Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Brooch ❯ Chapter 25
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: jasonulloa 
The battle against Zoisite's invasion forces comes to an end....
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Action / Post-apocalyptic / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.23.2010 | Updated On: 06.02.2010 | Pages: 11 | Words: 10.2K | Visits: 647 | Status: Completed
The battle against Zoisite's invasion forces comes to an end....
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Action / Post-apocalyptic / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 05.23.2010 | Updated On: 06.02.2010 | Pages: 11 | Words: 10.2K | Visits: 647 | Status: Completed
The Brooch
By Jason C. Ulloa
Chapter 25
Outer Grounds - Section 321 Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:24 P.M.
Oda glanced toward the sounds of gunfire as he yanked his sword from the inert body of the sentry. It had
only been a few minutes since he had returned to the battle, but in that short time he had managed to get
separated from Sailor Pluto. The fighting had died down in some areas, but not here. Sailor Pluto had
broken off to help a group of defenders who were trying to protect a small team of Medical personnel
carrying off the wounded, while he continued deeper into the fray. Personally, he wanted to help protect
the Medical team, but Pluto on her own was more than enough protection.
The sounds of gunfire behind him drew his attention because they weren't the sounds of a rifle being fired,
but of a pistol. He turned his gaze in the direction of the gunshots in time to see two female Medical
personnel - a nurse and a nurse-in-training, judging by the uniforms - take on three sentries. There was
another pack of Youma was rapidly closing in on the nurse, but there wasn't anyone else around that could
aid them. Even if he started running full speed right now, they were too far away for him to reach either
one before the sentries did.
Oda took off running toward the two nurses. There was still a chance that they could avoid the Youma long
enough for him to reach them.
With their shots coming from opposite directions, it didn't take long for the two nurses to bring down the
three sentries between them. However, just as the full nurse started to run, the other pack of Youma
managed to catch up to her and stabbed her through the back.
"Mizuno-san.... Run...!" she managed to choke out before another blade erupted from the middle of her
chest. Blood gurgled out from her mouth as her legs gave out and she tumbled to the ground on her side, her
pistol clattering to the ground beside her.
The Youma turned and roared at the nurse-in-training before they started to chase after her. Now that she
was running, he had more time to close the distance between them. The Youma were just a little bit faster
than her, so he didn't have much time before the Youma would eventually run the nurse-in-training down.
Oda clenched his teeth and pushed himself to run faster. He would not let the Youma have that girl.
The distance between him and the girl closed at a rapid pace, but the distance between her and the Youma
closed just as quickly. It was a race to see who would reach her first.
Up ahead of the fleeing girl, he spotted Sailor Mars taking care of a couple of Hunters. Fortunately, she
was facing his direction, so it wasn't hard to grab her attention by waving frantically and pointing toward
the Youma horde that was running down a single girl. Mars responded by readying an attack aimed at the
horde in question.
By this time, the Youma had also noticed that he was heading straight for their prey. A few had broken off
to intercept him before he could reach her; however, he merely dodged and weaved around them, swinging his
blade at the few that managed to get a little too close.
A Claw Hunter broke out in front of the pack and reared a claw back to swipe at the girl's head. Seeing
that there was no more time, he dove at the girl, tackling her from behind and bringing her down just as
the Hunter's claw slashed through the air where her head used to be. Oda swung his sword behind him as he
fell to the ground, hoping to prevent any Youma from attacking him before he could get to his feet again.
The attack proved to be moot as a large fireball slammed into the lead Youma, knocking it back into the
others as it engulfed several of the Youma at the head of the pack.
Oda scrambled to his feet and grabbed the girl's hand, pulling her to her feet as he started to run,
yanking her behind him as fireballs kept flying past them. "Sorry about that, but we need to get you out of
here," he said as he headed toward Sailor Mars. He had expected the girl to voice a complaint at his rough
treatment, or at least thank him for his timely intervention, but he was met with only silence.
"Are you two all right?" Mars asked as she hurried to meet them halfway.
"I'm fine," Oda replied with a nod after catching his breath. "Thanks for your help. I don't think we
could've made it otherwise." He looked over to the girl next to him, who was smiling and nodding in relief.
Her expression then changed to a worried one as she threw a quick glance around her, then gave Mars a
questioning look.
"The others?" Mars said as she shrugged. "We've been scattered around since the battle started. I haven't
seen anyone since Venus and I split up a while ago."
The girl frowned and looked away for a moment before giving her another, slightly different, questioning
look.
Mars shook her head. "I haven't seen Mamoru-san or Ryo-kun anywhere," she told her. She paused as she
noticed the holster at the girl's hip. "Ami-chan, when the hell did you get THAT?" she exclaimed, pointing
at her holstered pistol. "Ah, never mind," she said when Ami reached for her pouch. "We don't have time for
that. We've got to get you out of here." She turned to Oda and blinked, as if just now noticing that he was
there. "Ah...."
'So, this girl is a friend of one of the Sailor Senshi?' Oda mused. 'How interesting. And I'm guessing Ami
also knows her civilian identity. Does she also know the other Sailor Senshi?'
"I can help you escort her off the battlefield," he offered. "The fighting is still kinda heavy in that
direction."
Mars gave him a cautious glance for a moment, then dropped it. "All right," she said as she glanced at Ami
for a moment before returning her gaze to him. "Lead the way, then."
Oda nodded and headed north toward the field hospital with the other two following close behind.
_________________________________________________________________
Outer Grounds - Near Section 321/Section 323 Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:25 P.M.
Venus swung her Love-Me chain in a quick circle over her head before snapping it at a charging Sword
Hunter. The chain slashed across the Hunter's neck, nearly decapitating it before it tumbled to the ground
at her feet. Behind her, she heard the sound of two sentries gurgling and growling as their bodies hit the
ground, one after the other.
"I think we're almost done here, Ryoku-sama," she said as she turned to see the young Blade step on the
head of the sentry closest to him in order to yank out his sword from its chest. "Everyone else has already
pushed the remaining Youma into Section 321."
Ryoku cast a quick glance around and nodded. "Let's get going, then. The sooner this is over, the better."
He turned and started running northeast with Venus close behind him.
It didn't take long until they reached the outskirts of the remaining battlefield. Venus scanned the area
for any signs of her fellow Senshi and spotted Pluto fighting alongside a couple of Shishu Blades. Deeper
into the battlefield she could just barely catch the double blonde ponytails that belonged to Sailor Moon.
As for Sailor Mars, she couldn't see her anywhere.
"That way," Ryoku said, pointing his sword further northeast where the fighting was heavier. "It looks like
they really need our help over there."
Venus glanced in the indicated direction and nodded as she started to draw a rune. "Crescent beam!" she
shouted as she fired a quick shot toward a pack of Youma that was standing in a tight formation. The beam
burst through the chest of one of the sentries, blew off the left arm of another sentry behind it, and
knocked down an Axe Hunter. The sudden attack made the other Youma scatter, while a few started to charge
at her.
Immediately after the attack was fired, Ryoku shot ahead following the same path, slashing at any Youma
that was within reach. Upon reaching the first of the charging Youma, he ducked left and swung his blade as
he passed, cutting deep into its side. He then spun around, his sword lopping off the Youma's head as his
eyes settled onto a new target. Another Crescent Beam slammed into a Claw Hunter, sending it crashing into
the ground at his feet. Ryoku stabbed his sword through the Hunter's right eye, twisted, then yanked the
blade out as a third Crescent Beam shot past him and took out a couple sentries.
Just as Ryoku finished cutting down another Claw Hunter, he looked up to see a large group of Youma start
to surround Sailor Mars, a Blade, and a nurse-in-training far in the distance. Mars was throwing near-
constant Fire Souls and Burning Mandalas in order to keep the Youma from closing in, while the Blade and
nurse were taking shots with their respective firearms. Even though they were holding off most of the
Youma, they were still losing ground as more Youma showed up to cover for the ones they killed. It was only
a matter of time before they would be overrun.
"Venus!" he shouted over his shoulder, trying to catch the blonde Senshi's attention.
"Just a minute!" she answered back just as her Love-Me chain snapped through a Whip Hunter's whip, as well
as its right arm, cutting both in half. A second snap pierced the Hunter through the chest, dropping it to
the ground. "What is it?" she asked as she hurried over to his side. "Did something happen?"
"Mars needs our help!" he said, his expression urgent as he took off running, Venus just a step behind him.
_________________________________________________________________
Outer Grounds - Section 321 Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:37 P.M.
Ami knelt down and scooped up two full pistol clips from the body of a nurse-in-training, dropping two of
her spent clips and reciting a quick mental prayer for the girl's departed soul in trade. She avoided
looking at the girl's face as she reloaded her weapon, lest she recognize yet another friend or familiar
colleague among the dead. It was enough that she was still fighting the urge to break into tears already.
It was one thing to hear that a friend had died. Seeing the lifeless body of a friend, their eyes open and
staring back with an imagined accusatory glare, demanding to know why they had to die while she still
lived....
The mute nurse-in-training tore her gaze away from the body and scanned her surroundings. Mars was a short
distance ahead and to her right, fighting off a group of Hunters and those strange, half-animal, half-human
hybrid Youma. Oda was close by, to her left, engaged with a reptilian-looking hybrid Youma.
Ami released the slide-locking mechanism on her pistol, allowing another round to be chambered as she tried
to find an escape path. Even though the battle was slowly dying down, the remaining Youma were still
putting up a strong fight. They had found their path blocked time and again, forcing them to either go
further away from their destination or fight their way through.
Oda glanced in her direction after finally stabbing the Youma upward through the head and kicking it away
as it collapsed. Seeing his eyes widen prompted her to spin around and bring her pistol up so she could
take aim. Behind her, a Claw Hunter had reared back its arm and was about to swipe at her. Startled, Ami
immediately started firing at it without trying to take aim. The Hunter ducked away from the gun by reflex,
which gave Oda enough time to grab Ami and pull her out of the way with his left hand, while he thrust his
sword through the Hunter's chest with his right. The Hunter flailed its claws at him as it fell backward to
the ground, but it stopped once Ami shot it in the head.
"Thanks," Oda said as he reached out to grab his sword. Just as his hand grasped the hilt, he felt
something quickly wrap around his neck. He reached up with his left hand to try and pry it off, but was
yanked off his feet before he could get a good grip.
As Oda landed on his back, Ami brought up her gun and started firing at the Whip Hunter behind him. Oda
lifted and turned his head to see the Whip Hunter holding the end the whip coiled around his neck, while
his sword laid a few centimeters from his hand where it landed after he hit the ground. He rolled to his
right in order to grab his sword and get to his feet, but once he got to his knees, he was impaled through
the back by the blade of a Sword Hunter.
