Chapter Eight: Queen of Pain

Urd glared at Lind. "That's a Temporal Gate out there about to open up over Tokyo. We've got a horde of youkai invading from an alternate future, and all of my various charges - all the people who are involved in this wish - are out there! Between me, Bell and Skuld, we can shut that gate down and you know it!"

"Be that as it may, Urd, I am under orders to ensure that you do not interfere. This is a matter that must be handled by mortals. It has been created by mortals, and must be solved by mortals. If you interfere, you will violate the terms of the treaty with Nifelheim, and instead of just a youkai invasion, you could trigger Ragnarok."

Urd gave a disgusted sigh. "Fine! Fine, whatever. Did you really need to bring along twenty-five Valkyrie's just to make sure I sit on my ass?"

"I brought a sufficient number for the task at hand. Our task is not merely to prevent your interference, but to defend your residence if things get out of hand. We are stationed at every deity's residence in Tokyo, not just yours."

Bell came in with the tea. "Well, you are certainly welcome in our home, Lind."

"Thank you, Belldandy."

Mara accepted a cup. "So what did Sarhia's report say about me, Valkyrie Lind?"

Lind sipped her tea. "You are cleared for now, Goddess Mara. Pending the outcome of your probationary review, you may assume your duties as a goddess normally. The unusual mix of god and demon coding within your matrix does not appear to be a sign of a continued connection to Nifelheim, though you are the only goddess who is linked to another goddess for your doublet." She sighed. "I must ask that you keep that fact under strictest confidence though."

Mara blinked. "I'm still linked to a goddess?"

Lind's eyes flicked for just a second to Urd, before returning to Mara. "Yes. After all, you were bound as a child. Your transformation to a goddess did not alter your personal past. The doublet bond is unaltered."

"I see." She looked wistfully out the window. "When I was younger I used to daydream about who my doublet might be. I always hoped it was Urd. I guess it will be even more of secret now though."

Lind made a sour face. "Actually Kami-sama ordered me to tell you. And it is Urd. You are all required to keep that knowledge to yourself, but Kami-sama decided that it was information that would no longer be harmful for you to know, since you are both goddesses. The primary purpose of secrecy is, after all, to provide protection to both sides. Since you are now both goddesses, it serves no purpose anymore to keep it from the two of you. But it is ill advised to allow that information to be known, as it effectively cancels the protective effect of the doublet system for you as well. Should Hild become aware of this fact, she would likely gladly eliminate you both."

Mara grabbed Urd's hand. "Really! Did you hear that Urd! We're truly meant to be together!"

Urd smiled. "Yes, it does seem that way. We're bound body and soul." She giggled. "I'm starting to feel like the goddess of lesbians lately, I've made so many girl-girl relationships."

Lind raised an eyebrow. "I must admit there do seem to be an unusual number of unconventional relationships involved in your current task."

Urds eyes strayed to the coverage of the Monster Squad on TV, the volume on low. She chuckled. "Still all things considered, they've turned out to be some rather amazing matches."

Mara nodded. "That they have dear. That they have."


The subjects of the conversation were still on the rooftop, watching as the JSDF coordinated a defense perimeter outside of the encircled area. The conventional troops were essentially evacuating the entire zone, and cordoning off the area. Only combat forces were permitted in the zone.

Which had shocked the girls to learn that they were considered "combat forces." They were sitting around the table while Lo-Shen and the cats were discussing the locations of the previous Blackmoon attacks.

"You're certain that is all of them?" Lo-Shen asked Artemis as she poked pins into a Tokyo map.

"Yes. We're not certain of their purposes, but it appeared they were attempting to create zones of negative energy at these locations."

Lo-Shen cursed. She laid her hand on the map and muttered a long string of syllables. Glowing bands of light began to criss-cross the map, several large lines forming intersections at the pins. "Dammit, they were trying to poison the lay lines. If you hadn't stopped them, they wouldn't have needed to send the shock troops. Tokyo would have ripped itself apart for them. What the hell are they up to? Why are they trying to release so much life energy?" She pointed to the locations of the machines. "It's obvious these are collecting all of the released energy, but where is it being sent, and why?"

"You mean all of this is simply to kill people, as many as possible?" Ayeka asked in shock. "Everything has been to waste lives?"

Lo-Shen nodded. "Xi'an Chi cares nothing for Blackmoon. They are little more than convenient tools for whatever his real plan is. The only certain thing so far is that he wants death, and lots of it. We can likely expect a massive wave assault as soon as that gate opens. And that will happen as soon as whatever entered the far end makes it to our side." She looked to the swirl. "Which could be hours, or seconds from now."

