Subject: [FFML] [Sailormoon] Suiseiki, chapter 8
From: "The Eternal Lost Lurker" <EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net>
Date: 6/10/1998, 6:19 PM
To:
CC: "Kevin Yee" <dokushinsha@juno.com>

C&C welcome. 

	Chapter Eight

	Unazuki met her older brother at the entrance to the snack parlor
above the arcade. "Oniichan," she said, "Reika's here waiting for
you." She paused. "What's with that outfit?"
	Motoki smiled at his younger sister. "Please, come over here. I have
something very important to discuss with both of you."
	Puzzled, Unazuki followed her brother over to the table where his
fiancee sat, waiting. Reika stared at Motoki, then giggled. "I like
the outfit," she said, "but what are you supposed to be?"
	Sitting down, Motoki took Reika's hands. "I have something to talk
to you about, that's very important."
	Hearing the intensity in his voice, Reika frowned. "Motoki...what is
it?"
	Motoki paused for a moment. "Reika-chan," he began, "how is your
work coming along?"
	Reika blinked, then sighed. "It's alright, I suppose," she said,
"although there just aren't any really interesting finds right now."
She involuntarily glanced out the window, where the spire of the
Fushigi no Suishou glinted in the bright midday sun. 
	Motoki smiled. "You'd love to get a good look at it, wouldn't you?"
	"Anyone would," Reika said.
	"Yeah, Oniichan," Unazuki said. "Did you hear? The news said that
they found out the Sailor Senshi have something to do with that
crystal..."
	"I'd like to meet one of the Senshi again," Reika commented, "just
to ask where they're really from, where that...thing is from." She
paused, and chuckled. "I mean, for all we know, it's from outer
space..."
	"The moon," Motoki said.
	The two ladies blinked at him. "Nani?" Reika asked.
	"It's from the moon," Motoki said. "A relic of a civilization that
disappeared thousands of years ago."
	"How would you know that?" Reika demanded. 
	Unazuki eyed the clasp of her brother's jacket collar, and her eyes
widened. "Oniichan...you were at the wedding, weren't you? When the
shrine became...became..."
	Motoki nodded. "Hai. I've been inside there for the past day."
	Reika gaped. "You...you were in *there*?" she asked, pointing out
the window.
	"Shhh," Motoki said, "keep your voices down. I don't want to attract
attention to myself." he paused. "Reika-chan, Unazuki-chan, there's a
lot I need to tell you..."
	Suddenly, there was a scream from downstairs. "What the--?" Motoki
wondered. 
	The building began to shake, and the center of the floor exploded. A
hulking creature, resembling a decaying corpse, leapt through the
floor. A tattoo of an inverted black crescent moon graced its rotted
forehead, and it carried a massive pickaxe. "MATTOCK!" it rumbled. 
	The girls began to scream. Motoki cursed. "Hold on," he said to
them, grabbing their wrists tightly. Mattock began to advance on
them...
	
	...but they were no longer there. Motoki heaved a sigh of relief as
the graceful facets of the Round Hall materialized around them. "I
thought Mercury said two kilometers," he mused. 
	Reika and Unazuki blinked, and glanced around. Their eyes widened,
and they gaped at the glassy walls around them. "Oniichan," Unazuki
asked, "is this...?"
	Motoki smiled. "Welcome to the Crystal Palace," he said. Then he
frowned. "There's a lot I need to discuss with the two of you, but
right now I need to report to Her Majesty."
	"Her Majesty?" Reika asked. Motoki was already in motion, and the
two girls nearly failed to register the doorway forming in the wall
before him. They raced to follow him through. 
	
