'Naritha, did she happen to mention anything about powers? Like what these crystals were capable of?'
Haisha sat, legs crossed under her, head rested on her palm, the elbow of which was pressed to the inside of her thigh.
'Hai. She not tell you?' Naritha asked, not quiet certain she believed her friend's ignorance.
'Sure, the general elemental flame-busting fire-bursting kinetic projectile stuff.' She lazily swapped a pair of pieces. 'But nothing specific, like how much chi we need, or use… or heck, even have. Your move.'
The slim girl shrugged indifferently. 'She not say more than "You will know when time comes",' she replied, her hand hovering hesitantly over a piece. 'She said crystal taps imagination… has abilities conform what we know.'
'I guess it pays to be creative,' she paused. 'You know, you really should pick up some more Japanese while you're here…'
Naritha frowned at that. 'If had time…' she moved, capturing a pair of pieces.
Haisha grunted, unsatisfied. 'I know, the war has kinda gotten in the way. We should all be in junior high right now.'
She nodded slowly, leaning back and extending her arms above her in a languishing stretch. As she did, her face scrunched inquisitively as she studied the board, which seemed to gain an iridescent glow, as if someone had planted a light bulb inside of it.
'Haisha…'
'Hm?' her eyes fell to the board, and away from the still darkened mid-morning sky. 'Wow…'
Naritha jumped at Haisha, knocking her from her seat and onto the floor in one fluid motion as the board splintered and shattered. The debris clattered loudly as it ripped through the thinner parts of the wood structured patio, and burst into dust as it hit the stone wall and thicker lengths of wood.
'Un!' Naritha cried as several stone shards pierced her blue blouse and sank into her back. She groaned and slumped against Haisha.
'Naritha-chan! Are you…' she exclaimed in concern, before noting the pair of shadowy figures against the irregular amethyst sky. 'Oh damn…'
Reality dimmed and washed out into a sky of muddy grey as the two neared them.
'Tsunami Blade!'
'Screaming Flares!'
Haisha shoved her listless companion well away from her as she rolled in the opposite direction. The watery slivers of metal dissipated as they met the grey surface they had formerly occupied. The second attack, however, manifested as angry red bursts of flames about them, singeing and burning clothes and skin.
'Stupid, stupid…' Haisha muttered with a grin. ‘Back to basics, ladies.’ She reached into her pocket and retrieved her purple transformation crystal as she rolled to a halt on her back, then kicked her legs up in a motion that brought her to her feet. 'Sailor Phoenix - Armor Henshin!'
A wash of flames traveled over her body, rapidly replacing her damaged clothes with her Neo Senshi uniform: A thinly armoured purple cat suit with metallic white shin guards, armlets, belt, breastplate, and choker. She summoned her katana and wakasashi in a burst of flame that extended from her clenched hands.
'No, I'm afraid that wasn't very cool,' Panji disagreed, flipping her short hair back with one hand.
'Stupid for a fire senshi to fight another fire senshi,' Haisha declared shortly, leaping nigh effortlessly towards the two clones.
'Haaaaaaiiii!' she cried, slashing downward with both blades, catching the more sluggish Tenki across the stomach with the shorter of the blades, and missing Panji with her thousand year old katana.
'Stupid of you to fight alone,' Panji snarled darkly as she slammed into Haisha from behind. She tasted blood as she clambered against the strangely tangible surface of the grey void. Her blades tumbled out of her hands, and she twisted about to perceive the rapid descent of a turquoise fireball the instant before it smashed her back down, searing her eyes, breaking several ribs, and bursting a dozen blood vessels.
She gurgled a cry before staggering to her feet, gasping and choking, banishing her swords while she concentrated another attack.
'You want more? Tough little chick!?' Panji laughed. 'Such a cute, sweet girl, too.'
'FireWater - BURST!'
Haisha was thrown back by the elemental combination of fire and water that nearly manifested inside of her as the clones clasped their hands together. She heaved and vomited, the sensation of her flesh boiling sickening to her soul.
'Flare STORM!' Haisha rasped, struggling to her hands and knees. She heard the protesting cries of the clones as razor slim shards of lava like blades surrounded and confined them.
'What good do you think this will do you little girl?' Panji taunted, trying to unnerve her. 'Enjoy your reprieve, because we're going to mutilate you once we're free!'
Haisha stumbled on her bearings, and found her way to Naritha, who groaned faintly in pain. She crouched next to the wounded girl. 'Naritha…' she panted, searching her friend for her crystal. 'I need you. I'm still too weak to fight.'
'Honto… Matsu… Nan desu… Oyasumi…' she replied in a harsh whisper, sounding almost delirious.
'Naritha! Come on! You're tougher than this! You just need to change…!'
'Give crystal… I will…' she sucked in a short gasp of air. 'I will change.'
She located it, and slipped it into her friend's nigh limp hand. Without another word, she rose, and faced her waning cage, and the venomous villains within it. Fire against fire may not have been any more than an even match, but Haisha had the advantage… of her youthful imagination.
'Plasma Surge!'
Like a sacrificial flame, the blue surge of flame-like searing energy began at their feet and rushed up as if they were seasoned firewood. Their high-pitched wailing brought Haisha no comfort, even as she watched the last parts of her cage scatter, and her enemies dash apart from the stationary effect. Only seconds had passed, but what damaged had ensued, wasn't enough. They were still alive.
Haisha clutched her agony sparking stomach as the clones glowered at her with immeasurable hatred.
'So it's torture you want,' Panji hissed seethingly. 'What we did to Xalia will seem like nothing after we're done with you.'
'Flare sh- aaagh!!' Haisha screamed as she fell forward, landing on her hands and knees, hot tears streaming.
