Chapter 407
The Australian Outback.
Visinite looked into a cave.
"Looks like this is the place," She said.
"Yes," Caria said. "Definitely."
"Viniver, watch the door," Visinite said. Viniver nodded.
"Strange.." Caria said.
"What?" Visinite asked.
"Felt strange," Caria said. "I must focus on something."
"All right, Xicav, with me. Sulcar, check the area," Visinite said.
Sulcar glided into the air.
"Looks like they've found something," Guardian Moon said.
"So let's go get it," Sailor Moon said.
"We shouldn't just rush into this," Sailor Mercury said.
"No good, Caria's going to sense us in a minute,"Guardian Moon said.
"Then let's just spice things up for them," Guardian Earth said. "We'll take care of the flyer and the others. You girls get inside and deal with Visinite."
"Good plan," Sailor Mars said. "Let's go."
Sailor Moon, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, and Pluto bounded down a hill.
"I'm in charge got it," Guardian Moon said. "Uranus, Pluto, hit them from the right. Jupiter Venus, the left. Earth with me!"
The Guardians leapt forward.
"They're here!" Caria shouted.
"How many," Visinite said whirling.
"A lot," Caria said.
"HAH! Take this!" Sulcar said dropping an energy bomb.
"He's mine," Guardian Uranus said opening fire. Sulcar easily avoided it. Pluto fired as well.
Guardian Venus and Jupiter leapt forward.
Viniver fired.
"Watch it!" Guardian Moon shouted. The two jumped out the way. Moon and Earth opened fired on Viniver's position. He took cover.
"Let's go!"Guardian Moon said. "Watch it...Xicav is going to hit us as we go in!"
"Right," Earth said.
"I'll handle him, you get Caria quickly!"
"Got it!" Earth said.
The two leapt into the cave.
"Moon Galactic Power!"
The attack smashed into Xicav and knocked him back.
"Earth!"
Caria formed a shield and hit Earth with a mind bolt. He fell backward.
"Venus Star Burst!"
"Jupiter Star Inferno!"
The two attacks shot down the corridor. Caria dodged it.
"Fools!" Visinite shouted racing forward throwing energy out. The four Guardian Scouts were hit.
"MOON GALACTIC POWER!"
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!"
"MARS WARRIOR'S INFERNO!"
"PLUTO DEAD SCREAM!"
"SATURN MIST WAVE!"
The five attacks flew the corridor and hit Visinite knocking her back down the cave.
"Get the crystal!" Guardian Moon shouted.
The five sailor scouts hurried forward.
"FOOLS!" Caria shouted calling on psychic power.
Guardian Earth raced forward and swung his sword.
Viniver fired knocking him back.
Guardian Venus and Guardian Jupiter leapt forward and unleashed their attacks into Caria as she hit them with a mind bolt. The three collapsed.
Viniver whirled and aimed his rifle at Guardian Moon.
The Guardian Scout adeptly avoided the shot as Xicav prepared a massive barrage of energy.
"I'm better then you!" he shouted and leapt forward firing his sword in direction and unleashing his moon attack.
Xicav was blasted out of the cave. Guardian Moon whirled and stared at
Viniver.
"HAH!" Sulcar said diving. Guardian Uranus and Guardian Pluto dived out of the way.
"We just have to get him to do that again," Uranus said.
"That's not a good thing," Pluto said.
"Isn't it?"
Sulcar dropped several more bombs. The two avoided it.
"Come on Sulcar! You can't hit me from up there!"
"Ah..you'll regret that!" Sulcar said and dived dropping bombs. Guardian Uranus leapt upward.
"I expected that!" Sulcar shouted. A blast of energy flew from his eyes. Uranus was blasted to the ground.
"Good plan," Pluto muttered throwing sword blasts at Sulcar.
"Look at this door," Sailor Moon said.
"It apparently needs a special key to get in," Sailor Mercury said.
"But the enemy's gotten into these places before," Sailor Mars said.
"Maybe they've got the key," Sailor Mercury said.
"Watch out!" Sailor Saturn said. Dark black energy flew at them. They whirled and dived out of the way.
"You five..really..think you can fight me.." Visinite said advancing. "It is not a challenge!"
"You sure about that Visinite?" Sailor Moon asked. "I am Sailor Moon Champion of Justice!"
