Most of the following characters are not mine, nor do I attempt to claim them. I'm just borrowing for a good story. Sailor Moon characters are property of Naoko Takeuchi and associated parties. Mamano Hunter Yohko characters are property of Gaku Miyao and associated parties. I'm broke, don't hurt me... ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** All Work and No Play A Devil Hunter Yohko/Sailor Moon crossover By Kenji Murasaki Chapter 4: Creating Faces: The Star-crossed Soldiers ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** It seemed as if it was going to work so well... It truly did. Kaolinite had little doubt in her head that things could not have possibly snowballed in such a way if it weren't for one thing: the girl. Devil Hunter Yohko, as she called herself. Where even the Sailor Senshi had difficulty with the prototypes, she had run it in circles, and literally slashed the Daimon in two equal pieces with that sword of hers. That was another thing plaguing Kaolinite. The girl pulled that sword from nowhere, which means it was a spiritual instrument. One of the Talismans was supposed to be a sword. If that girl held one of the Talisman, even worse, knew how to use it to such a degree, did the Deathbusters have such a chance for their goals to be reached? Were they to be swatted down and away, so far into their plans, yet so early into their executions? The answers lay in her plans. Kaolinite was the current field operative, and had no option for another prototype, since there would be no more Daimon eggs available until the professor perfected the formula. That would take some time, but then they could move again, even stronger than before. Until then, she'd have to be patient. Kaolinite could challenge the girl on her own, since Yohko's location wasn't really a well-kept secret, but she feared the foolishness in doing so. At no given time was that girl ever alone. The annoying Senshi always seemed to be close behind. She'd return to the professor, and she'd give her report. The failure ran bitter in her mouth, but a report was a report, and Dr. Tomoe had to know that they could be dealing with a hostile threat, greater than even the Senshi could be. They'd plan, and then mobilize once more. And by then, Kaolinite would have thought of a reasonable plan to take down the upstart Devil Hunter. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Yohko walked into the shrine grounds with a somber look on her face. She had things to be glad about, like not having to lie to Rei anymore, yet now she felt even more imposing. The entire way back, the two had remained quiet, not really sure what to say. This made it hard for Yohko to bring up the fact that she was going to have to borrow Rei's home for an impromptu meeting with the district's local defenders. That made her frown. Just how was she supposed to say, 'Oh, by the way, I set up a meeting with the Sailor Senshi at the shrine. Hope you don't mind'? "Listen, Rei..." She began. "We're back, so it's time to get that shoulder checked out." Rei said suddenly. "Um, sure. But I wanted to say--" "Oh so you're back. Enjoy your trip?" Grandfather Hino stepped into view from the small fire pit they used for trash and leaf disposal. His pleasant grin slipped when he saw the girl's state. "Monsters?" Yohko nodded. "Attacked at the mall. It was that same lady as well. I need to talk to you about--" "Well, let's have a look at that shoulder first, and then you can say what's on your mind, hmm?" The girl frowned slightly, but relented. After being put in the main office of the shrine and having her wounds dressed, Rei excused herself from the two. "She left in a hurry." Morihito commented. "I wish I knew what was on her head." The priest raised an eyebrow. "Something about the monsters?" "No... it's probably something about me. I knew I shouldn't have left her alone, but that thing was rampaging through the mall." Yohko frowned at the memory. "I've never really seen them go after so many people at once." "They usually never get the chance, at least from what little experience I have with them." He applied an ointment to her shoulder, and made the dressing tighter to hold it in place. "Of course, Madoka was nothing else, if not efficient." "Yeah. Grandma pushes me really hard at times. I wonder if she ever really had a life of her own, with all the training she's done." Morihito chuckled. "Well, I couldn't begin to tell you really. We only shared so many experiences. Most of the time she was as you said." And on the other hand, very aggressive about life, he didn't say. "I guess. So where does that leave me?" "You have a way to go, if you think to be like Madoka. But you're two completely different people, Yohko. You should do well to remember that." The girl deflated a little. "I guess... Oh." "Oh?" "I ran into those Senshi as well. They kinda had a lot of questions for me, and..." She began to look sheepish. "I said we could meet here, around midnight. I hope I didn't disrespect you." "That's fine child. I'd actually like to thank those