The Clairvoyant Dragon
King Beryl sat on his throne staring at a crystal ball. Every image that passed before his eyes caused his anger to deepen. He raised his hands, and the images were replaced by a swirling mass of energy. Its glow was weak and its size small. Beryl growled as he looked up into the darkness of his throne room.
"My Four Generals! Appear before me!"
"We are here, Great King Beryl."
Four men stepped from the shadows and knelt before their king. Jadeite, Nephrite, and Zoisite were of course in this line up and they were joined by a fourth. This man had a darker shade of skin than the others while his hair was long, shiny and white as snow. He wore a cape and had a regal air about him.
"Command us, King Beryl" this fourth man said in a tone of reverence. "We live to serve both you and our Great Leader."
"Thank you, Kunzite, but it is because of Jadeite that I call this meeting."
Nephrite smirked slightly as Jadeite gulped. "I…I am listening, my King."
"Jadeite I have honored you among your fellow Generals. When Sailor V faded temporarily from the stage and our path to harvesting human energy became clear once again, I commissioned you with this task, did I not?
"You did indeed, Your Majesty. I have worked tirelessly to collect living energy from human beings."
"And" King Beryl continued, his tone hardening "When a new Sailor Solider appeared and began to interfere with your work, I was patient with you, was I not?"
"Extremely patient, my King."
"However," the dark monarch was now shouting "Not only did you not destroy Sailor Moon, but you have also allowed another new solider to join him! Our enemies grow ever stronger while you continue to bring me a mere pittance of human energy! More than once you have returned to me completely empty handed! It seems that Sailor V is even on the move again, but you have done absolutely nothing concerning him!" King Beryl stood up and glared at Jadeite. "Why should I not punish you here and now?"
"I have no excuse, King Beryl. I thought I could collect large amounts of energy from the humans, but it seems my plans were flawed. I tried creating stronger and cleverer monsters, but they too were failures. I deeply apologize, your Majesty, and I beg your indulgence for one more chance."
"What say you, my Generals? Should Jadeite be given another chance?"
Nephrite spoke up instantly "My King, I'm sure Jadeite tried his best, but he himself admitted that his methods are flawed. If you would permit me to serve you in this way, I believe I could harvest vast quantities of human energy in very little time."
Jadeite glanced sidewise at Nephrite, but Nephrite gazed calmly at his King.
"I say we should give Jadeite one more chance" Zoisite remarked. "His plans, while lacking, have shown great imagination. I'm curious what he would come up with next."
King Beryl chuckled, which grew into full laughter. "It seems we have a tie so far. Kunzite, do you care to cast the deciding vote?"
Kunzite looked sideways at Jadeite and said "As the most senior among the Four Generals, I have always tried to guide them as if I were an older brother. It would pain me to see Jadeite dishonored without one last opportunity to prove himself."
"How very sentimental" the King said. "Very well Jadeite, I give you this command. Lay the corpse of a Sailor Solider, preferably Sailor Moon, at my feet, and all will be forgiven. A large offering of human life energy would sweeten the deal nicely as well."
"I am most grateful, King Beryl" Jadeite replied as he bowed so low his nose almost touched the floor. "I will do as you say within a matter of days! This I vow upon my honor as a servant of the Dark Kingdom."
"If you do not" the King said, sitting back upon his throne. "You might find yourself loosing more than your job."
A bead of sweat rolled down Jadeite's neck as he bowed again.
"Watch out, Kaemon, this one will knock you right off your feet."
"We'll see, Nao, we'll see."
Nao kicked the soccer ball across the lawn. Kaemon raced for it, kicked wildly and fell on his butt.
"The idea is to return the ball, not jump over it" Honda called from behind him while Shigeru laughed.
"Ha ha. For all you know, it was a clever strategy."
"A clever strategy to what?" Shigeru asked with a smirk. "To get grass stains on your…"
"Class! I hope your playing nicely over there" A teacher called from near the school."
"We are Sensei, we are" Nao called back with a wave.
Kaemon was on his feet now, wiping grass off his backside. He and some of the other boys from the class enjoyed this beautiful lunch period with a nice game of soccer. It wasn't very organized, mainly the boys, and a few girls, passing the ball back and forth to each other. Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time Kaemon had taken a spill rather than returned a kick.
He glanced over at Akira sitting on a nearby bench, book in one hand, sandwich in the other. "Just a second guys" Kaemon called as he ran over to his friend.
"Hey Akira" Kaemon said as he skidded to a halt in front of the bench. "Come and join us."
Akira blinked as a shadow fell across his book. He looked up at Kaemon and said "Oh hello. What did you say?"
"Seriously, it's like you're not even here when reading."
"I suppose that is a bit true" Akira said with a self-depreciating chuckle.
