Starlit Ruins

by Simon Woodington

I wish now I hadn't come alone, Ayla admitted, attempting not to trace every shadow within her midst with her widening eyes. Oh Mama… you were right. I really haven't thought this through.

  Even flying above the black Lego brick grid of buildings failed to ease the unsettling sense of being followed.

  Oh heavens, she sighed internally, realizing a very basic calming action. She cupped her hands and whispered: "Blinding Surge."

  A small ball of light attacked the midnight calm with the force of a four hundred watt light bulb, which Ayla could not look directly into, so that she willed it to echo her flight pattern in a two second delay. Ayla, even for the avid reader and stern intellectual she was, did not enjoy the self-indulgent conversation some pursued with themselves. Even in the worst bouts of nervousness, she could not bring herself to such ends. Repeating and recognizing regrets perhaps, but she had a more unique method of facing fear.

  She sang.

  The tune that came to mind then was a not-so-recent chart-topper by a popular band by the name of "Pocket Biscuits", or "Poke'Bi". Ignoring the heavy drum section, and favoring the more easing vocals, her humming became hushed words, some of which were marred by blurred memory, the remainder, strengthening as her anxiety increased.

  'Bitch.'

  Ayla's voice dropped into silence like a spearheaded weight as she whirled effortlessly to face her verbal opponent.

  'Shao-Enya!' she squeaked.

  'You little crimson-haired slut! I fought you before, and you hid behind your tawdry Chinese psyche-child,' the fiercely snarling brunette hissed. 'Do you want to try again?!'

  I'm outclassed big time! she thought, bleating, narrowly able to summon her light blades in time to parry the nearly imperceptible strike at her breast-plated torso. She raised her knees, catching the woman at the hips with her blurred booted feet and shoving her backwards to put some space between them. 'Sailor Sol Armor Henshin!'

  As the vicious opponent regained her wits, Ayla's uniform hardened, forming a shining metallic layer over the mystic silk, matching each colour unerringly. Ayla fell into the path of a hundred motions, replying each in kind until her defenses were shattered by Shao-Enya's greater strength. Her head flew back as a fist sent her reeling, and then forward as a knee met her back. Nimbly landing on a roof, and wiping the lips through which a sliver of blood fled, she flared her aura and rapidly approached Shao-Enya again.

  'Soul FLARE!' the replicant of Makoto declared with intense hatred. A burst of scarlet light fell upon Ayla, throwing her two-dozen feet to a stone rooftop, which she tore through like so much recycled paper. In a foreign room with a pair of screaming teenagers, she lay stunned for a time, her shattered the armour shimmering and fading away, leaving her scathed and bloodied body clothed in the former silk of the first stage uniform.

  'Now it ends!' Shao-Enya cried, aiming to impale Ayla upon her sword. As she descended, Ayla's eyes snapped open, a harsh fire burning within.

  'Sailor Sol Light Henshin!'

  The second young woman fell over herself glancing back at Ayla's transformation into living light while she fled the invaded apartment. Such was Shao-Enya's fury that she ripped through the floor, inducing further screams of terror. The feminine silhouette of light lurched sporadically to the middle of the room and hovered there, pulsing irregularly as a waning flame.

  'Nice…' Shao-Enya snarled appreciatively, returning swiftly through the massive hole she had created. 'You're half dead, though cutie. I can tell.'

  Ayla's voice came as a force of energies that superimposed the concept of her will upon the genetically altered duplicate.

  'I suppose you're oath bound to fight us to the end?' she feigned curiosity.

  She raised her blade, leveling it at Ayla's near blinding body. 'What tells you that we are so evil?' she prodded experimentally.

  'You mean self defense is criminal?'

  Yanei bowed very deeply, and followed the vague orders with such acute force that Ayla could sense the guilt behind them.

  @~%~~~

  'I fail to see why I tolerate such fallacies!'

  Uraki-Ayo, in the light of dawning retreat and failure in combat, was far from impressed, and was slightly infuriated.

  How does one infuriate slightly? The answer: You don’t.

