Battle
Of The Portal
By
Daryll Pung
Wherein nothing is black and white; only Shades Of Gray...
Rated:
R
Anna
pulled the door open, and the pale light of the moon spilled into hallway.
The cool breeze of autumn chilled her arms, causing goosebumps to
pronounce themselves all over them. She
unconsciously shivered, but continued her way outside.
"I
can't believe you are making me go out this late. What's wrong with you?"
Anna stared at the clock sleepily. "It's
two-thirty, you know I have a test tomorrow in Calculus, and if my mom finds me,
I'm dead." She reached for her
coat hanging next to the door, and put it on.
You
must trust me,
the voice in her head said forcefully. It,
too, sounded just like it had woken up. The
time for our ascension is coming soon, and we must be ready.
"Yeah,
yeah, I've heard that before," Anna replied cynically.
"You say that every time we go out late nights for the past 6 years.
What are we waiting for? Who
do you want to see is here?"
My
enemies will be coming soon.
Anna
cut him off. "Who??"
The
soldiers of the moon.
Anna
just sighed, stalking out the door.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The
large golden moon rose high into the sky, and snow began to fall on the path to
whatever meeting place the voice was telling her to go to.
Thanking her mother for the new coat under her frozen breath, she
continued onward. Her long black
hair blew forward in front of her face as the wind gusted.
"Couldn't
you do this tomorrow??" Anna complained, losing feeling in her fingers.
Of
course not,
the voice growled. Besides, I
know all of the answers to your calculus test, so stop complaining.
"Where
did you come from anyway?" Anna questioned, even as she began to question
her own sanity. For the first few
years the extra voice had been fun, but lately it was becoming more paranoid. Of all of the questions she had asked it that was one that had
never crossed her mind.
You
wouldn't believe me if I told you,
the voice answered, somewhat annoyed.
"Try
me. I have a voice in my head, and
I'm walking in sub-zero temperatures at 3 in the morning in downtown Tokyo.
I'm insane as it is,” Anna concluded.
Fine,
sighed the voice. A long time
from now, about six hundred miles from here, a colony of powerful warriors from
another world took root. There were
several thousand of us after we became established.
Anna
quietly listened, mindlessly following the will of the voice inside of her.
Yup, I'm certifiably insane, she thought to herself,
sarcastically.
Hush,
she heard. Now, the human
society of the future had moved off to the moon after the Earth was wasted, with
the exception of a few habitable areas, which were changed into resorts for the
elite. Their civilization
flourished in magic, technology, and politics, and was well off when we arrived,
the voice continued. I came to
Earth in search of love. The women
in my world were mostly mindless or power-hungry, and I was hoping to find
someone different, possibly among the pioneer folk or the Lunarians.
"You
were someone powerful?" Anna wondered.
The
voice seemed to laugh. You could say that. I found the girl of my
dreams after some time, a young commanding officer of the Lunar army who had
come to ensure our pacifism on the planet, and to halt our immigration to the
Earth.
"So,
you hit it off from the get go?" Anna asked.
Another heavily coated figure glanced at her in surprise as she passed
whoever it was. Anna ignored the
person, continuing on her way.
I
wish, but no. She found me rude and
uncouth when I helped to argue the terms of the agreements again, and when we
didn't back down against her sovereignty. The
argument lasted for months. Finally,
we all compromised on the issues at hand. The
entire ordeal was very exhausting... not so much as other things we did later,
though.
"What
did you do later?" she asked innocently.
The
voice chortled. You really don't
know what I'm talking about, do you?
Anna
nodded and stumbled, nearly tripping over a root in the ground.
It was then she realized she was in the small park not too far from her
place; it was a location she often came to for studying.
Maybe
one day I'll show you,
came the malicious tone of the voice. Anyway,
after a month or so of being together after that, she was pulled back for
various reasons, and I never saw her again.
Anna sensed the voice’s good humor dissipating as the voice said
that.
"Then
what happened?" she wanted to know.
Then
the war happened.
The voice was almost sad. The
Lunar court had deemed that our device for transporting people from my world to
Earth was destroying the spatial fabric. We
had used a spatial rift to bridge our two worlds and it had more consequences
than anyone could have imagined. The
court gave us an ultimatum: shut
down the gate now, or suffer the consequences.
"You
shut it off, right?" Anna said hopefully, as she sat in her favorite spot.
The
voice laughed again. Of course not. We
told them where they could shove their ultimatum, and how far they should shove
it in.
Anna
nearly fell over, off of the boulder she was sitting on.
That
was our home. They had no right to
tell us what to do,
the voice explained.
Anna
looked thoughtful. "Then what happened?"
We
paid for our ignorance.
The voice sighed heavily. Here,
let me show you.
The
world around Anna dissolved into nothingness.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"You
must vacate this world and return to your own.
You also must never open another portal to this realm again.
If you do not, you will suffer the consequences of your actions," a
red haired woman bellowed to Prince Bal Ruka over the negotiating table.
"You won't be able to weasel your way out of this like you did all
of our other demands. This comes directly from the Queen and even I cannot deal
with you now."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Who
is that?" Anna asked inquisitively, walking around the half-spherical table
toward her. The red-haired woman was wearing a fuku with green and blue
stripes crisscrossing along the fabric. Her
red hairbow and hair horribly mixed with these features, creating a very
clashing sight to behold. She was
filled with calm resolve as she spoke.
That
is Amarea Loray, a Senshi and the chief diplomat for the Lunar Kingdom.
She was probably one of the best negotiators I've ever had to deal with,
the disembodied voice spoke, seeming to surround Anna.
"Which
means you lost to her," Anna whispered.
You
could say that,
the voice spoke softly, but this is where it all begins.
"All
of what?" Anna frowned. “And
when is all of this happening?”
The
events in the far future that lead up to my people’s defeat, and mine as well,
the voice said somberly. Let's
continue, shall we?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Like
hell we're leaving. This is our
home now. I'm sorry, but I can't
concede to this!" an obviously more arrogant Bal angrily returned.
"We don't mind closing the portal, but we've been living here for
twelve years now. You can't expect
us just to pack up and leave like it's nothing."
His mind raced for alternatives, something to stall and unseat the
decision.
Amarea
sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Bal, but there's nothing I can do.
This is the decision that has been reached by the Queen, and I cannot
undo what has been done. You have one day."
With a heavy sigh, the diplomat left the negotiating table.
"Wait,
Amarea! There must be something!
Please!" Bal shouted, quickly moving to stop her.
"Our
forces will move in tomorrow, to help your people leave this world, one way or
the other. I'm so very sorry,"
was her reply. She brushed him
aside.
"You
know our answer, then," Bal solemnly stated as he stepped backwards and
bowed. "Have a safe trip back,
and give the rest of your diplomats our regards, and our thanks for their help
these past twelve years.”
"I
shall. Keep safe, Prince Bal."
