Absence � By Kirika
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Chapter 23 � Trial By Fire
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Rei walked into her bedroom, a towel around her body and another piled on top of her head, having just had a bath. A flash of lightning illuminated her dark room for a brief moment, creating ominous shadows that reminded the fire senshi of the battle in Tsubasa�s apartment. Her calf with nearly healed quadruple stab wounds twitched at the memory. The fire senshi switched on her lamp, lighting the room and dispelling the darkness. Rei then closed her sliding door, making sure Yuuichirou wasn�t around to peep at her. He had been continuing his weird behaviour, always spying on her or hanging around. Rei suspected Yuuichirou was building up the nerve to ask her out again, or maybe declare his undying love. Well, she had been gone for two weeks. There was a saying, wasn�t there? Something to do with absence and the heart. Rei was resolved to let the man down easy however� she was familiar with how rejection felt.
A storm is coming� thought Rei, glancing out her window and at the dark clouds in the night sky.
The miko wandered over to her dresser and pulled off the towel covering her body. Most of her injuries had nearly completely healed in the past few days, with the exception of the crescent beam burn and the stab in her side. The stab wound was still tender, and Rei had to keep bandaging it in fear that the deep gouge could still split open. The fire senshi grabbed a roll of bandages and a medical pad, and proceeded to dress the wound carefully. She was glad this was the only wound that needed bandaging; it had been hard to hide some of the bandages when she wore her school uniform, especially with the short skirt. Rei�s classmates had asked her questions about how she had injured her legs, and she had gave them the same reason she gave her Grandpa and Yuuichirou: a building fell on her. This caused the girls to wait on her even more, and with Rei�s improving attitude, she was happy to let them.
Rei finished her bandaging and let out a content sigh as she stretched her right arm, pleased to feel that the stiffness was gone. Perhaps Usagi�s hands had something to do with it, at least, that�s what Rei liked to think. At the thought of the girl, she looked over to her dressing table where the new picture of the fire senshi and her princess sat. Both girls in the framed picture looked full of joy, Usagi especially. It had been a good day when the photo was taken, the fire senshi just �back from the dead� so to speak and before all Rei�s secrets were bared. Though the past days had also been somewhat enjoyable to the miko�s surprise, even if they did seem long.
The last few days passed by at a crawl for Rei. Most of the fire senshi�s free time was spent with Usagi, usually just the two of them. While she adored the time they were together, it always also had an undercurrent of despair. However, Rei still made a conscious effort to try and be happy, or at least appear so to placate Usagi. And it seemed to be working. Rei�s princess didn�t look like she was uncomfortable in her best friend�s presence, despite the raven-haired girl�s feelings. In fact, they were as close as ever. Rei was beginning to feel like her normal self again, not completely, but she was starting to let go of the vicious coldness inside her. If Rei let her mind drift when with Usagi, she could almost imagine it was like old times once more. Usagi refrained from any physical contact with the miko, however. While Rei missed her princesses� touches, her hugs, and the feel of her soft velvet skin� it was probably for the best.
Rei and Usagi had visited Michiru at the hospital she was staying at. The injured senshi was pleased to see Rei in the flesh, confirming that she was in fact alive. They had brought the green-haired woman grapes, as was traditional for people in hospital, except Usagi ate most of them before they ever reached the older senshi. Michiru didn�t seem to mind though; it was the thought that counted. They had also visited Minako regularly, and were pleased to see that she was making a speedy recovery. The senshi of love was worried that her unnatural healing ability would attract too much attention, and was resolved to leave the hospital as soon as possible. Mamoru was also at the same hospital as Minako, his wounds from the previous battle severe enough to warrant professional medical attention. Usagi didn�t bring Rei along to visit him, however. Rei was glad of that fact.