"You should come play with us. Stretch your social muscles as well as your real ones."
"Oh, I don't think I'd be very good. I told you how I am with sports."
"Who said you had to be good, look at me." Indeed, his uniform was a mess, and he still had bits of grass everywhere. Despite this he was grinning ear to ear. "Besides, I thought we talked about you not being hard on yourself anymore. For that, now you have to play."
He grabbed Akira's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Oh well, it could be fun at that" Akira said nervously as he put his book down and allowed himself to be dragged over to the game.
"Nerd alert" Shigeru called out. "Move in close everyone, so the genius has a chance."
"Hey!" Kaemon said as he picked up the ball and held it in front of him. "Akira is my friend, and anyone who bullies him on my watch will find this ball going where they don't want it to go."
"On the roof, because of your terrible aim?" Shigeru remarked but Nao shot him a look.
"He's my friend too. Everyone let's just try to make the rest of lunch nice and pleasant."
Akira smiled nervously and bowed to everyone. A few kids rolled their eyes, but Kaemon simply dropped the ball to the ground and kicked it gently to Akira. Akira stumbled slightly but his foot made solid contact. The ball sailed towards a girl named Umi who kicked it so softly it stopped halfway across the circle.
"Don't judge me" she said, "You boys aren't playing in a skirt."
"We won't mind if you take it off" Shigeru joked but Nao kicked the ball into his stomach just hard enough to wind him.
"Oopsie, my foot slipped" Nao joked
"Take it easy, captain, it was just a joke."
The ball made a few more rounds before heading towards Akira again. He gulped but smashed it across the lawn. The other kids had to run wildly to catch up with it.
"Nice one, buddy" Kaemon said as he threw an arm around Akira's shoulder and gave him a quick noogie. "Oh sorry, you don't like that do you?"
"Well, when you grow up with noogies and wedgies and goodness knows what else, it does loose it's humor."
"Those jerks will all regret it when you're a CEO in a huge company and they're cleaning your toilets."
"Oh, and what will you be doing at this time?" Akira asked as he kicked the ball towards Honda.
"He'll be getting your coffee" Nao said with a grin "Riding to the top on your coattails like a power-hungry parasite."
"I'd be offended if it wasn't true. So, keep making good grades for the both of us, okay?"
Akira laughed boisterously and almost lost his balance. He removed his glasses and wiped a tear from his eye, still laughing. When he calmed down, the ball was sailing right at him.
"I've got it" Kaemon said as he jumped in front of his with a kick. The ball sailed into the bushes while Kaemon slammed onto his side.
"Ouch…"
"Kaemon" Akira asked, "are you ok?"
"He's fine" Nao said, "Just leave him there."
"Some best friend you are" Kaemon replied from the ground.
"Hey guys" a nasally voice called out "I've got the ball."
The group had various reactions as Umino came running towards them, skirt flapping, the ball moving wildly as she struggled to dribble it.
"What are we all talking about?" She asked as she joined the circle and kicked the ball at random. Umi parried it, passing to Honda.
"Nothing in particular" Nao said, "We're all just going with the flow."
"Better than being spirited away" Umino replied with a spooky tone.
Kaemon gulped. "Sp…sp…spirited away?"
"Oh yes" she replied with a grin. The sun glinted off her already opaque glasses and she looked sinister. "Over this past week, there have been countless disappearances. Everyone knows there are five hills in the Sendai area, right?" Without waiting for anyone to answer she carried on "Well there have been urban legends for ages about a sixth hill, invisible to mortals. Evil spirits are supposed to live there and now they're active."
"Careful" Shigeru laughed "You'll make Kaemon wet his pants with those ghost stories."
"She…she will not!" Kaemon shouted while his knees knocked together.
"It's not a story!" Umino declared. Everyone listened to her, the game forgotten. "There have been headlines, social media stories, talk show segments…it's like the dark forces behind this want the entire world to know."
"Know what?" Umi asked
"That if you take bus number six at six PM, you'll vanish into the sixth hill."
"666" Akira said to no in particular. "The number of the beast."
"What?" Kaemon asked in terror. "What beast?"
"In the Christian Bible, in the Book of Revelation, the number Six Hundred and Sixty-Six was listed as the number of the name of the Antichrist, the great beast that would lead the world to ruin."
"Then it has to be true!" Kaemon cried.
"Dude's about to crap himself" Shigeru said to Honda.
Nao spoke up "That doesn't make sense though. If the specifics about the disappearances are so well known, how do people keep vanishing? You'd think they'd just not take that bus, or even the company would temporarily cancel it."
"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Umino replied with a creepy laugh. "Yet the numbers keep growing and the reports become more frantic. It seems no one can keep the creepy spirits of Sendai hill from their dark purposes!"