Kodachi came back from the roof's edge, looking a little green. "It– it looks like they may have finished the evacuation. That is good. I do not wish for any more non-combatants to get hurt."

Kaede gave her a look. "You okay, hun? You're tasting a little strange."

Kodachi looked at her. "Tasting?"

Kaede shrugged. "It's a succubus thing." She leaned forward. "When you look at someone, have you been feeling like you can tell exactly how they feel emotionally?"

Kodachi nodded. "Except... well, there is one person who I can't feel anything from, and when I touched his hand, he made me violently ill." She held her stomach as she winced. "And I have been feeling increasingly uneasy as the night has progressed."

Kaede nodded. "Yeah, we're going to have to teach you how to control that. Part of it is all the negative emotional energy in the atmosphere. You're probably having trouble with it. You're not used to keeping out the stuff you don't want. And that person, do you have a bad relationship with them?"

Kodachi sighed. "I am certain he hates me."

"Well, it really shouldn't be making you physically sick though. You must be really sensitive since this is so new for you." She smiled. "If it gets really bad, just try and spend a little time with Mou-chan. Since you have her heart, that should make you feel better."

Kodachi made a sour face. "That is what Raijin keeps accusing me of – having his heart. But he doesn't act as if he loves me, but hates me!"

Kaede shrugged. "Well, you're sworn to the accord. It's not as if you could take his heart from him without his consent anymore."

Kodachi blinked. "We–we can do such things?"

"Well, a Chaosian can. A heart taken by force provides a much different source of power for a succubus than one given freely by love. That's why we swear the oaths of binding. A Chaosian succubus would find this whole horror show to be a free feast." Kaede shuddered. "Get a pack of dark sisters here, and it'd be like sharks in a feeding frenzy."

Kodachi was giving her a troubled look. "How–how would you even know if you had taken a heart? Could–could it be taken accidentally?"

Kaede gave her a look of disbelief. "You'd have to be like a complete idiot to not..." She stopped and looked mortified. "Geez, I'm sorry Dachi-chan. I forgot your mother was a Chaosian and that you've got less than no clue about your succubus abilities." She reached out to cover Kodachi's hand with her own. "This, this person, the one who you're talking about. Did–did you have sex with him?"

Kodachi looked down, ashamed as she nodded. "I–I took his virginity, and that of the girl he loves."

Kaede shook her head. "That alone wouldn't do it." She blushed. "Um... The truth is, one of the things that the oath does to succubi is restrain their natural tendencies." She bit her lip. "We–we–" She looked over to Ai and her face flared so red she looked like she was about to catch fire.

"Go ahead, Kaede. You're teaching her about her species. She needs to know. And I am finding this fascinating."

Kaede winced and gave a really sheepish grin. "Um... well... truth to tell... Succubi are natural bitch doms." She scratched her head nervously. "The oath kinda makes us passive and a little submissive instead."

Kodachi joined her in her shamefaced blush. "Ah... I see. I–I treated both of them most shamefully, and utterly humiliated them until they could not see one another at school without running from the other in shame."

Kaede sighed. "That would do it."

Ai leaned over and stroked her finger along Kaede's cheek. "So, you mean to say that without the Oath, I'd be the one at the end of your collar?"

Kaede let out an eep. "M-m-m-maybe?"

Ayeka laughed. "But, Kaede, you're so cute when you're on your knees begging right next to me."

"Ayeka!"

"Settle down, you two. This is serious." Lo-Shen interrupted. "Kaede, is there any way to check whether or not Kodachi has stolen this boys heart?"

Kaede looked very nervous. "But–but stealing hearts is a serious offense... It essentially can force the human to be a slave."

"Like my mother did to my father." Kodachi said sadly. "Please, tell me Kaede. I must know if I am guilty of this sin and how I might undo the harm I have caused."

"Relax, Kaede. There are extenuating circumstances. She obviously didn't know her powers were developing, or that she was exercising them." Lo-Shen said reassuringly. "Surely she can't be condemned as harshly as someone who knowingly committed the crime."

"Nonetheless, As a Kuno, it is her duty to face up to both the responsibility of her actions, and to atone for them, no matter the punishment."

They looked up in startlement at the new voice, and Kodachi hurriedly dropped to her knees and bowed. "Of course, Uncle. Please forgive me, Uncle."

The tall white haired youkai waved dismissively. "It cannot be helped, Kodachi. But regardless, you are still responsible for your actions. You may count yourself lucky, my niece. Had this been discovered prior to your taking your Oath, I would have had you terminated as a Chaosian. Once this incident is over, you will still have to face judgment, the severity of which will depend on your success in rectifying this problem."

