(Steve Stachowicz) gerrek@hotmail.com (Matthew Frey) MAFREY@charter.net Webpage: http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/shores/2307 Swords of Destiny By Eric Thorsen and Stacko LEGAL STUFF: ** The characters and concepts used here are the property of those people and companies holding the copyrights to the respective storylines, series, and movies. The only exceptions are those created by the demented minds of authors of this story. The use of this material should be seen as the sign of respect that it is. Besides, suing either of us would be a waste of time since we don't have any money to begin with. **************************************** Chapter Two - Misunderstanding part II **************************************** "Today in the Rapungi district, yet another in the Oni murders has occurred," The morning news commentator announced as a news bulletin interupted the normal TV schedule. "As little is known of this crime as all similar cases and there is no mark on the body. The victim, a senior American Naval NCO was slain in grizzly fashion while on liberty from his post at Yokosuka Naval Station. His decapitated body was found a few feet from his car, while his head was found several meters away, in the parking structure of his hotel. The US ambassador has refused comment on this, the latest of these bizarre slayings. The Police have no leads and are baffled by the seeming randomness of the killings. The Tokyo Police are asking that anyone who may have information regarding these killings contact the police in their area. This station will keep its viewers apprised of any further developments in this breaking news story. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming." "EWWWWW, Gross!!!!" Chibi-Usa gagged slightly as the images of the blood splattered garage and sheet covered body flashed across the screen before being replaced by the anime she had just started watching returned to the screen further along than when the news bulletin started. "Chibi-Usa-Chan how many times do I have to remind you that we have to get this project finished soon?" Hotaru muttered."Honestly, you're acting more and more like Usagi every day." "I do not, you take that back Hotaru!!" Chibi-Usa yelled as she walked back over to the computer desk where Hotaru was sitting. Grumbling she sat down and picked up the intricately detailed scabbard lying on the table. "Well, what do we have on the scabbard, Hotaru?" she murmured as she looked at the cover page that Hotaru had just set up on the computer. "What we have is a scabbard that belonged to one of Totoyama Hideyoshi's Generals over 400 years ago, and was given to his youngest son before the battle of Sekigahara in which the general died." Hotaru read, "It was passed down in the son's family for seven generations until the last heir of that line died leaving it to his most faithful student and friend. It had been passed down until 1912 when the last of that line had willed it to the great-grandfather of the shopkeeper's friend." "So what we have here is a really old sword thingy that people have been giving to their kids because they didn't want it anymore?" Chibi-Usa asked, a little confused. Hotaru sweated a little at that, "More or less, but don't forget that Schwartzster-san said we would be getting more information from his friend this afternoon around three." Chibi-Usa glanced at her watch and eeped in alarm "Hotaru we have to hurry, it's 2:35 already!" At this pronouncement, Hotaru shrieked, grabbed her notebook and dashed out of the apartment. "We are so LATE!!" she yelled as she shut the door. Chibi-Usa gathered her school bag, and the scabbard, then giggled when she saw Botaru's key chain lying on the end table in the living room. Grabbing the keys, she locked the door and then ran after her friend. When she caught up with Hotaru she shook the keys in her friends face laughing at the blush on her cheeks. "Now who's acting like Usagi, ehh Hotaru?" Chibi-Usa giggled as her friend grabbed her keys, blushing hotter. ************************************** Scott was sweeping the front walk of his shop wondering where Kevin was. Glancing at his watch, he realized that his friend should have been there half an hour ago. Taking the broom to the closet, he was on his way back to the office to check his answering machine, when he felt that familiar jangling of his nerves that announced the presence of another of his kind. He was returning to the front of the shop when he noticed that the shadow in the doorway was too short to be his friend. Stifling the comment on punctuality he had been about to make, he altered his course to bring him close to the racks of swords in the middle of the room, and forced a smile. "Can I help you sir?" he asked politely wondering why the man was just standing in the doorway. The man chuckled maniacally, as if Scott had just said the funniest thing he had ever heard."Help me?" the man laughed."Like you helped Amanda perhaps? What did