35: "Filling in"
Just as Sailor Neptune could instinctively know what her partner was thinking, merely by glimpsing at her, so too could Uranus understand the depths of her partner's thoughts, with naught but a look. While the rest of Tokyo was filing back in, picking up the pieces of their lives, coming to terms with what had happened, and growing more anxious over what would become of it all, the two of them took to patrolling the city—sort of as a response to what was happening around them. Tokyo was being slowly peopled: the process would be long, tedious, wearisome, and fertile opportunity for mischief and corruption. Order must spring forth from chaos (to paraphrase Nietzsche): they made sure that transition was smooth and painless. Gods, dragons, monsters, and Senshi abounded, and emotions stirred, so Uranus and Neptune must be sure they stirred correctly. Police, emergency forces, and elected officials could only handle so much, despite Japan's long history of confronting tribulation: so it seemed despite everything that the Senshi were needed after all. Many couldn't make it because their mundane lives demanded their attention, and so Haruka and Michiru, wanting to "make up for lost time", felt obliged to protect the city in their friends' stead.
Sailor Uranus took a break atop Tokyo Tower, the wind caressing her gently, an all-encompassing companion: whistling when she was happy, moaning when she was low, cool when she was overtaxed, warm when chilled. Sailor Neptune had the oceans to call home and comfort her, but Uranus had the entire sky, separated from all the world yet inseparable, flitting down into the deepest crevasses and darkest caves, kissing and playing and beating the land and ocean; wild, free. She saw the world with the wind, saw Tokyo, saw the dread cloud hanging over her which no gale could disperse.
The wind carried whispers of trouble. Leftover minions of the evils they had previously fought were crawling out of the holes they had been hiding in, feeling braver now that the dragon was gone—braver, and hungrier. As insignificant as these fiends were, she felt something more malevolent in the air, stiffening as the sensation grabbed her intestines and twisted them, shivering as it traced icy fingers up her spine. Down, down, down she flitted, her descent aided by the breezes, then away, climbing into her convertible and tearing through the city. She didn't know why this sensation was affecting her, let alone why it had such strength behind it, but she felt compelled to investigate—if nothing else, to set her mind at ease.
After all, they had defeated the worst evil that had ever walked the earth. What more could be called against them?
They had fought the worst of them all...right?
Those fingers of icy steel drew her to a nondescript street, peppered with panicked people scrambling everywhere. There was no police presence there, and no one else to clean this rabble, but Sailor Uranus was used to fighting solo. She whistled loudly to get the rabble's attention, even brazenly flashing a bit of leg.
"Hey, fellas, looking for me?" she purred, adding a few taunting gestures for good measure. The minions roared after her, believing a singular Senshi to be of no consequence. Uranus focused her gaze and her strengths, leaping high into the air just as the group closed in on her. She roared and blasted at the center of the group, sending a world-shaking shockwave surging out, obliterating all the fiends in one fell swoop. When she landed, she took a deep breath, studying her surroundings for any signs of trouble. The streets of Tokyo were eerily silent.
Now's usually the time when the leader shows up. I'll bet a Lamborghini they slither in from behind.
Sailor Uranus jerked around, drawn by a loud crashing. A four-legged scaly monstrosity had smashed through a cafe, shreds of meat still hanging off its mouth. She rolled her eyes at how predictable this thing was, but weariness became wariness as she sensed a wave of immense power heading her way. Instinctively she dove aside, just as an aquamarine orb slammed into the creature, dissolving it in seconds, leaving nothing behind but a small rainbow. Uranus turned around and smiled as she saw her partner catch up to her.
"Saved your life," Neptune grinned. Uranus stood cockily.
"Oh yeah? You think I couldn't handle one little monster?"
"Sailor Uranus, you couldn't survive for one day without me."
"I won't deny that, but the same goes for you."
"Right," Neptune chuckled. She leaned in for a tender kiss, but was stopped by a loud cackle. More of the same minions had come out of hiding, furious that their brethren had been destroyed. Alas, pleasure would have to be postponed.
"Sorry, fellas, this is a private party," Uranus said, adapting a battle-stance. Neptune matched her.
