Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Brooch ❯ Chapter 23

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

The Brooch
By Jason C. Ulloa


Chapter 23


Setagaya-ku/Meguro-ku Border, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:42 P.M.


She was in the middle of drawing the rune for a Crescent Beam when she felt it. Something was wrong.
Something just went wrong. Something....

"Crescent beam!" Venus shouted, firing off another attack. Her concentration shaken, the beam flew off the
mark just enough to clip the wing of her target, a flying Youma that looked like a cross between a hawk
and a human. However, just as she was about to follow up her attack with a second Crescent Beam, Sailor
Moon's tiara punched through the chest of her target Youma, taking it out along with a couple other flying
Youma beside it.

"Have you seen the others yet?" Sailor Moon asked as her tiara returned to her hand.

Venus shook her head as the two started running eastward again. "Not since we got separated," she replied,
worry showing on her face. That feeling she just had.... "I'm worried about Ryoku-sama, though. All those
Youma-"

"I know you're worried, Venus," she cut her off. "I am, too, but he can take care of himself. For now,
we've got to regroup with the others." She quickly gazed around before returning her attention ahead of
her. "At this rate, we'll end up meeting with the Blades before Ryoku-san does. There's too many of them to
slow down with just the two of us."

Venus started to draw another Crescent Beam rune as she tried to calm herself. Sailor Moon was right; Ryoku
could take care of himself. She was just imagining things. He was fine. He had to be. "Do you think you can
fire another Moon Princess Halation now?" She took aim at a small cluster of Youma as her rune completed.
"Crescent beam!"

"Not for another two or three minutes," Sailor Moon replied as she shook her head. "I want to wait until I
have more of the main Youma forces in my sight before using that attack again. It's too draining to use it
very often."

"Just how many are left, anyway?" Venus wondered as she prepared another attack.

Sailor Moon was about to reply when some movement up ahead to her left caught her attention. About a
kilometer away, there were several Youma swarming around a corner as if chasing something. "Venus!"

"I see it, too!" she acknowledged.

"After them!" she ordered as she removed her tiara once again. "Moon tiara action!"

"Crescent beam!" Venus yelled, firing her own attack as well.

Both attacks struck the tail end of the horde, demolishing several Youma, sentry and Hunter alike. A few
Youma turned around to confront the two Senshi, but they were quickly destroyed as well.

Following the path of dead and disintegrating Youma, the two Senshi found themselves on a different street.
Sounds of growling and yelling mixed with the clashing of steel carried through the air. Venus ran harder,
her worry growing by the second; a burgeoning fear that her earlier premonition that something was wrong
was more than just her imagination.

"What are you doing?" Sailor Moon shouted as she picked up her own pace.

"They caught up with him!" Venus shouted without looking back. "They'll kill him if we don't hurry!"

Sailor Moon's lips tightened while her hands clenched in frustration. On one hand, she knew that they
needed to regroup in order to hold off the Youma's continued advance. On the other hand, she knew that
Venus' heart was set on rescuing Ryoku, and judging from the sounds of fighting that they were running
toward, he might not have much time left.

'Damn it all.'

"Venus! I'm going to try and find the others!" she shouted as she leapt up to the top of a crumbling
one-story building that still had its roof. "I'll leave Ryoku-san to you!"

"Got it!" Venus replied as she darted down another street, following the sounds of battle.


_________________________________________________________________


Jupiter sat back against the side of the building, breathing hard as Saturn laid her hands on her head. She
smiled up at the younger Senshi, encouraging her as she was breathing heavily as well. Neither one of them
were in the best physical shape, but they were holding up as best as they could. The strain was
particularly hard on her, as she had just barely had time to recover from her coma before being thrown to
the fire. Her Senshi-augmented strength could only carry her so far. Saturn had come up with the idea to
try shoring her up with some of her healing powers, but even if it did work, the younger Senshi was growing
weary as well. Besides, it could only last so long. If the battle drew out too long, soon both of them
wouldn't be able to fight.

"How're you holding up, Saturn?" Jupiter asked as Saturn removed her hands.

Saturn stepped back and leaned against her glaive. She looked exhausted. "I'm all right. I can still fight."

Jupiter nodded as she struggled to get up. "Me, too. I'm ready to go again."

"That's great, because we could really use a hand sometime soon!" Mars snapped as she flung another Fire
Soul. "I can't keep this up by myself forever, you know!"

"Just be glad that this alley is narrow enough to keep the Youma from swarming over us," Pluto replied in a
terse voice at the other end of the alley. "Otherwise, you wouldn't even be able to complain."

"Shut up!" Mars shot back, whipping her head back to glare at her for a moment before turning her gaze to
Jupiter and Saturn. "I think we can break out from this end. Most of the Youma have been splitting off in
different directions. I don't think we can hold them back anymore."

Pluto threw another Dead Scream before rejoining the others. "It looks like they're starting to do the same
at the other end, too. It almost seems as if they're trying to go around us now." She paused for a moment.
"If Ryoku-san didn't make it in time to warn the others, then we'll need to meet up with the Blades."

Mars' expression hardened. "He will make it."

Jupiter gave her a quiet nod, while Saturn gave Pluto a concerned look. "Do you really think the Youma got
Ryo-niichan?"

Pluto turned away from her and stared back toward the other end of the alley. Dozens of Youma had been
streaming through that entrance earlier, but now it was completely empty save for the corpses of demolished
Youma strewn about the rubble of broken buildings and rusted, smashed vehicles. "I certainly hope not."
She turned back to the others. "We need to get moving. Now."

"Right," Mars said as she glanced out of the alley and looked around. It was all clear. "This way," she
said as she started running down the street with the others close behind her.


_________________________________________________________________


Near Tokyo Daigaku, Komaba Campus Ruins, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:48 P.M.


Ryoku dove to the ground, swinging his sword with his left hand at the flying Youma above him. Because of
the arrow still in his shoulder, the blade missed the head, but managed to lop off a wing, sending it
crashing to the ground beside him. Ignoring the pain in his back and shoulder, he managed to push himself
up to his knees and thrust the tip of the sword through the right eye of the Youma, finishing it off as he
hurried to get up on his feet again and rushing for cover before he could get hit with another arrow.