"That's enough, Umino" Nao insisted. He looked at his watch and said "Lunch is almost over anyway. We should all start heading back to class."
Akira returned to the bench to retrieve his things while Kaemon stuck to him like a shadow. "Have you heard about this?"
"A little yes" Kaemon gave a little shriek and grabbed Akira's arm.
"No! If you've heard about it, then it's absolutely true! I don't do well with creepy things like ghosts and spirits."
"I never would have guessed" Akira replied dryly. "I was going to bring it up soon" he said in a much quieter voice. "I think we have another mission on our hands. Hey, you dealt with a vampire, right? You can do this."
"Oh yeah, that's right. I, um, I'll do this. You and Luna have to come though!"
"Of course, partner." Akira's voice returned to normal volume as he said "Well, I'm off to class. See you after school!"
"Such lovely hostages" Jadeite said as he strolled back and forth across the floor of a dark cavern. Several Tokyo city buses, all marked No. 6, sat in a row. Through the large windshields, Jadeite observed many people sitting unconscious in the seats. There were representatives of all ages, but most were high school students. A few clutched small decorative charms in their hands or they were attached to their schoolbags.
"Fools. They all fell right into my trap. Of course, they had little choice."
"This is your desperation plan?" A deep voice called out. Jadeite's expression soured as he turned around. Nephrite was lounging on a large rock gazing with destain at the buses. "Creating the world's creepiest garage?"
"It's a trap" Jadeite replied, "The Sailor Soldiers will show up eventually to rescue these poor lost souls."
"And they will triumph just like every other time" Nephrite chuckled.
"Get out of here! I don't need you hanging around, sabotaging things!"
"Who said anything about sabotage? This is your mission. Good luck" Nephrite smirked as he disappeared.
"I hate him" Jadeite growled. "I hate him almost as much as I hate those meddling Sailor Soldiers."
"So where are we going?" Kaemon asked. He, Akira, and Luna were all huddled together at the back of a city bus. Akira was looking over the notes he's compiled on his tablet.
"The Sendai Hills, of course."
"Well yes, but is there a plan beyond that?"
"You're supposed to be the leader, aren't you?" Luna said
"Hey, I was first, but I never signed up to be leader."
"I thought Luna was the leader" Akira said
"What?" Luna said "No, I'm not"
"Oh great" Kaemon said as he slumped back in his seat "We don't have a leader."
"I'm fine with a democracy. Luna and I will always outvote you anyway."
"Indeed" Luna agreed with a smile.
"Moving on" Kaemon said with a sour look at the cat. "Do we have any idea where to start. I would have thought the bus company would be a good place to investigate."
"The police already have" Akira answered, "I actually have my eye on a certain place right near the junction of the five roads." He held his tablet up and his friends gazed upon a picture of a Shinto Shrine.
"Oh pretty" Kaemon remarked "I like the trees."
"The Hikawa Shrine" Akria lectured "It's been on that hill for ages. Generations of Shinto Priests and Priestesses have lived and worked there. The family is rumored to have strong spiritual powers. Clairvoyance, for example."
"Who's that?" Kaemon asked, "Clair what's her name?"
"Basically, they're psychic" Luna said with a sigh. "They can sense things or find out information that defies scientific rational."
"That is if the rumors are true" Akira said "Of course, these days, my mind is a lot more open to the supernatural."
"Who is that?" Kaemon asked, pointing at a picture on Akira's tablet. A very handsome young man with black hair was dressed in traditional Shinto robes and chatting with Shrine visitors.
"Oh, these are pictures pulled from the Shrine's website."
"A Shrine with a website" Kaemon said with a smile.
"It's not very well kept but it has all the basic info. Apparently, the Head Priest is a bit eccentric. Anyway, if my research is correct, that's Ryu Hino the grandson of said Priest.
"Neat"
The bus pulled to a stop. Akira gasped and said "This is our stop. Hurry."
The team stepped off and looked around. The bus stop was near a large roundabout where five roads met. These roads were wedged between five large hills with houses and trees on them. Directly behind them stood a stone wall with an opening a short way down and to their right (when facing the wall). They approached the opening and observed a wide stone staircase with an archway signifying they'd reached the Hikawa Shrine.
"I guess this is it" Kaemon said, "I don't suppose they have an escalator."
"Stop complaining and start walking" Luna commanded.
"Easy for you to say. You're being carried."
They started up the stairs. It was a very scenic area with lush tree branches hanging over the sides of the walls to their left and right.
"This place has shone up in almost every report and story" Akira explained. "A few parents said their daughters had planned to stop here to buy love charms. That was the last they heard from them."
"Then surely" Kaemon panted "the police have been here too."
"Yes, but they didn't find anything. Of course, they weren't looking for the Dark Kingdom to be at work."
