Fatal Fury Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Rifts ❯ Chapter 28: Dishonest Likeness ( Chapter 28 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Sailor Moon/Rifts Crossover (Revised Edition) By Simon Woodington

Chapter 28: Dishonest Likeness

Her voice tore through the temple as only one can when it is propelled
in abject terror, betrayal, and soul rending agony. In the place where
a powerful example of his kind once stood, and the man who's glowing
robe shared and amplified his anger as he glared at the steaming
ashes. The stone structure, in observation, failed to react this time,
for recently, these sort of occurrences had become quite common. If
ever so unpleasantly that word may be attributed to death on any
level.

:He's going to alienate her; was the thought. This, of course,
Uraki-Ayo knew.

'This cost, dear Yanei, was forewarned. Even as you feared me, you did
not fear consequence,' he snarled cruelly in viscous Japanese. 'This
is your error. Take it and learn, for I am at least gracious enough to
offer you the opportunity of repentance.'

Flaccid of being, wit, and emotion, she gazed at him, soul-stricken as
the crystal shimmering of tears flew over her flushed cheeks. She
withdrew internally. To attend the tears would be to admit weakness,
and beyond desiring to, and wishing her soulmate back, she knew he
would strike her down should just a hint of this desire slip.

'This has come to exceed my want,' he said, his voice gaining
unsettling respite. 'Yet I still trust you enough to ask of you a
mission.'

The bowed her head, and did not raise it.

'You will find Makoto, and once you have learned the nature of this...
Resistance ...and its leader, you will kill her. I have no tolerance
for this potential source of interference.'

In observation, he was certain she would gesture in the slightest, and
betray her more honest nature, yet, she did not, so he spoke further:

'You will leave now, and not return until Makoto's demise.'

As her childishly attractive form faded in a wash of springwater and
lilies, another introduced itself. Her form was generous, and purple
adango atama, unmistakable.

'Report your success.'

She merely nodded.

'As you predicted, she was vulnerable. I marked her.'

'The second part?' he inquired, unsuccessfully attempting to conceal
his anxiousness. The response was as elaborate as the sealed vial she
handed him.

'Ah wonderful, Jisuruka!' he smiled, seeming to examine the contents
more than the container. 'Yanei will soon be joining Makoto. You may
continue the remainder of the collection, I will send your senshi as
we can fabricate them.'

'You suffuse my honor, Uraki-sama,' she replied, the motion of bowing
in the gentle closing of her eyes.

'Hai, I do. Now go, I have other matters of greater importance to
settle.'

He turned upon a bound woman in green and white, regarding her scarred
figure bound and lax upon the bloodied white table. He had shattered
the bones in her arms recently, and she had spoken only what he was
sure were lies, saying she knew nothing, while her screams had
professed his effectiveness. For the moment, she had earned the
respite, suffering the presence of piercing nails within various parts
of her tender anatomy. He genuinely wondered why it was he could not
infiltrate the source of her power.

Perhaps he had merely sought it in the incorrect manner.

Her groaning voice, raw and weak, indicated her state of awareness.

'Good morrow, Xalia,' he grinned, taking the crimson matted bow pinned
to the front of her uniform and straightening it. 'I trust you slept
well?'

The confusion in her face brought a measure of a smile to Uraki-Ayo's
expression, which he did not hide.

'Are you still sore?'

She moved slightly, feeling the spires of agony were the nails
resided, and attempting futilely to restrain the cries that followed.

'Are you hungry?'

Her eyes widened, her befuddlement furthered by his apparent kindness
after the previous nights' torture. A week before that had passed,
countless unnamable acts performed upon the young woman. As such,
reality was a blur, and made little sense. Uraki retrieved a fine
looking sandwich from his cloak, and held it temptingly above the
girl's red, swollen face. She tried to swallow, her throat working
harshly as she stared with glazing eyes at the morsel.

:Even if I could eat; she thought, mind blurred, :I couldn't swallow.
My throat's too...:

The glass of crystal water hovering above her in his other hand
brought her world to a halt.

'There is a stipulation, however,' he advised her, drawing away the
life sustaining items. 'This is very much a co-operative, trust
earning matter. If you give me what I want...'

Her bleary eyes grew wide once again.

'Then you shall receive what it is you most desire.'

This was part of the routine, she knew. Thought what he wanted
precisely, she still wasn't quite sure.

:How can I tell him what I don't know?! Nasura didn't tell me
anything!; she thought, the fear of further pain rising in her
stomach, doubling the effect of that which already existed. :Maybe
this is why... She didn't trust me?:

He placed the water at her side, and took a bite out of the sandwich.