Lo-Shen sighed. "I will speak on your behalf, child, but as Loremistress, I must uphold the law." She turned to Kaede. "Now, is there a way to make certain whether or not she has committed this act?"

Kaede bit her lip worriedly again. "Well... um... yes," she admitted, hanging her head. "I'm sorry, Dachi-chan."

Kodachi rose to sit on her knees. "Please, Kaede-san, tell me how I may find out."

Kaede lifted her hand to her chest, centered right above her cleavage. "First, place your hand here."

Kodachi did.

"Now, you need to visualize an invisible drawer. I know, it sounds silly, but just do it. Once you've firmly got the image in your mind, pull it open."

Kaede's hand moved forwards, and with it came four brightly shining orbs of colored light. "See. These are the hearts of my beloved wives, given to me in love and happiness."

Ai blinked. "Are those, like, our actual hearts?"

Kaede smiled. "Not your physical ones. These are the bonds we share between us. The hearts of your souls. One day, they are what will allow me to give each of you a daughter."

"So, when did we give those to you?" Kyoko asked, looking at the orbs in wonder. "They are so pretty."

Kaede tousled her hair. "I received them when you had sex with me with all of your love and passion. When we 'made love' for the first time as opposed to simply having 'sex'."

"Do–do the colors match our outfits?" she asked pointing to the brightest blue orb. "Is–is that me?"

Kaede chuckled. "Yes dear."

Ai groaned. "Are you saying my heart is PINK?"

Kaede gave her an amused look and nodded. She looked over to where Kodachi was still trying unsuccessfully to "open" her "drawer".

"You've got to visualize the drawer being pushed out as much as being drawn, Dachi-chan. It's a spiritual thing. You can't just yank it open with your hand."

Kodachi nodded, her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth in concentration. On the eighth try, her face was illuminated as three orbs came into view. Only one shone brightly.

The other two were dark, and small black bolts of energy crawled along their surfaces.

Kaede's face fell. "Damn. You actually did it. I am so sorry Dachi-chan."

"How–how can I return them?" her cry was anguished.

Kaede shook her head. "It's going to be hard."

"I don't care! I must!"

Kaede gently pushed Kodachi's hand and the incriminating orbs back to her chest. "You can only return them the same way you took them. Somehow, you will have to convince them both to have sex with you again, with the roles reversed. You will have to be their willing toy. In every way, they have to be in control, and you have to be utterly submissive to them. You can't just give them their hearts, Dachi-chan. They have to take them back from you."

Kodachi's breath caught as she looked at Mousse. "But-=but–I love Mou-chan!"

Kaede nodded. "You do not have to love them, Dachi-chan, nor they you. Friendship is sufficient. But you will have to be both a sex partner as well as a catalyst between them." Kaede sighed in resignation. "We're succubae, Dachi-chan. All of our abilities revolve around sex in one way or another. Even my illusion abilities are about being able to make myself appealing to potential prey. We are predators after all. Before you took the oath, those hearts probably helped power your incredible gymnastic abilities. But you've ceased to be compatible with the kind of energy that they would supply. Now they are like a slow poison. You've got to find a way to return them, or they will eventually kill you."

Kodachi's eyes strayed to the hard eyes of her Uncle. "I will find a way to return them and atone for what I have done. And I will face whatever punishment I must."

"We will speak of this later, niece. For now, we have more pressing issues. I will remind you that you are still presently agents of the High Council. I will be depending on you in this unpleasant event. At present, you are tasked with providing defense of this command station. I have deployed a dozen squadrons of our best Hunters along with 2 divisions of the JSDF that are solely composed of youkai within the perimeter as our main defense. I also have my personal guard and will take the field if I deem it necessary."

Lo-Shen nodded. "Understood, Lord Sesshomaru. I will place myself under your command. I am growing short on youki though."

"That is being addressed. For now, I have with me a half dozen mages. Would you coordinate with them and assist in preparing the support spells they are laying on the soldiers?"

"Of course."

He started to turn away when he noticed Ayeka nervously had her hand up. "Yes, Miss Hibishi?"

"You—you said you had your personal guard with you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Your father is occupied, Miss Hibishi, but provided you and he both survive tonight, I do believe he intends to have a talk with you later."

"Is–is–is he mad at me?"