Akira paused and Kaemon looked back at him. Akira was looking at his feet and trembling slightly. "I…I thought I was doing better. I was until this moment."
Kaemon rushed down and put a hand on Akira's shoulder. "Hey, look at me. I'm scared too. Heck, I'm terrified. However, we can't just not do this."
"Of course. Let's go."
They shared a quick smile and continued up the stairs. The top opened into a wide area with trees and flowering bushes dotted around. Wishes written on paper were tied to some of the branches. The stone path continued to a picturesque shrine with several similar buildings behind it. The trees grew thicker nearer the shrine complex and seemed to extend into a small forest behind it.
"Wow! And you say the family lives here?"
"Yes. It is a beautiful place."
"It could be an enemy hideout" Luna said. "Don't be fooled by appearances."
"There aren't many visitors today" Akira said as they walked around. "Those that are look worried."
Indeed, a few people, mostly middle-aged women, were gathered near the shrine praying and looking very worried.
"Well, they don't seem too bothered" Kaemon said as he pointed at a trio of teen girls in school uniforms who had just bounded up the stairs.
"I hear this place has the best love charms"
"I need one for this weekend."
"We all do. Let's go."
"Hello girls!"
The speaker was a very excited, very short bald man in Shinto robes. He practically bounced to the trio of girls and said "Welcome to our humble shrine. I am the Head Priest and will be very happy to take personal care of you lovely ladies."
The girls giggled. "We've come to buy love charms."
"Oh, very popular choice. Do you ladies have anyone in mind? If not, I'm available this weekend."
"Oh…that's very…kind."
"Grandpa!" a smooth but angry voice called out. The bemused Sailor Team looked up to see Ryu Hino marching towards his eccentric grandfather.
"Hello, Ryu. I'm just giving these lovely ladies first class treatment."
"I'm sure that's the kind of treatment you'll get in jail one day, Grandpa!"
"Oh, lighten up, they know it's all just friendly jesting."
"I deeply apologize if my grandfather has crossed a line. We at the Hikawa Shrine truly do try to put our guests first."
He bowed to the girls, and they all blushed and giggled. Kaemon suddenly noticed that Luna had gone stiff in his arms. She was staring at Ryu with unblinking concentration. Kaemon looked up at Ryu, back down at the cat, and repeated a few times in growing confusion.
"Oh" the old priest said with a sly look in his eye "Perhaps you young ladies would rather go out with my grandson. He could use some company of the female persuasion."
"Grandpa, please don't."
"Uh, if it's ok, we'd just like those charms, please."
"Certainly" the priest said, "This way please."
The girls reluctantly followed him, and Ryu sighed deeply.
"Oh, that man! I love him to death, but he really is the limit." He glanced at Akria and Kaemon and gasped. "Oh, please excuse me. I'm sorry that you had to see that, honored guests."
"It's perfectly alright" Akira said as he returned Ryu's bow.
"Yeah, don't sweat it" Kaemon said
"Oh…you have a cat."
"Is that a problem? I didn't see any signs."
"No, it's not a rule but we have quite a lot of crows around here. We're rather fond of them, especially…"
Two crows cawed as they circled above. They circled lower and orbited the gang like little moons.
"Phobos! Deimos!" Ryu said with joy. "There you two are."
"You named them after the Mars' moons?" Akira asked
"I guess I did. They've always had those names. They're special friends of mine." Ryu suddenly turned serious. "Not that it's any of your business."
"Oh, I didn't mean to offend…"
"Where you here for a specific reason?" Ryu asked, the hard edge still in his voice.
"Oh, um, yes we were interested…" Akira stopped talking as one of the crows landed on his shoulder. The other landed on a freaked-out Kaemon.
Ryu was stunned. "Wow, they are not normally that friendly."
"Well do you know how to turn them back?" Kaemon asked, "It's freaking me out."
"They won't hurt you…likely."
"Likely?"
"Anyway" Akira said nervously "My name is Akira Mizuno, and this is my friend, Kameon Tsukino. We were investigating the…"
"I can't help you." Ryu snapped. Phobos and Deimos took to the air and cawed. "We've told the police. We've told the bus company. We've told grieving families. Our shrine has nothing to do with anyone going missing!"
"You say that but where is my daughter!" The boys all turned to see a very disturbed looking woman being held back by her friends. "She came to get one of your stupid charms and now she's gone! I bet you freaky psychics put a weird spell on her!"
Ryu started trembling. "Madame, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. You're causing a disturbance…"
"You haven't seen a disturbance! Use your powers! Find my Keiko!"
"I can't help you and you are scaring our other visitors. Good day!"
Ryu turned and ran towards the shrine buildings. The woman was finally dragged away by her friends, but she continued screaming obscenities the whole way.
