Greetings, all!
Well, my server won't let me into hotmail anyomore, so now this 'raven has a
new nest at excite. Please send all your C&C to dataraven_659@excite.com .
Any and all C&C will be appreciated (just no flames, please!)
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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Listar --
LEGAL DISCLAIMER : None of the characters here belong to me. Sailor
Moon belongs to DIC, and Graz Entertainment is the owner of the
Yoroiden in North America. Don't sue me : I'm a student, and
too broke to be worth it.
SAILOR MOON / YOROIDEN SAMURAI TROOPERS X-OVER
RONIN SUMMER
by Morgan Hudson (dataraven_659@excite.com)
PART 4 : POISONS AND ANTIDOTES
Sailor Moon raced across the rooftops, followed closely by two
other forms. In contrast to her sailor fuku, these two men were
wrapped in plates of samurai armour and seemed to sprout spikes and
blades from every possible surface. They were most fearsome sights,
but despite their appearance they were not CHASING the Sailor Senshi,
but following her.
Touma, Yoroiden of Tenku and Ronin of Strata, was panting
heavily and bleeding from several cuts which had penetrated his deep
blue armour. He clutched one arm close to his side, and this was what
concerned his friend and partner, Shuu Rei Fuan.
Shuu knew all too well that Touma's weapon of choice was the
bow and arrow, called the Sho Ha Kyu. Without the use of his arm, he
would be almost useless in a fight. Although he would still be better
off than Tuxedo Kamen.
The hero in the tuxedo hung limply over Shuu's armoured
shoulder, moaning softly as he bounced with every leap. Moments ago,
he had been attacked by Naara, the Masho of Poison, and even now he
clung to life by the barest of threads.
"We're almost there!" Usagi Tsukino called over her shoulder
to the two Yoroiden as they leapt to yet another rooftop. "There's a
forest, and then we'll be at Rei's temple! How... how's Mamoru
holding up?"
Shuu shrugged. She must mean Tuxedo Kamen. "As well as can be
expected, Sailor Moon. A normal man would have died instantly... I
don't understand why he hasn't, to be honest."
**********
Touma Habisha grunted as he and the others jumped from the
building they stood on to the ground below. He had gotten a pretty
bad gash in the side from Shutendoji earlier, and was trying to hide
it as well as he could.
The path through the forest was well hidden, but Sailor Moon
seemed to know it by heart. As they ran she explained why : whenever
the Sailor Senshi wanted to train, they had to do it out by Rei's
temple, where they were less likely to be noticed. This path was one
she usually used for just that purpose.
Touma tried to respond, but the burning pain in his side
forced him to settle for simply nodding curtly. He grit his teeth
under his steel face mask and continued to run.
**********
Seiji Date had given up fighting back long ago, and now just
lay on his back waiting for the other person to release him.
Unfortunately, Makoto Kino had already been crushing him in this bear
hug since she saw him an hour or two ago, and showed no signs of
getting tired.
"Oh, Seiji... I always knew I'd see you again..." Makoto
sniffed a bit and squeezed even tighter. Her old sempaii, back in her
arms at last! "You never even told me why you left town!"
Well, admitted Seiji, these hugs were a large part of it...
the world was beginning to go dark. "Makoto..." he finally squeaked,
"you're... hurting me!"
The tall brunette girl immediately let go and leapt to her
feet. "Oh! Gomen nasai, Sei-chan!"
Shin snorted with laughter. "SEI-CHAN?"
"Shut up, boy-chama!" Seiji gave his friend an evil glare with
his one exposed eye. Rising to his feet with as much dignity as he
could, he brushed the dirt off of himself. "I left town because of
this, Makoto. I'm a Yoroiden now ; I couldn't risk dragging you into
it. Besides, the fate of the planet depended on me being in Shinjuku
last year."
Makoto nodded wryly. "Yeah, I've had days like that. You
may not know it, but..."
"I know it." Seiji looked uncomfortable and rubbed the back of
his neck. "Sailor Venus and I had a little run-in last night. There
was some... unpleasantness..."
"Makoto," Rei said softly, kneeling by her friend and placing
a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Sailor Mercury has... Ami is...
she's dead, Makoto. Ami is dead."
Makoto's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "That isn't funny,
Rei! Cut it out! There's no way she could be...!"