With that, the Lunar diplomat left.
Bal
walked outside to find one of his Generals, and immediately noticed Kaski
listening outside the door.
"My
prince, what are we to do? How do
you plan on defeating the Lunar Forces? Just
one of them killed Queen Beryl thousands of years ago, and now there are several
with equally impressive power. We’ll-"
Bal
cut her off. "We are many in
number, and more can be pulled from home if need be.
We are all extremely powerful individuals, and together we will defend
our home. Let the Lunar monarch make her silly declarations.
Tomorrow, we will show them all what the Kuraijin people can do."
Kaski
swallowed hard. Seriousness was a
trait rarely seen in Bal. Only twice before in her memory had Bal been serious, and
both times someone was executed. "And
your orders?"
"Gather
the rest of the Generals. We have
work to do."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The
clock showed 10:37 as Mitsukai turned off the lights in the tiny kitchen.
A cup of lemon tea in hand, she walked quietly into the living room.
A few pieces of brightly colored ribbon littered the floor, and she
stooped to pick them up. Mitsu
sighed as she examined the orange and purple ribbon shreds, pocketing them in
her bathrobe.
It
hadn’t been an elaborate party... just her and Aneiko, and Sa’dia had come
by for an hour in the middle of it all. The
almost-six year old little girl lay in bed, snoring softly with her rag doll
next to her. Mitsu gave a wistful smile as she looked in on her daughter,
closing the door and setting her tea on the coffee table.
Earth
loomed over the Lunar horizon. A
sort of white tranquility settled over the terrain of Crystal Tokyo.
A false tranquility, Mitsu thought ruefully.
Days before, negotiations had deteriorated. Now, both the Moon Kingdom and the united factions of the
Kurai Empire were now ready to send their armies to battle.
Another
sigh, and Mitsu reached for her tea. Tomorrow,
she would leave Aneiko and Sa’dia in the care of the Lunar Imperial Guard and
take one of the military transports to Earth.
Another day at the office. Another
macabre game of chess, where she moved battalions into place, and painfully
sacrificed five kilometers to gain fifty elsewheres.
Tomorrow,
Aneiko would be six.
Tomorrow,
the final battle would begin, and end, and the Portal would close.
Tomorrow,
Aneiko would be six.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The
sun rose slowly in the horizon. The unsettling hues of orange and red light
survived the remnants of the toxic warfare that destroyed a good portion of the
Earth. The moon loomed ominously
above. The fifteen generals of the
Kuraijin Empire awaited the arrival of the Lunar generals.
Decked out in their finest uniforms, they talked amongst themselves about
things other than the impending war.
"How's
the new baby?"
"Fine,
we've named her Grenath."
"Well,
that's a pretty name. Why did you
name her that?"
"My
grandfather wouldn't have it any other way.
You know how he is."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Anna
looked oddly at the generals. "Why
are they doing this? Aren't they
all going to die?"
The
voice thought for a moment, before replying.
They did this because this was the only course of action at the time.
An outside force was threatening our homes and lives. I don't expect you to understand. You're too young. You
don't have children or a family to worry about. It is different... I can't really explain it any other way.
You'll understand later in life.
"So
all of this was to protect your families?" Anna asked, slightly confused
about a few things; like why the hell she was referring to things in the
supposed future like they had happened in the past.
Yes,
came the simple reply. Now, shh...
here they come.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Several
lights, some large, some small, shot down from the moon with great speed.
A set of command posts appeared in sudden flashes several miles from the
generals' location. The fleeing
citizens of the area doubled their efforts to leave; some simply hunkered down
to wait it out.
"Ahh,
I see that they are also ready for this battle," one of the older generals
mumbled under his breath.
More
lights shot down, filling the plains in front of them with Senshi upon Senshi
upon Senshi; and hordes of transport shuttles dropped out of the sky, landing
near the posts, unloading mind-bogglingly huge masses of Lunar soldiers, which
promptly began moving to their prescribed locations.
In the midst of all this, twelve of the Senshi made their way in front of
the awaiting generals.
A
bright flash abruptly appeared in front of them.
"Prince
Bal of Kurai. I ask you one final time to rethink your actions," a
noble and beautiful woman spoke in a commanding voice.
"Ahh,
Queen Hyourin, you honor us with your presence."
Bal smiled, and bowed, along with the rest of his generals.
Before
him, the beautiful Queen Hyourin stood, in indescribably pure white military
attire. Her usual long blue-grey
curls were braided with great care, and her silver eyes glowed coldly at the
denizens of the Kurai dimension. In
her right hand was a staff embroidered with the royal crest, which she wielded
in a combat stance, relaxing slightly as she realized no one had moved a muscle.
Hyourin
fiercely forced the staff into the ground next to her.
"I do not wish to fight you, Bal.
Your people have been kind and understanding, and they should not suffer
for your pride."
"Pride
as it may be, all of the people on the battlefield behind me feel the same way.
We forced no one to be here." Bal
smiled. His words were the complete
truth. Though several hundred
citizens decided it would be best to leave, a million more sided with Bal.
"If
we win, the gate is closed, and never opens in this dimension again; you will be
moved back to your home,” Hyourin said firmly, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"There
is no need for that, Your Highness; we are all prepared for the great
ending," Bal retorted. "If
we win, we'll close the gate, and find another way to leave our dying world to
this one. Sound fair enough? We wouldn't want to destroy your wonderful dimension."
Bal grinned at that last part.
"We
won't lose," Hyourin stated confidently.
"Neither
will we," Bal replied coolly.
The
queen made a gesture to her escorts, who all vanished in bursts of light to
their respective places upon the battlefield.
"Goodbye, Prince Bal," Hyourin sighed resolutely; and the
Queen, too, teleported, but went back to her palace on the moon.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well,
I guess you can't blame her for trying," Anna said thoughtfully, as she
watched. "I mean, she did give your people another chance."
That
is true. However, I don't blame
her; none of us did. Not in the least. She
was doing what she needed to do. She
was not at fault here,
the voice explained.
"So,
who is?" Anna queried.
You
will see,
the voice said; the tension was evident in the voice, as if what followed was an
extremely unpleasant experience.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
In
the safety of the Palace, Queen Hyourin threw her staff to the opposite corner
of her private chamber. Metal and crystal resonated against the cold marble of the
floor, but the staff remained intact. Muttering
angrily, she entered the hallway, waving off several escorts who attempted to
follow. Instead, she slipped into a
room not far from the main chamber, where a select few had already gathered.
Sailor Pluto was one of them, and she regarded the Queen with a
melancholy expression as she stood with the rest of the group.
"They
will not negotiate?" It seemed
useless to state the obvious fact, but it had to be confirmed.
Knowing the chaos that could take place if the Portal remained open, the
Guardian of Time had done her best to suggest the most experienced team of
negotiators, and had lent what scant military perspective she had to the Queen.
