Chapter 374
The starship was quiet now, at least to Ayeka Mizuno known now as Maverick.
She stood with her sword drawn, waiting for any trouble, she expected it at any
minute. Of course she was protecting her good friend and his sister, one dead,
the other in search of him. She wouldn't let anyone get by her. But no one was
trying either.
Amy walked down the street in the awe of the experience the afterlife was.
If only I could study this. But there's no time for that. She thought. I have to find D.V.
"Oh dear..another one.." came a voice.
Amy looked up. The guide appeared.
"You are the guide I assume," Amy said.
"Quite true. I must say you scouts are swinging by much more frequently."
"Not by choice."
"I'll believe that. Come with me."
"Where is my brother?"
"That is part of the journey."
Amy accepted this and began to follow the guide down the streets of afterlife
Tokyo.
The rest of the scouts were quite solemn, given the deaths of three of their comrades. They could be saved of course, but that didn't eliminate the shock and fear they all felt.
"I must save my love," Sailor Earth said.
"Yes," Guardian Moon said. "He'll be expecting you."
"I know," Sailor Earth said. She fell unconscious and drifted into the spirit world herself.
"Saturn? Wake up?" Sailor Pluto said starring at Sailor Saturn's weakened state.
"If she doesn't recover in time to get Greg back..." Sailor Neptune said.
"I know..I know.." Sailor Pluto said.
"You could go Michiru," Sailor Uranus said.
"No I can't, there was never love between us," Neptune said. "It would not work."
"Oh.." Sailor Uranus said. "I understand."
"What if Hotaru has already gone beyond," Sailor Pluto said.
"What?" Sailor Uranus asked.
"She might have voyaged after him already, we wouldn't know," Sailor Pluto said.
"I hope so," Sailor Neptune said.
Several feet away.
"Now look, I should go after her," Guardian Venus said.
"You're not her true love I am," Guardian Neptune said.
"This isn't the time to debate this guys," Guardian Uranus said.
"It is Rick, it truly is," Guardian Neptune said. "Someone who loves her a lot must save her, that's how it's supposed to be. Whoever goes through must be the one.."
"I agree," Guardian Venus said.
"Well one of you has to go," Guardian Uranus said.
"But we can't decide that arbitrarily, we need to know who truly is the right one to go," Guardian Neptune said.
"What are you talking about?" Guardian Pluto said. "If you keep arguing neither one of you's going to have her!"
"No they're right," Sailor Mars said. "The voyage into the afterlife is not an easy one. You are presented with challenges, where you must prove your devotion."
"I can prove it," Guardian Venus said.
"You just might," Guardian Neptune said. "But..I don't think you will.."
"I love her," Guardian Venus said.
"No you don't. You don't really understand her," Neptune said. "All she wanted was to see what you were really like under that shell you put up, and you wouldn't let her see it. You didn't realize that all the games she was playing was just to reach that point. You and Mina can be very good friends, but it's not love Yaten."
"And how do you know?"
"I know," Neptune said. "I truly know how she feels. I understand."
Guardian Venus turned away.
"Go...save..her." he said.
Guardian Neptune nodded. Soon he had also headed to the spirit world.
"This trip will not be an easy one," the guide said. "Your brother is quite a special case."
"I will bring him back," Sailor Mercury said.
"Then be prepared for what awaits you."
"And just how am I supposed to fight?"
"That is a mystery you will have to learn."
Sailor Mercury kept moving.
"So..it's you.." came a voice. Mercury stopped.
"Coardite..." she said in shock. "How is he here?"
"He is an interloper, we are unable to stop him," the guide said.
Coardite grinned.
"You're helpless without your powers, or your technology," Coardite said advancing.
Mercury stepped back quickly.
Just what do I do? She thought. I wonder if he has his powers though. Apparently not.
Coardite jumped at her. She dodged him and dived out of the way rolling into the street. She narrowly avoided a passing car and raced down a sidewalk.
Coardite hurried after her.
"That was smart, but you can only outrun me for so long!"
Just how am I supposed to do this?
She kept running hoping she could somehow get to her brother or help by
heading in the direction the guide had pointed out. Coardite was gaining on her.
