Chapter 6- Kracken
"Bunny, you won't believe who he looked like!"
"Who? Who!"
"The guy from that American band, N'Sync!"
"No way! Which one?"
"Justin!"
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
Bunny was practically jumping up and down, clutching Mina's arm as they
walked down the street. Bunny, Mina, Lita and Raye had met after school,
planning to go to Amy's apartment to see her. Lita had arranged the meeting
the night before, since she had decided to make soup to take the missing
member of their group. She had called Amy's apartment, and had received no
answer.
Now the four remaining senshi were headed to see their sick friend, Lita
carrying a thermos of her lemon rice soup. The street was busy, traffic
backed up farther than the girls could see, and most of the cars were
honking noisily, heat waves radiating from taxed engines. Some construction
workers were drilling in a sidestreet, adding to the racket of the day.
Mina was regaling Bunny with the tale of her amazing adventures following
cute guys the day before, following the attack of the winged snakes.
"...then I followed him to...you'll never guess where!"
"V-babe! Tell me!"
"The arcade!"
"No way!"
"Yes way!"
"He played the Sailor V game!"
"No way!"
"He was really good, too! Then he left and went to get some ice cream at
the fruit parlor. I kept following him...watching him from behind, you know?
He was so dreamy...."
Raye, who had decided she had more than enough of this, especially since it
had been going on for the last three blocks, interrupted Mina's dialogue.
"V-babe, does the word, 'stalker' have any meaning to you?"
Bunny and Mina looked behind them to where Raye and Lita were standing,
Raye with her hands on her hips, glaring, Lita shaking her head and looking
generally despairing.
Mina make a small choking sound.
"Seeing a hot guy is one thing, but stalking him all over Tokyo is crazy,
Mina! What is it with you two doing stuff like that anyway?"
Bunny began to wail as Raye folded her arms, still glaring. "Raye, you're
so-"
"Mean. Yeah. Mean. I know. I am the most horribly mean person in the world
because I tell you not to make a complete baka of yourself anywhere we go!"
"Nani, Raye!" Bunny stuck her tongue out at the other girl.
"You look so stupid when you do that, Bunny! Put your tongue back in your
face! Or you'll look more like a snake than a rabbit, meatball head!"
"Meatball head! You know I hate that! My hair does not resemble spaghetti
at all!"
"Wanna bet, you spaghetti haired-"
"That is enough!" Lita roared into the ensuing shouting match. She swung
the thermos around, leaping between the two other scouts.
"Lita's right you guys," Mina chimed in, pulling Bunny away from Raye, who
was struggling in Lita's firm grip.
"Amy," Lita began, "has missed two days...TWO DAYS...of school, one with a
test! The poor girl must be practically on her deathbed, and the last thing
she is going to need to hear is the two of you fighting!"
Lita's face was flushed red with anger. At the fury in their friend's
voice, Bunny and Raye calmed themselves, Bunny attempting a consoling smile
at Raye, who made a 'hmph' sound and crossed her arms again, looking at the
street.
Lita began warningly, "Raye...."
"Hey!" Mina shouted as a woman plowed her down, running frantically.
Several other men and women began to race past them, one ramming into Raye,
who pushed right back, the man staggering aside then continuing his sprint.
The honking of the cars ceased and was replaced with shouting. "You
rude...!"
"Out of my way!" the woman attempted to stand, but, tangled in Mina's legs
and bookbag, she tripped again, and the two went to the concrete a second
time, this time Mina screeching as she hit hard.
More figures ran past, one a man in a brown trenchcoat, who grabbed the
blonde woman's sleeve. "Come on!" he pulled her off Mina, who was still
trying to get herself up. The couple ran off, the woman screeching something
about things always happening to them.
"You baka!" Mina screamed after the departing figures.
"V-babe, are you all right?" Raye, the argument forgotten, began to help
her friend from the cement. Mina staggered, tripping over her own foot, but
Lita caught her, preventing her from another spill.