On the other side of the room, Lieutenant Commander Winter Rainault held
a slim leather portfolio, thumbing through the various profiles on both Senshi
and Kuraijin leaders she had compiled to aid the Queen.
Despite the efforts of all involved, war was inevitable.
The
Queen shook her head, her eyes fixed on Winter.
“Their headstrong prince feels that rather than spare his people, he
can have them follow him to their demise on the battlefield.”
Murmurs from the others around the table filled the silence.
Some brilliant strategists, others experienced soldiers, all had been
summoned to orchestrate the offensive against the Kuraijin army that threatened
the order within their own dimension. Hyourin
turned to face the half-dozen advisors, her expression one of quiet fury.
“Alert the field commanders, and prepare them to engage the Kuraijin,”
she said, her voice soft, yet resolute. “The
battle for the Portal has begun.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"And
so the plan is set into motion," Bal said, warming up to his commanding
role. "You all remember the
plan and know what needs to be done. Prepare
the portal for immediate horizon expansion, and have squads seven through
twenty-four open fire on my mark. After
that, it's all up to your discretion. The
Mach group will follow my lead."
The
generals bowed to him, and gave each other a "good luck" before they
went their separate ways.
Mother,
are you ready?
Bal asked, sending his thoughts to her.
Everything
is ready on this end,
A'mael replied. Your father is
backing you one hundred percent.
Then
it starts,
Bal concluded.
With
that, Bal let out a flurry of screaming. Intense
black energy violently lashed out from his body in a way few had seen before.
Ripples of power swept through the ranks of his forces, all centered on
him, as the amassed Kuraijin army fed him strength; and his wings rippled with
great power as they took shape. The
scars along his back increased ten-fold, and his eyes flashed an unnatural color
of green.
Rising
up into the sky, Bal looked over the battlefield.
The great Lunar Army lay before him; and his own impressive force to the
rear. Of all the countless tactical procedures and plans screamed
through his mind, one thought kept hitting him over and over again.
Is she out there? In the
coming death and destruction, will she be just another casualty?
Is there anything I can do to save just her?
Grabbing
his war hammers from the holstering straps on his back between his wings, Bal
pulled them over his head. He
gathered energy into them, turning the hammers midnight black.
It's too late for that now. Swinging
them forward, he launched the volley straight downward. The Void Hammer enveloped the space where the Queen of the
Lunar Empire had previously stood: the
signal to begin Operation Ragnarok.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Transmission
is authentic. Message from Lunar
Command Central confirmed." A
Senshi in aquamarine and silver pulled up the three-dimensional holographic
image of the battlefield, allowing Sailor Adrasteia to analyze the proposed
offensive and defensive strategies proposed by the Queen's group of advisors.
"What next, Mitsukai?"
A
Senshi in white and gold placed both hands on the console in front of her.
The only light in the underground command post came from the countless
screens and panels that several others monitored.
“Instruct the infantry groups in the northeast corner to come forward
to screen the mechs if needed. Bring
the shield generators to seventy-five percent capacity, and have the first wave
stand at the ready.”
"Yes,
ma'am."
Sailor
Adrasteia gave a nod to the engineering officer, who proceeded to bring the rest
of the shield generators online. Her
eyes focused on the battlefield map, and she began to assess the placement of
the Kuraijin troops. According to
Lunar intelligence briefings, there were legions of sorcerers as well as
hundreds of thousands of soldiers and almost as many civilians who simply
refused to leave, hunkered down in somewhat secure spots amidst the battlefield.
A sigh escaped Mitsu’s dry lips; she didn’t want to see the civilians
on the battlefield killed. Still,
she reminded herself, they’ve chosen to be there. They could have left if they wanted to return to their own
dimension, or retreat to the moon.
"Shield
generators at seventy-five percent." The
soft blue fields glowed on the holograph battlefield, presenting the protected
areas allotted to each infantry group.
"Have
the infantry hold their positions, and have all strike fighters orbit beyond the
range of the battlefield," Mitsu answered, straightening up.
"We will not be the ones to strike first."
"But
the transmission..." the engineering officer turned around, frowning.
"The
instructions were to prepare for battle," Mitsu replied crisply, folding
her arms in front of her chest as she surveyed the group.
"I refuse to be the one responsible for an all-out slaughter on a
half-million civilians, be they Kuraijin or Lunar, or not.
We are here to defend and, if necessary, force them to close the Portal.
We are not here to murder the innocent."
The
room grew silent as Mitsu returned her attention to the map.
Now, the position of each infantry group was confirmed, as each battalion
leader relayed their coordinates. Reconnaissance
ships in the upper atmosphere began to transmit the most current placement of
the Kuraijin, along with corresponding energy signatures. The army of the Kurai Empire lacked the technological prowess
of the Lunar forces, but the legions of sorcerers easily outranked the abilities
of many of the Senshi fighters. As
the new information updated the map, a new signature began to build at the
forefront of the Kuraijin army. Mitsu
raised a hand, her fingertips hovering over the symbol as the color grew darker
and the field about it widened. At
this rate...oh, shit.
"Pull
the first wave back immediately!"
"Ma'am?"
"The
first wave," Mitsu repeated, jabbing a finger at the map.
"Double the distance between them and the Kurai front, and increase
the generators to ninety percent. Have
the mechs at standby in case the shields rupture."
"But-"
"DO
IT!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Protect
these crystals at all cost!" the winged Senshi yelled as she leapt into the
air, flapping violently to get lift. Sailor
Celeste just watched helplessly as her leader left.
No more than a few minutes into it, and the captain of the main assault
was pulled into battle. Off in the
distance Sailor Celeste caught a glimpse of the Kurai onslaught.
"Are
they really going to come here?" Sailor Celeste asked nervously of her
comrades, hoping for some kind of happy ‘of course not’ reassurance.
"I mean, not that quickly. We've
only been fighting for a little while. We
can't be doing that bad!"
A
long-range volley of golden energy arched through the sky, accompanied by a
horrible piercing noise. It exploded overhead, raining down a viscous liquid.
The drops hit the massive green shield that was projecting from the
like-colored crystal Sailor Celeste and her other comrades was meant to protect.
As the particles hit, they exploded violently, echoing across the Terran
battlefield.
"I
guess that answered that," Sailor Celeste murmured, and then she glanced
upwards, nervously.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Far
away, behind the expansive army and close to the portal, a small group of Kurai
gathered. Clothed in blue garb,
they placed several stones on the ground: a
blue one, a green one, a red one, and a yellow one.
The blue one they surrounded with sand, and then placed the other three
in equidistant positions around it. With
ceremonial knives, they cut their hands open, spilling their dark blood over the
ceremonial construct. The chanting
began.
The
group circled their construct, joining hands.
