The youma looked about them worriedly, advancing slowly into
the near absolute darkness of the cave system. Some of the others lay
on the floor of the cavern just behind them, their thick, dark blood
staining the ground.
"Is she still in here?" the harsh, grating voice asked the
others softly.
"Silence," the leader growled.
"Hurk," the first speaker gasped. They turned to see him
dangling, a long length of golden chain wrapped around his throat. The
links came untangled, and the body slumped to the floor, the neck
cleanly broken.
"Find her!" the leader howled. He stopped cold suddenly,
feeling the icy prick of a sharpened blade up against his throat.
The woman's voice was silky, dangerous as she said, "Tell your
masters that their time is coming, and coming very soon. The princess
gathers up her companions, and I will personally see to it that you
all pay most dearly."
The pressure eased, and the monster staggered away. He turned
to look at her, the blonde dressed in a pristine sailor fuku, a simple
white mask covering her face. The terror that hunted them, the nemesis
of evil... the woman called Sailor V.
"Remember me," Sailor V smiled at them, and it was a coldly
beautiful thing, "because my face will be the last one you see before
I send you all to hell." A leap, and she was gone, leaving no trace of
her presence behind.
Out in the sunlight, standing by the three young women Makoto
Kino repeated, "You want to hire me." A slight smile, "But why should
I take the job?"
"Because it's something worth doing," Usagi smiled slightly
and quietly offered, "a fight that will test you to your very limits."
Makoto nodded thoughtfully. 'Lady knows how to read people,'
she noted. "Who's your friends?" she asked softly.
"Rei Hino," Usagi gestured to the miko first, who gave Makoto
a steady, unyielding glance, then to the woman in the suit, "Prof. Ami
Mizuno."
'Guess I was right about her looking like some kind of
teacher,' Makoto noted even as she said to the two of them, "Nice to
meet you." Getting back to business she looked at Usagi, "A good
fight's great, but I've got to keep a roof overhead. How much can you
pay me?"
"I was going to suggest something better than paying you up
front for monster fighting," Usagi said, and continued on reluctantly,
"How would you like to live in my house, rent free?"
"What?" Rei blurted.
Rei's startled reaction brought a slight smile to Makoto's
lips. "That's awfully generous of you," she said softly, "but what's
the catch?"
"I live alone," Usagi said softly, "because my family were
slain by the youma." There was a silent appeal in her eyes as she
continued, "It's why I do this."
Makoto felt a pang as she met the girl's blue eyes with her
own green ones. She certainly could understand wanting revenge, after
what happened to her own parents. "All right," Makoto said to her
firmly as she offered her hand, "I'll do it."
"Thank you," Usagi shook the extended hand with a gentle hand.
Ami pushed her glasses up and took her hand next saying, "It's
good to have you with us." Makoto held onto Ami's hand for a few
moments, looking down into her wide eyes, and strangely Ami blushed
once again.
With a great deal of reluctance Rei shook as well, "Welcome to
the team."
Ami looked up at Makoto curiously. "You've encountered the
youma before?"
"Yeah," Makoto nodded seriously, "they got involved with a
argument that I was helping some people to handle."
"Interesting," Ami murmured, "Did the youma manifest when you
became involved, or when Usagi joined the fight?"
"It went after me," Makoto admitted. She looked at Ami
curiously, "What's your point?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Ami admitted. "These creatures
appeared to be aware of us," she mused, "but didn't act until now.
What changed?"
"Usagi?" Makoto suggested.
While listening to the two talk Rei drew Usagi aside, "Are you
sure this is such a good idea?"
"We need her," Usagi said softly, "and this is the best way to
get her help."
"But letting her under your roof," Rei stammered, "what if she
tries something perverted?"
The previously silent Luna spoke up at that, "I would
certainly not allow that."
Usagi had went red at that, "You don't think that she's..?"
She shook her head slightly, "Even if she was, Ami would be the one if
the way that Makoto's looking at her is any judge."
Looking over at Makoto talking with Ami, Rei had to admit
Usagi had a point. Looking remarkably boyish Makoto was talking to Rei
cheerfully, and the blue haired girl was soaking up the attention.
"All right," Rei admitted, "but be careful, please?"
Usagi smiled slightly, "Thank you for caring."
Rei blushed slightly, "You're welcome."
They walked over to where Makoto and Ami were talking, and the
amazonian woman looked over at Usagi curiously. "Now that you've
organized this merry little band," Makoto asked, "what do you want us
to do?"
Usagi looked over at Rei, "Do you sense anything?"
Rei closed her eyes, trying to find a center of stillness as
she reached out with her perceptions. Oddly, all three of her
companions registered in her mind's eye. Usagi glowed golden, Ami was
like a pool of cool water, and Makoto shone forest green.
"Nothing," Rei murmured, "but they might be out of my range."
"Then you're not looking hard enough," the chill voice said.
They looked around wildly, finally focusing on a small, white cat
sitting up on the wall nearby. "Time is running out," the cat started
to say, before he was cut off.
With a feral cry Luna knocked the other cat right off the
wall, both of their forms blurring as they transformed. "I should kill
you for your betrayal, Artemis!" Luna hissed, struggling with the
white haired young man.
"I'm not a traitor," Artemis struggled to keep the woman's
hands from his throat, "just someone who read the prophecy
differently, Luna!"
"Luna," Usagi cried, "off him!" When the girl refused to obey
she spoke firmly, "Now!"
"But Mistress!" Luna looked up at her in horror. Wisely
Artemis stopped struggling, not giving Luna any more reason to beat on
him any more.
"Let him up," Usagi said softly, and Luna quite reluctantly
stepped away from him.
"Thank you, Princess," Artemis said with a small bow.
"Call me that again," Usagi said in a dangerous tone, "and
I'll send her back after you. Now what do you want?"
"The youma are throughout the city," Artemis dusted himself
off with as much dignity as he could possibly muster, "seeking to
gather life force to fully restore their dark masters, the oni. You
must stop them before they do this, or humanity is doomed."
"Restore, not revive?" Luna said disbelievingly, "The oni are
already awake?"
"My mistress has faced an oni," Artemis confirmed, "and barely
lived to tell the tale."
"Wait, who's your mistress?" Usagi asked, "What did Luna mean,
betrayal?"
"I can tell you no more," Artemis shook his head. With
startling speed he was up and over the wall, shifting to his cat form
and disappearing into the night.
Luna moved to go after him when Usagi said, "No, let him go."
She stood there, the sun setting behind them and a grim expression on
her face, "If he was telling the truth, we have much more important
things to do."
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