girls for helping to protect the shrine so well." Yohko blinked. "Really? I thought I'd be in serious trouble." "Well," The man said with a thoughtful look. "I would prefer you didn't do such things without consulting me, but this could pose as a good opportunity for you. You'll have someone to confer with who has experience about these menaces." "I guess... I wish I had told Rei though." Yohko studied her shoes. "It seems really hard to get to her all of a sudden. I tried to talk to her about the meeting, but it didn't get out." "You did tell her about your heritage, right?" "Yeah, but I kinda ditched her at the mall to take care of those things." she sighed. "She's been pretty quiet ever since." "Well, I'm sure she'll come around. She's probably trying to make sense of it." The old man chuckled. "It is a pretty big pill to swallow. Maybe I should give her some time..." The girl rose to her feet and headed for the door. "I'm going to get a bath now." "Sure." Morihito gave her a grin that she decided wasn't very good. "Do shout if you need help, I can wash your back." "I can wash my own, thanks." She frowned a bit at the man, then set off to the bath. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** "That was... interesting." "I guess so. Could you believe the moves that girl had? I wonder where she learned them?" "I just want to know why she had such a revealing transformation." Minako added. "It was almost like ours except for..." She trailed off, blushing. "Well, we'll know tonight at least." Ami said. "That puts her out of the suspect list mostly, unless it's a trap." "Ami-chan," Makoto looked at the girl in faint surprise. "You're starting to sound like Luna." Ami frowned slightly at the comment as they turned the corner for their destination. "You have a point. Rei would have called us in by now. I guess it's just a bit weird to me that there might be someone else out there like us." "We have been by ourselves, haven't we?" Minako nodded. "You think the world would have had more protectors for monsters like these." "Well, it isn't like the police can handle them, so it's up to us." Makoto shrugged. "It was until now, anyway. Now I'm kinda curious to see if there are any more." "It's possible. If Yohko is what she claims she is, then we just may have a valuable ally." Ami put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "Either way it will leave us with less things to figure out." "You mean those other two Senshi?" Makoto asked. "Yes. I'd really like to find out more about them, but all they've done is disappear after fights. That does beg some suspicion." Ami looked up at Makoto's building complex. "I guess this is where we brake ways again, at least until tonight." "Well, you guys can hang around and maybe we could come up with something about these new enemies?" "Sounds better than going back home." Minako added. "Well, I can leave a message with my mom," Ami admitted. "At the least it beats all of us running into the shrine from four different directions." The girls nodded their agreements and went inside for cookies and planning. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Life was not fair. Usagi had arrived at her house with the girls, and they were all still pretty much amazed with what they had seen that afternoon. Of course it had all come to a crashing halt when her mother wanted her in for dinner. She had politely but promptly dismissed Usagi's friends for the evening. Ikuko immediately turned back to her daughter and told he to wash up for dinner, and then the two of them were going to run through some studies. She picked through her food, munching absentmindedly. Just why was her mother on such an education kick all of a sudden? Usagi was sure she'd pass with her friend's help, and her mother had never fallen on her fun like this before, so what was up? For an even better question, how long was this lesson going to take? She still had to meet the others at the shrine, as well as get Luna's opinions on this sudden new turn. Even she had not expected the Devil Hunter to just up and present them with an opportunity. Perhaps they could possibly get the same out of those other two Senshi? Usagi mused on that thought. So far, the only thing they knew for certain was that they were strong, more so than the rest of the Senshi. They could be a great help, if they actually stayed around long enough. It stuck the blond as odd that Senshi would show up, blast around a couple of monsters, and then leave without much talking to the Senshi present. "Usagi, stop picking at your meal. You're wasting valuable time here, and you're not going to do anything else until you get those lessons done." Usagi looked down at her plate and noticed she had stopped eating. Her father and brother were also giving her strange looks, though from Shingo, the look was much more full of empathy. So she wasn't the only one, she thought? "Usagi..." "Yes ma'am." Usagi finished her dinner, trying to put the questions out of her mind. