Mamoru closed his hands around her neck, and squeezed. "Mamo-chan...
don't... please..." Usagi choked back a sob. 

        "Usagi-chan!!!" Sailorstarmaker and Sailorstarhealer cried in unison.

                                *    *    *

        "Makuro?!" Hiei exclaimed in surprise. "You're possessing my body??"

        "Hiei," Makuro said. "Makai is dying. Meikai is taking over it. They
are very powerful. However if we join souls, our powers will combine, and we
shall be able to defeat them."

        "Hn!" Hiei replied, his face turning sour. "I don't need anyone's
help to defeat the Meikai scum!" He leaped away from the light post, unaware
of a dark, evil being in the shadows. It eyed Hiei with bitter scorn. 

        "Hiei, I shall have my revenge, and this time your Jagan can't help
you!" Then it disappeared, like a flame that died down, followed by its
hideous laughter.

                                *    *    *

        "I will save Makai not for you, but for my friends and for myself,"
Kurama said. Makoto sank back into his arms, hoping this would end soon. 

        "DIE, TRAITOR!!!" The possessed victims charged at Kurama and Makoto
with their weapons. Makoto's mouth formed a silent scream. If only her leg
was alright... and if only Kurama would put her down... she could change
into Sailorjupiter, and show these punks a thing or two. However, things
weren't exactly going her way... The people were moving closer and closer,
their weapons ready. Makoto looked up at Kurama again. He didn't move from
his spot. She couldn't make out his expression. `Damn it, what are you
thinking?` Makoto thought. `Kurama-san!`

************************************************************************

Chapter 9
                          "Sticking Together"

========================================================================

        Sailorneptune stood her ground, her heels digging into the expensive
carpet. She waited. The enemy was fast approaching. "Be on your guard,
Neptune," Neptune coached herself. "Uranus isn't here anymore." As she said
this, the carpet began to move! The carpet pulled itself away from Neptune's
weight, and tranformed into a monster! Neptune was thrown off her feet, and
lay sprawled on the floor, looking wide-eyed at the horrible thing that used
to be her bedroom rug. The rug-monster wrapped itself tightly around
Neptune, squeezing the life out of her. Neptune tried to scream, but her
voice ran out on her, and she found it difficult to breathe. Tears welled up
in her eyes, as her head fell limply on 
the floor.

        `I'm going to die...` She thought, as the tears rolled down her
cheek, then her chin, then dropped to the carpet. She heard a door opening.
She couldn't tell anymore if she was just hearing things. She heard
something else. A voice. "STA SEEIAS REISA!!!" What did it say? Neptune
couldn't make out the words.

        Neptune felt a surge of heat. What was happening? The rug-monster
let her go, and she could breathe again. Somebody cradled her. Feminine
hands. Uranus? Neptune opened her eyes. The pain was finally subsiding.

        "Neptune, you alright?"

        Neptune tried to focus. She lifted her gloved hand to her rescuer's
cheek, and caressed it. She outlined her rescuer's jaw, tracing it with her
artistic finger. Her vision was clearing now. Seiya... no...
Sailorstarfighter was looking down at her, concerned. 

        "Starfighter..." Neptune said just beyond a whisper. "Where's the
carpet--...?"

        "Shh... I took care of it with my Star Serious Laser," Starfighter
placed her finger on Neptune's lips. "C'mon, we'd better find out what's
causing all these strange happenings." She offered her hand. Neptune took it.

=======================================================================

        They had decided to split up by twos. Sailorpluto and Sailorsaturn
took northside, while Sailoruranus and Sailorvenus took southside. The town
was silent, except for the `clacking` of Uranus' and Venus` heels running on
the pavement.

        "Mo~! Where are all the people?" Venus asked, as she stopped to look
around. The streets were deserted. No trace of life anywhere.

        "They're probably afraid to come out of their homes," Uranus
replied, looking around as well, searching for a movement of some sort.
There was none. This town was dead!

        "This place is turning into a ghost town!" Venus complained, her
mouth forming a dissatisfied pout. She sat on the sidewalk, and put her chin
in her hands, her elbows on her knees. She stayed like that for a minute or
so, then took out her communicator. After punching a few buttons, Artemis'
face appeared on the small screen. "Venus! Where are you?"

        "I'm in the southern uptown area with Uranus. Has Mako-chan dropped
by yet?" Venus said as she stood up, and paced back and forth on the sidewalk.

        "Not yet. I tried calling her through her communicator, but she's
not answering. Luna's with me right now," Artemis replied. Venus looked
worriedly at Uranus. 

        Uranus nodded. "We'll find her. We just need to know---"

        Uranus' sentence was cut off by a scream. That was... Mako! Venus'
eyes widened. Before any of them could say anything, they rushed to the
direction of the scream, their heels scraping the stony pavement. 