Ami and Makoto occasionally accompanied Rei and her princess out on their daily trips, but made an obvious attempt to keep the loving gestures to a minimum when the fire senshi was in sight. Ami had no doubt told her tall girlfriend exactly why Rei had left Tokyo over two weeks ago. Makoto had even given a heartfelt apology for the way she had acted towards the miko, and for striking her back at the hotel. Rei readily accepted Makoto�s apology, and had given the brunette�s girlfriend a searching glare to which the blue-haired genius merely responded by blushing and averting her gaze. Yes, there was no doubt she had told Makoto everything. While Rei appreciated her two friends efforts, the bond between the senshi was hard to ignore. There would always be meaningful glances, a slight brush of hands, the way they sat so near to each other� all of which just helped to remind Rei of her pain. But she never said anything; the fire senshi would have to get over the blonde odango atama at some point in time.
The nights were still occupied by youma activity. Rei had been in several skirmishes, but they seemed half-hearted efforts, the youma fleeing without too much provocation. The youma reminded the fire senshi of the some of the kinds she had fought against back in Yokohama at the Ragnarok nightclub� the creatures there hadn�t been very courageous; more scholars than warriors. Rei couldn�t brush the feeling that the small fights she and the other Sailor Senshi had been in recently had just been diversion tactics, or simply tests, not the enemy�s real effort at all. She sensed that something was coming, and it wasn�t the storm�
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Aiaia marched in front the three youma under her command for the latest mission as thunder crashed outside. Her steel boots clomped loudly on the wooden floor of the library, small blemishes appearing on the pine floorboards. The time had finally come for Aiaia to avenge her love. Thrinakie had charged her with the task of collecting something that belonged to each Sailor Senshi, but the vengeful youma wasn�t interested in that. She was out to kill them all, with special preference to three in particular. Especially the senshi that had delivered the mortal blow to Lady Laodameia. Aiaia would make the human suffer greatly before she begged for merciful death.
Aiaia had been watching the Sailor Senshi carefully as they battled each youma party sent against them. The parties only consisted of Thrinakie�s lowliest youma with the least skill, ones with little offensive spells and usually no defences. Mere fodder. The armoured youma had taken note of the Sailor�s powers and skills, and also of any meaningful relationships between each senshi. She was pleased with the knowledge she had gained. And with the wards Kolkhis had applied to her armour to counter the Sailor�s attacks.
�Remember my orders,� snarled Aiaia as she stopped her marching, �you know which three humans are mine alone, you will engage only to occupy them. The rest are fair game. Lets go,�
Aiaia stalked to the exit, her long braids bouncing off her metal back behind her, the occasional flashes of lightning painting her rune covered armour in a sinister light. The experienced spell weaving youma looked at each other, then jogged after her.
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Sailor Mars ran along side Sailor Moon as they travelled to Sailor Mercury�s location, answering her call for assistance. Youma had been detected near an apartment building construction site in a relatively isolated area of Minato-ku. Mercury and Jupiter had already engaged, while the other three active Sailor Senshi were on their way.
�Not far now,� puffed Sailor Moon as she ran down the sandy alley that led to the construction site.
�Yeah,� answered Sailor Mars, thinking that maybe it was time one of the inner senshi got a car. And learnt how to drive.
Jagged lines of lightning streaked the dark cloudy skies above the two senshi followed by a rumble of thunder, making Sailor Moon�s face twist into a fearful expression. Mars was aware that the blonde was not a big fan of thunder.
�Why did youma have to show up tonight?! Don�t they know when to stay indoors?� whined Sailor Moon, glancing up at the stormy clouds as strong winds picked up, causing her hair to wave around.
�We�ll make sure to beat them up a little bit extra for it,� replied Mars, pleased that she didn�t say �kill� or �murder� instead.
Sailor Moon nodded and swallowed in trepidation as another clap of thunder rocked the skies.
The chatter ceased as Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon hard the cries of Jupiter and Mercury mixed with strange noises up ahead, behind a corrugated iron fence. The pair ran through the opening of the fence and into the apartment building construction yard. The yard had a yellow sand covered ground and was filled with the usual construction tools: cinder blocks, wheelbarrows, steel girders and similar items. The apartment itself was only in the frame structural stage, reaching about seven floors high.
They saw that Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter were fighting against three youma, all dressed in cowled robes covered with arcane symbols. Some wielded staffs of varying designs. Mars recognised their fashion sense from the Ragnarok nightclub. It was hard to make out the youma faces due to their hoods, but each youma�s hands were different. One had an aquamarine skin tone, with what looked like merely a mass of thin tentacles where its hands should be. The second had a human skin colour, except there were numerous grotesque warts all over its hands. The final youma had hands that looked like it had a large dog�s head grafted to both its wrists. The youma�s hands snapped and snarled rabidly as the creature gestured with them in the air.