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Feeling the warm afterglow of a nice bath was the only thing on Yohko's mind as she made her way to her room. For a brief moment, she thought, that was how it was supposed to be. No monsters coming out the woodwork, no ancient battles between good and evil. It was just to be her, a hot bath, and maybe a warm meal before she turned in for the evening. Of course, it didn't work that way, but what was to stop her from dreaming? Rei glanced up from a manga at Yohko as she entered the room. "You really shouldn't go for a bath with that wound." She looked up at Rei, who was busying herself with some notes at her desk. Yohko pulled her bath towel further to herself and sat beside her. "What are you working on?" Rei's eyes never left the sheets of paper. "It's a festival." "Festival?" "Yeah. My school's in it a couple of weeks from now. I figured I'd get finished with this plans." "And what will you be doing Rei-chan?" "Oh, I'm heading up the special ceremony, as well as directing some of the event booths. It's not that big of a job, but it is challenging." The girl smiled at Yohko. "I'm finalizing plans, and only have the guest of the ceremony to confirm, but I wanted to go over my notes again and check the date I'm supposed to meet him." Yohko took a seat on the bed and began fiddling with her hair, putting it In a shower cap. "Who is he?" "Well... It's my dad." Yohko's eyes widened in surprise. "Hino-papa? He's doing a speech?" "Well, sort of. He's taking it as a chance to do some promotion on a deal of his, and he just happens to know a musical guest that will be with him." "A couple of weeks from now, huh?" Yohko pondered something, then began to frown. "Just my luck that I'm gonna miss it." Rei looked at her friend in confusion. "You won't be able to make it?" "No," she said, scowling. "I only have another week or so for my vacation time, then it's back home to prepare for school." "I thought you had... longer." Rei's expression turned somber, but Yohko waved it away. "So we have two weeks to kill. Not a big thing. You can still show me to this academy you're going to, right?" "Huh? Why would you want to see that?" "Because I heard it's got lots of boys to talk to, of course." The Devil Hunter smiled. "That, and I'd show you around if it were my school, right? I mean, you probably have to go up there at least once within the next few weeks, right?" "Yeah, I do, but..." Rei made a face, but couldn't think of any reason not to. "Alright, I will. But just remember that you asked." Yohko nodded. "Sure. In the meantime, I'm going for a bath, and then Have to prepare for that meeting..." Both girls winced in unison, though neither noticed the other. "Meeting?" Rei asked, putting on a false expression of curiousity. "Oops, I never did get the chance to tell you, did I? About that attack today?" "What about it?" "Well, those Senshi girls wanted to know who I was, so I asked them to meet me here. I'm sorry I didn't run it by you first, it's just that..." Yohko fumbled with her words, not quite sure how to explain what would be considered a very rude assumption in most cultures. "I did clear it with grandpa, and I was going to tell you..." "... Well, I'll make sure they have something to snack on while they're here, but I don't think I wanna get involved." Rei frowned inwardly at the lie, but continued. "I'll just be sleep." "Wow. I'd thought you'd want to actually see them, since they're so evasive from what I heard." "Maybe," the girl said. "But I've kinda already seen them. They've already been to the temple a couple of times fighting off some youma." Yohko blinked. "I guess..." "But be careful, okay? Anybody that knows the Senshi knows they mean well, but that's not a reason to let your guard down, Yohko-chan." "My guard? Why should I worry? They seem like good people..." "It's... the other two." Rei frowned, thinking about her brief memories of the other two new Senshi, as well as memories of the recent battle. "There's always been five, but I remember seeing two more that I wasn't familiar with." "You mean there's only been five until now?" Yohko blinked. "Yeah, which is why I'm not too sure about this meeting. Did you get to talk to them?" "Not really..." Yohko noted. "They kinda left after the fight was done with. That is kinda weird." The brunette stood up. "I'll keep that in mind, Rei-chan, but I don't think it will be too much of a hassle. It's just a meeting, maybe some questions and answers." Rei nodded absently. "Okay then. I can relax with that thought." ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** "This is the place." The taller blonde looked at her friend. "You're worrying." It was more a statement than a question. "Maybe. I believe there's something a bit off about her." Neptune swept back a strand of hair from her face, noting her companion's determined expression. "If she was able to hold off one of the creatures of the dark, supposing it was one of the Talisman, that would mean she knows how to wield it." "And you're worried she's using it for the wrong purposes?" Neptune nodded faintly, and Uranus turned away. "That may be, but she could only hope to keep it away from the menaces for so long, even with the Senshi's help. If she proves to have a Talisman, then we'll have to take it from her. We don't have a choice in the matter." Words of an oath played into Neptune's mind, as they had been for some time since the new threat arose. "No, we don't. But..." Uranus clasped her shorter companion on the shoulders "Michiru-chan, we can afford to doubt ourselves so soon. We have a chance to be one step ahead of them, and we've got to take it. For the planet's sake." Words seem ready to run through Michiru's lips, but she swallowed them. "Then let's get to work." As they began the trek up the stairs, Neptune thought again of her oath as a Sailor Senshi. She was to be ready to make any sacrifice, but what had they said about cold-blooded murder of a girl who looked to be one of their own? ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** It was only eight o'clock, hours before they truly had to meet, and all of a sudden Yohko was more anxious than she cared to admit. Of course, it didn't help that Grandpa politely refused any and all attempts to persuade him to turn in early. He was dead set on thanking the women that had preserved the peace of the Hikawa Shrine, not that Yohko could blame him. Of course, since it was time to kill until ten, it was also time to use for practicing. "So grandpa, wouldn't this be a good time to try my exercises? I think I may have a handle on it now." The old man raised an eyebrow at her confident tone. "If you wish." He set up the wards within his room, and stood back. "Now remember your breathing, and begin when you feel you're ready." Yohko nodded, grinning inwardly. With a deep breath, she let herself slowly ripped away from the jumbled thoughts of Senshi, Daimons, fun, Rei; all the cricks and needles reminding her of the quirks she'd earned in that battle with that weird-- Evil. It suddenly no longer had a form, but was instead just there. Yohko tried to remember what Rei said about her forced concentration, but it was becoming more difficult. Perhaps if she just tried a little harder... No, that wasn't the way. It was relaxed, it would come, or she would float to it. Closer, as the energies lost their form to her eyes. Grandfather Hino and the room almost faded away as well, but she remained aware of their faint presence. What caught her vision, in both eyes and mind, was four bright glows lining the wall of what she could remember was grandpa's office. She put a hand forward to touch one of the eerie blue lights... And yelped as it bit at her. The pain was familiar, but more pronounced. Much more. Yohko shook her head of the dream-like daze and back to the tense face of Morihito. "What happened? I thought it was supposed to go more smoothly when you relaxed?" She blinked and rubbed her hand. "Well, yes, to a point. You obviously saw the bad luck charms for what they were," he said, gesturing at the ofuda she had touched. "And you did not force what was supposed to come natural to you, which is the second step in the right direction." "So... now what? How do I do that without getting stung by the power?" "You develop a defense against it, but that can come later. For now, we shall work on honing your ability to detect such powers without the ring." Yohko nodded, and obediently handed her signet ring to the old man, who placed it on the desk. "Now, I want you to try and go deeper than you did before. Try and sense everything around you." "Okay." She readied herself inwardly, and slowly let go again, letting the world melt away until it was all an odd dream. Once sure of herself, Yohko tried to look around, but could only faintly make out what her eyes could tell her. The desk was still there, and so were the eight ofuda lining it, four of which had a blue presence. Then there was a flaring angry red object she pegged immediately for her ring. That borrowed power wasn't as nearly as tainted as the original possessor of it, but the angry red glow remained. For a long moment, Yohko became facinated with the ruby light that seemed to fold into itself, and flicker like a flame. "Very good, Yohko. You're an excellent learner." "It's... weird," Yohko said, surprised at the cotton surrounding her own voice. It's like I can see everything, but I can't. Like it's not there, a dream of some kind." "That is the effect," she heard the voice that seemed near and far respond. "To be able to sense from a plane higher than your body would allow. Try looking at me." Yohko did so, first attempting to find where she thought she last saw him. However, it seemed that wasn't to be, as Hino-san had suddenly vanished. Yohko frowned, and stopped trying to see him with her eyes... and he was there, right next to her ring. His glow was subtle, gentle, but wild, never ceasing it's humble green. "Sogoi..." she breathed. "Isn't it? Still, it's only the beginning. Now that you've made it this far, I can begin to teach you on not becoming so engrossed in--" Yohko suddenly gasped