Senshi: the Gathering of Five Part Four
Usagi stood there a moment, and Rei was struck by how.. lonely the young woman looked. 'Of course she's lonely,' Rei reminded herself, 'she's lost so much, her family, the boy she loves.' Without thinking she said softly, "We're ready to help you, Usagi."
Usagi smiled slightly, and it was almost like seeing the sun rise. "Thank you," she said softly. They began to walk away from what was left of the youma and she asked Luna, "What was that youma talking about?"
"There is a prophecy," Luna said, seemingly reluctant to go on. The combined glares of three young women soon spurred her on however, "It speaks of a band of champions that would oppose the rising of the youma. The Princess out of Shadow, the Seer of Fire, and the Wise Woman of Frost are some of those mentioned."
"Well, the seer fits me," Rei said softly, "and Ami could be the frost woman. But why would they call Usagi the Princess out of shadow?"
"I don't know," Luna admitted quietly, "I was raised for the purpose of the fulfillment of the prophecy, but I can't say that I fully understand it."
"I guess we'll find out when we track the leader of the youma down," Usagi said, giving Ami a not so casual glance.
"Using the data I acquired when you fought Zoisite, I've confirmed that there is a central location in Tokyo that the youma use to transport themselves," Ami said. "Once we find it, we'll be able to access the youma's home dimension," she finished.
Usagi smiled slightly, "I sense there's a but in there somewhere."
Ami smiled back, "But I'll need the data from at least another portal opening, maybe more, before I can narrow down the location with any accuracy."
"So we get to keep on picking fights with random youma until a high ranking one uses a portal to get away," Rei summarized.
"Simply put," Ami nodded, "but basically accurate."
Usagi looked over at Luna, "Anyone else mentioned by name in that prophecy?"
"Strength of Oak," Luna volunteered, "and Heart's Champion are the remaining two of the five. The prophecy also speaks of the Four who came before, but nothing more detailed."
Am odd look crossed Usagi's face as she heard the first description. "Then Strength of Oak will have to be our next recruit," she said firmly.
"But, how will we find her? Will the magic of the sword help us?" Rei blinked in surprise.
"No," Usagi actually grinned as she produced a business card from her shirt pocket, "I have her phone number."
There was an extended moment of surprised silence as the two young women and one cat looked over at her oddly.
"How?" Ami started weakly.
"I'm not entirely certain that it's her," Usagi admitted, "but the coincidence is just a bit much, don't you think?"
Rei took the card from Usagi's hand and looked it over. 'Makoto Kino,' it read simply, a pager number underneath and it was decorated with oak leaves. "Makoto," Rei murmured as if trying to remember something, then her eyes grew wide. "Her?!" she said weakly.
Ami looked between the two of them thoughtfully. "I take it she has some reputation?" she finally ventured to ask.
Rei sighed, "You could say that."
In an dark alleyway on the other side of the city, a young man cowered against the wall as a pair of bullies rifled through his wallet. "Is this all that you have?" the first scowled.
"Not even enough to pay the toll," the second smiled dangerously as he flexed his hands.
"Leave me alone," the bow whimpered, using his bookbag as a shield.
"I'd do what he says," an cheerful voice startled them from up the alley. The two men quickly turned around to see a tall girl leaning up casually against the alley wall, looking at them with an very amused expression.
"Don't interfere, bitch," the leader growled.
A much more serious expression crossed her face at that remark. "And here I was, just offering you some friendly advice," Makoto shook her head mournfully. Somehow she seemed to disappear from the mouth of the alley to reappear right in front of them, grabbing the leader by the collar and hoisting him up against the wall with surprising ease.
"Lemme go," he squeaked out fearfully.
"AAAH!" the other boy ran forward to swing a pipe down at her head, but Makoto just reached back and casually caught it in one hand.
With frightening suddenness Makoto head-butted the boy that she was holding on to, knocking him out cold. She gracefully turned even as her leg came up in such a powerful kick that it sent the other boy flying into the far wall of the alley with a loud thump!
"You all right, kid?" Makoto walked over to ask the badly shaken young man. He nodded weakly, looking at her with almost as much terror as he had the bullies. She casually picked up his wallet and handed it back to him as she said more gently, "You'd better get out of here before someone comes to check this out."
She watched him go just a bit regretfully, as Makoto rather liked the shy, intellectual type, then she shook her head firmly. 'To business,' she thought, and bent down to collect the two bullies rather fat wallets. "Not bad," she murmured aloud at the amount of cash they were carrying around, "you've been very busy."
Makoto took the yen note that was worth the least and wrote on it with a black marker, "Don't mess around in my territory." Underneath she signed it, then pinned it to the leader's coat. 'That ought to get the point across,' she thought.
Makoto nodded to some of the working girls on the corner who smiled at her happily. There were no pimps in this part of town, they didn't dare, not with her here. She had broken both the arms of the last one to try it, and that had pretty much scared all the others away.
She felt the vibration of her pager, and noted it was a new number. Makoto went to the nearest payphone and dialed, waiting a moment for it to pick up. The woman's voice was pleasant, and strangely familiar, though Makoto couldn't quite place it.
"Yes? You'd like to meet? When and where. Thank you, I'll see you then," Makoto finished her side of the conversation and put the phone down. "Well," Makoto stretched with a smile, "maybe I'll get a good fight today after all."
With that much more cheerful thought in mind Makoto headed off down the street with a spring in her step.
Later that day, three young women and a cat waited rather nervously in front of Rei's shrine. Usagi smiled over at Rei, "Thank you for offering this place for our meeting."
"You're welcome," Rei smiled back. 'Hopefully, this woman won't try something here,' she thought to herself nervously.
Usagi seemed to pick up on it as she said softly, "I think it'll be all right, Rei. I've met her before, and Makoto's not as bad as the stories say."
"You've met her too?" Ami looked thoughtful. "Interesting, likely while fighting youma. Statistically, it seems to me that it's quite improbable that all three of us would merely by chance have been attacked by the various youma," she noted.
Luna saw the slightly baffled looks on Rei and Usagi's faces and offered, "It's probably not all a coincidence."
"That's what I said," Ami smiled.
Makoto Kino came up the steps with a slight smile on her face, wearing a different style of school uniform than Usagi's. Her long brown hair was held back in a ponytail, and her eyes were the deepest of forest green. She paused there, studying them intently.
Makoto's eyes narrowed as she recognized the slim blonde. Usagi had helped her, when a goon she had been fighting had transformed into a monster. She still wasn't sure she had really needed the blonde's help, but it had felt kind on nice fighting beside her.
To one side a woman with long black hair looked at her steadily, dressed in the traditional garb of a shrine maiden. Makoto frowned slightly, she had heard there was a real miko out here, with visions and everything. If this was her, she could be trouble.
Then the other girl caught Makoto's eye, and she gulped softly. The blue haired woman pushed her glasses up, sitting there comfortably in a woman's suit, almost looking like a school teacher. She noticed Makoto's gaze and looked down, blushing slightly.
'Kawaii,' Makoto thought with a sigh.
"Makoto Kino?" Usagi asked with a smile.
Makoto shook herself, trying to focus on business. "Yes?" she asked.
Usagi smiled, "I'd like to hire you."
To be continued...
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