CHAPTER SEVEN: First Blood Drawn
Michiru was the first one to arrive at the café. She'd set up a meeting with Minako, Rei and Hikaru. She'd also wanted Mamoru, Haruka, and Setsuna there, but those three were unavailable. In any case, Minako, as the leader of the Senshi, had to be there, while Rei might be able to make some sense out of her dreams, and Hikaru just happened to have some of the same classes as Rei did, so she'd be there as well.
A few minutes later, the three women strolled in, along with someone else she hadn't expected: Makoto. "Hope you don't mind," Makoto replied, "but I just happened to be in the neighborhood. Hikaru and I were going to go shopping, and she told me about it."
Michiru was the first to comment. "Why, Hikaru, is that a new hairstyle?"
Hikaru, who was usually to be found with her long gray hair in a pigtail cascading down her back, had cut it to shoulder length, and toyed with the still-uncomfortable length. "Yes, it is. I just got a job with Tokyo Gakugei University's Astronomy Department as a tutor, so I thought my new hairdo would look more professional."
Rei smiled; as much as she missed Usagi, there was much to like about the new Sera Muun. "Besides, it allows you to keep a lookout on the moon, ne?"
Hikaru smiled slyly. "Hey, *someone's* got to keep an eye on it, Rei. You never know when the Americans may want to mount another moon trip. They're leaving *too* much litter up there for my own taste."
"Ladies," Michiru interrupted, "if we can get on with this, please?"
Minako nodded. "Yes, we still have a job to do. So, Michiru, since you gathered us for this, would you care to begin?"
"Certainly." Michiru began to explain the dreams she had, followed by the bizarre mosaic of images and symbology that had occurred on the Deep Aqua Mirror. She especially shuddered when it came to the image of the "dark angel", with her ebon wings. Minako and the other girls spent a few minutes discussing the situation, as well as possible other things that it could be. Michiru concluded with, "I really don't know what more to say. It's certainly strange, and while I think it might have something to do with us, I can't see a clear connection."
Rei thought about it for a second, then commented, "Meet me at my grandfather's shrine tonight. I'll do a fire reading on you, and see what else we can do. Perhaps it's not so much the magical aspect that we need to look at so much as the spiritual."
Makoto also added, "Perhaps we should also send some of this to Ami. There may be an angle to it that she may be able to figure out."
"I'd think that would be unfair to her," Hikaru countered. "She's settling down in a new land, and she's already got the job of figuring out who those Sailors are, and searching for Usagi. We don't want to overburden her."
Minako nodded in agreement. "For the most part, we have to consider Ami as out of most of the current situation. She's got her hands full already."
Their food arrived, and the ladies were about to enjoy a meal in each other's company, when a small celphone went off. Minako dug into her purse and answered it. "Moshi moshi, Minako desu."
"Minako, this is Hotaru." The younger woman sounded extremely agitated.
"Calm down, Hotaru. What's wrong? I thought you were on a weekend trip to Hakodate?"
"I am! I'm here at the Goryokaku Historical Monument, and we've got problems!"
"What? Daimons? Youma? Monsters?"
"Worse than that--someone's trying to assassinate the Crown Prince of Japan...
...and that someone is *KUNZITE*!"
*"NANI?!??!?!?!?!?! KUNZITE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"* Minako bellowed. The rest of the women at the table dropped their forks or chopsticks, staring at Minako in shock. Various people from other tables looked at Minago in either annoyance or bemusement, but otherwise did not react.
"He fits the description to a tee, Minako. There's also a girl with him that looks a lot like you, too." There was a bit of silence before Hotaru came on again. "I left Hinode out there to watch them, and she thinks I'm calling the metro police. The fact is, they won't be powerful enough--not them, not the National Police, and not even the JGSDF. We need the Senshi here, and fast!" Without even waiting for a response, Hotaru hung up.
Minako rose from her chair, grabbing the checks. "Hotaru's in danger, ladies. We've got to get to Hakodate, and fast." The four other women rose from their chairs, grabbing their purses. If what Minako blurted was true, Hotaru was threatened by the impossible.
***
Hakodate:
The Crown Prince and Princess stared at the man in front of them who would be their murderer. He was male, in his mid-to-late twenties, with his long white hair cascading down his back. He wore a charcoal-gray bodysuit, with no ornamentation on it save for a simple series of white slashes on the shoulder area, with gauntlets and a cape of the same color. In each of his hands, he held an oversize, glowing, violet boomerang.
Littered around him were the bodies of several dozen people, dead or otherwise incapacitated, but all taken down by the man before them. His eyes held a cold gleam to them, and truth be told, that was what scared them most of all. He held the blade end to the neck of the Crown Prince, and it would only take a mere thrust to end his life.
Behind the young man, stood a young woman with long blonde hair and enchanting blue eyes. She was dressed similarly to him, except for her colors of white and orange. In her hands, she held a manriki-giusari that glowed as ominously as the man's did. She looked at the pair in front of them, the look on her face one of absolute disgust. "Really, dear brother," she said to him, "you should kill them now. It would be doing these monsters a kindness."
"My dearest sister Kinsei," the man said, without taking his eyes of the Royal couple, "all in good time. I'm waiting for a response from Cobalt. As much as we're sure that these two are Survivors, I would hate to kill innocents."
Kinsei sighed. "As always, Malachite, you are correct. My apologies."
Malachite smiled. "No need for apologies, dearest sister mine. It is a dirty job that we must do, and as much as I find it repulsive, it is to save the world from a future that is worse."
"True, true," Kinsei admitted.
Hiding over in the corner, Tomoe Hotaru sat with one of the few friends in the world that she had. Other than Michiru-mama, Setsuna-mama and Haruka-papa, Isamashino Hinode was the only girl who really thought Hotaru's healing gift was special. As a result, it was natural that the two became best friends. There were rumors that Hinode and Hotaru were as close as Haruka and Michiru, but they were only rumors. That wasn't to say that Hinode didn't love Hotaru, it was that Hotaru wasn't interested in Hinode in that fashion.
Hotaru crawled back to where her friend was, and said, "I tried, but it didn't work. They must have some way of being able to block my phone."
Hinode turned and looked back at Hotaru, her hazel eyes locked onto Hotaru's violet ones. "Hotaru-chan, we have to do something to save their royal majesties!" Hinode looked at the royal couple, then back at Hotaru, at the couple again, then gazed firmly at Hotaru. She gazed long and hard, as though she were trying to burn Hotaru's image onto her retinas; taking in every inch of the 19-year-old, from her long, flowing raven hair to her amethyst eyes, and certainly her sculpted body--although still physically the weakest of the Senshi, Hotaru had done some working out, and was in better physical condition than she'd been in years past.