"But we'll gladly show you the door!" They charged in flailing, their movements powerful and precise, not wasting a single movement in their attack. There were about fifteen or so of the creatures surrounding them, but superior numbers was their only advantage: any of the Senshi could have handled this group by herself. Things did heat up a little bit as three more of the four-legged beasts came out of the woodwork, but Uranus and Neptune had been given the power of gods; they united their energies and swept the enemies away with fierce winds and relentless waves. As they were catching their breath, they heard the sounds of battle not too far off, and whirled around to face this new threat. Not far away, eight or so of the creatures had congested around another Senshi, but none of them lived very long to regret it. She had easily cut them to bits by the time Uranus and Neptune joined her.
"Hotaru!" Sailor Saturn leaned on her glaive as her enemies dissolved around her. She was much more pale than usual, perspiring, and breathing heavily. As she stumbled, Uranus caught her.
"Whoa, take it easy there. Looks like someone hasn't been training. Aren't you supposed to be in school right now, Firefly?"
"You're not at the racetrack?" she whispered, turning away from her adoptive parents. Uranus frowned.
"There's no comparison you can draw, Hotaru. Racing's not that important; your college education is."
"But being a Senshi is most important of them all. I won't go back there until I'm satisfied our job is done."
"It is. These are just bottom-dwelling lackeys. If the police weren't so busy and spread thin, we'd leave this to them."
"Let's not argue," Neptune said, touching both women gently. "There's clearly more at work than what we're seeing. The dragon's been destroyed but there are still enemies lurking around. Why is that? And did either of you get Ami's email about that burn victim? Was that caused by our foe, or by something else? Prisoners have been dropping dead, as well. I'm afraid none of us can go back to our normal lives for the foreseeable future."
"Mrrblmgn," Uranus grumbled. "You're right as always. You and your manipulative ways."
"It's the truth. But we have our conditions, Hotaru."
"I know, the usual," she sighed. "I'll try not to slow you down. Can we count on anyone else joining us?"
"Setsuna's off doing her own thing," Uranus pointed. "She's keeping in touch with both sides—I mean, the two of us and Usagi's circle. Minako's patrolling the city full-time, and Makoto's giving her a hand, but the other three are too encumbered by the recent pandemonium. Things have been relatively peaceful, though."
"Two guesses as to which cliché comes to mind," Neptune muttered. Sailor Saturn nodded grimly: it certainly felt like a calm before a storm, or perhaps this was merely the quiet center of a ferocious hurricane. Whether they had seen the worst of it, or were merely being prepared for the true tribulation, remained to be seen.
Uranus soon got a call from Minako, requesting assistance in Shinagawa-ku (southwestern Tokyo). The police had been called in to quell a riot, but the offenders had been mysteriously fainting. While the police were handling all this, scores of creatures were swooping in, terrorizing and looting as they willed. Sailor Venus was already on the scene but she needed help, and Jupiter was in Taito-ku (northern Tokyo), investigating rumors of "subway monsters". Uranus promised she'd be there and filled her partner in on the news.
"How long do you think all this will go on?" she wondered. Uranus frowned, putting her phone away.
"I guess until we clean out the rest of the enemies. Firefly, stay here and make sure we didn't miss anything. If you get in over your head, call Setsuna."
"But I want to go with you..."
"Do as Haruka says, dear," Neptune said. They were up and away at once, leaving her to sulk.
"I'm not a child, you know. I can make my own decisions." She hesitated, though, wondering whether it would be wise to leave this area unguarded. In the end she followed her guardians, unaware that she was turning her back on a pair of eyes that had been watching the trio this whole time...
…...
Rubbing her weary eyes, Ami Mizuno forced herself away from Usagi's room—physically if not mentally. Her friend's condition was seriously taxing her, and even after consulting her mother and several other expert doctors, she hadn't been able to find a cause for Usagi's condition. The fight against Azhi Dahaka had been brutal, but everyone involved had recovered. Of the few times Usagi became Eternal Sailor Moon, she had always left that state exhausted, but never to this degree. Mizuno oftentimes caught herself being overwhelmed with questions and concerns, so when she was called by name to appear in the lobby, she took it as a way out of her anxieties. She didn't expect to see Hayate Hayashida, though, nor the new troubles she would be thrust into.