"Ah..hello there.." another guide said.
"Where's Mina?" Neptune asked.
"Where you would expect her to be," The guide said.
"That's all I need to know."
"Wait a minute!" the guide said catching up to him. "You don't want any more guidance?"
"I've heard all about you guys, you just hang around while I get ambushed by something or another."
"Well that's only partly true," the guide said.
"Yeah, well I'll take my chances just running as fast as possible," Guardian Neptune said.
Several daimons leapt at him. He dived away, forward flipped and kept running.
"I knew it," Neptune said.
"Yes, but aren't you afraid that you're lack of fighting skill will be a problem?" the guide shouted racing after him.
"I'm very good at dodging!
Another daimon leapt at him.
"Aren't people supposed to help me?"Neptune asked.
"It's a very complex set up," the guide said. "I can't explain it to you until you're fully dead."
"I'll pass on that."
More creatures raced after him.
"Ah come on guys..cut it out," Neptune said. "Say...are these all the enemies Mina has helped kill?"
"Well..that is correct."
"I didn't know she was that..good.." Neptune said. "Personally I think you're whole little system is a little screwed up."
"Oh I suppose you think that it should be a simple matter to allow mortal beings to voyage into the realm of the immortal!"
"Uh..that's not what I meant, but at least it could be better organized."
"We only have so much staff around here?" the guide snapped.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Sort of."
"The other guides are actually mystical I hear, what are you, an intern?"
"That's an insult, I've been doing this for centuries."
"Can't tell.."
"Do you want my help or not?" the guide snapped.
"Anytime sparky!" Neptune shouted dodging another enemy and racing forward.
Sailor Earth strode down a darkened street.
"Yes, this makes sense to me," She said.
"Oh...you are beginning to understand then?" yet another guide said.
"I have a greater appreciation of the spirits of things. Akiro's future is defined by his past at least here. An untimely death leads to the clouds."
"Not always, it depends on how the person reacts," the guide said.
Sailor Earth kept walking.
"The enemies will be around him I figure. They know him and me too well."
The guide merely observed.
"You seem sure of yourself?" he asked.
"I am," Sailor Earth said and kept walking.
"Where ya going Sailor Mercury?"
Sailor Mercury slid to a stop.
"The..Kisenian flower.." she said in shock.
"Yes..I have returned.." the Kisenian flower replied.
Coardite slid to a stop.
"She's mine," he said.
"Fraid not."
"If anyone shall have her it is us!" came another shout. About ten Argosantes approached.
Mercury stood back.
"Just how am I supposed to deal with this?" She said.
"You don't have to," The guide said.
"What?"
"You can just turn back. They cannot harm you then."
"I'm not going to do that."
"Then we'll just have to take care of you," the Kisenian flower said.
"Interlopers!" Sailor Saturn shouted dropping to the ground.
"You dare infringe on this sacred human ground!"
Sailor Mercury looked at her in shock. Saturn swung her silence glaive and blasted the enemies away with one shot.
"Returning to this place is not your right!" she shouted.
"Hotaru..what are you doing here?" Amy asked.
Hotaru turned.
"I am the Sailor of Death, I have come to your aid. But we both have our missions."
"What do you mean.."
"Your brother..."
"But.." Amy reasoned it out. "Not..Greg.." she said.
Hotaru nodded.
"But we will go together." she said.
Amy nodded.
The two moved forward.
"You kept your powers," Amy said.
"No, these are different powers, powers that I have gained in other ways," Sailor Saturn said. "They are useful though. There are other ways to defeat the enemies of the past though."
"Not without help."
"The mistake made is that of expecting help and not seeking it."
"I didn't know we could."
"The guides are not allowed to say so," Sailor Saturn said. "The rules cannot be taught, only learned. It is strange I know, but it is the way it is."
"Oh." Sailor Mercury said.
"Come, we will end this now..and no one else can help us."
"But.."
"We cannot go back."
"Why?"
"It is the way things are."
Sailor Mercury looked at her worriedly.
"Do not fear it," Sailor Saturn said. "We must hurry."
And Mike stood in front of his house.