Hotaru looked back at her friend, with an uncomfortable feeling. Hinode tended to act like the typical redhead at times--and certainly almost as belligerent as Rei. Something was going to happen...and Hotaru didn't like it at all. "Hinode-chan," she whispered, "what are you going to do?"
"Someone has to save them," Hinode snarled, steeling herself while looking at the scene unfolding before her. Turning back to her friend, her gaze softened for a final time. "If I don't survive, Hotaru, remember me." With that, Hinode pulled Hotaru in for a sensuous kiss that was filled with a lifetime full of unrequited love and desperation. Hotaru, needless to say, was stunned, and remained speechless as Hinode broke the kiss, then leapt up and away from their hiding place, commencing her attack.
To Hotaru's horror, it was short and fatal.
*"KIIIYAAAA!"* Hinode, athletic but with no sense of martial arts whatsoever, pounced on Kinsei, throwing her hardest punch. Instinctively, Kinsei pulled back, sidestepping, and as Hinode passed her, let fly with the blunt end of her manriki-giusari, screaming, "Malachite! We're under attack!" Without thinking, and acting on pure instinct, Malachite spun and threw his boomerang. The blade flew from his hands with skilled grace, a predator on the wing racing towards its prey.
As for Hinode, she felt powerful bands of chain encircle her, forcing the breath out of her, then her ribs crush as the blunt cudgel smashed into her chest. As blood expelled in a cough, she felt her body being twirled around as Kinsei maneuvered her into position...
...to have Malachite's projectile impale her as it slammed into her back. One of the bladed fins punctured all the way through her body, through the heart and out the front. As she stood there for the last final seconds of her life, Hotaru watched in shock as a beatific smile dawned on Hinode's face. Though there was no sound, Hinode's mouth formed her final words: "Hotaru, I love...."
And nothing more. Hinode pitched forward, breathing no more, alive no longer.
The next second was cacophony. Malachite was stunned. "It was only supposed to be a warning shot," while his sister said at the same time, "I was only trying to stop her...." Both looked at each other, horror etched on their faces. The Crown Prince screamed in panic, while the Princess simply fainted.
Under normal conditions, a normal high school girl would either have acted as either of the Royals did, or worse. But these weren't normal times...
...and Tomoe Hotaru was certainly not a normal girl. At the onset of death, a change came over the young woman. Within the mind of Hotaru was...nothing. She went blank--no hatred nor anger, just a cold and emotionless expression. Dispassionate, disconsolate, there was nothing in her. There would be time to cry later. There would be time for anger later. There would be time to mourn for Hinode, her truest friend, later. There would be time to console her parents later. There would be time for all of that, later.
Later, maybe, but not right now. Right now was time for death. Right now was time for silence. Right now was time for cold, dark, death. And as she instinctively reached for the Saturnine pen, she knew, on a primal level what she must do, what she truly was.
Silence.
Death.
Dark Messiah.
Saturn.
*"SATURN STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"*
***
Outside the perimeter of the ancient castle ruins, another pitched battle was taking place. Bullets were flying left and right, and members of the Hakodate Metro Police, the National Police, and Special Attack Teams from the JGSDF were firing every weapon they had, in an attempt to stop the apparent kidnapping of the Crown Prince and his wife. There were about a few hundred law enforcement and military personnel surrounding the location, and at the moment, they were in the fight of their lives.
367 Japanese forces against 47 unidentified assailants, many of them clearly gaijin but a few of Asian, possibly Japanese, descent.
And, as another police cruiser exploded into flames, scattering the officers like flies, it was clear who, at the moment, was winning.
On the section of the outer walls closest to the remains of the bridge that once allowed people across the moat, stood a quartet of people. The first of them was a young man, wearing what appeared to be a simple ice blue bodyshirt and frayed jeans. Over that, he wore a worn leather jacket, despite the relative warmth at the moment. He wore shades, and had his aqua colored hair cut in dreadlocks, which contrasted with his long goatee. He could have been mistaken for a soccer player, if it weren't for the fact that he was creating jagged spears of ice from nowhere and hurling them at his opponents with near-deadly accuracy, and only that because he was not trying to kill anyone. Without turning his head, he yelled to the woman at his side. "Prism! What the hell are we going to do to stop this?"
The woman named Prism fired a red beam that turned a JGSDF APC into molten slag. "I wish I could tell you, Riptide," she said, her voice tinged with a French accent, "but with both of our leaders gone on other errands, all we have leading us is Malachite and he's a bit busy at the moment." Prism turned to Riptide, and flashed that dazzling smile of hers. She had long, flowing red hair, with eyes dark as coal, and fair skin. She wore the bodysuit that seemed to be typical to the group, but with a rainbow starburst on its front, rainbow gauntlets, and boots. Prism changed the color of her beam to light blue, and levitated one of the police officers, then slammed him against a group of them. "I do have to admit that you're correct about that, though."
Riptide created another ice spear, this time shaped like a trident, and threw it for all it was worth. It soared over the heads of those assembled below, and took out the antennas of a command vehicle at the far end of the battlefield. "Well, I can't think of anything."
Prism sighed, admitting that she was out of ideas as well. On her other side, she crooned, "Betrand, my love?"
A voice, cool and calm, with the same accent, answered. "Yes, Marie, love of my world?"
Riptide commented, "Prism, Neon, I thought we were supposed to be referring to our true names, and not the ones who's bodies we inhabit!"
Neon laughed with good nature. "Wilhelm, these bodies are of our previous lives. *They* are *we*, and they've agreed to the merging. What difference does it make? Before you took over that body, Riptide, Wilhelm de Boors was just some junkie strung out on multiple drugs in Amsterdam, correct? And as for Prism and I, we were simply a French husband and wife--Bertrand and Marie D'Anjou--who were spending too much time sleeping with others out of spite, simply because they hated each other too much to get divorced." Neon took a risk, stopped his attack, and looked at his comrade. His face was that of a leader. His dusty brown hair was in a classic short cut, and his brown eyes showed a regal bearing and ability to lead. He wore a suit similar to Prism's, save that his colors were all neon variations. "These people are happier this way, and we get the chance to stop the atrocities in the future before they start." He failed to mention the obvious--to stop those atrocities, they'd have to commit a few of their own. He thrust his hand forward, and a neon-pink beam slashed through the top of that mobile command center, completely ruining it.