The battle appeared to be fast and furious, though only the two Sailors were doing any moving. The three youma had erected differently coloured, transparent spherical energy shields around themselves, protecting them from attack while they launched attacks of their own, having no trouble firing through the shields. The youma mumbled and muttered under their breaths as they traced ornate patterns in the air with their �hands�. Sailor Mars was familiar with their methods of combat. While the shields were quite strong, they could only take a limited number of hits before collapsing. Also, sometimes a shield would only protect against certain types of attacks and let any others through. The youma did have a variety of offensive capabilities however.
�About time you showed!� yelled Sailor Jupiter as she dodged a twinkling yellow energy ball.
�What? You can�t beat three measly youma by yourselves?� smirked Mars sarcastically.
Sailor Jupiter just grunted something unintelligible in reply. �SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!�
Jupiter threw a ball of electricity at the youma with tentacle hands. The ball smashed into the bluish shield and crackled all around it, but didn�t seem to penetrate the youma�s defence.
�Keep trying! The shields fail eventually!� offered Sailor Mars helpfully.
�Yes, she�s right!� Mercury added, punching keys on her mini super computer as she looked at the three youma through her blue visor. �Plus that one�s shield can be bypassed by electricity!� she shouted, pointing at the dog- hands youma.
Before Jupiter could do anything, Sailor Moon flicked her wrist, and her spiral heart moon rod materialised in her hand. She posed in a fairly heroic stance.
�I�ll take care of this!� she said confidently, the overall effect only dampened by her faint flinch at another clap of thunder. �MOON SPIRAL HE- Gak!�
Sailor Moon�s attack command was cut of abruptly as Sailor Mars dived into her, pushing them both to the ground as a sound wave ripped over them, sending sand and bricks flying into the air. Sailor Mars looked up to where the blast had originated from while Sailor Moon coughed up mouthfuls of sand. Perched on a pile of red steel girders was the youma from Laodameia�s hotel suite, still decked out in her midnight blue armour.
�You�re not the only one whom Death can�t hold,� she sneered, her fat white braids blowing wildly in the strong winds.
Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon blinked in shock as the youma leapt from the girders and onto the sandy ground.
How could she have survived that fall from the hotel?!
Mars quickly scrambled to her feet, dragging Sailor Moon up with her, ready to meet the youma�s attack. But it never came. Instead the armoured youma ran at Sailor Jupiter, who was currently occupied with a robed youma throwing green arrows from his blistered hands.
�Jupiter, look out!� warned Sailor Moon.
Jupiter turned just as the armoured youma screamed into her amplifier, blasting a sound wave at near point blank range into the senshi. Sailor Jupiter silently gasped as she slammed backwards into the concrete foundation of the apartment building, her breath being forcibly removed from her lungs. But the youma didn�t let up her attack and continued screaming, crushed the brunette between the sound wave and the concrete foundation.
�Makoto!� Mercury screamed, dropping her mini super computer and retracting her visor. �SHINING AQUA ILLUSION!�
A geyser tore towards the screaming youma, crashing into her upper back and spreading ice over her armour, part of the blue-skinned youma�s neck and face being caught in the attack. The runes on the youma�s armour glowed, cracking the ice and making it fall off onto the sandy ground. And still she didn�t stop screaming into her amplifier, the frost on her face no deterrent. Sailor Mars began to hear a cracking sound over the thunder and wind, and Jupiter�s face scrunched up in agony.
�MOON SPIRAL HEART AT- Noo!�
Sailor Moon�s attack phrase was interrupted as her moon rod was knocked from her grasp by a small blast of light from the tentacle hand youma. The blonde fell to the ground, desperate to retrieve it and help her friend. As she reached out for the rod, plant vines erupted from the sand around it and grabbed the moon rod, pulling it deep into the ground.
�Oh no, NO!� Sailor Moon gasped in horror, fervently digging in the sand to retrieve her weapon.
