Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Love and Lament ❯ Aftermath ( Chapter 17 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

“Oh gosh miss. Rei, that was so cool!” Usagi squealed as she and the young miko made their way back to Rei’s temple home.

The two young girls, reincarnated warriors from a long dead kingdom, had spent the day hunting down and slaying a foul Yoma that had single handedly been responsible for well over a hundred human deaths. Her scheme was quite simple; she disguised herself as a bus driver and once the bus was full she transported it to her lord Jadeite’s realm, where they were drained of their life energy. Unfortunately for her, she did not have the strength or skill to survive against Sailors Mars and Moon.

Usagi, was still riding the high of the battle. After a fight, she would normally go through a period of depression. Thanks to her new comrade, Rei Hino, the two of them were able to save the lives of two dozen people, and rid the world of a terrible evil. Usagi, more than anything appreciated that Rei took it upon herself to deal the death blow to the Yoma. Usagi Tsukino is best described as a simple girl, with a gentle soul. Killing, even though it might be for the greater good, goes against her nature.

After the battle, Luna had whispered to her often clumsy soldier that Rei was a true example of how a warrior should be, skilled, intelligent, and without doubt. Usagi didn’t realize that Luna had meant to belittle her with the statement, and instead had agreed on how wonderful it was to have Rei with them.

The three companions continued on their walk to Hikawa shrine. The whole time Usagi continued to gush about Rei, when the young Miko suddenly froze and held up her hand for Usagi to quiet down and stay where she was.

Usagi jumped back in shock, screaming briefly as Rei’s ravens shot out of some nearby trees, cawing frantically. The giant corvids circled the trio twice before shooting up the path leading to Rei’s temple.

“Mars Power Make-Up!” Without a moment’s hesitation, the young priestess raised her hands to the heavens while invoking her transformation phrase. As she ran toward her home, Rei’s clothes burned away in a trail of magical energies, leaving behind her ancient warrior’s fuku.

“Usagi, transform and move!” Luna hissed at her charge as she leapt from her shoulder and raced after the agile Senshi of Mars.

The trio did not have far to run, and as Sailor Mars reached the entrance to her shrine, she felt as if she had just walked through a heavy curtain. Two steps prior, the temple looked as it always did, ancient, tranquil, and unspoiled. Now, beyond the temple gates, the devastation of what had to have been a tremendous battle was revealed.

“Oh my God!” Sailor Moon gasped as she too passed beyond the invisible curtain of magic.

Sailor Mars reached her arm out to prevent her fellow soldier from proceeding forward. “I feel a tremendous amount of dark energy here. Allow me a moment to sort through it.”

“How can you even begin to do that?” Luna spat. “This place is seeped in it.”

The guardian cat had been leery of Hikawa Temple ever since she had first confronted Ami here. She did not remember much of that meeting, but she knew that something about this temple was not right. The ancient general paced alongside Sailor Moon as she waited for Mars to determine any threats. She was unaware that she was hissing, and that her fur was standing on end.

Mars did a perfunctory scan, but stopped when she glimpsed something further up the walkway in what remained of the courtyard. Without notifying her comrades she sprinted forward.

::Ojiisan!:: Hino’s nude and burnt body lye near the edges of the shallow crater that was the temples beautiful courtyard. As she neared her grandfather, Sailor Mars noticed another person beneath him. The Senshi of passion’s eyes widened at the battered form of a blue skinned woman she recognized from brief images in her sacred fire.

::Ami!:: Regardless of what she looked like, Mars knew who her grandfather had truly protected.

“Sailor Mars, what are you doing?” Luna screeched as she sped toward her side.

“My grandfather is wounded.” Sailor Mars spoke out in a voice just loud enough for the feline general to hear. As the cat neared her she pointed to a large half destroyed brick wall twenty feet in front of her. Leaning against it was a thin young man with pale skin and short brown hair. He was slumped on his side, but was conscious and trying to get their attention.

“Please take Sailor Moon and see to my brother, I will take care of Mizuno-san and my grandfather.” Sailor Mars spoke, already moving to lever her grandfather off of the blue skinned woman.