"Woah…that happened" Kaemon said
"He probably gets that all the time" Akira said in a soft voice. "If he truly is different, then that's never an easy thing."
"Akria…" Kaemon said thoughtfully.
Luna said "I feel something about this place. That boy, the crows…I wonder."
"Yes?" Kaemon asked curiously
"I want to be sure before I say more. If this place is an enemy base, my instincts could be mistaken."
"I want to check out those love charms" Akira said
"Really? I thought you were interested in books than girls" Kaemon said, "My boy is becoming a man."
"I mean I want to get some readings" Akira said with an unimpressed look.
"Oh of course."
Ryu ran to the back of the Shrine Complex where the living quarters were. He slid open a door and slammed it behind him. He was standing in a simply decorated but comfortable bedroom. He was breathing very heavily, and he kept wiping his eyes. He fell to his knees at the low table in the center of the room and began to regulate his breathing.
His eyes fell upon his school uniform, hanging up for next use. It was of fine quality; an off-white button-up jacket and dark grey pants with red highlights here and there. As he stared his mind flashed back over recent events.
Ryu remembered being in class. Several desks sat empty, their occupants being victims of the recent disappearances. It was almost lunchtime, and the other boys were getting restless. Ryu could feel the occasional glances, but he tried to ignore them. Finally, the bell rang, and the classroom rapidly emptied.
Ryu was unhurried. He carefully put away his things and strolled from the room at his own pace. He tried to keep his face neutral, but he kept hearing the whispers in the corridor. A paper airplane hit the side of his head.
"Hey, Hino, I'm surprised you didn't see it coming."
Ryu simply crumpled the airplane up and let it fall to the floor. He didn't even look at the other student, who said something about his plane, but Ryu had already moved on. He soon arrived at the dining room. He bought his lunch and sat at a table right by the window. He had just begun to eat when a shadow fell across his table.
Ryu looked up to see a light-haired, grinning student looking down at him. "Hello, Ryu. How are you today?"
"I'm just fine, Sarashina."
"Come on, call me Kazuyoshi. Or just Yoshi, that's even easier."
"What do you want, Sarashina?"
Kazuyoshi's smile slipped and he said "Well, as you know, I am the President of the Supernatural Investigation Club, Or SIC for short…"
"I apologize for my abruptness, but I've told you that I'm not interested in joining your club. My family's talents are not a side show attraction."
"Oh, I know, I know. I was simply wondering if I could interview you?"
"Dare I ask, about what?"
"SIC is busily researching the disappearances of the Sendai Area and I was wondering if…"
"No."
"You won't even listen to my questions?"
"I don't have any answers for you. I wish you luck, Sarashina, but I'd prefer to eat alone today."
"He just doesn't want to confess" another boy said.
A gang of students had gathered around the table. The first boy said, "His family have always been creepy."
"Yeah, he acts all antisocial at school. Like he's better than the rest of us."
"No, I'm sure that's not the case…" Kazuyoshi said with his hands held up defensively, but the gang continued.
"I bet he and his pervy grandpa are behind the disappearances."
"It would explain why they won't help in the search. Don't you care about my missing sister, you freak?"
Ryu stood up and marched away without another word. He had spent the rest of lunch sitting in the far corner of the library, munching on an apple he'd had in his bag. The rest of the day wasn't any better and now he couldn't find relief at home either.
Ryu wiped his eyes again and turned to face a picture of a very pretty, raven haired woman next to his bed.
"How did you handle it, Mom? Your powers were phenomenal. Did they scorn you as well and you simply hid the pain?"
As he looked at his mother's picture, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Strange images flashed before his eyes, but they were too rapid to make out clearly. Images of flames were the only things he could be sure of.
"Something will happen soon…something big…"
"Look at them" Kaemon said with a shiver. "They're just standing there. They're eyes are blank."
The boys and Luna were at the base of the stairs gazing at the crowd at the bus stop. Several were holding Hikawa Shrine charms, and these were the blank ones that Kaemon referred to. Akira could see several disturbing readings through his computer glasses.
"It's just like at the charm booth. I'm picking up some sort of dark power."
"Then it's obvious what you both have to do" Luna said.
"You're going to say get on that bus, aren't you?" Kaemon asked
"You have to get…yes, exactly."
"She's right" Akira added with a gulp. "We'll be at an advantage since we didn't buy those charms or haven't even touched one."
"You're sure?"
"I…we'd better get in line."
Kaemon clutched his transformation pendant for good luck and blended into the back of the crowd.
Ryu entered a room at the heart of the Shrine. It was empty except for a ceremonial fire that was always kept burning. Ryu felt that his spiritual powers were always stronger when he was around fire, especially this one. He knelt in front of the fire and began to meditate.