"You baka!" Mina repeated after the now invisible form of the woman. "Some
people are so rude! I can't believe....!"
While trying to help Mina, no one had noticed Bunny begin to stare in the
opposite direction than the people had been running in. She stepped forward
a pace, watching the people in the street begin to leap from their cars,
abandoning them, still running, to run in the opposite direction themselves.
"V-babe?"
"Rude, didn't even ask if I was...."
"V-BABE!"
The three senshi turned to stare at the back of their leader and Princess.
"Is it just me," Bunny asked nervously, "OR IS GODZILLA ATTACKING
TOKYO?!?!"
"What?"
"Huh?"
"Godzilla?"
They looked up to see what Bunny was talking about.
Around a corner building, a head was curved. It stepped further out from
behind the offices, standing four stories high. A spiny crest fell over its
back, sharp ends razoring from its back and down the length of its tail. A
pair of thick, straight horns jutted out from a heavy plate of bone around
its head, with a sharp beak that it flung open, letting loose a strangely
aquatic roar. It paced forward, reddish orange eyes searching. A taloned,
grasping hand landed on top of a car, crushing it as it shifted its weight
down.
It spotted the four figures that were not running away, turning its sinewy
long neck. It roared again, beginning a lumbering charge.
"Moon Crisis...."
"Venus Crystal Power...."
"Mars Crystal Power...."
"Jupiter Crystal Power...."
"MAKE-UP!"
They arrayed themselves among the stopped cars, Venus leaping up onto a
nearby one. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
The whip cut out, spiraling towards the creature. It impacted, breaking
apart on the plated scales of the beast. "Does anybody know what that thing
is?" Venus asked, a wave of dread beginning to roll over her. The Shock had
not even slowed it down.
Sailor Moon clambered into a truck's flatbed. "It's Godzilla!"
Mars rolled her eyes. "That is NOT a man in a rubber suit!"
"But then what is it?"
"I don't know! But we seem to be having the not-knowing problem a lot
lately!"
Sailor Moon suddenly yelped as the truck lurched under her, knocking her
from her feet. "V-babe! What are you doing?" Venus had installed herself in
the drivers seat of the red truck, the doors open, the truck abandoned, in
the driver's panic.
It was Jupiter who replied as she swung herself into the shotgun position
beside Venus, turning around. "Mars, get in too! We have to get it out of
here or it'll trash half of Tokyo!"
Mars didn't need to be told twice. She leapt into the back.
Venus got a wicked gleam in her eye as she jerked the stick shift, slamming
her foot onto the accelerator. "Mina Aino, the future of F1 racing!" she
shrieked.
They charged forward, rocketing over the curb and onto the sidewalk, since
the traffic had been bumper to bumper. They winged a lamppost, sending a
shower of sparks behind them as the wiring was bent out of proportion. The
beast was hard pressed to slow itself, its slow but powerful charge slamming
into the side of the building they had just passed. It roared again,
switching directions to follow the girls, its tail swinging into the
building it had rammed into, causing further bricks to come tumbling down to
the street.
"V-baaaaaabe!" Sailor Moon screamed as she and Mars were flung around in
the back. "This is not the Sailormobile!" She managed to cling to the side,
Mars grasping the window to the front seat. Venus was completely possessed
now, driving like Haruka after a few too many double Espressos. They flew
over a hill, tires screeching.
Jupiter was buckled in, but was also clinging to the dashboard and the open
window, bracing her legs against the floor. "Venus! Get it to the bay!"
Venus slammed on the brakes, spinning the wheel, burning a black doughnut
in the road as they switched directions. There was continued screaming from
Sailor Moon and Mars in the back.
Traffic in their way went spinning to the sides, both to avoid the flying
truck and the giant creature that was behind it.
As they approached the water, the beast behind them began to catch up, its
speed increasing as it caught momentum. "V-babe! we need to go faster!" Mars
shouted through the back window. "It's catching up!"
"Faster? Faster? Hang on!" Venus floored the pedal, sending them shooting
forward yet again.