Ami gasped as Oda stared blankly at the blade sticking out of his chest. His eyes moved from the tip of the
sword to meet hers for only a moment before he dropped to the ground on his left side. Her eyes jumped from
Oda's body to the Sword Hunter and then to her surroundings as she frantically searched for a way out.
Besides the Sword Hunter ahead of her, there was a canine-like hybrid Youma and a Claw Hunter a short
distance away that had just killed a couple of defenders and were now turning their sights on her. Mars was
facing away from her and was too far away for her to reach before one of those three Youma could run her
down. And there were only a few bullets left before she had to reload. She would be defenseless for the
handful of seconds it would take for her to change out the clips, and in that time, one of them would catch
her. Her only option was to try and reach Mars, holding her fire until the Youma came close enough for her
to fire without missing. Perhaps she could get lucky and kill one with a single shot, even if the
likelihood of doing that while running and firing backward was very low.
The mute nurse-in-training took off running just as the Sword Hunter charged at her. At the same time, the
other two Youma snarled and gave chase as well, the canine hybrid running on all fours. As she ran, she
kept her eyes locked on Sailor Mars, mentally screaming out for her to look in her direction. She opened
her mouth and tried to shout out for assistance, but her voice still refused to come out.
'WHY?' she railed at herself as she ran. 'Why won't my voice come out? I don't want to die!'
"Crescent beam!"
Ami whipped her head toward the direction of the shout, only to see a slender beam of yellow light flash
past her and punch through the chest of the Sword Hunter. The Claw Hunter and the hybrid Youma split up;
the Claw Hunter maintaining its course as the hybrid Youma broke off and headed toward the source of the
attack.
The Hunter was almost within striking distance, so she raised her gun and tried to aim the pistol as best
as she could. She managed to fire off a single shot before she placed a foot wrong and stumbled.
"Ami!" she heard a familiar voice yell as she hit the ground on her left side. The blow was hard enough to
stun her as her body continued to slide for about a meter. She came to a stop on her back, wincing as she
fought to get her senses back under control.
The Claw Hunter raised its claws and lunged at her, aiming straight for her heart. Halfway through its
lunge, Ryoku tackled the Youma to the ground, plunging his sword into its gut as they hit the ground.
Before he could twist the blade and finish it off, the Hunter thrust its claws into Ryoku's stomach, almost
in a mirror of its own mortal wound.
The young Blade grunted, eyes wide, as the claws pierced him, almost causing his grip on his blade to
loosen from the shock. He gritted his teeth and winced as he twisted the blade, finishing off the Hunter.
Ami numbly pushed herself to her knees, her eyes wide in shock and fear, and started crawling over to where
Ryoku laid wincing in pain. She needed to see the injury. She needed to see how serious it was. She needed
to know if... if.... Her mind refused to complete that thought.
Ryoku turned his head to look at her as she knelt beside him. "A-Ami...," he groaned as Ami leaned over to
examine his abdominal wound as his breathing became short and ragged. "You... all right?"
Ami looked into his eyes and gave him a grateful, yet worried smile before returning to her examination.
"Good," he said as he removed his blade from the Youma corpse. "Then... it was worth it. Ah... sorry," he
added after the fierce look she gave him. "I didn't... mean it like that." He reached down to pull out the
Hunter's claws, but Ami held the claws and place. He gave her a questioning look, only to receive a grave
look in reply.
"That bad... huh?" he said and winced as a spike of pain shot through him. "Nng!" The mute nurse reached
forward and placed a gentle hand over his mouth while giving him a firm look. He gave her a slight nod and
laid his back on the ground. He winced again as he felt another stab of pain, but other than a barely
noticeable grunt, he remained silent.
Ami's hands clenched at her sides, her gaze transfixed on the blood soaking through Ryoku's Shishu uniform
where the claws had pierced through. Based on their location, only one of the major blood vessels had been
cut, but several smaller ones had been either cut or completely severed. On the outside, the bleeding was
minor. Keeping the claws in place prevented most of his blood from leaving his body. However, he was
suffering some major internal bleeding. If her estimate was correct, Ryoku only had anywhere between one or
two hours before he would bleed to death.
Options raced through her mind as she desperately searched for some way to get him to Medical in the time
he had left. However, that was a longshot in itself as just getting him there would aggravate his wounds to
the point were he would bleed to death before they could operate on him. He would have a better chance if
they could get him to where Saturn was, but would she have enough strength left to heal him to the point
where he could survive the journey to Medical? She would more than likely be completely exhausted by now.
Her heart sank deeper and deeper as her viable options shrank.
"Ryoku-sama!" Venus yelled as she and Mars hurried to their side after dispatching the canine hybrid Youma.
"Ami-chan, how...," she trailed off once she could see the extent of his injury. "No...," she whispered,
her hands coming up to her mouth.
The black-haired Senshi dropped down beside Ami and spun her around to face her with a wild look in her
eyes. She opened her mouth to ask her question, but the words died on her tongue as she saw the grave look
in her eyes and the tears rolling down her cheeks.
Mars stood up and took one step back, her head shaking as if to deny everything that was happening.
"Ryo-kun, you better not die on me!" Mars shouted, nearly on the verge of tears herself. "I almost lost
Grandpa! I can't lose you, too!" She then shrieked in rage as she kicked the dead Hunter's head, and then
repeatedly stomped on it with the heel of her shoe.
"YOU!" she screamed, all emotional control gone. "You fucking Youma bastard! One death isn't good enough
for you! One THOUSAND deaths aren't good enough for you! Come back here so I can kill you with my own
hands, you son of a bitch!"
Venus pulled Mars off the Youma. "Mars! Calm down! Losing your mind isn't going to help save Ryoku-sama!"
"Shut up!" Mars yelled as she shrugged Venus off. "Can't you see that...."
Mars words seemed to fade away as despair overtook Ami. Ryoku was dying. Her hand brushed against the bulge
in her pocket where her transformation wand rested, causing her to bring it out. Unbidden, memories began
to flash through her mind as she stared at it....
_________________________________________________________________
Nine Years Ago - Osaka, Japan.
January 11, 1983. 5:41 P.M.
"But Father, why can't we stay?"
Ryouji looked down at his five-year-old daughter and smiled. "Because we have to go to the Hikawa Jinja,
Ami-chan," he explained patiently. "Your mother has been chosen to become the head of the Medical branch
there. It's a very important job that will help the lives of lots and lots of people. Understand?"
"Mm," she replied with a reluctant nod. "But I still don't want to leave my new friends."
"I know, Ami-chan," Atsuko said as she handed back the manifest to the Blade in front of her. The Blade
accepted the papers, nodded, and turned to leave as the doctor knelt down and placed a comforting hand on
her daughter's cheek. "I'm sorry, but we can't stay long. Now that Shishu has determined that the chances
for a Youma attack are low enough for travel, we can't waste this opportunity. We have to go now."
The little girl shivered at the mention of Youma. She turned and stuck her head into the folds of her
father's hakama. "Traveling's scary! I don't wanna go!"
Atsuko and Ryouji shared a look of enduring patience. "Yes, I know it's scary," Ryouji said as he knelt
down in front of her and looked her straight in the eyes. "But that's why I'll be there to protect you.
"I need you to be brave, okay?" he continued as Atsuko stood up and went to go talk with the person in
charge of the maintenance of the supply cart. The tire rubber looked a little worn and she wanted assurance
that it wouldn't go flat during travel. "You have to remember that you need to keep quiet whenever we
travel. Noise attracts Youma. No matter what, you must remember to keep quiet, okay? Promise?"
"Mm," she nodded again. Even if it was the same reminder he always gave her, it was still an important one.
_________________________________________________________________
Nine Years Ago - Shinagawa-ku/Minato-ku Border.
February 23, 1983. 11:51 P.M.
Ami shifted from her right side to her left, trying to get comfortable enough to go back to sleep. The
floor of the cart wasn't exactly designed for humans to sleep in, but she had found it was easier to spend
the time between convoys asleep.
Travel during a convoy was very tense and frightening. It was very hard to be brave, and she had managed so
far, but with the constant moving from Shinto jinja to Buddhist temple to Shishu base and so on, the stress
was starting to take its toll on the girl. As of late, she had taken to going to sleep in the back of the
cart as soon as the convoy was underway. The less time she spent awake, the better.
Her parents had done all they could do to accommodate their daughter during the many convoys. Her father
got her a pillow and blanket set during their stop in Kyoto. It was her mother that suggested that they
should try for night convoys so that Ami could sleep through them. For the most part, the arrangement
worked very well up to the stop at Yokohama. However, no matter how hard she tried, she just could not fall
asleep tonight. Maybe part of that was excitement over the fact that this was the last convoy they would
have to take. Tomorrow, they would finally reach the Hikawa Jinja and all their traveling would be at an
end.
Ami pulled the blanket off and sat up. It was completely dark since the cart was covered by a windowless
canvas canopy with the entrance closed. Occasionally, there would be some light whenever the cart hit a
bump and the flap jostled against the entrance a bit. When that happened, she could get a brief glimpse of
the shadows of the cargo inside; mostly stacks of small boxes containing various medical supplies held in
place by paperboard and rope. There was enough room for her to crawl over to the entrance and peer outside,
if she wished.
Once she had crawled to the far end of the cart, she pushed open the flap and glanced around. The
landscape was as blasted and ravaged as it always was no matter where they traveled. There was some
illumination from the moon, but it was barely enough to see by, which gave things a greater feeling of
eerie forboding. It was too easy to imagine something lurking in the shadows, getting ready to leap out at
them.
She was about to let the flap close and go back to sleep when she heard a faint noise over to her left. Her
head whipped toward the sound, her eyes casting about for any sign of impending Youma attack. However, no
matter where she looked, all she could see were armed Shishu Blades, abandoned buildings and vehicles, and
the dead, broken, and dying remains of what used to be trees and other landscaping greenery. Other than the
Blades, nothing else was moving.
Ami tried to calm herself. It was only her imagination. She needed to go back to sleep. That way, when she
woke up, it would be all over. Just as she was about to turn away, another noise to her left caught her
attention again, this time louder that before. As she shot her gaze toward the source of the noise, she saw
something moving in the shadows close to where the noise originated from.
The young girl's eyes shot wide open. Youma! They were about to be ambushed from behind by Youma!
"Y-Youma!" she shrieked as she thrust her arm out and pointed directly toward the movement.
Immediately, the cart stopped as the sounds of rifles clicking echoed as all the Blades removed the safety
from their weapons. A single Blade drew his sword and started advancing toward where Ami pointed. Two other
Blades followed close behind him, their rifles held at the ready in order to cover him. The rest of the
Blades took positions around the cart and kept watch for any signs of ambush. Ryouji and Atsuko ran to the
back of the cart. Ryouji had several ofuda readied in his hand as he kept an eye on their surroundings.