Once behind the cover of another rusted vehicle, he gritted his teeth and yanked out the arrow, wincing as
it came free. He glanced over the hood of the vehicle at the advancing Youma, assessing his situation.
There were several sentries, only a handful of Hunters, several of those weird new Youma, and a single
flying Youma. And they were blocking all means of escape.

Not good. Especially since he had dropped his rifle back near that vehicle he landed on. All he had on him
was his sword and some ammo.

The flying Youma and the Projectile Hunter had to go. The others he could hold off until an opportunity for
escape showed itself. It was fortunate that there was only one Projectile Hunter.

He took a deep breath and leapt out from behind his cover, sprinting toward the Projectile Hunter. The
Hunter leveled its crossbow-like appendage at him and fired. However, Ryoku had been watching the Hunter's
arm and dodged the bolt just as it was released; the arrow just barely grazing his cheek. Before the Hunter
could reload, Ryoku collided with the Hunter, running it through with his sword. Before the Hunter could
react, Ryoku yanked out his sword and lopped off the Hunter's head with a quick swipe of his blade.

A small pack of sentries were starting to close in on him, so he started running toward the cluster of
Youma that were blocking him off from reaching the other Blades. There were only sentries there, but it was
a large concentration of them - probably six or seven of them. He could probably handle them if it was just
him and them, but with all those other Youma around....

Ryoku swung at the nearest sentry, but his sword was blocked by the sentry's blade. Without slowing down,
he swung his sword in the opposite direction, slashing another sentry across the chest, then leaped back as
another sentry's blade almost took an arm. He leaped back a second time as yet another sentry almost thrust
its sword through his chest, then to the side as yet another sentry almost ambushed him from behind. A
quick swipe of his sword as he dived and rolled to his feet again cut an unwary sentry at the ankles,
bringing it to the ground. Once Ryoku had regained his footing, three sentries fell on him at once, keeping
him hard pressed as he struggled to block and parry each strike while other sentries, and other Youma as
well, closed in on him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was aware of the shadow of that flying Youma
at his feet; aware that it was in a perfect position to strike from above. And he was unable to do anything
to avoid it.

It was over.

"Ami... Rei... Minako...," he whispered as the shadow at his feet began to spread at a rapid pace, "I'm
sorry...."

Everything seemed to slow down for him just at that moment. All the outside noise seemed to fade away; the
growls of the sentries, the clashing of steel, crunching and grinding of the asphalt granules underneath
his boots, the thundering footsteps of additional Youma rushing to join in on the eventual kill, fading
away as if carried away by the wind. The only things that he was aware of were the sword in his hand, the
feel of the blades of the sentries hammering against his own, and the feel of the air from the flying
Youma's beating wings rushing down on his head. He could almost watch the claws of the flying Youma slowly
close in on his head; feel the tips of the claws break the skin and gradually start to sink into his
neck....

A strong gust of wind blew over his head. He could feel the claws drag across his neck, drawing blood. He
wanted to look up to see what had happened, but he didn't dare take his eyes away from the three sentries
in front of him, lest one of them manage to run him through with their blades. However, one of the sentries
did look up.

'There!'

Ryoku charged into the sentry, knocking it over as he impaled it with his sword. Before he hit the ground,
he pulled out the blade and held it in front of him, blocking one of the sentry's blades as he hit the
ground on his back. The pain made him wince again, but he held his sword steady.

As the second sentry drew back its blade to stab him through the heart, another roar of wind slammed into
the sentry. This time, Ryoku was able to see the golden yellow of Venus' Crescent Beam as it knocked the
sentry several meters back before it collapsed into a motionless heap. The attack caught the last sentry
off-guard, giving Ryoku the opportunity to kick the sentry's feet out from under it, then chopping off its
head once it hit the ground.

"Ryoku-sama!" Venus shouted as she ran toward him while waving. Ryoku glanced around and noted that many of
the Youma that had surrounded him were down. Only a few were still standing, some heading for him while
most of them were charging at her.

The Blade rushed forward to meet the closest Youma, a Whip Hunter. The Hunter lashed out at him, grabbing
his left wrist, but since he was still charging, the whip went slack. Ryoku swiped at the Hunter with his
sword, cutting deep into the Youma's chest. Ryoku cut the whip off his wrist as the Hunter hit the ground,
then looked up to see one of the weird-looking Youma charge at him. A wolfish-looking Youma, quick on its
feet and hard to hit, which was proving to be a bit of an annoyance.

"Crescent beam!" he heard Venus shout from a short distance away. The beam missed as the Youma leapt back a
short distance away, then sprinted forward at him, forcing him to dive out of the way before its claws
could tear into him. He tried to swing at the Youma, but it dodged out of the way as if the sword was
moving in slow motion.

"Crescent beam!" Venus shouted again, trying to shoot the Youma down. However, instead of striking the
Youma, it struck Ryoku’s sword, disappearing into the blade as if being absorbed. "Ah! Ryoku-sama! I didn't
mean to hit you!" she exclaimed as she held her hands out toward him in apology.

"I'm all right," Ryoku replied as he concentrated on his sword. "Besides, this is a good opportunity to try
something."

Venus blinked. "What are you talking about, Ryoku-sa... ma...," she began, but trailed off as Ryoku's sword
began to glow with a yellow light.

"Don't just stand there!" he yelled.

"R-Right! Crescent beam!" Venus shouted, firing another beam at the wolf-like Youma. The Youma easily
dodged once again by leaping in the air.

"Nowhere to run now," Ryoku smirked as he drew back his glowing blade, then swung it in a horizontal arc.
"Crescent cutter!" he shouted as a curved blade of yellow light similar to Venus' Crescent Beam flew out
from the blade, bisecting the Youma before it could hit the ground. His eyes then scanned the area for any
other threats. Only he and Venus remained standing.

"What was that, Ryoku-sama?" she inquired, eyes wide in astonishment as she ran up to him. "That last
attack looked like my Crescent Beam!" Her eyes locked onto the small rivulets of blood streaming from his
neck. "Ryoku-sama! You're hurt!"