Sailor Moon, staring at the gaping teeth that were coming closer, began to
chant to herself, "Faster, faster, must go faster. Faster, faster, must go
faster!"
Venus slammed on the brake, sending everyone flying forward. Mars and
Sailor Moon were thrown against the back window, squashing each other as
Venus leapt out, looking elated. Jupiter staggered from her seat, cleared
her head, and began to peel Mars and Moon from the flatbed. "It's here!" she
shouted, and that managed to get the two squished senshi moving again,
clambering out from the back.
They had stopped at the docks before Tokyo Bay, warehouses lined up and
down the wharves, boats bobbing gently in harbor.
The huge monster charged through the knot the four had formed, breaking
them apart. Sailor Moon took a deep breath, quickly worked out a kink in her
neck, and then was ready for her usual pre-attack speech.
"Okay, you Jurassic Park reject! I am Sailor Moon, Champion of Love and
Justice! And on behalf of the Moon, you're punished!"
"Oh, fine. Don't introduce us!" Venus snapped. "And I had to do the Indy
500!"
Sailor Moon gave Venus a look, shaking her head. "Venus seems to be
somewhat tense again today."
"Sailor Moon!" Mars shouted at her. "Would you stop with the tag lines?
Burning Mandala!"
The fiery rings sailed out, striking the beast in the shoulder, neck, and
belly. It tossed its head out of the way.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter's ball lightning slammed into its chest.
It took a step backward, slashing with its tail, cutting through several
cars. At the sound of the breaking glass, it turned, made a grunting sound,
and slid its tail underneath a compact car, hurling it at the Scouts.
As it approached, Sailor Moon brought her arms into the air, the
Kaleidoscope forming. "Moon Gorgeous Meditation!" the blast swirled outward,
catching the car and blowing it apart, sending shrapnel around the dock.
Mars, who was closest to Sailor Moon, threw herself at her, covering Moon's
head, tucking her own down to avoid the shards of metal.
The beast leapt forward, swiping with a taloned claw.
"Mars Flame Sniper!"
The arrow shot out, aimed for the creature's head. The beast saw it,
managing to snap its head aside, leaving the fire to burn across the heavy
plate of protective bone. A red welt glistened for a moment, festering.
Then it began to steam, bubbling and hissing as the injury closed. "What
the...?"
"Mars!" Jupiter called. "Try for the eyes! Everything else is scaled!"
"Right!" Again, Mars drew the arrow. "Mars Flame Sniper!"
The creature, now aware of where they were aiming, brought itself low to
the ground, dodging the bolt. It hurtled forward, charging at Mars and
Sailor Moon.
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
The whip cracking just before it, snapping on its nose, it turned, making
deep growling noises, focusing on Venus. It snatched out at the red-ribboned
senshi, causing her to leap to the side. Swinging its body around, its
spiny, sharp tail drew a destructive line into the building behind them.
Turning tightly, it reared up before Jupiter, Mars and Sailor Moon, who were
together in formation, drawing close to its rear.
Roaring, it began to come back to the ground, ready to crush them
underneath its sharp claws.
"DEAD SCREAM!"
An orb shaped bolt of light tore out of the sky, slamming directly into the
upraised creature's neck, throwing it backward. It crashed into the
warehouse wall, the roof caving in over it. From a portal warp in the air,
Sailor Pluto was descending, the Timestaff poised and ready for another
blast. The four senshi on the ground stared as Pluto came into view. Her
usually withdrawn, calm face was twisted with rage.
Pluto was utterly livid.
It was an impressive sight.
The creature rolled, uprighting itself, snarling at the Scouts. "Stand
aside!" she charged past the other four, who were still staring, open
mouthed, at the furious Senshi of Time.
Around her waist, a small, silvery bag had been added to her usual string
of keys. She reached in, withdrawing a tiny item. The creature charged
directly at her, and Pluto showed no sign of slowing down. Instead, she
leapt into the air, Timestaff in one hand, the object from the pouch in the
other. As she drew closer, the object began to glow redly, becoming a red
orb of light, that fluxed in Pluto's open palm. She threw the ethereal ball.
