Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Brooch ❯ Chapter 1

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

The Brooch
By Jason C. Ulloa


Chapter 1


Azabu Juuban ward, Tokyo, Japan.
July 25, 1992. 11:34 P.M.


"Wake up, dear."

The light shaking of her shoulder told her that it wasn't one of her Youma masters that was waking her
up. It would've been a sharp kick to the stomach instead. She slowly opened her eyes to see her mother
kneeling at her side, shaking her shoulder intently.

"Mama, it's still dark outside," Usagi complained. "I wanna go back to sleep. I don't wanna be sent to
the battery pods like Yuki-chan was. They said that if I didn't work harder I would be next in line, even
if they had to build another pod for me."

Ikuko frowned at thinking of her precious first-born daughter being sent to the energy-gathering
chambers. She had seen countless people being forced into those chambers and drained of their energy
until they became desiccated and weak. Most of the victims of the 'battery pods' - so named because the
energy collected from those chambers were used to empower their Youma masters - were young children or
people with high amounts of energy. She was fortunate that there weren't enough functioning pods in their
area, or else her two children would've already been conscripted to serve time in the battery pods.

"Usagi, get up," she said in a quiet, yet urgent voice. "Get up, now."

Usagi sat up and turned toward her mother. "What's wrong? Why can't I go back to sleep?"

"Gather everything of yours you can carry. Quickly."

She recognized her mother's tone of voice and quickly stood up. "Mama, what's going on?" she asked, then
turned around and stepped over her blanket as she made her way to where she kept her clothing.

"We're going to try to make a run for the Hikawa Jinja, Usagi," Ikuko explained as she bent down to
Usagi's floor bedding and spread out the blanket. "Your father is already getting Shingo ready as we
speak."

"But Mama, didn't Kumi-chan and her parents try that three months ago? Jadeite himself caught them and
made them suffer before he killed them."

Her mother nodded solemnly. "I know, dear. Many have tried and perished. The only reason we're doing this
is because this is our only opportunity to get away from them. Jadeite is down in Okinawa, dealing with
another slave uprising down there, so we must try to escape before he returns.

"Your father has gathered several other slaves and their families who have been with us at the Meiji
Jinja before Jadeite took us all prisoner. We're all going to make a run for the Hikawa Jinja tonight.
Now, hurry and gather the rest of your clothes."

Usagi silently tossed the last of all her worldly possessions, which only consisted of her clothing, a
couple of old books her mother had given her that used to belong to her mother, and an old photograph of
her and the rest of her family, taken a month before the Fall of the Meiji Jinja.

She had been almost twelve when that picture was taken. She was fifteen now.

Three years of living as a slave to the Dark Kingdom.

"Dear, we're ready," Kenji said as he stood in the doorway to Usagi's room, a blanket full of his things
slung over his shoulder like a backpack. Shingo stood quietly behind him with his full blanket slung over
his shoulder, as well.

Ikuko tied up Usagi's blanket, picked it up, and handed it to her. "We're ready, too. Let's go meet the
others." She picked up her own blanket, which was sitting by the doorway, and slung it over her shoulder,
then motioned for Usagi to follow suit. Without another word, Kenji turned and headed for the front door
with his family following closely behind him.

Once outside, he led his family in the direction of the old Sankaku Park, carefully watching for any
patrolling Youma sentries. They quickly reached the entrance to the ruined park within minutes.

The Sankaku Park had once been beautiful, but that was a lifetime ago. What was once pristine with its
luscious greenery, serene fountains and landscaping, and a calm, soothing pond in the center, was now
withered and dead. The pathways and fountains were cracked and crumbling, and the once crystal clear
waters of the pond were now fouled with the bodies of dead and decomposing humans. Youma crumbled into
dust and disappeared into nothingness when they died, so they disposed of the dead humans by throwing them
into ponds, lakes, rivers, and the ocean. The bones of many dead humans littered the bottoms of Japan's
waters.

"Tsukino-san, you made it," an elderly man said in greeting as they went through the entrance to the
park. There were many families present, some with children, some without. "We were about to leave without
you."

"Hoping that our family would provide enough distraction for yours to escape?" Kenji asked, his voice
flat and emotionless.

"Escape is the most important thing on all our minds, Tsukino-san," he replied wearily. "It matters not
how our freedom is obtained, it is the freedom which is paramount. Nothing else matters. So, if the
sacrifice of another family gains us our desired freedom, then so be it. We will mourn for that family
and give our eternal thanks, but that only comes after we are free. Otherwise, it is pointless."

"It is true, people will die tonight," Kenji agreed tersely. "However, I would never stoop so low as to
trip up my companions to ensure my family's safety. I will protect my family by myself if I have to, but
I will not have the lives of others on my conscience."

The man nodded. "Of course. But, I thought that way once, too. Perhaps it will be different for you. I
wish you luck and may the kami protect you and your family." With that, he walked away toward another
group of people.

"In a few moments, everyone shall run for the Hikawa Jinja," Kenji said as he turned back toward his
family. He glanced back over his shoulder at the departing elderly man and frowned. "There are more
people here than I originally thought. Don't they realize that this many people will get us spotted for
certain?"

"Well, why don't we let the Youma get them and go to the Hikawa Jinja while their backs are turned?"
Shingo suggested.

Kenji was about to reply when Ikuko interrupted him. "Dear, I think Shingo has the right idea. If we go
with them, there's a good chance that we won't make it. If we try to flee by ourselves, our smaller group
has a much better chance to avoid being spotted by the Youma sentries. Besides, they might be fortunate
and find a Shishu patrol before the Youma sentries find them." Seeing his upset expression, she placed a
gentle hand on his arm. "I know you don't like the idea of letting them sacrifice themselves for nothing,
but what could you accomplish by telling them so? Some of them are so set against returning that they
would rather die than be caught again. If their self-sacrifice can be of some use to us, then we must
make use of it. Otherwise, their sacrifice would have been in vain."