A few moments later, the Blades came back. The one who had his sword out raised his arms up and crossed
them over his head in an 'X' pattern.
"Ami-chan, are you sure you saw a Youma?" Ryouji asked as Atsuko was giving the girl a calming hug.
"Something moved over there!" she told him, her eyes tearing up. "I saw it!"
"Something?" a Blade repeated. "You mean, you weren't sure?"
Ami didn't see who it was that spoke since all the Blades were facing away from her as they kept watch for
an attack. "N-no," she admitted. "I... just saw something move. What else could it be? Nothing else lives
out here, right?"
"Just because something moves doesn't mean it's a Youma," the same Blade replied. "Plants sway in the wind;
buildings crumble, break and fall apart; there are even rats, ravens, and other scavenger animals that
still live out in the wild. Youma don't bother with them because they don't have enough useful energy. They
do, however, bother with us humans, because we have more than enough energy. Especially those don't know
how to keep quiet during a convoy and let us Blades do our job."
Ryouji frowned as he turned to the offending Blade. "Now, wait a minute-"
"Those who have the energy to argue should spend it watching for an ambush," he cut in without any sign of
contrition. "Even if there wasn't any Youma there, if there are any Youma around, they would've heard the
girl scream. If that's the case, more than likely, there'll be a Youma attack very soon."
"There's no need to go that far, Akiyama," another Blade remarked. "She's just a little girl, you know."
"Youma don't care how old you are," Akiyama replied in a cold voice. "It doesn't matter if you're six or
sixty, dead is dead. And her careless scream could very well bring them down on our heads."
"That's enough, all of you," another Blade commanded. "Remain quiet. If the initial scream didn't alert
any Youma, all your arguing will."
Akiyama and the other Blade grunted their agreements, while Ryouji merely turned back to his wife and
daughter. "If we're lucky, all this will blow over and we can continue on our way," he whispered as he laid
a reassuring hand on Ami's head. "Don't worry, Ami-chan. Just be brave."
"Mm," Ami nodded as she laid her head on Atsuko's chest and tried to calm herself. However, Akiyama's words
seemed to echo in her head. Several minutes seemed to go by with nothing happening. The air seemed thick
with tension, heavy with anxiety and trepidation.
Just as the Blade leader was about to order everyone to stand down and continue, a low growling noise
rolled through the convoy, steadily picking up in strength and volume. With a grimace, he turned toward
everyone gathered and did a quick strength estimate.
"Advance guard, you will take the cart and the passengers and make a break for the Hikawa Jinja," he
ordered. "Hopefully, you'll run into a patrol unit if you end up being chased. Rear guard, we will engage
the enemy in order to buy the advance guard time to reach their destination." He turned to Ryouji.
"Mizuno-san, you and your family should get into the cart. My men will see to it that you all arrive at the
jinja safely."
Ryouji nodded. "Understood," he said as he turned to Atsuko. "Let's get inside."
Atsuko climbed into the cart and sat down where Ami was sleeping earlier. "Ami-chan, come sit here," she
said, sitting her daughter down in front of her. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, hugging her
close. Ryouji climbed in behind them and sat down near the entrance.
"We're ready," he said, signaling to the lead Blade. The Blade signaled to the Blades pulling the cart, who
took off as fast as they could go.
A few minutes after the cart started again, Ami could hear the sounds of Youma roaring, rifles firing, and
men screaming in the distance. Her father kept the flap open just enough so that he could watch what was
happening as they fled. Her mother's arms tightened around her, but there was little comfort to be had.
Unbidden, Akiyama's words cycled through her mind. If only she hadn't called out that false alarm, they
wouldn't be fleeing for their lives like this.
Ami's thoughts were broken as the sounds of rifle shots rang out just outside of the cart. Her eyes
widened as her father threw open the flap and started flinging ofuda at a furious rate while chanting.
"Akuryo taisan!" he shouted as soon as the chant completed, forcing several Youma to spasm, then freeze in
their tracks. Other Youma tumbled over the paralyzed ones, but it wasn't enough to keep all of them from
continuing the chase.
The sounds of rifle fire decreased as several Blades started to hang back and engage the pursuing Youma.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop the Youma's pursuit.
Ryouji reached into his robes and frowned as he drew a pair of ofuda. "I'm down to my last two," he said as
he turned to his wife and daughter.
Ami stared up at her mother as she and her father stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like
forever. Finally, her mother broke the silence. "Ryouji, don't-"
"I have to," he replied with a grim, resolute cast to his eyes. "If I don't, we won't make it. We don't
have any other choice." He dropped his gaze to Ami. "Ami-chan, no matter what happens, I want you to be
brave. Can you promise me that?"
"Mm," she nodded, not quite fully understanding what her parents were talking about. "I promise, Father."
Ryouji nodded. "Good girl," he said with a content smile on his face. "Ami-chan, Atsuko, I love you." With
that, he leapt out of the cart.
"Ryouji!" Atsuko shouted as she let go of Ami and scrambled to the entryway. Ami came up right behind her
mother and poked her head out of the cart.
Her father had thrown his last ofuda and had picked up the sword of a fallen Blade. He was engaged in
battle with a single Youma sentry along with a small group of surviving Blades. Despite not having any
experience with swordplay, Ryouji was holding his own rather well. He managed to cut down a sentry and was
getting ready to face his next enemy when a trio of sentries ganged up on him and swiftly cut him down.
"RYOUJI!" Atsuko screamed piteously as she stretched out a hand toward him, almost as if she believed that
she could will him back to life. "NO!"
Ami went completely numb as a torrent of thoughts cascaded in her mind. It was all her fault. If only she
hadn't called out that false alarm. Her father had died and it was all her fault. The Youma came because
she had screamed. She killed her father. They had almost made it! She killed her father because she didn't
keep silent like she had promised. Why couldn't she have kept quiet for one more night? Her voice had
killed her father.
With dead eyes, she glanced at her mother who was weeping in utter grief and despair. Knowing the pain she
had caused her mother, she knew that she had to be punished.
'If my speaking was the cause of all this, then I must make sure this never happens again. Forgive me,
Mother, but this is the only thing I can do.'
_________________________________________________________________
Outer Grounds - Section 321 Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:45 P.M.
"No...."
Both Mars and Venus cut off upon hearing that weak, yet forceful voice. It was both unknown and yet,
familiar as if they should know whose it was.
"No."
There it was again. A little stronger this time, almost as if the voice had tried out the word first before
putting more strength into it. The two Senshi shared a look for a moment before they both came to the same
conclusion. As one, they both turned to see Ami, her hands clutched around her transformation wand and her
head thrown back, her face contorted into a combination of pained grief and rage.
"NO!"
Ami leapt to her feet and thrust her transformation wand into the air. "MERCURY STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!"
A brilliant light enveloped the formerly mute girl for a moment, then faded away, leaving Sailor Mercury in
her place. Venus started to say something to her, but just as she was about to open her mouth, Mercury's
eyes closed and her hands started moving as she began drawing a rune.
'She already knows how to use her powers?' Venus thought to herself, her eyebrows rising in surprise.
As Mercury completed her rune, several softly glowing, white, bubble-like spheres gathered near her hands.
Her eyes snapped open and her brows furrowed. "Shabon spray!" she shouted, flinging the bubbles away from
her. Once they left her hands, the bubbles quickly dissolved into a thick, grey, luminous mist that rapidly
spread in all directions.
"Wha-?" Venus said as she surveyed her surroundings. Despite the fact that a thick fog covered the area,
she could easily see through it, almost as if it wasn't there.
"Ami-cha-" Mars stopped and corrected herself. "Mercury, what did you just do?"
Mars flinched a bit as Mercury turned her gaze to her.There was a bitter coldness to the nascent Senshi's
eyes. Venus frowned, noticing that the cold, arctic rage in Mercury's eyes was almost the complete polar
opposite to what she had seen from Mars. She hoped that her normally quiet friend hadn't lost control of
her emotions as well.
"There's no time," Mercury said in a quiet, almost emotionless voice as she bent down and picked up Ryoku's
sword. With a quick swipe, she severed the Hunter's claws from its body. She glanced down at Ryoku and
noted that he hadn't moved nor opened his eyes in a while. He was still breathing, but it was getting
weaker.
"I need you two to find a stretcher and take him to Saturn," she said as she straightened and kicked the
Hunter away from Ryoku. Her voice wasn't very loud, but there was enough force behind it to make herself
heard. "Even if she's completely exhausted, she might have just enough energy left to give him enough of a
chance to survive the rest of the way to Medical. Even if it's just a one percent chance, it's better than
what he has now. Hurry."
Mars overcame her shock at hearing her friend speak for the first time and gave her a questioning look.
"What about the Youma that are still out there?" she inquired as Mercury turned and started walking away
while Venus ran off to find a stretcher. "It's not like they'll just let us stroll right past them."
The blue-haired Senshi didn't look back. "As long as you're quiet and careful, they won't notice you."
"What about you?" she demanded as Venus returned with a collapsed stretcher and started working on making
it useable. "Where are you going?"
Mercury stopped and looked over her shoulder at Mars. "To finish this," she said in a voice so cold and
severe that Mars felt a chill run down her spine as Mercury turned and walked away.
"Mars, help me get Ryoku-sama onto the stretcher," Venus said as she dragged the stretcher beside him. "We
have to be careful not to move him too roughly, or else that will aggravate the injury."
The Senshi of Fire tore her gaze away from Mercury's departing back as she moved to help Venus. She had
never seen her friend so full of anger before. She had no idea that Ami had the capability. She always had
such a sweet and gentle disposition. Seeing her like that.... It had been almost... frightening. So much so
that just witnessing it had cooled her own head a little.
"I hope you know where that field hospital is, 'cause I sure don't," Mars said as she and Venus carefully
lifted the stretcher between them. Thankfully, Ryoku wasn't that heavy, so it would be easy to go at a
slow, careful jog.
"I know where it is," she replied as she nodded off to her left. "That way."
Mars nodded. "Lead the way." She glanced down at Ryoku as the two took off at a paced jog. "So help me,
Ryo-kun, you had better not die."
"He won't," Venus said. "I know he won't. He wouldn't leave us." She shook her head. "Not like this."
It sounded like Venus was trying to convince herself, but Mars remained silent. Everything relied on
getting Ryoku to the field hospital as quickly as possible. If Mercury's fog worked like she said it
would.... Mars shook her head. Now wasn't the time for those thoughts.
'I hope you've rested enough, Hotaru-chan,' Mars prayed. 'His life may well rest in your hands.'