she ever do to you to make you kill her in that way? She hadn't even taken a head in two hundred years!" Having said this the man drew a rapier from his dark green overcoat. Scott drew his Katana from it's scabbard on the nearest rack just in time to parry the cut aimed at his throat, then did a backward dive roll to get some distance between them. The man kept coming, driving Scott back into the rear storeroom and when Scott found himself backed into the door the man hit him with a snap kick, knocking him through the door. Shaking his head clear the fog from it, Scott merely defended himself for a few more minutes to get his bearings back. Finally, heartily tired of the mans constant ravings, he dodged further out the man's way to get some breathing room. "I don't know what you think I've done, nor do I really care." he shouted back at the man a trifle breathlessly. "What I can tell you is that I have never heard of you, whoever the hell you are,or this Amanda you keep raving on about. If you plan to kill me, don't you think you should at least tell me who you are and why you want me dead?" "Very well then demon, I shall tell you of your crimes." the man ground out."Know this, I am called Austin Derrindelle, and two nights ago I came to my home to find my wife, Amanda, lying in her own blood, with a sigil burned into her forehead. By her hand I found your name written in her own blood. She had not even been killed cleanly. You slowly crippled and brutalized her until until she couldn't bear anymore. Then you killed her. For this evil deed shall you die, to avenge my love's pain and suffering." Scott grew even more bewildered as Derrindelle continued with his story until as he finished Scott could only stare at him in disbelief. "You mean to tell me that you intend to kill me because your wife died, all be it rather gruesomely, and my name was written in her blood?" Scott said perplexed. "Has it ever occurred to you that it might have been someone trying to set me up by writing my name there?" he demanded angrily. Upon hearing this denial Derrindelle roared like a wounded lion and charged Scott driving him further down the alley. *************************************** Hotaru and Chibi-Usa were walking now, Chibi-Usa holding an ice-cream cone with two scoops of blue colored ice cream on it. Hotaru was muttering darkly about being late and ice cream until finally she couldn't stand watching Chibi-Usa eat peacefully any longer. "I told you to hurry up or we would be late," Hotaru said disgustedly. But did you listen? No! You had to spend twenty minutes in an ICE CREAM SHOP. Honestly Chibi-Usa-chan you really are becoming more and more like Usagi these days." "You take that back Hotaru, you were the one who wanted to get something cool after running half a mile." Chibi-Usa growled back. "Besides Usagi doesn't even like bubble gum ice cream, she says it tastes wrong." she added needlessly. Chibi-Usa finished her ice cream and then ran to catch up with Hotaru who had run ahead after making her comment. As they turned the corner the shop came into view. ************************************** Scott had been driven three blocks from his shop before he could return to the offensive.He finally got tired of simply blocking Derrindelle's strikes and drove the man back for about fifty feet.It wasn't long before he knocked Derrindelle's sword from his hand and stopped again. "For the last time Mr. Derrindelle, until you showed up, I had never heard of your wife. I hadn't even heard of you before you came here, nor have I taken anyone's head in the last two hundred years." Scott growled out impatiently. "What do you say we stop this idiocy, and I'll help you look for the man who did this."He gasped a little winded from the nearly 45 minutes of fighting they had been doing. Austin just stood looking confused and muttering to himself. Seeing that he wasn't going to attack soon Scott lowered his sword even more. Then moving a little away from the still muttering maniac he propped himself against the wall with on hand on his knee. As he leaned back, the front of his shirt, which had been cut by a near miss, fell open and the medallion he had worn for the last 2000 years fell out and the sigil on it glimmered in the sunlight. The only warning that Scott received was the hoarseness of Derrindelle's breathing before the mad man's sword came whistling through the space formally occupied by Scott's neck. "You almost convinced me of your innocence friend but that medallion bears the sigil I found burned into my love's forehead when I found her. For this too you shall die then DEMON!" Blocking the mad man's sword yet again, Scott staggered back muttering about near-sighted idiocy. ************************************** Hotaru and Chibi-Usa stood in shock at what they had just heard.They had almost come to the door of the shop when they had heard the shriek of metal on metal, and someone shouting something about demons. With a horrified look