Kenji's expression screwed up as the two ideas conflicted in his mind. Finally, he nodded his assent to
his wife. "All right. We'll go another way. But stay close to me! We cannot afford to become separated
for any reason. The longer we stay out here, the easier it will be for the Youma sentries to find us." He
glanced around, searching for any sign of the sentries. "All right. Let's go."

_________________________________________________________________


Azabu Juuban ward, Tokyo, Japan.
July 26, 1992. 12:02 A.M.


For half an hour, Usagi stuck close to her mother as she kept watching for any sign of Youma pursuit.
They were traveling as quickly and as quietly as possible, taking great lengths to avoid making
unnecessary sounds while slinking though the darkest alleys and streets. Some of the Youma sentries had
excellent hearing and vision.

Suddenly, a loud, piercing scream shattered the silence, followed by more screams of terror and the more
guttural roars of the Youma sentries. Usagi's heart clenched in fear as she fought to keep herself from
shrieking in terror. Her mother's hand tightened around her own, calming her slightly, but her breath
still came in quick, sharp, ragged gasps.

"We're almost there," Kenji whispered quietly. "Hurry, while the others are keeping the Youma occupied."
He quickened his pace to that of a jog, making the others adjust to keep up with him. There were a few
times where Usagi almost tripped, but her mother managed to keep her on her feet. She glanced over at
Shingo, who was jogging alongside his father. He looked very tense and nervous, like an animal ready to
bolt after hearing a strange noise. She could understand completely. She wanted nothing more than to run
away from the sounds of the massacre taking place a short distance away; to run as hard as she possibly
could for as long as her lungs could hold out. She was beyond terrified.

Her mother looked very grim, the way she usually looked whenever they brought back one of the slaves that
fled and tortured them to death in front of the other slaves in order to frighten the idea of fleeing out
of their minds. She once told her father when they thought she was asleep and couldn't hear them, that
the person she had watched being tortured to death was one of her old friends from the Meiji Jinja. She
had cried for a long time that night while her father tried his best to console her. She, herself, had
cried when she learned that Kumi-chan had died, but at least she wasn't tortured to death like her
mother's friend was. She didn't know if she could handle watching something as horrible as that.

A sudden movement to her left caught her attention and caused her heart to seize in her chest. "Papa!"
was all she could manage to scream out before the Youma sentries burst out from the shadows and began
their pursuit.

"Run!" Kenji bellowed as he grabbed Shingo's hand with his left hand and took off running at full speed.
Usagi ran while she held onto her mother's right hand and held onto her bag with her right hand. The knot
that held her blanket together was starting to dig into her hand, numbing it, but she had a death grip on
the blanket now and couldn't force her fingers to relax their grip.

Kenji briefly let go of Shingo's hand to reach into his clothes and pull out a few makeshift ofuda he had
created before he left their slave quarters. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Sai, Zen! Akuryo
Taisan!" he shouted and flung them back toward the pursuing Youma. Most of the ofuda struck their
targets, immobiling most of them, but a few Youma managed to avoid the attack and continue the chase.

"Hurry!" he shouted again as he grabbed Shingo's hand again and tried to run faster. The Youma in the
lead saw this and ordered the others to prepare their projectile weapons. The order was given to fire and
a volley of arrows, spears, balls of fire or negative energy all hurtled through the air and rained down
upon the fleeing Tsukino family. They managed to avoid most of the attack, but when Shingo was hit in the
leg by a thrown spear, causing him to trip, he took down his father with him, who was still holding onto
his hand.

"Shingo! Kenji!" Ikuko screamed as she released Usagi's hand and stopped in order to turn around and go
back. However, once she turned around, she took an arrow straight into her chest, right between her
breasts. She stared out at her husband and son with wide-open eyes as she sank to her knees. "Kenji...,"
she moaned with her last breath as she collapsed on her right side, the arrow still sticking out of her
chest and a puddle of blood forming around her.

"Ikuko!" Kenji wailed as he tried to scramble to his feet and carry Shingo at the same time, but just as
he reached his wife, a sphere of crackling, dark energy struck his back and enveloped both him and
Shingo. The force of the attack alone was enough to kill a young boy like Shingo, but Kenji just barely
managed to cling to his life long enough to shout one final thing to his daughter.

"Run, Usagi!" he strained as he reached out toward her. "You must make it to the Hikawa Jinja! You must
survive, or our deaths will mean nothing! Run, Usagi! Run!" The tip of an arrow burst out of his throat,
having gone through the back of his neck. He gurgled once, then slumped down to the ground, dead.

"Papa! Mama! Shingo!" Usagi cried as she struggled not to run to them. Her father had told her to run.
She wouldn't let her family die a meaningless death. She would survive. For their sake, if nothing else.

She managed to run fifty meters before a ball of negative energy struck her in the back and knocked her
to the ground.

She could hear the grunts and harsh laughter of the Youma sentries as they advanced toward her. So, this
was it. She was going to die. Tears began to form in her eyes as her consciousness waned. Well, if she
was going to have to die, she would rather not be conscious to feel the pain of it. She would have to
apologize to her father when she saw him again for not doing what she was told.

A series of loud, but brief blasts cut through the haze of her dim consciousness, followed by the sound
of someone saying something. Another human? Could it be a soldier of Shishu? Could the Blades of Shishu
have come to her rescue?