"I want your help. They're after me..now.." Mike said to the audience assembled in front of him.
"It's interesting," his guide said.
"What is?" Mike asked.
"That you managed to find out the rule."
"Oh..well..I got to thinking, maybe it's a good idea to get some help, and what better place then the Leslie household and it's constituent elements."
"You are an idiot Mike, but we will help you," his grandfather said. "I will round up the clan."
"The clan?"
"Oh..yes.." his grandfather said. "Our line stretches back for centuries. They will all stand with you today."
"Excellent," Mike said.
"Just give me a minute," the grandfather said.
"What is he doing anyway?" one of the daimons said standing down the street.
"Well we don't know, but we can't do anything until he starts going after the girl again.." another daimon replied.
"How annoying, let's just wait for him where she is."
"Good idea."
The monsters all hurried off.
Sailor Earth might have surmised the need for help, but she did not request it. She had other means, means that she expected the realm of death not to understand because as the defender of Earth she was also the spirit of life. And that spirit allowed her certain other powers, which she did not use except in extreme cases. Her reasons were her own, but she knew the others would understand. Instead she advanced towards where she knew Akiro waited for her.
Then they appeared. The enemies of the past, the enemies she had fought against. The enemies Akiro had killed.
She advanced. The enemies charged. She walked right through them and continued. Soon she found Akiro leaning against a light pole nonchalantly. Another swarm of enemies appeared.
"The dead cannot harm my life," she said and headed straight for Akiro. The enemies couldn't touch her. Akiro smiled.
"Well..that was impressive," he said.
"Was it not though?" Ai asked. "But don't tell anyone about this."
"Oh sure..no problem," Akiro said.
"Unless you are enjoying yourself too much, we should go."
"I'm all for that," Akiro said.
"Uh..how did you.." the guide said.
"Sorry..you don't tell me things, I don't tell you things," Sailor Earth said with a smile.
"Ah..fair enough," the guide said. "But how about a hint?"
"No."
"Just a little one?" the guide asked.
"Sorry," Ai said.
Mike approached the spot he and Mina had picked out. A romantic place where he knew she would wait for him.
Yaten would have never found it. He thought.
And there of course the daimons were waiting.
"Ah..I've been expecting you," Mike said.
"You have?" the daimons asked.
"Oh sure," Mike said. "We've got a whole bag of fun for you..see.there's something you should know?"
"And that is?" one of the monsters asked.
"Well I'm not really a very good fighter and all, but my family they've invaded several countries, it was a whole conquest thing from the middles ages on.." Mike said. "So..enjoy."
A horde of Leslie ancestors emerged and went running forward with a battle cry. The monsters hurried off.
"Thanks guys," Mike said and walked forward. Mina was standing on a cliff looking over the sea.
"So you came," she said.
"Yeah, you knew I would."
"I knew you'd try, but how did you?"
"Had help?"
"YAH!" the Leslie ancestors said and hurried off.
"Oh..typical," Mina said. "I would expect you'd have a whole bloodline of warriors to help you out."
"Yep," Mike said.
"Shall we go?"
"Of course," Mina said. "You know that I love you."
"Hey. I know. And why do you think I'm here?"
The two shared a kiss before hurrying off to return to reality.
Elsewhere.
"Not much farther," Mercury said.
"True," Sailor Saturn said.
The two hurried down a street.
A swarm of monsters appeared.
"Be gone!" Sailor Saturn said and blasted them.
"Just how long can you keep that up?" Sailor Mercury asked.
"A while," Saturn said.
"But why would Greg be where D.V. is?"
"Greg has no deceased relatives in the city, and as a result of the way death is set up he would have to go elsewhere to find some, he has probably logically reasoned, the best way to be found is stick with his brother, but then again there is little logic once one passes to the other realm."
"Guess you're right," Sailor Mercury said.
"You'll go no farther!" Sero shouted.
"INTERLOPER! ACCEPT YOUR FATE!" Saturn shouted.
"I think not," Sero said blocking her attack.
"You do not have that power!" Saturn shouted.
"My race does not die," Sero said.
"Then you are not allowed here!"
"You're here!" Sero shouted.