=======================================================================

        This wasn't good. According to the computer, the people that were
possessed were left with no soul. How was that possible? What evil force was
doing this? Sailormercury closed her computer again. They were in the
northern part of the uptown district. That's funny... where were the
possessions?

        "You see? The victims' souls were stolen by the Meikai." Botan said.
"When the victim has no soul left, the Makai and Reikai seek refuge in their
bodies."

        "That's terrible," Sailormars commented. "Where do the people's
souls go?" Just as soon as Botan was about to answer, a white, feather-like
flake fell in front of the group. A few seconds later, hundreds of them
fell, then a thousand. Snow.

        "Snow?!" Came Yusuke's surprised voice.

        "How can that be?" Keiko asked in bewilderment. "Snow in July?"

        "Just as I feared," Botan crossed her arms. "Since the world is in
chaos, the world's climate and temperature are going haywire."

        "That's right," Came a low, sultry female voice. The group turned,
and saw a woman with long dark hair, and a child-like girl in her early
teens. They both carried dangerous-looking staffs. The fukus they wore
resembled Mars' and Mercury's. "The end is nearing. We have to do something
about it soon before it is too late." 

        "Pluto, Saturn!" Mercury and Mars exclaimed.

        "Be wary. There are enemies around us, yet they hide," Saturn said,
readying her glaive-staff. Mars and Mercury readied themselves as well.

        "Yosh! Let's see them have a taste of my rei gun!" Yusuke positioned
his hands. Botan tapped his shoulder lightly.

        "Ne, Yusuke," Botan said. "If you destroy the victims' bodies, then
the victims' souls won't be able to come back to earth."

        Yusuke put down his arms. "Oh, right." He gritted his teeth. This
was tougher than he thought it would be. Just then, he felt the strange
sensation in his body again. The feeling that was eating at his soul. The
pain... Yusuke gritted his teeth harder. The pain... "Yusuke..." A voice.
Who...?

        "Who are you??" Yusuke yelled at the voice. Botan, Keiko, Mars,
Mercury, Pluto, and Saturn stared at Yusuke with shocked expressions. Keiko
rushed to his side, telling him to snap out of it.

        "Remember me, Yusuke?" The voice asked. Yusuke's ears were ringing. 

        Yusuke remembered. "Raizen?! But you... you're dead!"

        "Perhaps my body, but not my soul." Came the reply. "I know what is
happening to Makai, Reikai, and Ningenkai. If we join souls, Yusuke, we
shall be able to defeat Meikai."

        "If you join souls with him, Yusuke," Pluto told Yusuke. "There is a
possibility your souls may never be separated."

        "Minna," Saturn warned. "They're here!" 

        The group turned to where Saturn was pointing. People. All of them
possessed. Botan and Keiko moved to the side. The senshis stood ready.
Yusuke didn't know whether to fight or to stay put. He decided to fight.

        "Yusuke..."

        "Not now, Raizen!" Yusuke strengthened his rei ki, and willed Raizen
out of his body. "I have more important things to do right now!"

        He turned to possessed bodies. "Let's make this fast!" He charged
for them, his fist ready. The senshi watched him with their eyes wide. Even
Botan and Keiko were surprised.

        "That baka! What's he doing??" Mars said, the pitch of her voice
increasing. "Yusuke, you idiot! You're gonna kill them!" Even Keiko agreed
to what Mars was saying.

        "I think he really is possessed!" Mercury put her hand to her mouth.

        "I'll take all of you at once!" Yusuke shouted to the victims. He
punched one, then another. The victims that were hit, fell to the ground,
their faces on the snow-covered walk. Pluto and Saturn who were surprised at
first at his sudden action, now understood what he was doing.

        "Mate kudasai! Baka!" Keiko was about to run to Yusuke. She was
going to stop him. Pluto held her back. Keiko looked at Pluto with
astonishment. "Pluto..."

        "You have to trust him on this," Pluto coaxed. Keiko hesitated, but
nodded in awhile.

        "ORA RA RA RAAAA!!!" Yusuke yelled, as he punched the living
daylights out of the last one. The victims lay in a heap on the snow-covered
ground before them.

        "Whew," Yusuke said after a minute or so. "I needed to work up a
sweat there. It was getting cold."

        Pluto turned to the group. "You see, when a spirit takes over a
human body for more than 30 minutes, then the spirit stays in that body
permanently." Pluto explained. "Yusuke had to cause them physical pain
inorder for the spirits to leave their bodies. Spirits cannot stand human
physical pain."
 
        Botan jumped up. "Soo da yo!"

        "Ne ne, Yusuke, when did you think of something as clever as that?"
Mars asked. Even Mercury, Saturn, and Keiko looked proud of his plan.

        "Huh?" Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck, and grinned. "I didn't.
That was just luck. I just thought I'd give it a try." 

        Everyone gave exasperated groans. "Yusuke!!!"

========================================================================
************************************************************************

        
        

        

        
        

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-- That's Cheval-chan for yah! ^_^