A quick look at the faces around her made it quite clear to
Makoto that Ami was. Shin Mouri was still clutching a battered red
helmet, and Minako Aino sadly revealed a familiar gold tiara with a
cracked blue stone in the centre. Seiji reached over and placed an arm
around her shoulders as Makoto Kino realised her friend was gone. Rei
rested her head against the taller girl's other shoulder while Minako
sat down and wrapped both arms around all three. Shin somewhat
uncomfortably set down the helmet of Ryo Sanada and joined in the
group hug as the four warriors cried.
This was the scene that a confused Shuu, Usagi, and Touma
burst in on roughly two seconds later, and the mourning of friends in
the past evaporated in the need to save friends in the present. They
would mourn later, Shin thought as he watched Rei and Seiji combining
their healing arts on the rapidly fading Mamoru Chiba. That was how
Ryo and Ami would want it.
**********
Ryo Sanada smiled softly as he let his hand gently run along
the bare shoulder of his bedmate. She sighed slightly, and rolled over
to face him. This, he reflected, was undoubtedly heaven.
Ami Mizuno looked him in the eye and groaned. "We're having
those delusions again, aren't we?"
Ryo grinned and nodded. "Yep, and it looks like they're
getting worse. One of us has a rather dirty mind, Ami Mizuno."
"True, but I won't hold that against you. You're probably a
very nice person." Ami stood up, and let the sheets drape her for a
moment as she went about the now familiar work of breaking out of the
illusion they had fallen into.
Ryo, however, had lain back in the bed and began to sing
something under his breath. Despite herself, Ami began to listen :
"I notice the raindrops - Waking me from my dream
I want to meet you so very much.
Will that morning hurry? I'd give you a call
And confide my love but I can't bring myself to do it.
Rain drops fall until my heart is wet.
It's the first time I've felt this way : don't laugh at me."
Ami decided to start by getting her clothes back. That part
was simple : she just had to remember she was wearing them. Soon
enough, she was once more in her skirt and silk blouse.
"Rainy Morning - the beloved morning while I'm napping
Rainy Morning - even the rain's sound is gentle
Rainy Morning - steamy hot shower will stop
Sleepy lazy boy... "
Next she set about rearranging the room. This wasn't hard
either : for some reason, they always wound up SOMEWHERE in the Moon
Kingdom, usually Queen Serenity's palace. The walls began to shimmer
once more as Ami tried to focus on the nothingness that was really
out there, the void of the Astral Plane.
"I want to to stop the alarm clock - groping with 1 eye open
What other parts may wake I don't know...
Rain drops - A morning when I can't hear the birds chirping
I don't know I fell asleep! Don't wake me up..."
Why couldn't Ryo stop singing and help her? This had been much
easier back when he was still interested in helping her escape. Now,
Ami guessed he was so bored with the constant nothingness he preferred
the delusions. She didn't even realise she was singing along.
"Rainy Morning - I only want to dream about you
Rainy Morning - Today's plan is already forgotten
Rainy Morning - Tomorrow there'll be fight...
I'm so lazy boy..."
The "real" world slowly faded back into existence around them,
completely unnoticed. A bit miffed, it left again.
**********
Ryo Sanada laughed as he spun the girl in his arms. The rest
of the people at the ball had already resigned themselves to the role
of spectators as the Crown Prince of Mars, second in command to Prince
Endymion himself, put on a show. Princess Mercury had never looked
more lovely, he reflected, then when she was smiling in his arms...
**********
Touma sighed deeply and rested his chin on his steepled
fingers. "Oh man, Ryo..." he moaned and turned to look accusingly at
Rei, who was bandaging his chest and side while trying not to drool
over him. "I never even dreamed he could just be... gone."
Shin nodded sadly. "And the Sailor Senshi have already lost
Sailor Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen, too. We don't even know who is behind
this, or which team they're after! What are we going to do?"
Touma winced, and not because of Rei Hino's less than tender
bedside manner. Since when did HE volunteer to be the leader? He
opened his mouth to say so...
"First, I think we ought to make sure nobody is alone, just
in case these youmas or youjas or whatever strike again. Everybody
is in groups of two, got it? As of now, every Yoroi will be assigned
a Senshi. If she eats, you eat. If she takes a bath, YOU take a bath.