The blue stone began to hum slowly as the group's thoughts began to reach
out of their bodies. Like snakes on the ground, these thoughts slithered through
the battlefield, unnoticed, and passed the main Senshi barrier.
They collectively looked around, assessing, watching.
The first target was found.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sailor
Celeste turned on her heels, as the crystal behind her exploded.
"WHAT??"
she screamed. Shards of green were
scattered everywhere. In its place
stood a very tall Kuraijin. Wearing
practically nothing, the Kuraijin flexed his muscles in a display of
superiority, laughing and sneering at Sailor Celeste.
"How
dare you?!?" Sailor Celeste snarled, eyes narrowing, nervousness being
forced down in the face of the enemy. Her
arms shot forward, pointed at the target. "Shining
Spheres!"
A
rush of power flew from her fingertips in the form of thousands of silver
bubbles. They buffeted the Kuraijin,
who screamed in pain and agony, his skin being ripped off and shredded under the
effects of the blast of power. The
Kuraijin doubled over, still under attack by the voracious bubbles.
His body began to freeze and crack.
Soon, he exploded into a thousand pieces, littering the ground with his
vileness.
"Take
that!" Sailor Celeste shouted triumphantly.
Suddenly, a scream came from behind, and she whirled as her train of
thought was abruptly destroyed. There,
another Kuraijin stood, holding a dead Senshi in its arms.
"Noo! How did you get in here??
What's going on!?"
Sailor
Celeste fired again, completely demolishing the Kuraijin with her attack.
The
rest of the Senshi stood, shocked and stunned as to what had just happened.
Without warning, Sailor Celeste had just destroyed the protectorate
crystal and killed a close friend of hers.
"WHO
ELSE WANTS SOME???" Sailor Celeste screamed wildly, and began to attack
everything in sight. In the
flickering light of destruction, Sailor Celeste's pupils were noticeably missing
from her eyes.
"I'LL
KILL YOU ALL!!!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Theta
group reports casualties nearing thirty percent."
"Gamma
group is pulling back to rendezvous position.
Shield generators are at thirty percent and falling."
"Starhawk
Squadron Delta is targeting enemy mage units.
No sign of anti-air forces as of yet."
"Ma'am,
should we call in the mechs?"
Sailor
Adrasteia turned from the map, removing the headset from around her neck.
Around her, transmissions echoed with the sounds of war; the map had
become a mess of color and light as the infantry engaged the Kuraijin and other
second-wave forces fell to the magical assault of the sorcerers who refused to
retreat to the Portal. The Lunar
army had lost well over a thousand troops, including at least a hundred Senshi.
Later, it would be Mitsu’s job to write the heart-wrenching letters to
each Senshi’s family; but that mourning would have to wait.
At the moment, she had to keep as many of them as alive as possible.
If that meant using the mecha immediately, then so be it...
"Incoming
transmission on secure line from the Palace," yelled a young ensign who was
monitoring the chatter between battalion leaders.
"Shall I-"
Mitsu
interrupted the young man’s sentence with a curt wave of her hand as she
flipped a switch on the console. Replacing
the headset over her mussed hair, she gave a quick thumbs-up to the ensign.
“Sailor Adrasteia, your Majesty. Your
orders?”
The
pause on the other end was anything but reassuring.
Hyourin breathed deeply before speaking.
“Order all waves to retreat to the initial reconnaissance point.”
The Queen looked back to her advisors, who were examining the same map
that was displayed in the field command center. “All infantry,” she added.
"And
the injured? Should we prepare to teleport them to one of the medical
transports?" As she spoke,
Mitsu began to key in the encrypted retreat orders for the infantry.
"Not
yet." Hyourin had responded
only after one of her advisors had shaken her head.
"All infantry must rendezvous before any teleports will be
established."
"But,
your Majesty..." the hesitant protest was out of character for the usually
obedient Senshi. "The Kuraijin, they'll take them hostage... they'll
murder them."
"You
have your orders, Sailor Adrasteia," Queen Hyourin replied crisply.
"Order the retreat for the remaining Senshi battalions, with the
mechs holding position until my next order.
Have all aerial fighters pull back as well."
Mitsu
swallowed hard before replying. “Yes,
ma’am. Transmitting orders to the battalion leaders, your
Majesty.”
"Sailor
Adrasteia?"
"Yes,
your Majesty?" She gritted her
teeth, watching the field positions of the Lunar army change abruptly on the
map. There were so many left
behind...
"Field
command will not evacuate with the infantry.
Is that understood?"
The
young woman glanced about the dark bunker.
The finest of the Moon Kingdom’s tactical forces were gathered here,
all integral in this confrontation. Of
course they wouldn’t retreat with the rest; if anything, Mitsu herself would
be the last to leave. “Yes,
ma’am.”
The
transmission ended, with Mitsu carefully setting her headset on the console.
“Retreat all infantry to the recon point,” she said in a no-nonsense
tone. “Hold medical transport
until all infantry leaders have reported arrival.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
His
hammer hit hard, digging into the stomach of a particularly annoying Senshi.
Her lifeless body dropped to the ground, and he wiped the blood from his
eyes. The sea of Senshi was
weakening; only a little bit more and they would have this battle. Scouts had reported the general retreat of the majority of
the remaining Senshi and Lunar infantry.
"We
have won!" he called out to his comrades joyfully, but very few around him
had the strength to join him, dealing with their own leftover Senshi; a few of
the Senshi were viciously ganging up on several of his troops.
He moved to assist, even as one of his trusted generals was consumed in
blue fire from a Senshi’s assault. Fury
consumed him.
"Prince
Bal!" a wingman screamed, dropping from the sky.
"Urgent message from our spies!"
"What
is it?" Bal snarled, half turning as the Senshi he was targeting abruptly
broke off and raced to the assistance of one of her allies.
"The
retreat is a diversion! Something
big is about to happen!" he barely got out.
The wingman's feathers were covered in a mix of red and orange hues.
The smell of blood and death reeked from him.
"Where
are the other spies?" Bal growled.
"I
don't know, sir. We were caught by surprise by a group of aerial interceptor
craft. In the battle, I lost track
of the rest. I barely escaped with
my feathers intact; I don’t think anyone else survived."
The wingman sat down in the battlefield, amidst the fighting and
screaming wailing death. He looked up at Bal, with a worried look in his remaining
eye. "Queen Hyourin ordered
the false retreat in an attempt to pull us to the middle of the battlefield; for
what purpose, I can only guess. We
should retreat at once to safer ground."
Bal
paused, and looked at his surroundings. Bodies,
dead and dying- Kuraijin and Senshi alike- littered the landscape.
Still many more were fighting it out, like an ancient hatred that had
only now become bitter. A retreat
called now would destroy the fighting abilities of his army, and the remainder
of the battle would be lost.
"No,
I will not call a retreat," Bal said forcefully, astonishing the wingman.