"I am well aware of that," Visinite said. "You really don't understand this do you? Well I'm not about to help you figure it out."
She unleashed another attack.
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
"Mercury Ice Storm Blast!"
The two attacks were absorbed by Visinite and the girls dived out of the way again.
Sailor Saturn leapt forward swinging her staff, energy shot from it. Visinite stepped out of the way of it.
"You may think that the five of you are a match for me. You're wrong."
The scouts unleashed energy attacks at her once again. She blocked them and
fired back.
"Xicav attack!"
"Just what we need!" Pluto said diving out of the way of the cyborg.
"You take care of him, me and Sulcar aren't done yet," Guardian Uranus said.
"Oh..joy..the easy job," Pluto said and whirled. "Come on Xicav!"
The two fired at each other.
Pluto was blasted backward.
"I stink at this!"
Sulcar dived strafing the ground.
"Uranus.....Fire Spikes Attack!"
A bomb hit him dead on. The fire spikes slammed into Sulcar. Sulcar shouted. Uranus whirled hurt as he was.
"URANUS Flame of Desire!"
The attack shout out and hit Sulcar throwing him to the ground.
"HAH!" Uranus said leaping forward.
Sulcar rolled out of the way and sent blasts from his eyes.
"Oo..bad move," Uranus said dodging out of the way. Pain shot through him.
This stinks.
Xicav blasted Pluto again.
"I hate cyborgs," Pluto said and stumbled out of the way of another attack. "I have to do what I do best!"
He raced forward. Xicav sent another barrage at him. Pluto leapt over it, getting clipped as he did so. He leapt at Xicav and pushed him into the ground.
"Foolish!" Xicav shouted raising a hand.
Pluto punched him and continued to punch him.
Xicav blasted him.
"I'm just getting warmed up!" Pluto shouted and charged forward again.
"Idiot," Xicav said. Pluto drew his sword and slammed the butte end in to the Cyborg's skull. Xicav stepped back. Pluto tackled him and then stood back up.
"Come on!" he shouted.
Xicav growled.
"I will annihilate you," Xicav said.
"To be the man you gotta beat the man!" Pluto shouted.
"I will!" Xicav said unleashing a monstrous barrage. Pluto leapt upward.
"Pluto Storm Fist!"
The attacks collided. Pluto dropped forward.
"PLUTO.....Storm Fist!" he shouted and point blank range. Xicav launched his
own attack. It exploded throwing them both to the ground.
Guardian Moon stabbed Viniver with his sword.
"You honestly think you're dangerous," Moon said. "I'll end this right now!"
"Moon! We've got other problems.." Guardian Earth said.
"Hmm.." Moon said and blasted Viniver some more before tossing him out of the cave.
"What?" Moon asked.
Caria's mind bolt flew into him.
He shouted.
"You telepathic demon!" Moon shouted and raced forward. Caria let her attack fly. Moon charged forward.
"Galactic Moonlight Retaliation!" He shouted. Caria was blasted down the tunnel.
Moon collapsed.
"Check on the others," Moon said.
Guardian Earth nodded.
"I'm injured..can't move my leg," Guardian Venus said.
"Jupiter keep an eye on him.." Guardian Moon said.
"Jupiter nodded.
Moon fell unconscious.
Visinite was covered with cuts and bruises. Sailor Moon faced her. The other scouts were laying on the ground injured.
"Just you and me now," Visinite said.
"Yes it is," Sailor Moon said. "I will spare you if you tell me how to get in there."
"Spare me? I don't have to worry about that," Visinite said throwing her energy attack out.
Sailor Moon hit it back with her own energy.
I'm weaker then usual, gotta remember that. Sailor Moon thought. I can beat her though.
The two energies collided.
"EARTH power!"
"What?" Visinite said and whirled back. Sailor Moon stepped out of the way. Earth Energy slid forward. Visinite turned towards Guardian Earth.
"It's over for you Visinite!" Guardian Earth shouted.
"Hmm...no it's not," Visinite said and shot forward, blasting by Guardian Earth and out of the cave.
"Dang it!" Guardian Earth said. "When did she get the chance to do that?"
"Never mind," Sailor Moon said. "We've got to check on the others."
"You do that," Guardian Earth said. "This must be the door."
"Yes, but we can't get in," Sailor Moon said.
"Leave that to me," Guardian Earth said and walked forward. He laid his hand on the door.