"But do you have any way to stop this?" Riptide dodged to his left, as a red beam of energy slashed through the space he'd been a second ago. The forces below were now using directed energy weapons, a sign that they were getting serious.
"I thought you'd never ask," Neon commented. Tapping a hidden button on his gauntlet, he spoke calm simple words into it. "Obsidian, this is Neon. You may begin."
Below where the police and soldiers were, the ground began to quake with a fierce intensity. A second later, the ground exploded, and a woman launched out of it, picking up an unmarked car, and flinging it as though it were made of tinfoil. She punched the ground, and with that punch, started a localized earthquake that knocked all the police off their feet. A group of soldiers rushed her, but she took them out with a martial artist's ease...and, after that initial entry, clearly not using any amount of her total strength. As the first band dropped to the floor, unconscious, another group opened fire on her, bullets flying everywhere, due to the fact that they were bouncing off her.
"Can't you do better than that?" she said, and her voice almost sounded cheerful. She stood, arms folded, commenting, "I'm unimpressed." She had forest-green hair, cut almost in a boyish style. [U13RB1]Her skin was dark, though not dark enough to be of African descent, but perhaps of Indian/sub-continental descent. Her clothing of choice was a dark brown sleeveless bodysuit, worn under what appeared to be a black sari. "And I thought you men were supposed to be tough!"
One soldier appeared on her side and fired a maser rifle. The white beam tore forward, lighting the woman on fire and knocking her back. She was propelled into the side--and through--the moat boathouse, reducing it to shreds. Cautiously, the soldier moved forward, ejecting the spent maser core from the rifle and readying to insert another.
Instead, a hailstorm of life preservers rocketed his way, enough buffeting him to render him unconscious. Obsidian crawled from the wreckage, her clothes burnt away, nude, some first degree burns, and angry, but otherwise unhurt. "You know," she said to the unconscious soldier, "that hurt."
At once, she felt a neon-green glow of energy bathe her, healing her, followed by an indigo beam, which obscured her natural beauty from the world. The green beam changed to a neon-blue one, lifting her back towards the area of her compatriots.
Riptide took off his jacket and handed it to Obsidian once she'd arrived safely. "Nice talents, Obsidian."
The girl smiled, blushing. "Thanks, Riptide."
"Actually, I was talking about your body. Have you got any idea how great your tits look?"
The smile disappeared. "Riptide, you're an insufferable bastard."
Neon stepped between them. "Okay, that's enough, you two." Turning his head to watch the police, who suddenly began to pull back slowly, he said, "But look at the good you've done, Ambika. They're retreating, and not a single one of them seriously injured. Great work, Ambika--and I mean that as it's said."
Ambika Sesha, the Hindu girl who housed the spirit of Obsidian, smiled. "Thanks, Bertrand. I known at least there's *one* gentleman here."
Riptide fumed. "Hey, I gave up my jacket for you!"
"And you keep staring at her bum," Bertrand pointed out. At that, Riptide hit the deck, immediately avoiding Obsidian's quick slap. He commented, "Hey, the view from down here's *much* better," getting her even angrier.
Neon grabbed her hand, calmly stating, "It's not worth it, Obisidian. That's the Wilhelm part of his personality, not the Riptide part. You know Riptide respects you more than that."
"Yes," she nodded, "but I wonder why my ancestor here was built so much like a model, and with so little of a mind? You all know *my* intelligence, but all the real Ambika Sesha wanted to do was be barefoot and pregnant. I wonder why?"
Riptide got back to his feet. "I'd be more concerned with why those police are pulling back. One of the Survivors in there is the Japanese Crown Prince. You'd think they'd give more of a chall--"
*"DEATH RIBBON REVOLUTION!"*
The wall of the auditorium exploded, and both Malachite and Kinsei were blasted outside by some group of strange ribbon-like whips of purple energy, tendrils of power that punched through anything in their path.
"What the hell was that?" Obsidian cried.
Kinsei, down at her end, a few hundred meters away from where the four were standing, tore off her ruined cape and thrust her splayed hands forward, crying, "Cresent Bolt!"
At the same time, Malachite got back to his feet as well, and cocking one hand as though it were a gun, shot from his fingers a violet beam, as he called out, "Amethyst Cannon!"
A figure raced out of the auditorium, dressed in what looked like a white school fuku with purple and black accents. She was carrying what on initial view appeared to be a seriously kick-ass spear, and she was racing after the pair, to everyone's shock. As the beams were closing in on her, she raised her spear to the sky and screamed, "Silence Wall!" A violet, cascading sheet of energy shot down from the polearm, shielding her from the attack.
"Isn't that Sera Sataan?" Neon asked.
"Don't care," Riptide replied, as he formed a pair of icy cutlasses in each hand. "As much as I dislike it, she's gotta be stopped."
Prism turned to Obsidian. "Ambika, find some new clothes and get back here. If that is Sera Sataan, we could have a problem on our hands."
Obsidian, looking in the opposite direction, got the other woman's attention. "Marie, we may have other problems at the moment. Look!"
***
Standing on the small, sculptured hill overlooking the boathouse, stood five other women in fukus, discernable by their hair color and the respective orange, green, red, sea-green, and light gray highlights on their suits. The quintet glowed with immense power, and behind them, the police and soldiers began to cheer. *This*, then, was why the law enforcement troops had withdrawn--the gloves had come off, replaced with sailor suits.
The blonde stepped forward, pointing at the four on the battlements, shouting, "We are the Sailor Senshi, and in the name of all that is good, we will punish you!"
Maazu, to the side of Binaasu, commented, "You know, I think I liked Usagi's line better."
Jyupitaa looked at Neputyun, whispering, "Told ya she missed Usagi."
Muun spoke up, commenting, "I *did* memorize it, if anyone wants me to say it."
Binaasu looked at Muun. "That's okay, Hikaru. Maybe another time." Raising her hand to her lips, she said, "Okay, we gave you a chance to surrender. Now we attack! *Venus Love and Beauty Shock!*"
***
The four Basalt Outcasts leapt forward as the Senshi pounced on them, ready for the attack. Obsidian chose her target: Sera Muun. "That one's mine!" she roared as she raced forward, only to be slammed by the power of the Love and Beauty Shock. She dropped to the ground, leaving a small crater.