"No time to worry about that," he told her. "Anyway, I'll explain about that last attack later, but first,
I have to get to the other Blades before it's too late. I've wasted too much time here as it is."

She frowned, but nodded. "Right," she said as she jogged over to where his rifle lay on the ground and
picked it up. "I'll cover you while we go." She jogged back to his side and handed the firearm back to him.

"Thanks." He glanced back toward the way he came. "Where are the others?"

"I'll explain on the way," she replied as the two started running.


_________________________________________________________________


Hikawa Jinja Proper, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 6:57 P.M.


It was an increase in the volume of the background murmur that caught Michiru's attention. She had been
sitting at the top of the steps to the Hikawa Jinja, watching the small group near Shishu Headquarters. At
that distance, it was almost impossible to distinguish individuals apart, but only one wore the Shishu
uniform.

Michiru was set to ignore the background murmuring again, when someone shook her shoulder. She looked back
toward the person and blinked as she recognized the red-haired girl from before.

"Hey, they're gonna start the ceremony really soon!" she told her excitedly. "Come on, you gotta come see
it!"

"Rin-san..., right?" Michiru said, giving the girl a questioning look.

Rin nodded. "You remembered, huh? Anyway, you gotta come see the ceremony! This's gotta be a once-in-a-
lifetime chance, right? I mean, when do you ever get the opportunity to see something like this?" She
reached down and grabbed Michiru's hand. "Come on!" she insisted, pulling Michiru up to her feet. "Let's
go!"

"N-no, that's all right," Michiru said, shaking her head despite Rin's insistance. "I'm fine right here."

Rin shook her head. "No, you're not," she told her. "You're worrying about something. I can understand
that, but you can't just immerse yourself in worry. What you need is some hope. And watching this will give
you hope; I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Michiru grumbled as she let herself be dragged. Rin was quite a stong
girl.

Rin stopped and looked at her. "Because the barrier itself is hope," she said with a serious look in her
eyes. "It is the hope that our strength will let us live another day. It is the hope that we can one day
lead a normal life without fear of being killed or enslaved. It is the hope that the future will be better
than the present."

She turned toward the jinja, leaving her back toward Michiru. "My father was always telling me that. He
told me that before he died and the Youma took me away to become a slave. Even after our barrier fell, he
still believed. He still had hope." She paused long enough to shake her head and sigh. "For a long time, I
tried to figure out why he told me that. But now that we're here, I know. You can't give up hope because
you never know when life will give you an opportunity. Now, come on," she said, dragging Michiru behind her
again.

Michiru sighed. "Fine, I'll go," she relented as she started following Rin toward the large gathering of
onlookers. Ahead, there was a wide clearing where a miko with blonde hair so pale it almost seemed silvery,
dressed in white and red stood, surrounded by a ring of men in white and blue facing away from her.
Surrounding them, a ring of men and women in their white and blue, and white and red ceremonial robes, also
stood facing away from the center. Each priest and miko were carrying a rod with a strip of papers
attached, probably some kind of warding fuda or something, Michiru assumed.

After a few moments, the crowd began to grow silent as a quiet, firm chanting carried through the air. It
was hard to see, but after moving to a better vantage point, she was able to spot the silvery-haired miko.
The miko's eyes closed as she waved her rod slowly up and down, then back and forth, swaying and turning as
if dancing, while her gentle, yet strong voice chanted loud enough to carry throughout the grounds.

Partway through the miko's chant, the ring of men surrounding her began to perform a chant of their own as
they waved their rods and danced in a similar manner. It was a different chant, yet it seemed to complement
the miko's chant, the two weaving together effortlessly. Even though the men's chant was louder, it did not
overpower the miko's chant. It came though as clearly as if she was the only one speaking.

As the two chants began to pick up in intensity, the outer circle of priests and miko began a third chant,
weaving their voices with the others as they waved their rods and danced as well. Even with so many voices
chanting at once, the silvery-haired miko's chant was still heard quite clearly. In fact, it almost sounded
like her chanting had grown even louder and was starting to overpower everyone else's.

As the ceremony continued, the chanting and the manner in which the priests and miko chanted and moved
their warding rods grew in complexity and intensity. Moreover, Michiru could swear that she could hear
similar chanting coming from other areas of the jinja, some in languages she did not understand. All of the
chanting seemed to weave together, charging the air with an energy that she could feel deep inside herself.
It felt so powerful that she swore that she could reach up into the air above her and touch it.

Suddenly, everyone stopped, freezing in place with a loud stomp, sending an echo which reverberated across
the Hikawa Jinja Proper, leaving nothing in its wake but silence.


_________________________________________________________________


The nurse stationed in Hino-sama's room jumped in her seat when the chanting cut off with a loud stomping
noise. She strained to listen for any other noise or some sign that the barrier had returned, but there
wasn't anything of any significance to her knowledge. Of course, she had no idea of what she should be
listening for, but it was better than just sitting and waiting, doing nothing.

A soft rustling accompanied by a quiet moaning caught her ear. She turned her head in the direction of the
sound and froze.

Hino-sama was moving.

She rose up from her seat and stepped toward the bed, moving slowly for some reason that she couldn't
explain. As she approached the bed, Hino-sama started moaning again; however, this time she was close
enough to make out what he was saying.

"Rei.... Where are you... Rei...?"


_________________________________________________________________


"Did...," Rin whispered in the silence, half-afraid that speaking would dispel whatever magic had enveloped
the air around them. "Did you feel that?"

Michiru could only nod in awe at what she had witnessed.

"Do you think... it's back?" she asked, quiet awe evident in her voice as well. "The barrier?"

"I don't know...," she whispered back, shaking her head.

The rings of priests and miko dispersed as the silvery-haired miko stepped forward toward the gathered
crowd. "My friends, the ceremony to restore the barrier was a success. The Hikawa Jinja Proper is once
again protected from the threat of Youma."

A jubilant roar arose from the crowd at the declaration. Michiru herself couldn't help but cheer herself
at the news. However, there was something in those words that caused her cheer to die off prematurely.