	The two girls gasped at the majestic beauty of the room they
entered. Three Sailor Senshi were present, along with four oddly
dressed women, who all glanced at the new arrivals curiously. Neither
girl noticed the figures seated upon crystalline thrones in the
center of the room until they heard Motoki speak.
	Motoki was kneeling before the thrones. "Your Majesties," he said.
	"You may rise," Serenity said. "What troubles you?"
	"There is a dangerous monster," Motoki said. "It is attacking people
at Crown Game Center."
	Serenity sighed. "It is, then, as we feared. Another threat has
arisen."
	"The taint of Black Moon energy is strong, Neo-Queen Serenity-sama,"
Petz said. "All four of us have felt it."
	"Motoki," Serenity asked, "did you notice any unusual markings on
the monster?"
	Motoki nodded. "Hai. It had a tattoo of a black crescent moon on its
forehead."
	The Ayakashi Sisters cursed. Serenity closed her eyes. "I feel the
evil of the creature," she said softly. "Its power...its power is
terrifying." The Ginzuishou began to glow, and a portion of the
ceiling tilted down. The sigils of Mercury and Venus flashed upon it.
After a moment, the images of Ami and Minako appeared on the crystal
screen. "Your Majesty," they said in unison. 
	"I apologize for this," Serenity said. "I know you were looking
forward to meeting with your families right now. Nevertheless, there
is a crisis."
	"What's wrong, Serenity-sama?" Minako asked.
	"A powerful monster has appeared in the shopping district," Serenity
said. "According to Motoki, the creature is somehow related to the
Black Moon Family."
	The two Senshi gasped. "That's not possible, is it?" Ami wondered.
	Serenity sighed. "The Ayakashi Sisters have felt the Black Moon
energy from this creature. I would like the two of you to
investigate, to test the creature's defenses. I'll summon the others
to join you. Be careful. This creature appears to be very powerful."
	"On my way," Minako said. "Venus out." Her image disappeared.
	"Acknowledged," Ami said, also disappearing from the screen.
	Serenity quickly paged Jupiter and Mars, already transformed and
ready for action, and appraised them of the situation. The remaining
two Inner Senshi teleported into the combat zone. 
	As the crystal screen slid back into the ceiling, Serenity recalled
the words of her long-departed mother. *Do not lapse in your
training, my daughter.* After a moment's consideration, she rose from
her throne.
	"Uranus, Neptune, Pluto," she said, "The three of you will remain
here and see to the safety of Endymion, my subjects, and our guests."
	"Your Majesty?" Pluto asked.
	"I will join the others in confronting the new enemy."
	The Outers gasped. "Serenity-sama, this isn't your battle," Neptune
said. "The Senshi will handle this. You must remain here, where it's
safe."
	"Though I may be Queen, I am still a Sailor Senshi," Serenity said.
"I must not allow myself to forget that I am a warrior as well as a
ruler."
	"Serenity-sama," Pluto said, "I can't allow you to take the risk of
getting hurt, or worse, fighting an unknown enemy."
	"You can, and you will," Serenity said. "I'm still a Sailor Senshi.
This is my fight too."
	"Usako..." Endymion began.
	"Endymion," Serenity said, "please...you know why I must do this."
	Endymion's eyes widened in realization, and he nodded. "Be careful,
my love," he said. "I should join you--"
	"No," Serenity said. "You are needed here." She smiled. "I'll be
fine. I'm considerably more powerful now than I was even as Eternal
Sailormoon." Giving everyone a reassuring smile, Serenity spread her
wings and rose into the air, disappearing in a flash of silver light.
	
	"Oniichan," Unazuki asked, "who was that? What's going on here?"
	Motoki took his sister's and fiancee's hands, and smiled. "Come," he
said, "I have a lot to tell you..."

	*****

	"So what do you think?" Saturn asked.
	Shingo eyed the array of electronics set up along the interior wall
of the suite's living room. A large-screen television was the
centerpiece of a set of crystal shelves containing every manner of
entertainment device Shingo could imagine. A shelf stereo sat on a
shelf above the television, its large speakers set on shelves in the
corners of the room. "Sugoi," he said.
	Saturn giggled. "Only the best for Sailor Senshi...and their
boyfriends," she said, leaning against him. Looking into his eyes,
she added, "or is that husbands?"
	Shingo blushed. "We gotta talk about that," he said. 
	Saturn nodded. "Yeah, we do. This is a big deal," she said. 
	Suddenly, the walls of the suite began strobing violet light.
"Wh-what the--?" Shingo asked.
	Mimas dropped into the center of the room, spinning rapidly and
flashing like an emergency light. "Sailor Saturn," it said, "there is
a Palace-wide alert."
	"An alert?" Saturn asked. "What's going on?"
	"Inner Senshi have been summoned to confront a monster which has
appeared in the shopping district," Mimas said. "Outer Senshi are
under orders to remain in the Palace to guard the King and the
civilian populace."
	"Where's Serenity-sama?" Shingo asked.
	"Neo-Queen Serenity has joined the Inner Senshi," Mimas replied.
	Saturn's eyes widened. "She...she wouldn't have! Why would...?"
	"The personal assistant module to the royal suite has assured me
that the queen has a good reason for joining the battle," Mimas said.
"Sailor Saturn, alert procedures require that all Senshi on Palace
duty report to the throne room or other designated post and await
further instructions."
	Saturn nodded. "Thanks, Mimas," she said. "We'd better get back down
there," she said to Shingo.
	He nodded. "Hai." The two teens left the suite and headed for the
lift.