at each other they ran down the alley following the sounds of fighting. They were getting very close to the source when Chibi-Usa suddenly slowed looking a little worried. "Don't you think we should call the others and wait for backup?" she whispered to her friend,who had stopped with her."I mean what if we can't handle this demon oroneofusgetshurtor...?" "You know Chibi-chan, you are really starting to remind me of Usagi now." Hotaru interrupted, annoyed by the whiny note in the girl's voice. "You go ahead and call them then wait for backup,and I'll go stop the Demon." Hotaru then continued toward the sounds,which had gotten a little further away. "I...But...Hotaru wait for me!" Chibi-Usa squealed as she ran to catch up with the other girl. They moved further down the alley until they reached a small side street and then stopped in horror at what they saw. ************************************** Scott was getting tired after the last 25 minutes of fighting, and the other man's hoarse gasps were roaring in his ear as he set his teeth. Then he drove the man back twenty feet, and changed his target from the man to his sword. As he drove Derrindelle even further back down the side street he realized he was about half a mile from his shop, and after repeated strikes on the man's sword, Schwartzstern heard a tell tale change in the clash of the swords, then grimly raising his Katana one last time, he cut down, removing the last nine inches from the end of Derrindelle's blade. At the protesting shriek of his sword Derrindelle gaped at the blade of his sword in shock. "For the last time, Derrindelle," Scott shouted to get his opponents attention, "I have no idea who killed your wife, nor do I truly care any more. If you don't stop this insanity here and now you will die here." Derrindelle's only response was a roar, followed by a wild charge. Blocking the ferocious attack, Scott set his mouth into a grim line. "There can be only one." he muttered in disgust. Then, parrying Derrindelle's wild swing, Schwartzstern turned his Katana. Suddenly, to Derrindelle's horror, the last 26 inches of his swords exploded into fragments, and Schwartzstern smoothly removed the man's head on the backstroke. Then the Quickening took him. ************************************** Hotaru stared, horrified at what she had just seen. When she and Chibi-Usa had arrived on the scene they had been shocked to silence by the sight of Mr. Schwartzstern,the young owner of the antique shop they had been on their way to see, fighting a crazed looking man with a sword. Mr. Schwartzstern was calmly parrying every attack the apparent lunatic made with no effort at all.They then noticed a slight shift in the shopkeepers attacks shortly after they arrived, but they were as surprised as his opponent when he suddenly removed the last few inches from the poor man's sword. As the man stared at his smaller sword, the antique dealer had spoken to him angrily as if trying to change the man's mind about something. However, what he was saying only seemed to anger the man more, resulting finally in the man attacking with the shortened remnants of his sword. Mr. Schwartzstern had parried the man's attack then in a blinding flash of speed had apparently shattered the other man's sword. Then on his return stroke the man's head had gone flying a meter away. Chibi-Usa was still over by a trashcan losing her lunch over that. Then the really strange part had started. A strange white mist had formed around the dead body and severed head. As the haze touched Mr. Schwartzstern,he stiffened and the mist vanished, as absorbed. Then something like lightning had erupted from his body and the dead man, and he shook as if he were being electrocuted. Arcs of power were everywhere, scorching the walls and destroying every street lamp in sight. Mr. Schwartzstern screamed, then, as quickly as it appeared, the lightning vanished leaving the antique dealer to fall to his knees looking exhausted. Hotaru slipped over to where Chibi-Usa was finally getting control of her stomach again. Chibi-Usa looked up as she approached her and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Well, Hotaru I guess it's up to us now,"she muttered smiling sickly at her friend. "Let's try not to get killed, okay?" Chibi-Usa and Hotaru transformed and prepared to fight. Then, Sailor Chibi-Moon stepped into the side street as the man finally struggled to his feet. "Hold it right their Nega-creep," Sailor Chibi-Moon yelled. "I am Sailor Chibi-Moon, and on behalf of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil. And the means you." She posed dramatically only hearing the giggles behind her once her speech was finished. ************************************** Scott stared in surprise at the two Senshi in front of him, wondering what was going on. One minute the quickening was receding,the next he was being confronted by a short, irate little girl with pink hair, dressed in a Senshi uniform. The second girl was