A smile threatened to cross his lips. "Quite the opposite, Miss Hibishi. He seemed quite pleased with the skill you were showing with your sword. In due time, perhaps you shall replace him as my sword master." He turned and started to walk towards the C and C. "So stay alive, Miss Hibishi. You still have several centuries of improvement to make after all."


"I wanted to kill them myssssssssssssself." Shadow grumped as she sulked next to the throne. She'd been pouting ever since Xi'an Chi had released his scrying spell on the Mu-San, much to Xi'an Chi's amusement.

"I am quite sure you did, my pet. But the danger they posed once out in space was far less than if I had allowed them to stay in Crystal Tokyo. Against even my best troops, as formidable as they were, they might have prevented the sacrifice. And had I allowed you to hunt them, your 'other self' could have caused difficulties of her own." Xi'an Chi chuckled. "No, once I realized they had only one option for trying to reach you here, I had no doubt they would take it. My predecessor was a fool for trying to incorporate an Asgardian computer in the Doppleganger network. That damn Seed not only negated Mu's Chaos Crystal, but it freed her from her slave bondage as well. Had he not destroyed her connection to the net, she could have infected all of her sisters as well. He underestimated them badly and nearly paid the price. I had quite a chuckle when I discovered the ship had been brought to earth and left to rot in the museum. It made for irresistible bait, and Mu provided a convenient distraction away from the real trap."

"They aren't dead," she complained.

"They will be soon enough. Either drifting frozen forever, or destroyed along with this pathetic planet when the closing of the gate rips it to shreds." He chuckled again. "It pleases me to know that they must sit there helpless, unable to do anything but watch."

Shadow hissed in annoyance. "I wish sssssssssssssssssssshe would ssssssssstop her sssssssssssssssstupid crying!"

"Feeling the despair and horror of your suppressed self, my pet? The anguish she feels at knowing her loved ones are dying, and that the world she so loves is about to?"

The dragon-girl snarled. "She is useless and weak. They are but food to be devoured!"

"Yes." He motioned and one of the dopplegangers came and knelt obediently before the throne. "Much like these. Are you hungry, my pet?"

The dragon girl licked her lips eagerly as she lunged forwards to sniff at the unmoving girl. Drool dripped to the floor as she circled her, tail lashing as she reached out a claw...

"What's the matter, my pet? Lose your appetite?"

Her claw trembled in the air scant inches from the girl's unresisting body. It hovered there for a long moment, the trembling getting worse. Finally she snarled in absolute rage and sent the girl tumbling with her tail, unhurt. Her claws left gouges in the metal floor as she returned to her cushion.

"Ssssssssssssshe sssssssssssssmelled sssssssssssssssssspoilt," she lied as she pouted.

"Of course, my dear pet. Do not worry though. Once we have emerged over Tokyo and channeled all the collected life force through the Black Crystal into you, she will be purged."

Shadow nodded emphatically. "Good."

"And once you are freed from her pathetic morality, your power will help me overthrow my mistress and assume my rightful place as god." Xi'an Chi reached down to pet her. "I've waited more than a thousand years for Chaos to fulfill her promises. I have grown weary of waiting. A thousand years of living a pathetic existence as the leader of a worthless guild of assassins when I was supposed to have been sitting on Odin's Throne. Once we have charged you with the life forces of the countless dead, and removed the lingering taint of my accursed sister, you will be a fit weapon to rid me of the leash that has kept me groveling at her feet. I will not end up the pathetic wretch that this universe's version of me had become."

Shadow purred happily as he petted her head. "And when sssssssssssshe has finally dissssssssssappered..." the dragon girl looked at the slave girls and licked her lips again. "I feassssssssssssssst."


"Mu will be seen in ninety seconds," Mu said over the intercom. She was sitting in her interface chair with her eyes closed, as they had quickly discovered she could only focus on being in one body or the other at a time.

"Alright, it's too late to try and disable that thing." Ukyo noted. "If we actually succeeded, it's likely that we'd not only kill Zhu-Shu when it crashes into the planet, but now that Crystal Tokyo is destroyed, that thing is probably our only ticket home."

Tao-Ching nodded. "How are we going to get inside."

"There are five landing bays. Now that the other ships have gone, they should be empty."

"I don't like the word 'should', Ukyo."

"Me either, but we've got no choice." She looked at the others. "Ami, Nabiki, we're going to need all the shielding you can give us. Rei, Mina, Mako, I'm counting on you to blow a hole through their shields and the bay doors." She looked back at Mu's chair. "I'm sorry, hun. This is probably going to hurt. The rim is heavily defended."

Mu's body nodded. "Mu understands. Mu will do Mu's best. Twenty seconds."