It rose slowly revealing a very small room. In the center of it floated a crystal.
"Wow.." Sailor Moon said.
"I'm the Prince of Earth you know," Guardian Earth said. "I'll get the crystal. You check on the others."
Sailor Moon nodded.
Guardian Earth hurried in the door and grabbed the crystal.
"Ah..I can feel it.." he said. "Yes..the power! Awesome!"
"We're getting out of here!" Visinite said and whirling she knocked all the scouts back with an energy blast.
The enemy them limped away barely.
"Fortunately I was prepared for such an eventuality," Visinite said.
"Ircanite is not going to like this," Caria said.
"Of course he isn't," Visinite snapped. "But..what can we do?"
"Ehh...we'll get them the next time," Xicav said.
"You got a crystal? That's great," Michiru said into her communicator.
"We also got the stuffing beaten out of us," Serena said. "But we'll manage."
"I see," Michiru said. "Well at least we've got one now. And you know you can fight them."
"It was a close one," Serena said.
"How are things back there Michiru?" Setsuna asked.
"Quiet at the moment," Michiru said. "Of course things are a little crowded since we all moved into together."
"Hey! I'm using that chair!" came Mina's shout.
"I didn't see your name on it," Mike said.
"MIKE!" Mina shouted.
"Oh...gee..what am I missing?" Serena asked.
"It'll be fine," Michiru said.
Something shattered in the back.
"I'd better go," she said.
Setsuna and Serena glanced at each other.
In the meantime, the scouts had agreed to move in with each other for protection. Of course the A.P.T. house with it's large number of rooms was the perfect place.
D.V. of course had his own room. Greg did as well.
The rest had to share. Haruka, sure of the tactical merits of living together, but still not sure if it was worth it considering the scouts were a rowdy bunch. She was sharing a room with Michiru.
Mina and Lita were sharing a room much to their annoyance.
Mike and Seiya were rooming together.
Darrien had been lent D.V.'s room upstairs so he could work in peace, in theory..at least.
Ayeka slept on the couch when not sharing a room with Ai.
It was crowded, but also necessary given the enemy's ability to seemingly strike anywhere.
Things were not exactly going smoothly though.
"Someone has to go shopping," Michiru observed.
"I went yesterday," Mina said.
"Yeah, me too," Lita said.
"Hey I got it covered," Mike said.
"No way," everyone else said.
"Let's just go Michiru," Haruka muttered.
"Oh..all right," Michiru said. "Seems like that will cause the least controversy."
"Ehh..so it will," Haruka said and headed for the door. Michiru followed.
"Do you really think I would be that bad at shopping?" Mike asked.
"Mike, you have a collection of seventeen different types of oat bran in your room," Mina said.
"So..I'm a collector," Mike said.
"You are sick," Seiya said.
"It's not a disease, it's a lifestyle," Mike said.
"You don't have to convince me of that," Seiya said.
"HAH!" Mike said.
In the War Room.
"What a wild bunch," Ayeka muttered. "Who suggested this idea anyway?"
"Uh..well...we needed to keep an eye on everyone," Greg said. "And it was Setsuna's idea."
"Oh..that's right," Ayeka said. "Curse you Setsuna, you and your common sense. Not much heard from Ircanite though, it's been three days."
"I'm sure he's just planning," Patterson said. "Or recovering."
"Guess you're right. That teleportation must take a lot of out of him," Ayeka said.
"Or else he'd do it all the time," Greg said.
There was a crash.
"They broke something else," Patterson said.
"I thought I had hidden all the breakables," Greg said.
They stuck their heads out the door. The kitchen table was split in half.
"You won't believe how this happened!" Mike said.
"Really," Mina said.
"We don't care," The three muttered and stuck their heads back in the war room.
"Told you my strategy would work," Mike said.
"Actually..he's right," Seiya said. "Good work man."
"See...Seiya..I'm not completely useless," Mike said.
"I see that now.." Seiya said. "This has been quite an epiphany."
Lita and Mina looked at each other.
"We're going to have to replace that table," Lita said.
"How?" Mina asked.
"I'm sure someone's got one they don't need," Lita said.
"Sure," Seiya said. "We've got one back at the apartment. The question is, how do we get it here?"
"We'll just call up the army," Lita said. "They're always doing favors for us."