“Miss. Mizuno?” Luna paused at Sailor Mar’s side as Sailor Moon darted past her to aid Fiore. The ancient general froze as Merci’s battered form came into focus.

“Blessed Serenity!” Luna sputtered while pouncing forward to the Mecurian’s side. “Lady Merci, you’re alive!”

Sailor Mars ignored Luna as she studiously laid her grandfather onto his back and began to asses his and Merci’s conditions. She was concerned mostly with Merci, as she was still conscious, but obviously unaware of anything happening around her.

General Lunari Mox started to tremble and her feline eyes began to waiver as she approached the bruised and bleeding form of her onetime friend. “Lady Merci, I thought…”

Luna placed her front paws on Merci’s side, trying to rouse her. “Forgive me, I never found your body on the moon. I thought you had died, I should have kept looking, I should have…”

Tears trailed down the guardian cat’s eyes for the first time since her awakening many years before. Had Usagi seen her mentor at this moment she would have been shocked that her strict taskmaster had the capability for this much emotion. Usagi had no way of knowing that Luna blamed herself for what happened on the moon two thousand years ago. General Mox had convinced herself that if she had trained the Senshi harder, if she had put an end to their personal squabbles, if she had just done more, than things would have been different. Because of that, she hardened herself; she became determined to push her charges into becoming hard stalwart warriors who would be able to overcome anything and everything. She would not allow her weakness to be the death of them again.

Sailor Mars interrupted Luna’s self recrimination by gently pushing her aside. “This is Mizuno, Ami, not Merci-Sempai. The Woman you see is a physical manifestation of her past life. If I don’t dispel it soon, the possession will become permanent.”

“What are you… Wait!” Luna stuttered as Rei dispelled her transformation. The crimson fuku of Mars vanished, replaced by the robes of a temple Miko. Luna did not have time to react as Rei pulled a strip of parchment from her robes, and with a quickly whispered incantation, placed it upon Merci’s forehead. The piece of parchment flashed, followed by a glowing light that enveloped Merci. When the light faded, Ami, aside from a few cosmetic changes, was herself again.

“What have you done?” General Mox turned a furious glare upon the temple priestess. The feline general bared her claws and hissed threateningly.

Luna’s hiss died as she stepped back apace, her body chilled, and slightly pale. Rei had slowly turned to face her with an emotionless, and at the same time deathly terrifying gaze. “If you ever hurt me the way you do Tsukino-san, I will kill you.”

Luna backed down without hesitation or protest. Rei had remained the picture of tranquility, and had threatened to kill her with the same casual grace she would have used to bid her good evening. No, not threaten, Luna knew with startling certainty that Rei had stated simple truth, it was neither threat nor bluff.

Dismissing Luna, Rei turned back to Ami. She checked her over, finding none of the wounds that marred Merci. Unlike the possession however, Ami was quite unconscious. A brief hint of worry flickered across the Miko’s eyes before she turned to appraise her grandfather’s condition.

The old priest was quite nude, his body covered with burns that seemed to be healing before the young Miko’s eyes. As she moved to appraise any further wounds, Rei flinched back as her hand seared as it touched her grandfather’s skin. The miko looked at her hand idly noting that it was quite red, and would probably blister up. The heat emanating from Hino’s body was incredible; Rei had only now just felt it due to her immunity from heat in her Mars persona.

“General, please stand watch over Mizuno-san, I must tend to my grandfather.” Luna stood back, angry, but mindful of the enigmatic young priestess. She watched curiously as Rei procured another strip of parchment from her robes. This time as she spoke the incantation, Rei placed the charm upon her own forehead. Glowing slightly the parchment absorbed into Rei’s scalp, and the priestess could feel a surge of strength ripple through her petite frame. Without wasting a second, Rei grunted as she hefted the deceptively, impossibly, heavy man and made her way as fast as she could into the interior of the temple. Rei had not made it as far as the massive hole in the side wall when her robes began to smoke and partially ignite from the heat emanating from the old man. Rei had used a charm instead of transforming back into Mars, because her charms had a stronger potency in her Miko form. She knew that her grandfather would have been to heavy for her to lift as Mars.