	*****
	
	Panicked onlookers and fleeing crowds greeted the Senshi as they
arrived on the scene. Mars and Jupiter scowled at the screeches
coming from within. Ami and Minako appeared, and ducked into an
alleyway. The other two Senshi joined them as Ami pulled out her
computer.
	"What've you got on it, Ami?" Jupiter asked.
	Ami blinked at her readings. "This...this can't be right," she said.

	"What is it?" Minako asked.
	"I'm reading a droid alright...the Black Moon energy signature is
very clear...but..."
	"But what?" 
	"It's also registering as a youma," Ami continued. "In addition to
the Black Moon energy, it's radiating something that my computer
reads as a Dark Kingdom energy signature."
	The others blinked. "What...what does this mean?" Mars wondered.
	"We can worry about that later," Minako said, summoning a small
silver wand with a glowing orange crystal tip. "Venus Silver Power,
Make-Up!"
	Ami summoned a similar wand, with a blue crystal. "Mercury Silver
Power, Make-Up!"
	Transformations complete, the Inner Senshi rushed out into the
street. The general public was fleeing in terror as a dozen wasted,
decaying corpses staggered out of the arcade, reeking of death. Every
time one of them touched a straggler, a disk of white light emerged
from the person's chest, only to be eclipsed by a dark, evil shadow.
Those affected by this touch quickly rotted and began marching
amongst the other zombies.
	"This...this is..." Jupiter began.
	"They're draining all the life essence from those people," Mercury
said, her visor in place. "Turning them into zombies..." 
	"If we don't stop those zombies, the whole city could be in
trouble," Mars said. 
	Mercury nodded. "I suspect it may be too late for these poor people,
anyway."
	"It's also too late for you!" screeched a voice, as the front of the
game center exploded. A hulking, rotten corpse walked out of the
wreckage, wielding a massive pickaxe. 
	"There's our boy," Jupiter said. "This is the one causing all this
trouble." 
	"You there! For transforming innocent people into the walking dead,
the Sailor Senshi will never forgive you!" Venus called out. "On
behalf of the Crystal Millenium...we'll punish you!"
	The monster lurched into motion. "MATTOCK!" it roared. 
	"Time to test our new powers!" Mars shouted. She spread her arms
out, drawing a circle in the air around her, before bringing her
hands together in front of her navel. "ETHEREAL FLARE!" 
	The air around Mattock began to shimmer, and searing yellow flames
swirled, converging on the decayed creature. The flames darkened to
red, compacting into a tight, hot ball, before exploding outward
again. Bits of charred zombie flesh rained outward. Mattock roared in
pain, staggering. 
	"Yosh'! STATIC COMPRESSION!" Jupiter called, spinning on one toe. A
mass of thick green vines spun away from her body, coiling around
Mattock. Arcs of electricity popped and sizzled as the vines
tightened around the monster.
	"Good work, Jupiter!" Venus called. The four Senshi began circling
the cocooned enemy.
	Suddenly, the mass of vines shuddered, and exploded, sending up a
shower of sparks. "MATTOCK!" the monster roared. It spun around,
swinging its pick. A line of blackness traced outward from the
weapon, striking the Senshi before they could react. The four
warriors cried out in pain as they took painful yet shallow cuts
across their abdomens. The force of the impact knocked them all off
their feet and flung them back a few meters.
	"This one's tough," Jupiter grunted as she struggled to her feet.
	Laughing evilly, Mattock raised its pick, preparing to strike at
Sailor Mercury. Suddenly, there was a flash of silver, and the
monster's weapon was sent flying, embedding itself in the remains of
the arcade's front wall.
	"You've done enough damage," a soft yet dangerous voice said from
above. Mattock and the four Senshi looked up to see an angry angel
descending into the combat zone, her feathery wings spread wide and
her elegant dress billowing in the wind. "I don't know where you came
from, or what your purpose is, but I'm stopping you here and now."
	As the Senshi regained their footing, and Serenity descended to the
ground, Mattock laughed evilly. "Legion of the undead! Heed my
command! Destroy them!" The zombies reversed course, and headed for
the battlefield, while Mattock shambled over to the game center to
retrieve its weapon. 