It expanded, growing larger as it came closer to its target. Still snarling,
it impacted, sending rippling red and white lightning over the scaled body
of the creature. It let loose an infuriated howl, trying to aim a final blow
at Sailor Pluto, who was now safely on the ground. Still roaring, the globe
encased it, then began to shrink, taking the monster within along with it,
vanishing into a speck of red light.
Pluto's chest heaved as she took a breath, holding her head high,
triumphant. She struck her Timestaff determinedly on the ground, turning to
the four other senshi.
Sailor Moon recovered her voice first. "Pluto? What was that Godzilla
thing?"
Pluto made a derisive sound, dismissing the beast. "That was the Kracken.
Have you fought any other creatures like it recently?"
"Not like that. There were some weird snake things with wings."
"Harpies. Many?"
The Scouts nodded.
"Any escape?"
They nodded again.
Pluto removed the silvery bag from her chain, stepping forward and placing
it in Sailor Moon's hands. She opened it, and saw what appeared to be red
marbles or beads. "What are these things?"
"They have been suffused with the power of the Garnet Orb. There may be
other creatures such as the Kracken appearing here over the next few days.
Use these against them. It will return them to their own time and place."
Mars stepped forward, brushing past Sailor Moon, who was still staring into
the bag. "That...Kracken? Was from another time?"
"Yes. Sent here by Poseidon, from the past. He has taken Sailor Mercury."
That snapped Sailor Moon's attention away from the beads. "Amy? Some god
took Amy? We thought she was sick!"
"She is in the past. He has removed her Mercury Crystal from her."
Together, everyone shouted, "What!"
"Poseidon...." at the thought, Pluto again looked about ready to kill, "had
one of my keys..." she bit the words out harshly, "stolen." Pluto looked
murderous. "He has taken Sailor Mercury...as best as we can discern, it was
to work for him somehow. She has apparently declined his offer. He has sworn
vengeance against her, sending some of his minions through the rifts in
space time. That is the cause of the attacks. Poseidon forced his way
through, using my key. It is causing distortions. Time is passing far more
quickly for Mercury than it is here. Chronos, Rhea and I have been
attempting to mend the rifts."
"Poseidon...Chronos, Rhea?" Sailor Jupiter asked. "She's in Greece or
something?"
"Yes. Mycenean age. She is attempting to retrieve her Crystal."
Silence passed between the senshi, filled with worried glances. Sailor Moon
finally came to a decision. "I'm going back to help her."
To this, three shouts of "No!" came from the senshi.
Mars snapped irritably, "We're supposed to protect you, remember? You'll be
needed here if there are any more of those things coming."
"But we can't just leave her there alone! Pluto! You have to send someone
back to help her!"
Pluto frowned. "I disagree. However, Rhea and Chronos agree with you. One
of the other senshi may go. They believe that the longer Mercury is in the
past, the more alterations there will be to it. Two Scouts for a short time
may do less damage than one for a long time. " She broke a key from its
chain, holding it out, palm up, for the one who would be joining their
missing friend.
Pluto waited, patient, as the three remaining Scouts silently debated
between themselves.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Hermes asked Amy again, for what Amy had counted
to be the eighty-second time. She had sought him out after her talk with
Odysseus, three days prior, telling him her thoughts on the location of
Poseidon. Xeones had men working from dawn to dusk fixing, patching and
caulking Seastrider. She was in fine condition once again, even if she still
carried the battle scar left from Chardbyis on her hull. Their tattered sail
was replaced yet again, a crimson cloth low and ready to be drawn, the
symbol of Athena stitched in blue across its front, a triangle atop a cross.
It was now early that morning, a brisk breeze slicing through the air as
Aurora, the dawn goddess, awoke, staining the sky pink with haze on the
horizon. Amy and Hermes had refused a crew onboard. Laertes had argued hotly
against it, claiming that none could pilot a ship alone in such a way.