Luna’s eyes squinted in bitterness, and suspicion. Massive amounts of dark energy still lingered throughout the temple. So much so, that Luna had no way of sorting through it. Rei, however, was raised to be in tune with all the energies of life and death that surrounded everything. Her sensitivity to such things allowed her to pinpoint the greatest concentrations of the foul energy, and more importantly, its source. Without an outward sign, Rei was shocked to discover that the majority of the remaining dark energy was emanating from her grandfather.

Concerned as she was, Rei set aside the terrible revelation. Disturbing as it was, Rei needed to focus on the disaster at hand. Her grandfather, her brother, Ami, these people took precedence over ominous discoveries.

Rei’s robes were blackened and smoking by the time she managed to haul her grandfather into the sacred fire room. She was lucky that a massive hole in the wall kept her from having to go the long way around to gain entrance.

With haste, the young miko situated her grandfather onto his back in front of the great fire. She quickly doused her robes with her hand before hurrying to the back corner of the room, where a hollow pedestal held a fist sized chunk of crystal. Rei removed the gem from its container and rushed to Hino’s side, placing it upon his sternum while expediently reciting a dismayingly long string of incantations.

Without outwardly showing her concern, Rei was relieved to see the gems healing effects immediately begin to counter the old priests temperature, and heal his many burns.

“Miss. Rei, help please!” Usagi’s voice was loud and urgent.

Rei quickly stood from her healing grandfather’s side and sprinted back into the devastated courtyard. Sailor Moon and Luna were trying their best to clear aside a large pile of rubble several yards away from where Fiore was propped against what remained of the wall. She flickered her gaze briefly over to Ami, and once she noted that her condition had not changed she hurried to her companion’s aid.

“Miss Rei quick, someone is buried under here.” Sailor Moon groaned as she pushed aside another slab of bricks. While being a Senshi amplified your abilities, it could only help so much if you were not very strong in the first place, as was the case with Usagi.

The petite Miko was quickly at Sailor Moons side, moving bricks three times as fast. Rei was working not only with the added strength of her charm, but with the simmering anger that was building within her. Again, her fire readings had failed her, even worse, she failed to predict these disastrous events. Rei’s emotional outburst remained internal; she was not so undisciplined as to broadcast her emotions to everyone.

“Oh my God, Ms. Mizuno?” Sailor Moon gasped as Rei hauled aside a large chunk of mortared bricks.

With as much care as could be mustered with Usagi helping, Ayanee Mizuno was extracted from her would be tomb. Rei directed her to be placed next to Ami, before she began to examine the older Mizuno for any life threatening injuries.

After a quick appraisal, the best Rei could tell was that Ayanee had passed out from lack of oxygen. Aside from a multitude of cuts and some slight bruising, everything seemed fine. Both girls, Rei having never met her, and Usagi not remembering, assumed that the faded scar marring half her face had been there all along.

“Tsukino-san” Rei spoke softly once again in charge of her emotions. “Please drop your transformation and watch over them. I need to check on my brother.”

Rei turned to look at Luna, who flinched imperceptibly. “General please search my home, there may be more casualties inside. My sister could be among them.”

Usagi dropped her transformation without question, and much to Luna’s ire, without consent. The pigtailed girl took a seat beside the two Mizunos, determined to make a good impression on Rei by taking good care of them. Inevitably, her eyes began to follow the Miko as she left to attend the brown haired man’s injuries.

Rei was Usagi’s junior by two years, and already she had taken complete command of the situation, even going so far as to give Luna instructions. An obvious blush colored Usagi’s cheeks as she watched the priestess. Most people would have been intimidated or jealous of their junior having such a commanding presence. Usagi, being who she was, was instead smitten with the young Miko. The Senshi of the Moon developed a serious case of hero worship.

“Miss… Miss. Rei.” Fiore gasped out, only able to draw short shallow breaths. Rei knelt beside him and started appraising his obvious injuries. She knew with certainty that he had at least four cracked ribs and perhaps some internal swelling. Fiore had kept trying to speak, but Rei kept shushing him until she completed her scan for injuries.