As she finally blacked out, the last thought through Usagi's mind was of why this person couldn't have
come sooner. Then her family wouldn't have had to die.

_________________________________________________________________


"I can't believe the recklessness of some people. Didn't they realize that going out into the night in a
crowd this big would bring those ugly fuckers down on them like flies on a dead body?"

"Please. I just ate recently."

"Sorry, Konno. What I'm trying to say is that these people aren't just getting themselves killed, they're
getting us killed when we try to rescue them!"

"It's not their fault, Yamada. They just want to be free; that's all. For them, freedom is everything,
even if it's freedom in death."

"I know.... Dammit, Kino! Now you're making me depressed! Man, kids never talked like that when I was
their age...."

"I heard that."

"Well, why don't you go kill a Youma, or something? That usually makes you feel better, Yamada."

"Hey! That's not a bad idea-"

"Wait."

The two older Shishu soldiers glanced over at Ryoku as he held up a hand while glancing around intently.

"What's up, Kino? See something?" Yamada asked while changing the clip of his rifle.

"Remember those two Hunters we thought had gotten away?" he said quietly as his hand slowly dropped to
the hilt of his sword.

"Those two ugly mothers?" he asked, grinning eagerly. "And here I thought Jadeite had taken all his big
guns with him to Okinawa."

"Of course, he would leave a few," Konno added as he readied a few fragmentation grenades. "Where're they
coming from, Kino?"

"Hard to tell," he said as he closed his eyes and concentrated. "I'm hearing a pair of heavy footsteps
coming from two different directions at the same time."

"Shit! They're trying to surround us!" Yamada said as he took off toward the direction Ryoku was staring
in.

"Wait!" Konno shouted, but it was already too late. He disappeared into the shadows and out of sight.
"And he complains about other people's recklessness," he sighed as Ryoku shook his head wearily and drew
his sword.

"That idiot," he muttered irritably. "As I was about to say, I think that one of the footsteps I was
hearing was an echo. Instead of one Youma Hunter, he's about to face two. That's not something he can
face unprepared."

With that said, the two quickly hurried after Yamada who was kneeling and holding his rifle in a ready
position in the shadow of an old convenience store. The door was hanging by one of its hinges and looked
as if it would drop off the frame altogether any moment. A sign in the shattered store window was
advertising cigarettes by the carton for ¥500. Not that the yen, or any form of currency for that matter,
meant anything these days.

"I just want you to know that I think you are a colossal idiot," Ryoku said dryly as he and Konno caught
up with him.

"Shut your hole, Kino," Yamada retorted scathingly. "Is that any way to talk to your elders?"

Ryoku pointed at Yamada's 5th class insignia and then his own newly-earned 3rd class insignia. "Is that
any way to talk to your superiors?" he answered back.

"Bullshit. You just got that 'cause of your daddy and your granddaddy. Got us all killed just 'cause he
wanted to have a ceremony for his grandson getting his blade before he was supposed to. Fools, both of
'em," Yamada spat, then choked as Ryoku began to strangle him with one hand.

"You will never speak ill of my family again," he said warningly, his voice as ice cold as his glare.
"Ever. The next time you do, you will pray for a Youma to come and kill you. On my honor, this I vow." He
then released his grip on Yamada's throat, letting him gasp for breath.

"You shouldn't have done that, Kino," Konno admonished as he prepared to pull the pin on one of his
grenades and throw it. "Those Hunters'll be here any moment. It'll take Yamada a little bit to recover
from that."

Ryoku spared a glance down at Yamada, then turned back to Konno. "He'll get over it. He's had worse than
that and he knows it." He turned to look outside and frowned. "I hope Chiba's group didn't run into any
trouble. They were supposed to meet us around here by now."

"They're coming," Yamada coughed as he raised his rifle and fired off a few shots. Konno pulled the pin
on a frag grenade and heaved it out the window. "Three! Two! One! Cover!" The grenade exploded, sending a
burst of metal shrapnel flying in all directions. The sound of glass shattering and metal striking wood
and brick filled the air, accompanied by the deep bellow of a pair of Youma Hunters.

"They're close," Konno warned. "About five hundred meters, I'd wager. And probably closing fast, too."

"Shit," Yamada cursed. "I won't be able to use my rifle once they close in!"

"You have a blade. Use it," Ryoku said coldly as he stepped out of the store and waited with both hands
on his sword.

"You crazy? I'm not that good with it, yet!"

"I told you you should've gotten more practice with your sword, Yamada."

"Shut up, Konno," he retorted as he continued to fire his rifle. "As long as I can take them down at a
distance, I don't need a sword. Leave the close combat fighting to people like Chiba and Kino."

"Well, you'd better take 'em down now, because they'll be on us in about a minute."

"Shit!"

"Come, demons," Ryoku murmured as a snarl slowly crept along his face and his grip tightened until his
knuckles turned white. "Come, murderers. Your execution is at hand."

_________________________________________________________________


"Is that all of them?" Mamoru asked as he surveyed the area.

"The enemy is dead or fled," one of the soldiers accompanying him replied.

"Survivors?"

"None," another soldier replied. "They were all killed before you got to them."

"So, we're too late...," Mamoru said bleakly as he knelt down next to the young girl he had tried to
save. He was about to stand up again when a small movement caught his eye. He thought he saw her chest
move. He put his ear down to her mouth and strained to listen.

There. She was breathing. She was still alive.

"Wait. This one's still alive."

"You serious?" the first soldier asked. "I thought I saw that girl take a full blast of negative energy
to her back. No way she could've survived that."