"However," the silvery-haired miko interrupted amidst the cheering, "the barrier only covers Sendai Hill
itself. The Lower Grounds are still exposed." The cheering quickly reverted to a worried muttering and
people complained and demanded to know why the barrier hadn't been completely restored. "As more of our
personnel recover from the backlash caused by the collapse of our barrier, the barrier will expand until it
reaches its previous size. Until then, please be patient as we continue to work with Medical to bring our
personnel back to full health."

Some of the muttering died down as the people accepted the explanation. Michiru frowned, having expected
something like this from the first announcement, but more because there was something else still bothering
her. Did Haruka realize that the barrier was back up? Someone had to let her know. She'd push herself too
hard if she thought the barrier was still down. She glanced over at Rin who was talking with one of her
friends. Without a word, Michiru slipped away and started heading for the steps leading down to the Lower
Grounds.


_________________________________________________________________


Outer Grounds - Section 313, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:09 P.M.


"I see...," Mamoru said as he regarded Ryoku and Venus while Sanzou went to spread the word. "At least,
it's good to know that there isn't anything particularly special about the flying Youma other than their
ability to fly. But there's something that bothers me about your report."

Ryoku raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Mamoru opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as a familiar, welcome sensation suddenly returned to
existence. He quickly turned to Ryoku and Venus to confirm it and was met with Ryoku nodding in
confirmation.

"It's back, Mamoru," he said in relief. "It's faint, but it's back."

"The barrier?" Venus asked. "Is that what this feeling is?"

"Yes," Mamoru told her. "You'll learn to recognize that sensation eventually. It's been known to save a
Blade's life now and then.

"Anyway, about your report, Ryoku," Mamoru continued. "You mentioned that you were chased by sentries,
Hunters, and all of those weird Youma, including flying Youma," he pointed out. "And before then, while you
were fighting alongside the Senshi. Where are the Mages?"

Venus blinked as she thought that over. "You're right. There weren't any Mage Youma out there at all."

Ryoku frowned. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Mamoru?"

The Blade leader gave him a grim nod. "This isn't Jadeite's doing."

The blonde Senshi stared at the two Blades in utter shock. "Not Jadeite?"

Mamoru gave her a hard stare. "Don't say that so loud. We don't need to give the others anything more to
worry about."

"S-Sorry," she said, covering her mouth with her hands. "But if it's not Jadeite that's attacking us, then
who is it?"

"It doesn't really matter right now," Ryoku said. "Any one is just as bad as the other. However, now that I
think about it, if this really is the doing of another General, then there's two possibilities that I can
see happening because of this; one good and one bad."

"What's the bad possibility?" Mamoru asked.

"This General is assisting Jadeite and from now on, we're going to get double teamed by two Generals."

Venus swallowed. "And... the good one?"

"Considering that there were no Mages out there, I think that this one's more likely," he pointed out.
"Anyway, this General might be trying to take over this area from Jadeite. In other words, he's invading
Jadeite's territory."

"So, you think that the two Generals are fighting against each other?" Mamoru supposed.

"It might be so," he agreed. "At worst, it's probably just a quick raid and that'll be the end of it. At
best, full scale war."

"At best?" Venus asked.

"If the two Generals are at war against each other, then they'll be directing their Youma to fight each
other instead of actively hunting us," Mamoru explained. "That'll mean a sharp decline in the Youma
population, as well as the ability for us to move freely."

"It'll be even better if all four Generals are involved," Ryoku added.

"Chiba, the word has been passed," Sanzou reported as he came running up to them. "Everyone is now in
position."

"Good," Mamoru acknowledged. "Get in position. Once the enemy comes out into the open, we'll open fire."

"Understood," Sanzou said as he turned and started to leave, but paused. "You both felt it, right?" he
asked, a small grin starting to spread across his face.

"We did," he nodded. Sanzou nodded back and hurried off to get into position.

"You two had better get in position as well," Mamoru ordered as he turned to Ryoku and Venus.

"Understood," Ryoku said as he and Venus also left. Once they left, Mamoru hurried into position. From
there, it was only a matter of time before the Youma arrived.


_________________________________________________________________


Outside Hikawa Jinja, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:09 P.M.


"Moon tiara action!" Sailor Moon shouted, flinging her tiara in a wide arc, taking the heads off several
sentries before the glowing disc slammed into the back of another flying Youma. It was getting easier to
follow the Youma now that the divergent hordes were coming back together. It seemed as if they were getting
ready to overrun the Shishu opposition now that they were closing in on the Hikawa Jinja.

Just as she caught her tiara on its return flight, a large double explosion of fire and electricity struck
a large cluster of Youma in her way. "Finally!" she exclaimed, partly in relief as she rushed toward the
source of the explosions.

"Silence glaive surprise!" she heard Saturn shout as a claw of energy darted across the ground and smashed
into the remainder of the Youma pack before she ran past the fallen enemy, waving at her allies and
laughing at seeing all of them there, alive and, for the most part, seemingly unhurt.

"Sailor Moon!" Jupiter shouted as she waved back.

"There you are!" Mars also shouted. "Do you realize how long we've been looking for you?"

"Where's Venus?" Pluto inquired as she glanced around. "Wasn't she with you?"

"She went to go find Ryoku-san," she told them as she turned toward the Hikawa Jinja. "She's probably met
up with him by now."

Just as she finished speaking, she felt a familiar energy spring into existence in the direction of the
Hikawa Jinja. It was weak, but it felt stable.

"Hey, did you guys feel that?" Jupiter asked, looking from one Senshi to the other.

"It's the barrier," Mars said, her voice calmer than it had been in a long time. It sounded more... focused
and intense, rather than wild and enraged. "It's finally returned."

"Thank goodness," Pluto said, breathing out in relief.

"There's no time to relax yet," Sailor Moon pointed out. "We've got to meet up with Shishu and the
defender force. The Youma will be on them soon and they'll need our help."

"Right," Mars nodded, her voice still surprisingly calm. "So, let's go."

Sailor Moon stared at Mars for a moment before nodding and hurrying on her way with the others close behind
her.


_________________________________________________________________


Outer Grounds - Section 313, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:12 P.M.