The five Senshi moved their way in, power at their utmost and ready to do whatever it took to stop these murderers. Binaasu counted the odds: approximately 50 to 5, or 10 against each Senshi. In other words, the Senshi had the advantage.
Or so it seemed. One of the Basalts, an unidentified man wearing what appeared to be nothing but bearskins swung a huge battleaxe at Muun, but she flipped back out of the way, and thrusting her hand forward, roared, "Moon Symphony Aurora!" The spell caused a sphere-like barrier to encircle the attacker, and change colors at a frenetic pace. The man roared once in disorientation and pain, and as the bubble disappeared, he passed out on the floor, out like a light. Satisfied that she did no permanent damage to her victim, Hikaru targeted the next person on the wall and continued her attack.
Two more came close to her, but she rolled under their punch, then launched her leg out in a sweeping back kick, taking him down. The other assailant threw a fireball, and Hikaru leapt to her feet, avoiding it by mere centimeters. Bringing her hands together, she called out, "Moon Chromatic Shine!" A rainbow-hued beam of light leapt from her hands, taking one down. He crashed into his partner, and both went down into a heap.
Ignoring them, she continued down the battlements, targeting the next pair. As she approached, they brought energy primers to their hands, ready to fire on her at a moment's notice. Dropping back into a combat stance, she challenged them: "Stop where you are, varlets! I am the heroic Senshi Sera Muun, and in the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" Her challenge uttered, Muun raced forward, clearly on the offensive.
=<+>=
Neputyun was next. Screaming "Deep Submerge!" the projectile left her hands, streaming towards its opponent, Riptide. Riptide ducked under it immediately, and said, "I've got that one...she and I have got a *lot* of making up to do!" From his own hand, he called up an aura of power and screamed, "Frozen Heart!" firing a heart of ice back towards the Senshi, who barely dodged in time.
As the pair closed to within fist range, Neputyun leapt into the air, and executed a flying kick that Riptide ducked under. Once he'd gotten back to his feet, he threw a punch that she sidestepped and countered, grabbing his arm and pulling him in for a very nasty blow to the face.
He staggered back, but before Neputyun could mount an offensive, he created a snowball in his hands and slammed it into her face, blinding her. Riptide crouched low, and called forth his stronger powers, and as winds of chill began to wrap around him in a sign that he was ready to release them, he whispered, "Please...don't make me do this. I beg you. Don't make me do this."
Neputyun wiped the snow from her eyes and whipped out her Deep Aqua Mirror. "I don't know what you're talking about, but you're going to regret tangling with me!" She began to powerful energies, and a fierce grimace set on her face. Holding out her hand, a mirror magically settled into it. She intoned, "Submarine Reflection!" and the power burst of light lanced its way towards Riptide.
At the same time, Riptide stepped forward and launched his attack, canting, "Neptune's Cage!"
The two blasts of power slammed into each other with incredible force. Then, to Michiru's horror, the other beam continued on, breaking through hers and hit her with the strength of a tsunami. When the dust cleared from the blast, Sera Neputyun was encased in a perfect block of ice.
Riptide ran up to the Neptune's Cage, placing his hand on the block of ice, as though checking for something. As tears began to roll down his cheeks, he seemed slightly relieved. ((There's a pulse on her, still. Thank the Gods.)) He sat down next to the block of ice, gazing at the astonished look frozen upon the face of Sera Neputyun.
Turning to the victim of his attack, he said, "I didn't want to do that. If anything, please know that. Unlike Cobalt and the twins, I never wanted to commit matricide."
To his side, something else caught Riptide's attention: a ball of flame. Seeing what exactly it was, he left Michiru in her spot and moved to assist his allies.
***
Binaasu turned to Maazu and said, "Can you cover me? I'm going to assist Hotaru."
"I'm on it," Rei said, as she turned her attention over to the pair, calling the Mars Flame Sniper into her hands. As she began to target Neon and Prism, something in the back of her mind told her that something was not quite right with the situation. Loosing two arrows at once, the twin missiles nearly hit both her opponents, who managed to dodge with little time to spare.
"Terribly sorry about this, miss," Prism said, as she fired off an orange beam, "but we can't allow you to ruin our plans." At the same time, Neon fired off a similar-colored beam.
Rei squeezed between both, and as she got to within feet of her opponents, her mind screamed abject amazement. For fighting against her was...Beryl? At least it looked like Beryl would have, had she not been so consumed by hate. But that was not the part that shocked her to the core. She set her eyes on Neon, and inside Rei, a part of her screamed in pain.
((No, it's a trick, Rei,)) she told herself. ((That is *not* your husband. Back then, he would have nothing to do with her, and Endymion--*Mamoru*--would have nothing to do with her now. He loves you, not her. This is not him.)) As the blasts of energy came closer and closer, she knew she would have to think of something. And tight corner combat wasn't going to allow for the use of the Flame Sniper. She willed away the Flame bow and called forth a Fire Soul Bird, loosing it towards Neon. ((If this trick's going to work,)) Rei thought, ((I've gotta keep Mamoru--no, whoever he is--occupied.))
Sure enough, Neon took his fire off the Senshi and concentrated it on her projectile. As he brought a light blue aura around himself, he took to the air, ready to dogfight against the object--
--and leaving Prism's side unprotected. Whipping out a piece of paper, Maazu quickly rattled off, "Rin, pyo, to, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen. Akuryo taisan!" and threw the paper like a shuriken. The Akuryo Fuji no Ofuda speared through the air, slamming onto Prism's back and ignited, engulfing the woman in soulflame. Her shrieks of pain resounded throughout the area--and they were not the screams of someone experiencing an akumabarai, but an innocent in *serious* pain. Prism dropped to the floor, writhing in absolute agony as the flames grew higher, turning her into a not-so-bonfire.
Rei looked on in shock. ((Tha-that *wasn't* supposed to happen!)) her mind railed. ((That was supposed to exorcise a demon, or a ghost! Not tha--))
Maazu said no more as a vicious fist slammed into her face, sending her sprawling to the ground. As she landed, painfully, in the corner, she could see a man with aqua dreadlocks spraying water spells on her victim, frantically trying to put the fire out. Something in the back of her mind told her it was too late.