Ittou Asanuma was waiting for them in the squad car; he brought Mizuno up to speed on everything. She, in turn, divulged everything she knew about Usagi and everyone else. She let slip Makoto and Rei's identities to Hayashida, but the young officer promised she could be trustworthy (and as Tokyo's self-proclaimed number one Sailor Mercury fan, Ami believed her). Besides, it would make everything so much easier if they didn't have to hide anything—and it also meant she wouldn't need to keep secrets from law enforcement.
"So it's that kind of trouble, is it?" she wondered. Hayashida nodded.
"It sure looks like it's up your alley." They arrived and Mizuno asked to be alone as she examined the body. Other officers were already on the scene, including the resident forensics expert, who could make very little of the case. She didn't believe in spontaneous combustion, nor was she so quick to juxtapose this with all the other bizarre happenings.
"You have to admit, though, it's not impossible," Ami said, kneeling to examine the body.
"Okay, for the sake of an argument, let's say you're correct, and this has something to do with all those creatures running about. This man only broke into an abandoned home. Why would these beings bother with something like that? Even the police might have overlooked it, since they're stretched so thin."
"Agents of chaos seldom need reason for their actions," she countered. The forensics expert snorted.
"So you're suggesting that something burned this man, inside and out, just for the fun of it?"
"I don't know the motives yet; I'm only implying the source. Nothing else makes sense. There's not another burn mark on this street, the house he broke into is otherwise clean, and there's no sign that anything's been ignited. He couldn't have been immolated by natural means, so that would suggest unnatural."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Hayashida called. "Are you saying Sailor Mars did this?!"
"Don't be foolish, she would never," Ami snapped. The expert snorted louder.
"Aren't the both of you a little too old to be pretending like that? You should be especially ashamed, being a doctor and a police officer."
"Didn't you see the news reports? The Sailor Senshi are real!"
"I saw nine women dressed up in flashy costumes carrying strange weapons, illegally congregating in a militarized zone."
"Now who's pretending?" Asanuma muttered. Louder, he exclaimed, "So how do you explain that huge dragon? CG? A promotional hoax? It leveled the entire city."
"Does Tokyo look leveled to you?"
"It was built back up."
"In a single day? I'll admit I was frightened out of my mind when Prime Minister Abe issued the evacuation order, but once I got back, I realized the government was worried over nothing. The city hasn't changed one bit."
"What about all those other attacks?!" Hayashida squealed. Mizuno stood up abruptly and silenced her with a raised hand.
"Please, let's not argue anymore. What I'd like to focus on is how this man came to die like this, and what caused it. Whatever happened in the past isn't important."
"But...Dr. Mizuno..."
"Well, at least you have some sense," the expert sighed. "I'd like to take this body back to the lab and give it a more thorough examination. I won't turn down any help, doctor, but I'll ask you to leave your wild theories at the door."
"Fair enough." She and the expert carefully lifted the charred corpse onto a gurney and wheeled it into an ambulance. Mizuno gave Hayashida a level stare, smiling faintly as she got into the passenger side. Hayashida was left sighing as Asanuma walked next to her.
"What's her problem? She can't be that stupid, can she?"
"Maybe she's just trying to keep herself grounded," he said, touching her shoulder. "A lot of people are still afraid, still asking questions. Maybe being able to fool yourself is the best remedy."
"But that's even worse. Why bury your head in the sand like that? Why can't she just accept the truth, like us?"
"Maybe Mizuno and the others don't really need everyone to believe them. Maybe only a handful of close friends are good enough. You've just been accepted into a very elite club, officer Hayashida. Bear that knowledge with pride." She smiled sadly; maybe he was right. Their radio went off as they drove away, bringing them back to their work, but Hayashida was drifting, ambivalent: happy to be one of the few whom the Senshi trusted, distraught over the forensic expert's skepticism, and all-around anxious over what she had seen, and what was to come of it.
…...