"Thanks again for picking up my rifle for me back there," Ryoku said as he changed the clip of his firearm.
He shifted from his seat near the door of the building he was hiding inside and reached into his shirt
pocket, pulled out a box of bullets, and started filling his empty clips. Venus sat on the other side of
the doorway, quietly watching him. "Mamoru would've yelled at me again if I'd have left it out there."

She nodded as she watched him fill his clips, her eyes once again trailing toward the lines of blood on his
neck. The blood had dried and was flaking in some places, but it was still wet in others. Without realizing
it, she had moved closer to where she was now sitting next to him, her hand extended and brushing against
his neck, light streaks of red staining the pure white of her gloves. "I'm so sorry I didn't get there
earlier," she whispered, her voice soft and pained.

The young Blade's hands paused for a moment before starting again, although a little slower. "I'm still
alive, Minako. That's all that's important, right?"

She let out a sad sigh as she rested her head on his uninjured shoulder. "It was easier when I was just a
normal girl," she lamented as she stared out into the darkness in front of her. "A normal girl would never
see her beloved almost die right in front of her eyes."

Ryoku set down the clip he was working on and started to gently stroke her head. "A normal girl wouldn't
have had the power to save the life of her beloved," he replied in a comforting voice. "You saved my life,
Minako. Thank you." He moved his head just enough to kiss her on the forehead before sitting back against
the wall again.

Venus lifted her head and gave him a hurt look. "That's it?" she pouted. "That's the thanks I get for
saving your life?" She moved her face in front of his, causing him to jerk back enough to bang his head
against the wall. "Don't think you're going to get away with giving me such a cheap thanks," she said as
she leaned in for a kiss, sealing her lips against his before he had a chance to protest.

"Better?" he asked as their lips separated.

"Mm-hm...," she replied as she moved back to her previous seat at his side. As her gaze wandered down to
the clips and bullets at Ryoku's side, her eyes came to rest upon his sword. "Ryoku-sama," she began as she
looked back up at him again, "can you tell me now?"

He remained silent for a moment before he started refilling his clips again. "It's a... long story. It's
best we wait until the battle's over. And I want all of the Senshi to hear this as well. It concerns them,
too."

"All right," she agreed, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"What I can tell you is that I finally remembered something about this sword of mine," he told her.
"Grandfather told me that this blade of his was somehow supposed to be special when he passed it down to
me the day I became a Blade. Only recently have I figured out what he meant by that."

She was about to say something when some movement out in the rubble caught her eye. As she turned her gaze
completely toward the rubble, several Youma burst out from the ruins, charging toward the Hikawa Jinja.
"They're coming!" she said in a hushed voice as she prepared to start drawing the rune for a Crescent Beam.

Ryoku hurriedly finished the last of his clips and slid it into his rifle. He slipped around Venus, went to
one knee as he chambered a bullet, raised his rifle up and lined his sights onto the rushing horde. As he
waited and watched, several explosions of differing energies lit up near the entrance of the ruins.

"Hmph," he snorted in amusement. "Looks like the others made it."

"Mm," Venus agreed without taking her eyes from the Youma.

As the enemy drew closer, Ryoku thumbed the safety off of his rifle and took aim at a Hunter near the front
of the pack. Seven hundred meters.

Six hundred meters.

More explosions as the Senshi emerged from the ruins. There was a wide gap between them and the Youma,
mostly containing the bodies of other Youma that dared to close that gap. From what he could see, it looked
like the Senshi were trying to get in front of the Youma to halt the charge. However, there were way too
many Youma between them and the forward end of the charge and they had spread themselves out to keep the
body count down as they charged.

They were learning.

"Ready!" Mamoru called out as the Youma reached the five hundred meter mark. "Aim! Fire!"

The reports of several hundred rifles ripped through the evening air as several dozen Youma at the leading
end of the charge spasmed and dropped, tripping up several more Youma along with them. The confusion only
lasted a moment as the rest of the Youma either leaped over the obstruction or went around it.

Three hundred and fifty meters.

"Take aim and fire again, then fall back to Section 314!" Mamoru ordered. "Fire only if you have a shot!"

"Crescent beam!" Venus shouted as the Youma reached the three hundred meter mark. The beam of yellow light
that emanated from her extended finger slammed into a sentry, knocking it off its feet and throwing it into
a tight cluster of Youma, knocking them to the ground as well. Ryoku followed up her attack by firing at a
pair of Hunters that remained standing after her attack, hitting one in the forehead and another in the
chest. Both Hunters went down.

"Let's go!" Ryoku said as he leaped to his feet and started running. "Can you snipe them while running?"

"I'll try!" Venus replied as she ran close behind him, drawing the rune for her Crescent Beam as she ran.
"Crescent beam!" The attack went a little wide, but it hit the ground in front of a small pack of Youma,
shooting up a spray of dirt and asphalt, slowing them down a little. "Damn! Missed!"

"Slowing them down is fine, too," he told her. "Just keep it up!"


_________________________________________________________________


Near Outer Grounds Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:17 P.M.


"Dammit!" Jupiter seethed as she flung another Supreme Thunder at another one of those weird-looking Youma,
dropping it to the ground in a spasming fit before it stopped moving. "We're not getting anywhere like
this!"

"Why don't you use that scepter of yours?" Mars shouted at Sailor Moon as she flung a Burning Mandala at a
group of sentries, burning three into a pile of Youma ash.

Sailor Moon shook her head. "They're too spread apart for it to be very effective," she explained as she
flung her tiara at a flying Youma. The Youma dodged the tiara, but a pair of Hunter Youma were decapitated
on the tiara's return flight. "I can only use the scepter once I gather enough energy, and I'll be
defenseless when I do use it. It's too risky right now."

"Dead scream," Pluto whispered, firing her attack at the Youma Sailor Moon missed. The attack missed as
well, but the Sparkling Wide Pressure that Jupiter threw didn't. Pluto started to draw another rune, but
paused. "There's something wrong," she noted, partially to herself.

"Wrong?" Sailor Moon inquired.

"That flying Youma we took down just now.... Where are the others? I know we haven't destroyed them all
yet."