She looked up and found the man who looked like her husband, standing over her, his face a mask of rage. In his hand he held a crimson colored sphere of energy and in a flash, she knew what he intended to do. "You hurt my wife, though she tried to avoid hurting you," he said, his voice a cold whisper. "You will now die." He raised his hand up, ready to cast that sphere of energy down on her--
--and was stopped by the man with the dreadlocks. "I can't put out the flame, Neon," the other said. "Her only chance is for you to get her to the hideout as soon as!" The man named Neon looked at the bonfire that was his wife, and turned the ball of crimson into neon-green, and fired it at her, wrapping her in a cocoon. But before he took to the air, Neon gave Maazu one last look. "Be warned, Sera Maazu: if she dies, you die. If she lives, you die. Your days are numbered." Neon brought his foot up viciously, and brought Maazu out of the conflict.
***
On the other side of the battlement, doing the same thing as Muun, Sera Jyupitaa raced forward, calling up repeated attacks of the Jupiter Oak Evolution and, using it like a shotgun, mowing down anything in her path. She continued this for a few more minutes, successfully beginning to thin the ranks on her side, when a blur of camouflage leapt into her path.
Makoto did a quick backflip to get out of the way, and as she landed, she spotted a familiar face. "Setsuna, why are you in soldier's clothing?"
The woman laughed softly, and in an instant Makoto knew she was wrong. "Sorry," the woman said, "but I'm afraid I'm not the person you're looking for...not entirely, anyway." She stood in front of Makoto, relaxed yet not at ease, the "borrowed" BDU's loosely fitting her but still providing some sort of support as she said, "If you must call me something, call me Obisidian." He dropped into a combat stance. "Ikimasho, ne?"
Jyupitaa dropped into the same. "Hajime!" she screamed, and the two rushed towards each other. The two collided somewhere in mid-air. The intruder was still racing towards Jyupitaa when she did a flying kick and nailed the intruder squarely in the chest. Obsidian was propelled back, giving the Senshi time to land safely. Wasting no time, Makoto rushed forward and threw a punch, intending to end it as soon as possible. However, with little time since having gotten back to her feet, Obsidian simply sidestepped the lunge.
This move left Makoto wide open as Obsidian shouted, "Tremor!" and pounded the ground with her fist. There was a flash of light at the point of contact, and the ground erupted at Jyupitaa's feet. Rocks and dirt pummeled her and knocked her back and to the ground, knocking the air out of her.
As Makoto gasped for air, Obsidian leapt several feet into the air and came down like a bolt of lightning, intending to seriously injure her. Somehow, Sera Jyupitaa found the presence of mind to stagger to her feet and dash back just as the moving object slammed into the earth, spraying more dirt and shattering a good section of the wall. Obsidian, defenseless for a second, still managed to get into some kind of defensive stance.
"You just tried to kill me. I'm done with playing!" Makoto charged towards her opponent as she prepared to launch her Sparkling Wide Pressure attack. However, Obsidian crouched into a ninja's slide and tripped Jyupitaa off her feet, and as the Senshi was still in the air, she let loose with a rapid-fire punch attack...
which Makoto twisted away from, to Obsidian's surprise. However in doing so, Makoto was forced to dissipate her energy attack. Coming out of the punch cycle, the opponent called her attack: "Dust Devil!" The resulting punch caused a vortex, sending dirt and rocks flying in a vicious spray. Jyupitaa leapt back, but was pegged in the side of the head by one of the smaller stones. All though it disoriented her, she managed to hold on. Sensing blood, Obisidian charged forward, hoping to take her opponent down. However, Makoto had been ready, and upon that charge, she laid a very painful snap kick across her opponent's face. The initial confrontation complete, the pair hopped back to reassess their actions.
Although she tried not to show it, Jyupitaa was breathing heavily. Her opponent was good, extremely good, and it looked as if she was in for the long haul; there was obviously no quick end in sight for this one. If she was going to put an end to this, she'd have to take it up an extra level, and that would mean some serious pain for her opponent. She normally didn't care for the taking of lives, but as she stared into the eyes of her foe, she realized grimly that it might just come to that.
As for Obsidian, she was feeling it, although not as much. She's good--every bit as good as Spark said she would be. Obsidian fought back a tear that threatened to appear. Her beloved Spark would never breathe again, thanks to that damnable Eclipse and her Basalt minions. The best Obsidian could do was to gain her revenge by destroying everything in the past. Maybe, with a little luck, she would be with Spark in the afterlife, he and she together again at last.
Obsidian had one chance to take that Senshi down, and went for it. She formed a fist, called upon her inner well of power. There was a huge flare of deep-green power, and the air around the two shimmered as Obsidian shouted, "Lancing torpedo!"
As the air seemed to flare with shafts of light, Obsidian rushed at her opponent at an inhuman speed. Her attack, if delivered correctly, would send a painful slice kick just hard enough to stun her opponent, then culminate in a flurry of 300-plus punches to various parts of her opponent's body, before finishing in a vicious uppercut.
However, as the burst attack commenced, Makoto was ready. Dropping like a stone, she twisted and ducked as Obsidian's kick sliced the air just above her head. Filled with a charge of her green aura, she cupped her right hand as a large, sparking, green orb of electricity formed, readied for its launch.
As Obsidian turned to see what had occurred to her opponent, Jyupitaa cut loose and screamed, "Glowing Static Lancer!" and threw the ball, which turned into a lance of electrical force, and struck the other woman with the force of a heavy explosive charge, raining the full effect of its power onto her as it punched her with enough force to send her over the other side of the wall and into the souvenir shop. Jyupitaa's beam raged on, though, and after a couple of milliseconds, the blast corona was so powerful that nothing could be seen of Obsidian, save a vague outline of the person as she crumpled under the strength of the blast, vainly using the last of her strength to counter. The outpouring of energy continued, tearing apart the building, collapsing it as the ceiling caved in. Oceans of dust motes and sparks of electricity sprayed about, an eerie aurora that told of the damage it had wrought; the
shattering of wood and the cracking and crumbling of various other building materials as it buried Jyupitaa's opponent.
No time to waste, Makoto moved in, checking for signs of life. Senshi though she might be, she was no killer, and was honor-bound to see if the stranger had survived the assault.
***
Sataan flipped to the left to avoid Malachite's boomerang assault, then moved in the opposing direction in order to avoid Kinsei's. The three had been at it for a minute or two, and things were getting a little hairy. Hotaru was, although improved, not the best of physical fighters, and the fact that she had to take on two at once was only making matters worse. They were constantly attempting pincer movements on her, and the only thing that was keeping her alive so far were quick movements and a mind that was barely keeping one step ahead of their strangeness.