"But she did," Mamoru said as he examined the girl for injuries. "She's mostly unhurt."

"Woah. Tough girl."

"I'll say," he agreed, then carefully picked her up. "Sanzou, take the others and go meet with Kino's
group at the rendezvous point. Help Kino recover any slaves you can and escort them back to the Hikawa
Jinja. Mizuno-hakase will be expecting us to return soon, so the hospital staff will be ready for you
when you arrive."

"Got it," Sanzou acknowledged and gathered the other soldiers. "Good luck, Chiba!" he shouted as he lead
the group down the street and out of sight.

"You, too," he murmured quietly as he turned toward the direction of the shrine. "You're really
fortunate, you know. You're the only person I know of who's taken a hit from a negative energy sphere
like that and lived with so few injuries. You must've had it rough out there." His expression softened as
Usagi stirred and made herself more comfortable in his arms, then fell back asleep. "Just relax. You're
in good hands, now."

_________________________________________________________________


Sanzou had expected to find Ryoku's group quietly waiting for their arrival. However, after the sound of
the first explosion ripped through the air, his expectations had quickly and dramatically dropped.

"Told you that kid'd get into trouble," one of the soldiers muttered under his breath.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Sanzou warned over his shoulder as he checked his sword in his
scabbard. It was clear. "Let's move, people!"

The loud, horrendous bellow of the Youma Hunters spurred the group faster as they rushed to their
comrades' aid. Rifle shots cracked continuously as the soldiers unslinged their rifles and checked their
swords. Once they turned the corner onto the street they were supposed to meet Ryoku's group, a single
Hunter fell upon the group from the roof of a nearby building.

"Shit!" one of the soldiers roared as the Youma Hunter slashed at him while leaping off of the bloody,
mangled corpse of one of their group.

Additional shouting accompanied by rifle shots alerted Ryoku to the fight happening behind him. "Konno!
Yamada! There's at least one more Hunter behind us!"

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit...!"

"Three Hunters?!?" Konno exclaimed as he drew his sword and ran outside. "Oh, man! We're screwed!"

"...shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit-!"

"Would you shut up, already!" Ryoku shouted as he went into a crouch and ran forward to meet the first
Hunter. "Yamada! Go help whoever's come to help us!"

"Shit! Sh- Huh?" he said in mid-curse. "That I can do. I'm better with the rifle anyway." He ran out of
the store and toward the direction of the third Youma Hunter. At the same time, Konno ran forward to meet
the second Hunter.

Each Youma Hunter measures at least seven feet tall, averaging at around 7½ feet. Most Hunters have a
weapon in place of their right arms, and tend to rank themselves by what weapons they possess. The
sword-wielders are the leaders, the axe-wielders second, projectiles third, whips fourth, and claws
lowest in rank.

Konno was grateful that he had to face a Claw Hunter. They were generally at a disadvantage against the
guns and swords of Shishu due to their short reach, which was why they were lowest in the ranks of the
Hunters and thought of as cannon fodder. However, they were still fearsome fighters. A Claw Hunter could
decapitate an unwary Shishu soldier easily and has done so many times in the past. It was a good thing
that tonight was an especially clear night. Without the bright moonlight, he would probably die very
quickly in this fight.

As he dodged and parried the claws of his opponent, Konno could see that Ryoku was battling the leader of
this pack of Hunters. Blade struck against blade in rapid succession as each opponent struggled to find
an opening. Sword Hunters are the best fighters and are the hardest of all Hunters to kill. Usually,
Sword Hunters are to be confronted by no more than two Shishu soldiers working together. However, slaying
a Sword Hunter one-on-one is not impossible.

Kino Ryoku earned his 3rd class stripe by killing two Sword Hunters one-on-one in one battle.

A misjudged swipe gave Konno his opportunity for a killing blow. As he drew back to build up enough force
to drive his blade through the Youma Hunter's chest, a rifle blast cut through the air, followed by a
bullet striking the Hunter right between its white eyes right before the blade could run the Hunter
through. The combined attack finally took down the Claw Hunter.

"Oi! Konno! Kino! I've brought the reinforcements!"

"Yamada!" Konno shouted as he turned around to see Yamada arrive with one more soldier. "That's it?!?"

"Sorry, but the other Claw Hunter took out the rest of my men," Sanzou apologized. "That Hunter caught us
off-guard and killed two of my best Blades before we could react. The other one was killed soon after
that."

"No matter," Ryoku replied as he walked up to the group. "The Youma are all dead. We'll take their bodies
back with us to be given proper burials and say a prayer for their souls. Don't apologize for someone
else dying unless you were the one that killed him. To do so would truly make their death your fault,
rather than the fault of the one who did the killing. They are avenged. Leave it at that."

"Man, are you sure you're fifteen, Kino?"

"Physical age means nothing, Yamada," Ryoku replied coldly. "All that matters is the job that must be
done."

Sanzou nodded silently. "At any rate, we should go meet Chiba back at the jinja." He paused as he noticed
the bloody rip in Ryoku's uniform. "Kino, did you know that you're bleeding?"

"Hmm? Where?" he said as he glanced around himself. "Oh. That." He waved a hand dismissively. "It's
nothing."

"Konno, do you have the medical kit?" Sanzou asked, turning toward the man in question.

"I left it back in the shop with my rifle," he said as he turned to leave. "I'll go get it."

Ryoku shook his head and sighed. "Fine, then. At least, let's get the bodies gathered together so we can
drag them back to the jinja. I'm not going to have them left here."

