Part Twenty-Three : A Dark Vision and a Ray of Hope; Mars to the Rescue!
Listen to Her Most Beautiful Smile
The breeze outside blew gently as Rei walked into her room. She set down her book bag where she usually did, and she took her shoes off. It was a Monday afternoon, and Rei was tired from her first day back at school. It was already a week since Valentine’s Day, yet the mood for the holiday hadn’t been on any of the senshi’s minds.
Rei, still troubled by Shakaku and Dorei’s recent capture, changed into her robes, and she sat herself down in front of the fire. Rei knew that she wouldn’t be able to help the trapped senshi, but she felt that the least she could do would be to try and find some answers.
She had luck before, and she was counting on that same luck to help her aid the other senshi. Rei threw some sort of powder in the fire, and she closed her eyes as she began to concentrate on the fire’s energy. The fire seemed like it was going to cooperate, and now she just had to stay focused and wait. It took a few moments for anything to happen, and when something did happen, it wasn’t big at all; it only seemed like the fire had burped.
“Well, that doesn’t help me,” Rei said as she sighed. She prayed that the fire was only playing with her, and she began to concentrate once again.
This time, Rei began to get a vision. Even though her eyes were fully open, darkness overwhelmed her, and a chill ran down her spin. The dark room that she was now in seemed extremely familiar, but at the same time she knew that she had never been there. There were several lanterns scattered across the room, and they provided the only light. As Rei began to look around, the room’s real size could be seen, and she knew that the room was nearly empty.
However, the room was not completely empty, and she widened her eyes as she knew who was seated on the large throne at the front of the room. Even though she could not see the person clearly, she knew just by the shadow’s size that it was Kyuuteki.
To Rei’s surprise, Kyuuteki did not say anything to her, but she watched as the two large doors that lead to the room were opened, and a tall, but still smaller than Kyuuteki, man walked into the room. His flowing cape gave Rei the hint that this was no other than Kaboku, although she had thought that he was still on earth.
“Master,” Kaboku said as he walked closer to the front of the room. When he was close enough, Kaboku stopped, and he bowed in front of the much larger man.
“I still want to congratulate you on your excellent capture. I wasn’t sure if you would be able to pull it off,” Kyuuteki said, referring to Sailor Phoenix’s capture.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help,” Kaboku said.
“Of course,” Kyuuteki agreed. Just the sound of Kyuuteki’s voice made another chill run down Rei’s back, but she remained silent as she watched. Somehow, she didn’t think that the fire had sent her this vision.
“Will we be attacking any more senshi?” Kaboku asked timidly. Kyuuteki raised his head, and he looked directly where Rei was; somehow Rei knew that Kyuuteki had sent her the message, and he was checking to make sure that she was paying attention.
“No,” Kyuuteki said, getting back to the conversation. “We will use the senshi we have now, and we will use them to attack the other senshi.”
“Very well,” Kaboku said with a bow, signaling that he understood his master’s wishes. “And now I must ask,” Kaboku began, but he stopped and looked up at Kyuuteki to see if he was allowed to speak.
“I was wondering when you were going to ask,” Kyuuteki said with a smirk on his face.
“Yes,” Kaboku began. “If it would be alright with you? I have never had such a perfect opportunity,” Kaboku said; he was not going to go right out and ask if Kyuuteki already knew what he wanted.
“I warn you,” Kyuuteki said as he glanced down at Kaboku. “You must not let anything let her get the advantage; we both know what will come from that.”
“I need no reassurance,” Kaboku said as cracked his knuckles.
“Be careful. I know you can beat her up; everyone knows that. You have nothing to prove, and she is here for a reason. The only reason why I am even letting you take even one swing is because her energy will turn negative, and the Dark Realm can use that,” Kyuuteki explained.
Kaboku’s hopes fell as he realized that he wouldn’t be able to give the senshi the kind of ass kicking that he had hoped for. However, he was going to beat her up pretty badly.
“But I can hit her?” Kaboku asked.