“Makoto, she’s still, in room…” Fiore managed to wheeze out.

Rei nodded silently as she rose to quickly retrieve some first aid supplies, including bandages to tape his ribs. Fiore reached out to grab her hand, pleading evident in his eyes.

“I will check on my sister as soon as you are stable.” Rei whispered in a soothing voice.

Fiore nodded once before trying to speak again. “Did anyone… Is he dead?”

Rei ran a hand across his sweat beaded forehead and looked him straight in the eyes. Fiore found that the tranquility he found there was more of a comfort than her words. “No one is dead; whoever did this is no longer here.”

Fiore took some small amount of comfort from that and lye back to rest until Rei returned. Luna happened to arrive back in the courtyard at the same time as the Miko returning with first aid supplies. She was already at Fiore’s side, taping his ribs. He tried several times to get her to leave him be and check on Makoto, but she ignored his protests.

Luna opened her mouth to report to Rei, something the ancient feline found humiliating but prudent for the moment. She stopped when she noticed that Fiore was conscious.

Rei observed this and reassured the general. “He has known who you are longer than I. It is safe to speak around him.”

Luna looked aghast as Fiore nodded in her direction.

“Hey, you’re the guy from the trolley!” Usagi called out from her post watching over Ami and Ayanee.

The pigtailed teen gasped as she began to fantasize once again that this beautiful man was actually her protector, Tuxedo Mask. ::He knew our identities from the beginning. He was watching over someone at the park, maybe me. Now, he is terribly hurt protecting Rei’s home. Does he know that Ami and Rei are Senshi too?::

Luna in the meantime, had looked past her ire at being less informed than one of her soldiers, and reported to Rei what she had found. “There is someone in one of the sleeping rooms, she is suffering from a massive energy drain, but is otherwise unharmed. I also checked on your grandfather, there is something…”

Luna quieted and slowly stepped back. Rei had once again turned to her with that deceptively calm look, the one that promised death and worse. “My grandfather is healing on his own. His welfare is not your concern, General.”

“I need to see Makoto.” Fiore wheezed as he struggled to his feet. He either did not notice, or ignored the interplay between Rei and Luna. His ribs were expertly wrapped and allowed him to at least breathe a little easier. Moving around however, was still quite a strain.

“I will follow you up in a moment.” Rei whispered to Fiore as she gently patted his shoulder. “I can make a draught that should help to aid her condition.

Luna stepped back and watched as the small girl with the soft voice and the terrible eyes proceeded to pick up Ayanee and carry her to a guest room, returning to do the same for Ami. As she watched her, with what she thought was without her knowledge, Luna became suspicious, even resentful of her new soldier.

::You’re not what you seem, Rei Hino. You reek of the same evil as this vile place you live, I will find out what your secret is. You cannot hide it from me for long.::


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::Hmmm, It seems as if your plot against me has already failed, Jadeite.:::

The emerald glow from two sunken and decayed eye sockets, flared brightly. The Lady Beryl watched with dispassionate amusement as her “ally” was nearly killed in an ill fated attempt at gaining the allegiance of the turncoat Mars King.

::And you, Lord JiJi, you will be dealt with in due time.::

The ghastly specter, all that remained of the once beautiful Beryl, hovered away from the fountain from which she had been scrying. ::Jadeite’s betrayal forces my hand sooner than I expected.::

The desiccated specter flickered briefly as she shifted the space around herself, effectively teleporting to another part of the Dark Kingdom that was her home.

As the world around her changed, Beryl was instantly aware of the ethereal music emanating from the cavern before her. The specter hovered for a moment outside of the door leading into one of the Shitennou, Zoicyte’s, home.

Beryl hovered for several minutes outside Zoicyte’s door as she pondered the man inside. The former bodyguard of the late Endymion, had reawakened less than forty years ago. Unlike Jadeite, and Nephrite, Zoicyte was aware of, but never chose to exploit his otherworldly abilities. Instead he had chosen to pursue his music.