Hermes had simply told him they already had.
The worst arguing had come after, from Anticleia, who had remained silent
during her husband's ranting. She had quietly bespoken Amy, trying as well
to get her to accept a crew of Ithaka's men. At Amy's repeated refusals, she
hand shaken her head, muttering, "It is folly," and had retreated, not to
say anything on the matter again.
Seastrider had been brought from her earlier dock to the larger one outside
the palace walls, now bobbing in wait for them as they walked down the
beach. "Ames, I can't believe it would be that easy. Are you sure that's
what the Hags meant? Poseidon has lots of cities loyal to him."
"I'm sure, Hermes. Odysseus said Aegae, and I think that's where he is. You
said it yourself the city there is loyal to him."
"I thought you said he was on an island."
"I did. That's where I was taken, anyway." *I think.*
"You're sure...?"
"Eighty four."
"What?"
"Eighty four. You have literally asked me that exactly eighty four times.
It's getting a little old, Hermes."
Odysseus was waiting for them as they got to their ship, his bow slung over
his shoulder with his quiver of white feathered arrows. Seamen were already
packing up their nets, casting off for the morning fish run. Laertes and
Anticleia had bid them farewell at the palace, and they had been able to
meet, then leave, Xeones, who had awakened that night from his deep sleep.
"Argos! Get back! Argos!" Hermes found himself bowled over as the massive
puppy took to giving him a tongue bath.
"Odysseus, get your mutt off me!"
Odysseus wrestled the dog back, Amy lending Hermes a hand in getting back
to his feet.
Argos managed to settle himself down at his master's heel, tongue lolling
as he panted. "Are you all right, Hermes?" Amy asked as Hermes gave the dog
a dirty look.
"Could have been worse. Could have been one of those gulls up there
divebombing. Or giving us presents."
Above, a dozen seagulls pinwheeled, screaming in demand for leftover
scraps. As they watched the birds, they began to disperse, screaming off
further inland. "Yeah," Hermes muttered, "you'd better not think about it."
"Amy?" Odysseus was tilting his head to one side, watching the blue haired
girl observantly. "What you said, about Ithaka...."
"Wait, Odysseus," Amy told him, smiling first at him, then Hermes, who was
watching their exchange with passive interest. She held a finger to her
lips, imitating the way Anticleia had in Athena's shrine.
"Yeah, well. I guess I should get married before I go off on any
campaigns," he looked between Amy and Hermes, eyes glinting with humor.
"Anyone in mind?" Amy asked innocently.
"Maybe."
"If she's as smart as your mother, you'll..."
It was the sound of wood snapping and men screaming that interrupted her,
turning their heads around to face the aqua expanse of the bay. In the
center, a creature was emerging from the foam that surged around it, red
light emanating from it as it solidified. Massive claws speared the ship,
ripping it from the water it had been sailing in. Jaws extended, it bit down
into the ship, snapping it in half. Men dived or fell into the sea, some
grappling for wood to float, some swimming, some drifting, lifeless, as the
water bled around them.
"Hermes, what is that?" Amy, out of habit, reached for her Mercury Crystal,
finding instead her hand filled with the coiling curves of hair that the
Medusa had sculpted into her head.
"Kracken!" Odysseus and Hermes exclaimed at once, Hermes drawing the sword
that he had slung across his chest that morning, Odysseus unstrapping his
bow, nocking an arrow.
"Argos! Home!" at such a command from Odysseus, Argos tore off, barking as
he sped towards the palace wall.
*That was the thing Poseidon had at his island, all curled up and sleeping
when I saw it. Bunny would probably say it looks like Godzilla or
something.*
Amy pulled her own blade, the knife that was attached to her arm once
again. *Not that it will do that much good against a big thing like that.*
The Kracken threw the boat aside, not finding what it was searching for. It
turned on the coastline, speeding forward, white spray foaming up behind it
as it tore along, charging straight for the awaiting three on the dock. The
men who remained on their ships around them either drew weapons or ran for
the relative safety of the palace.