Ukyo faced forwards again, wishing Mu had been able to figure out how to release the manual flight controls. She would have felt a lot better if she could help the earnest little girl instead of having to put so much on her small shoulders."Hang on everyone, This is going to be a rough ride."


Emeraude looked up in shock when the alarms went off. She looked at the monitors and then back at Xi'an Chi in fear.

"What is it now, Emeraude?" her master called from where he sat petting the black dragon girl.

"S–sensors just detected the Mu-San coming into range."

He snorted in annoyance. "Of course. They're on a dead ship with no way to repair it without a new Yggdrasil Seed, and somehow, they still manage to get it working again," he said in disgust. "Remind me to kill the other gods when I become one. I am getting tired of their little games."

"Y-y-y-yes master."

"A pity. I would have preferred to give them a slow lingering death. I suppose it cannot be helped. Destroy them."


The Mu-San weaved between energy bolts like a dancer as she frantically strove to avoid a fatal hit. On Ukyo's advice, Mu was trying to stay in the zone directly above the central castle in an effort to minimize the number of weapons the Tianlong could bring to bear, hoping that she could get into the "shadow" of the ship, the zone where the defense weapons mounted on the rim couldn't shoot due to limits on their firing arcs.

Mu whimpered as her wings took several hits that pierced the solar sails, and Clove grabbed her hands to reassure her as she flinched from several more near misses. Ami and Nabiki were both letting out small grunts of pain as well when their shields took a direct hit.

"Almost into the shadow cone. Just a little further!" Ukyo called encouragingly.

Nabiki yelled "Shit!" as Mu screamed in pain. Usagi cried "Oh gods, Mu just lost her right wing!"

"Try to heal her! It's not necessary for combat maneuvers, but it'll cost us engine output!"

Usagi nodded as she put her hands on her Moon Rod and the crystal started to glow. Ukyo turned to look back at the crying slave girl, hating that they were having to put her through this. It was obvious that to Mu, it felt like her body was being torn apart. Clove was hugging her fiercely and crying too as her hand glowed in the process of casting a healing spell to help Mu with the pain.

Then the energy blasts stopped. Ukyo sighed in relief. "Alright we've got about forty seconds until we curve out to the rim and back into the thick of it. Rei, Mako, Mina, be ready!"

Xi'an Chi looked at the ship and sighed. "A thousand cannon emplacements, and all they hit was a wing." He raised a hand, a dozen hexagrams forming rings around it. "Why must I always be forced to rectify my underling's shortcomings?"

The beam cut straight through midships, knocking the ship into a spiral as Mu collapsed out of her chair to her knees, coughing up blood. Ships power fluctuated wildly as they descended towards the larger ship uncontrolled.

"What the hell was that!" Ukyo screamed.

"All I saw was a brilliant flash from the castle!" Makoto yelled back.

"We've taken a hit to the middle of the ship!" Usagi cried. "The sensors keep flickering, I can't tell how bad it is!"

"Mu– Mu– Mu hurts!" Mu sobbed, holding her belly. "Mu hurts bad!"

Clove was next to her, her hands glowing intensely as she chanted rapidly. Ying-Ying had a hand on her head. "This isn't good, she's going into shock!"

"Shit shit shit shit." Ukyo tried to get the ship back under control, but the grips were still unresponsive. "We're going down! Ami, Nabiki! Full shields in front! Rei, Mina, Mako! We're going to have to try and cut a hole dead ahead! All hands brace for impact!"

Three senshi attacks lashed out in front of the Mu-San, the mystical shields around the Tianlong shimmering for long seconds as the falling ship drew closer and closer, and then they went through it to impact into the wooded artificial parkland on the top of the main ship. A swath of woods caught fire as the relentless assault drove a hole into the ground.

The Mu-San ripped through the rapidly closing shield, tearing off her left wing as she tumbled to the ground below. She hit the edge of the hole hard and threw everyone through the air. Clove screamed in pain as she slammed against Makoto's console, her leg breaking with a audible snap. Mu jerked to a halt in midair as she reached the length of her tail, crying in agony before she passed out. Konatsu's clone slammed hard against the forward bulkhead and poofed into smoke.

Then the sliding ship jerked to a stop, leaving them tumbled in a heap. Groans of pain came from the girls who were tangled against each other on the floor at the front of the steeply sloped deck.

"Ow ow ow, Rei! Your wings burn!" Mina yelped.

"Sorry, sorry!" Rei rolled off her to slide down the console with a thump. "Ow!"