Everyone scanned the sky for a brief moment. Above them, there were no signs of any flying Youma.

"Are you sure they weren't all wiped out?" Mars asked. "Maybe you lost count? We did kill a lot of Youma."

"I don't think it's that simple," Pluto replied as she started drawing another rune. Once the rune was
complete, she flung it at a small group of Hunters and sentries, demolishing all of them in one shot. "At
any rate, we're almost back at the Outer Grounds. The Blades will be starting their ambush at any moment."

"Damn," Sailor Moon growled. "Come on! We've got to push harder!"

The Senshi started running again, taking smaller shots as they ran. Most of the attacks only hit one or two
Youma at a time, while some missed completely. As they ran, more Youma moved to cut them off, but they were
quickly taken out with a Fire Soul, or a Supreme Thunder, or even a well-placed kick to the head.

Once they reached the end of the city ruins and the start of the Outer Grounds, they were greeted by the
sounds of rifles opening fire. "Looks like Ryoku-san made it in time," Pluto observed as a beam of light
shot out from one of the ruined buildings and sent a sentry flying into a group of Youma behind it.

"Good work, Venus," Sailor Moon said to herself as she prepared to throw her tiara again.

"Hey!" Saturn suddenly shouted as she pointed her glaive into the air ahead of them. "Look!"

"What is it-?" Jupiter began but cut off as she saw what Saturn was pointing at. "Oh, no...."

"What?" Mars asked as she looked as well.

"The flying Youma...," Pluto said as she stared as well.

"Damn!" Sailor Moon seethed as her hands clenched into tight fists.

Far into the distance, past the point where the Blades and defenders were now retreating from, dozens of
flying Youma were making their way east toward the Hikawa Jinja, flying well over the range of the Blade's
rifles.

"But, the barrier's up, right?" Saturn said, a hint of worry in her voice.

"That's not the problem," Mars explained, her voice tight. "It's just been newly established. Even though
it's stable, it is very weak compared to what the Youma are used to encountering. If they start trying to
break down the barrier... it's not going to last for more than a few minutes at best."

Sailor Moon whirled around to face Mars. "Listen," she said, her expression grim and her eyes desperate,
"can I count on you to take care of things here?"

Mars nodded. "Leave them to us. We'll be fine."

The Senshi leader nodded, satisfied. "Catch up with Venus and Ryoku. Let them know what's going on if they
don't already know." With that, she sprinted down the field, dodging Youma as she ran in leaps and bounds.

"They've already got a head start on us," Mars said as she turned to the other Senshi. "Let's get moving."


_________________________________________________________________


Chiyoda-ku/Minato-ku border, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:21 P.M.


Titus smirked. It was impressive that this half of Zoicite's invasion army had made it this far in such a
short time. That bastard was quite sneaky; she had to give him that. But that was all she was going to give
him.

"Mistress?"

She turned to the Mage Youma that had stepped forward and bowed. "Is everyone in position?"

"Down to the last sentry. Orders?"

Her smirk widened. "Kill."

The Mage Youma bowed again and turned to the other Mages, barking commands. Titus tuned them out as she
turned toward the advancing army.

It would be the Qinghai rebellion all over again. What fun!


_________________________________________________________________


Outer Grounds - Section 314, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:23 P.M.


Mamoru spared a quick glance behind him as he continued to run. There was still a good distance between his
forces and the Youma. The remaining defender forces were likely in position close by. In fact, they weren't
too far from an area they had previously used to force the Youma into a pincer ambush. Konno would've
likely set up there.

"This way!" he shouted, waving his rifle in the air to draw attention, then took a sharp turn down one
street, followed by another turn two more streets down.

As he led the front line forces down the narrow street, he continuously scanned the area in front of him
for any indication that Konno and his group were there. Sure enough, he spotted Konno's head sticking out
from the inside of one of the buildings, watching him. As soon as he saw that Mamoru had seen him, he
jerked his head back, indicating that he should continue past them.

Mamoru grinned to himself for a moment. 'So, a staggered ambush, is it?' he thought to himself. 'Looks like
you've been paying attention.' It wasn't far to where the buildings stopped and the clearing began. That
would be where they would make their stand. If they could trap the Youma in the streets, there could be
fewer casualties. It was a shame they couldn't use this tactic in that battle three days ago, but they were
too far north. There, the clearing reached almost the entire way to the border... or rather, where the
border formerly stood.

It didn't take long for all of Mamoru's forces to pass by Konno's first ambush site. As the last defender
ran past, Konno leaped out into the middle of the street, followed by several other defenders, all with
rifles pointed down the street.

"Fire!" he ordered, unleashing a hailstorm of bullets onto the advancing Youma army. Several smaller Youma
in the front dropped, but they were quickly sidestepped or jumped over. The other Youma hardly slowed down
at all.

"Fall back!" he ordered as he turned and started running with the others following close behind.

After running a couple hundred meters, he raised a hand overhead. "Fire once, then fall back!" Another
group of defenders leaped out of hiding and opened fire, taking down several more Youma before falling in
behind the others. This process repeated five more times, taking down only a small handful of Youma each
time without slowing the rest down.

"Konno!" Mamoru shouted as he brought his group to a stop where the buildings and roads started to end.
"We're making our stand here!"

"Not yet!" he replied, waving him back. "I still have one last attack to throw at them! Follow us!"

Mamoru nodded and directed the others to follow him. Once Konno's group had cleared the area, the sound of
hundreds of rifles pulling back on their levers, chambering bullets cut through the thundering of the Youma
still charging at them. Following their lead, Mamoru's group halted, turned around, and chambered rounds as
well.

"Fire when you have a shot!" Mamoru ordered. "Prepare blades for close combat! We're going to stop them
here!" Once the orders were out of his mouth, several defenders opened fire, rushing to take down Youma
before having to face them in close combat.

"There they are!" he heard someone shout as he took aim at a Hunter in the center of the Youma's front
lines. Once he had his shot, he fired, then looked toward the direction of the voices. Four Sailor Senshi
were running toward them from the end of the street they had been running down earlier.