_________________________________________________________________
Outer Grounds - Section 321, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:47 P.M.
"What the hell?" Yamada exclaimed as he looked up from staring down the sight of his rifle.
Beside him, Sailor Pluto turned to look in the same direction and blinked as a thick fog rolled onto the
battlefield. "That... can't be natural," she murmured to herself, her voice uneasy. "Fog doesn't act like
that."
Andou turned in the same direction after cutting down a Whip Hunter. "It's quick," he said, eyebrows
raised. "It'll roll over us in less than a minute!"
The mist rapidly spread over the battlefield, enveloping both sides within moments. Slowly, the sounds of
battle began to dwindle as both human and Youma puzzled over what had just happened. The confusion lasted
only a moment, as the humans immediately threw themselves back into the battle. However, now the Youma were
falling much faster than before.
"What's happening?" Sanzou mused aloud after cutting down two Sword Hunters with little effort. "It's like
this fog's made it easier to see the Youma."
"You're right," Sailor Moon concurred as she caught her tiara on its return flight and returned it to her
forehead. "I'm going to try to use my scepter again. Can you guys cover me?"
"I'll watch your back," Sanzou offered and turned to Mamoru. The Shishu leader was staring past him, deep
into the battlefield. "Chiba?"
Sanzou followed Mamoru's gaze and stopped as he watched stream after stream of water crash against distant
packs of sentries, Hunters, and those other strange Youma, leaving them encased in a thin layer of ice as
the water washed over them. A figure clad in a light blue Senshi uniform strode toward them, carrying a
sword in her right hand. As she stepped through the pack frozen Youma, she casually swung the blade at them
or backhanded them with her free hand, shattering each one as she passed without sparing them a single
glance.
"Who's that?" Mamoru inquired, turning to Sailor Moon. "I thought all your Sailor Senshi were accounted
for."
Sailor Moon frowned as she watched the new Senshi arrive. There was something in her actions that concerned
her.
"Judging from the fact that we can see through this fog and the Youma can't, and considering the power set
she's using, that has to be Sailor Mercury," she determined.
Mamoru's eyes widened at the news. "I thought she wasn't able to transform," he said, turning his gaze back
toward Mercury. Now that she was closer, he could see the cold, bitter expression on her face. As his eyes
fell toward the sword in her hand, a grim realization began to dawn on him. "That sword...."
Both Sailor Moon and Sanzou turned to look back at the Shishu leader. "Sword?" Sanzou repeated, head cocked
questioningly.
Instead of answering, Mamoru moved to meet Mercury partway, as she seemed to be headed straight for them.
Sailor Moon and Sanzou shared a puzzled glance before hurrying after him.
Mercury came to a stop as Mamoru walked up to her. Without a word, she offered the blade to him, hilt
first.
"What?" Sailor Moon asked, anxiety flaring upon seeing Mamoru's shocked reaction. Beside her, Sanzou gasped
as he also recognized the sword. "What's wrong?"
"That's Ryoku-san's sword," Pluto said, her voice a whisper as she came up beside Sailor Moon. Her eyes
showed deep worry as well as trepidation.
Sailor Moon glanced down at the blade and froze. The symbol on the hilt of the sword was identical to the
one on his communicator. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of what she was looking at. What did
that symbol mean?
Mamoru's eyes met Mercury's. One look told him most of what he needed to know. "Is he...?" he asked, not
moving to take the blade.
"He's still alive, but he doesn't have very much time left," she replied as she lowered the sword. "He's
suffering from major internal bleeding. Mars and Venus are transporting him to the field hospital as we
speak. I originally estimated that he had roughly between one or two hours left, but with travel
aggravating his wounds, unless they can bring him to Saturn, and unless she has enough strength left to
partially heal him, he won't reach Medical alive."
His expression hardened. "How long will this fog last?"
She shook her head. "I'm not sure. This is my first time using these powers. I'd estimate that we'd have
about five minutes remaining before it dissipates."
"Plenty of time," Sailor Moon said as she raised her scepter and began to gather energy into it.
"Dead scream," Pluto chanted as she released another sphere of energy at a pair of Hunter Youma, blasting
them off their feet.
Mercury stuck Ryoku's sword into the ground at her feet and started drawing a rune. "Shine aqua illusion!"
she shouted, firing another stream of frigid water at a cluster of sentries, encasing them in a thin layer
of ice.
One minute after the Blades and Senshi continued their attack, the fog began to thin out, causing the
remaining Youma to renew their assault now that they could partially see their enemies again.
"I'm out!" Yamada shouted after firing his last bullet.
"Same here!" Andou added.
"Almost there...," Sailor Moon said, the crown of her scepter glowing brighter with each passing second.
"Now!" she said as she began to draw a rune it, ending with the scepter pointing directly in front of her.
"Moon princess halation!"
A pencil-thin beam of light issued forth from the scepter, passing harmlessly through Blades and defenders
as it burned through each Youma it touched. The beam cut a wide swath through the battlefield, illuminating
the area as it burned away the remains of Mercury's mist, leaving nothing but weary humans and nighttime
silence.
"I think... it's finally over," Pluto said as Sailor Moon let her scepter vanish. The Senshi leader seemed
to waver on her feet for a moment, but remained standing as the elder Senshi helped to steady her.
"Thanks," she said, glancing up at her with a smile before turning to Mamoru. "Will you guys be all right?"
He nodded. "We'll take care of things here. Hurry, and let me know the moment Kino's condition changes. For
the better or worse."
She nodded and looked to Pluto. "You know where the field hospital is, right?"
Pluto nodded. "Follow me," she replied and took off at a quick jog with Mercury close behind her, Ryoku's
sword in hand.
"Mamoru-san," Sailor Moon said before turning to leave, "please tell me that Ryoku-san will be all right."
The Shishu leaders features softened as he stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"He'll be all right. He's too stubborn to die. That idiot will probably be on his feet in a day or two,
itching to get back to work."
Sailor Moon smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you, Mamoru-san. Even if it might not be
true, it helps a little bit."
He remained silent as he turned around and started walking back to the others. "Sanzou, gather up the
Blades; see who we're missing. We might not be as lucky as we were last time."
She spared him one last glance before running to catch up with Mercury and Pluto.
_________________________________________________________________
Chamber of the Heavens - Restored Westminster Palace, London, United Kingdom.
August 9, 1992. 8:47 P.M. (Tokyo local time)
It was not the first time that Nephrite wished that he had the knowledge to create Mages. That bastard was
as stingy as he was ingenious. At least he was true to his word.
The new Scout Youma was delivered early that morning. He had wasted no time in ordering his Hunters to
break them in. Of course, that proved rather difficult when both the trainers and the trainees had an
intelligence level comparable to a bag of rocks. It was looking more and more likely that he would have to
step in and do it himself.
What a pain.
At least they would prove to be very useful once properly broken in. Maybe he should consider another trade
for a Mage or two? He had to have at least one slave girl that could catch Jadeite's eye. Or, he could try
offering him limited use of his spy network. Ah, yes. That would definitely appeal to him. And of course,
anything Jadeite learned would also be reported to him as well. After all, an intelligence network was best
utilized by one well-versed in strategy. Let him do all the work. He'd make use of what intel he gleaned
from it in his own way.
That reminded him - he was going to have to start reinforcing his border holdings sooner than he
anticipated now that Zoisite had begun his invasion. He wondered if that was part of Kunzite's plan or if
Zoisite thought that a surprise attack would give him the advantage. Did he even know that Jadeite was
away from Japan at the moment?
His frown soured into one of distaste. Hybrids. Humans were much more useful than just using them as Youma
material. Honestly, he was still surprised that those two managed to create something like that. He much
preferred his constellation summons; the stars held more power than either one of those two idiots could
fathom.
Pushing aside thoughts of invasion, Hybrids, and Scout training, Nephrite cleared his mind and focused.
Once his mind was clear, he reached outward, his thoughts rising up to the heavens themselves as he
prepared to recite his supplication.
"I seek guidance from the stars," he intoned as his already darkened chamber dimmed to near pitch black.
Several pinpoints of light appeared around him, each one varying in brightness and hue, simulating the
current positions of the stars. His focus centered on a small constellation in the south. "Scutum, the
Shield, I invoke your protection. My enemies seek to trespass against me. I seek your guidance. Reveal to
me where my enemies would strike, so that I may destroy them."
The constellation Scutum glowed briefly before a thin beam of light issued forth from the brightest star,
Alpha Scuti, and struck Nephrite in the middle of his forehead. His eyes closed as a vision appeared in his
mind's eye. Images of ruined temples and mosques flitted in his mind. While the landscape could be
anywhere, he knew where the images were directing him to, just as if he had heard a voice speak it.
"The ancient city the humans once called Jerusalem," he murmured to himself as the light faded away. "So,
Kunzite chooses to advance on land, rather than teleport in? How very like him."
The stars faded away as light returned to the chamber. The outline of a door appeared off to his right,
followed by a pair of double doors opening. As he made his way out of the chamber, he made a mental note to
get into contact with his spy network. He had to find Jadeite again and offer him the use of his spy
network. Stepping through the chamber doors, it occurred to him to see if he couldn't finagle the secret
behind creating Mages out of Jadeiteas well. If that didn't work, then he'd just settle for a pack of
Mages. No sense ruining the salutary arrangement they had between them.
His mood lightened, Nephrite walked through the palace; the afternoon sun providing bright illumination as
he went. He would worry about the problematic Scout Youma and arranging a meeting with Jadeite later. His
mood lifted even more as he passed by through Westminster Hall, where several of his human slaves were
passing through on their way to perform some task or another, mostly having to do with the upkeep of the
palace. Roughly a sixth of them were part of his harem.
"You," he said, pointing at a young woman at random. It only took a few moments before he recalled the
girl's name. "Bridget."
Bridget nearly jumped, not expecting to be called out so suddenly. "Yes, Master?" she replied with a quick
curtsy, her long brunette curls bobbing at her shoulders.
The brown-haired General gave her a charming smile as he held out a hand to her. "Would you mind coming
with me? Unless... you're too busy, that is." Even though he didn't have to phrase it as a request, he did
it anyway and even allowed them to occasionally refuse. After all, what fun was a chase if you always
succeeded?
The slave girl dithered for a moment while blushing. "W-Well... all right," she relented as she took his
hand. Nephrite's smile widened as he started to teleport the two of them to his bedroom in the restored
Buckingham Palace. There was plenty of time to take care of things later.
=================================================================
Author's Note: Finally, the first battle of the Dark Kingdom Civil War ends. I know it seemed like it took
forever, but all that was only a few hours. A lot was going on all at once. Anyway, it's over now and the
battle has taken a heavy toll. When will Haruka and Michiru become Sailor Senshi? What will happen when
Zoisite learns of his army's defeat? How will things change now that Ami can speak? And will Ryoku live or
die? 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.