very familiar somehow. The problem was it seemed that the little one thought he was from the Negaverse. Turning to the one who had spoken, he glared at the insult. "I don't know who you are, but I am not in the mood to be insulted by little girls playing dress up. So if you don't mind, I'll be leaving now." He growled, walking toward the other end of the street where the opening to another alley could be seen. Seeing the man walking away and ignoring them, Sailor Saturn summoned the Silence Glaive, and started walking toward him. Scott stopped moving when he saw the second girl apparently summon a rather wicked looking pole arm from thin air. As he finally recognized who the girl was, she began speaking. "For betraying the trust of others, and murdering innocents I, Sailor Saturn, the Senshi of Silence shall punish you." Having said this she swung the weapon at Scott's head. Scott was stunned. "Are they all back now? They must be if she's here." His eyes refocused suddenly as he caught the glint of the sun off metal from the corner of his eye. Ducking,he rolled away coming to his feet out of the pole arm's range. "Watch where you swing that thing, Talia." Scott yelled as he came to his feet. "You could hurt somebody." He then ran the remaining 20 feet to the open alleyway and down the alley. "Got to get away, must not hurt those two." he muttered to himself a he ran down the alley. Sailor Saturn stared after him blankly for a few seconds. "How...?" she muttered to herself then swore because he was getting away. "Idiot, that was the point of the attack, to hurt HIM!" She then started chasing him, with Chibi-Moon not far behind. Scott sent his sword into subspace, then made several random turns in an attempt to lose the two Senshi, but he couldn't seem to shake them from his trail. That was when his luck ran out again. He rounded a corner looking behind him and ran through a cloud of steam from a vent, straight into a brick wall. Literally. He got up and dusted himself off as he heard running steps come up behind him. He turned to meet the two Senshi as they ran around the corner. He tried to reason with them again. "I don't know why you're after me Talia, but I can tell you I'm not from the Negaverse," he began. "You see I'm..." "Silence Negaverse scum," Saturn interrupted. "You have killed at least five innocent people in cold blood for their life energies. This will be stopped now." Having said this, Sailor Saturn attempted a number of overhand strikes, missing repeatedly. In the background she could hear Sailor Chibi-Moon giggling. Enraged beyond thought she charged at the man, attempting to impale him with the Silence Glaive. As the blade neared him, Scott dodged to the side and grabbed the shaft of the pilearm just under the blade.Using Sailor Saturn's momentum, he lifted her off her feet, carrying her through an arc which ended with her landing, screaming, in a dumpster belonging to the restaurant backing onto this alley. Feeling an unfamiliar tingling at the back of his neck, Scott dropped and rolled as a blue-white energy beam hit the wall at the level of his chest. Turning as the beam dissipated, he saw that it had from the pink haired Senshi that he didn't recognize. With a disgusted shrug he drew his sword and walked toward the girl. Sailor Chibi-Moon shrieked as the man approached her with his sword drawn, then suddenly stopped as she slumped to the ground, unconscious from the blow on her head from the sword's pommel. In the distance he heard sirens approaching. He turned back to the dumpster and yelled to girl he could hear struggling to get out. "Talia, if you don't want to spend a very uncomfortable evening answering questions, I suggest you get your unconscious friend here and get home," he shouted."Don't worry about the Silence Glaive, I'll take care of it and you can get it back later at 'The Lost World of Wonders' on Nakamura Street. I'll see you later there." This said he walked out of the alley and headed back to his shop. Hotaru climbed out of the dumpster covered in rotting food a few minutes later just as Chibi-Usa woke up.As she changed back, the slime settled into her school uniform. Standing up, Chibi-Usa changed back, then wrinkled her nose as Hotaru approached. "Yuck, Hotaru, you smell awful," she said holding her nose. "Why didn't you wait to change until after you were out of the dumpster." "I did, smart-alec, it didn't go away with the other stuff," Hotaru grumbled. "I think we had better go tell the others what's going on. Besides, we're going to need a lot of help if we're going to get the Silence Glaive back," she said mumbling the last part in self-disgust. "WHAT? You mean he took it with him?" Chibi-Usa shrieked. "But, I thought no one from the Negaverse could touch the talismans," she said in confusion as they walked down the side street away from the sound of the sirens now blocks behind them. "That's right, Chibi-Usa-chan,no one from the Negaverse can," Hotaru said as she turned