"Whatever the gracious Queen decides to dish to us we will handle
with everything we have, or we will never see this planet again, and what was
done today will go down in memory as the most futile war effort in the history
of the universe. We will NOT
fail."
Bal
again surveyed the chaotic battlefield. Where
will it come from? he thought to himself.
What are you thinking, Hyourin?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The
Queen resumed her slow pacing up around the small room.
“You’re certain that this will work?”
The question was directed to no one in particular, but demanded a reply.
Half a minute passed before anyone else spoke.
"Not
certain," one young man replied, breaking the awkward silence.
"At the moment, it simply appears to be our best option."
Hyourin
nodded silently, still moving about the room.
Another few minutes passed, and she examined the map once more.
The Kuraijin had moved in closer, on the heels of the retreating Senshi
troops. Her head bowed, she allowed
the corner of her mouth to lift in a satisfied smirk. “Prepare the third wave for teleport,” she said,
straightening up. “Alert the mech
battalion and have them on standby. Have
all fighters prepare to attack. Thank
you for your attendance, and you are dismissed.”
With that simple phrase, she left the room, her gown rustling softly
behind her. No longer inwardly
hesitant, Hyourin entered the throne room and crossed the white marble floor to
the balcony. She left one door
open, the cool breeze fanning the gauzy white curtains that hung from the
windows.
Earth
was barely present in the midmorning sky, yet the fate of the Lunar Kingdom
rested on the conflict being fought there.
This battle would not be won or lost by the inconstant legions on the
battlefield; instead, she would force the Kurai army to the Portal with one
decisive action. Her hands clasped
at her breast, Queen Hyourin closed her eyes as the crescent in her forehead
glowed softly. The Ginzuishou would
be awakened, and through Hyourin it would close the Portal, and send the
Kuraijin home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Your
orders, Prince Bal?" the wingman decided to finally ask after a moment of
relative silence. The battle seemed
to slow as more Senshi fled to the protection of the few remaining crystals and
hundreds of Kuraijin fighters followed at their heels.
Magical spheres of energy shot from behind Bal as the seventh and most
powerful choir of mages launched a vicious assault on the fleeing Senshi.
It exploded like napalm, instantly vaporizing many; a retaliatory assault
in the form of energy bombs abruptly fell from attack craft bearing the Lunar
symbol in the midst of the mage ranks, exploding with a thunderous cacophony of
devastation. They suddenly turned away and fled, leaving sonic booms to
assault the battlefield.
Bal
made up his mind.
"We
will make our final assault here," Bal shouted to his army.
"Let the Lunar dogs make their plans as they wish, but we will not
be denied!"
A
general rumble of approval rippled from the battlefield and the amassed Kuraijin
army began to march into the no-man's land, to capture the main Senshi base, and
possibly the moon.
"Rahstha,"
Bal stared at the wingman, eyes blazing with energy.
"I need you to fly as high as you can and inform me of any sign of
this plan of theirs."
Rahstha,
battered and bruised as he was, stood up and stretched his wings out as far as
he could. "As you wish, you
highness." At that, he jumped
into the air, and quite quickly vanished from sight.
"I,
too, will watch for this attack," Bal muttered.
Bal lifted himself up by the energy his army lent him.
Speeding high into the stratosphere, he kept a watch on the ground,
watching ever vigilant for signs of mass destruction, save what his own army
inflicted. From so high, the
brilliant Kuraijin mass looked like a flowing amoeba:
slowly engulfing its prey. Soon
the Senshi will be helplessly surrounded by their destructive abilities.
Suddenly,
a bright light caught Bal's attention, not from below, but from above. "Damnit!" Bal shouted as a sphere of pure white
energy fell from above. "I
should have guessed you would use that," he chided the Lunar Queen as the
energy moved passed him. The speck
that was Bal dived, and positioned itself between death and the Kuraijin army.
"We'll see if thousands of years of evolution have made us stronger
than the crystal that destroyed Beryl."
The
globe made no answer; a bright, blinding white light burst, expanding rapidly,
in the sky.
Below,
the fighting mass of Senshi and Kuraijin alike halted at this event.
Neither side could even begin to fathom what was happening; they were all
about to be obliterated by the enormous power Hyourin had unleashed.
And then, something unexpected occurred.
With a flash of darkness, the energy had ceased to move and a veil of
black slowly grew from a barely visible dot.
"WE
WILL NOT BE DENIED THIS DAY!" Bal screamed, his hands burning from the
intense pain and heat. The raw
chaotic energies of the Kuraijin unbound shot forth from his palms, and invaded
the purest energy in the universe. Shuddering,
Bal's wings fought to stay filled, the energy depleting more rapidly than ever
before. "I can't do this
forever," he thought to himself, and his mind raced to find a solution to
ensure this would not happen again.
Concentrating
hard, the chaotic energies lashed through the sphere and traveled back to its
source. The Ginzuishou, still shining mightily in the hands of Queen
Hyourin, who held it high in the air, began to falter.
Using the great sphere of energy as a gate, Bal forced the energy
directly into the Ginzuishou, causing massive chaos from within and everything
that the crystal was inherently connected to likewise fell to this chaos of
light versus dark. The sphere
faltered and vanished completely. Bal could only hope the same would happen to Hyourin.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The
crescent moon flashed, a white aura surrounding the figure of Queen Hyourin.
The light grew brighter, engulfing the entire balcony.
Just as suddenly, light turned to dark and shot outwards in all
directions. Gasping for breath,
Hyourin collapsed over the cold marble railing.
As guards rushed in from the throne room, Sailor Pluto slowly returned to
the small chamber where they had previously met. The map was a mess of color and light as Senshi and Kuraijin
alike attempted to figure out what had just taken place.
Leaning against her staff, Sailor Pluto continued to observe the events
as they played out in front of her.
Like
a game of chess,
she thought. A very bloody game of chess.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The
most frightening portion of the battle Bal had experienced that day began and
ended within five seconds. He was a
little disappointed.
This
disappointment lasted only momentarily, however, as many hundreds of high-energy
particles were launched in his direction. A
two pronged attack between the aerial craft and the ground was under way.
Huge mechanized beasts stood up from their hiding places amongst the
Senshi barracks.
"However
did we miss those?" Bal laughed to himself, diving out of the way of the
particles; several barely missed him, singeing him slightly.
Whoever was targeting him was pretty damn good.
"Really! However did we
miss four-story mechs? I'm going to
have to talk with Unda about this when this battle is over!"
The
mechs moved forward, away from their base, fluid and exquisite.
Bal was held in rapture for a brief moment.
They were dressed in Senshi uniforms, molded in great detail.
The metal "hair" for each was different; earrings were
different. They were even fighting
in high-heeled boots. Everything,
right down to how the bow was placed on the body, was slightly different for
each. Bal could only guess that
these mechs were mimicking what their riders looked like. The rapture that Bal held for them ended the precise second
they opened fire; from the moment they began to massacre his army.