"I told you we'd catch up if we kept going down this street!" Jupiter shouted back toward the other Senshi.
"Any of you see Ryo-chan or Venus anywhere?"

"It's the others!" he heard Venus' voice shout from somewhere behind him.

"Wait a minute. I don't see Sailor Moon with them," Ryoku's voice added.

Mamoru blinked and looked again. Sure enough, Sailor Moon was nowhere to be seen. "Where is she?" he asked
once the Senshi had caught up with them.

"We've got a big problem, Mamoru-san," Mars said as Venus and Ryoku joined them. "All the flying Youma have
gone ahead to the Hikawa Jinja itself."

"What?" Mamoru exclaimed as his gaze shot up into the air. Sure enough, it was devoid of all flying Youma.

"Sailor Moon has already gone ahead to try and catch up with them," Mars continued.

"You have a detachment or two of defenders stationed in the Lower Grounds in case something like this
happens, right?" Pluto inquired.

"Yes, but right now it's being commanded by a new Recruit Blade," Mamoru began, concern evident in his
voice.

"If it's Ten'ou, she can handle herself," Ryoku remarked.

"It's commanding others that I'm worried about," he said before jerking his head toward the oncoming Youma.
"They're almost here!" he shouted, slinging his rifle and drawing his sword. Beside him, he noticed that
Ryoku had already done the same.

"Everyone, ready your attacks!" Venus ordered as she started drawing the rune for her Crescent Beam. "And
make sure you stay alive out there!" she added as she glanced over her shoulder at Ryoku. He gave her a
quick nod in return before turning his gaze toward the Youma.

"Good luck, Sailor Senshi," Mamoru said as he tightened his grip on his sword.

"Good luck to you, too, Shishu," Venus replied as she finished her rune. "Crescent beam!"

"Fire soul!"

"Silence glaive surprise!"

"Dead scream."

"Forward, Blades!" Mamoru bellowed and yelled as he charged, sword held at the ready, flanked by his fellow
Blades. The four Senshi attacks blasted apart the Youma's front line and slowed their charge by a good
margin, enough to give the Blades a slight advantage in their own charge. Once Youma blade met Shishu
blade, the Senshi charged into the fray themselves.


_________________________________________________________________


Outside Shishu Headquarters, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:31 P.M.


Once Mizuno-hakase had begun deploying medical units to Section 314, Haruka had taken her leave, not
wanting to interrupt her as she concentrated on making sure that all Medical resources were ready to
receive casualties at a moment's notice. Instead of hanging around Sendai Hill, she had chosen to bring her
units to the far end of the Lower Grounds. That way, should some Youma manage to get past the main body of
defenders, they could intercept them well before they could reach Sendai Hill.

A defender jogged up to her, waving at her to get her attention. "Ten'ou-sama! We've almost finished our
preparations!"

She nodded. "Good. Once we're ready, we're going to take up a position at the trailing edge of the Lower
Grounds."

"Understood," he replied and jogged back the way he came.

Haruka smiled to herself. 'Ten'ou-sama.... Sounds nice,' she thought to herself with some amusement before
glancing back toward Sendai Hill. 'I hope you're holding up all right up there, Michiru.' She turned her
eyes back toward the west, watching for any sign that her units would be needed.

"Ten'ou-sama, preparartions are complete," the defender from before reported.

"That was quick," she remarked, turning around.

"They had finished while I was speaking with you earlier," he replied.

"All right, then. We're heading for the trailing edge of the Lower Grounds. Get in formation and prepare to
move. Pass the word to the others."

"Understood." With that, the defender went to join his unit.

Haruka performed a quick check of her rifle and sword. Ryoku had shown her a few basic things concerning
the weapons, such as how to make sure her rifle wouldn't jam, or how to make sure her sword wouldn't get
stuck in the scabbard. Tomorrow, she was supposed to undergo weapon familiarization training with him. She
hoped he didn't die; she really wanted to go through that training.

Just as she finished and was preparing to move her units out, she noticed several shapes flying toward them
from a good distance away. 'The flying Youma...,' she thought to herself, frowning. There weren't as many
as she thought there'd be. However, what really caught her attention was the fact that they were flying at
an altitude where the main forces couldn't reach them.

"They're trying to bypass the main forces!" she shouted at the defenders. She glanced behind her at Sendai
Hill. Had the ceremony completed yet? Was the barrier up now? There was no time to go and find out.
"Everyone take up a position between the Youma and Sendai Hill! They're airborne, so we may have to shoot
them down if they don't come down to engage us! Hurry!"


_________________________________________________________________


Infirmary - Formerly Makoto's Room, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:31 P.M.


A knock on the door caught Ami by surprise. She adjusted the bed so that it looked like someone was resting
in it, then exited the room, closing the door behind her.

"I thought you'd be in there, Mizuno-san," a nurse said as she glanced at the door. "I thought I saw
someone in there. Isn't this room supposed to be empty since Kino-sama came out of her coma?"

Ami shook her head as she brought out a pad and pencil. 'She's resting in there right now since she isn't
in any condition to fight yet. Her brother brought her to me and asked me to watch over her during the
battle.'

"Well, that's fine and everything, but your mother's called everyone into service this time," she told her.
"Even you trainees are going to be going into the field."

Ami's eyes widened. Was it that bad already?

"I know what you're thinking, but it hasn't gotten that bad yet," she said, shaking her head.
"Mizuno-hakase is only taking the proper precautions considering the situation we're in. Even though the
barrier's back up, it's very weak. Since a good amount of our doctors are still caring for the recovering
religious personnel, we're short on emergency medical staff. That's why the trainees have been activated."
She gave Ami an encouraging smile. "Think of it as advanced on-the-job training."

The mute girl glanced back at the door, then back at the nurse.

"We'll have someone monitor the room," she said as she turned to leave. "The call button's been reactivated
in that room in case she needs anything. Now, let's hurry."

Ami sighed as she nodded and followed behind the nurse. She didn't have any other choice. At least it
didn't sound like they were going to check in on her. As she followed behind the nurse, she wondered what
kind of team she would be placed on.


_________________________________________________________________


Lower/Outer Grounds Border - Section 321, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:31 P.M.