Ukyo managed to drag herself up to sit on the edge of Tao-Ching's console. He was shaking his head to clear it, his harness having kept him in his seat. She looked around the darkened bridge.

"Who's alive! Roll call now!"

It took a minute or two to sort out, but she confirmed that everyone on the bridge was alive. Ying-Ying managed to get the unconscious Mu up into the command chair, so that she was no longer dangling by her tail, and was relieved to report she was still alive. Then the lights flickered back on, and Usagi's console lit up. Ukyo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank the gods, she's still got main power and her self-repair functions have been activated." She looked up as Ranma forced open the bridge door. "Good, you're okay. How are the others?"

"Nabiki's injured. She's got a piece of strut stuck in her shoulder, but it's not life threatening. Kagura is tending to her. Everyone else is banged up but functional."

Clove suddenly screamed. They turned to look at her, her hands glowing as her leg twisted itself and reset the broken bone. She gasped for breath as she shuddered and fell back against the wall she was laying on. Ying-Ying and Rei went to her side, but she waved them away. "I– I– have already set the healing spells. But bone does not heal quickly. It will be several hours until I can move."

Ying-Ying wrung her hands. "I could fix it if the medbay were functional, but without the seed, it's useless."

Clove nodded. "I will be fine so long as I don't move for several hours," she said, still in some obvious pain. "Do what you can for Mu."

Ying-Ying nodded and looked at the unconscious slave-girl. "If she didn't have that cable connecting her to the ship, I'd take her to medbay too."

Rei's mandala was flaring as she examined the comatose girl. "I'm getting some very strange readings on her. She's barely even registering as human now. I think I am getting interference from the ship's systems trying to communicate with her, but she's unresponsive."

Clove closed her eyes. "I can't get a connection from the slave contract either. I can feel she's alive, and that she's hurting and in terror, but I can't reach her."

"Then you are definitely staying here," Ukyo said. "You need to be present if she wakes up to make sure she doesn't panic."

"We're going somewhere?" Ranma asked.

Ukyo nodded. "That blast that knocked us down came from the Castle. There's no weapon emplacements in the castle, so it had to have been Xi'an Chi. And if he's there, you got to know that's where Zhu-Shu is too. So, those of us in good enough shape are going to head there, while the rest of you try to heal Mu enough to get her operational. Any healing magic you cast on Mu herself should help her self-repair systems. We need her flight capable when we get back with Zhu-Shu, because she's our only way off this thing." She tapped her head. "My own sensors are reporting far fewer people on this tub than I had anticipated. We've got about fifty headed our way and they'll be here in about five minutes, but that's all the life signs in range. This massive ship is damn near deserted."

"So who's playing defense besides me and Kuno." Tao-Ching asked. "Because I am not leaving Nabiki here wounded, and Tatewaki's attacks are too dangerous in confined spaces."

Ukyo nodded. "Good points. Ying-Ying is staying definitely. She's the Physician after all."

The pink haired girl frowned. "I'm fully qualified as a medical doctor for the Silver Milliennium, but I don't know many healing spells. In this era, I'm trained primarily as a psychologist and counselor. I'll do what I can, but without medical supplies or a working medbay, I'm somewhat limited. Clove's a better healing mage than I am."

"Do what you can, Blossom. That's all I can ask." Ukyo gave her a tired smile. "I'm sorry love. But you're not much of a fighter. I know you want to come, but I need you here more."

She nodded. "Just–Just bring Zhu-chan home safely."

Ukyo looked over to Clove. "Ko-chan, can you still make clones?"

Clove nodded as her eyes turned brown. "Yes. But I will also have a broken leg. If someone helps me to the proper spots, I still have my shuriken. Nothing will board this ship while I live."

"It will not come to that, my lady. Not while the blade of Tatewaki Kuno stands to your defense." Kuno's voice came over the intercom.

Ukyo looked up. "Ship's coms are on again. Good. Mu is healing. Alright. Senshi, Ran-chan, Akane and Shan-Pu, you are coming with me. Kuno, Kagura, Nabiki, Tao-Ching and Konatsu, you are going to be the defense team. Keep this ship safe while Clove and Ying-Ying try to get Mu healed. We are going to go get Zhu-Shu and bring her back."

"Got it." Nabiki said. "Shan-Pu is helping me get to the rear defense station. I can keep the rear of the ship covered and keep us from catching fire from that bonfire you lit on landing."

"I have the hold access hatch opened. There appears to be a large room beneath us, with scattered crates." Kuno reported. "I have also found a rope."