You don't leave her for ONE SECOND, got it?"
The scattered group of Yoroiden and Senshi all nodded with
varying degrees of enthusiasm, so Touma continued. "Second, we'll need
to post a gaurd on Tuxedo Kamen. Whoever's behind this might get
impatient and decide to finish him off before the poison can."
Seiji guiltily raised his hand. "I hate to interrupt us in the
middle of actual PLANNING, for once, but can I be paired with Minako?
We... uh, we made a pretty good team before." Makoto glared at him,
and Minako blushed a little. Touma rolled his eyes.
Although... why HAD Venus and Halo been such a good team,
while Mercury and Wildfire had failed? He thought he had an idea...
sometimes a 250 IQ came in handy. "Venus, what kind of attacks do
you use?"
"Uhm... light, I guess." Touma nodded in satisfaction at her
answer and turned to Seiji. "Seiji, where does the Korin yoroi get
its power from?"
"Well, pretty much any kind of... LIGHT!" Seiji snapped his
fingers. "That's why Venus and I worked so well together! Her attacks
were enhancing my power, because we're the same element!"
"Right. And Ryo was the Yoroiden of Rekka... Mercury doesn't
happen to use cold or water attacks, does she?"
"She DOES!" cried Rei, bolting upright. "And you're saying
that Mercury's attacks would have been weakening your friend by
accident?"
"It makes sense." Touma looked down at his hands. "Well, then,
we'd better make sure that no Yoroiden or Senshi of opposite elements
get paired together. That's one crisis averted..."
Shin actually smiled. "Way to go, Touma! That's our little
team genius!"
**********
Eventually, the teams broke down into Makoto and Touma, Minako
and Seiji, Rei and Shuu, and Usagi with Shin. Since Sailor Moon wasn't
going to leave her love's side any time soon, Shin volunteered them
for the first guard shift. Everybody else agreed, and went their
seperate ways to prepare for bed.
That was when the unpleasantness began.
**********
Artemis happened to be walking past the window when he heard
a suspicious splashing. Slinking low to the ground, he rounded the
corner and hopped up onto the windowsill. There was his Minako, taking
a bath. He hissed despite himself when he saw the blond man standing in
the corner of the bathroom, staring at the walls and whistling an
aimless tune.
"Hey, Seiji!" yelled Minako as she leaned against the edge of
the bathtub, "if you're in here anyway, why don't you grab me a
towel?"
The blond man made a strangled, gurgling noise. Eyes squeezed
shut, he fumbled around behind him until his hand hit something that
felt like cloth.
Seiji sighed. That big idiot, didn't he know he was holding a
shirt? Wait a minute, she thought, that idiot is ME! It was
happening again, that odd switch of identity with Venus... why did
this keep happening?
Minako turned around and grabbed a towel, holding it out
to Seiji. "Here," he said, "and you'd better be keeping your eyes
shut! That's MY body, you know!"
Artemis had heard more than enough by now. With a loud screech,
he forced open the window and leapt into the bathroom.
"MINAKO! How could take a lover and not even TELL me?"
Minako, back in her own body, blinked and clutched her towel
around her form. Seiji gulped loudly and made a face kind of like a
fish out of water. "A WHAT? I... I beg your pardon?"
Minako, who first of all was more used to being accused by
talking cats, recovered a bit faster. "Hey... now there's no point in
jumping to conclusions, Artemis! We're just..."
"Lovers! I heard." Artemis crouched low and began prowling
along the edge of the tub. "I heard all about your mind bond."
"Mind bond?" Seiji nearly clapped his hand over his mouth as
the small white cat glared at him.
"That's right... the mind bond is an ancient pairing practice
between lovers in the Moon Kingdom. They would merge on the mental as
well as the physical plane, just like Mamoru and Usagi."
"So THAT'S why he always knew she was in trouble..." muttered
Minako.
"But we're NOT lovers!" Seiji had clearly found his voice
again. "We barely even KNOW each other!"
"Tell THAT," Artemis sniffed, "to the mind bond."
**********
Touma waited until Makoto fell asleep, and then put his OTHER
plan into action. As quietly as possible, he slipped through the door
and out of the temple. Working his way through the forest, he found
his way back to the clearing he had noticed earlier. This would be the
perfect place to do it, he figured.