By Jason C. Ulloa
Chapter 25
Outer Grounds - Section 321 Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:24 P.M.
Oda glanced toward the sounds of gunfire as he yanked his sword from the inert body of the sentry. It had
only been a few minutes since he had returned to the battle, but in that short time he had managed to get
separated from Sailor Pluto. The fighting had died down in some areas, but not here. Sailor Pluto had
broken off to help a group of defenders who were trying to protect a small team of Medical personnel
carrying off the wounded, while he continued deeper into the fray. Personally, he wanted to help protect
the Medical team, but Pluto on her own was more than enough protection.
The sounds of gunfire behind him drew his attention because they weren't the sounds of a rifle being fired,
but of a pistol. He turned his gaze in the direction of the gunshots in time to see two female Medical
personnel - a nurse and a nurse-in-training, judging by the uniforms - take on three sentries. There was
another pack of Youma was rapidly closing in on the nurse, but there wasn't anyone else around that could
aid them. Even if he started running full speed right now, they were too far away for him to reach either
one before the sentries did.
Oda took off running toward the two nurses. There was still a chance that they could avoid the Youma long
enough for him to reach them.
With their shots coming from opposite directions, it didn't take long for the two nurses to bring down the
three sentries between them. However, just as the full nurse started to run, the other pack of Youma
managed to catch up to her and stabbed her through the back.
"Mizuno-san.... Run...!" she managed to choke out before another blade erupted from the middle of her
chest. Blood gurgled out from her mouth as her legs gave out and she tumbled to the ground on her side, her
pistol clattering to the ground beside her.
The Youma turned and roared at the nurse-in-training before they started to chase after her. Now that she
was running, he had more time to close the distance between them. The Youma were just a little bit faster
than her, so he didn't have much time before the Youma would eventually run the nurse-in-training down.
Oda clenched his teeth and pushed himself to run faster. He would not let the Youma have that girl.
The distance between him and the girl closed at a rapid pace, but the distance between her and the Youma
closed just as quickly. It was a race to see who would reach her first.
Up ahead of the fleeing girl, he spotted Sailor Mars taking care of a couple of Hunters. Fortunately, she
was facing his direction, so it wasn't hard to grab her attention by waving frantically and pointing toward
the Youma horde that was running down a single girl. Mars responded by readying an attack aimed at the
horde in question.
By this time, the Youma had also noticed that he was heading straight for their prey. A few had broken off
to intercept him before he could reach her; however, he merely dodged and weaved around them, swinging his
blade at the few that managed to get a little too close.
A Claw Hunter broke out in front of the pack and reared a claw back to swipe at the girl's head. Seeing
that there was no more time, he dove at the girl, tackling her from behind and bringing her down just as
the Hunter's claw slashed through the air where her head used to be. Oda swung his sword behind him as he
fell to the ground, hoping to prevent any Youma from attacking him before he could get to his feet again.
The attack proved to be moot as a large fireball slammed into the lead Youma, knocking it back into the
others as it engulfed several of the Youma at the head of the pack.
Oda scrambled to his feet and grabbed the girl's hand, pulling her to her feet as he started to run,
yanking her behind him as fireballs kept flying past them. "Sorry about that, but we need to get you out of
here," he said as he headed toward Sailor Mars. He had expected the girl to voice a complaint at his rough
treatment, or at least thank him for his timely intervention, but he was met with only silence.
"Are you two all right?" Mars asked as she hurried to meet them halfway.
"I'm fine," Oda replied with a nod after catching his breath. "Thanks for your help. I don't think we
could've made it otherwise." He looked over to the girl next to him, who was smiling and nodding in relief.
Her expression then changed to a worried one as she threw a quick glance around her, then gave Mars a
questioning look.
"The others?" Mars said as she shrugged. "We've been scattered around since the battle started. I haven't
seen anyone since Venus and I split up a while ago."
The girl frowned and looked away for a moment before giving her another, slightly different, questioning
look.
Mars shook her head. "I haven't seen Mamoru-san or Ryo-kun anywhere," she told her. She paused as she
noticed the holster at the girl's hip. "Ami-chan, when the hell did you get THAT?" she exclaimed, pointing
at her holstered pistol. "Ah, never mind," she said when Ami reached for her pouch. "We don't have time for
that. We've got to get you out of here." She turned to Oda and blinked, as if just now noticing that he was
there. "Ah...."
'So, this girl is a friend of one of the Sailor Senshi?' Oda mused. 'How interesting. And I'm guessing Ami
also knows her civilian identity. Does she also know the other Sailor Senshi?'
"I can help you escort her off the battlefield," he offered. "The fighting is still kinda heavy in that
direction."
Mars gave him a cautious glance for a moment, then dropped it. "All right," she said as she glanced at Ami
for a moment before returning her gaze to him. "Lead the way, then."
Oda nodded and headed north toward the field hospital with the other two following close behind.
_________________________________________________________________
Outer Grounds - Near Section 321/Section 323 Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:25 P.M.
Venus swung her Love-Me chain in a quick circle over her head before snapping it at a charging Sword
Hunter. The chain slashed across the Hunter's neck, nearly decapitating it before it tumbled to the ground
at her feet. Behind her, she heard the sound of two sentries gurgling and growling as their bodies hit the
ground, one after the other.
"I think we're almost done here, Ryoku-sama," she said as she turned to see the young Blade step on the
head of the sentry closest to him in order to yank out his sword from its chest. "Everyone else has already
pushed the remaining Youma into Section 321."
Ryoku cast a quick glance around and nodded. "Let's get going, then. The sooner this is over, the better."
He turned and started running northeast with Venus close behind him.
It didn't take long until they reached the outskirts of the remaining battlefield. Venus scanned the area
for any signs of her fellow Senshi and spotted Pluto fighting alongside a couple of Shishu Blades. Deeper
into the battlefield she could just barely catch the double blonde ponytails that belonged to Sailor Moon.
As for Sailor Mars, she couldn't see her anywhere.
"That way," Ryoku said, pointing his sword further northeast where the fighting was heavier. "It looks like
they really need our help over there."
Venus glanced in the indicated direction and nodded as she started to draw a rune. "Crescent beam!" she
shouted as she fired a quick shot toward a pack of Youma that was standing in a tight formation. The beam
burst through the chest of one of the sentries, blew off the left arm of another sentry behind it, and
knocked down an Axe Hunter. The sudden attack made the other Youma scatter, while a few started to charge
at her.
Immediately after the attack was fired, Ryoku shot ahead following the same path, slashing at any Youma
that was within reach. Upon reaching the first of the charging Youma, he ducked left and swung his blade as
he passed, cutting deep into its side. He then spun around, his sword lopping off the Youma's head as his
eyes settled onto a new target. Another Crescent Beam slammed into a Claw Hunter, sending it crashing into
the ground at his feet. Ryoku stabbed his sword through the Hunter's right eye, twisted, then yanked the
blade out as a third Crescent Beam shot past him and took out a couple sentries.
Just as Ryoku finished cutting down another Claw Hunter, he looked up to see a large group of Youma start
to surround Sailor Mars, a Blade, and a nurse-in-training far in the distance. Mars was throwing near-
constant Fire Souls and Burning Mandalas in order to keep the Youma from closing in, while the Blade and
nurse were taking shots with their respective firearms. Even though they were holding off most of the
Youma, they were still losing ground as more Youma showed up to cover for the ones they killed. It was only
a matter of time before they would be overrun.
"Venus!" he shouted over his shoulder, trying to catch the blonde Senshi's attention.
"Just a minute!" she answered back just as her Love-Me chain snapped through a Whip Hunter's whip, as well
as its right arm, cutting both in half. A second snap pierced the Hunter through the chest, dropping it to
the ground. "What is it?" she asked as she hurried over to his side. "Did something happen?"
"Mars needs our help!" he said, his expression urgent as he took off running, Venus just a step behind him.
_________________________________________________________________
Outer Grounds - Section 321 Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:37 P.M.
Ami knelt down and scooped up two full pistol clips from the body of a nurse-in-training, dropping two of
her spent clips and reciting a quick mental prayer for the girl's departed soul in trade. She avoided
looking at the girl's face as she reloaded her weapon, lest she recognize yet another friend or familiar
colleague among the dead. It was enough that she was still fighting the urge to break into tears already.
It was one thing to hear that a friend had died. Seeing the lifeless body of a friend, their eyes open and
staring back with an imagined accusatory glare, demanding to know why they had to die while she still
lived....
The mute nurse-in-training tore her gaze away from the body and scanned her surroundings. Mars was a short
distance ahead and to her right, fighting off a group of Hunters and those strange, half-animal, half-human
hybrid Youma. Oda was close by, to her left, engaged with a reptilian-looking hybrid Youma.
Ami released the slide-locking mechanism on her pistol, allowing another round to be chambered as she tried
to find an escape path. Even though the battle was slowly dying down, the remaining Youma were still
putting up a strong fight. They had found their path blocked time and again, forcing them to either go
further away from their destination or fight their way through.
Oda glanced in her direction after finally stabbing the Youma upward through the head and kicking it away
as it collapsed. Seeing his eyes widen prompted her to spin around and bring her pistol up so she could
take aim. Behind her, a Claw Hunter had reared back its arm and was about to swipe at her. Startled, Ami
immediately started firing at it without trying to take aim. The Hunter ducked away from the gun by reflex,
which gave Oda enough time to grab Ami and pull her out of the way with his left hand, while he thrust his
sword through the Hunter's chest with his right. The Hunter flailed its claws at him as it fell backward to
the ground, but it stopped once Ami shot it in the head.
"Thanks," Oda said as he reached out to grab his sword. Just as his hand grasped the hilt, he felt
something quickly wrap around his neck. He reached up with his left hand to try and pry it off, but was
yanked off his feet before he could get a good grip.
As Oda landed on his back, Ami brought up her gun and started firing at the Whip Hunter behind him. Oda
lifted and turned his head to see the Whip Hunter holding the end the whip coiled around his neck, while
his sword laid a few centimeters from his hand where it landed after he hit the ground. He rolled to his
right in order to grab his sword and get to his feet, but once he got to his knees, he was impaled through
the back by the blade of a Sword Hunter.
Ami gasped as Oda stared blankly at the blade sticking out of his chest. His eyes moved from the tip of the
sword to meet hers for only a moment before he dropped to the ground on his left side. Her eyes jumped from
Oda's body to the Sword Hunter and then to her surroundings as she frantically searched for a way out.
