mystical creature.
Of all places, it finally landed near the Hachiko statue, one of the few areas not obliterated by their enemy. Sailor Moon came upon the scene before anyone else, so she was able to behold their savior first. A shiver ran down her spine as she breathlessly whispered her name:
"Hotaru..."
To be continued...
Author's notes:
Here comes the obligatory explanations. May as well get em' over with.
Cerynitia: I had a tough time pinning down Usagi's totemic avatar. The rabbit was an obvious first choice, but it was a little TOO obvious, so as I did with most of these entities, I had to think outside the box. I knew I needed something associated with the moon, but there are very few famous mythological creatures that hold this distinction. I kept going back to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, who was often yoked together with the moon (since its crescent was similar to a bow). One of the animals associated with Artemis is the deer, and the most famous deer is the golden Cerynitian stag, which Heracles was tasked to capture. Even though the animal is never named, I figured this was close enough.
Llyn Llyw: At first I wanted Fenrir for Ami, since the wolf is very closely associated with ice (being Nordic), and Odin, god of wisdom. But then I had no good totem for Rei, and I always wanted Rei to have a horse, since they are inseparably linked with war. Once more I thought outside the box, and since I wanted to have different Senshi draw from different mythologies, I looked to the Celtic pantheon. The first obvious choice was Taliesin, a legendary shape-shifting bard, but he usually took the form of an eagle, and I already had two birds. A little more researching led me to understand the Celts associated fish with wisdom (Ami's greatest trait), and since fish are naturally aquatic, the connection became easier. A story goes that Culhwch, an associate of King Arthur, was cursed to marry Olwen, a giant's daughter. While they nevertheless fell in love, Culhwch was given a number of seemingly impossible tasks to perform, but with the help of Arthur's knights, he was able to accomplish them, and by visiting Llyn Llyw (literally "pool of leadership"), he was able to find Olwen and slay her wicked father. A fish that came from Llyn Llyw would therefore be a fitting ally for Sailor Mercury.
Quetzalcoatl: Actually a Toltec creation god, he was closely associated with the morning and evening stars (Venus). I knew Minako needed a flashy, brilliant bird, and the Meso-American bird of paradise seemed perfect (though technically it's a winged serpent, but whatever).
Sleipnir: As I explained, Rei NEEDED a horse. Originally, though, since Ami had claim to a Norse creature, Rei got stuck with a Celtic one, the boar Twrch Trwyth (try pronouncing that!). Admittedly, Twrch Trwyth was associated with war, but I just couldn't imagine Rei riding into battle on a giant pig (despite what Princess Mononoke demonstrated). So she got Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged steed, and Ami got Llyn Llyw (which is a heck of a lot easier to pronounce).
Airavata: I really wanted Makoto to have a Thunder-Dragon, and there are plenty in Japanese mythology. Unfortunately, I couldn't readily find one than was named, so outside the box I went. Looking into mid-Asian myths led me to think about Indra, the Hindu thunder god, and as it turned out, he rode an elephant called Airavata into battle (which makes a lot of sense, since a trumpeting, stampeding elephant sounds just like thunder). And really, riding elephants is a little less cliché than riding dragons.
Phoenix: This one was so obvious I don't even need to explain it (though I honestly can't understand how anyone could associate Saturn, an Italian god of harvest, with death. Maybe...because wheat "dies" when it's harvested, and...comes back?). The Phoenix has more of a "general" origin, though most scholars agree it got its start in Egypt. They juxtapose perfectly with that country's ancient religious obsession with life, death, and rebirth.
Bedawang: Haruka was the most difficult of all Senshi to bestow an avatar. Uranus (the god) had power over the sky, but all the sky creatures were birds, and as I stated before, I had enough of those. Even thinking outside the box didn't help: I didn't want to "double" from any myth, and I didn't have enough information from the ones I hadn't used (or else there weren't any named creatures). I eventually happened across the Balinese creature Bedawang, supposedly the legendary turtle that supports the world on its shoulder (much like Kurma of Hindu myth). So...a space turtle. Works for me. And no, I couldn't resist making a Gamera reference.
Long Wang: No, I'm not getting phallic on everyone; these Chinese dragons were synonymous with the oceans, and served the Jade Emperor, a powerful figure in Chinese mythology. Michiru could have easily gotten the leviathan from Hebrew myth, but that was far too ordinary for my tastes, so I went down the more obscure path. Why no Japanese dragons? Because I couldn't find any that were named.
Ouroborus: A name that can and has been spelled a hundred different times. A serpent that perpetually devours itself, this was the only mythological creature that came even remotely close to representing time. Much like the Phoenix, these were ubiquitous, but seemed to generally originate in the Mesopotamian area, appropriately. On an unrelated note, this was the final boss in Xenogears.
Oh yes, and Deadly Sinners is by 3 Inches of Blood, and is 2000% incredible.