Leaping back, she thought she had enough of a chance to pull off her next attack. Staring at them with eyes harder than a mountain, she brought the Silence Glaive over her head, screamed, *"Silence Glaive Surprise!"* and as it went virtually incandescent with energy, she slammed it into the ground.
The world went monochromatic and silent as the attack went off, and a huge umbra of power lashed out in every direction. Within a minute, the fighting on the walls stopped as the center part of the castle ruins became a bowl of energy, the walls containing the shockwave as the blast was redirected upwards.
Color and sound came back to the world, and Sataan relaxed her battle stance...
...only to have the Glaive knocked out of her hands by a violet fireball. "You do realize," Malachite snarled, "that that *did* hurt." He stood there, Kinsei at his side. Their clothes were in tatters, Kinsei's cape was obliterated, and blood crept from a cut over Malachite's head, but other than that, they were still standing.
"Not bad, Senshi Sataan," Kinsei said, in a soft voice, "but now it's our turn! The pair grabbed each other's hand and focused. As a white ball of energy, arcing with bands of purple and sparks of orange danced in the air ahead of it, both screamed, "Distortion Commencement!" The ball turned into a huge wave of energy that Sataan couldn't block in time. Hotaru froze, expecting the blast to hit her head on.
*"Sailor V Glory Shield!"*
Hotaru blinked to find Binaasu standing in front of her, palms outstretched, and an orange heart-shaped field of energy blocking the attack. Minako turned and smiled at Hotaru. "Daijobu, Hotaru-chan?"
Sataan smiled back. "Hai domo! You got here just in time!"
Focusing her eyes again on her shield, she commented, "Where's your friend, Hotaru? I thought Hinode came with you." Minako heard a choked sob, and that was all that she needed to know. As the blast subsided, she channeled power into her hands, ready to cut loose on...
...herself? She targeted a woman that could have passed for her identical twin, save for the clothing and the person who she had at her side. At the view of Kunzite, Minako simply dropped her jaw. It was impossible. It simply could not be him.
On her end, Kinsei pulled out her manriki-giusari, and dropped into a combat pose. "It is time for you to pay for your crimes, Senshi Binaasu!" she screamed in English.
Malachite cautioned her. "Be careful, Kinsei. Truthfully, I'd rather you not do this."
Kinsei snarled back in a hushed tone, "But she killed our father, damnit!"
"That was in this time, Kinsei, where they were opposed," he replied. "They were not together, as they were back in the Millenium."
*"I DON'T CARE!"* she snapped back, switching back to English. *"YOU KILLED HIM, AND NOW YOU'LL PAY, BINAASU! PREPARE TO DIE, MOTHER!"* Swinging her weapon above her like a mace, Kinsei charged in.
Minako was already having a hard time seeing Malachite at the side of the doppelganger, but as that woman screamed her words and charged forward, it was too much.
((*Mother!?!?!?* What the?)) Minako thought as she summoned a Venus Love Me Chain to counter the other. As Kinsei closed, she threw her chain, and Minako did the same. Both attacks hit and cancelled each other out in a shower of sparks, which left both women to close in on each other.
As Kinsei moved into position and seemed to be forming an attack in her hands, something rang in Binaasu's mind. Moving with a graceful motion, she leapt into the air, spun, and as the other blonde released what looked like an identical version of the Cresent Beam, Binaasu kicked the woman in the side of her head. As both women headed towards the ground--Binaasu forward, with Kinsei sprawling back--the Senshi knew she had no time to lose. Landing on the ground, she charged a sphere of power into her hands, and spun, yelling, "Venus Enchanting Circle!" As she spun, a shockwave of orange roared from her hand, slamming both Kinsei and Malachite to the ground.
Minako stopped and picked the dazed Kinsei off the ground, fist near Kinsei's face in an act more akin to her old Sailor V identity than that of Sera Binaasu. Noting the girl's choice in language, she followed it as well. "You're going to pay for this senseless destruction, miss."
Kinsei stared Minako in the eyes, then spit in her face, a clear challenge. "What, Mother, are you going to kill me too, just like you did Father?"
Minako was still confused at that. "What the hell are you talking about?" She was about to continue her prodding, when she felt a pair of strong hands rip the other woman out of her hands. She found herself staring at..."Kunzite!"
The man looked back at her with sad eyes. "Not who you think I am, dearest Mother, and you don't want to know. You'll have to excuse Kinsei; my sister tends to get emotional about family reunions." He looked at her with a gaze that was both angry and loving, and whispered, "Forgive me, Mother dear." With that, he shoved her into Sataan, then picked up Kinsei and shouted, "All Basalts, back to our lair!" A horde of voices answered him in assent.
Seras Binaasu and Sataan called attacks to their hands, ready to use them. "How do you think you'll escape us?" Sataan challenged.
Malachite smiled. "Like this."
*"SPARKLE FEATHER!"*
A hailstorm of slashes of energy, shaped like quills, rained down on the Senshi, each feather exploding where it landed. As Sataan and Binaasu dispersed their attacks and brought up their shields, they saw two figures landing to the side of Kunzite and the woman he identified as Kinsei. One of them appeared to be an angel, save for wings black as night. The other wore a pink bodysuit, with white armor. Both of them looked familiar. All too familiar.
Malachite leaned over and kissed the angel. "'Bout time you got here, Beatitude."
Beatitude had a sad look on her face. "Malachite, when we get home, expect me to cry in your arms. I feel dirty, unclean." She looked at Kinsei. "Is she alright?"
Kinsei looked at the dark angel. "I'm fine, Ingrid. Thank you for caring."
"I'm supposed to, remember? If we survive this, you'll be my sister-in-law someday."
"*If* we survive this," the remaining person cautioned, appearing rather edgy at the moment.
"We will," Malachite told her. Malachite then looked at the other person carefully. "Is that a new hairstyle?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," the woman replied, her eyes showing as much pain as Ingrid's.
"Excuse me," Kinsei commented, "but can we get out of her before they--" she pointed at the Senshi, "--recover?"
"Kinsei's right," Malachite agreed. He turned to the angel. "Ingrid?"
His answer was the sound of "Angelic Rise!" as a flurry of feathers circled him. He felt himself being lifted to the air, and he and the angel took flight, away from the area. As he looked down, he noted that his sister had been picked up in an energy cocoon, as that pair matched their trajectory. And with a notion of, "We'll meet again, Sera Binaasu!" the quartet sailed off into the distance, followed by the rest of his troops as they did the same. Within seconds, they were over the horizon, gone.