When Beryl had found him, he was easily intimidated into her employ. Since then he had proven to be a loyal, yet enigmatic servant. Zoicyte’s powers were derived from an unknown source unique to himself. Though he was fairly week compared to the other Shitennou and even some Yoma, his powers somehow had the ability to counter act if not nullify the dark powers of everyone else, including Beryl.

That was why the specter now stood outside the man’s door instead of transporting directly inside. She dare not enter his chamber whilst his music played. She found early in her dealings with this man, that it acted as a drug to her undead state, and were it a truly impassioned piece, it could disrupt her undeath completely.

Once the music slowed and stopped, Beryl melted through the simple wooden door, entering Zoicyte’s chambers. Upon first entering the miniature ballroom, everything appeared as it should, an empty cavern. However, three feet into the room, the cavern floor turned to marble, the walls became polished and draped in fantastic tapestries and elegant paintings. A window, through which a realistic illusion of earth as it was two thousand years ago could be seen, was centered on the east wall. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating a magnificent antique piano.

Zoicyte was seatedt at the piano bench, slowly moving his fingers above the keys, and swaying slightly to the music playing in his head. Zoicyte, was a beautiful, though haunted looking man with pale white skin and long perfectly groomed platinum hair. He was dressed in a white uniform with various trappings of a long dead kingdom. An elegant silvery-blue cape flowed off his back, draping across the floor.

Zoicyte paused in his flowing movements, perking up slightly as he felt the presence of another in his chambers.

“Queen Beryl.” Zoicyte called out in a melodic tone. The enigmatic man left his eyes closed as he waited for confirmation. He detested all things ugly, and hated to waste his vision upon such things. Beryl, at one time, had been a radiant woman of few equals. Now, two thousand years after her death, she was an aberration, a nightmarish mockery of what she once was.

Beryl allowed Zoicyte this insult brought about by his eccentric nature. She valued his unwavering loyalty, and was mindful of his puzzling abilities.

::Things progress faster than I anticipated. Have you located the shadow warriors, or General Kunzite yet?:: The voice Beryl projected, although harsh on the mind, was made light and seductive for her favored servants benefit.

A small smile played on the corner of Zoicyte’s lips as he imagined Beryl as she once was. “I have identified the majority of the warriors, and I have finally located our lost brother.”

::And Soldier V, how are you progressing on that end?::

Soldier V was almost a legend in the Dark Kingdom. For years this young woman, as far as anyone could tell, had been killing Yoma and upsetting some of Beryl’s and most of Jadeite’s best energy gathering operations. One story told how the legendary soldier had attacked a squad of twenty Yoma that had been sent to Earth in an attempt to gather enormous amounts of energy in a small amount of time. The Yoma had not been on Earth for more than an hour when the Golden warrior tracked them down and slaughtered every last one of them. One of those Yoma was the strongest of Beryl’s royal guard.

Jadeite answered in his whispered, songlike voice. “I know her identity. I will bide my time and slowly weaken and destroy her. Kunzite will be instrumental in her death.”

::Interesting:: Beryl projected. ::Very good Zoicyte, proceed as you see fit, but keep me updated on any important happenings.::

“Of course my Queen. But, my means will be complicated. My masterpiece will take time.”

::Very well.:: The specter nodded in appreciation. Zoicyte was always so easy to control, and if he succeeded in plucking the potentially deadly thorn from her side, she would reward him greatly.

::I leave to bring Nephrite back into our kingdom. You will watch over my Kingdom during my absence. If Jadeite comes to you for any reason, turn him away. He is no longer a factor in my court.:: At Zoicyte’s acknowledgement, Beryl disappeared from his chamber, transporting back to her own.

::Now to the matter at hand.:: Beryl dismissed all thoughts of her beautiful General, and turned to how she was going to bring the deserter Nephrite back under her control. Beryl knew what she had to do; Nephrite after all, had such a lovely weakness. It was just a matter of finding the best way to exploit it.

Beryl meditated in her chamber for a full twenty four hours, deciding on her best approach. Finally, after she had dissected all the possibilities, she called out for her most trusted, loyal, and perhaps even beloved Yoma.