"Guide my visions. Grant me the wisdom to interpret them. Bring clarity to the dark shadow that troubles my soul."
Ryu raised his hands and began to perform a series of complex motions while he chanted ""Rin Pyo To Sha Kai Jin Retsu Zai Zen". With the last word, he spread his fingers wide and held his hands out to the fire. His body surged with spiritual energy, and he saw several faces of the lost victims pass before his mind's eye. Kaemon and Akira's faces were now before him, but they were swallowed by strange fair-haired man laughing in an insane fashion.
Ryu's eyes flew open, and he fell backwards out of his kneeling position. He caught himself and sat there panting heavily.
"What on earth was that? What do those two have to do with anything?"
Ryu stood up and smoothed out his robes. He stared into the fire and again received a vision of the laughing man in the strange dark uniform. "Is he the cause of all this misery? I…I must know!"
"Here it comes" Akira muttered
Kaemon replied with "You know, I think I just came down with I Can't Ride on Number Six Buses Disease."
"I think I have five fine cures on my right paw" Luna said in a low voice.
"I'm just kidding…I'm just nervous. I'm…"
"Jadeite" Akira breathed as the blood drained from his face.
"No, I'm not…oh crap…" Kaemon breathed.
The bus had just pulled up and the crowd began to board. Sitting in the driver's seat was none other than Jadeite, wearing a bus driver's uniform.
"He doesn't know who you are" Luna said from inside Kaemon's bag. "Don't panic."
Akira and Kaemon walked up the stairs and tried not to react as Jadeite nodded at them. They marched to the very back of the bus and sat down. They stared straight ahead and tried to look blank as the final stragglers got on board.
"Welcome aboard" Jadeite announced with a smirk "I hope you're all comfortable. Why don't you just sit back and relax."
As he said this, everyone passed out. Akira slumped over and a second later, so did Kaemon.
"Don't move" Akira whispered in a voice so low Kaemon almost couldn't hear it. "Don't move a muscle, no matter what happens."
"What on earth?" Ryu's voice rang out. Kaemon couldn't help it; his eyes opened, and he saw Ryu standing on the sidewalk staring at the bus.
"Oops we have a witness" Jadeite remarked. "Or maybe just another hostage."
Jadeite gestured with his hand and Ryu was dragged through the doors and thrown onto the floor of the bus. The doors slammed shut and Jadeite floored it.
"My vision was right" Ryu said, "You are behind this!"
"Oh, tough guy, I thought my sleeping spell was strong enough for you. I suppose you'll get to see the brilliance of my plan."
The bus sped directly at a stone wall between the junction of two of the five roads. Kaemon trembled and Akira silently held his hand. Akria's eyes were open just a crack. His glasses were going crazy, flashing symbols only he could see and indicating a time-space distortion in the wall. Sure enough, the bus passed right through it and entered a large, dark space.
Jadeite parked next to a row of identical buses. He opened the doors and stepped right over Ryu as he dismounted.
"Another batch of foolish humans to bait my trap with. How delightful!"
"We're inside the Ghost Hill, aren't we?" Ryu had stepped off the bus and was looking around at the cavern. "I sense an odd energy here."
"Indeed. It was almost tailor-made for my purposes, a cave in a dimension parallel to your own and your family's little shrine nearby. I must thank you for being such a lovely conduit for brainwashing my victims."
"I won't let you get away with this!"
Jadeite burst out laughing. He clutched his stomach and doubled over. "You? A pathetic little monk taking me on?"
At the back of the bus, Akira and Kaemon had dropped to the floor. "Holy crap" Kaemon breathed in panic. "How did Ryu get involved?"
"I don't know but we can't waste time on speculation" Akira replied. "We need to transform now!"
"Of course!"
Back outside, Jadeite had suddenly turned serious. "Now, what shall I do with you?"
"I don't understand this, but I'm not going down without a fight!" Ryu pulled a thin strip of white paper from his pocket. It was marked in black ink with a spell to dispel evil. Ryu held the paper in front of his face and cried out "Evil Spirit, Be Gone!"
He hurled the paper at Jadeite, but the evil general destroyed it with a wave of his hand. Ryu gasped as he watched the embers of his former ofuda float to the ground.
"I think I'll leave your battered body near the entrance as an invitation to the Sailor Soldiers."
"Don't bother, Jadeite. We're already here!"
Ryu spun around and saw Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury standing in front of the line of buses. He felt that familiar tingle at the back of his neck as he looked at them. A shadow moved at the base of one of the buses and Ryu glimpsed a black cat. His eyes grew wide as saucers as he looked carefully at the faces of the sailor suited heroes.
All this time, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury were making loud proclamations, but Ryu barely heard them. He was shaken out of his thoughts by Jadeite's booming laughter.