Sailor Moon reached up to her forehead to remove her tiara once again as she landed. She had been trying to
close the gap between herself and the flying Youma while conserving energy by traveling in giant leaps and
bounds. Now that she had come within range of her tiara, she had to attempt a Moon Tiara Action, if only to
grab the Youma's attention. The scepter could definitely hit, even from farther away; however, the charge
time and the narrow scope of the attack made it too inefficient to use for the moment. She hoped that she
could draw all the Youma away from the jinja by attacking now, but she didn't see any real chance of that
happening.

"Moon tiara action!" she shouted, flinging her tiara as hard as she could at the nearest Youma. The glowing
disc cut through the air, toward the unprotected back of the unsuspecting Youma, bursting through it like a
bullet. A handful of Youma spun around and dove at her, but the rest of them continued on their way to the
jinja.

'Better than I thought I'd get,' she mentally grumbled as she caught her tiara and started running again.
She ducked right as a Youma did a diving swipe at her, then leaped into the air, just as another one did a
hard dive, crashing into the ground. She stomped hard on the grounded Youma's head, crushing its skull as
she flung her tiara again, smashing another Youma in the face.

It was hard to keep up with the rest of the Youma while under constant harassment from smaller clusters
that break off as soon as she came close. A jumping high kick cracked the skull of another such Youma as
she leaped past a pair of Youma that tried to trap her by diving at her from two different directions. As
she descended from her leap, her tiara came flying back to her hand, its return path slicing the stunned
Youma in half from head to toe, right down the middle.

Stopping to return her tiara to her forehead, she paused to take stock of her situation. Several flying
Youma were dead, but three times the number she had killed still remained. Not only that, but she was now
within sight of the Hikawa Jinja. The pack of flying Youma were now starting to descend as well; their
target, Sendai Hill.

"No choice left," she muttered as she drew her scepter and prepared to gather energy into it. As she raised
it into position, she sound of rifles firing drew her attention. Her gaze whipped down to where several
defenders had positioned themselves in, around, and on the roofs of several buildings, spread out in a
wide area. On top of one of the buildings closest to her current position, she spotted a single Blade,
trying to direct fire and shoot at the same time. The surprise ambush took down about twenty or thirty
Youma, causing the rest to scatter, half turning to engage the defenders, the other half continuing on to
Sendai Hill.

"Shit!" the Blade growled as she ducked back into the building. Sailor Moon blinked in surprise for a quick
second. A female Blade? She didn't remember seeing a female Blade before.

Putting the matter aside for the moment, she ran toward the building the female Blade entered. Just as she
reached the building, the Blade burst through the doors and started running toward Sendai Hill.

"Unit 6, engage these Youma!" she barked as she ran. "Don't let them get away! Unit 7, you're with me! We
must stop the other Youma from reaching Sendai Hill!"

Sailor Moon took to her feet, easily catching up with the female Blade. "The other Senshi are busy taking
care of the main forces," she reported quickly. "I'm here to help you defend Sendai Hill."

"Thanks," the female Blade answered as she glanced toward her.

Sailor Moon nearly stumbled once she saw the Blade's face. 'Uriah...,' she thought to herself as she
brought herself back under control. 'She looks like Uriah!'

"Are you all right?" the Blade asked, holding a hand out as if to steady her.

"Bad footing," she replied, turning her mind back to the matter at hand. Now wasn't the time to pursue this
matter. Luna and Artemis weren't here; she had no method to revive Sailor Uranus, should she prove to be
Uriah reborn. First, Sendai Hill had to be protected.

"Ten'ou Haruka."

"What?" she said, having not expected the Blade to say anything further.

"My name," she replied, still keeping her gaze directed toward the Hikawa Jinja Proper. "Ten'ou Haruka."

Sailor Moon nodded. "We'll make it in time, Ten'ou-san." Haruka said nothing as the two kept running
toward Sendai Hill.


_________________________________________________________________


Lower Grounds, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 7:31 P.M.


Mizuno-hakase had sent her back the first time she tried to get to Haruka, but that hadn't been enough to
discourage her. Stumbling through the trees lining the top of Sendai Hill wasn't too bad, but stumbling
down the rough sides of the hill was. Once she had reached the bottom, it was only a matter of meeting up
with Haruka, telling her that the barrier was up, and getting back within the protection of the barrier.

Of course, that would've been easy except for the fact that by the time she got to where Haruka had been,
she wasn't there anymore.

'I shouldn't be doing this,' she kept telling herself as she wandered through the Lower Grounds, searching
for her. 'Haruka can take care of herself. I should go back and wait for her to come back.' However, no
matter how hard she tried to convince herself to go back, she continued on her search for Haruka.

As her search took her farther west, she noticed several flying Youma approaching the jinja at a high
altitude. Her heart seized in her chest as she ran faster, her search growing more desperate by the minute.

Rifle shots in the distance caused her to come to a dead halt, falling on her face in the process. She
scrambled to her feet, her gaze darting back and forth. Looking up, she saw the swarm of flying Youma split
apart somewhere not too far away, half swooping around a cluster of buildings while the other half
continued on toward the jinja.

"Unit 6, engage these Youma!" she heard Haruka yell. "Don't let them get away! Unit 7, you're with me! We
must stop the other Youma from reaching Sendai Hill!"

'I'm too late!' Michiru realized as she turned and ran for the Hikawa Jinja as fast as she could go,
forcing her body to move, despite the weariness and pain. As she ran, she noticed several shadows on the
ground slowly converging on her. She threw a quick glance behind her, only to see a trio of flying Youma
diving straight for her, claws extended.


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


Author's Note: After a long wait, here is the latest chapter of The Brooch! There's a lot of action in this
chapter as the battle quickly unfolds into three smaller battles: the main forces vs. the main invasion
force, the flying Youma vs. Sailor Moon and Haruka's defenders, and Titus' Youma vs. the other invasion
force. How will the main forces hold up without Sailor Moon's help? Will Sailor Moon be enough to help
Haruka's forces hold back the flying Youma? And what of Titus and the other half of Zoisite's army? The
answer to some of these questions and more in the next chapter of The Brooch!


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.