“Oh yes. Just don’t kill her. Like I said, we all know you can, but don’t,” Kyuuteki said as he peered down at Kaboku to make sure that he would do just that.
“She thinks she can beat me,” Kaboku said as he cracked his knuckles once again.
“Because she has,” Kyuuteki reminded Kaboku. With that, Kaboku got angered to the point were he was willing to kick the senshi’s ass right then, but he calmed himself.
“I know,” he managed to say.
“You’re dismissed.”
Rei watched as the vision blurred, and despite the warmth that was coming from the fire in front of her, she was shivering. Rei was confused as she tried to imagine how anyone could live in such a dead, cold, motionless place.
Rei got up in determination as she figured out just what she was going to do. She put on her sandals, and she headed out to tell the remaining Constellations about what she had just seen.
Kaichuu tried to push and shove people out of her way as she raced down to the entrance of the fine arts building. Many people seemed to step in Kaichuu’s way, but she managed to dodge them. Someone opened their locker just as she was running by, and her determination fueled her speed and agility, so she was able to dodge the open door.
She reached the doors along with some other late arrivals, and they all waited around the Art department’s bulletin board. Today, one of the school’s biggest announcements was going to come out, and Kaichuu was anxious to see the results. All of the students held their breath as the department chairwoman, who just so happened to be Kaichuu’s own art teacher, walked up to the bulletin board, and she posted the list that everyone was waiting to see.
Kaichuu waited patiently even though it was hard for her. She wanted to see just who was going to get a chance at a full-blown scholarship to the Tokyo Academy of Fine Arts. Kaichuu hoped to god that it would be her.
When it came time for Kaichuu to see the board, she nearly fainted as she saw her name on the top of a very short list. She smiled and marveled at her success; she had worked so hard for this moment.
“Kaichuu?” Kaichuu heard one girl say. “Who’s that?”
“She’s one of those unknown artists,” a boy responded. Kaichuu kept herself from turning around and telling them that she was Kaichuu. “I’ve seen some of her other stuff,” the boy continued. “Her other stuff isn’t even worthy of being considered for a contest like this. But the piece that put her ahead, now that’s something.”
Kaichuu smiled as she took in the fact that those two artists were some of the best in the school, yet they were talking about her like an equal. Kaichuu turned around to leave in order to dwell in her success even more. The only thing that was bothering Kaichuu was that her best friend couldn’t be there to share in her glory.
“Mitsukai,” a girl the same age as Kaichuu said as she stepped in front of her. Kaichuu almost collided into the girl because she wasn’t paying attention, but she was able to stop herself in time. “Kaichuu?” the girl addressed again.
“Yeah, that’s me,” Kaichuu said as she tried to put a smile on her face despite her negative thoughts.
“That was a very nice picture that you painted,” the other girl, who was ranked second, said. “I guess it’s still hard for me to believe that you were able to beat me.”
“Well, I put a lot of work into it,” Kaichuu said slightly defensively.
“I can see that,” the other girl replied. “Well, good luck.”
“Thanks,” Kaichuu said, and she continued on her way. She had promised to meet Hoshi and Enzeru after school, which was exactly where she was going.
Hoshi leaned against the door of Enzeru’s music class. Enzeru had chosen to take this time to ask her music teacher a few questions about the pieces that they had recently been assigned to work on. When Enzeru was done, she walked to the door, where she saw Hoshi waiting for her.
“Thanks for waiting for me,” Enzeru said as she approached the older girl.
“No problem,” Hoshi said as she thought that she would rather wait for Enzeru than risk another one of them getting caught.
Enzeru turned her head to the side suddenly, and she stopped Hoshi from walking out of the room. “Wait,” she whispered. Enzeru set one foot outside of the classroom, and she stomped it. Sure enough, Kaichuu leaped forward in front of the door, ready to attack the girls with her roll of duct tape.
“Ack!” Hoshi said as she saw Kaichuu look in her direction and smile. Hoshi dashed by Kaichuu, and she managed to get away from the hyper girl.
