Fatal Fury Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Rifts ❯ Chapter 40: The Calm Before the Swarm ( Chapter 40 )

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

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

Chapter 40: The Calm Before the Swarm

By many it was called the 'eternal dark.' The sun had not risen in
days, and the population of Tokyo dwindled. By suicide, by the need of
the vampiric ten story high crystal, or by the multitude of
shadowlings which freely roamed the streets, and populated the skies
like vultures. Buildings within ten blocks of the crystal had taken
the appearance of being gutted, the residents within resembling
somewhat the bug-splatters upon a windshield.

Hundreds by the day.

Even the Senshi Resistence struggled, being overwhelmed by the
combination of number and mystic ability rivaling even the most
powerful practitioner on their side. Much to Osaka's disheartening,
the ratio of death from shadowling to human had altered again, with
unfavorable results. Now at only 2/1, a fierce attitude of desperation
was surrounding the courageous civilians, fighting for their very
freedom. Closing in was a near equal level of death between each race,
and the knowledge that the shadowlings seemed numberless not promoting
morale by any degree.

Yet, shortly after the latest siege, Nasura turned over another leaf,
pleading to the unaffected populous, and bidding them join. A call to
which many responded, offering up another chance to the subjected
occupants of the ruining Toyko. Unabated, the shadowlings would soon
have taken the whole of Japan, and moved on to the rest of the
unprepared world.

For so closed off from that world was Japan that no one else seemed to
be aware of their dire situation. It was conjectured by the Resistance
that this was in part the design of Uraki-Ayo. Outside assistance
would surely have ended the war some weeks ago.

Naritha Walynn, the psychic soul of the Neo Senshi, who, in turn, who
represented the central force of defense of the besieged Earth, stood
on the edge. Emotionally, for being so physically shattered put her
very life into question, even without the support of her newly found
companion, Haisha, the unabashed verbal core of the recently
instituted team.

Her powerful psionic ability lent her a touch of this conflict where
her bright, yet violence tarnished eyes failed to percieve the
horrible conflict. She had seen so much of it, and was in the midst of
a desire to flee the sight of further destruction, even while knowing
that such an action would surely lead to yet more of it. Despite these
conflicts, she knew it was not in her to succumb to weakness, when
others had sacrificed themselves to allow her the chance to do what
must be done!

Not so much to assist her observation of the destruction as to attempt
to percieve the source of her sensing, she stood on a physical edge,
or ledge, more accurately. The explosion not even a day passed had
destroyed the wooden fencing of the balcony. And yet, so much had
occurred then, and since. The near complete obliteration of three of
the Neo Senshi; Sailor Sol, Phoenix, and herself, Seraph. That failed
to account for Xalia, who despite being recently rescued, still hung
upon a fraying thread. Apparently she had been submitted to lengthy
torture, and had been inhumanly raped.

Hours of prayer had brought little comfort. Somehow, her mind was
privy to Xalia's emotional turmoil. Naritha no more knew the certainty
of her own life over the outcome of the ensuing war, nor, come to
think of it, the strange senshi who had simultaneously murdered their
friends, and saved their very lives. She only knew her part in it. She
turned away from the darkness of the light nulling Vortex Crystal
miles distant, which seemed to leer at their inexperience, and
weakness.

'Yanei!' she gasped faintly, feeling the aura of the woman, hearing
the smooth sliding of the patio door, and turning to face it. The
bird-like woman gazed at her vacantly, clothed in a slightly ajar
kimono of a strong yellow-orange. Her presence was overtly sexual, and
though the silver-blue haired girl had not the strength, she wished
herself flown away from it.

'You know he killed Akari,' she stated blandly, as if having no regard
for her own loss. 'And I, we had something.'

Her sultry, wanton, child-like gaze made an uneasy dark matter form in
the young virgin's stomach.

'Yanei, I see no need you share...'

'We had passionate sex,' she uttered lustily. 'And you, the sweet
virgin... hai, very much a virgin. Beauty like yours attracts women as
much as men you know. But then, you did know that, didn't you? Being
psychic would tell you such things.'

Naritha retreated a step, immediately repulsed. This was wrong, she
had not detected such feelings from this traitorous creature. She had
been extremely thorough.

'Iye, Yanei. Stop.'

'Denying yourself for the would-be husband?' she declared teasingly.
'A cubicle bound hermit with more time for hentai young sluts than
you?'

A flare of anger surged.

'Iye!' she snapped, transparent smoke playing from her defensively
postured arms as she fell instinctively into a trained stance of
defense.