Reaching under his shirt, Touma pulled out a palm-sized,
glowing blue crystal globe with the kanji for "CHI" burning in its
heart. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus his thoughts through the
yoroi crystal and make contact.
"Kayura..." his crystal began to glow yellow almost
immediately."Kayura, Empress of the Dynasty, let the power of the Oni
Yoroi heed my call! I must know why Sh'ten is fighting against us! I
must know how he lives!"
The wind howled and scattered leaves from the trees, sending
them dancing around the small clearing until eventually Touma was
once more alone in the moonlight, crystal raised. A tear slowly moved
down his cheek. "Oh, Kayura... why have you forsaken me?"
"Don't speak so quickly, Yoroiden." The voice was deep and
foreboding, yet familiar. Touma blinked in surprise.
** Piety... **
** Obedience... **
** Endurance... **
Touma Hashiba, Yoroiden of the Tenku, Ronin of the Strata, was
very careful to appear non-threatening as he turned around. Standing
in the clearing was a disgustingly familiar figure in green and red
samurai armour with at least six different swords hanging off of his
back and waist. Naaza, Masho of Poison, had come for him. And he
wasn't alone.
**********
"Kayura sends her condolences, Touma no Tenku." Anubis, Masho
of Darkness, strode boldly into the clearing, his brown and black
armour only adding to the appearance that had earned him the name
'Black Jackal'. "Even in the farthest reaches of the Dynasty, we have
heard of Ryo no Rekka's defeat. He was a great warrior. We feel no
joy at his passing."
"Then why is Naara working for his killers?" Touma stepped
back defensively, arms raised. "You won't take me so easily, Mashos!
BUSSO... TENKU!" An explosion of blue light filled the clearing, and
Touma stood revealed once more in the gleaming blue armour of Tenku.
"We must protest, Tenku. Naara has been with us, serving the
Empress, these past three months." Rajura hung by his feet from a web,
the six scythes extending from his shoulders making him look like
nothing more than a giant, purple/pink spider. The Masho of
Deception slowly lowered himself to the ground and stood. "I assure
you, we entered your realm only at the Empress Kayura's request."
"She seems to have a soft spot for you, Touma no Tenku,
although we can't figure out why." Narra finally opened his hooded
eyes and glared at Touma through slitted, reptilian pupils. "Besides,
I thought all sins were forgotten. One big, happy group of Yoroiden, we
are..."
"LIARS!" Touma grabbed for his bow, only to find himself
pinned to a nearby tree by six scythe blades on extended stalks.
Rajura snarled and glared at Touma with his one good eye.
"We are NOT." Anubis drew his long and jagged No Dachi sword,
so like the one Seiji used. "In fact, we came here to help you, if
you could stop fighting long enough to listen to us."
**********
Usagi hadn't moved in hours, Shin noticed as he watched her
watch Tuxedo Kamen. Whoever was under that mask, Shin hoped he
realised just how lucky he was to have somebody like that. He looked
up to see Touma entering the room with three familiar men behind him.
One, dressed in a conservative suit, had long white hair and an
eyepatch. Another was wearing blue jeans and a green sweater that
matched his hair. The third wore a gi uniform and had a cross-shaped
scar below one eye.
Shin slowly rose to his feet and glanced at Touma, who nodded
slightly. "Usagi?" he said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder to
get her attnetion, "these men are... friends of ours. They want to
help Tuxedo Kamen."
"Really?" Usagi sniffed and looked up at the three strangers.
"Are you doctors, or something?"
Anubis smiled. "Or something. I am Sasaki Kujuurou, Yoroiden
of Yami. These are my associates, Kuroda Jirougorou and Yamanouchi
Naotoki, the Yoroiden of Gen and Doku." Naara and Rajura nodded curtly.
"Please..." Usagi whispered, looking up at them, "help him..."
Rajura chuckled slightly. "Hmmm... looks like WE'RE the heroes
this time, eh, Yamanouchi?" Naara smiled at that and walked over to
examine the fallen Mamoru Chiba.
"Fascinating! He HAS been stricken with my own venom! How is
this possible?" Naara narrowed his hooded eyes and placed a hand on
either side of the younger man's head. There was a sickly sweet smell
as pinkish haze surrounded the two forms.