"Agreed," Sanzou added. "Yamada, I want you to come help me while Konno gets the medical supplies. Kino,
I want you to go see if there're any survivors out there. And no, Yamada, I'm not sending Kino just
because he's injured, even if it's only minor. He's the better tracker of the three of us." Yamada
nodded, conceding the point. "All right, then. Let's get to it."

"I've got it!" Konno shouted as he returned with the medical kit and his rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Good. Go with Kino and tend to that wound of his. It may be small, but it looks deep and I won't have
one of our best Blades taken out of action due to an infection."

"Right. Ready to go, Kino?"

"Do we have to make such a big fuss of this?"

"You are still fifteen, even if you've been in for three years already. Besides, it's standard
precaution. You know that. Quit complaining. Besides, he's a 2nd class and you're a 3rd. His orders
outrank yours."

"Bah."

Sanzou couldn't help but smile as the two disappeared from sight. Ryoku was always trying to act tough;
trying to prove that he had earned his right to be a 3rd class Blade... no, the right to BE a Blade
altogether. He didn't like people treating him any different that anyone else of his rank just because
his father was the commander of the Hikawa Jinja or because his grandfather was the commander and founder
of all Shishu. Of course, it also tended to make him try to carry most of his burdens by himself and
dismiss almost all discomforts and injuries except for the more severe ones. Sometimes he wondered if the
boy would simply ignore it if a Hunter cut off his left arm, just as long as he could fight with his
right.

"Life's never easy, is it, Yamada?"

"Huh? You say somethin', Sanzou?"

He sighed tiredly. "Never mind. Let's go play undertaker."

_________________________________________________________________


Ryoku sighed as he stood up from studying the torn corpse of another dead runaway slave. Once again, they
were too late. It seemed to be becoming an unfortunate trend as of late. Then again, they were so
hopelessly undermanned that it was a wonder that they could even mobilize at all. And to lose three
Blades in one night....

They were in dire straits indeed.

"Not one left alive," Konno said as he stood behind Ryoku, watching for any signs of Youma
reinforcements. It was quiet, fortunately.

He nodded. "It's been getting worse. More and more slaves are trying to escape and getting themselves
killed in the process. They just assume that there's always a Shishu patrol out there, watching for
runaway slaves to rescue." He turned away from the sight of all of the dead bodies scattered everywhere.
They couldn't spend the time to gather and bury the dead slaves. There were just too many. The Youma
sentries would eventually find them and dump them into the pond in the old Sankaku Park, just like they
always did. The park had the lingering stench of decaying flesh and rotting bone because of that. The
smell would clear up in a few days, but then more slaves would run away, get killed, get their bodies
dumped into the pond, and so on, ad nauseum.

"How many have died just because we don't have the manpower that we used to have before the Meiji Jinja
fell?" Konno asked hopelessly. "Hundreds? Thousands? All because they don't know we can't save them."

"We do what we can, Konno," Ryoku said quietly as he started to walk back toward the others. "That's all
we can do."

Konno was about to open his mouth to say something when a glowing green light caught his attention. "Uh,
Kino...?" he called out as he noticed that the corpses of the Claw Hunter and the Sword Hunter they had
killed were now glowing with that same green light.

Ryoku turned around and quickly reached for his sword when he saw the glow. "A Regeneration spell!"

"Shit! A Mage!" Konno exclaimed as his gaze ran back and forth wildly in search for the Youma Mage.

Youma Mages were worse than three Hunters. Normal Youma sentries and some Projectile Hunters have the
ability to throw negative energy as a basic energy ball attack. Mages could manipulate negative energy
into a variety of nasty attacks and spells, like the Regeneration spell, which could raise a slain Youma
only once.

Most Youma take fifteen minutes to an hour to crumble into dust, depending on how much negative energy
has been invested into creating that Youma. Once the energy has bled out of the Youma corpse, it crumbles
to dust. However, a Regeneration spell has the ability to revive a dead Youma, infusing it with enough
energy for it to fight again. The good thing about that spell is the fact that if you kill a Regenerated
Youma again, it instantly crumbles into dust and disappears.

"Let's get Sanzou and Yamada and get out of here," Ryoku said as he started running back toward where
they had left the others. "There's nothing to be gained from continuing this battle."

"No argument here!" Konno agreed as he ran while sliding the medical bag over his other shoulder,
opposite of the one his rifle rested across. The two soldiers ran up to where Sanzou and Yamada had just
set down the third body to be taken back to the jinja. "Sanzou! Yamada! There's a Mage out there!"

"Double shit!" Yamada growled as he looked to Sanzou.

"It's not too far to the jinja. Yamada, stack Homei's body on Suhara's and we'll carry both of them back.
Konno, tie the two bodies together so that Homei's body doesn't fall off when we carry it. Then, you and
Kino will carry Saeki's body back. Understood?"

"Yes," all three replied simultaneously.

"Good. Do it. Hurry. The spell will activate in a minute."

Everyone quickly sped through their tasks. As soon as the four were ready to depart, the first two Youma
Hunters were already getting to their feet and the third one was halfway revived.

"Shit!" Yamada cursed again. "They're coming!"

"Run!" Sanzou yelled and everyone took off running. Ryoku winced as he carried his end, as his wound
quickly tore open and started bleeding through the gauze and cloth wrapped around his arm.

A few moments after they began to run, a bolt of black lightning tore through the night sky and struck
the ground behind them.

"Don't slow down! The border is only two hundred meters ahead!" Sanzou shouted as he glanced behind him.
The Hunters were slowly beginning to catch up. It was fortunate that humans were faster than the bulky
Hunters, otherwise they would've been dead for certain. It was also fortunate that Mages didn't recover
their powers very rapidly. Once they cast a powerful spell like Regeneration, they needed time to
recover. The Mage that had arrived was a considerably powerful one, considering that the amount of time
between Regeneration spells was quite fast, even if it was three low-power versions. The high-power
versions would revive a Youma almost instantly, but could only be cast once every three hours or so on
average. The lower versions cost less power and could be cast more often, but the effects were
considerably weaker.