	"Your Majesty, you shouldn't be here," Venus said. "This is
dangerous."
	"We can't risk you getting hurt," Jupiter said. "Let us handle it."
	"No...I'm still a Senshi, and you need me," Serenity said.
	The zombies began closing in, and Mattock tore its pick out of the
wall, raising it into the air. "MATTOCK!" 
	"Please, Serenity," Mars said softly. "Get out of here."
	"No," Serenity said. "My place is here with you." The Ginzuishou
began to glow brightly on her chest, and a soft wind stirred at her
feet. "Moon Queen..."
	The zombies closed in. Mattock's pickaxe began glowing darkly.
	"Power..."
	"Ahahahahahahaha...eh? What--?"
	"Make-UP!" 
	The battlefield exploded in silver light.
	"Wh--what is this power...?" 
	The light faded, and everyone gasped. Serenity hovered in the air,
clad in a white sailor fuku with a silver skirt and collar. Rather
than boots, as in previous incarnations, she wore gleaming silver
pumps. The Ginzuishou rested in the center of a golden crescent moon
upon her chest, framed by a white bow. The jewels on her odangos were
shimmering pearls, and her choker was silver, with a crystal moon in
the center. Her gloves were the same as in her Eternal Sailormoon
form, except that the trim had changed from red to silver. Her
wings...her real wings, not the stylized wings of her old
fuku...spread out behind her, stirring the tails of the silver bow at
her back. 
	"What--?" Mattock screeched.
	"Ai to seigi no," the beautiful angel said, performing her customary
hand gestures, "sailor-fuku bishoujo senshi no ouhi...Sailor
Serenity! Tsuki ni kawatte, oshioki yo!" 
	"Sailor Serenity..." the Inner Senshi breathed, staring at her. 
	"ATTACK!" Mattock roared. The zombies rushed the Inner Senshi, who
were hard pressed to dodge the madly dashing corpses. Mattock reared
back his pickaxe. "Catch!" he yelled, hurling the massive pick at
Sailor Serenity.
	"Serenity-sama!" Mars cried out. "Look out!"
	Gracefully, Sailor Serenity moved to one side, dodging the
projectile. Reaching out almost casually, she caught the handle as it
passed, and spun in midair, flinging the weapon back at its owner.
Mattock's decaying eyes widened as the huge pick slammed into its
midsection, knocking it down the street.
	Serenity flew in the direction of Mattock's departure, and hovered
above the creature. "For corrupting the lives and souls of innocent,
peaceful citizens, your sentence is banishment to Hell," she said
softly. Drawing one leg up behind her, she spun gracefully in the
air, fully extending her arms and wings. "Crystal Millenium Royal
Decree!" 
	Mattock screeched as a blinding wave of light poured from Sailor
Serenity, spreading to encompass all the zombies cursed by the
monster's dark power. The black crescent moon on Mattock's forehead
began to glow white, and exploded. 
	When the light faded, the street was littered with bodies. Sailor
Serenity dropped to the ground and fell to her knees, taking a deep
breath. The other Senshi were immediately at her side.
	"Serenity!" Mars cried. "Are you alright?"
	Serenity smiled. "I'm fine, Rei-chan. I'm just a little exhausted.
That took a lot out of me."
	"We need to get you back to the Palace," Venus insisted. 
	Serenity nodded. "Hai, but first...Mercury, are these people--?"
	"Most of them are alive," Mercury said, "although the ones touched
earliest are all in deep comas. The rest will probably awaken soon."
She sighed, scanning the body of a burly construction worker. "This
was Mattock," she said. "I'm afraid he's dead now."
	Serenity cursed. "That was a human being?"
	"You had no way of knowing," Jupiter said, soothing the young queen.
	"Even if you had, it wouldn't have mattered," Mercury said.
"According to this, he's been dead ever since turning into that
creature." She dispelled her visor, and knelt before Serenity.
"You've done him a favor," she said. "He can rest in peace now,
instead of wandering the earth as the slave of whoever did this to
him."
	Serenity frowned, anger burning in her clear blue eyes. "This cannot
be allowed to happen again," she said. "We've got to find the one
responsible and stop them quickly." She stood slowly, and her sailor
fuku reverted to the flowing formal wear of Neo-Queen Serenity.
"Let's go home."
	The Queen and her Senshi teleported back to the Palace just as the
first police cars began streaming into the area.