"I am the Sailor of Death, I may tread into this realm if it pleases me to do so!"
"As can I!" Sero shouted.
The two scouts stood back.
"I think it's time to deal with this pest," Vincent Patterson said striding forward.
"You a single man think you can fight me?" Sero snapped.
"Sure," Patterson said. "I know this realm better than you, and you killed my boy, so..you want to fight!"
"Very well," Sero said.
The two faced off.
"Is this supposed to happen?" Mercury asked.
"No, but it is happening anyway," Saturn said.
"So I see," Mercury said.
Sero shot forward an energy sword forming in his hands.
"This is not your realm!" Vincent Patterson said and avoided the attack and swung through Sero. The enemy disappeared.
"I don't understand all this," Mercury said.
"You are not meant to," Sailor Saturn said.
"Ladies," Patterson said. "Come with me."
The two followed him down a side street to a small house marked Patterson on it.
"Where D.V. used to live," Mercury said.
The two walked inside.
"You understand everything now right?" Lisa Patterson asked.
"I sure do.." D.V. said..trying to retain his composure.
"Hey D.V, go ahead and break down, if there was ever a time to do it, it's now," Greg said.
"Yeah..I guess," D.V. said, but still said nothing more and retained a stoic expression.
"Look who I found," Vincent said.
"Oh..you two!" Amy said and hugged them both.
Hotaru smiled at both of them.
"I am glad to see that you are well," she said.
"Hope it wasn't any trouble getting here," Greg said.
"Not for her it wasn't," Amy said.
"I can't stay," D.V. said.
"Hey we know," Vincent said. "You've got your duty. We've got ours. We'll be waiting, but don't be in such a hurry to come back."
"I'll try not too," D.V. said.
"Take care of them girls, they're a little too reckless for their own good," Lisa said.
The two girls looked at each other.
"They do what they do for good reasons," Amy said.
"Yes," Hotaru said. "And they usually don't let us know in advance when they're going to do something foolish like save our lives."
"She's right," Greg said.
The others headed out.
"Well.uh..good by,." D.V. said and hurried out the door.
"He'll be fine," Lisa said.
"Yeah," Vincent said.
Ayeka grinned as her two companions woke up.
"Thank goodness," she said.
"Here we are," Mercury said.
"D.V...don't you go risking your life like that again you hear!" Maverick said.
"Yeah, yeah..sure..never again," Gmerc replied said.
"We really need to get out of here," Maverick said.
"I wouldn't suggest going out the way we came, the enemies are all down there," Mercury said.
"So we'll just find another way," Guardian Mercury said. The three took off
at a run.
"Oh.Mina..I'm so glad to see you," Sailor Moon said.
"I am too," Venus said. "You okay?"
"Me, fine.." Sailor Moon said. "Well..no.but I feel better seeing you."
"Me too," Venus said.
"So you're back," Guardian Moon said.
"Yep, they really can't kill me and not expect me to revive," Guardian Earth said.
"You're not making any sense," Guardian Moon said.
"I was dead, I should have time to recover my senses," Guardian Earth said.
"He's right," Sailor Earth said.
"So he is," Guardian Moon said. "Just not a lot."
"They're still going to pay for this," Sailor Moon said. "I'm not done yet."
There was an explosion on the ship. The scouts all looked. A fighter shot away from it, several other fighters raced after it firing.
Energy flew out of the fighter and blew away the pursuing craft. The fighter zoomed over head, hovered and dropped to the ground.
Guardian Mercury, Sailor Mercury, and Sailor Saturn climbed out.
"Hey Gmerc! Way to come back to life there!" Guardian Neptune said.
"Whatever," Gmerc muttered.
"Now all we have to find is Sailor Jupiter and we'll be together."
"Someone looking for me," Sailor Jupiter said limping up.
Sailor Moon smiled.
"I'm a little beat up, okay a lot, but I'll be better soon, heard all the commotion...had to come see."
"Well here we are," Sailor Moon said. "That ship's been totaled, and now we can finish them off for good. Right everybody!"
"Yeah!" the scouts shouted.
"Guess I missed a few things," Jupiter said noticing the trashed the warship floating in the bay
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