at the gate to the Hikawa shrine. But this wouldn't be the first time they used humans as tools to collect energy. We MUST get the others, and stop him before he can get in contact with his masters," she added. They climbed the steps hurriedly, hoping that Rei was home. ************************************************************************ Scott walked back in to the shop through the shattered back door just as his answering machine hung up. Grumbling about impossible timing, he hit the button on the machine for playback. "Scott, this is Kevin. Sorry about the time, but I'm going to be a bit late for that meeting we discussed earlier," the voice said. "Thorne is back in town from wherever he vanished to, so I'm going to try and track him down, see if I can get some info on Rochefort's whereabouts. If those students we were talking about get there before I do, entertain them with some story from the last time I was in Japan. Or you could show them some of the stuff I sent you by courier. Well talk to you later my friend," then the machine cut off. There was another call but the caller hung up on the machine. Grumbling about unreliable friends, Scott glanced up at the clock as he entered the shop, only now noticing that the two girls were half an hour late already. With a little concern he went to the front door to see if there were any notes on the door, but there were none. Shrugging philosophically, he walked back into the shop and started cleaning. ************************************************************************ Chibi-Usa ran into the courtyard of the Hikawa shrine, and started looking for Rei, as Hotaru trudged up the stairs behind her holding her school uniform as far away from herself as she could. When she reached the top, Phobos and Deimos flew from the tree they were in and went toward the back of the shrine. Following them, Hotaru called to get Chibi-Usa's attention. As they came around the back of the shrine, they saw Rei raking leaves. Rei stopped as the two girls came around the office, then stared at the miserable young girls. "What happened to you Hotaru," she gasped. "You look like you were dumped into a trash heap." Chibi-Usa collapsed into a giggle fit rolling on the ground, as Hotaru blushed hotly. After a few minutes, Chibi-Usa regained control and glanced apologetically at her friend. "That probably because she did Rei," she said. "Who did that to you, Hotaru," Rei muttered darkly, her expression promising great pain for the culprit. Chibi-Usa glanced quickly at her friend then said, "It was the Beheader, Rei. We actually know who he is. But he's a really good fighter and we got beat up." As Rei got ready to yell at them Hotaru spoke up in a small voice. "He also took the Silence Glaive." She muttered. Rei stopped with a shocked expression on her face. "What?" she gasped. "We had better call the others to an emergency meeting." As Rei went to start calling, Hotaru stopped her. "Would you please have Michiru-mama bring me some new clothes when she comes, Rei," she asked pathetically. "I'll be taking a REALLY long shower." This said she walked into the shrine and went into the bathroom. Rei shook her head in sympathy, then went to start calling the others. ************************************************************************ After he finished sweeping up the broken glass Scott went into the storeroom and opened the package that had arrived earlier that day. In it were the extended history of ownership forms that Kevin had promised and a few newspaper articles. On top were some articles about something called "The Oni Murders", the last was simply a very grainy photograph showing what appeared to be ten figures in rather short skirts, scattering. The writing on the last said, "another photo for your strangeness collection, Kevin" Looking closely at the figures Scott muttered to himself, "So they ARE all back. I wonder if she even remembers me." Placing the clipping on his desk, he walked up the stairs to the roof, and gazed into the distance as if looking for an answer. ************************************************************************ A man in a green overcoat, with short brown hair glanced across the rooftops at the man staring into the distance. His face showed contempt for the man as well as a twisted humor. "So the great Scott Schwartzstern I was warned of is merely a dreaming shopkeeper," Daryl Thorne muttered to himself. "Oh, well if I must attack the man, at least he might beg for mercy like that woman. And the look on her man's face when he found her was priceless. Too bad he went so quickly. I wonder what about that symbol Damian gave me was so damaging to Schwartzstern's image though. Maybe he'll tell me before I kill him." Chuckling to himself he walked down the storefronts looking in every so often. He didn't notice the tall, auburn haired man in a black duster following him at a discrete distance. Or the dark look the man cast him as he realized his quarries next target.