B I S H O U J O S E N S H I S A I L O R M O O N
A C R O S S T H E B O R D E R
by DARK DAY FOR ANIME (Mark A Page)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer - This is a story containing characters who were created
by anyone but me. That anyone would happen to be Takeuchi Naoko.
Handle it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
W H A T H A S G O N E B E F O R E
The DEATH SAILORS, Tsukino Usagi III, Hino Rei Jnr and Professor
Mizuno Ami, operatives of President Serenity and the Republic
of Surrealism, have survived what is, for them, a dangerous trek
through their capital city, even if a very short one. Enemies lie
in wait at every turn, ready to kill them, and their only hope is to
reach the prepared safe houses that dot the capital.
Having survived the ordeal, they now take orders from their
President, unaware that their operation to kill the leader of the
Masters of Reality, Adam Jade, is to be joined....
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The tiny figure flitted across the roof of the damaged
building, doing its best to ignore the human remains that lay there.
It seemed that the Death Sailors met with some resistance.
Not particularly intelligent resistance, either. After all, they
had plenty of opportunities to kill the Death Sailors during their
traversal of the gap between the two buildings.
Instead, they chose to sit and wait. That was their mistake.
The Death Sailors weren't the sort to be so easily taken.... Not
that the figure wanted to admit it was impressed with their efforts.
It stepped over to one of the dead assassins and studied the
uniform. Definitely members of the Truth Militia. Not particularly
well organised, but certainly NOT lacking in firepower.
It took a breath and turned back to the door which lead to the
safe house. Time to meet with them.
----o
Within the safe house, President Serenity, viewed via a large
communications screen, had started to debrief her trio of
operatives.
"So, we better get down to business. At ease." Serenity
nodded at the Death Sailors, who ceased saluting and gently sat on
the dais, cross-legged. Serenity continued. "This man is to be
your next target."
The image changed to a still shot of a handsome looking
individual, with short blond hair and piercing eyes. The hearts of
the trio fluttered, slightly, then settled as they remembered the
situation.
"This is Adam Jade, the leader of the group known as the
Masters of Reality."
Serenity's voice continued over the images that started to
flash across the screen. One of Jade addressing a small gathering,
another of Jade in a severely-cut but decorative grey uniform,
making an inspection of similarly-dressed soldiers.
"He intends to unite several powerful reality factions in the
hope of creating an army capable of taking on the forces of the
Republic. Death Sailors, he must NOT succeed. You must kill him at
ALL costs, for the lives of all who exist are at risk if he is to
succeed...."
----o
Part Two
Nemesis Gate
----o
ADAM JADE - THE FIRST NEMESIS GATE RALLY - 5TH LOK
Brothers and Sisters, I just don't know what this world is
coming to.
People accepting dreams, fantasy and surreality over the truth!
The truth that goes by the name of reality! And thus they suppress
those of us who choose to believe in this truth.
We have struggled, for many years, since the foundation of the
Republic, to have our collective voices heard. But this struggle
has met with the harshest punishment.... The murder of our number,
in the multitudes.
Why? Why do this to us? What have we done that deserves such
punishment? Why do we threaten them so? Perhaps they see, within
our ways, our attitude, something that shall be more appealing to
the masses?
Yes, my brothers and sisters. Truth and Reality are the codes
by which we all live, and together, we shall bring down the powers
that be, and show the people the truth of our holy cause!
----o
"The enemy we encountered...." Ami rubbed her chin. "Were
they possibly involved with Jade's group? They seemed awfully
prepared for our arrival...."
Serenity reappeared on the screen and nodded, thoughtfully.
"I wouldn't discount the possibility.... Jade is quite a paranoid
individual and would have many of his assassin groups watching out
for republican operatives."
Usagi shrugged. "We are under threat, constantly, from a
multitude of groups. Those commandos we encountered could have
belonged to anyone."
"Is that your judgement, Tsukino Usagi the third?" Said the
soft, feminine voice from behind the Death Sailors. Instantly, they
spun and assumed a ready position, hand revolvers whipped from where
they had been clipped, on their belts. They relaxed as soon as they
saw who they were facing. Mostly.
"Ah. Lady Luna de Sade. It is nice to see you made it
safely." President Serenity smiled behind them, crossing her hands
over her lap.
The dark blue-black cat was sitting, front feet aligned with
poise, her eyes staring at the guns that had been pointed at her
with total disdain. "I see your paranoia has not passed, Tsukino
Usagi the third." The cat smiled, her eyes squinting with
amusement.
Usagi sighed, and was the last to reholster her weapon. "With
good reason, Lady de Sade. Do you normally travel in the form of a
cat?"