Blue-green light rained down from one of the mechs and obliterated a
tenth of the Kuraijin forces in a massive series of stupendous explosions,
sending the rest scrambling back to the portal.
"Impossible!"
Bal screamed. Even his best magic
users couldn't produce something that powerful.
Mother, are you seeing this? he called out as a mech in bright
gold colors stepped up to Bal and reared back menacingly; several fighters
swooped in, and energy shredded the air around him as he barely avoided the
manned interceptors.
Prince
Bal, the Emperor wants to use the portal contingency.
Bring them closer,
A’mael’s mental tone resonated in his head.
Yes
mother,
Bal sighed, flipping off the mech, and swooping around the energy fire, whirling
to unleash a blast that enveloped one of the fighters, turning it into a blazing
comet that plummeted into the midst of the battlefield.
The rest of the interceptors scattered; the mech seemed surprised at his
actions. In that split second, Bal
flew towards the mech and beat it about the head and neck with his hammer.
Whether from sheer surprise or because Bal hit something small and vital,
the mech toppled over. Bal stared at it strangely for a moment until he heard what
it was doing. It was laughing.
Prince
Bal! Do as I have told you!
His mind almost burst at the vehemence in his mother's voice.
Reluctantly,
Bal flew off.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What
was that white flash, and then the dark one?" asked Anna quietly, soberly.
The images of the battlefield around her were, to say the least,
extremely disturbing.
The
easiest comparison is to say a virus of sorts was inflicted upon the Queen.
That energy she was unleashing would have ended the battle right then;
and there were none among the Kuraijin that could’ve resisted its might. However, by sneaking in past her defenses and attacking her,
Queen Hyourin’s concentration was interrupted, allowing the battle to continue,
the voice explained after a careful moment’s consideration.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Damn,"
muttered Mitsu, as the mechs charged. She
had stared hard at the screens, her heart aching, knowing the attempted use of
the Ginzuishou had failed. That was
the only explanation for that light, and it had very abruptly been silenced.
How was that even possible? How-
What
the hell?
Her
fingers abruptly tapped the sat uplink, zooming in as one of the mechs toppled.
It did not stay down; as it began to rise, several other mechs chased a
very familiar shape towards the portal. Her
heart skipped a beat. He was here,
as she expected. It had come to
this.
"Command,
Sailor Cygni," her headset crackled. "Sorry
about that; he startled me. Ballsy
guy."
Mitsu
stabbed the comm. “And dangerous. You’re
lucky he didn’t blast you to bits; status?”
"Just
fine, Command; getting back to it now."
And she was, Mitsu noted; her mech had just regained its feet, and the
Kuraijin troops around it were suddenly frozen in place by gravity too intense
to move in, allowing the mech's energy rifle batteries to shred them at the
pilot's leisure, even as it stomped towards the portal, attempting to catch up
to its allies.
"Good.
Command, all Mechanized Senshi: capture
that man! He's the Kurai
prince!" Mitsu ordered abruptly. She
briefly wondered what the Queen's reaction to that order would be after this was
all over, and then wondered if she was doing the right thing, trying to keep him
alive.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A
few moments later, Bal landed near the portal and began barking orders.
All was done without question. A
massive energy field surrounded the portal, protecting it from attacks of any
kind. Only things that fit
pre-defined energy signatures were permitted to pass through.
Bal
ordered the energy fields off. He
ordered next suppression fire, to be aimed at the heads of the mechs, to allow
for the Kuraijin armies to move a little easier.
He was satisfied to see the fire adjust- only to ripple from the impacts
with the mechs’ energy shielding, designed to counter non-physical assaults.
"Of
course, only the Senshi would fight without honor at the very end.
Well, if they must do that to win, so must we," whispered Bal.
The
mechs were no more than a thousand yards away when the first of his fleeing army
arrived at the portal; fire and energy smashed into the fleeing elements of his
army. "Quickly, everyone! Into the portal!" Bal screamed over the
chaotic cries of his army. They did
so with great efficiency; of course, he realized, it was a lot easier with-
Energy
bombs nailed the ground scant meters away, causing Bal to duck from flying
bodies and debris; thunder pounded his ears, followed by the dying screams of
his troops. A whine followed that,
from the fiercely glowing engines of the Lunar attack craft as they abruptly
swerved away, and Bal grit his teeth and shook his fist at them.
His army had been reduced by over seventy five percent, all in a matter
of minutes, and all from the mechs and their fighter craft support.
Off in the distance, he could see the next wave of Lunar forces swarming
out; led by the regrouped Senshi troops.
Pouring
into the much darker realm of the Kurai Empire, the army took a breather.
It would take at least another twenty or so minutes for the Senshi mechs
to be in range of the portal; well, in Kuraijin time, it would.
Wounded were carried off, and food was distributed to the much starving
army. They chattered reassuringly
to one another, calming their nerves and regrouping. All stopped as the Emperor walked to the middle of the
crowded army and reiterated the contingency once more.
On
the outside, Bal fought with great speed and agility, drawing the mechs ever
closer to the portal and trying his damndest not to be too obvious of what he
was doing. He could only imagine
their thoughts. Something like,
‘if they're retreating, how come only the Prince is here fighting?’
He hoped to the stars above that their mental answer was ‘obviously
everyone retreated, but Bal's pride wouldn't let him stop.’
"Nah,"
he said aloud. "That's not
even close."
Four
of the five mechs were within fifty feet of the portal.
"Close
enough." Bal used the last of the stored Kuraijin energies to send a
Void Hammer through the portal. One
of the mechs grabbed Bal as he was about to drop.
Actually, they seemed very careful not to harm him.
"I
guess you want me as a prisoner, huh?" he grinned.
The
mech said nothing, halting its movement, as did the other mechs; they began to
turn around.
Energies
around the portal fluctuated and light bent back and forth, being drawn into the
portal. A feeling of a string being
struck filled Bal’s consciousness, and a shockwave exploded from the portal.
"Too
bad I haven't given up just yet,” he chuckled.
Everything
went black.
Minutes
flew by like seconds and Bal almost heard sounds of laughing and cheering.
Baby,
you need to wake up. They need you.
Okay,
mom.
Bal's
eyes slowly opened. He looked up and saw the familiar skyline of Kurai.
It seemed to welcome him home. Laughing
to the right of him caught his attention, and he watched as four Senshi were
lead off into the depths of the Kurai Empire by Obsidian Mages, his father's
personal guard. Each was bound by
magical shackles and look to have been in an awful fight.
One was limping; another looked as if she was ready to cry. The Kuraijin were definitely not helping the situation and
were making horrible threats to what they would be doing to the Senshi once this
battle was over.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mitsu
stared at the screen in disbelief. One
mech stood were five once were; it had proved extremely fortunate for that mech
that she had fallen and not caught up in time.