Besides the Sword Hunter ahead of her, there was a canine-like hybrid Youma and a Claw Hunter a short
distance away that had just killed a couple of defenders and were now turning their sights on her. Mars was
facing away from her and was too far away for her to reach before one of those three Youma could run her
down. And there were only a few bullets left before she had to reload. She would be defenseless for the
handful of seconds it would take for her to change out the clips, and in that time, one of them would catch
her. Her only option was to try and reach Mars, holding her fire until the Youma came close enough for her
to fire without missing. Perhaps she could get lucky and kill one with a single shot, even if the
likelihood of doing that while running and firing backward was very low.
The mute nurse-in-training took off running just as the Sword Hunter charged at her. At the same time, the
other two Youma snarled and gave chase as well, the canine hybrid running on all fours. As she ran, she
kept her eyes locked on Sailor Mars, mentally screaming out for her to look in her direction. She opened
her mouth and tried to shout out for assistance, but her voice still refused to come out.
'WHY?' she railed at herself as she ran. 'Why won't my voice come out? I don't want to die!'
"Crescent beam!"
Ami whipped her head toward the direction of the shout, only to see a slender beam of yellow light flash
past her and punch through the chest of the Sword Hunter. The Claw Hunter and the hybrid Youma split up;
the Claw Hunter maintaining its course as the hybrid Youma broke off and headed toward the source of the
attack.
The Hunter was almost within striking distance, so she raised her gun and tried to aim the pistol as best
as she could. She managed to fire off a single shot before she placed a foot wrong and stumbled.
"Ami!" she heard a familiar voice yell as she hit the ground on her left side. The blow was hard enough to
stun her as her body continued to slide for about a meter. She came to a stop on her back, wincing as she
fought to get her senses back under control.
The Claw Hunter raised its claws and lunged at her, aiming straight for her heart. Halfway through its
lunge, Ryoku tackled the Youma to the ground, plunging his sword into its gut as they hit the ground.
Before he could twist the blade and finish it off, the Hunter thrust its claws into Ryoku's stomach, almost
in a mirror of its own mortal wound.
The young Blade grunted, eyes wide, as the claws pierced him, almost causing his grip on his blade to
loosen from the shock. He gritted his teeth and winced as he twisted the blade, finishing off the Hunter.
Ami numbly pushed herself to her knees, her eyes wide in shock and fear, and started crawling over to where
Ryoku laid wincing in pain. She needed to see the injury. She needed to see how serious it was. She needed
to know if... if.... Her mind refused to complete that thought.
Ryoku turned his head to look at her as she knelt beside him. "A-Ami...," he groaned as Ami leaned over to
examine his abdominal wound as his breathing became short and ragged. "You... all right?"
Ami looked into his eyes and gave him a grateful, yet worried smile before returning to her examination.
"Good," he said as he removed his blade from the Youma corpse. "Then... it was worth it. Ah... sorry," he
added after the fierce look she gave him. "I didn't... mean it like that." He reached down to pull out the
Hunter's claws, but Ami held the claws and place. He gave her a questioning look, only to receive a grave
look in reply.
"That bad... huh?" he said and winced as a spike of pain shot through him. "Nng!" The mute nurse reached
forward and placed a gentle hand over his mouth while giving him a firm look. He gave her a slight nod and
laid his back on the ground. He winced again as he felt another stab of pain, but other than a barely
noticeable grunt, he remained silent.
Ami's hands clenched at her sides, her gaze transfixed on the blood soaking through Ryoku's Shishu uniform
where the claws had pierced through. Based on their location, only one of the major blood vessels had been
cut, but several smaller ones had been either cut or completely severed. On the outside, the bleeding was
minor. Keeping the claws in place prevented most of his blood from leaving his body. However, he was
suffering some major internal bleeding. If her estimate was correct, Ryoku only had anywhere between one or
two hours before he would bleed to death.
Options raced through her mind as she desperately searched for some way to get him to Medical in the time
he had left. However, that was a longshot in itself as just getting him there would aggravate his wounds to
the point were he would bleed to death before they could operate on him. He would have a better chance if
they could get him to where Saturn was, but would she have enough strength left to heal him to the point
where he could survive the journey to Medical? She would more than likely be completely exhausted by now.
Her heart sank deeper and deeper as her viable options shrank.
"Ryoku-sama!" Venus yelled as she and Mars hurried to their side after dispatching the canine hybrid Youma.
"Ami-chan, how...," she trailed off once she could see the extent of his injury. "No...," she whispered,
her hands coming up to her mouth.
The black-haired Senshi dropped down beside Ami and spun her around to face her with a wild look in her
eyes. She opened her mouth to ask her question, but the words died on her tongue as she saw the grave look
in her eyes and the tears rolling down her cheeks.
Mars stood up and took one step back, her head shaking as if to deny everything that was happening.
"Ryo-kun, you better not die on me!" Mars shouted, nearly on the verge of tears herself. "I almost lost
Grandpa! I can't lose you, too!" She then shrieked in rage as she kicked the dead Hunter's head, and then
repeatedly stomped on it with the heel of her shoe.
"YOU!" she screamed, all emotional control gone. "You fucking Youma bastard! One death isn't good enough
for you! One THOUSAND deaths aren't good enough for you! Come back here so I can kill you with my own
hands, you son of a bitch!"
Venus pulled Mars off the Youma. "Mars! Calm down! Losing your mind isn't going to help save Ryoku-sama!"
"Shut up!" Mars yelled as she shrugged Venus off. "Can't you see that...."
Mars words seemed to fade away as despair overtook Ami. Ryoku was dying. Her hand brushed against the bulge
in her pocket where her transformation wand rested, causing her to bring it out. Unbidden, memories began
to flash through her mind as she stared at it....
_________________________________________________________________
Nine Years Ago - Osaka, Japan.
January 11, 1983. 5:41 P.M.
"But Father, why can't we stay?"
Ryouji looked down at his five-year-old daughter and smiled. "Because we have to go to the Hikawa Jinja,
Ami-chan," he explained patiently. "Your mother has been chosen to become the head of the Medical branch
there. It's a very important job that will help the lives of lots and lots of people. Understand?"
"Mm," she replied with a reluctant nod. "But I still don't want to leave my new friends."
"I know, Ami-chan," Atsuko said as she handed back the manifest to the Blade in front of her. The Blade
accepted the papers, nodded, and turned to leave as the doctor knelt down and placed a comforting hand on
her daughter's cheek. "I'm sorry, but we can't stay long. Now that Shishu has determined that the chances
for a Youma attack are low enough for travel, we can't waste this opportunity. We have to go now."
The little girl shivered at the mention of Youma. She turned and stuck her head into the folds of her
father's hakama. "Traveling's scary! I don't wanna go!"
Atsuko and Ryouji shared a look of enduring patience. "Yes, I know it's scary," Ryouji said as he knelt
down in front of her and looked her straight in the eyes. "But that's why I'll be there to protect you.
"I need you to be brave, okay?" he continued as Atsuko stood up and went to go talk with the person in
charge of the maintenance of the supply cart. The tire rubber looked a little worn and she wanted assurance
that it wouldn't go flat during travel. "You have to remember that you need to keep quiet whenever we
travel. Noise attracts Youma. No matter what, you must remember to keep quiet, okay? Promise?"
"Mm," she nodded again. Even if it was the same reminder he always gave her, it was still an important one.
_________________________________________________________________
Nine Years Ago - Shinagawa-ku/Minato-ku Border.
February 23, 1983. 11:51 P.M.
Ami shifted from her right side to her left, trying to get comfortable enough to go back to sleep. The
floor of the cart wasn't exactly designed for humans to sleep in, but she had found it was easier to spend
the time between convoys asleep.
Travel during a convoy was very tense and frightening. It was very hard to be brave, and she had managed so
far, but with the constant moving from Shinto jinja to Buddhist temple to Shishu base and so on, the stress
was starting to take its toll on the girl. As of late, she had taken to going to sleep in the back of the
cart as soon as the convoy was underway. The less time she spent awake, the better.
Her parents had done all they could do to accommodate their daughter during the many convoys. Her father
got her a pillow and blanket set during their stop in Kyoto. It was her mother that suggested that they
should try for night convoys so that Ami could sleep through them. For the most part, the arrangement
worked very well up to the stop at Yokohama. However, no matter how hard she tried, she just could not fall
asleep tonight. Maybe part of that was excitement over the fact that this was the last convoy they would
have to take. Tomorrow, they would finally reach the Hikawa Jinja and all their traveling would be at an
end.
Ami pulled the blanket off and sat up. It was completely dark since the cart was covered by a windowless
canvas canopy with the entrance closed. Occasionally, there would be some light whenever the cart hit a
bump and the flap jostled against the entrance a bit. When that happened, she could get a brief glimpse of
the shadows of the cargo inside; mostly stacks of small boxes containing various medical supplies held in
place by paperboard and rope. There was enough room for her to crawl over to the entrance and peer outside,
if she wished.
Once she had crawled to the far end of the cart, she pushed open the flap and glanced around. The
landscape was as blasted and ravaged as it always was no matter where they traveled. There was some
illumination from the moon, but it was barely enough to see by, which gave things a greater feeling of
eerie forboding. It was too easy to imagine something lurking in the shadows, getting ready to leap out at
them.
She was about to let the flap close and go back to sleep when she heard a faint noise over to her left. Her
head whipped toward the sound, her eyes casting about for any sign of impending Youma attack. However, no
matter where she looked, all she could see were armed Shishu Blades, abandoned buildings and vehicles, and
the dead, broken, and dying remains of what used to be trees and other landscaping greenery. Other than the
Blades, nothing else was moving.
Ami tried to calm herself. It was only her imagination. She needed to go back to sleep. That way, when she
woke up, it would be all over. Just as she was about to turn away, another noise to her left caught her
attention again, this time louder that before. As she shot her gaze toward the source of the noise, she saw
something moving in the shadows close to where the noise originated from.
The young girl's eyes shot wide open. Youma! They were about to be ambushed from behind by Youma!
"Y-Youma!" she shrieked as she thrust her arm out and pointed directly toward the movement.
Immediately, the cart stopped as the sounds of rifles clicking echoed as all the Blades removed the safety
from their weapons. A single Blade drew his sword and started advancing toward where Ami pointed. Two other
Blades followed close behind him, their rifles held at the ready in order to cover him. The rest of the
Blades took positions around the cart and kept watch for any signs of ambush. Ryouji and Atsuko ran to the
back of the cart. Ryouji had several ofuda readied in his hand as he kept an eye on their surroundings.
A few moments later, the Blades came back. The one who had his sword out raised his arms up and crossed
them over his head in an 'X' pattern.
"Ami-chan, are you sure you saw a Youma?" Ryouji asked as Atsuko was giving the girl a calming hug.