After getting into a few scrapes herself, Sailor Pluto briefly retreated to Rei's apartment, needing a quick recharge. She discarded her Senshi persona (and her shoes) at the door, calling out to her roommate even though she knew Rei was still at work. She first noticed a small pile of letters addressed to her on Rei's counter, mostly junk, but one was from Reika; another from Minako's manager. She put them both on hold and began brewing some tea, hunting through Rei's cabinets for food, and turning her laptop on. Setsuna managed to throw a few leftovers together and make pasta salad; meanwhile the kettle began singing and her email folder expanded. There were more letters from Minako's manager, some from Motoki, several invites from Haruka and Michiru, even one or two from Minako. Her ex-lover's was fairly long, half of it coming to terms with their expired relationship, a third trying to cement a friendship from the remains, and a tiny fraction devoted solely to Senshi business.
Setsuna sent replies to each as she drank her tea and consumed the food. Someone needed to keep everyone informed of the situation, and since Minako was off playing heroine with Haruka and Michiru, and everyone else was busy, it fell to her. Reika had been collaborating with Sarashina, of all people, studying Mesopotamian mythology in the hopes of finding new clues about the so-called gods that had appeared. Motoki was remotely managing the restaurant he ran with his wife, and was asking Setsuna that if she ran into her during her adventures, to assure her that all was well. Haruka and Michiru were having a barbecue, and wanted everyone to come over.
"But who'll be providing the food, I wonder," she laughed to herself. Setsuna honestly couldn't picture either woman grilling anything, and wondered if Makoto or Motoki would handle all that. The last email in her box was from Ami,who dutifully updated everyone on Usagi's condition. Setsuna's heart went out to her, but she was simply too busy to visit—and besides, she was a little uncomfortable around hospitals. Still, she sent her best wishes.
As she was wrapping all this up, her cell phone went off; it was Reika. Motoki's younger sister Unazuki had been attacked earlier, but thankfully, she escaped without harm.
"That's a relief, but why tell me about this? Was it...something I should look into?"
Their code for "Senshi business".
"Yes, but it's not what you're thinking. Whatever attacked Unazuki was killed, but you'll never guess who saved her."
"One of the Senshi?" she ventured.
"You're way off: it was Tuxedo Kamen. At least, someone with that description. He had the cape, the top hat, the mask...he even threw a rose." Setsuna's heart rammed into her throat; she dared to hope it was true. It was all she could do to calm down.
"How do you know all this?"
"How else? Unazuki told her brother, her brother told me."
"Are there any other details? Did Tuxedo Kam... I mean, did this person speak to Unazuki?"
"No, he just saved her and left. If I didn't know any better, I'd say my ex's sister has a prince charming out there. Anyway, I thought you'd like to know."
"Thank you, Reika. For everything."
"I'm just glad to help, Setsu. Remember, the next drink's on your tab." She hung up, leaving Setsuna to ponder all this. After about ten or so minutes of quiet meditation (mostly to finish the tea), she cleaned up, returned to her Senshi persona, and climbed out the window to the rooftop, the winds of change blowing through her long flowing hair.
…...
Sailor Venus was predictably in over her head by the time Uranus and Neptune arrived. She had been fighting the legion of minions well, but there were far too many, and many more were reinforcing their numbers. Uranus and Neptune announced themselves with a flourish of scalding wind and searing water, flushing the enemies away and giving Sailor Venus some badly-needed elbow room.
"Hey!" she grinned. "You made it! Great timing, too; I'm getting my ass kicked out here!"
"It looks okay to me," Uranus grinned, eying Venus' skirt. Neptune elbowed her gently.
"Really, now..."
"Oh, I don't mind, Michiru! You saved me, so I guess I can let it slide. But the next one will cost you!"
"How much?"
Another elbow to the side—not so gentle.
"Keeping the peace in this tumultuous time will be thanks enough. Right, Haruka?"
"Sure," she grunted, rubbing her bruise. A great number of enemies started crawling out of the shadows, so it was back to business. Together they were able to make short work out of most of them, but Venus found herself weakened and overwhelmed, and neither Neptune nor Uranus were in any shape to help.
"Hey...Michiru! Was it really...such a good idea...to leave...Hotaru...out of this?"