as several things became aware to her. She felt her head turn left rapidly, and that was the last thing she felt. She was now looking through the simple dead fibers that made up the room, and though the temple grounds toward a bright red light. She couldn't tell how near or how far it was, only that it was there, and one of the brightest lights she had ever seen, but she couldn't look away. There were two more lights behind it, one of a peaceful green and a wild gold, and they seem to be... moving? Toward her? She looked deeper, past three burning stars, and into a whole pool of them. Everywhere they were dim to flaring, meager and small, and then mammoth. Then there was one light among them all, coming closer to her, burning brighter and hotter than any sun could hope to. She fell toward it and hugged the gentle silver glow and bathed in its warmth and promised never to really leave it and... She felt herself be pulled back, and looked into the worried eyes of the old priest. "Yohko-chan! Snap out of it!" "Wha...?" Everything was so slow, and wrapped. She felt like she had fallen to slumber, and it was so nice. "That was what I was trying to tell you about. It's a very simple meditation technique, but it is also just as simple to lose yourself in it without the right practice. I'll be teaching you how to put up guards to prevent such things should you need to rely on it in the future." "It was so beautiful," she breathed. "That silver... light." It was Morihito's turn to blink. Truly Madoka's daughter was an adept. "I suppose we can try this again later. For now, conserve your strength." Yohko only nodded, not really sure if she could say anything else. That whole ordeal was nothing short of scary. And yet she found herself admitting she would not mind another go... Her head jerked suddenly toward the entrance of the Hikawa Shrine, visible from Hino-san's office. There were two distinct, lights? Were they lights? "Grandpa..." "Yes? What is it child?" Hino-san asked in a worried tone. "I think... I think we are about to have company." He looked at her with the unspoken question, and she nodded. "Aren't they a tad early?" "If it is them, then yeah." She slowly stood on her feet, shaking away the lead in her limbs. "I don't know who else it could be. The brightest lights seemed to be..." "Well, there's one way to be sure. Let's go greet our guest, eh?" The old man picked himself up and headed outside. "Grandpa, wait!" Yohko shook off the last of the fog, and followed after the old man. Outside, she was brought up short by a very unexpected sight. There were two Senshi, but not the ones that Yohko had made the arrangement with. Never the one to be rude, she shrugged, grabbed her ring, and walked toward where Hino-san was already greeting them. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** "Good evening ladies. I am honored that you would grace my home which you have help protect for so long." Both Uranus and Neptune blinked, not quite sure what to make of it. "It's our duty," Uranus finally said. "If we could, sir, we'd like to talk with the young lady alone?" Neptune asked sweetly. "Well, of course. Yohko-san told me in advance of your meeting. I just thought I would take the time to say thank you for helping against such dark forces of our time," he said, bowing respectfully. "There are cookies and tea in the office for you. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask." Something about the old man's smile made Neptune feel decidedly dirty. She resisted the urge to pull at the hem of her skirt. "Of course. Thank you," she said, bowing in return. Uranus only blinked for a moment, and bowed as well. "Um, hi. I really didn't get a chance to talk to you two earlier, but I'm glad that you came." Yohko gave them a bright smile as she walked them into the office. "I know you had a lot of questions, and I have some to, so why don't we--" Uranus cut off the brunette teen. "Look, we'll get to the point because we really don't have time to deal with any small talk." Yohko blinked. "... Okay." Uranus nodded, as if deciding on something, and spoke again. "You're in possession of a tool that's vital to the enemies' plans, and we need it." "I... do?" Confusion took Yohko and ran. "I'm not sure what you mean..." "If the Deathbusters get their hands on it, grave disaster will strike this world. We are here to prevent that," Neptune said. "For that reason, we need the sword that you carry." "My sword?!" Her mouth hung agape, and a foreboding feeling began to crawl up her spine. For the first time Yohko began to doubt the two very evasive Senshi. "I'd never let them get a hold of it, so that shouldn't be a problem." Uranus's expression grew hard. "Understand what it is that we are up against. If they willed it, they could take it even now. If we were able to find you, then it's only a matter of time until they will. It's vital that you just hand over that Talisman." "... Talisman? My Soulsword?" Yohko shook her head. "That doesn't make sense. They would have been after me if they wanted it. They