Sasaki turned to Touma. "And so, in the hands of good, what
once sickened and twisted does now heal and cure. The Yoroi of Doku
knows his new duties well : he has become reknowed throughout the
Dynasty as a healer."
Touma shrugged in embarassment. "But I thought... I mean, I
saw him strike down Tuxedo Kamen! He used the Snake Bite Strike!"
Kuroda walked over to join in the conversation. "It would
seem you were decieved, Yoroiden. And as deception is my specialty,
I will assist you this once before we leave. Whatever you battled, it
has the stench of a youma."
"Youma? Not a youja?"
"Youma are merely weaker youja, those without the strength
required to serve the Dynasty. They are second-class citizens, mocked
and scorned by all those with TRUE power. That they would dare to take
the forms of Naaza and Shutendoji is more than enough to insure their
deaths, no matter what corner of the universe they hide in." Sasaki
idly scratched at the scar on his face. "I shall remain here, and
guard the one called Tuxedo Kamen while he rests. Should these youma
return, they shall not live to do so again."
"We, however, shall leave." Naara rose from the slumbering
form of Tuxedo Kamen, who was visibly more relaxed, and turned to
Sailor Moon. "The poison has been purged from his system, but his
spirit is... elsewhere. He will not awaken in time to assist you in
your final battle, but I assure you... he WILL awaken."
Usagi hugged the tall man with the green hair and thanked him
profusely. Naara nearly blushed, and sheepishly ran one hand through
his green hair. Rajura laughed softly and clapped his friend on the
shoulder. Together, the two left the temple with Touma not far behind
them.
"Wait! What was that you meant, Naara? How can you know that
Tuxedo Kamen will be unable to help us in the final battle?"
Rajura smiled slightly. "Because we know who you fight. And
believe us... the final battle has already begun. BUSSO, GEN!" There
was a flare of purple light, and Kuroda was replaced by Rajura, Yoroi
of Gen.
Naara grinned, his sharp canine teeth glinting in the
moonlight. "It seems that I have saved the day... how... amusing.
BUSSO, DOKU!" A flare of green light, now, and the Yoroi of Doku
saluted Touma. "Fare well or ill, Yoroiden of Tenku... whichever
the fates decide!" Then they were gone, and Touma was alone again.
**********
The Dark One sat in his cave and waited for Tuxedo Kamen to
die. A goblet of some unidentifiable liquid swirled absently in his
fingers, as he watched his prize trophy continue its constant
rotation. Within the crystal, Ryo Sanada and Sailor Mercury were
beginning to look a bit more faded, as if their outlines were growing
a little less distinct... he toasted them with the goblet, filled as
it was with a portion of their own essences.
"To the death of Tuxedo Kamen, heroes. And to your joining
him soon enough..."
"A shame, that such beauty is defiled in the hands of such a
foul soul!" The voice rang throughout the cave like a silver bell, and
a shadowy indistict figure bolted behind the giant crystal, out of the
Dark One's sight.
"Who are you, who dares to enter my inner sanctum?"
"I am one who has come before... one who shall come again. I am
the phantom which shall haunt your every moment, and the wraith which
all evil fears! I am as deadly as the burning sun, and as elusive as
the desert wind... for I am the DESERT KNIGHT!" A long stemmed, white
rose hurtled through the air and pinned itself to the wall next to the
Dark One's head. He snorted.
"Your end is coming, Dark One. NEVER shall you be allowed to
defile this beautiful gem known as Earth!" The Desert Knight revealed
himself at last, a tall man swathed in white robes, with a turban
over his features, and a sword at his side. "This is the only
warning you shall recieve... heed my words. You can still turn away
from this path... or you can be destroyed."
"How very droll." The Dark One snarled and hurled his cup at
the intruder, who spun around and disappeared. "A simple spirit,
with the audacity to face me... most amusing." He leaned back in
his chair, ignoring the words of the Desert Knight.
But for some reason, the rose kept drawing his attention, and
he felt a sense of foreboding... perhaps he should end things more
quickly then he had intended. "Seer," he bellowed, "ready the
troops!"
"We shall strike the Sailor Senshi TONIGHT!"
To Be Continued...