Sailor Mars glanced at the youma; they didn�t seem to be attacking anymore, just simply supporting the armoured youma. That was fine by Mars.
�FIRE SOUL!�
A fireball rocketed towards the back of the screaming youma�s head, certain to fry her brains, or at least set her hair on fire. The boil-hand youma gestured frantically in the air, and Mars� fireball lost momentum, the strong winds from the coming storm blowing it apart and causing little flames to float to the ground. Sailor Mars cursed loudly, and noticed Jupiter had lost consciousness. The fire senshi tried to ignore the trickle of blood that was leaking out the brunette�s open mouth.
By this point, Mercury was near hysterics, and realising her powers were useless, reached for a brick. In an uncharacteristic display of strength and violence, she threw the brick with all her might at the youma�s head. The armoured creature�s scream cut off as she was clobbered in the back of the head, releasing Sailor Jupiter from the makeshift vice. The senshi fell forward limply and landed flat on her face in the sand, not moving. The heavily armoured youma shook her head to clear it, and then turned to face Mercury.
�Now you know my pain�� she growled, her dead eyes boring into Mercury�s.
Sailor Mercury merely looked at the youma and then down at her prone love, eyes brimming with tears. The armoured youma laughed bitterly at Mercury and turned to Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon, the blonde having stopped digging in the sand, her own tears forming in her eyes.
�Come and get me,� the youma stated, then ran into the apartment building�s frame, starting to climb up the ramps to the upper levels.
Mars glanced at her retreating form, then at the three passive youma, and then at Mercury who was crouched over the unmoving Jupiter, reaching out a trembling hand at the brunette. The fire senshi didn�t know what to do.
�Go,� Sailor Uranus� grim voice said from behind her, �I�ll take care of them.� Sailor Mars didn�t know if she meant the three youma or Jupiter and Mercury.
Mars noticed Sailor Moon nod at the recently arrived Uranus out of the corner of her eye. The miko turned to her princess and debated telling her to stay with Uranus, but she saw the stubborn look in her eyes. She was going with the senshi of fire.
�Lets hurry,� Sailor Mars said to Sailor Moon, gesturing with her head towards the apartment building frame.
Sailor Moon nodded again, and taking a last backwards glance at Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter, she ran to the frame.
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Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon slogged up the ramps and ran along the gantries of the barely constructed apartment building, ready to leapt into action at the instance they saw a glimpse of midnight blue armour. The wind whistled through the steel girders that helped to support the building�s frame, drowning out the noise from Sailor Uranus� fight below. Lightning still flashed, and the rolling thunder was getting nearer and nearer. A storm was coming and it was almost upon them.
Sailor Mars glanced back at her princess, trying to keep the worried look from her features. Without the spiral heart moon rod, Mars wasn�t sure what the two of them could do against the youma. The creature�s armour seemed to be indestructible.
Burn that bridge when we come to it Mars thought confidently.
Sailor Mars ran up the highest ramp that led to the �roof� of the apartment frame. The roof was basically just a large square platform made out of wood, construction equipment and supplies littering the seven-storey high level. As Mars came out the opening in the roof, she was brutally kicked in her injured side, causing her to be thrown several feet along the wooden platform. Sailor Mars� face twisted in pain as she knelt on all fours, clutching at her side, the old stab wound weeping in torment and making her nauseous. She quickly looked to where Sailor Moon should be, hoping she had escaped danger, but saw her being grabbed around the throat by the youma. The rune covered creature pulled Mars� princess by the throat up to the roof and out of the ramp hole. The youma laced her free arm through Sailor Moon�s, effectively pinning her arms behind her back, rendering the blonde helpless in front of her.
Sailor Mars stumbled to her feet, her stomach doing flip-flops, but not from the aggravated wound, but from concern for her princess. The fire senshi gasped as the youma squeezed Sailor Moon�s throat tighter, nearly snapping her neck.
�This is the one you like, isn�t it?! This one?!� the youma screamed, her face a maniacal rictus.
Oh god� is this the moment?! Is this the moment Setsuna spoke of?!
�Wait, please don�t�� Mars whispered, her voice nearly lost in the high winds.