"Ah..sounds good," Seiya said.
Darrien walked in the door.
"Hello all, what happened?" he asked.
"You wouldn't believe it," Mike said.
"Probably," Darrien said and hurried up the stairs.
"He's going to be a changed man after living with us," Mina said.
"Kiss your sanity good bye!" Mike said.
In the grocery store.
"You feeling better Haruka?" Michiru asked. "You seem to be?"
"Aside from this joyful errand yes," Haruka said.
"Well who can blame you," Michiru said. "Still we are the mature ones around the house."
"This was a bad idea," Haruka said.
"Haruka...Setsuna had a point. If we keep an eye on each other, the lesser the chance that a small group of us get caught off guard by the aliens with no support.
"I know, but the scouts were not meant to live together."
Michiru grinned.
"That you're right about," she said. "But we must all make sacrifices."
"Yes I supposed," Haruka said. "Though if you ask me it can always get worse."
"I don't think you're giving them enough credit."
"Michiru, as a group they are capable of wondrous things. They're also capable of destruction on a wide scale."
"Isn't everyone?"
"They have a particular knack for it."
"YAHHHHH!" Mike yelled as he flew through a screen door.
"Oops..." Lita said. "I didn't mean that.."
"Ehh.." Mike said picking himself off of the ground.
"That was quite a good throw though," Seiya said.
"Accurate too," Mina said.
"I'll have you know we're keeping a record, you will all be billed," Greg said.
"Greg...be a pal huh.." Mina said. "Accidents happen."
"You don't trash your own houses," Greg said.
"We're just..adapting," Mina said.
Greg sighed.
"Adapt somewhere else."
"That won't work...what a stupid thing for you to say."
"Well I've got good reason," Greg said and headed up the stairs.
"He's mad," Mina said.
"Well we can find a new screen door, that's easy," Mike said. "I know all about them.."
"Why am I not surprised?" Seiya said.
"Because I'm the man," Mike said.
"What stupidity," Seiya said. "I have no way to respond to that."
"And you never will," Mike said cackling.
"What a happy bunch," Jasen said walking in the door.
The scouts all growled.
"I have something for you," he said. "We've actually been able to figure something out about the crystals, the former capitals and such. So using this map you'll be able to hunt for them on your own," Jasen said handing them a piece of paper.
"We have no way of knowing exactly where they are though," Setsuna said staring at the map. "Only the region."
"That's true," Jasen said. "But you've got a telepath and a prince of Earth here. That should be something. I'd help, but I've gotta keep an eye on some of the other capitals to make sure, they aren't hitting there."
"Guess so," Serena said.
"We should get moving then," Sai said.
"We're still exhausted," Rick said.
"We need to get the jump on them," Sai said.
"Well..I gotta go," Jasen said and hurried out.
"This is a war," Sai said. "No one gets much rest in war."
"That's true, but," Setsuna said.
"But..look..we can rest once we have some more of these crystals," Sai said.
"Actually I agree," Steve said. "I wanna rest, but they're probably hurt too, they wouldn't expect us to be moving so quickly. If we can snatch a few more."
"I want to rest," Serena moaned.
"I think we can manage," Taiki said. "We should at least travel to the next city."
"I agree," Yaten said.
"All.all right..where are we headed anyway.." Serena said.
"The next crystal should be in the Western United States," Setsuna said.
"All right..let's go then," Serena said. "Before I fall asleep."
The group soon was arriving at the airport, and the SDF plane waiting to take them upward.
"Well..there you are..I think this flight will be a little more comfortable," General Patterson said welcoming them aboard.
"Anything could be more comfortable then that cargo plane!" Sailor Moon snapped.
"Sorry.." Patterson said. "So..the U.S. huh..well that should be fun."
"How long will the trip take?" Steve asked.
"Eighteen hours..." Patterson said. "Might as well get some sleep."
"We will," The scouts all said.
The plane was soon lifting upward with fighter escort.
"So..Visinite you failed," Ircanite said.
"Yes..I did. The scouts were surprisingly strong."
"Very well..I have learned that you cannot win every battle. Rest up, I will send you after the next group of crystals. Sorophyte."
"Yes,"Sorophyte said.
"I need you to throw the scouts in Tokyo off balance for a while. Can you do it?"
"Sure, just need to kill a few of them, that'll mess things up," Sorophyte said grinning.
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