"Something moved over there!" she told him, her eyes tearing up. "I saw it!"
"Something?" a Blade repeated. "You mean, you weren't sure?"
Ami didn't see who it was that spoke since all the Blades were facing away from her as they kept watch for
an attack. "N-no," she admitted. "I... just saw something move. What else could it be? Nothing else lives
out here, right?"
"Just because something moves doesn't mean it's a Youma," the same Blade replied. "Plants sway in the wind;
buildings crumble, break and fall apart; there are even rats, ravens, and other scavenger animals that
still live out in the wild. Youma don't bother with them because they don't have enough useful energy. They
do, however, bother with us humans, because we have more than enough energy. Especially those don't know
how to keep quiet during a convoy and let us Blades do our job."
Ryouji frowned as he turned to the offending Blade. "Now, wait a minute-"
"Those who have the energy to argue should spend it watching for an ambush," he cut in without any sign of
contrition. "Even if there wasn't any Youma there, if there are any Youma around, they would've heard the
girl scream. If that's the case, more than likely, there'll be a Youma attack very soon."
"There's no need to go that far, Akiyama," another Blade remarked. "She's just a little girl, you know."
"Youma don't care how old you are," Akiyama replied in a cold voice. "It doesn't matter if you're six or
sixty, dead is dead. And her careless scream could very well bring them down on our heads."
"That's enough, all of you," another Blade commanded. "Remain quiet. If the initial scream didn't alert
any Youma, all your arguing will."
Akiyama and the other Blade grunted their agreements, while Ryouji merely turned back to his wife and
daughter. "If we're lucky, all this will blow over and we can continue on our way," he whispered as he laid
a reassuring hand on Ami's head. "Don't worry, Ami-chan. Just be brave."
"Mm," Ami nodded as she laid her head on Atsuko's chest and tried to calm herself. However, Akiyama's words
seemed to echo in her head. Several minutes seemed to go by with nothing happening. The air seemed thick
with tension, heavy with anxiety and trepidation.
Just as the Blade leader was about to order everyone to stand down and continue, a low growling noise
rolled through the convoy, steadily picking up in strength and volume. With a grimace, he turned toward
everyone gathered and did a quick strength estimate.
"Advance guard, you will take the cart and the passengers and make a break for the Hikawa Jinja," he
ordered. "Hopefully, you'll run into a patrol unit if you end up being chased. Rear guard, we will engage
the enemy in order to buy the advance guard time to reach their destination." He turned to Ryouji.
"Mizuno-san, you and your family should get into the cart. My men will see to it that you all arrive at the
jinja safely."
Ryouji nodded. "Understood," he said as he turned to Atsuko. "Let's get inside."
Atsuko climbed into the cart and sat down where Ami was sleeping earlier. "Ami-chan, come sit here," she
said, sitting her daughter down in front of her. She wrapped her arms around her daughter, hugging her
close. Ryouji climbed in behind them and sat down near the entrance.
"We're ready," he said, signaling to the lead Blade. The Blade signaled to the Blades pulling the cart, who
took off as fast as they could go.
A few minutes after the cart started again, Ami could hear the sounds of Youma roaring, rifles firing, and
men screaming in the distance. Her father kept the flap open just enough so that he could watch what was
happening as they fled. Her mother's arms tightened around her, but there was little comfort to be had.
Unbidden, Akiyama's words cycled through her mind. If only she hadn't called out that false alarm, they
wouldn't be fleeing for their lives like this.
Ami's thoughts were broken as the sounds of rifle shots rang out just outside of the cart. Her eyes
widened as her father threw open the flap and started flinging ofuda at a furious rate while chanting.
"Akuryo taisan!" he shouted as soon as the chant completed, forcing several Youma to spasm, then freeze in
their tracks. Other Youma tumbled over the paralyzed ones, but it wasn't enough to keep all of them from
continuing the chase.
The sounds of rifle fire decreased as several Blades started to hang back and engage the pursuing Youma.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop the Youma's pursuit.
Ryouji reached into his robes and frowned as he drew a pair of ofuda. "I'm down to my last two," he said as
he turned to his wife and daughter.
Ami stared up at her mother as she and her father stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like
forever. Finally, her mother broke the silence. "Ryouji, don't-"
"I have to," he replied with a grim, resolute cast to his eyes. "If I don't, we won't make it. We don't
have any other choice." He dropped his gaze to Ami. "Ami-chan, no matter what happens, I want you to be
brave. Can you promise me that?"
"Mm," she nodded, not quite fully understanding what her parents were talking about. "I promise, Father."
Ryouji nodded. "Good girl," he said with a content smile on his face. "Ami-chan, Atsuko, I love you." With
that, he leapt out of the cart.
"Ryouji!" Atsuko shouted as she let go of Ami and scrambled to the entryway. Ami came up right behind her
mother and poked her head out of the cart.
Her father had thrown his last ofuda and had picked up the sword of a fallen Blade. He was engaged in
battle with a single Youma sentry along with a small group of surviving Blades. Despite not having any
experience with swordplay, Ryouji was holding his own rather well. He managed to cut down a sentry and was
getting ready to face his next enemy when a trio of sentries ganged up on him and swiftly cut him down.
"RYOUJI!" Atsuko screamed piteously as she stretched out a hand toward him, almost as if she believed that
she could will him back to life. "NO!"
Ami went completely numb as a torrent of thoughts cascaded in her mind. It was all her fault. If only she
hadn't called out that false alarm. Her father had died and it was all her fault. The Youma came because
she had screamed. She killed her father. They had almost made it! She killed her father because she didn't
keep silent like she had promised. Why couldn't she have kept quiet for one more night? Her voice had
killed her father.
With dead eyes, she glanced at her mother who was weeping in utter grief and despair. Knowing the pain she
had caused her mother, she knew that she had to be punished.
'If my speaking was the cause of all this, then I must make sure this never happens again. Forgive me,
Mother, but this is the only thing I can do.'
_________________________________________________________________
Outer Grounds - Section 321 Border, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:45 P.M.
"No...."
Both Mars and Venus cut off upon hearing that weak, yet forceful voice. It was both unknown and yet,
familiar as if they should know whose it was.
"No."
There it was again. A little stronger this time, almost as if the voice had tried out the word first before
putting more strength into it. The two Senshi shared a look for a moment before they both came to the same
conclusion. As one, they both turned to see Ami, her hands clutched around her transformation wand and her
head thrown back, her face contorted into a combination of pained grief and rage.
"NO!"
Ami leapt to her feet and thrust her transformation wand into the air. "MERCURY STAR POWER, MAKE-UP!"
A brilliant light enveloped the formerly mute girl for a moment, then faded away, leaving Sailor Mercury in
her place. Venus started to say something to her, but just as she was about to open her mouth, Mercury's
eyes closed and her hands started moving as she began drawing a rune.
'She already knows how to use her powers?' Venus thought to herself, her eyebrows rising in surprise.
As Mercury completed her rune, several softly glowing, white, bubble-like spheres gathered near her hands.
Her eyes snapped open and her brows furrowed. "Shabon spray!" she shouted, flinging the bubbles away from
her. Once they left her hands, the bubbles quickly dissolved into a thick, grey, luminous mist that rapidly
spread in all directions.
"Wha-?" Venus said as she surveyed her surroundings. Despite the fact that a thick fog covered the area,
she could easily see through it, almost as if it wasn't there.
"Ami-cha-" Mars stopped and corrected herself. "Mercury, what did you just do?"
Mars flinched a bit as Mercury turned her gaze to her.There was a bitter coldness to the nascent Senshi's
eyes. Venus frowned, noticing that the cold, arctic rage in Mercury's eyes was almost the complete polar
opposite to what she had seen from Mars. She hoped that her normally quiet friend hadn't lost control of
her emotions as well.
"There's no time," Mercury said in a quiet, almost emotionless voice as she bent down and picked up Ryoku's
sword. With a quick swipe, she severed the Hunter's claws from its body. She glanced down at Ryoku and
noted that he hadn't moved nor opened his eyes in a while. He was still breathing, but it was getting
weaker.
"I need you two to find a stretcher and take him to Saturn," she said as she straightened and kicked the
Hunter away from Ryoku. Her voice wasn't very loud, but there was enough force behind it to make herself
heard. "Even if she's completely exhausted, she might have just enough energy left to give him enough of a
chance to survive the rest of the way to Medical. Even if it's just a one percent chance, it's better than
what he has now. Hurry."
Mars overcame her shock at hearing her friend speak for the first time and gave her a questioning look.
"What about the Youma that are still out there?" she inquired as Mercury turned and started walking away
while Venus ran off to find a stretcher. "It's not like they'll just let us stroll right past them."
The blue-haired Senshi didn't look back. "As long as you're quiet and careful, they won't notice you."
"What about you?" she demanded as Venus returned with a collapsed stretcher and started working on making
it useable. "Where are you going?"
Mercury stopped and looked over her shoulder at Mars. "To finish this," she said in a voice so cold and
severe that Mars felt a chill run down her spine as Mercury turned and walked away.
"Mars, help me get Ryoku-sama onto the stretcher," Venus said as she dragged the stretcher beside him. "We
have to be careful not to move him too roughly, or else that will aggravate the injury."
The Senshi of Fire tore her gaze away from Mercury's departing back as she moved to help Venus. She had
never seen her friend so full of anger before. She had no idea that Ami had the capability. She always had
such a sweet and gentle disposition. Seeing her like that.... It had been almost... frightening. So much so
that just witnessing it had cooled her own head a little.
"I hope you know where that field hospital is, 'cause I sure don't," Mars said as she and Venus carefully
lifted the stretcher between them. Thankfully, Ryoku wasn't that heavy, so it would be easy to go at a
slow, careful jog.
"I know where it is," she replied as she nodded off to her left. "That way."
Mars nodded. "Lead the way." She glanced down at Ryoku as the two took off at a paced jog. "So help me,
Ryo-kun, you had better not die."
"He won't," Venus said. "I know he won't. He wouldn't leave us." She shook her head. "Not like this."
It sounded like Venus was trying to convince herself, but Mars remained silent. Everything relied on
getting Ryoku to the field hospital as quickly as possible. If Mercury's fog worked like she said it
would.... Mars shook her head. Now wasn't the time for those thoughts.
'I hope you've rested enough, Hotaru-chan,' Mars prayed. 'His life may well rest in your hands.'
_________________________________________________________________
Outer Grounds - Section 321, Hikawa Jinja, Tokyo, Japan.
August 9, 1992. 8:47 P.M.
"What the hell?" Yamada exclaimed as he looked up from staring down the sight of his rifle.