"It is the best way to get around the city without being
attacked. Very few of the enemy believe, or even understand, the
powers of the old nobles." Luna chuckled.
"Are you here for a reason, Lady de Sade?" Ami looked between
Luna and Serenity. "To be our guide in this mission?"
Serenity answered. "Indeed. She has been spying on the
activities of the Masters of Reality for some time now."
"Great. We get the counsel of the cat." Usagi sat back down
on the dais, roughly, much to the annoyance of Ami and Rei.
"What's your problem? You got something against Lady de
Sade?" Rei put her hands on her hips and shook her head. Usagi
looked daggers up at her.
"Let's just say we've never had the best of working
relationships." Usagi grumbled. Luna chuckled softly and stood,
stretching her front legs.
"I guess I better assume a more human posture. Being a cat
seems to instill bad feelings within our dear Usagi, here."
Lady Luna closed her eyes, watched by Rei and Ami with
fascination. Her body was surrounded by a gilden glow, and slowly,
it began to stretch and grow, the coat of fur shrinking towards the
head.
Within seconds, where the feline Lady Luna had stood, the
naked form of a dark-haired, noble young lady, knelt. She opened
her eyes, smiling at the open mouths of Rei and Ami.
"The powers of the nobles are strange, are they not?" Lady
Luna chuckled. "All I need now are some clothes."
"You shall find some in the antechamber, Lady Luna."
President Serenity nodded. Lady Luna smiled and stood, turning
quickly and padding towards the door at the far end of the main
room.
"Sugoiii." Rei blinked, holding her hands up to her face.
"I've never seen anything like it."
"Lycanthropy, or a form of such. Fascinating. I must study
this phenomenon." Ami rubbed her chin.
"She won't let you, Ami. She's not that kind of person." Rei
and Ami turned to Usagi, who was still sitting on the dais in a
huff.
"What's wrong with you, grump?" Rei sneered.
"You've seen one noble change, you've seen them all." Usagi
threw her nose into the air, haughtily. "Anyway, we are being
disrespectful in the presence of our President."
----o
Lady Luna stepped back into the main room some five minutes
later, dressed in a similar bodysuit to that of the Death Sailors.
Quietly, she made her way up behind the trio as they continued to
discuss the operation with Serenity.
"I take it the three of you have heard of Nemesis Gate?"
Serenity looked at them, questioningly.
"Indeed, I have." Ami nodded. "It is the border post region
with the neighbouring kingdom of Beryl, is it not?"
"That is correct." Serenity turned aside as she was handed a
brief from one of her advisors. After a few seconds of reading, she
handed it back. "This most certainly confirms our suspicions.
There is a gathering taking place within that district."
"As I suspected there would be." Lady Luna spoke up.
"Indeed, Lady Luna. You did suspect this to be the case."
Serenity nodded. "We should have listened to your reports a lot
sooner."
"Blame it on your staff." Luna smiled, waving a hand at the
screen, dismissively. Rei was furious at the action.
"You can't speak to the President in such a manner."
"It might very well have been my manner that made them ignore
my reports in the first place." Luna chuckled. "I can live with
that. But it doesn't change the fact that there is more to this
than merely a gathering of the forces of reality."
Luna paced the floor, now with the attention of Serenity and
the trio firmly fixed on her. She smiled to herself, used to being
the centre of attention.
"The reason that Adam Jade has planned this gathering within
the Nemesis Gate district has a lot to do with the fact that it IS
the border post between the Republic and Beryl's Monarchy. We all
know that Beryl has had territorial designs on the Republic for some
time, now. There could be no more effective weapon to use against
us than an organised uprising by those disaffected with out
philosophies."
"So, Adam Jade is merely a means to an end?" Ami questioned.
Luna nodded.
"It would not surprise me at all if Jade is part of Beryl's
forces. He wouldn't be the first to try and infiltrate our
society."
"I seem to remember that the last one to cause damage to the
Republic was a member of the aristocracy...." Usagi sneered at
Luna. "At least, that was what everybody thought."
Luna scowled. "His actions brought down the aristocracy,
reducing our power and influence."
"Something that you have been trying to make up for ever
since." Usagi shook her head. "I wouldn't put it beyond you, Luna
De Sade, to have arranged this entire gathering, yourself."
"Usagi!" Rei and Ami chorused. Usagi turned away,
unrepentant. Serenity decided it was time to step in.
"Tsukino Usagi the Third!" Usagi turned and stood to
attention at the stern tone of her President. "I do not care what
bitterness has passed between yourself and the Lady, but you shall
not allow it to affect this mission, do you understand?"
"Yes, my President. I apologise." Usagi bowed, slightly.