Ukyo nodded. "Save it for an emergency. We'll be going down a different way. If Ship's coms are operational, so should the teleportal systems. Meet me on deck three, forward. Which reminds me, has anyone checked on Kanna and Chibi-Usa?"

"They are fine." Kagura's voice came on. "Kanna has chipped herself, but will mend, and Chibi-Usa is still unconscious but unchanged. She was wrapped in blankets and was cushioned during the crash by pillows."

"Alright people, lets boogie. We got less than two minutes to get to the floor and meet that group on its way here."


The air howled as the gate split the sky open. Like angels of death, more than a dozen of the spiky crystal ships of Blackmoon descended from the inky darkness. Lights sparkled beneath them as troops began to materialize on the ground.

A hundred rockets launched to impact the craft, explosions ripping across their surfaces as the roar of cannon fire opened up. The sound of assault rifles started as the infantry opened up on the shock troops rushing them in a horde of grotesque figures.

Then some the JSDF soldiers released their holds on their human forms. A giant minotaur wielding his hammer flattened a Blackmoon werewolf as it tried to jump him, then engaged an ogre as his smaller companions worked together to remove the werewolf's head before it could recover. In another section of the field, a brawny centaur armed with twin 50 caliber squad assault weapons and a massive ammo pack mowed down charging Blackmoon troops with the aid of a half dozen reptilian ninjas.

A massive explosion rocked the city as the first Blackmoon ship started falling. A cheer arose as the vessel crashed into the buildings on the far side of the tower from where the girls watched. The cheer was short lived though as the remaining ships began to open fire. Argent beams of fire lanced down from the longest spine on the bottom of the ships to begin exploding cannon emplacements.

The air was torn apart as the air support arrived. Three dozen fighter jets screamed towards the hovering ships, launching air to air rockets as they streaked across the zone. Five more ships fell towards the ground as another two exploded in mid air. Then the remaining ships launched their own craft. More than twenty small attack craft emerged from the still airborne ships, joined by another eight or nine that managed to escape the falling ships. The air above Tokyo began to be filled with streaks of light as the dogfighting began.

Then large mystical sigils appeared hovering above nearly a dozen buildings around the perimeter. They swirled for several seconds as globes of light gathered in their centers, and then lanced outwards. The remaining large craft exploded into shards, the debris falling down on the troops below.

Ai cheered as the last ship tumbled from the sky. "We got them!"

"Don't be so hasty, Miss Konjou." Sesshomaru said from beside her. "I have no choice but to assume that was merely the first wave. And we are doing poorly. Far too many of our troops are down already. We've been at peace for too long. We've lost our killing instincts. We're winning this round, but barely."

She looked at him nervously. "Really?"

He nodded as he lifted a earpiece to his ear. "Ready the Hunters. When the next wave comes, it's their show."


"Mu hurts! Mu hurts! Mu hurts-"

Sarhia sighed as she knelt next to the piteously crying girl. The damage done to the ship wasn't fatal, but she knew the poor girl must feel like she'd had a dozen holes poked through her. Mu whimpered as Sarhia's finger tips caressed her forehead, then slipped into a peaceful unconsciousness as Sarhia disabled the ships damage alerts.

No, it wasn't fatal, but it was pretty bad. She'd overheard Ukyo's plans through Mu's coms, but the chef had no way to know that it would be days before Mu could repair her systems. Even had she left Sailormoon behind to cast Moon Healing Escalations until she exhausted herself, the blast Xi'an Chi had unleashed had done too much damage. He'd missed the engines, barely, but the critical control systems were going to take at least two days for the ships limited self repair systems to fix. This wasn't like simply writing an interface protocol. Mu just did not have the processing power, or the abilities she needed to be functional within a few hours. She was a work of art, already being pushed far beyond what her delicate architecture had been designed for.

And there was no guarantee that they could even save Zhu-Shu.

"No. I can't let myself think like that," she muttered under her breath.

She withdrew from the link and set at her table in front of her monitors. They were all filled with readouts on Mu, and updating her on the status of the ship. She put her face in her hands and sighed again.

"I can't do it! There's not enough bandwidth to link her directly to the Yggdrasil mainframe and use its resources to repair her in time. She's just too primitive. I couldn't do it even if the Yggdrasil Seed had survived. She'd practically need to be a Worldnode class mainfram–"

She stopped talking to herself and looked back up at the monitors. It was her fault Mu was like this. She'd known linking Mu's fragile neural net to the ship was a risk. She'd gambled too much on Mu's desires to be useful to her beloved Mistress. There hadn't been time to do anything else then.

But she could make up for that now.