“Fine,” Kaichuu said as another smile grew on her face. “Enzeru’s a good target.” However, when Kaichuu turned around to get Enzeru, Enzeru was gone, and she was standing by Hoshi. “You suck!” Kaichuu yelled at them.
“We know,” the two girls answered together, and the three of them began to walk off the large campus.
“What’s she doing here?” Enzeru said suddenly. Kaichuu and Hoshi both looked up to see the most unlikely of people walking toward them. They were all surprised that they hadn’t seen Rei walking toward them before.
“Rei!” Kaichuu said as she ran forward with her roll of duct tape in hand. However, the look on Rei’s face meant that something was up, and only something bad would have sent her in their direction.
“What’s wrong? You don’t look too happy,” Hoshi said as she stopped walking.
“You wouldn’t be either,” Rei said instead of greeting the group properly. “I saw something that concerns the two girls that aren’t here right now.” The three girls didn’t have to ask whom Rei was talking about.
“Did something happen?” Enzeru asked.
“Something’s going to happen,” Rei corrected the younger girl. “Your friend,” she looked at Kaichuu, “isn’t going to be ok much longer. From my understanding, Kyuuteki sent me this vision for a reason.”
“How do you know it was Kyuuteki who sent it?” Kaichuu said; she wasn’t sure if she should trust the opposing senshi or not.
“He looked right at me in the vision,” Rei said. All of the girls shuddered, knowing just how deathly looking Kyuuteki’s gaze really was. “All I know is that he gave permission to Kaboku to attack Phoenix,” Rei continued. “He didn’t look too happy about it, either.”
“He’d better not!” Kaichuu said as she took in just what Rei had just said.
“I know,” Rei reassured. “What bugs me is that Kyuuteki didn’t tell me anything, he just let me watch, and I know he wanted me to tell you. Strange thing is, he seems like someone who would use verbal communication.”
“He didn’t have to send verbal communication,” a new voice made all four girls turn around. None of them could believe that Kaboku had been right behind them, and they didn’t even know it. Kaichuu clinched her teeth together in order to keep herself from saying anything.
Instantly, Rei reached into her pocket, and she brought out a single ofuda, which she threw at Kaboku. Without even trying, Kaboku caught the sign, it crumbled into dust, and he let it drop to the floor.
“The best you’ve got? Really, two senshi are gone, and you can’t even do anything properly,” Kaboku mocked. “Which reminds me,” Kaboku said as he glanced at each senshi one by one save Kaichuu, “whose turn is it this time?”
“You wouldn’t be able to,” Hoshi spat at him.
“Oh no? I could, but Kyuuteki said we can just use the power that we have now,” Kaboku replied.
Kaichuu breathed in deeply as she got some idea as to what Kaboku was talking about. “And what do you mean by that?” she made herself ask. Kaboku could not bring himself to speak to that particular senshi, especially after their last encounter.
“Well, speak up!” Hoshi said.
Kaboku raised an eyebrow in the senshi’s general direction tauntingly, and he disappeared.
“I don’t think Shakaku and Dorei are doing so great right now,” Rei pointed out the fact that had been looming over the other girls. Kaichuu bit her tongue, and Hoshi crossed her arms and glared at Rei.
“Thanks for the news,” Enzeru still managed to say politely.
“Do you think he’ll actually go through with it?” Dorei asked as she looked over at Shakaku’s cell. Shakaku, who hadn’t slept well since she had been captured, looked tired, and she was slow to respond.
“Of course he will,” Shakaku said. She straightened up and crossed her legs on the stone floor where she had been sitting for endless hours. “He would do anything to get back at me,” she added.
“What’s the point? It’s not like she wouldn’t have found out,” Dorei commented.
Shakaku’s eyes feel considerably before she spoke. “It gives him a reason to kick my ass.” Before Dorei could answer, the door to the cell room opened, and two yajuus entered.
“Careful,” one of them said as the other went to open the door to Shakaku’s cell. It took Shakaku a few seconds to comprehend what was happening. The other yajuu opened the door to Dorei’s cell, and the two walked out of the room while securely holding the senshi’s arms.