'I will have you, as I did Xalia,' she declared, advancing quickly.
With an unpleasant snarl, the shaking, silver haired girl struck with
a fore knuckle fist, which was easily parried. She uttered a
high-pitched grunt as she was slammed against the wall with a thick,
loud rattle of the separated wood. Pinned as she was, it was simple
for Yanei to grab her chin and place an unwelcome kiss upon her lips.

Abruptly, Yanei lurched back with an ear-piercing squeal, eyes wide
with pain.

'Which part didn't you get, the "N" or the "O"?' a throaty female
voice confidently snapped. A deft motion rendered the woman
unconscious. The slender girl slumped into a heap, sobbing in great
heaves. Nasura, clothed in a tan nightgown, rushed through the patio
door and took the tearful girl into her arms. Upon dropping the orange
locked flaccid woman, she paled, taking on the appearance of someone
who has seen no less than the holiest of holies.

'Naritha-sama!!' she cried, shocked, and nearly stammering her
continuing words. 'What are you doing here? I thought...'

Nasura shot her a suspicious, and menacing glance. Instantly she
clasped her hands to her mouth.

:This is...; she knelt beside Nasura, gazing mutely at the weeping
young woman. :Her younger self?:

'Zia, don't... whatever in blue blazes it is,' she uttered tensely
under her breath. 'Just keep it to yourself! Got it?!'

She nodded simply, bowing her head to hide a frown and unwarrior-like
wave of sorrow. A moment later, she stood, eyeing Naritha's attacker
warily.

'Zia, what happened?' Narusa asked urgently.

'That girl,' she indicated Yanei's lax form. 'Tried to rape Naritha.'

'Curses! I wasn't sure if I could trust her,' she cursed, absently
stroking Naritha's silk soft, while unattended, hair.

'No,' Naritha gasped, taking Nasura's hand and squeezing it, 'not
Yanei fault!'

Nasura uttered a surprised gasp. She knelt back, regarding the
red-faced girl at no more than arms length, closing her hand around
the younger girl's with a desperate sense of confusion. Zia opened her
mouth to speak, but Nasura raised a hand. Her mouth fell shut.

'If anyone would know, it would be you. Tell me.'

'Kei-san, Uraki-Ayo, he take Yanei mind, and use it to strike my
weakness. He suppose strike darkest fear, and most bold truth.'
Naritha's bowed her shamed face. 'Yanei not want more than dead mate.
I not want more than distant love! To hide that wrong! But know must
fight! No time to for self! Must be only strong senshi! Must want...
Seek... gnuuh!' she fell angrily into Chinese, cursing her inability
to express herself in Japanese, cursing the language, until Nasura
gripped her shoulders. Naritha's emotion squinted eyes latched onto
her mentor's.

'What is it Naritha? Why did he go after you?'

'I know why.'

The voice sparked anger within all but the spiky, and leggy red haired
woman who had halted her. As she reached down to restrain her, Nasura
shook her head. She glanced tentatively at the three from her
cross-legged position.

'She would have teleported away if she didn't want to be here,' Nasura
observed. Zia blinked.

'Huh... gotcha.'

'So Yanei,' Naritha began in only slightly less than trembling tones.
'Tell why.'

'You have the most potential. Out of all your teammates, you have the
greatest power, or least, you could.'

Naritha blinked slowly, not understanding in the shallowest sense.

'You're like her!' she continued, pointing at Zia. 'Your power won't
stop -'

'That's enough, Yanei,' Nasura interrupted, deathly serious. 'Haven't
you done enough already?'

'I never wanted you,' she continued tartly, either ignoring or not
hearing Nasura's protesting command. 'Not that you aren't cute. You
are. Enviously gorgeous, actually. It's just... I'm not that way.'

Naritha could say nothing. Yanei frowned sincerely as she rose,
allowing herself to favor the points of deserved pain.

'I'm sorry Naritha. I really am,' she began uselessly, her hand
holding her in place at the patio door before her final statement
brought her departure. 'I let my defenses down. I hope you find it in
you to forgive me.'

Naritha's pleading, frightened gaze struck Nasura deeply.

'What mean, "power won't stop"?'

'There's a little something your mother hasn't told you about your
father...'

---

'Oh Thanus... ugh! D-damn you Uraki!'

'How are you feeling?' Ayla asked tentatively, regarding the savaged
young woman with mixed concern and anger.

'Why d-did she choose me? I c-couldn't handle him, n-nuh-nuh-no way!'
Her voice shook as she had, even though her body had eased the
distressed expressive reaction. She glanced nervously about, reacting
to the slightest shadow, while she sat legs stretched out underneath
several cotton layers of blanket while her stitched and sewn torso
rested upon three thick down pillows. Her movements were stiff and
restrained, as most of the damage was internal, and anything so simple
as a cough brought mind-nulling agony.