"Once we're in the boundary, we're home free," Konno added encouragingly. It was very fortunate that
negative energy could not cross those barriers. Otherwise, the Mages could just raze their home without
having to set foot inside the boundary.

Ryoku winced again and almost dropped his side of Saeki's body. "Don't think... this arm'll... last much
longer," he said through clenched teeth.

"Hang on," Konno shouted over his shoulder. "We're almost there."

"Yeah, don't you fucking quit on us now, Kino," Yamada added. "You're always trying to prove you're not a
kid, so don't you dare quit on us now! Prove to me that you're a man and not just Daddy's Little Boy."

Behind them, a large ball of blue fire rocketed toward them.

"Damn you, Yamada!" Ryoku snarled as he ground his teeth against the pain in his arm. The boundary was
only twenty meters away.

"I...."

Fifteen meters.

The Youma Hunters were only five meters within striking distance. Sword and claws waved overhead in
anticipation.

Ten meters.

"...am...."

Five meters.

The ball of fire enveloped the Hunters, incinerating them instantly. It continued to close in on the
fleeing soldiers.

"...A MAN!!!" he bellowed as the group crossed through the boundary line, once again feeling the sense of
tranquility and peace washing over their bodies as if they were running through a waterfall.

The ball of fire impacted with the boundary and burst apart as if crashing against a solid surface.
Already blackened surfaces were brushed with the flames for a few moments before the fire burnt itself
out.

"There...," Ryoku breathed as they came to a stop and set down the bodies of their fellow Blades. "Told
you-"

"Yeah, yeah," Yamada said, waving dismissively at him. "I know. You did good, Kino."

"Hmph. Coming from you, that's a lot," he replied as he started toward the steps to the Hikawa Jinja.
"Thanks, Yamada."

The others watched as the young Blade made his way up the stone steps while clutching his arm. "Damn
kid," Yamada muttered. "Can't he do something without making it into a drama?"

"Aw, come on, Yamada," Konno said with a small, tired grin. "You know he's not doing that on purpose."

"I know, I know. I said the kid did good, didn't I? What else do ya want from me? I ain't gonna kiss his
ass, 3rd class or not."

Konno sighed. "That's good enough, I guess," he said under his breath.

"All right, you two," Sanzou said, interrupting them. "Enough chat. Grab a body and let's go."

_________________________________________________________________


Hikawa Jinja Proper, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
July 26, 1992. 12:51 A.M.


A voice cut through the quiet shrine grounds before Ryoku could even place his foot on the top step. "Why
am I not surprised to find you with yet another injury, Ryo-kun? It's almost like you go out of your way
to put yourself in danger."

"I'm sorry, Mizuno-san," Ryoku said penitently as he reached the top of the steps and walked up to her.
"It... wasn't a good night for us."

Atsuko's expression became concerned. She knew that tone of voice. "How many?"

"Three. Homei, Suhara, and...."

Her breath caught. For him to trail off like that.... "Don't tell me that...."

"...and... Saeki."

Her face fell further. "Joutarou is dead? Oh, no...."

"I'm sorry, Mizuno-san," he said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know how much he meant to you."

She quickly choked back the tears that were threatening to escape and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Ryoku.
But, there's no time for tears right now. You're wounded and that must be tended to right away."

"I could go see one of the other medical staff if you want some time-" he began but was cut off as she
shook her head.

"I'll do it," she told him. "I need something to take my mind off of the pain right now. I'll mourn
later, but right now, I have a job to do. Are the others injured in any way?"

"No, Mizuno-hakase," he replied as he let himself be led to the medical wing of the jinja. It was better
to let her go through the motions of her job so that she could concentrate on something rather than the
death of her fiancé.

_________________________________________________________________


Medical - Hikawa Jinja Proper, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
July 26, 1992. 1:17 A.M.


"Ryoku!" Mamoru called out as he saw his friend leave the infirmary. "How's the arm?"

"I won't lose the use of it, if that's what you're worried about," he replied as he raised his bandaged
arm. "According to Mizuno-hakase, I should have full use of the arm in a few days. I'll have to fight
with my left arm in the meantime."

"Of course you will," Mamoru laughed. "I'm glad that you're not hurt worse than that."

"I've had worse."

"I know," he said, sobering up. "Listen. It's almost time for my patrol of the boundary, so I need you to
take care of something for me before you go to bed."

"What is it?"

"My group found a survivor out there."

Ryoku stared at him. "Seriously? Someone actually managed to survive that?"

He nodded gravely. "Yes. And surprisingly enough, the survivor was a young girl about your age."

"And you want me to check up on her before I go to bed, is that it?"

"Yes. It's my duty night, so I need you to make sure that she's all right, since I have to go out on
patrol now. Do you mind?"

"You know me, Mamoru. I'll do it."

"Thanks, Ryoku. I knew I could count on you. She's in the second room on the right." With that, he left.

Ryoku turned and headed for the recovery ward of the medical wing. Once there, he quietly slid open the
second door on the right and entered. Just as Mamoru said, there was a girl sleeping in the bed.

There were at least two chairs in each room, in case someone wanted to visit a patient. Ryoku took one of
them and set it down beside the bed, then sat down and waited.

_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Usagi's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
July 26, 1992. 2:44 A.M.


'Mama! Papa! Shingo!