::Tetisu, Oniwabandana, D.D. Girls, attend me.::

Beryl did not have to wait long until various style portals ranging from a hazy mist, a pollen and petal shower, and a massive water vortex, opened up around her. Through the portals seven Yoma appeared kneeling before her. They were the best of her personal army, and trusted above all others.

“How may we serve you my lady?” A nectar sweet voice queried. The speaker was the spokesperson of the group, the leader of the D.D. Girls. The Yoma seemed to be a beautiful woman covered in a light blue fur, with dragonfly-like wings sprouting from her back, and moth like antennae protruding from her forehead. She wore blue pumps, and a one piece body suit that slit from her chest to midriff with a blue collar around her neck and white cuffs about her wrist. Her golden tiara, a mark of her leadership, crowned her and held back her flowing pale blonde hair.

The other four D.D. Girls were similar in appearance, but wore different outfits and had different fur and hair colors. These demonic women had once been Beryl’s personal handmaidens two thousand years ago. Throughout the years of their imprisonment, they had refined their demonic abilities and have become the most deadly warriors in Beryl’s legion. They were her personal body guards and valued advisors.

To the D.D. Girls right knelt the dark assassin known as Oniwabandana, or Oni for those who thought her name too long to remember. She, unlike most Yoma, had a human appearance, with no visible deformities. She had smooth creamy skin and light brown hair that was so long it wisped along the ground. She wore her typical garb, a black bodysuit with exposed neckline and midriff. The only colors upon her were the orange bandanas she wore upon her forehead and under her knees. Oni had been the Earth king’s master assassin, but had cast her lot with Beryl once the ancient queen had pledged her allegiance to the Great Shadow, Metallia.

Left of the D.D. Girls was Tetisu. The former Mecurian noble wore a skin-tight, dark blue body suit, with blue boots, and long gloves. Upon her forehead rest a golden tiara with a thin golden crescent that arcs above her forehead. The outfit looked very appealing upon her lithe six-foot frame. Three spines of various lengths protruded from both her arms above the elbows. Long navy blue hair cascaded past her waist, and a crescent moon was tattooed over her left eye, an eye that was fully red without pupil or other definition. Below her eyes, Tetisu’s face was featureless; the Yoma had neither mouth nor nose.

The spectral remains of Beryl trembled slightly with pleasure. These Yoma women were her favored, and were it possible, her friends. She wished briefly that they held the vast powers and influence of the Shitennou. Then she would not have to deal with the four General’s various agendas and constant betrayals.

::Tetisu:: Beryl’s telepathic voice ripped as gently as possible through the former Mecurian’s mind.

The faceless blue Yoma showed no sign of discomfort as she rose to her feet and awaited her beloved queen’s instructions. Tetisu had at one time been wife to the second most powerful noble on Mercury, and daughter to the planets king. During the final days of the Silver Millennium, her father had taunted her with the knowledge that her beloved sister Merci had died and that he had personally fed her corpse to the sharks.

The Mecurian lord Egrenon, was a spiteful and bitter man. His daughter Merci had defied and walked away from him. Tetisu refused to take his side, choosing instead to persuade her husband to take Merci’s side on the matter. Upon hearing of Merci’s death and ignoble treatment, she fell into a dark depression. It was in this depressed state that Metallia appeared to her and seduced her with power and dreams of revenge. Tetisu became instrumental in the destruction of Mercury.

After Serenity had sealed the remaining Yoma in the Icy confinements of the Dark Kingdom, Tetisu had by chance discovered the animated remains of the former Queen of Earth, Beryl. Instead of leaving her to her fate, Tetisu chose to befriend the specter and nurtured it back to health. If it was not for her many years of aid and perhaps even love, Beryl would never have regained her sanity or will.

Beryl looked fondly upon the one Yoma in her realm that she trusted above all others, even with her own life. ::Tetisu, my plans must be accelerated. Jadeite has already turned to move against me.::

Tetisu nodded, unlike the other residents of the Dark Kingdom, she was aware of all her Queen’s plans. ::I require you to watch over him, and keep him distracted until I return.::

Tetisu’s eyes danced merrily, she just loved to screw with the insane General’s mind. She had never liked the arrogant prick and was glad that the plans for his doom had been escalated.