Binaasu was, at Sataan's suggestion, about to check on the royal couple when she heard a shriek of, *"MICHIRU!"* The Crown Prince forgotten, she and Sataan raced up to the wall, to see a terrifying sight: Neputyun was encased in an ice crystal, and nothing that Muun, Maazu, or Jyupitaa could throw at it could break it.
"Stand back!" Sataan said, her voice already strained by the loss of her best friend--she couldn't afford to lose her foster mother, either. Putting the Glaive aside, she channeled power into her hands, and canted, "Silent Force Cutter!" She snapped her wrist forward, and a thin, bright beam of power hit the crystal. The beam seemed to hum with unusual harmonics, and a second later, the iceberg hummed and vibrated along with the beam before it shattered into nothingness.
As Neputyun slumped to the ground, she was as blue as ice, and looking very dead. The remaining Senshi stood back as Sataan approached, checking her pulse and other vital signs, then began to glow as she pumped life-force into the older woman. The amount of power transferred was high enough that the Saturnine sigil appeared on Sataan's forehead, and the pair seemed to burn with the power of the corona the teen was creating.
At last, Neputyun began to cough, and wheezed, "What...what happened?" Sataan, overwhelmed by the day's events simply broke down and cried on Michiru's shoulder as Binaasu explained what occurred.
Jyupitaa looked over towards the crumbling remains of the main building. "Well, it seems that the Crown Prince survived...." Her tone of cheerfulness was erased when she saw the coroners bringing out a body under a sheet. Knowing who it was, Makoto refrained from further comment.
As the police moved in, Binaasu turned to the others. "Ladies, head back home and get Michiru some rest, followed by the rest of you, ne? I want the all of us to meet at Rei and Mamoru's maison tomorrow morning, so tell the others. Hotaru, stay with Michiru until she's safe, then get back here--I think the police will want your statement. Hikaru, stay with me."
The others nodded, and immediately following that, there were flashes of light as they began teleporting out of the area.
Once the others were gone, Muun noticed someone coming up towards them. "Ah, Binaasu...."
"Don't worry about it, Hikaru," Binaasu smoothly replied. "I have it well in hand. Just leave it to me, and we'll be fine."
A young woman, about Minako's age approached the pair. Flashing a badge, she announced herself as "Detective Hikaride Mika, Hakodate Office of the National Police. That was some work you and your team did back there, Sera Binaasu."
"We did what we could," Binaasu said in truth. "We're not used to combating crime and terrorism, Detective. We're more often monster hunters and, well, the types to save the world."
Detective Hikaride smiled tersely. "I understand that, and yet you seemed to arrive just as the Prince was being attacked. Mind you, none of us are accusing you of anything, but isn't Hakodate a little out of the way for Tokyo-bound people such as yourself?"
"Justice never has a set location," Muun commented, "and as long as we're needed, neither do we."
Hikaride nodded in agreement. "I remember a time when I was assigned to Hawaii as part of an INTERPOL investigation a few years back. I remember the Americans were operating with something they called 'superheroes'--people much like you, except their main purpose was crime fighting. I was fortunate enough to meet the lone superhero of Honolulu; a man named Solar. I was thinking that it's a shame that we don't have people like that here in Japan, but considering how little crime we have here, and how *many* monster and demonic attacks we *do*, I guess it's better that you concentrate on what you're good at, correct?"
Both Senshi nodded. Then, Muun had an epiphany. "Detective, I have a question: how hard would it be to allow a civilian access to the INTERPOL database?"
Hikaride frowned. "Normally, I could talk to my superiors at the office, and they'd allow it," she admitted, "but you usually operate out of the capitol, and thus would be better off with the crime labs in Shinjuku." She reached into her purse and pulled out her business card, handing it to Binaasu. "Here's my card. Give me a day or two, and I'll see what I can do, though I don't promise anything." She pulled out a pen and paper out of her purse, and said, "Now that that's out of the way, would you two mind giving me a statement of what went on again? Just for the record, of course."
***
Nighttime fell on Hakodate, and both Aino Minako and Gekkou Hikaru--back in street clothing--were seated in the Two Seas restaurant, a popular seafood restaurant that was recommended to the Senshi by Detective Hikaride. They'd both checked into the same hotel as Hotaru, to keep her company for the night, but Hotaru had cried herself to sleep, the sorrow overwhelming her. Saddened, both went to dinner without her.
As both women sat, waiting for their meals, Hikaru sat, watching the silent, mournful face on Minako. After a few minutes, she couldn't take it any more, and said, "Okay, Minako. Something's bothering you, and it has nothing to do with Hotaru, though she's a factor as well."
Minako didn't respond, but instead continued to sit there, staring at the candle on the table.
"Minako," Hikaru said in a sweet, sunny voice, "Won't you tell me what's wrong? I can help you with the pain, but only if you'll let me."
Minako gave the gray-haired woman a wan smile. "Y'know, it's amazing sometimes how much you remind me of Usagi. As terse as you can be in your Senshi fuku, you're a very caring person."
"Call it a family trait," Hikaru replied as she struck an elegant pose. "So would you care to talk to me about it?"
"Sure," Minako commented. She paused a second, then asked, "Hikaru, back in the Silver Millenium, do you remember Kunzite and I having children?"
Hikaru, who'd been taking a drink of her wine, spat it out in surprise. *"YOU'RE asking ME that question?"* Hikaru stared at Minako with utter disbelief. "C'mon, you two had a thing back then! And I wouldn't be the one to know, anyway, since I really didn't know Serenity--Usagi--much less any of you!"
"It's something I'll have to ask Artemis or Luna, admittedly," she said, "but it never came up before." She lifted her glass, but instead of sipping from it, looked through its glassy view. "It's so vague. I remember having somewhat of a relationship with him, but nothing else."
"Why are you asking?"
Minako sighed, a sign that it was time to be completely up front. "That pair that Hotaru and I fought today, addressed me as their mother. The woman looked exactly as I did, and the man, just like Kunzite. He called her his sister. They both spoke to me in English, in the British variant--the one I'm familiar with. Lastly, the woman's name is 'Kinsei'."
"Which means 'Venus' in Japanese," Hikaru added. "Granted, those are important facts, but do they actually mean anything? And, couldn't be some kind of elaborate trick? It's not as if psychological warfare is anything new. Furthermore, you *are* our leader. It would be natural for someone to target you."