Beside him, Sailor Pluto turned to look in the same direction and blinked as a thick fog rolled onto the
battlefield. "That... can't be natural," she murmured to herself, her voice uneasy. "Fog doesn't act like
that."
Andou turned in the same direction after cutting down a Whip Hunter. "It's quick," he said, eyebrows
raised. "It'll roll over us in less than a minute!"
The mist rapidly spread over the battlefield, enveloping both sides within moments. Slowly, the sounds of
battle began to dwindle as both human and Youma puzzled over what had just happened. The confusion lasted
only a moment, as the humans immediately threw themselves back into the battle. However, now the Youma were
falling much faster than before.
"What's happening?" Sanzou mused aloud after cutting down two Sword Hunters with little effort. "It's like
this fog's made it easier to see the Youma."
"You're right," Sailor Moon concurred as she caught her tiara on its return flight and returned it to her
forehead. "I'm going to try to use my scepter again. Can you guys cover me?"
"I'll watch your back," Sanzou offered and turned to Mamoru. The Shishu leader was staring past him, deep
into the battlefield. "Chiba?"
Sanzou followed Mamoru's gaze and stopped as he watched stream after stream of water crash against distant
packs of sentries, Hunters, and those other strange Youma, leaving them encased in a thin layer of ice as
the water washed over them. A figure clad in a light blue Senshi uniform strode toward them, carrying a
sword in her right hand. As she stepped through the pack frozen Youma, she casually swung the blade at them
or backhanded them with her free hand, shattering each one as she passed without sparing them a single
glance.
"Who's that?" Mamoru inquired, turning to Sailor Moon. "I thought all your Sailor Senshi were accounted
for."
Sailor Moon frowned as she watched the new Senshi arrive. There was something in her actions that concerned
her.
"Judging from the fact that we can see through this fog and the Youma can't, and considering the power set
she's using, that has to be Sailor Mercury," she determined.
Mamoru's eyes widened at the news. "I thought she wasn't able to transform," he said, turning his gaze back
toward Mercury. Now that she was closer, he could see the cold, bitter expression on her face. As his eyes
fell toward the sword in her hand, a grim realization began to dawn on him. "That sword...."
Both Sailor Moon and Sanzou turned to look back at the Shishu leader. "Sword?" Sanzou repeated, head cocked
questioningly.
Instead of answering, Mamoru moved to meet Mercury partway, as she seemed to be headed straight for them.
Sailor Moon and Sanzou shared a puzzled glance before hurrying after him.
Mercury came to a stop as Mamoru walked up to her. Without a word, she offered the blade to him, hilt
first.
"What?" Sailor Moon asked, anxiety flaring upon seeing Mamoru's shocked reaction. Beside her, Sanzou gasped
as he also recognized the sword. "What's wrong?"
"That's Ryoku-san's sword," Pluto said, her voice a whisper as she came up beside Sailor Moon. Her eyes
showed deep worry as well as trepidation.
Sailor Moon glanced down at the blade and froze. The symbol on the hilt of the sword was identical to the
one on his communicator. Her mind raced as she tried to make sense of what she was looking at. What did
that symbol mean?
Mamoru's eyes met Mercury's. One look told him most of what he needed to know. "Is he...?" he asked, not
moving to take the blade.
"He's still alive, but he doesn't have very much time left," she replied as she lowered the sword. "He's
suffering from major internal bleeding. Mars and Venus are transporting him to the field hospital as we
speak. I originally estimated that he had roughly between one or two hours left, but with travel
aggravating his wounds, unless they can bring him to Saturn, and unless she has enough strength left to
partially heal him, he won't reach Medical alive."
His expression hardened. "How long will this fog last?"
She shook her head. "I'm not sure. This is my first time using these powers. I'd estimate that we'd have
about five minutes remaining before it dissipates."
"Plenty of time," Sailor Moon said as she raised her scepter and began to gather energy into it.
"Dead scream," Pluto chanted as she released another sphere of energy at a pair of Hunter Youma, blasting
them off their feet.
Mercury stuck Ryoku's sword into the ground at her feet and started drawing a rune. "Shine aqua illusion!"
she shouted, firing another stream of frigid water at a cluster of sentries, encasing them in a thin layer
of ice.
One minute after the Blades and Senshi continued their attack, the fog began to thin out, causing the
remaining Youma to renew their assault now that they could partially see their enemies again.
"I'm out!" Yamada shouted after firing his last bullet.
"Same here!" Andou added.
"Almost there...," Sailor Moon said, the crown of her scepter glowing brighter with each passing second.
"Now!" she said as she began to draw a rune it, ending with the scepter pointing directly in front of her.
"Moon princess halation!"
A pencil-thin beam of light issued forth from the scepter, passing harmlessly through Blades and defenders
as it burned through each Youma it touched. The beam cut a wide swath through the battlefield, illuminating
the area as it burned away the remains of Mercury's mist, leaving nothing but weary humans and nighttime
silence.
"I think... it's finally over," Pluto said as Sailor Moon let her scepter vanish. The Senshi leader seemed
to waver on her feet for a moment, but remained standing as the elder Senshi helped to steady her.
"Thanks," she said, glancing up at her with a smile before turning to Mamoru. "Will you guys be all right?"
He nodded. "We'll take care of things here. Hurry, and let me know the moment Kino's condition changes. For
the better or worse."
She nodded and looked to Pluto. "You know where the field hospital is, right?"
Pluto nodded. "Follow me," she replied and took off at a quick jog with Mercury close behind her, Ryoku's
sword in hand.
"Mamoru-san," Sailor Moon said before turning to leave, "please tell me that Ryoku-san will be all right."
The Shishu leaders features softened as he stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"He'll be all right. He's too stubborn to die. That idiot will probably be on his feet in a day or two,
itching to get back to work."
Sailor Moon smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you, Mamoru-san. Even if it might not be
true, it helps a little bit."
He remained silent as he turned around and started walking back to the others. "Sanzou, gather up the
Blades; see who we're missing. We might not be as lucky as we were last time."
She spared him one last glance before running to catch up with Mercury and Pluto.
_________________________________________________________________
Chamber of the Heavens - Restored Westminster Palace, London, United Kingdom.
August 9, 1992. 8:47 P.M. (Tokyo local time)
It was not the first time that Nephrite wished that he had the knowledge to create Mages. That bastard was
as stingy as he was ingenious. At least he was true to his word.
The new Scout Youma was delivered early that morning. He had wasted no time in ordering his Hunters to
break them in. Of course, that proved rather difficult when both the trainers and the trainees had an
intelligence level comparable to a bag of rocks. It was looking more and more likely that he would have to
step in and do it himself.
What a pain.
At least they would prove to be very useful once properly broken in. Maybe he should consider another trade
for a Mage or two? He had to have at least one slave girl that could catch Jadeite's eye. Or, he could try
offering him limited use of his spy network. Ah, yes. That would definitely appeal to him. And of course,
anything Jadeite learned would also be reported to him as well. After all, an intelligence network was best
utilized by one well-versed in strategy. Let him do all the work. He'd make use of what intel he gleaned
from it in his own way.
That reminded him - he was going to have to start reinforcing his border holdings sooner than he
anticipated now that Zoisite had begun his invasion. He wondered if that was part of Kunzite's plan or if
Zoisite thought that a surprise attack would give him the advantage. Did he even know that Jadeite was
away from Japan at the moment?
His frown soured into one of distaste. Hybrids. Humans were much more useful than just using them as Youma
material. Honestly, he was still surprised that those two managed to create something like that. He much
preferred his constellation summons; the stars held more power than either one of those two idiots could
fathom.
Pushing aside thoughts of invasion, Hybrids, and Scout training, Nephrite cleared his mind and focused.
Once his mind was clear, he reached outward, his thoughts rising up to the heavens themselves as he
prepared to recite his supplication.
"I seek guidance from the stars," he intoned as his already darkened chamber dimmed to near pitch black.
Several pinpoints of light appeared around him, each one varying in brightness and hue, simulating the
current positions of the stars. His focus centered on a small constellation in the south. "Scutum, the
Shield, I invoke your protection. My enemies seek to trespass against me. I seek your guidance. Reveal to
me where my enemies would strike, so that I may destroy them."
The constellation Scutum glowed briefly before a thin beam of light issued forth from the brightest star,
Alpha Scuti, and struck Nephrite in the middle of his forehead. His eyes closed as a vision appeared in his
mind's eye. Images of ruined temples and mosques flitted in his mind. While the landscape could be
anywhere, he knew where the images were directing him to, just as if he had heard a voice speak it.
"The ancient city the humans once called Jerusalem," he murmured to himself as the light faded away. "So,
Kunzite chooses to advance on land, rather than teleport in? How very like him."
The stars faded away as light returned to the chamber. The outline of a door appeared off to his right,
followed by a pair of double doors opening. As he made his way out of the chamber, he made a mental note to
get into contact with his spy network. He had to find Jadeite again and offer him the use of his spy
network. Stepping through the chamber doors, it occurred to him to see if he couldn't finagle the secret
behind creating Mages out of Jadeiteas well. If that didn't work, then he'd just settle for a pack of
Mages. No sense ruining the salutary arrangement they had between them.
His mood lightened, Nephrite walked through the palace; the afternoon sun providing bright illumination as
he went. He would worry about the problematic Scout Youma and arranging a meeting with Jadeite later. His
mood lifted even more as he passed by through Westminster Hall, where several of his human slaves were
passing through on their way to perform some task or another, mostly having to do with the upkeep of the
palace. Roughly a sixth of them were part of his harem.
"You," he said, pointing at a young woman at random. It only took a few moments before he recalled the
girl's name. "Bridget."
Bridget nearly jumped, not expecting to be called out so suddenly. "Yes, Master?" she replied with a quick
curtsy, her long brunette curls bobbing at her shoulders.
The brown-haired General gave her a charming smile as he held out a hand to her. "Would you mind coming
with me? Unless... you're too busy, that is." Even though he didn't have to phrase it as a request, he did
it anyway and even allowed them to occasionally refuse. After all, what fun was a chase if you always
succeeded?
The slave girl dithered for a moment while blushing. "W-Well... all right," she relented as she took his
hand. Nephrite's smile widened as he started to teleport the two of them to his bedroom in the restored
Buckingham Palace. There was plenty of time to take care of things later.
=================================================================
Author's Note: Finally, the first battle of the Dark Kingdom Civil War ends. I know it seemed like it took
forever, but all that was only a few hours. A lot was going on all at once. Anyway, it's over now and the
battle has taken a heavy toll. When will Haruka and Michiru become Sailor Senshi? What will happen when
Zoisite learns of his army's defeat? How will things change now that Ami can speak? And will Ryoku live or
die? 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.