were only out to hurt people." "Their primary motives run deeper than that," Neptune said. "Yohko-san, we don't need to be so polite. We're asking you now because you figure yourself a warrior of justice, who would understand the burden of protecting the people." "But just as well," Uranus added in. "We need that sword, with or without your permission. You either have to give it to us, or we will take it from you." Yohko frowned, noting the cold looks coming from both. They were serious about what they were intending, Yohko had no doubt of that now. "Even if I could, I don't think I can give up the sword. It's a part of me. I don't know how to part with it." Something else crept into their eyes that made Yohko shiver. "Very well then, we will take it by force." ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** She was supposed to be on her way to bed, not really worrying about Yohko's upcoming meeting with the Senshi. But that line had ended at Rei Hino, and had no such restrictions for Sailor Mars. She had transformed when she thought she was safe from being detected, and had been waiting restlessly ever since. So it was quite a surprise to her to see the Senshi arrive early, or so she originally thought. Mars watched on in horror as the conversation turned more ugly by the second. They were barely at the office door when they began to advance on Yohko. Mars hit the panic button on her communicator, and went to her friend's aid. ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** Yohko backed into Hino-san's desk as the two Senshi advanced on her. She tensed, and then bounded past them and out of the building. Both stood up and followed after her. She screeched to a halt at the top of the temple stairs, and turned around to confirm that they were still on her heels. "I don't want to fight allies! I can defend my own sword!" "We don't intend to fail. Just surrender the sword now," Uranus said. "Don't make any mistakes that you'll regret." Yohko chewed on her lip. These were supposed to be comrades in arms, but they acted nothing like she imagined. She gasped as the taller one dove at her, tackling her to the ground. There was nothing but cold determination in her blue eyes. "Just give up the sword and you won't have to go through this," the Senshi warned. "... I'm not giving that sword to you, or anyone," Yohko shot back icily. "Stop right there!" Uranus didn't even bother looking up, but Yohko had a perfect vantage point to look at the new arrival. "What do you two think you're doing?! We do not stand for enforcing ourselves on the innocent! I am Sailor Mars, and I demand that you release her right now!" "This doesn't concern you." Neptune was turned to the young Senshi, unlike her partner, and was ready to stop interference of any kind. "Uranus, hurry up!" Mars growled, and jumped in at Neptune, landing mere feet from her. "Why are you two doing this?" "Our job is to prevent the dark menace from dominating this world, and that is what we intend to do," the aqua-haired Senshi said cooly. "If you decide to become a burden to our, purpose, we will deal with you." Mars frowned. So much for new friends. "I won't let you assault innocent people for the sake of some mission, and that girl is completely innocent!" "Neptune, just subdue her!" Uranus shouted. Neptune's eyes narrowed. "Very well." The two began sizing each other up, and Neptune was the first to make the attack. She leapt toward the younger girl, and Mars barely ducked the clothesline that was aimed for her. She wasn't so lucky when the older woman swept her into a hold from behind her before she could regain enough momentum for a counterattack. Neptune slammed the girl into the ground and held her there. "Leave now. You're outclassed," she spat. Yohko blinked at the spectacle. The Senshi are not working together? They're betraying their own? Then who were these two-- Yohko suddenly cried out as the taller girl tried to gain more leverage on her. They tumbled on the ground for moments more, then Yohko decided she had enough. She closed her eyes and her clothes exploded away from her in a burst of energy, knocking Uranus back. The Senshi flew through a high arc, tucked into a somersault, and landed gracefully on the ground. She turned and looked at Yohko, now decked out in her tight Chinese dress with the custom yin yang symbol, her Devil Hunter uniform. The girl's hands were glowing, but it faded. "I don't need the sword," she breathed silently. Aloud, she shouted at Uranus as she narrowed her eyes, "Wanna try that again?" Uranus sized up her opponent, feeling a subtle difference than what was there before. She smiled grimly. "Your funeral." She charged, and Yohko leapt over her, coming out in a midair roundhouse kick aimed straight for the taller one's head. Uranus ducked and went for a sweep as the Devil Hunter landed. Yohko gasped in surprise, but backflipped away and took her turn at charging. The two met together in handlock, but Yohko was slowly beginning to be overpowered. "You... make a good sparring partner," Uranus growled