Life is a Lemon…
Five years ago in a small dark cave on the mountain of Pu Tuo Shan in China.
“I knew it was here,” a young man whispered with satisfaction as he brushed the last layer of dirt off a graven symbol. “Now I will have the power and she will be my bride.”
Pulling a chisel and small hammer from a bag at his side, he slowly chipped away the symbol. An archeologist would have screamed at the damage being done to what was obviously an ancient carving, a priest would have fought to stop the desecration. An old priest in fact had tried to stop the determined young man from entering the cavern. His remains were at the moment being squabbled over by a curse of ravens.
With a final triumphant blow of the hammer the symbol was destroyed and for a moment all sound on the mountainside stopped. The silence stretched out for a long moment, then suddenly a fierce wind blew through the cave. It came not from the opening but from the wreckage of the seal that once held back the evil inside.
Blown over by the force of the wind, the young man giggled madly and slowly pulled himself to his feet. Before him, where there once was a wall, was now a large shadow filled doorway. Around the doorway formed strange symbols, ones that made the eyes water to look at but at the same time beckoned those who stood before them to enter.
Kaneda smiled, he knew that to step beyond that doorway would be the end of his life as he was. He was not here to do that. He raised his voice, smiling as he called out. “I, Kaneda of the clan of Miidera have come for the Sword of Power. I have broken the seal that has kept you trapped in the mountain of your enemy. I demand the Sword in payment!”
An eerie voice filled the cave as a form slowly appeared in the doorway. “Why should I give you the Sword, boy? What will you do with the power?”
Kaneda’s dark eyes gleamed. “I will take what is mine and I will throw down those who would bring Light into power.”
A shadow pulled itself free of the doorway and wrapped itself about Kaneda, insinuating into his mind as it did so. “Yes, yes we see what you wish. We will help you, for a price.”
Kaneda shuddered at the feel of the darkness sliding into his soul. “Anything, as long as she is mine in the end.”
“Then take the sword. You will be the new avatar. You must control and dominate the light.’ The form pulled itself away from his body and slowly solidified. Kaneda could feel his hand lifting and wrapping about the hilt of a sword. With a smile he hefted the blade. The balance was perfect for him. This was the blade he had been seeking.
It was time to return to America, time to force the master of the Fukushuu temple to tell him where his niece was, time to make Suteko his wife, as she was meant to be. No old man was going to stop him from gaining his rightful powers or his rightful bride. If it cost him his soul, well that was a small price to pay to show her who was her master. Kaneda turned and strode out of the cave. The shadows flowed out behind him, melting into his form as the sun touched them. He stepped over the corpse of the guardian, just one more obstacle in his path.
***
Gregor Matten looked over toward Hana as they walked back to his hotel. “How come you didn’t tell them that we are it for the Kouhei?”
Hana looked up, her eyes a bit distant. “What? Oh…Setsuna told me not to say anything.”
“Really?” Gregor lifted a brow, his voice taking on an almost sarcastic note. “And we started taking orders from her royal timeness when?”
Hana sighed. “Gregor there are things she knows that you don’t. Things I can’t even let you in on for the time being.”
Gregor stopped and turned toward Hana, almost menacing in his manner. The Gregor of years before would have torn into her but he had learned a lot about control in the last few years and a bit about the small woman with him. “So what can you tell me?”
“That we aren’t the only Kouhei right now. Sweet water is coming back.”
Gregor blinked. That was a surprise. He had not thought to see the Tai Chi master returning to Japan. She had stayed with the team only long enough to defeat the being responsible for the death of her mate, the amerid warrior, Oak. The heart had gone out of her with his death. He had heard she had returned to the States and moved up into the mountains of the east somewhere.
“When did you hear this?”
“She told me last month.” Hana answered vaguely.
Gregor snarled a bit. Spending time with Pluto had taught Hana more ways to be indirect and more ways of hiding what she knew. It had been both useful and annoying when she was younger, before they had found out who she really was, now it was just annoying. “And you just ‘forgot’ to tell me?”
Hana managed to look a bit ashamed. Gregor realized she probably had forgot. She still at times had trouble with the actual flow of days. When one lived in the moment for ages at a time, the passing of days was not something you paid attention to. “I wasn’t in sync long enough to tell you.” She turned distant eyes to his. “She has changed some but she still isn’t over Oak.”
Gregor nodded. He understood very well, the years didn’t really dull the pain, no matter what the common saying was. “Why is she coming back?”
“She is needed. Or will be. Her healing powers have grown over the years.”
“And we can’t expect Usagi to heal up every little thing can we?” Once more the tall man was back to his gruff self. Though he had come under the healing hands of his former teammate a few times in the past, he had a firm belief that the Moon princess should do more than she had in the past for the teams. If they had all worked together then, those who died would not have necessarily have done so.