“He won’t be too happy,” Shakaku whispered as she and Dorei were led down numerous corridors.
“Why do you say that?” Dorei asked calmly, but she was concerned about what might happen to the other senshi.
“He’ll know that I’m not at my best, and he’ll try and push me,” Shakaku explained as she tried to keep herself awake.
“Shakaku,” Dorei began to express her concern, but Shakaku pulled herself together. “Why are you even going to fight him?”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Shakaku responded.
The doors to the main courtroom opened as the group reached the entrance. Shakaku, with her face down, lifted her eyes just enough to see Kaboku standing proudly at the head of the courtroom. Shakaku couldn’t help but laugh to herself because she had learned some of her best moves from Kaboku himself, yet here he was trying to defeat her.
Shakaku could feel herself getting more and more irritable at every glance that she took to him. The yajuu walked her deeper into the room and closer to Kaboku, but the yajuu that was retaining Dorei stayed back.
A few steps before reaching Kaboku, the yajuu pushed Shakaku forward. When Kaboku saw Shakaku stumble, he noticed that she would not fight her best. He raised an eyebrow as he saw the dark circles around her eyes. “I had hoped that you would at least put up a decent fight, but I guess not,” Kaboku said in disappointment.
“So now you won’t be able to say that you beat me without feeling that you won unfairly?” Shakaku asked coldly. Kaboku was stunned, as he always was, at Shakaku’s ability to read people like books. Kaboku was going to ask her about this, but he decided that he did not want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was right.
“You crossed the line,” Kaboku hissed, changing the subject bluntly.
“I crossed the line?” Shakaku said sarcastically. “I do believe that it was you who crossed the line by not telling her and building up the pain that she has to suffer,” Shakaku replied as she narrowed her eyes at Kaboku.
Kaboku, who was enraged by this, took a step toward Shakaku, and he aimed a punch at her head. The yajuus that were in the courtroom cheered, but they silenced when they saw her dodge the attack. She missed his first punch, but she was not fast enough to avoid his second punch, which he sent at her shoulder. She crossed her arms in front of her as he tried to punch her face this time.
Since she was tired, her defenses went down quickly, and Kaboku was able to deliver a hard blow to her stomach that caused her to fall to her knees, and she stayed there clutching her stomach. Instead of crying out, Shakaku was too tired, and the effect of the blow was beginning to settle in. “I told you,” Kaboku began, but he waited for Shakaku to look up at him. Shakaku, still holding on to her stomach from the blow and still on her knees, looked up at him. “I told you that you were going to get your ass kicked,” he finished as he punched straight on the face. She closed her eyes tightly and bit her tongue as the excruciating pain sat in. Shakaku let herself go, and she did not open her eyes as she fell to the ground completely.
“Shakaku,” Dorei said as she saw her fellow senshi fall to the ground.
Kaboku looked down with pride at the fallen senshi. However, he raised an eyebrow as he looked at the bracelet that Shakaku was wearing on her left wrist. The red stone that was mounted on a thin silver band began to fade darker until it was pure black. Kaboku, smiling because he knew what that meant, bent down, took a hold of the bracelet, and he removed it from Shakaku’s wrist.
Dorei watched in anger, and when she saw the stone, she gasped. The yajuu that was restraining her, leaned over to the yajuu that had been restraining Shakaku and asked in its native language, “Sakre vish to ma?” (What is that?)
In reply, the other said, “Nusht” (Nothing), even though it understood perfectly well what it was.
“Comrades,” Kaboku addressed the yajuus as he stood up. “As we have seen, the toughest Constellation has fallen,” he raised the bracelet, “and so will the others.” The yajuu that had asked the question punched the other because now it understood what was going on, and the other had lied to him.
“If this senshi can fall, then we can surely get to the others. Kasai, vijt,” Kaboku finished by ordering the taller yajuu to go and get the fallen senshi.
Back to Part Twenty-Two ~
On to Part Twenty-Four