"Hindsight is always twenty/twenty." They plowed through the opposition as best as they could, but Venus was getting sorely beaten, and she was offering less and less of a resistance. A blood-red shower pierced the cluster, pricking and pinning them down, giving Venus room to breathe. She lashed out at the rest and shot down any that tried to run; meanwhile Uranus and Neptune were cleaning up their side of the battle. Neptune noticed the roses, and nudged her partner.
"Hey, look. You don't think..."
"Only one way to find out. Hey, Mamoru!" She turned around, seeing a young man dressed in finery, his cape flapping in the wind. He shrieked as they noticed him, scrambling away—only to trip and fall. Uranus and Neptune walked over casually and had him surrounded.
"He doesn't look like Mamoru," Neptune said, squatting down. "He's much too short, and his hair's the wrong color."
"So who the heck is he?" Uranus said, kicking the man gently. He yelped and rolled over, revealing his face. The two women didn't recognize him at first, but...
"Hey, it's Umino!" Venus rushed over to him, helping him to sit up. The dazed young man could only see a yellowy blur.
"Uhhmm...Usagi?"
"Hey, do you know this guy, Venus?" Uranus said. Venus nodded.
"He's one of Usagi's friends. They used to hang out together during middle school; he dated Usagi's friend Naru for awhile. Hey, Gurio, can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Seventy-two," he slurred. Uranus knelt down and helped the poor man to his feet, dusting his clothes.
"If he's Usagi's friend, then he's okay, I suppose. But he shouldn't be running around getting into these fights. When he comes to, tell him we don't need saving, Mina."
"I think it's a very admirable trait," Neptune countered. "You of all people should know it's hard finding men half as brave as this these days. Still, you are right, but it would be better to tell him yourself."
"Mina's prettier," she said, smirking as she wandered off. "Besides, you and I have to finish our patrols. Catch you later, Goldilocks."
"Hey, don't wander off too far! I'm not that badly hurt! Umm, are you okay, Umino?" Umino shook his head and jumped to his feet, effectively answering Minako's question (although he looked like a mess).
"Wah! Uh, did I come here in time?"
"Yep!" she grinned. "You saved the day for us! I guess you were there all those other times as well. But from now on, don't throw yourself into danger like that. Just leave this to the police and the Senshi, okay?"
"Yeah, Usagi said the same thing to me as well," he sighed. "Sorry for causing you trouble. I just wanted to help." Venus stood up and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to shriek and blush.
"Well, here's your reward, sweetie. Tell you what: if you promise to never do this again, I'll go out with you. Do we have a deal?"
"Whoa, really? You promise?! YAHOO! Um, I mean...I'll give it some consideration, okay? Now if you'll excuse me...TUXEDO UMINO, AWAAAAAY!" He dashed off, causing Sailor Venus to giggle, and kept on running past Uranus and Neptune, wishing them good luck in their fight. Neptune grinned sweetly.
"He's so cute! Don't you think so, Haruka?"
"Whatever," she grumbled, crossing her arms. Neptune giggled and kissed her face.
"You're cute, too, you know."
She blushed, unable to say a single word.
Author's notes
This time around, I've drawn up a guide to show which of the characters are aware of the Senshi's identities, and which aren't. In case someone was wondering, you know.
The following know the identity of all, or most, of the Senshi:
Kenji, Ikuko, and Shingo Tsukino
Kinsei Aino
Naru Osaka
Motoki Furuhata Kino
Unazuki Furuhata
Ittou Asanuma and Kotono Sarashina
Saeko Mizuno
Hayate Hayashida
The following know of only a few:
Gurio Umino (Moon)
Reika Nishimura (Pluto)
Kaidou (Mars, and if anyone knows his last name, please tell me)
Naoko and Shinozaki Kino (Jupiter)
And these characters are pretty much in the dark:
Takashi Hino
Javier Toha
Harisvatta Utnapishtim
Soji Asagiri
Nastya Kovenik
Please note these are either characters I have revealed so far, or else family members. Those appearing in future episodes may vary. Also note that of the seven original characters, four know nothing and two are infants.