::While I attend this task,:: Tetisu, lacking a mouth, also spoke through telepathy. Her skill, however, was much more refined than that of her Queen. ::Might I try out the energy gathering operation I have been planning?::

Beryl’s ghastly visage smiled. In her decayed state, her smile was a vile thing to behold. For Tetisu however, it was a precious gift, and would be a treasured memory. Because of their past, Beryl and Tetisu shared an intimacy that none of the Yoma present could even begin to understand.

::Of course, I look foreword to your results.:: Beryl replied. Tetisu bowed deeply, before disappearing in a large vortex of water.

::D.D. Girls, Oniwabandana, It is time we brought Nephrite back under my control.::

“You speak of the fortune teller?” The leader of the D.D. Girls asked in a beautiful voice laced with surprise.

“Do not forget sister, he is much wiser than Jadeite”

“And, he controls the Zodiac Warriors!” Two of the other Girls spoke up as well.

“I assume you mean to take his daughter? It is the only way he would ever cooperate with you.” A collective gasp sounded from the five of the D.D. Girls, as Oniwabandana spoke in her husky voice.

::Astute as ever, my Oni.:: Beryl acknowledged her assassin.

::Yes, we are going to take his darling daughter from him.:: The D.D. Girls paled slightly at their master’s forceful proclamation. Oni, stood ready.

::I will personally handle any of the Zodiac Warriors Nephrite might use against us. D.D. Girls, you will distract Nephrite while Oni takes his daughter.:: Beryl kept a commanding aura about her body. Normally she would have dominated her servants with a terrifying fear, but these women were different from normal Yoma, and she treated them as such. She did however, neglect to tell them that she would not directly engage Nephrite, due to his understanding and control of Necromancy. Given the right circumstances, he could destroy her or control her with any number of spells. That was why she decided to hold his daughter hostage, he would be forced to swear allegiance to her; otherwise his daughter would die.

Beryl could feel the nervous tension streaming from her D.D. Girls. ::I know what I am demanding of you. You are my favored, I would not ask this of you if I was not confident in your abilities. I know you can do this.::

“We will not fail you My Lady!” The leader of the D.D. Girls cried out, as they all fell to their knees in worship of their beloved Queen. The Girl’s doubts faded when faced with their Queen’s confidence in them. One by one they groveled before their precious ruler, stroking her spectral leg or kissing her feet. With a sense of invincibility, brought on by their Queens faith in them, the D.D. Girls transported from the room to prepare for the task ahead. Nothing could go wrong, after all their Queen would be by their side.

Oniwabandana bowed, but remained collected. The Assassin did not have any doubts in her abilities, or in her Queen. In a hazy mist, the assassin also left to prepare.

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Ami stirred slightly from the gentle massaging of her scalp. Rei Hino had been sitting at her side for the last hour. As the Miko’s thoughts wondered, so too did her hands.

“Uhm… Miss. Rei?”

The young temple priestess looked up at Usagi. The pigtailed girl was standing in the doorway, nervously watching her. The older teen’s skin was slightly flushed, and she would not meet her gaze. Rei wondered for a brief moment what was wrong with her comrade, until she noticed the idle movements of her hand.

Calmly ending the light massage of Ami’s scalp, Rei placed her hand in her lap along with her other. Usagi’s eyes trailed after Rei’s hand. She had apparently been embarrassed by the seemingly intimate moment she had walked in on. After a second, Usagi regained her composure. Rei, after all, did not seem embarrassed or like she had been caught doing anything “strange”.

“How might I help you Tsukino-San?” Usagi blushed again, realizing that she had said nothing for the last few minutes and had just been staring at Rei’s lap.

“Oh, uhm…” Usagi stammered. “You told me to come and get you when Mr. Fiore’s uhh, potion, wore off.”

Usagi, Rei observed, was equal parts fearful and in awe of her. Perhaps fearful was not the right description. It would be more apt to say that Usagi was ignorant of Rei’s esoteric abilities. The ignorance in turn made her uncomfortable around the young Miko, but only when she was faced with these, to her, strange skills.