All six hands began flashing across the keyboards as a hundred new monitors flashed into existence. The ground under her rumbled.

Pheonixmoon's logo popped into mid air before her. "What are you doing, Sarhia?"

"I'm releasing Jormungandr into data form for transmittal to Mu."

"I trust you are aware of the cost to yourself such an action will incur. You are directly linked to the Midgard Serpent, if you send her to Mu, you will lose the better part of your remaining powers."

"I know that."

"It's what makes you a greater deity, Sarhia. Without that direct link to a RIM Spirit, you'll be little better than a normal goddess like Urd or Belldandy. You'll be defenseless against Hild if she challenges you directly."

"It doesn't matter! It's my fault Mu is in this position! She was never meant to be a ships' AI! Without Jormungandr's assistance, Mu can't repair herself in time!"

"She will do far more than repair Mu, Sarhia. Sending Jormungandr to her will turn the Mu-San into a vessel not seen in the mortal realm since before the Jotun wars. With a master class RIM Spirit able to manipulate the reality matrix, she'll be able to create warp gates and evolve her own systems. This isn't like giving her an Angel! You'll be putting the power of an Omega Class goddess into the hands of an artifical construct who's little more than a child!"

"SHE IS MY CHILD! And that child is like a pure innocent and uncorrupted version of me! Everything she has done has been for love! Including damn near killing herself to get my soulmates aboard the Tianlong! She's like I was before I discovered I had been engineered to be some rich brat's playtoy! Like Zhu-Shu before her Aunt poisoned her soul!" Sarhia paused in her typing. "What have I done with this power anyway, Pheonixmoon? Created nothing but death and misery. Mu can't use it any worse than I have done, and it will be centuries before she evolves to the complexity needed to access more than Jormungandr's most basic functions. I know it's a risk. I know it will eventually turn her into something far more than she is now. But that's true of Zhu-Shu, and Clove, and all my other soulmates too. Mu might be a biomechanical construct, but she is still modeled on Zhu-Shu, Pheonixmoon." Sarhia sighed heavily as she resumed typing. "I have to trust her. I have to trust that she will not grow up to repeat my mistakes."

"You will lose your abilities to be aware of anything beyond this prison. You won't even be able to access Yggdrasil or myself, nor be able to manipulate your personal reality anymore. Without the Midgard Serpent under your control, you will be truly imprisoned."

Sarhia smiled sadly as she kept typing. Her childlike form grew larger as her skin turned a pale blue and she reverted to her truest form. The light from the monitors highlighted the scars all over her body, from the thousands of lash marks that crisscrossed her flesh to the two jagged scars on her cheeks that zig-zagged like lightning bolts from the edge of her mouth up to her long swept back and pointed ears. Scars from a half dozen piercings outlined her lips and trailed up her nose, while the rear edges of her ears were ragged and torn, mute evidence of the violent removal of multiple earrings. Long fangs poked out of her upper lip, while a long hairless tail lay limply on the floor behind her, twisted and obviously broken countless times. She sighed as she said, "All that means is I can't give into my vanity anymore and play at being the innocent child I was before I was sold from the slave farm. I'm a scarred and battered ex slave created with six arms and a tail to be a dancer for a man with a fetish. That is all I would have ever been had I not given birth to Jormungandr. I've kept her restrained as a mere computer node for far too long. I am tired of being the 'Mother of Demons' Pheonixmoon. Hells, even being a minor goddess sounds like too much of a chore anymore. I'm sick of power, of holding the fate of millions in my hands. I can't bear anymore! My child is in pain, and by sending my other child to her, I have the power to heal her. My loved ones need her healed and able to remove them from harm once they have rescued Zhu-Shu. Right now, that's all that matters to me. I have to trust my children to do what I cannot." She shook her head sadly. "And I owe Jormungandr her freedom. She's been trapped in here with me for far too long."

"I was not aware that the Midgard Serpent was imprisioned as well."

"She wouldn't leave me. Even when the terms of the treaty forced her into sleep mode as a mere mainframe, she accepted rather than allow me to set her free. She's consented to go because she agrees with me that it's the only way. She wants to help her little sister."

One by one, the monitors shut down and the shaking quieted down. Finally only a glowing blue dot remained in front of Sarhia, with two small buttons, one saying continue, the other cancel.

"Keep an eye on them for me, Pheonixmoon. If they fail, it doesn't matter what happens to me anyway. I don't want to live on without them anymore."

"Of course, my lady."

Her finger hit the continue button. "See you later, maybe."

"Fare you well, Goddess Sarhia."

And then, there was only the dark.