***
They walked for a while in silence, heading toward the base they had set up for themselves. The hand of fate or it could have been Pluto had set them up within the same neighborhood as Iriko’s apartment. The area was quiet for a Saturday morning but neither of the walkers really minded.
As they neared their destination Gregor tensed, not enough for anyone who did not know him to notice but enough so that Hana looked at him silently. The barest flicker of a fingertip and she nodded. Someone was watching them, someone who was not human. Leaning against a street lamp across the street was what looked like a street thug.
Dressed in jeans and leather the dark-haired young man stared directly at Gregor, as if to challenge him in someway. If looked at closely the observer would notice that the young man lacked something basic to anything standing under the morning sun. He had no shadow.
As one the two Kouhei stepped across the street and toward the waiting figure. It could have been a trap or just a rous to distract them but they knew they were being summoned. With the rapport that they had built up over the years of working together a silent plan was made and agreed to.
Gregor took the lead, Hana a step or two behind and to the side of him. Coming to a stop on the street in front of the shadowless man, Gregor crossed his arms and waited. The silence stretched out for a long minutes before the youma spoke. “The Shadow master sends a message to the Kouhei. Stay out of this fight. It matters not to you the fate of She who belongs. Back away now and the last Kouhei can grow old gracefully.”
“And if we decide to ignore this little suggestion?” Hana spoke from behind her teammate.
The creature shrugged. “Then they will go the way of the Star knights. Nothing shall stand in the way of the Master’s wishes.”
Gregor shook his head slowly, uncrossing his arms. “Wrong answer, youma.” He stepped forward faster than his size would have lead anyone to believe. He curled his fingers in the mock leather of the youma’s clothing. “The Kouhei don’t take orders from evil and we don’t let creatures like you roam the streets.” He slowly smiled as he lifted it from the ground.
Hana stretched out her senses and nodded once more to herself. They were slowly being surrounded. This was to be expected and she reached for her transformation crystal with a
quick glance about them. As she all ready noticed, the streets were empty. “Rage, he has friends.”
Gregor’s grin grew to a truly scary thing as he casually tossed the youma to the side and pulled his crystal. Together they spoke softly.
“Sailor Time”
“Sailor Rage”
In moments the two powered up and readied for battle. They went back to back and watched as the shadowlings slide out into the open. The darkness called to the darkness within the Kouhei but as they had in the past they fought of that inner battle.
***
As they had arrived so the others left in pairs or singly. By midmorning each of those who had gathered had what information was available. They went out, each in their own way deep in thought. Ami stayed behind to confer with Iriko and to keep an eye on the silent Suteko.
“So these new creatures are beings formed of shadow?” Ami was busily running a search on her portable computer for anything she could find. There had been creatures like those Suteko had described found in legends and some information had made it’s way into the database she used.
Iriko looked over at her silent houseguest and nodded. Suteko sighed and spoke. “Each of the youma were different but yes, as far as I could tell they were creatures born of shadow. The easiest way to tell was that they did not cast a shadow of their own. A bright enough light could hurt them, as we found out but you can only use magical or spirit light. Sunlight weakens them a bit but electrical light does little to them. They chased us through a well lit mall and barely slowed down.”
Suteko started to pace. She wanted to get out, onto the streets, to be doing something but Usagi and the others had convinced her to stay put. Usagi had even gone out to retrieve her belongings from the hotel she had been staying at. She and her fiancé would be back in a few hours with Suteko’s own clothing and some food or so she had said when she left.
Mercury set up the final search perimeters and set her computer aside to work. She could tell that the Star Knight was more than tense and needed something to distract her. She thought back and then smiled. They actually had more than being touched by destiny in common. She remembered that at one time Suteko had planned on studying medicine. “Did you ever get into medical school Suteko-san?”
Suteko looked up startled at the odd question. Or at least odd to where her mind was at the time. “Medical school?” She blinked and then almost chuckled. “Oh right. Actually I finished my trauma technician training about two years after I last saw you all.”
“Trauma technician?” Iriko asked a bit confused.
Ami turned and explained. “Suteko-san means she specialized in the care of those with critical injuries from things like auto accidents or disasters. They are the people who stabilize the injured so they can be transported to a hospital and cared for.”
“Exactly, though that is a bit simplified. I have worked both in the field and in the ER over the past few years.”
“Which facility have you worked at Suteko-san?” Ami was very curious. She was just recently through her residency and ready to go into her own practice.
“I worked outside of Japan, Ami-san. I did some work in Africa for a year and then at a trauma center in the states. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have heard of the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.”
Ami shook her head for a moment and then stopped. “No wait, I think I have. That is north of Boston, Massachusetts correct?”