	*****

	Wraith cursed as the image floating in the air before her vanished
in a flare of silver light. "Damn you, Serenity," she spat. "I can
see this is not going to be an easy war to win." Closing her eyes,
she focused on her overseas operative. *Goro...report.*
	*These humans are pathetic,* Goro's telepathic rumble resounded in
her mind. *Taking their energy and their souls is proving to be far
too simple.*
	*You long for a challenge, do you?* Wraith projected.
	*Yes. I will soon have enough energy to join you.*
	*I want you to remain there for a while, and continue your
collection operations.*
	*Remain here? Why should I?*
	Wraith projected a recap of the recent battle, beginning with
Mattock's arrival on the street, and ending with Sailor Serenity's
power wave winning the day. She also projected images of her past
lives, her defeats at the hands of the Senshi.
	*...I see. Forgive me for saying so, but it was folly to execute
such an operation when you knew of these Sailor Senshi.*
	*Oh? Explain yourself,* Wraith demanded angrily.
	*From your accounts, I see that your past history with these Sailor
Senshi involves using brainless minions to achieve your goals. Your
minions do nothing to cover their operations, relying on thin
disguises. They cause a scene, which attracts the attention of the
Sailor Senshi, who show up and destroy the minions, undermining the
entire operation and resulting in nothing but waste.*
	*Get to the point, Goro,* Wraith seethed.
	*In order to succeed,* Goro continued, *in order to gather the
power, the strength, and the forces you need to crush the Sailor
Senshi, you must conceal your operations. Quick, tactical strikes. No
idiotic minions. Surface only long enough to get the job done, then
disappear before they can find you. Leave no evidence of your
intrusions. Occasional strikes against the Senshi themselves, to test
their strengths and weaknesses. Time everything to seem completely
random. Only this way can you hope to gain the power needed to crush
them for all time.*
	Wraith blinked. *I would not have expected such an analysis from one
such as yourself, Goro.*
	Goro projected a snort. *My talents are not limited to mindless
violence,* he said. *Here, in this place with no Sailor Senshi, it is
the most useful tactic, because there is nothing with the power to
oppose me. However, I am not fool enough to openly invite the wrath
of these Sailor Senshi until I know my power is great enough to
defeat them.*
	Wraith silently congratulated herself on selecting the perfect youma
to be her right hand. *You impress me, Prince Goro,* she said. *A
general who speaks his mind and is not afraid to point out the faults
of his leader is a general who will surely be victorious in all
battles.* 
	*Within a month's time, I should have all the power I need,* Goro
said. *I would be finished sooner, but I've just learned that the
local government is prepared to dispatch a militia to confront me. I
may be required to lay low for a while.*
	*Understood,* Wraith said.
	*You may wish to select another general to assist you in the
interim,* Goro advised. *A general with a brain, one that is not
foolish enough to bring those blasted Senshi down on your head.*
	*Report back to me when your energy gathering operations are
complete, Prince Goro,* Wraith said, breaking contact. She sighed. It
made perfect sense, what Goro had said...it certainly explained her
repeated failures in dealing with the Sailor Senshi, both as Metallia
and as Death Phantom. Beryl had been competent but foolish, and the
Black Moon Family had made the mistake of sending fools into the past
to deal with the rabbit. Wraith narrowed her eyes. This time, there
would be no foolish mistakes. There would be no missions ending in
folly. 
	Now, she needed to find another general to aid her in Goro's
absence...

	*****

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Anta wa inaka kusai kamoshirenai.
---
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Rank I Convention Rookie
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net
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