'I d-don't... I r-re-remember their deaths, even though I wasn't in
c-cuh-control.' She gazed thoughtfully through the window to her left,
as she had wept, and could not move to wipe the dried tears, and those
that visited her again. She bowed her head. 'Oh Asa I'm so
s-s-suh-orry...'

Ayla shook her head. It was hard to hate her. When it came down to it,
Xalia had had no choice, but had done her best to ensure their
success. On the other hand, it was by her will, and hand, that over a
dozen skilled warriors were executed for choosing to fight for hope.
That, in itself, was difficult to wrest with. She felt nervous around
her, as if despite her firm medical bindings she might rise up and
plunge a mystically summoned blade into her chest.

It was confusing in the extreme.

'Xalia-chan,' she began, placing particular stress on the adjoining
word "chan." 'I know you weren't. We all saw your message. You did
what you could. You did more than anyone could have asked.'

:Oh, fantastic choice of words Miss Debate Winner; she chided herself.

'In preserving us, I mean,' she added hastily. 'You've been through a
lot.'

The girl glared at her, her largely feather-stripped wings twitching
with myriad emotions. It wasn't anger so much as frustration, and it
certainly was not directed at Ayla. Her new leader's only concern was
fear for her safety. Something not entirely unappreciated by the
young, trialed woman. Ayla, on the other hand, held a seriously large
shard of doubt questioning her certainty of the truth, despite the
evidence present.

'What am I s-suh-upposed to say? I've done what I c-c-can, and I'm not
g-guh-going be able to regain my honour b-by fighting. I mean, how
d-d-duh-did you do it? You were almost dead t-tuh-two days ag-g-go,'
she retorted, wincing as she tensed instinctively. 'Why's it any
d-different for me?'

'Usagi has a lot to do with it,' the crimson haired girl replied
sympathetically. 'And being Sailor Sol has much more.'

'M-more what?'

Ayla blinked, caught off-guard.

'To do... to...' she swallowed. "It was the extra healing of being
Sailor Sol that allowed me to recover so quickly, aided by Yanei's
magic."

'Yanei!' she started, paling when it seemed impossible she could
appear any more wan. A shard of doubt leapt into Ayla's heart. Had she
made a mistake trusting the traitor?

'She saved my life,' Ayla offered bleatingly.

'She d-did?'

Ayla sighed relief, but then caught it.

'She didn't do anything to...'

Xalia shook her head minimally.

'No. She d-deserted before I t-tuh-turned on Uraki. It was only th-the
four, and...' she fell silent, gaze averted.

'I understand,' she breathed, wringing her hands in her lap. 'When did
Nasura give you the crystal?'

'Ages ago. I d-don't have it n-nuh-now, or I wouldn't be in such rough
sh-shuh-shape,' she coughed.

'I'm not familiar with magic in the manner you are. Was it different?'

'Was wh-what different?' she began, dumbfounded, before clicking in an
instant later, slipping to a reverie apart from the emotional turmoil
which stuttered her tongue. 'Oh, well y-yeah. I don't have the
strength for it now, b-but Nasura just basically had me reciting
spells as at-t-tacks. Only, she had them on constant w-weave, so all I
had to do was invoke them. I can d-d-do it without the crystal, but it
t-takes longer.'

Ayla was desperately seeking a topic with which to stay her impending
nervousness. Gratefully, she stumbled upon another:

'Why did she Knight you? Wasn't Mamoru strong enough?' The answer to
this she knew, but was interested in both hearing Xalia's perspective
as well as keeping the verbal ball rolling.

'He w-was. I've talked to him.' She acquired a dreamy look, which
faded as Ayla whistled, drawing her attention. 'Anyway, I guess it was
'c-cause he never really fought on the forefr-fr-front. He used to
just come to Usagi's rescue a lot. Not that he didn't do okay against
Z-zuh-zuh-zoisite. Anyway, Akari and Yanei tricked Mamoru into coming
out of hiding. They summoned a bunch of demons to get his attention,
and because they went overb-buh-board, Nasura set me up with my
crystal to help out where Tuxedo Mask couldn't be to f-f-fuhight them.
I was d-d-doing fine t-too. Problem is...' her voice lapsed as her
face tensed in what looked to be painful concentration. A green
shimmering brought several shards of jade into existence, to rest on
the bed at Xalia's feet. 'Uraki made pretty sh-shuh-shuh-short work of
me, and kinda truh-tricked me into joining his s-suh-side. Then I
m-m--muh-managed to get out th-thuh... the message. After Uraki
d-duh-dropped the mind-sp-spell he had on me, when the monster
r-r-ruh-ruh-ruh... um,' she hesitated a half instant, almost in sync
with the tightening of Ayla's throat, '...it shattered my
transformation crystal. I c-can't turn into Sailor Eth-th-th-thuh...
Ether.'