"I can't answer that, Hikaru," Minako replied, as the waiter arrived with their food. "And that's what bothers me. Part of me says this is just some bizarre circus stunt. Another part of me says that this is a true nightmare, and that those two are telling the truth." Minako paused for a second to pop a bite of her crab cakes in her mouth before adding, "And I have the funny feeling that there's not going to be an easy answer for it, either."
"Or one that you'll like, I'll bet," Hikaru returned, lifting a bit of tempura towards her lips.
The rest of the meal was spent conversing about other subjects, such as the bit part Minako got in a movie, and Hikaru's new job. Stopping back at the hotel briefly to check on Hotaru, the pair afterwards went out for a few hours, stopping at a couple of arcades and a karaoke or two before calling it a night.
But despite the pretense of fun, neither of the women could erase the concern that was building in the mind of Minako...
...or the fact that there was a possible new threat to the Senshi, one they could not identify much less understand.
***
Basalt City, July 3005:
In the midst of a dark, corrupt area, lay the remains of the city of New Los Angeles. Nestled on the San Andreas Fault, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it was nothing but crumbled remains, and ruined, contaminated beaches, a place that looked nowhere near as good as its namesake. The people who lived there, in the ghettos and barrios of Basalt, had one thing to blame for this, one thing that burned in their mind as brightly as radioactive plutonium:
Crystal Tokyo was at fault for this. King Endymion and Queen Rei must die, for their millions of sins. The Senshi must be destroyed, their worlds obliterated and their memories vilified. Nothing could cancel out the billions of atrocities that the descendants of the Silver Millennium had committed. The only thing that would even remotely equate it would be the complete and total annihilation of Crystal Tokyo and everything that diseased place stood for.
Whether the people of the Basalt Nation were right or wrong, not one of them knew. They only knew that it was a task that their ancestors, the Survivors, had placed on them. Those tales had been chronicled in the tomes of the past: the Gospels of the Pantheon, the Chronicles of the Survivors, and even the Legend of Princess Serenity, the onetime leader of the Crystal Tokyo movement, who'd found out what it really was, and renounced them, never to return.
So much had been taken from them, so much denied them by the Crystal Tokyojin. And as long as they were continually denied, the war would rage on. Already now, the worlds of Mercury, Venus, and the Moon were under Basalt control, their Crystal Tokyo-allied governments toppled, their Senshi slain. The Earth was closely split between the two forces, as was Mars. Basalt starships were easily matching the power of the others, and the Basalts were not going to lose.
That reason, that sure victory, was for one point and one point only: the Queen of the Basalts, their heroine, their savior and saint, their Jeanne D' Arc. Eclipse. Some said she was a goddess, come to lead them into victory. Some said she was an average woman who saw the need for justice and stepped up at the right time. Some said she was the bastard child of Endymion and the Senshi of Pluto, seeking revenge against her parents, demanding her true birthright. Some even said she was Princess Serenity herself, coming to fight against her former allies. The truth was, no one knew. Yet she was their queen and their symbol, and they rallied around her nonetheless.
In the throne room of the Basalt Citadel, a young man headed stepped towards the throne. His long black hair glistened, his equally dark eyes hard as agate. He wore glossy black body armor, and there was no other color on him save for a blood-red streak in his hair. Bowing at the foot of the throne, he gently cleared his throat. "Your Majesty," he replied, "the last of Cobalt's group is gone. Our spies indicated they made it through the Plutonian time gate."
In the darkness that hid the throne, a throaty purr echoed out. "Excellent, Scorch. It is a clear sign that I cannot fail. At worst, Cobalt will set the events in motion that will create the Basalt Nation, and at best she and her forces will kill the Senshi." A body rose from the throne, stepping into the light. She was blonde, with hard blue eyes that spoke of cruelty and hatred. She wore a diaphanous gown that left nothing to the imagination, and a neck collar that bore the ancient symbol of the moon. In her hair was a streak of black, dark as night. She was Eclipse, Mistress of the Basalt Nation and its virtual goddess. Casting her hard eyes on him, she looked him up and down as though he was a morsel or a new toy. "Do you not agree?"
"Yes, my liege. What do you wish us to do with the former Senshi Puruto?"
Eclipse waved her hand nonchalantly. "Execute her and place her head on a pole, right within sight of Crystal Tokyo. Meiou Setsuna is useless to us now, anyway, since her student, Elizabeth Wilson, is the new Sera Puruto." Eclipse looked at Scorch once more, then licked her lips in satisfaction. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes, your Majesty. Frostbite reported that when her forces engaged Cobalt's group, an unidentified person came to their aid." He held up a small box, then pressed a button on its side. A hologram appeared in front of Eclipse. "Obsession has spent hours trying to find out who this woman is, and she reports that all clues lead nowhere."
Eclipse studied the hologram intently. "She looks familiar, though I've never seen her before. Have you cross-checked this image with all known Crystal Tokyo forces?"
"Yes, milady. The closest we came is that she bears a resemblance to Queen Hikaru of the Moon Kingdom, before we killed her. However, it is not her daughter, Crown Princess Akari; nor Dutchess Verthandi Micchelsen, the current Sera Muun."
"Have Spectre and Tempus join Obsession. Their talents may be of use in this." She came down to where he stood, and looked him in the eyes. "Is there anything else?" she asked, as she leaned in towards him, dangerously close, her body pressing against his.
"No, your Worship," he stammered, feeling her breath against the skin of his face, taking in the scent of her, and keeping himself under tight control.
"Must you be so formal, Scorch," she said in a teasing voice. "It has been, what, a week since we last slept together, correct?" She stretched, and one of her breasts slid out from her gown. As she relaxed, she made no effort to cover herself. "I am bored, and feel the need for entertainment." She stepped back from him and shrugged out of her gown, revealing what could already have been seen through her clothing. "I must converse with Antropos first, however, though that shan't take long. In ten minutes, I want you to meet me in my private chambers. Oh--and bring Rime with you as well. I would imagine that she is quite up to joining us, wouldn't you think?"
A predatory smile crossed Scorch's lips. "As you desire, Eclipse."
The nude Eclipse watched as Scorch left the room. Ten minutes meant that he and Rime would have a few minutes to warm each other up before they would reach her level, which was important, since she hated to be bored. But business before pleasure, even as the old saying dictated. With that, she turned and walked towards a private anteroom towards the side. She needed to converse with Antropos, and plot the next course of action.
[U13RB1]p