"There is no need to chastise her, President Serenity. Her
feelings towards me are valid." Luna stepped forward, crossing her
hands in front of her. "We have been involved, in the past, in
some.... For want of a better name, messy operations. She is
merely upset at having lost some of her friends in those
operations."
"Accepted, Lady Luna. However, since it was MY decision to
put the pair of you together on this mission, you shall both push
past hostilities aside for the sake of the Republic."
"Yes, my President." Usagi and Luna said in unison.
"Now, then...." Serenity continued. "I have planned a route
by which you should be able to traverse in safety. It shall take
you three days to get to Nemesis Gate. I suggest you all try to
rest as much as possible, in which time you can study the map of the
region and define the best possible way out of the district when you
have completed the task...."
----o
Adam Jade sat in the small office he had commandeered for the
gathering. Sunk into the deep folds of the vast black leather
chair, he contemplated those who were passing his field of view,
through the large open window that looked down upon the quadrangle
below.
He sighed. He hated what he was doing. At least, he hated
these kind of people. Militarists.... Easy to manipulate.
Stupidity made flesh. They would follow any moron for any cause.
He just happened to be the latest model. And that was what he
really hated about it all.
They weren't following him because they were following HIM.
Anybody with the gift of the gab could have worked them up as well
as he had. No, he was not that important to these people. At
least, not in his mind.
He stood from the chair and stared down at the rows of
soldiers. Hundreds of men and women, and not a neuron between them
all.... No imagination.
He shook his head. He had to learn to put aside his days as a
member of the art set in the Republic. He had spent much of his
life, trying to make it as a painter, and failed. What else was
there for him to do but become a fascist dictator? He chuckled at
his own black humour.
There was still an opportunity.... To back out. To cease
this stupidity, here and now. To try and finish a career that had
struggled up to now. No, there was no chance of that. Too much had
been organised. He had become too wrapped up in the shady deals
that he enjoyed so much.
And that was the crux of it all. He LIKED the idea of playing
the political mastermind and dictator. He LIKED the shadowy worlds
in which he'd travelled these past few years. He wanted for it to
go on forever. But there was no real likelihood of that happening.
For he knew the destiny of all dictators. It was because of
people like that that the Republic had been formed. They weren't
going to allow him to tear it all down that easily....
"Sir..." He turned to the woman's voice. His secretary,
Titus, stood in the doorway to the office, saluting him. He smiled
and nodded at her deference. "It is time to address the first
arrivals."
"I'll be ready in a couple of minutes."
"Yes sir." Titus nodded and left the office, closing the door
behind her. He let out a long sigh, picked up the cap that sat on
his desk, put it on, steeled himself, reciting the words he would
say to the gathering in his mind and stepped up to the office
door....
----o
Four figures crouched on top of a building, overlooking the
quadrangle within which the gathering of reality forces was taking
place. The Republican operatives that went by the name of the
Amazoness Quartet.
All were dressed and kitted in much the same manner as the
Death Sailors. However, the Amazoness Quartet weren't even close in
attitude when it came to their work. In fact, they were the
Republic's wild cards. It was visible even in the hairstyles they
chose for themselves, and the adornments that they would attach to
the bodysuits, overcoats and backpacks in their posession.
Just the way they carried themselves whilst watching the
quadrangle said everything about their attitude to their work.
VesVes, the readheaded firebrand with her hair up in a standing
tail, like a flare ready to be fired, kept watch over the events.
Her nervous tension almost at breaking point. JunJun, who sat
behind her, staring at the clouds as they flew by, her green hair
tied up in a three-tail pattern, one up two down, was completely
unfazed by their work. In fact, she looked a little bored.
"Any change?" JunJun sniffed with patent disinterest. VesVes
turned and looked back at her companion.
"I think Jade is getting ready to make his first declaration."
She shook her head, making the large tail jiggle about. She simply
couldn't understand her partner's lack of enthusiasm for what was
about to happen.
"Ho hum." JunJun turned and looked at VesVes. "Does that
mean we'll have an opportunity to take him out before those Death
Sailors get to him?"
"I do not think that that would be a very wise decision. At
least, not being as close to the gathering as we are." VesVes and
JunJun turned and looked up at the standing figure of CereCere, her
pink hair turned into tubing that smacked of spaghetti architecture.
Her hands were crossed over her front with supreme delicacy, and she
spoke in the softest of measured tones.
"PallaPalla wanna throw a grenade at them." The last of the
four pulled a large object from her backpack, which she detached
from its casing. Her short blue hair, lined with bolas that bore a
strange resemblance to a merry go round, shook as she excitedly
pulled the grenade into view.
"I do not think that would be a very wise decision, either."
CereCere wagged a finger at PallaPalla, who screwed up her nose in
disappointment.