'I consider perhaps that you are afraid of the pain,' he mused, to
which Xalia nodded as vigorously as the collar and her tense, sore
neck would allow. 'And that perhaps you are indeed telling me the
truth. That a woman, who metamorphosed from a cat, entrusted you with
crystal empowering you to battle my forces. What was her name again?'

'Nasura,' Xalia croaked. What Harm Is There In a Name?

'Ah, now I recall. You did mention that last night,' he replied, as if
participating in a casual conversation. 'As Sailor Ether you
vanquished over thirty of my best warriors. I must admit, your speed,
mystic prowess, and power over the element of wind is most impressive.
None of the previous Sailor Senshi exhibited such powers. You even
modified your uniform to support armor when the situation warranted
it. Not that it was difficult to eliminate...'

Xalia shuddered. With a welcoming, slight smile, he allowed her a
generous gulp of the unbelievably refreshing water. She gasped loudly,
struggling for breath after swallowing so much of the substance.

'Now this is ingenuity which I find highly agreeable!' he noted,
half-smiling. 'I also find it remarkable that you, alone, were strong
enough to combat my warriors, best them, and avoid capture until I
interceded personally. It may help you to realize that you were
hopelessly outmatched. You faced the finest warrior in the entire
NegaVerse. Only your champion Princess Usagi would have stood a
chance, even if it was a slight one. Do not feel badly. You put forth
your best effort. For that, I reward you.'

For the next ten minutes, he assisted her as she consumed the
proffered food item, and then healed her arms. As he completed that,
he faced her, and asked:

'So this I must know, are you being truthful? I am fairly certain of
the answer, but your response would settle my personal doubt.'

Despite his shocking kindness, she felt suddenly as if she had been
slapped, even though he had removed any devices of torture from her
body.

:He nearly killed me because he wasn't sure?!:

With stammering tones, she nodded, and answered:

'H-huh-hai.'

He closed his eyes and stood, as if she had erred. Her heart leapt,
thudding loudly against her rib cage.

'W-what?'

'Nothing,' he replied pleasantly. 'I believe you. There is the matter
of your alliance, however.'

He summoned formal uniform which represented the finest of elite
warriors, and snapped his fingers, altering the blue lining to green,
to the most accurate shade of her favorite colour. With a motion, it
appeared upon her body, masking the scabs upon the flesh of her arms,
legs, and torso.

'I would have you know that I did not enjoy a single moment of your
interrogation. Surplus agony services no one. I merely had to be
certain you would answer me honestly.' He regarded her seriously, as
an equal. 'Yet now I am pressed to know if you would join the core of
my forces elite, and lead us to victory. Before you speak, let me
offer you my side of the story with which you are already familiar.

'Our struggle for survival is no different than yours. You understand
very well the need for freedom? To stay up as late as you like, to
spend time unhindered with your friends, to experience the joys of the
world given you? Of course you do. For us, it is really no different.
We wish to live, spend time with those we love, and to share our joy
with others. Our joy is the joining of power. To do this, we need to
establish order. Our order, as there is no other manner in which our
joy can be spread properly.

'What good is the ability to watch falling cherry blossoms if you do
it alone? In that manner, we offer any to join us, to share in the
falling of the blossoms and in our strength. There are those, however,
who would wish to steal trees, and plant them in their own yard, and
enjoy them in solitude. How can anyone else possibly enjoy the beauty
the blossoms offer? I say you cannot. To them, who selfishly hoard
that beauty, we must explain to them why they must share. And if they
refuse to listen, they must be destroyed. It is all for the greater
good, as such ignorance creates disharmony among the blossoms of our
world.

'In joining us your strength would be as mine. No other senshi in this
kingdom would match you, but you would have access to powers
unimaginable! There are many who need our direction, who need to
listen to be able to join us in our field of blossoms. You could be a
great warrior, leading many in championing our cause.'

It was for quite a while she lay stunned by the fountain of logic
which had he had spouted. It made so much sense! She just wanted to be
normal, when Nasura had foisted this strange cause upon her. They only
wanted peace too! If she could just get them to understand...

'Hai, Uraki-Ayo-sama, I will join you.'

His smile was grand as he released the metal bonds about her wrists
and ankles. As she sat up, she touched the collar warily, looking at
Uraki questioningly.

'I must apologize, dear Xalia, but that must remain until you have
proved your loyalty. You understand, correct?'

She nodded, massaging her wrists.

'What do I do first?'

'There is the little matter of this Resistance they are forming. I
understand Nasura is making plans to replace you...'