Throughout the evening, Rei, with Usagi and Luna’s help, had been tending to everyone. Fiore was the worst physically, he had several broken ribs and some internal damage. The man adamantly refused medical attention, threatening to leave if anyone even attempted to call an ambulance. Rei did what she could for him, and surprisingly, he seemed to be healing at an uncanny rate.

The Mizunos, Makoto, and Grandpa Hino, were all suffering from an energy drain. Hino was locked in the fire room, Rei did not know his true nature, but knew that whenever he was ill he would gather his strength by resting in the fire room. She had already set him there and cast the necessary spells and recited the needed prayers. The rest was up to him.

After attending to her grandfather and situating everyone in their rooms, Rei had mixed up a foul tasting concoction that reminded Usagi of a witch’s brew. The, potion, as Usagi called it, was primarily for Makoto. The older teen had unfortunately suffered the brunt of Jadeite’s energy draining attack. The potion, helped her to expediently regain her life’s precious energy.

With the possible exception of Hino, no one had seen the old man since Rei spirited him away into the fire room, everyone had regained consciousness. Rei, for lack of a better description, cast a spell to put everyone into a deep sleep. Everyone had lost enough energy that it warranted a long uninterrupted rest, after which they should be back to full strength.

“How come mister Fiore keeps waking up?” Usagi asked.

Rei looked troubled for a split second. Usagi did not notice. “There is much about my brother that I don’t understand.”

That was the closest Rei would get to admitting that she had no idea. Fiore’s resistance to her spells and his accelerated healing both intrigued and confused her. Rei rose to her feet and followed Usagi to the kitchen where she retrieved a draught of medicine that would help numb Fiore’s pain, stop the internal swelling, and put him back to sleep. Once they retrieved the medicine, the two girls made their way up to the room Fiore shared with Makoto. To Rei, Usagi seemed oddly devastated to discover that the two shared a bed.

“Sit back down and drink the medicine. I will get another poultice wrap for your ribs.” Rei spoke softly to Fiore after the young man had stood to greet them when they entered his room.

Fiore groaned heavily as he sat down next to Makoto. Usagi blushed and looked away as he brushed a few locks away from her sweat covered forehead. He whispered something to her before chastely kissing her lips.

“Miss. Hino, is Makoto going to be alright?” Fiore asked Rei nervously as the young teen changed the wrap binding his ribs.

“My sister will heal, she just needs to rest and continue to drink the medicine I mixed up for her.”

Fiore nodded slowly. He was still very uncomfortable despite the pain numbing mixture he had swallowed. His back was a giant bruise, and his cracked ribs made breathing difficult.

“What happened out there, who was that man and why did he try to kill… my… my friends?” The disguised alien mumbled as the home brewed medication Rei prepared for him took effect. Rei helped him to lye down next to Makoto, where he promptly fell into a deep sleep.

“Sleep well Oni-san. Everyone will be ok.” Rei whispered as she started cleaning up her various first aid supplies.

“Miss. Rei, why do you call them brother and sister?” Usagi asked the young Miko as the two girls entered the kitchen in search of water and something to drink. They had been working all through the night tending to their wounded friends. Both were exhausted, though Usagi was the only one who looked it. Regardless, they needed to stay awake in case someone woke up, or whoever did this returned.

“My Grandfather will soon adopt Makoto, and Fiore is her lover.” Rei answered Usagi’s question.

“Uhm, what… what…” Usagi yawned loudly, blushing as she tried to cover her mouth. “You haven’t checked on your grandfather, is he ok?”

Usagi was fighting a loosing battle to stay awake. Rei knew that she was asking questions just to stay focused and awake. “I will set a futon up for you, you need to sleep.”

“But, Luna said…” Usagi’s protest was halfhearted, as she could already feel her lids becoming heavy and her steps sluggish.

“I will wake you when she returns.” Rei reassured her comrade as she left to prepare an extra futon.

When Rei returned to the kitchen, Usagi was already sound asleep at the table. Without the use of her charm, Rei lifted Usagi and carried the pigtailed teen into the spare room where she tucked her in for the evening. Once she was settled, Rei returned to the Mizuno’s room where she silently resumed her vigil.