"Prince, what....?" one of the men asked of Odysseus.
"Get back!"
"We won't abandon you!"
"You're not armed! Get out of here! Get father!"
The seaman shouted for the others to fall back as the alarm sounded from
the escalade wall, a booming ring that echoed out across the water. Amy,
Hermes and Odysseus backed up, off the wooden planking that served as the
dock, onto the rocky beach.
The Kracken reared up, arching its slender, sinewy neck, roaring as it
swung downward, teeth ready to slice. An arrow flew from the bow, its mark
the ruby iris of the Kraken.
It struck, sending the creature roaring backward, hauling itself out of the
water fully as it grappled with the shaft that was now protruding from its
left eye. A stream of red blood streaked down over its jawbone.
Slashing, it spun heavily in pain, sweeping sand up as its heavy tail flew
over the beach. Two more arrows shot out, but this time, the beast was
ready, swinging its armor protected hulk between itself and its vulnerable
eyes. A hind foot slashed out towards Amy, and she leapt back, rolling as
she hit the sand.
The head swung around, aiming again for the blue haired target. "Ames!"
Hermes, with his speed, ran as Amy threw her knife at the open jaws of the
creature, embedding the blade into the soft inner side of its mouth. Another
arrow screamed forward, snapping as it hit the bony crest of the Kracken.
It thundered forward again, still pursuing Amy, who Hermes had set down,
and was now standing before, some few lengths further from the palace. *It's
after me. I have to get it out of here. It will keep hurting people if I
don't. How do you trap such a huge creature?*
The Kracken began its charge again, massive strides outdistancing Odysseus,
who was attempting to run up behind it. It stretched out again, obsidian
talons cleaving through the air down at the awaiting Hermes and Amy.
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"
Razoring electric leaves flew in a hurricane at the Kracken's head, as a
tall, ponytailed Sailor Jupiter looking ready to fight emerged at the line
of the beach, a silvery, curled key hanging from a chain around her neck.
Running forward, she attacked again, "Sparkling Wide Pressure!"
Two attacks, so rapid in succession, knocked the Kracken back. Odysseus
took this to his advantage, releasing several more arrows at the Kracken's
head to further confuse it as it dodged. "I'm almost out!" Odysseus shouted
in warning as he prepared his second to last arrow.
*Trap it somehow. Nets? What net large enough? Wait...*
"Jupiter! Get it into the water!"
"Got it!" Jupiter spun, the ball lightning forming again. "Sparkling
Wide..."
"Odysseus! The water!"
"...Pressure!"
Amy ran forward, Hermes a stride behind her. "Ames, what are you doing?"
Another arrow hit, this time striking just below the eye, winging the lid.
It was close enough to send the Kracken into a fury, lashing out with its
tail as it thrashed at its injured eye. The ball lightning struck as it
reeled, overturning the sea monster. It crashed into the water, half
submerged as it slid out into the bay, water winging up around it as it
writhed.
"Amy-chan! Again?"
But Amy ignored Jupiter's shout for the moment, splashing knee deep into
the roiling foam. She shoved her hands into the water as it drenched her
clothes, smacking her face. She closed her eyes and spat the water out as
she drew upon the flow of water within her.
*Don't fail me now. You came at Scylla and Chardbyis.... Please work now.
The aegis of Athena. A shield. But then, what is a shield but an cage used
for a person rather than against them?*
Before her, a fan of water was spurting upward, growing slowly.
*The water. The flowing sound. It accompanied the shield. It has never
left. Stay with me. Help me. Make the aegis grow....*
The fan soared upward as Amy poured power into it, racing out from her
fingertips. Warmth spread out from her chest where the Medusa's eyes had
opened again, bright silver. Amy opened her eyes to see the flow of water
around her hands, her eyes gleaming silvery blue in the light of the Medusa,
lighting her face and hair as it flowed around her head. The Kracken,
uprighting itself in its element, floated a moment, then summoned the
surging seas around it, hurtling itself forward with incredible speed.