Mitsu
whirled. “Replay from time index
six three four point eight!”
A
nearby ensign nodded, fingers dancing over the controls; one of the screens
showed in slow motion the fragmentation of the mechs into chunks, and the pieces
being sucked into the portal amidst an energy vortex, along with four Senshi.
"Dammit,"
cursed Mitsu, her composure shaken.
"Incoming
transmission on secure line from the Palace," came a report.
Mistu
pressed the appropriate panel to route the transmission to her.
“Your Majesty? Are you all
right?”
"Yes,
Sailor Adrasteia," came Hyourin's voice; it sounded exhausted.
"I'll make this brief; it's now or never.
Have all remaining waves close in and demolish what troops they have
remaining; have that mech drop back and lay down cover fire."
Mitsu
began typing in commands. “It’s
as good as done, Your Highness. I
tried to have the mechs capture the Kurai prince; but it seems he was the bait
for that trap. It is-“
"Not
your responsibility," interrupted Hyourin.
"There was no way you could have known, and he would have made a
superb bargaining chip. It is all
right. Finish them, Sailor Adrasteia."
The
communication abruptly ended as Mitsu nodded.
“By your command, my Queen,” she whispered, mostly to herself.
Damn.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Bal
stood up. Around him lay the
wreckage of the once mighty mechs. Not
one of them lay in any correct fashion, and none of the pieces were connected to
each other. The original plan was to invert the portal and bring the
enemies here, to be destroyed here. The
Emperor seemed to have changed the plan, and instead brought over little bits at
a time. Bal looked closer.
Yeah, eight foot by eight foot squares.
Sheesh, dad. I could've been
killed, he thought to himself and only himself, hiding this thought from his
mother. They will need
protection, he told to his mother. He
hoped that she would feel kind enough to keep the captured Senshi alive long
enough to be returned.
I
understand, came
her reply. And worry not; your
father knew what he was doing, taking very specific care not to harm you.
Bal
winced. Sometimes his mother
didn’t need her telepathy; she already knew what he was thinking.
He could hear her mental laughter at that thought in his mind as he
moved.
Bal
ran to the Obsidian Guard and halted them before they disappeared.
He also halted his army's laughing.
"You
will treat these prisoners with as much respect as I have treated all of you.
They are our guests while they stay here and will be given all of the
care that we can offer to them. If
any one of you goes against this decree, you will suffer a worse fate than they
will. Now come with me, we still
have a battle to win,” he commanded in loud ringing tones, noting the pleased
look upon his father’s face. The
Emperor nodded slowly to his son; and Bal knew his father was proud of his
command ability so far.
Quickly,
the army moved to the portal and amassed; then they entered.
"Attack!"
Bal screamed the moment he walked through.
Before them lay the mainstay of the combined Senshi and Lunar army, much
larger than any of the spies reported. They
must have teleported down when we inverted the portal.
They were just waiting for us to leave.
Bal's mind raced: it was an interesting problem.
Mother, I need more than I have.
The
portal could barely withstand the stream of Kuraijin running through it.
Outnumbered thirty to one, the battle looked extremely hopeless.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Here
they come!" called out the lead Senshi.
"We've got them outnumbered big time!
All the tricks are used up; all the tactics foiled and exhausted.
It now comes down to hand-to-hand! CHARGE!"
Even
as the first ranks doubled their pace forward, the Senshi began to break off,
going after the stronger Kuraijin. At
this point, they had numeric superiority, and excellent support.
Firepower rained from the skies as fighters swooped and precision
bombarded enemy positions; the blasts from the sole mech shredded whole acres of
Kurai forces, and bursts of every sort of power began flashing up from various
points in the fighting as all the Senshi brought their power to bear.
The front ranks of the Lunar foot-soldiers stopped in rows, leveling
their weapons and firing at any Kurai who escaped the roving, angry Senshi.
Debris filled the air; thunder quaked the ground, and the stench of death
grew stronger still.
The
tide had fully turned; the initiative was now in the hands of the Lunar forces.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hyanda!
Bal says they need more forces! The
Lunars had far more in reserve than anyone knew!
A’mael’s voice, sounding shocked and worried, rang through the Kurai
Emperor’s skull.
Hyanda
abruptly stopped, and spun to face the portal.
WHAT!
The
situation grows critical!
A’mael reported. We’re in
trouble!
Not
for long, my dear,
Hyanda snorted. Not for long.
Aloud, he faced his guard. “Heads
up! The Senshi held more back then
we knew; so now, we shall return the favor!
Remember, you are the Obsidian Guard!
They will fall in your path; their blood shall stain the ground!
We go, NOW!”
With
that, the most elite troops of the Kurai Empire burst through the portal and
leapt into the fray.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Oh,
shit!" gasped a nearby officer, catching Mitsu's attention.
"The Kurai Emperor himself, and his elite guard!"
Mitsu
frowned at the screen, watching as Hyanda almost casually decapitated and
disemboweled three Senshi with barely a thought, in one smooth stroke of his
formidable blade. She had barely
met him, once; but she recalled what she had gleaned from the encounter.
"His
weakness is his son," she whispered. She
closed her eyes; her chest heaved in a long, drawn-out sigh.
Steeling herself, and hating what she now had to do, she pressed her
panel. "All Senshi, target and
capture the Kurai Prince!"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Two
Senshi drew to a sudden stop, eyes narrowed, upon hearing the orders.
They had just finished off one of the Kurai generals, and were standing
atop a slight rise. They looked
very much alike; of course, they should, considering they were the Supernova
Sisters. Their outfits were nearly
identical, with the same colors, just in opposite locations.
"What
do you think?" asked the slightly taller one, whose primary color was
silver, with bows in light blue. Her
dark brown hair was slightly longer than her sister's.
They could clearly see two other Senshi already engaging the Kurai
Prince.
The
younger of the two nodded. Her
primary color was light blue, with silver bows.
“Let’s get the fucker.” Her
short hair bobbed as she indicated their target, smashing one of his
attacker’s skulls in.
The
two charged.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Their
target kicked aside the limp form of a Senshi; he frowned.
His back was to the portal; and although his people were fighting hard,
boosted by the presence of the Obsidian Guard and his father’s legendary
combat skills, it didn’t look good; indeed, several of the Obsidian Guard had
already fallen, lying side-by-side with Senshi corpses.
Prince
Bal Ruka turned as two more Senshi drew to a stop near him.
They separated slightly; they looked similar to each other.
He scowled. As if he
didn’t have enough trouble, he was about to be double-teamed, and his reserves
were getting low; few of his troops could spare any more energy to him.
"I
suppose you wish to die also," he snarled.
"After
you," said Sailor Tycho smoothly.
Sailor
Vela just grinned; both were already in a combat stance.
She feinted, and Sailor Tycho leapt into a vicious kick as Sailor Vela
moved to flank.