'No! Don't die! Please! You can't leave me all alone! Don't die!'

Usagi opened her eyes and reached up to wipe the tears that had formed. She never knew that one could cry
while sleeping.

"So, you're awake now," a quiet voice said in the darkness. "Would you like me to turn on the light for
you?"

She sniffled and wiped her tears away with her arm. "No, that's all right. I just want to be alone for a
moment."

"Certainly," the male voice acquiesced as the soft scraping of a chair against the ground told her that
he was getting up to leave.

Usagi sat up and looked in the general direction of the male's voice. "Wait. How did you know I was
awake? It's too dark to see anything."

"Your breathing changed," he told her.

"You can tell someone's awake by their breathing?"

"When a person is sleeping, their breathing slows down. Your breathing sped up just a few moments ago.
That's how I knew you were awake."

Usagi nodded as she took that information in. "Are you from Shishu?" she asked quietly.

"I am."

"Were you the one who rescued me earlier?"

"No. That was Chiba Mamoru, 1st class Blade. He had to go back out on patrol, but he asked me to check on
you until he got back. I'll let him know that you're all right."

"Chiba Mamoru?" she repeated, trying out the name. It sounded noble, perfect for a member of Shishu;
perfect for her savior. "What's your name?"

"Me?" he asked, sounding slightly surprised. Though, why he would sound surprised at someone asking him
his name was beyond her. "My name is Kino. Kino Ryoku, 3rd class Blade."

Usagi's eyes widened in the blackness. "3rd class? You sound like you're my age!" She didn't know much
about Shishu, but she knew that the higher ranks took a long time to achieve. Shingo wanted to be in
Shishu when he got older.

"If you're fifteen years old, then I am your age," he replied with a hard edge to his voice. "But age has
nothing to do with my rank."

"I'm sorry, Kino-san," she apologized. "I didn't mean to insult you."

"Don't worry about it," he said, his voice gentler than it was earlier. "You've been through a lot. Not
many people survive escape from a Dark Kingdom slave cell. Even fewer survive an attack by Youma
sentries. Would you mind if I asked you your name?"

"Tsukino Usagi."

"I'll be going then, Tsukino-san," he said as he turned to leave. "I'll be outside if you need me for
anything."

"Wait," she called out before he could leave, "where am I?"

"One of the final sanctuaries in all of Tokyo," he told her solemnly. "Hikawa Jinja. You are safe from
the Dark Kingdom here. I pledge my life on it." He turned and walked out of the room.

After Ryoku left, Usagi laid back down on the futon and stared up at the ceiling. So, she had made it
after all. Her family had died trying to reach this sanctuary. At least they would be glad to know that
she had made it. She would pray for her family's souls and tell them that they had not died in vain.
Still, that didn't keep her from feeling the pain of loss.

Tears rolled down her cheeks in floods as she mourned her lost family. Only out of respect for the people
who may have been asleep at this time of night did she manage to make herself turn over in her bed and
bury her face in her pillow to muffle her heart-wrenching cries of grief.

She didn't even hear the door to her room close with the soft wisping of wood against wood or the thicker
thunk of the door completely sliding shut.

_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Outside Usagi's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
July 26, 1992. 5:09 A.M.


"Don't tell me you stayed up to watch over her," Mamoru said as he walked up to the door Ryoku was idly
squatting and leaning back against. Instantly, Ryoku leapt to his feet, the sleepy blinking of his eyes
and his weary yawning cut off sharply and his senses on full alert. As soon as his focus turned to
Mamoru, he relaxed visibly, but the weariness that had enveloped him was no longer there. Mamoru sighed
and shook his head. "I thought I told you to get some sleep."

"You told me to make sure that she was all right before going to bed," Ryoku replied, almost stiffly. "I
couldn't perform an accurate evaluation as long as she was asleep, so I waited for her to awaken.
However, when she woke up, she wanted to be left alone; completely understandable for someone who has
been through the ordeal that you had described to me."

"So you left, and here you are now," he finished with a slight downward curve to his mouth.

"Yes, sir."

Mamoru's frown deepened. "What did I tell you about that, Kino?"

Ryoku felt the urge to roll his eyes, but abstained. "You're a 1st class Blade, not an officer. Don't
call you 'sir'," he stated in a vexed monotone. "Chiba, you may not be an officer, but you are still the
highest ranking soldier stationed here. That makes you the acting C.O. of all Shishu forces at this
command."

"We've had this discussion before, Kino," Mamoru said, rubbing his temples with his left hand as he waved
his right hand dismissively. "Let's just drop it. Tell me about the girl. You say she woke up, then asked
you to give her time alone?"

"Yes, that's basically it," he agreed with a short nod. "I believe she may have gone back to sleep
though. She had been crying for a good hour or so after I left her, so she may have cried herself back to
sleep."

He nodded knowingly. "Most of the people we've rescued have done the same thing in similar situations.
She'll probably be like that for a while longer." His expression lightened as he clapped a friendly hand
on Ryoku's shoulder. "It's just as well that she didn't see you right now, Ryoku. You look like utter
hell. You've been up for way too long as it is. Go to bed. You need the sleep."

"What about...?" he tried to interject.

"Go to bed, Kino," Mamoru said more firmly. "That's an order. I can't have my best soldier standing
around half-asleep. You'll probably fall on your sword and impale yourself on accident."

"Hmph," Ryoku snorted, but yawned in mid-snort. "Best soldier, my ass." He grinned tiredly at his
superior and his best friend. "You're only worried about me dying because then you'd have to deal with
Hino-sama by yourself." He flashed a toothy smirk. "Is Hino-sama still trying to talk you into marrying
Rei?"