It met Amy's wall of water, thin and crystalline as it was.
*Now.*
She released the aegis, feeling herself caught in Hermes' hands as she was
tossed backward by the pummeling waves. It spun outward, spiraling, meeting
the Kracken in its charge. They fought against each other as the Kracken
forced itself forward. Claws scrambled against the polished surface,
clambering for a hold to slide around on. The aegis domed over the top,
collapsing onto the sides, bubbling around the beast.
Lashing again, its tail and claws fought for some flaw in the sheen of
water that did not exist.
"Go back to Poseidon and explain that," Amy breathed as Hermes dragged her
unwillingly from the water. The Kracken, trapped in its globe of water,
submerged to the sound of suction from around it. Odysseus took Amy's other
arm, and she tried to shake both of them off. "I'm fine. Really. Hermes, let
me go."
She staggered a step as their support was cut off. She straightened herself
out. *Well. That was an interesting experiment.*
"Amy-chan?"
Amy wheeled as she heard the familiar voice. "Lita-chan?" she asked,
looking just as disbelieving as Jupiter.
"Amy-chan!" Jupiter shrieked, running forward and swinging her around as
Amy gasped against her tall friend's crushing hug. "You're okay! Who are
they? You got a tan! What the hell did you do to that thing? Do you have any
idea how much that thing trashed back home? When did you learn to do that?"
"Jupiter!" Amy gasped, "I need to breathe!"
"Amy-chan!" Jupiter dropped Amy. "What happened? Pluto told us that-"
It finally seemed to strike Jupiter that they had an audience with ears.
She stopped mid-ramble and looked at the two watching them with a mixed look
of concern, humor and curiosity.
"Please tell me I didn't screw up as much as I think I did."
"It's okay, Jupiter. They can't even understand what we're saying."
"Why?"
"Lingual shifts in Japanese have changed so much that the Japanese of this
time-"
"Wait!" Jupiter was shaking her head and holding up a hand. "Never mind,
Amy. I'll take your word for it."
"Oh. Well, this is Hermes. And this is Odysseus."
Hearing their names, the two males straightened, trying to control their
faces. "But...before I do anymore introductions, Jupiter, you'd better
de-transform. Laertes is going to be on his way any minute now."
"But they-" Jupiter began to protest, gesturing at the other two.
"It's okay. Just do it. I'll explain in a minute."
"Okay...." Jupiter agreed warily, watching the other two as she returned to
normal, in her beige and white school uniform.
That caused them to gawk openly. "Um, Ames, that's not exactly the usual
wear around here."
"I know," then turning, "Lita, you need to get some sort of period piece
outfit."
"What? I can't do that!"
"Bunny used to all the time."
"She had that pen thing!"
"And you have your Jupiter Crystal."
"But I've never...!"
"Try, Lita, please." Amy cast a nervous glance up to where the road opened
onto the beach. There were shouts approaching, and the alarm was pounding
more urgently.
"All right, all right! Um, Jupiter Power! Morph me into a...Mycenaean
woman...in a cool outfit! Please?"
Electricity crackled out of the Jupiter Crystal as Lita lifted it into the
air. A circle of lightning pulsed around her, beginning at her feet and
flying up around her head. As the energy passed over her, her uniform was
replaced by another outfit.
It was a deep green, sleeveless dress that fell to her knees, tied off at
the waist by a pink sash that trailed over her hip. Supple leather sandals
replaced her loafers, tying around her ankles. Her hair still remained in
its usual ponytail, but the beaded rubberband was gone, replaced by a ribbon
to match her sash, woven around her head in the Hellenic style, leaving a
narrow coil of hair to curl smoothly over her shoulder.
Lita examined her back and front, in surprise that it had worked, and
delight because she thought it looked, "Cool."
It was just in time. Laertes and two dozen armed men, bristling with spears
exploded from the treeline, running full tilt at the awaiting quartet.