"How rude" Sailor Moon said in a huff "We weren't finished."
"Oh, but you are!" Jadeite exclaimed with his arms spread wide. "You are indeed finished! I knew that if I kept collecting human victims you saps would turn up eventually. Now you die!"
Jadeite brought his hands together and a ball of black energy formed in the center. Ryu was still standing in the crossfire, but Jadeite didn't seem bothered by details like that.
"Move it, Ryu!" Sailor Moon shouted.
Ryu jolted to hear his name but fell onto his face as his survival instincts kicked in. The ball of energy soared over his head and the Sailors jumped to the side. Mercury had barely regained his footing when a second ball of energy sailed straight at him. He stepped to the side, but the dark orb struck a stalagmite next to him. It exploded and Mercury was sent flying.
"Akira!" Ryu screamed in shock. He clamped a hand to his mouth as the Sailors looked at him in shock.
"Akira, eh?" Jadeite remarked. "Something to put on your headstone. That is, if anyone can recognize the remains!"
Jadeite raised his hands, and a wave of energy flooded the cave. Sailor Moon braced but felt nothing.
"Ha ha nice try, Jadeite" Sailor Moon taunted "but it didn't work."
"Oh no?"
"Look out!" Luna screamed "The buses are moving!"
The large vehicles were rolling forward on their own. The line broke into two groups; half began to turn towards Sailor Moon and the other half towards Sailor Mercury.
"Yikes!" Sailor Moon screamed as he ran away from the stalking buses. The vehicles began to gain speed and close in.
"The King did ask for your corpses" Jadeite mused "He didn't say they had to be three dimensional."
The Sailors ran across the uneven surface of the cave as fast as they could. "What do we do?" Sailor Moon cried out.
"We can't destroy them" Sailor Mercury answered between gasps for breath "Too many people still on board."
"Run, run as fast as you can" Jadeite taunted "Soon you'll be as flat as a pan!"
Sailor Moon tripped and rolled across the floor. He slammed into another stalagmite and whimpered in pain.
"Get up, Sailor Moon!" Luna screamed in panic
Sailor Moon looked up to see three buses closing in on him. He gave a high-pitched shriek and crawled as fast as he could between them. The buses screeched to a halt as he staggered to his feet and kept running. The vehicles began to chase again, this time in reverse.
Meanwhile, Sailor Mercury had circled back around and was also being chased by moving buses driving backwards. He caught Sailor Moon's eye and tilted his head several times towards Jadeite. Sailor Moon looked blank for a second but then grinned.
The two sailors put on an extra burst of speed and raced towards Jadeite from both sides. He glanced at them and said "Oh no, I am trapped by my own cursed vehicles. I suppose I have no choice but to…dodge!"
Jadeite sailed into the air and landed back near the entrance. Sailor Moon and Mercury gasped as they were carried by their momentum and crashed into each other. They fell into a heap and struggled to detangle themselves.
"Well, that didn't work" Sailor Moon moaned.
Sailor Mercury pointed in fear at the ring of buses closed in at high speed. "We're trapped" he finally managed to say.
Sailor Moon closed his eyes and waited for the end. After a few seconds he opened them again and wondered why nothing had happened. The Sailors looked up to see the ring of buses had frozen in place. Sailor Moon pointed at the side of the nearest one and saw an ofuda stuck to the side.
Ryu was panting slightly. As soon as the buses had come to life, he'd began gathering his strength for another exorcism. As the buses closed in, he'd thrown the ofuda with as much strength as he could muster, and they'd found their targets. His relief was intense as the buses stopped.
"Yes! It worked!"
"You meddlesome pest!" Jadeite snarled as he turned towards Ryu. Ryu was too surprised to react, and a beam of dark energy targeted him.
"Ryu, no!" Sailor Moon screamed.
A red flash filled the cave and Jadeite's energy beam disappeared. Everyone stared in shock at Ryu. He was bathed in a red aura and the planetary symbol for Mars shone from his forehead.
Jadeite was flabbergasted. "What…what does this mean? Not another one…"
He heard a familiar phrase behind him, and he turned on the spot. As he did, the Moon Boomerang struck him in the side and tore right through his flesh. Jadeite screamed in agony as he fell to the ground. He clutched his searing side, and his hand was very wet. He looked up towards Sailor Moon but perceived only a thick, blue fog.
Meanwhile, Luna approached Ryu. "I thought as much earlier but now, I'm sure. You're the next Sailor Solider!"
"I'm what? Wait, you can talk?"
"Yes. Now take this!" Ryu caught a red pen with a large golden top. "You must say Mars Power, Make Up! Then you can help end this!"
As he held the pen, every hair on his body stood on end. Ryu's sixth sense was afire, and his head was filled with memories of the past week plus the faces of the hostages.