'Sister?' Panji offered. Tenki nodded, raising her hand to lock with her sister's.
'FireWater Sla…!'
Rather predictably, Naritha interrupted with a voracious declaration of life.
'Sailor Seraph - Armour Henshin!' Naritha's body quickly received the same treatment as her ally, though the effect manifested by water, rather than fire. Wasting absolutely no time, she called: 'Ice Spike - Drop!'
The two gazed upwards just soon enough to throw themselves from the paths of the two-dozen stalactites of plummeting ice. Tenki screamed shrilly as one of the spires impaled her calf, piledriving through flesh and bone, and nearly severing her lower leg. She twitched and tossed in agony, pinned in place until the manifestation died moments later. Tenki spat blood, her paling face centered on the enemy. She shuddered in agony, holding her bloodied stomach, but refused to escape.
They must die! she swore. Either them, or us!
What are you talking about Tenki? Look! They're nearly wasted!
But so am I. Oyasumi, sister!
Nani…?
Her blue eyes grew wide as she watched her sister's aura gather angrily about her in scarlet waves. The woman raised her head and called: 'Luminare!'
The grey void shifted and quaked as a handful of searching blue tendrils struck out for several moments. They retreated, only to be replaced by a rising blue half sphere of destructive force. Jarred, pummeled, and held in place, the three could only scream as the spell died away, vaporizing Tenki in the process.
'It's not over!' Panji issued at the top of her lungs. 'It's-n-not-OVER!'
She rose shakily, her wingless flight stammering ineffectively, and barely holding her aloft. Her left arm hung limply at her side, grossly misshapen, the bones scattered. She clutched at her side w
ith the other, her hips and legs mangled internally by the brutal force of her sister's near fatal attack. Haisha could not move to wipe the gout of blood that had passed her lips, her legs and arms completely shattered. She gave a desperate, wailing whisper in her weakness.
'Sailor Phoenix - Fire Henshin!'
Her battered and bloodied body seemed to be consumed in a rush of vigorous flames. After a moment, it became clear, that as the gathering of fire collected itself and rose in a mass, that there was a driving force behind it.
'No, not let win!' Naritha declared vehemently, lying as Haisha had, torn asunder internally.
'Sailor Seraph - Ice Henshin!'
The impossible twisting of her hips straightened as her body crystallized, becoming living ice.
Haisha raged, her body flashing and tossing as wildfire.
Naritha seethed, stumbling to her feet.
'Th-this can't b-be right!' she stammered, eyes wide and abruptly fearful. 'W-we-we're supposed to b-be stronger than you! You're s-s-so young!'
'Burning…' Panji began haltingly.
the two Neo Senshi started in twin.
'…Scream!'
Reality ran white in a radius of one hundred feet, like a lazy brushstroke upon a beautiful rendition of a silver clouded sky. The languishing utterances of horror and soul barring agony seemed muted from outside the singular manifestation of channeled anarchy. There was a misinterpretation of reality, as it faltered and waned, the sheer violence of the meeting forces nearly vaporizing the Neo Senshi. As it was, only moments passed before Panji's pain distorted face and tensed, mutilated body washed out in a flare of silvery heat.
Then they knew nothing.
@~%~~~
'Yanei!'
Nasura's voice was struck by terror for the brutalized young women she had teleported into the room. Ayla, Haisha, and Naritha looked as though it seemed impossible they might have survived.
'They're alive,' Yanei breathed, summoning a scroll, and beginning to read it.
'What happened…' It clicked. She bowed her head, eyes closed. 'The clones.'
Yanei nodded. Goku, Makoto, Hanlan, Iesha, and Masurani gathered around, each emotionally stricken for the shattered young women.
'Oh Ayla!' Masurani gasped, stepping forward to grasp her friend.
'No, give us some room. Either make yourself useful or get out of the way,' Nasura stated curtly. A flicker of light appeared and flashed before Yanei's face, catching the collective attention. 'It's a healing spell. It's not much, but it'll help.'
Goku shook his head morosely. Masurani's scowl lit up her face with a dark light. 'Those clones must be pretty tough," he remarked sympathetically. 'Poor girls.'
'Those bitches,' Masurani flared. 'They'd better be dead, or I'll kill 'em myself!'
Yanei faced the emotionally charged young woman. 'I killed Shao-Enya, Masurani. I don't know about the others, but that's at least one less we have to worry about,' she sighed. 'I did sense a few traces of dead chi constructs. But, we won't know what happened until…' her voice fell sorrowfully.
'Makoto, I don't know how to contact the other senshi, but perhaps you might…?' Nasura muttered.
She nodded curtly, understanding. A moment later, a pair of women on winged glory appeared by silvery shafts of light. The one, golden blond hair in unmistakable arrangement, odango atama, and the other like the first, yet long and straight, and more akin to beach blond. A silk shirted fellow of dark short hair and easy, calm continence accompanied them.
'Come,' Usagi stated without hesitation. 'Minako, you tend Naritha. Makoto, Haisha will need your strength. Mamoru and I will attend Ayla.'
As he stooped to take the fractured creature into his arms, she gestured to Nasura and Yanei to join her. Both bowed swiftly, before locating a room into which they all but disappeared.
'Iesha, Han, come with me,' Makoto declared.
'Of course babe,' Hanlan replied.
'Iesha?'
'Hai? Here,' she pointed to her bedroom. At which point they followed Usagi's act.
'Hurry!' Minako snapped, gesturing to Goku, who blinked, then scooped Naritha gently but swiftly into his arms. As they pulled a quick fade into another room, Minako remarked: 'I guess it's just the three of us.'
Chapter 43
Direct to Film
Starlit Ruins Page 45