Seeing his son and guests safe, he began to issue orders. "Hylax, Iasus.
Alert the villages up and down the coastline," barely they were gone when he
was delivering further ones, Irus and Poias, Thrasymedes and Neleus, all
sent in different directions to attend to their duties.
This done, Laertes focused on the new member of the group, who was not wet,
like Amy and Hermes, or covered in sand, such as his son. "Who are you?"
he asked reasonably, his bearded face set to wait, spear still in hand.
Lita, aware she was being addressed, just looked confused. "Amy? What did
he say?"
*Uh-oh. Lita can't speak Greek! In any era, not just this one.*
Amy replied for her. "Laertes, this is my friend, Lita." Then, switching to
Japanese, "Lita, this is Laertes, king of Ithaka."
Laertes, for all his usual good humor, was narrowly watchful of the
newcomer who was bowing before him politely. He extended his hand, and Lita,
who understood that, grasped it. "Ah, Laertes. Lita was telling me, as you
came up, that she was shocked at the strange thing that just happened to
her."
"And that was?" Laertes was still frowning.
"She said that the goddess Athena sent Iris to get her, to bring her to me
here, to help us fight the Kracken."
"And how did she help you do that?"
"Uh..." Amy stuttered.
Hermes noticed Amy's discomforture, and leapt in to help. "She is a
priestess! To Zeus! The Kracken didn't dare attack her, out of fear that
Zeus would strike it dead!"
*A priestess? Lita? Oh, Raye would just shit if she heard that. Amy! Watch
your language, even if it is in your head! Well, no one heard it at
least....And as for the story, I suppose it will work...In the Iliad, Apollo
got pretty mad when Chryseis was taken from her father...and she was the
daughter of a priest, not a priestess herself....*
Lita, while this was going on, was smiling numbly, hoping that whatever Amy
and the Hermes guy were saying would clear things up. When the man Amy
introduced as Laertes broke into a smile, she relaxed, and nearly was thrown
from her feet when Laertes thwacked her on the back cheerily.
"You'll be staying with us another day then! The boats will be coming back
in. Odysseus! Tell me how the Kracken was defeated! We saw from the palace a
wall of water rise up...."
Amy and Lita let out twin held breaths as Laertes steered his son away from
them.
"Amy, are you all right? What did he...?" she cast a sharp look at Hermes.
"Don't worry. It's all right. This is Hermes. We're on Ithaka. And the
Odysseus I tried to introduce a moment ago? That's THE Odysseus."
"Like from the 'Odyssey' thing you were trying to get Bunny to read at the
last study session?"
"Yes."
"I don't suppose that's THE Hermes, then?"
"Yes."
"What did he do in the Odyssey?"
"Lita, I mean it. Hermes. Like the god."
Realization dawning, Lita gaped at the young man standing and smirking at
them. "No way."
Amy laughed. "Come on. I have tons to tell you." Her face growing serious,
Amy took Lita's arm. "How's Mom? Is she okay? Is she worried? What
happened?"
It took the better part of the day to get both sides of the story told,
more on Amy's part than Lita's since she had, to her mind, been gone for
approximately a month. They sat in Amy's room in the palace, folded up
across from each other on Amy's bed. Lita had been given a room down the
hall. "So the others are going to rotate watching your Mom, Amy-chan.
Poseidon gets anything else through to her, and we'll know right away."
"Thank you, Lita-chan."
"No problem," she pulled the timekey out from under her tunic. "Pluto was
furious. Your friend Hermes is not on Setsuna's good side."
Amy's cheeks pinked slightly as she murmured in Hermes's defense, "Hermes
isn't as bad as you must think."
"Pluto looked about ready to kill. She never gets mad. You know Sets."
"Hermes has helped me out plenty of times now."
"Well, keep him away from Pluto unless you want him 'Dead Screamed' into
the fourth dimension."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Eurycleia interrupted their dialogue by bursting in the door, bubbling with
the news that dinner was ready.
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