"Aww.... PallaPalla wanna blow up people. PallaPalla likes
blowing up people. It's fun."
"You can play your games later." JunJun sniffed and turned
back to VesVes, who was gesticulating wildly as she peered through
her binoculars. "What's up with you?"
"He's there! He's there, I tell you!"
The other three almost bundled her out of the way to get a
glimpse, pulling their own binoculars from their backpacks.
"Hmm.... He doesn't look like much to me." JunJun shrugged.
"I can't see what Serenity is so worked up about."
"He is very handsome, and he has an excellent speaking voice.
It is the mastery of the two elements that makes him such a threat."
CereCere pointed out.
"PallaPalla wanna blow him up." She juggled the grenade in
one of her hands.
"Ano... I don't think that's a very good idea..." VesVes
grabbed the grenade from her.
"Aww... VesVes is being cruel to me." PallaPalla started to
cry, volumes of tears flying out of the corners of her eyes.
JunJun and CereCere facefaulted. "Honestly...." JunJun shook
her head. "Here, play with this."
JunJun handed PallaPalla a small, well punctured cotton doll.
"Wai! My Daddy Doll.... PallaPalla loves her Daddy Doll."
PallaPalla grabbed the doll and stepped aside, pulling a large, evil
looking needle from her overcoat. "PallaPalla stab Daddy Doll."
And thus she began to skewer the doll with much joy.
CereCere and VesVes looked at JunJun strangely. She just
shrugged. "Don't blame me. It's a kind of Oedipus Complex. Her
father used to nail her to the kitchen wall as a statement of
individuality...."
After several moments, the remaining three stepped away from
the side of the building, growing tired of watching Jade mouthing
his speech without hearing what he had to say.
"Damn, I wish we had the high tech equipment some of the other
operatives have." VesVes punched a fist in the palm of her other
hand.
"They wouldn't trust is with it, dearie." JunJun shrugged.
"So, what do we do?"
"I dare suggest...." CereCere began. "That we wait and see
what the Death Sailors have up their sleeve before we make our
move."
----o
"So, the Amazoness Quartet are in on this as well...." Rei
rubbed her chin, thoughtfully as she sat on the middle of the safe
house floor, opposite Luna.
"Indeed. With something this big, that group of lunatics were
bound to be attracted." Luna nodded and turned to Ami and Usagi,
who were pouring over the diagram of the Nemesis Gate and
surrounding districts. "Like flies to a carcass...."
"We could do without them." Usagi muttered, grumpily. "We'll
have a hard enough time traversing some of the gullies between the
Vermion Lock and Nemesis Gate without their butting into our
business."
"How are they allowed to just run around the way they do?"
Rei scratched her head. "And they get away with it with their
lives, too. It's almost inhuman."
"Well, it has a lot to do with their backgrounds...." Luna
cleared her throat. "They're.... not quite the same as the rest of
us...."
"What do you mean by that?" Rei gave Luna a strange
expression as she turned back to the dark-haired operative.
"Well.... It's hard to say.... But one could almost say they
weren't quite.... human."
END OF PART 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ACROSS THE BORDER
In the heat of the day
Many miles away when the
Sun is beating down
upon the main street.
I'll be waiting at the station,
I gotta move down the line.
They'll be dancing and singin'
And doin' their thing
And they'll be rockin' and rollin'
Until the day is done.
You know I've got to
Make the deadline-
I gotta get that southbound train tonight-
If I don't get to the border then I'll write.
The Mardis Gras
Will be blowing strong
And the people dancing
All across the city
I'm leavin' here tonight
I gotta move down the line.
I'm gonna catch a ride
On the 9.05
I'm gonna ride the rails
Until we reach the morning,
Maybe three or four
Hundred miles.
I gotta get that southbound train tonight-
If I don't get to the border then I'll write.
When the wind is blowing
Softly throught the streets
of a little town
And the music's playin',
You're waitin' somewhere
Over the horizon.
I gotta get that southbound train tonight-
If I don't get to the border then I'll write.
-Jeff Lynne-
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Next Chapter - "Open Invitation"
Sorry to make people wait for this chapter. It's been a while since
I've had the opportunity to work on it.... I've been too busy on
the current SIU thread.
This chapter didn't quite work out the way I expected, so I may at
some stage rewrite it. If you have any comments and suggestions,
they will be gratefully accepted. ^_^
DDFA (The Right Dishonourable Mark A Page) ayanami@merlin.net.au
Chief Propoganda Officer, Keeper of the Tapes, Co-Founder of the
Saitou-chan Fan Club and Compulsive Rabies-san Shit-Stirrer. ^_^
Version 1.0 - 12th Jun 1998