between clenched teeth. Inwardly she was impressed that someone who wasn't a Senshi could hold so much power. Then again, this was a girl who was wielding a supposed Talisman. "... Shit," the smaller girl mumbled. She wasn't being outmatched, but the taller girl did hold more strength than she did. She'd have to do something about that to level the playing field. Yohko tucked in, shifting her weight as she fell back, and heaved the Senshi over her head and into her partner. Mars rolled free in the confusion, and immediately jumped by Yohko. "Are you alright?" Yohko asked. Mars nodded. "You?" Yohko nodded absently, focused on the rouge Senshis' next move. Uranus frowned. "We don't have time for this..." Neptune helped the girl to her feet and stared at the two. "She did slay a Daimon ealier today, so she is formidable. We'll have to be wary." "Hey!" Both Senshi turned to Yohko's voice. "If you're supposed to be protecting the world from great evil by taking my sword, then why haven't you done it yet?" Uranus growled at the taunt. That pompous little... "We end this now. WORLD SHAKING!" Power gathered in her hands, and she released it in a glowing sphere of gold death toward the two girls. Both yelped and leapt aside, letting the attack continue its course. "Maybe you shouldn't taunt them?" Mars grumbled angrily. Yohko looked very sheepish. "Sorry. Besides, it's not like I can't return fire--" "DEEP SUBMERGE!" Yohko ducked under another assault of energy, landing flat on her rump. "That was uncalled for!" "Do you think this is a joke?" Neptune shot back. "Surrender the sword now!" "You want it so badly? Then try and take it." Yohko's hands began glowing again, and then her blade was there. She took a few practice swings, and glared at the duo. The two Outer Senshi threw their attacks at Yohko once more, and the girl stood her ground, sword in front of her. The energies slammed into a shield. Yohko grunted as she was forced back. "BURNING MANDALA!" Ringlets of fire sped toward the two Senshi, who leapt into different places. Uranus landed and attempted to shoot at Yohko again, only to dodge a blast of spiral crimson power that went past her and into the night sky. She stood and eyed the girl warily. "I don't see why I have to surrender my sword to you if you can't even take it from me, but I do see your point about the evils trying to destroy this world." Uranus growled, loathed to admit that Yohko was speaking the truth. The girl was fast, and wielded that sword like a third arm, so a head on attack was utter folly. She could wear her down, but time was running out. If Mars was there, then the others weren't far behind. "Look, just stop trying to do things on your own, and help us fight them back," Yohko said to the girl, still in a ready pose. "It's much better when you have allies." "Devil Hunter..." Uranus whispered to herself. Mano Yohko, the Devil Hunter. This was going to be more difficult than she had predicted. "Neptune! Let's go!" Her partner looked from her standoff with Mars and only nodded, and they leapt for the trees, away from view. Yohko could only look on in silence. How could they be so... prideful? "I don't think they'll be back," Mars huffed and stretched. Yohko turned to the remaining fire Senshi and blinked. "I just wish I knew why they wanted your sword so badly. What's a Talisman supposed to be?" "I guess we can try to figure that out," Yohko shrugged, and let her blade disappear. "Anyway, it looks like your friends are arriving." ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** "That went well," Neptune finally caught up with her partner, some blocks away. They had come to a halt at the top of a building. "That cocky little brat..." Uranus sat on a post and frowned. "It wasn't supposed to end up that way. She was supposed to just hand over the sword." "Haruka-chan, that doesn't sound like you. What's bothering you?" Her partner was at her side now, a hand on her shoulder. "We can't keep dallying like this. We have to know if that is actually a Talisman or not, but while she's being stubborn about it..." Uranus shook her head angrily. "I keep getting this feeling that she's not really supposed to be here, and I know that her presence is going to complicate things." "We can handle that, Uranus. We have to." A sad look passed her face. "The Dark Messiah won't be allowed to destroy this world, not while we live and breathe." "... Of course. But we can't keep at it like this. We've been lucky so far because the attacks have been centralized, but I'd rather know what their next moves will be." Neptune smiled. "Well, then we'll just have to do some research then, won't we?" "... But she's so frustrating to deal with at times..." Uranus shook her head at the very thought of their 'source'. "Still, even going to her and getting blanks, there's always one place to start to shut them down, and that's at the predicted target." "Yohko?" "We really don't have a choice." Haruka's eyes took on a cold glint that made her partner gasp internally. "She's shown that she won't release the sword to us, so we'll have to catch her off guard." ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** The other Senshi had arrived late, and Yohko and Mars greeted them at the temple steps, cookies in their hands. "... This was the emergency?" Jupiter asked, eyebrow twitching. "Actually, the emergency already passed," Mars said tiredly. "Those other two Senshi were here." "Really?" Mercury asked. "Yeah, and they tried to take my sword," Yohko said past a mouth full of cookie. "But your friend here helped me drive 'em off." "... Right," Mars said. The others sat down and partook in the cookie eating. After a moment of munching, Yohko looked at the girls. "Now, what was it you wanted to ask?" ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** That was decidedly pleasant, Yohko thought as she watched the girls depart for their homes. She still didn't know who they were, but now she had a decent idea of just who her friends were. They were all very nice girls, but Yohko kept wondering about just who did the designs on their outfits. Not that she was in much of a position to talk, but even she could barely see herself wearing such short skirts. That they were all sitting down at the table, at least as ladylike as the fukus allowed, was a big reason that Hino-san kept popping in with more snacks, at least that was what she suspected. Tired, and wanting another bath, Yohko made her way to her room, opting for slumber instead. She yawned and waved to Sailor Mars standing in the door, then crawled into her futon and-- Sailor Mars? "Er... hello again," Yohko said sheepishly, then blinked at the girl's sullen expression. "Look, Yohko, I'm afraid that I haven't been completely truthful with you tonight." "Truthful? About what?" Something was buzzing around in the back of Yohko's head, trying to tell her that something rather off about the whole Scene, but she ignored it in favor of the bigger bit of confusion. "I admit I was kinda off put by those other two Senshi trying to come after me, but that's okay. I know it's not your fault, or the others." "No, that's not what I mean." Sailor Mars closed the door to the room, and sat on the second futon. Rei's futon. Yohko's eyes widened as she recognized the missing element. "Wait a mintue. Where's Rei-chan? I didn't see her leave..." The fire Senshi winced. "I'm right here," She said, transforming back into plain old Rei Hino, decked in her pajamas. "I'm not sure the others want to reveal themselves, but I know that we're gonna need all the help we can get." Yohko scratched her head in confusion. "Wait... why didn't I recognize you before?" "That's the glamour magic that our clothing provides. The only way to recognize us is if we transform in front of them, or tell them, or something like that." "Cool. I guess that would be nice to have around, except Chi kinda advertises who I am." The brunette grinned sheepishly. "So... how long have you been one of the Senshi?" Rei blinked. No lashing back? "You're not mad?" "Well, not really. I mean, I guess it kinda makes sense. I really didn't want to tell you about what I could do either, but I guess it just relates, you know?" The girl smiled some more and hugged her friend. "We really are like sisters! It's cool to know I have someone else help take out those dumb devils now!" Rei had to chuckle, despite herself. "Sure. Hey Yohko-chan, a question?" "Yeah?" "About your... transformation." "What about it?" "Actually, nevermind. Let's get to bed." ***** ***** ***** OMAKE ***** ***** ***** AZUSA: Hello again! Welcome to the Fourth Corner! I'm afraid my co-host as feeling a tad bit under the weather, so I've got it alone for a session! AZUSA: Today we'll be covering some of the finer points of magical girl Transformation. Many people like to wonder just why such revealing things take place during the shows, and even though some may be skeptical, there is a very good explanation for it! You see-- MINA: Um, Kenji-kun? A word if you please? KENJI: *coming on screen* Yo? MAKO: I... we humbly apologize for being such rude people the other day. It was completely uncalled for. KENJI: Well, no real hard feelings. I know how you guys feel, it's just been very hectic around here lately, and-- MINA: Indeed it has! You've been so busy in the studio, we decided to give you our thanks for giving us such WONDERFUL parts in those minor projects! KENJI: Um, that's swell ladies, but can we come off screen? We've already taken enough time as is, and-- MAKO: *pats the young producer on the shoulder* Not a problem boss, it will only take a second... AZUSA: Anyway, we have such revealing transformations in the anime business because... because... MAKO: Here's something we learned working with the Venus 5 and Lunatic heavy crew! Kenji: Um... could you like, put that away? Where's... Oh sweet god NO! AH! HELP ME! THEY'RE INSANE! IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO GO THERE! AZUSA: As I was.... *ulp* saying, the transformations... um... that's just plain sick. AZUSA: Oh! How are you doing? I thought you were sick?