Bal
ducked under the first kick, swinging one of his hammers at the attacking
Senshi; he missed by a millimeter, her bows whipping with the passage of the
weapon. He suddenly saw stars as a
snap-kick caught him in the back of his head.
He staggered forward slightly, into a vicious uppercut from Sailor Tycho.
"Heads
up, sis," warned Sailor Vela, spotting a group of Kuraijin rushing to help
their prince. "Vela
Shockwave... STRIKE!" Sailor
Vela drifted upwards slightly, arms held out to her side, swirls of blue-white
fire and energy wrapping around her, culminating in two balls, one in each hand.
She brought them together abruptly, releasing a powerful blast of energy,
spreading out in the hemispherical direction of the oncoming Kuraijin.
As she dropped back to the battle-scorched ground, she turned to see
Sailor Tycho deliver a powerful blow to the staggering Kurai prince.
The funny thing was, his wings were crackling with renewed life.
She
had been just a little too late; Bal had already harnessed the energy of his
now-decimated troops. He nailed Sailor Tycho with a glancing blow; she sailed
backwards from the impact.
Sailor
Vela was to her sister in an instant. “You
okay, Desiree?”
Sailor
Tycho grimaced. “Yeah, but watch out for him, Minerva; he stings.”
The
two abruptly threw themselves aside, and a hammer slammed down where Sailor
Tycho had been; the concussive force of the blow trembled the ground slightly.
Sailor
Vela launched herself at him, arm thrown out; he saw it coming, and dropped one
of his hammers just long enough to grab her arm and propel her further; right
into the ground, several meters distant. She
groaned as she flipped and ended up staring at the battle-torn sky; she blinked,
shook her head, and kipped up to her feet.
Sailor
Tycho had just delivered a vicious head butt to the Kurai heir; Bal staggered
back, dropping his hammers.
"Tycho
Stellar... BLAST!" called Sailor Tycho, releasing a concentrated blast of
white-blue fire in a plume from her hands, right into his chest at point blank
range, knocking him backwards. Bal
roared in agony, and raised his own hands; his wings curved slightly inward as
every bit of the raw, chaotic energy stored up in them shot to his outstretched
hands, and then out from them to Sailor Tycho.
She
screamed as she was enveloped in a black sphere of crackling electricity and
black flame; she tried to fight it, but it overwhelmed her, ripping into her
body, shredding the very fabric of her being.
Pain so intense it made everything she had felt so far in her life
insignificant raged through her system. The
agony was incredible.
"NOOO!"
shrieked Sailor Vela, dashing to the sphere.
"Desiree!"
The
screams increased in pitch and intensity; Sailor Vela tried desperately to reach
her sister. Gritting her teeth, as
the sphere grew more intense, she plunged her right arm into the dark inferno.
She
gasped at the sudden pain assaulting her; she fought it, straining to reach in.
“Desiree!
Grab my arm! I’ll get you
out! Please!”
A
loud roar grew in her ears; the pain became overwhelming.
She dropped to her knees, her teeth clenched.
Through it all, she suddenly became aware of her sister’s fingers
touching her own.
The
sphere detonated.
Sailor
Vela was knocked back several meters as her sister’s screams abruptly cut off;
smoke and steam drifted upwards from the scorched ground where her sister had
just been.
She
tried to get up, and couldn’t. Her
right arm didn’t seem to want to cooperate.
She looked at it.
Rather,
she looked at the charred, incinerated flesh of her shoulder where her arm had
formerly been.
Dazed,
she glanced up, the force of her loss bursting through her.
Tears streaked down her face as she noted the nasty, superior expression
on the face of Bal.
Everything
went red. Her anger, rage, loss,
pain, and hatred burst like a dam, reaching a previously untapped portion of her
psyche. She curled into a ball, not
knowing the pale-blue diamonds on her fuku were already glowing fiercely.
As the intensity began to reach a peak, she snarled.
"Vela....
Supernova.... IMPLODE!"
Energy
whipped around her; Bal picked up his hammers, barely paying attention to her.
The sphere of hyperactive, swirling white-blue fire and matter condensed
about her; it tugged at her, trying to consume her lifeforce.
She
didn’t care, and let it tap into it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A’mael
winced as the sheer power her son had just unleashed filtered through the
mindlink; it had drained him immensely, she realized, her chest swelling with
pride at that display of his power. There
was no way-
Heat,
ravaging fire, a savage, blazing knife driven deep!
Pain, all-consuming, all-enveloping, coupled with unbridled animalistic
fury and hate!
The
shock of the impact and the abrupt cessation of a mind and heart she cherished
dropped A’mael to her knees, as she fell out of her throne; she didn’t even
realize she screamed with overwhelming force, both mentally and physically,
lacerating her vocal cords as she did so.
All
she knew was the light she had ignited had just been extinguished, and part of
her soul was gone; she lost control.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hyanda
jerked up as pain shot through his skull; he was conscious of A’mael’s
mental scream of agony, all in time with a massive explosion; he was barely able
to avert his eyes as the crump of a shockwave raced by.
He blinked and was able to discern a charred shape sailing backwards
through the now-collapsing portal.
He
knew beyond a doubt it was his only son.
"BAL!"
he roared, barely noting the rushing Lunar troops; he launched himself into a
fighting frenzy, struggling to reach the collapsing portal; Lunar troops fell by
the score in the face of his wrath. He
finally broke free, leaving behind him a trail of decapitated and viciously
slashed bodies; red blood coated his form as he raced past a smoking, four-meter
deep crater with a motionless Senshi at the bottom of it; he dived through the
portal.
He
stopped, and stooped, as he realized it was too late.
Behind him, as he cradled his son’s head, the portal closed completely,
trapping the remains of their finest troops on the other side, to be massacred
by the mass of the Lunar forces.
Nothing
seemed to matter; there was no light in his son’s eyes, no breath in his
incinerated husk of a body.
He
sat like that for a long time, his eyes closed, fighting off his misery.
He finally reached out to his partner.
A’mael?
he thought, his mental tone saturated with his misery.
Hyanda…
he heard, faint, weak, defeated.
Rage
shot through him.
"YOU
WILL ALL PAY!" His angry shout
reached into the ever-night skies of the Kurai dimension; then all fell quiet.
"you...
will all pay," he muttered, lifting up the body of his fallen son, and
resolutely turning towards the Kurai palace.
He slowly set off, gently carrying his burden, struggling to contain his
emotions... and failing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The
wind whipped again, cold and unyielding.
Do
you now understand?
the voice asked her, heavy with rage and pain.
Anna
looked up, quietly. The moon was fading; sunlight glimmered on the horizon.
Dawn was approaching. She
shivered as she sat on her boulder.
She
was no longer on the battlefield, watching those horrific events.
Finally,
she spoke.
"Yes, I think I do," she murmured, quietly, disturbed, alone, yet not alone.
She watched the dawn.