�And why not?! You took away the one I loved!! Turnabout is fair play isn�t it?!� the youma snarled, �Tell me how much this creature means to you, murderer! TELL ME!!� The white-haired youma shook the hand that held Sailor Moon�s throat, causing the blonde odango atama to whimper and look at Mars pleadingly for help.
Sailor Mars felt her eyes fill with tears as she looked upon her princess, in mortal danger. But there was still a chance to save her. The fire senshi wouldn�t let her only love end up like Sailor Jupiter.
Mars considered lying about her feelings to save Sailor Moon, but it was no guarantee that the youma wouldn�t just kill the blonde anyway. She let it all come out. �S-she is the love of my eternal life� I would give up everything for her, do anything for h-her� there is no one else that will ever replace her�� Sailor Moon�s bodyguard stammered, tears starting to trace cold lines down her cheeks, �th-the reason I fight, the reason I go on� my true love� my only love� my princess�� She finished, her teardrops collecting at the bottom of her chin, the wind blowing the droplets onto the roof, darkening the wood.
Sailor Moon choked something out as her own tears fell from her eyes, but the youma squeezed tighter around the blonde�s throat and strained her arms painfully backwards, causing the girl to wince.
�Please� take me, I killed Laodameia, not her,� Mars continued desperately, shaking her head slightly, �It was me who murdered your love, not her!! TAKE MY LIFE INSTEAD!!� More thunder crashed in the skies above, making her princess let out another whimper.
The blue-skinned youma was silent for a moment, her braids fluttering in the wind along with Sailor Moon�s blonde tresses.
�You�re right. You did kill my mistress, she only helped,� she said with an abnormal and dangerous calm, the calm before a storm, �But you love her, almost as much as I loved my Lady� and that�s why she DIES!!�
Time seemed to stretch as the youma casually threw her arms to the side, letting Sailor Moon leave her grasp and topple. Sailor Mars screamed, an indecipherable sound leaving her throat. The fire senshi�s eyes widened and met her princesses� for a split second as she fell over the edge of the roof. Mars� stomach lurched and she reached out with one arm, as if she could catch her only love from the several feet of distance between them. But she couldn�t. No one could catch Sailor Moon. There was no Tuxedo Kamen to save her, no other Sailor Senshi. Just Mars. And she had failed. The fire senshi watched the blonde fall from view, the red booted feet the last thing she saw of her true love. She collapsed to her knees, her arm still outstretched, staring at the spot Sailor Moon had just been. Tears ran out of her eyes unchecked. It wasn�t supposed to be this way. Rei Hino, Sailor Mars, was the one meant to die first. Usagi, Sailor Moon, was supposed to live forever. Mars� princess wasn�t meant to die, it was meant to be Sailor Mars first! Mars! She had failed totally, completely, in her duty, and in her life.
Sailor Mars lowered her arm and head, a grief stricken expression plastered on her face. At that moment, there was clap of thunder overhead, and the heavens parted, bringing a downpour on Mars, as if weeping for the loss of such a divine being, such a beautiful, compassionate soul. The rain soaked Sailor Mars� fuku through and clapped her raven hair to her head. Mars hardly noticed.
�And now you know how I feel� how do you like the pain? Does it agree with you?� The armoured youma said in a monotone voice.
�You and I are alike now,� she continued, not waiting for Mars� answers, �Now you suffer like I suffer�where death is a release��
Sailor Mars lifted her head up to look at the youma, watching the rain run down her blue, partially ice-covered face, and over her steel rune covered armour. The creature was right; death was a release. But not yet. Mars felt the cold, vicious flames flare up like a firestorm, mirroring the mundane storm above her. She didn�t resist. Sailor Mars let the flames come, she welcomed them and let the dark blaze consume her wholly.
Mars stared with cold, dead eyes into the youma�s own, the broken appearance reflected back at her. They were alike, just as the creature said they were. A look of mutual understanding past between the two, and Sailor Mars got to her feet, the rain continuing to pelt down around them. Lightning cracked and thunder rolled as the two figures glared into each other�s eyes, knowing there would be no holding back, no pulled punches, an all or nothing fight. And if there were a benevolent god somewhere in the universe, neither would survive.
Part twenty-four |
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