He didn't stop to think. He held the pen above his head and cried out "Mars Power, Make Up!"
The fog was instantly blown away. Streams of fire erupted from the pen and circled above Ryu's head. His clothes dissolved as the flames engulfed him, forming swirling rings from his head to his feet. With a blast of light and heat, the fire ring vanished. Ryu was now dressed in a Sailor Uniform. His belt, collar, hatband, leg and arm cuffs, and shoes (not boots but rather shiny, stylish shoes) were all red. His neckerchief was purple and fastened with a red broach.
"You have used innocent people in your web of evil for the last time" Ryu exclaimed as Jadeite watched from a half kneeling position, his side still bleeding. "You used fear and grief to make innocent bystanders suffer. I say no more! I am the fierce soldier who fights for Truth and Passion! I am Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I will chastise you!"
"Three of them…" Jadeite said as he rose to his feet. "The King will be furious…"
"Wow" Sailor Moon said, "That's awesome!"
"Sailor Mars" Sailor Mercury said in awe.
"Now to end this!" Sailor Mars cried out. He clasped his hands together with his pointer fingers standing up. A small flame flickered at the end of the two fingers.
Jadeite raised his hand to counterstrike but winced as his wound flared up. He looked at the three Soldiers and dropped his hand. He then dropped his head and stood still.
"Fire Soul!"
The small flame erupted in a massive fireball. It hurled itself at Jadeite and engulfed him. The Dark General screamed as his body was consumed. A black husk fell to the ground, smoke rising off it. Jadeite was dead.
Ryu gazed at the corpse with wide eyes and a pale face. He looked down at himself and felt his new clothes. "Was that me? I somehow knew what to do."
A retching sound reached his ears and snapped him out of it. Sailor Moon was doubled over, vomiting violently. "That…" he gasped "was…woah…"
Sailor Mercury also looked very green, but he maintained his composure. "That was…well done, Ryu."
Ryu started to respond but he was distracted as Jadeite's body disappeared.
The ground trembled as the cave shook. "What's happening?" Sailor Moon cried out.
"Space is distorting" Sailor Mercury replied, a hand to his glasses.
Everyone groaned and shielded their eyes as sunlight struck them. Sailor Moon blinked several times and became aware that they were all back on the street near the bus stop. The buses were all standing in a ring in the large intersection. Thankfully there currently wasn't any traffic but already cars were screeching to a halt from five directions.
On board the buses, everyone was beginning to wake up. Luna streaked past and shouted for the boys to follow her. Acting on autopilot, all three Sailors followed. They raced down the sidewalk and turned the corner at the edge of the Shrine grounds.
"That's quite a crowd" Akira said as she peered around the corner. "I hope everyone will be alright."
"This will be more negative publicity for the shrine" Ryu said as he looked at the buses.
"Oh well, they say any publicity is good" Kaemon said, "I'm more thinking about the great new addition to our team!"
"Indeed" Luna said with a smile. "Sailor Mars, the soldier aided by the element of fire. Quite strong fire apparently."
Ryu backed away from Luna and the others with serious expression. "Wait a minute. You just give a magic pen, make me burn a man to death, and then ask me to join your club with a smile. I don't even know you people. This doesn't have anything to do with me. How arrogant are you to think I'll just be a happy little Sailor Soldier!"
Luna was stunned. "What? How can you…it's your destiny…"
"Ryu" Kaemon said, "we can talk about this."
"I don't want to talk." He turned and ran down the side street they were on, towards the back side of the shrine grounds. Luna was still twitching in shock.
King Beryl gazed down from his throne upon a glass coffin. Jadeite's blackened body lay inside it with the remaining Generals gathered around. Zoisite was holding a handkerchief to his eyes while a deeply sorrowful Kunzite placed a comforting hand on Zoisite's shoulder. Nephrite's expression was neutral, but a smile played at the corners of his mouth.
King Beryl spoke. "Jadeite served the Dark Kingdom as best as he was able. He did gather some energy for us. However, apparently his efforts were not enough in the end."
There was silence for a moment longer before Beryl again spoke. "Nephrite."
"Yes, My King. Your servant is listening."
"Did you not say that you had an alternate plan for gathering human energy? One that would yield even greater results?"
"Yes, King Beryl. I have full confidence in the plan I have prepared."
"Then soon you will have the opportunity to demonstrate new method in service to our Great Leader."
Nephrite bowed. Hidden by his wavy hair, his smile grew wider and wider.
And then there were three! This feels like a milestone that once upon a time I wasn't sure I'd reach. The end of the first arc. I'll admit I didn't prepare quite as much for what comes next, but I do have some fun ideas. The next chapter will hopefully come soon.