Suteko nodded. “About 40 miles. They expanded hugely to better handle the care needs of a growing population. It was near home but yet not in Boston so I settled there for a while.”
The two medicos settled down to a conversation on the relative merits of the different medical services they had been through and Suteko seemed to relax a bit. Iriko smiled and silently left the two, walking into her kitchen to put together some tea. At first she had been a bit skeptical at Usagi’s choice to leave Mercury in charge of Unicorn but then she had not known that Unicorn was a medic.
Humming quietly she moved about her small kitchen. It seemed odd to her to have had so many people in her solitary haven. The memories that Pluto had returned to her were painful mostly in the loneliness she had lived with for so long. Being a naturally shy person, she had very few friends, she wanted friends but was unsure how to go about making them.
Usagi had been a wonder to her. So open and friendly to everyone she met, she made everyone feel special. Iriko had been glad when Usagi had taken the silent Suteko into her room, even if it meant she and Hana had to deal with a room full of strangers to them both.
Hana was a really surprise to her. When they had been left with the unconscious Unicorn the other girl had sat at her side and seemed to stop the nightmares that flowed into the other woman’s mind before they could grab hold. It was the first time in Iriko’s memory that anyone other than herself had used any powers of the mind.
They had talked for a while after Suteko had finally settled into a dreamless slumber. Finding out that the other woman was as shy as herself and that they shared an ability to see into other peoples thoughts was almost comforting. As Minerva, Iriko had not had a chance to be a part of a fighting team but she had seen her share of battle. The fact that they both were orphans brought the two women together in a strong bond of friendship.
They traded off easing the sleep of their charge for the three days they had her alone. They both felt the soul deep sadness of Suteko and they tried to think of a way to help.
***
Time swung the chain in her hands in ever increasing arcs. With each pass one of the creatures attacking either dodged or went down. The fragile seeming pocket watch on the edge of the chain was as hard as a stone and those it touched crumbled into sand as all their allotted time was sucked from their forms.
Years before she had learned that she could indeed fight if she was cornered, when she remembered who she really was she had also remembered all the battle skills that years as Pluto's aide had taught her. Not bound by the same laws as her mentor, Time could effect the world about her, if only in a minor way.
As she spun about, her eyes caught on Rage. Gregor has changed over the years too, that was clear in the way he dealt with things. She could she the old Rage as he fought but she knew he was unlikely to fall under the control of his darker self now.
Gregor was filled with a type of glee. Battle was of one of the things he was extremely good at and destroying youma one of his favorite pass times. It had been a few years since Time and he had fought together but like always the two teamed together were a force to be reckoned with. His sword sliced through the shadow youma, followed by the eerie cries as the creatures dissolved.
As they moved back together he grunted, pulling his sword back as another youma screamed. "These seem to be less powerful than the batch after Unicorn."
Time nodded, her eyes on the circling youma. "This is a distraction only. Information gathering I believe."
"How observant of you, Kouhei. The Master needs to know just what he is dealing with." The same punk from before was now floating in the air out of reach. "It seems our information was wrong. The Master will be displeased." The punk then faded out as the sun broke through and lit the area brightly.
"Damn! Tricked again," snarled Gregor. "This isn't good."
"But it was to be expected. This fight is just beginning."
"So the others are probably being tested too?"
Hana nodded as her transformation faded. Once more the unassuming small woman, she brushed her ragged bangs from her dark eyes. "We hold some surprises up our sleeves, Gregor. Ones that the Shadow master will not expect."
Gregor looked at his partner. "And you can't tell me right?"
Hana slowly shook her head. "Not yet."
He shook his head with a tired chuckle and the two headed back on their way.
***
"So, these Kouhei have darkness inside the
m do they?" The Master of Shadows spoke softly to the air. His general knew better than to speak aloud. "This could be useful."
The hood turned toward him, "Aki, find out what is the key to those Kouhei. Their talents would be very useful to my plans."
Aki spoke in the sibilant whisper that the strongest of the shadow youma used. "It is highly unlikely that they can be turned easily Shadow master. They worked in the past for the forces of darkness but they were reclaimed by the Moon princess for the side of Light."
The dark hood tilted to the side, as if listening to unheard voices. "Not all were claimed. Focus on the failures and the birds will come to hand."
Aki nodded and stepped back into the darkness. The being that was once Kaneda sat on his throne, one hand caressing the black bladed sword in its lap. "The light will be snuffed out. Darkness will claim all. It is foreordained."
***
At the Cherry hill temple Rei, Mina and Makato held a meeting of their own. Rei sat in front of the sacred fire and prayed silently, the other two young women waiting behind her. Over the years the powers of each had grown and Rei's spiritual powers had grown in proportion with her Senshi powers.