  'Crippling Sailor Sol is worth little more than clipped tail feathers! Even less, as she will heal before we can muster the energy required to stage another strike!' his stormy pace caused the women to flinch, expecting fully to receive abusive violence. Only Tenki and Panji remained of the original five clones.

  'They must die! It matters not how - just destroy them! Do not return unless you succeed, for if you do, you will wish to be in Xalia's place!'

  The clones reacted sharply to the reference of the traitor who had recently suffered vigorous torture at their hands, and his. They winked out of reality so rapidly that they punctuated his furious ravings. He brought his staff before him, clenched it in both hands, and began praying swiftly. 'I could not have prepared for this! With what force am I to defeat them?!'

  A vaguely familiar voice agreed in sundry wafts of tone, her silk dress adorned figure sitting in a dank, quiet recess. She raised her blue eyes and long, blond haired head as she offered a suggestion.

  'Me. Isn't that why I'm here now? To face Usagi?'

  'I would not risk you,' he lied. 'She would merely thrust you aside. Yours is too harsh a life for her to face the possibility of. It is your choice, my dear girl.'

  'I will. That cow doesn't deserve any of it. What has she been through? He was kind to her. She has everything!'

  'Are you certain? There must be no question.'

  'I…' she hesitated, bowing her head reluctantly. 'I… hai. Hai. I'm yours. I just want her to pay!'

  'Hai. Then I will summon you shortly. Please, leave me to pray.'

  'Of course, my beloved.'

  Silence was amongst them again, and though he welcomed it for a time, his exile of it was to be long lived. With a cruel regard, it departed, leaving him with his words and lust to conquer.

  'Galaxia, I would not be so the fool as Beryl in seeking assistance… Yet I know I cannot succeed without it. I seek now in the direst of straits, wisdom.'

  And you shall have it, Uraki-Ayo Ginzui, replied a voice that was to his ears as fire is to ice.

  'I desire to know of the nearest threat to the kingdom. I would be honoured if you would proclaim the source to me.'

  You honor me no more than you do your food. You have earned my grace by loyalty. Do not forsake that by simulating that which does not exist.

  'As you wish, my Queen.'

  What you desire to know is this - Nasura has foretold your attempts to distract them. She knows Xalia will die, and is willing to sacrifice her. That pawn can no longer serve us. Nasura has also sent the same senshi you banished not weeks ago, to confront us. You, alone, will not gain victory over them.

  'Surely they cannot be so powerful! I estimated that they would merely delay us, not…'

  Uraki! We both know Phate intervened in your distruption of the Bishoujo Sailor Senshi. What little missed has altered the balance of this war. Arrogance does not become you. Play not the fool! If you fail to listen I will supplant you, as the asinine woman I destroyed at your behest! Harken to this, for the time has come for me to take a hand in this war.

  A dark armored woman of a clearly superfluous, yet slender frame, proceeded forthwith to stand before Uraki as he gazed upon her in pride, shock, and unexclaimed horror.

  'How -' he nigh stuttered. 'Why? How can this necessity have arrived so swiftly? What of my final ploy?'

  'Use her. She is strong enough. However, Jisuruka has failed you. Yanei has betrayed you, and your clones will not survive to capture the slightest redeeming victory. Despite their power, they lack the spirit their opponents have. Your responsibility in considering that factor has long passed the point of punishment. However, there is not time for such pleasure,' she frowned angrily, and even for
it's startling beauty, Uraki-Ayo fought a powerful urge to cringe. Galaxia continued in a voice that made the sun seem a wristwatch light bulb. 'We are fortunate for Phate's inaction. That foreign wench could have us annulled with no more effort than it would take for me to dispatch you. Fortunately she knows fully well her place. Foolish man! You will obey my every breath, or we will cease to exist!'

  'Of course Lady Galaxia,' he bowed, as if to snap in two.

  'Do not mistake me!' she roared abruptly. 'They can destroy us - our realm - our world! Survival depends solely upon the outcome of this confrontation!'

  He remained fixed in that position, hoping it would protect him from her rage and sun shattering fear while he trembled to the very core of his being.

  'We will prepare to unleash a nova upon them if need be!' she decreed, the mist of innumerable energies converging about them. 'This will conclude!'

  Chapter 42

  Am Bushed