Ayla remained visibly impressed at the young woman's strength. Though
she could not move, she kept her anxiousness to return to the
battlefield and... she blinked, exact revenge? Perhaps that was her
motivator, and perhaps the only one. At that point, however, she could
see no problem with it, as she saw the matter through similar eyes.
Though obviously, less intimately. Somehow, Ayla felt that Xalia's
stutter was a deadly indicator of the psychological damage that had
distinctively been done along with the physical. Nasura had indicated
Xalia to be a motormouth, rather than of the mealy sort. It spoke to
her of the truth of the event. Silence traversed for several
languishing moments amongst them, before Xalia's will seemed to
reasserted strongly enough to emote thusly:

'I just w-wuh-want to get back out there and k-k-kuh-kick their
asses!'

Yet as she did, the wash of tears across her cheeks and her shaking
voice indicated the true nature of her words: Wards against
Uraki-Ayo's unrelenting battering at the walls of her sanity.

Ayla could only gaze crestfallen at the young woman who hung so
visibly on a silver thread of survival.

'Xalia?'

Both young women glanced up at their weary looking mentor. Even beyond
the brief gasp of agony, Xalia wondered along with her friend what had
kept the enigmatic woman up so as to give her the appearance of
facing... no well, the fact was that they faced the end of the world,
if they lost, Ayla realized wearily.

'Xalia, I must speak with your leader,' she began, nearing the bed,
palming the crystal shards, then placing an undamaged counterpart in
her left hand. 'Until then, use this. It will increase your healing
further. Its power is more than twice that of your former crystal.'

As Xalia winced at her own exclamation of outright amazement, Nasura
swiftly guided the mystified crimson haired young woman outside of the
room, the door to which she closed.

'You just gave her another crystal? Like that? No questions?' Ayla
demanded, surprised by her mentor's action.

'You just spent the last few hours with her. What do you think? Do you
think she's going to betray us again? Do you think she has the
strength?'

Ayla's face darkened.

'No, she can barely talk straight, much less fight. Which is what she
wants to do,' she remarked incredulously. 'This just blows me away.
She's so weak! I've had seven month old cousins stronger than she is
now. If I was her, I'd just want to roll into a ball and forget
everything! As for trust? She makes me nervous, but I think I can
trust her as long as she's not mobile.'

Nasura nodded. It would take time. Naught could be done to alter that.

'Xalia has a good heart. Naritha agrees with that. You believe her,
hai?'

'Of course, but there's an American saying: "The road to hell is paved
with good intentions." She's right in one thing; she has to earn our
trust, and find a way to banish the dishonour she has foisted upon
herself. It will be a good healthy while before I ask her to do
anything.'

'She actually said that? I'm impressed. It's good to know you're
considering her a potential member of the Neo Senshi.'

'"Considering" and "potential" are a good ways off, Nasura-san,' Ayla
retorted calmly, crossing her arms firmly across her armored chest. As
soon as she had been able to muster the strength, she had become
Sailor Sol again, sheltering herself in the strength the
transformation provided.

'I get the point. I suggest you keep talking to her. You'll gain a
better understanding of how her mind works. Hai?'

Ayla nodded dismally. There was a distended moment, after which Nasura
spoke, her voice deepened by a ladening inner tension.

'I must entrust you with something. It is important that you ask no
questions. You must trust me. Absolutely.'

Nasura's words, while calm, sparked a deeply rooted edge of darkness
within Ayla's being.

'When haven't I?'

'We have so little time,' she continued, clearly not observing Ayla's
words, 'and I cannot explain. Take this. You will know what to do,
when the time comes.'

Simply, and without expression, she handed the perplexed girl a sealed
envelope. She bowed at the waist deeply, giving a great show of
respect for her trust before returning to Xalia. Ayla remained stunned
for a sundry shifting of time.

'Sensei, what are we up against...?' she muttered, wrapping her arms
defensively about her torso, bowing her head, then turned to walk
away.

---

What was worse? The death of her soulmate, no nor death. Murder. Yet
anger came so slowly beyond the ingrained servitude, the training of
Uraki-Ayo, her long term sensei and even father figure.

Yet there was another, more intimate, and foreboding matter to
confront.

As if she had a choice.