Mamoru promptly whacked Ryoku over the head with his sword scabbard. Normally, Ryoku would just shrug it
off, barely even noticing the tap, but with his sword still in the scabbard....

"Ow! Dammit, that hurts, you bastard!"

It wasn't that he didn't like Rei; the elderly priest's granddaughter was quite the ravishing beauty, if
he did say so himself. It was just that she wasn't his type. That, and she seemed to like Ryoku more, but
the younger Shishu soldier didn't seem to notice. That last whack to his head was partly for that as
well. Ryoku really needed to get a clue about women. No, he needed some sleep first. His other problems
could wait until after that.

"If you don't want me to beat you into unconsciousness, then go to bed. Either you get some sleep-" He
held up his sword and scabbard menacingly, "-or I'll put you to sleep. Got it?"

"Yeah, all right. I get the message," Ryoku grumped as he sighed and walked past Mamoru. "If you need me
for anything, you know where to find me."

"Have a good rest, Ryoku," Mamoru called after him.

Ryoku yawned as he waved without turning around. "Thanks, Mamoru. Oh, and can you...?"

"I'll check up on her right after you go to bed, Ryoku. I promise."

"And you promise to get me if she wakes up today?"

"I know how much she means to you," Mamoru replied solemnly. "If she wakes up, I will make sure you're
there to greet her. Even if I have to kick you out of your futon." He grinned mischievously. "With my
steel-toed boot."

He nodded without turning around. "Good night, Mamoru... even if it is almost dawn."

"Good night, Ryoku."

As soon as the young soldier left his sight, he turned to the door to the right of the one the girl was
resting in and slid open the door. Right now, she was the only other occupant of the recovery ward. The
room behind the first door on the right was reserved for the young girl who had been occupying it for
three years now. It was barely light enough to read the sign indicating the name of the person residing
inside the room, but he already knew exactly what it said.

Kino Makoto, 6th class Blade
Admitted: May 8, 1989, 7:44 P.M.

Major Watanabe was adamant about refusing to acknowledge the fact that Makoto had killed five Youma
sentries while fighting alongside her brother, but despite Ryoku's protests, the Major wouldn't even give
the brave girl the recognition she deserved. A male her age would've been given the Honorary Blade title,
with the option of joining up a year early if he chose to, but Makoto was only to be treated as a
civilian who was unfortunate enough to be caught up in a battle. It was only when he took command of the
Hikawa Jinja, and all Shishu forces in Tokyo, that Makoto finally got the credit she deserved.

And Kino Makoto became the first female Shishu Blade ever. Even if she was currently in a deep coma.

Mamoru slid the door to Makoto's room open and closed it behind him, then turned on the lights. Ahead of
him, Makoto lay in her bed, motionless except for the slow rising and falling of her chest, and silent
except for the rhythmic sounds of her soft breathing. Makoto had been cute as a child, but now she was
beginning to grow into a beautiful young woman, even while she remained in her coma. Atsuko had commented
on how quickly she had begun to grow since slipping into her coma, in height as well as... other areas.
She was now quite tall for a girl; as tall as her brother, in fact.

Every time he came into this room, it reminded him of that one fairy tale his mother had told him before
she and his father died in that Youma attack. It was called... Sleeping Beauty. Yes, that was the name.
Makoto had become like the sleeping princess in that story. However, he knew Ryoku would be damned if he
let anyone try to kiss his sister to try to wake her up.

With a small, soft laugh, he turned off the light, slid open the door and slid it closed behind him. His
smile faded as he glanced over toward the next room. Even though the sun was just now starting to rise,
perhaps the girl was still asleep. Still, he would feel better if he knew for certain. Sometimes, people
needed someone to talk to after going through such a horrendous event.

_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Usagi's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
July 26, 1992. 5:13 A.M.


A soft knocking on the door woke Usagi out of her half-sleeping daze. "Who is it?" she called out, her
voice strained and cracking from her crying earlier.

There was a soft wisping as the door opened. "I'm sorry," Mamoru said as he stood in the doorway. "Did I
wake you?"

"No, I was awake," she replied listlessly. "Kino-san?"

"Asleep. May I come in?"

Usagi turned over to face the doorway and nodded. "Who are you?"

"Chiba Mamoru, 1st class Blade," he replied as he stepped into the room.

She blinked at the name. This man was a 1st class Blade? He didn't even look like he was any older than
18 years old! She gave the Shishu soldier a scrutinizing glance. He was very handsome. His black hair was
short, but not as short as most Shishu soldiers' haircuts. He had piercing blue eyes that had a hard cast
to them, as if he had seen more horrors than anyone his age had any right to see. As he moved toward the
window and opened the shutters, she could see how fluid and graceful his movements were. Even at rest, he
moved as if he were a panther preparing to pounce; always alert.

This man was the one who had saved her life and brought her to this place of safety.

"Why?"

Mamoru turned toward Usagi. "Why what?"

"Why didn't you save the rest of my family?" she breathed, her hands slowly tightening around her
blankets, clutching into fists. "Why?"


=================================================================


Author's Note: You don't know how refreshing it is to write something in a completely different style
than what I'm used to. I really needed to do this; I was beginning to fall into a rut! Now, I think I can
continue to work on my other stories again. I'll still work on this one from time to time, though, so
don't worry.


Disclaimer: All original materials belong to their respective owners. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko
Takeuchi and a bunch of big companies. No copyright infringement is intended.

Questions? Comments? Anything?
Email: jasonulloa (at) hotmail (dot) com

Copyright© 2004, 2007 Jason C. Ulloa
All Rights Reserved.