'What do you want?' she whispered fiercely, high tones cracking under
the stress of fear, pain, and anger, kneeling upon her bed, a rather
ordinarily clothed woman behind her, stroking her unclad shoulders
slowly. Against her will, she had been mystically recalled to her own
home, to the presense of her captor in emotional bondage.

'You cannot know the last time I was with a woman of your beauty,' she
uttered, her voice dark, sultry, and lustful as she placed the lips
which issued those souring words upon her neck in light, subtle
kisses.

'Your mate's threats mean nothing to me now, for indeed, he is only
mortal.'

Easily, Yanei broke her hard grasp, and took to the floor in several
hurried steps.

'Do not think me kind, nor affectionate, nor equal to you. There is
nothing you have done of my whim. I do not desire your sex, fledging.
I seek your retaliation, for it feeds me most potently.'

Confused, Yanei whirled about and gazed upon the creature, knowing
very well she had been sustaining her, and hating her for every
minute. It was not that her anger was slow. Rather, there was hatred
in its place.

'You let me feed upon you. You realize that, don't you?'

'Iye...' she started, her tiny hands pulling up the shoulders of her
nightgown self consciously.

'Go ahead,' she sneered, strutting about so that eventually she was
behind her again. 'Lie to yourself. It is from you I have learned the
most about human fallacy. How much more would you do? You only saved
those girls to abate your own self-loathing. It is also why you let me
have you, isn't it? You hate yourself more than you do me. Isn't that
right? Humans are such silly things. You even lied to Naritha to
preserve what little self-respect you have.

'And you will not ask, but because it interests me, I will tell you,'
she grinned, running her hands along the curve of Yanei's hips. 'I
assist Shyanne because she is one of my own. Her mother, because even
though she is not wholly natural, she is beautiful. She has no
aversion to liaisons with her own sex, I sensed, and though nothing
came of it... it was enough.'

'Stop...!' she muttered, turning about with a flare and shoving her
back.

'Do it. Good!'

'Nani?' suddenly small and lost.

'Stop me,' she sneered. 'You don't have the will, fledging. You want
this.'

:Do I?; she asked herself. :Why am I punishing myself?:

(she can't be right)

:Yes; Tamara interjected. :This is. You are.:

:Get out of my head!:

Lady Tamara flinched back, startled by the abrupt psychic wall erected
before her.

:It was not my fault! I never put Xalia in danger!:

(Mama-san! Please...! no)

:Then why have I let her command me?:

(Akari loved me)

:No! That wasn't my fault either! Uraki betrayed me!:

(he saved me - s/he loved me -right?)

:Because I served his purpose! Only Akari was truly unselfish.:

(Akari wouldn't like us like this - he would not be afraid to hate
Mama/Tamara)

"Go away," piped Yanei's miniscule voice, courage enhancing its
intensity.

(forgive me Mama)

"What was that?" she blinked in astonishment at the power in her
tones.

(but I hate you)

"Oh, I think you heard me," she snarled, a white energy coalescing
about her slender figure as she shoved at her again with greater
force. A feral growled parked itself upon her face, her body shifting
and altering with a strange metamorphosis.

"Go ahead, change if you think it'll do you any good."

(I love you, Mama... but)

Her red, pupil-less eyes widened at the insubordination.

"You dare...!"

"Uh-huh. You were right," she declared soberly. "I did let you control
me... and make me weak..." her golden eyes fell, then rose again. "But
I'm done being silly. Oh, and what you said about me being human?
That's only half-true. So, you can just go away now."

(you let Papa hurt me)

Lady Tamara, looking more the part of a thick skinned, excessively
muscled demon, let a brief cry of frustration and rage pour forth to
mingle with the darkness about her.

"Oh get over it," Yanei snorted derisively. "You're just pissed 'cause
you know you couldn't ever win against me. It just doesn't happen,
especially now that I am pushing back."

With all of an insulted gaping mask, her body ceased its modifying
tremor, and with a frown, reverted to her human form while hands took
to hips.

(you didn't Stop him)

"Fine," she huffed.

"Oh," she noted as an after thought. "If you ever bother any my new
friends... you know I'll know... I'll send you to your native abyss so
fast you'll think you were in a time warp!"

(he was the Human - you had the Power)

"Ooooh!" she steamed, eyes literally burning as she shot figurative
daggers with them.

"Now you can go away," she pronounced disinterestedly, arms clasped on
each opposing elbow defiantly. "I'm done."

(bye Mama)

She wisped away in sour flash of heat and light after which Yanei
stepped over to her bed, upon which she flopped, and began weeping
wholeheartedly.