Queen Serenity stepped out of the mists, her eyes sad. “Yet another battle for the children. I am not certain that returning them all to the battle is wise.”
“It is necessary Serenity. This enemy is from the Earth and will need Earth’s protectors to defeat. They will each be tested once again. Those that make it through the test will have a long period of peace before they will be needed again.”
“The question is will these Kouhei pass the test this time?”
Pluto smiled her enigmatic smile, “only the future will show.”
The former queen gave her friend an annoyed look. “Do you have to be that way even with me Setsuna? I can’t change the future any longer. I just want to know that my daughter will make it to her future.”
Pluto chuckled as the two old friends walked into the mist toward the floating figures. “The future is about more than your daughter majesty. There are others who need to be preserved and in place for the Silver Millennium to happen.”
***
Matten came back from his patrol on edge. He could feel the disturbance on the aura of the city but things were quiet. The streets held the usual mix of people out on a Saturday night looking for a good time. He stayed on alert but outwardly he looked like any Anglo in this quiet Japanese neighborhood. He towered over most of the people in this country, never mind this neighborhood. His jeans, t-shirt and plaid shirt tied about his waist gave him just about the over all picture of the Anglo on vacation. It was a well crafted disguise.
In the past he had found a place where he fit in. A school and a dojo where he could spar and even teach a little. Finding yet another creature wishing to destroy the peace was enough to bring back a lot of the rage he thought he had under control. The focus of this threat made him confused. While the Star Knight was interesting he couldn’t wrap his mind about why she was so special. What made the small woman a Knight instead of a Kouhei or Senshi. He needed to talk to Hana, see if she could shed light on the difference. He understood the difference between the Kouhei and the Senshi. After all it was as simple as light and dark. But this Star Knight, a wielder of Light powers fighting an ancient enemy of shadows. One who didn’t care yet about the Moon princess. Turning he headed back to the doss they set up.
He ran up the stairs to the third floor flat, taking them three at a time. Using the key to unlock the door, he tapped the code to let Hana know it was him entering. Slipping inside he headed directly to the kitchen. If Hana was here she would be making tea. He paused at the doorway and smiled. Hana turned and held out his cup.
He took the cup and took a sip. One advantage of partnering with Time was she always had the tea just perfect when it was needed. With a nod of thanks he pulled out the nearest chair and settled down. Together they sipped tea in silence. These peaceful moments had come to mean more to Gregor than he would let on. After the loss of his first love, he had closed his heart and let the rage that always bubbled under his skin loose.
His lack of control nearly cost him more than his life. He had given into the dark part of his soul and would have gladly become another Youma but he was offered a small hand. Hana had managed to pull the rage out of Sailor Rage. It wasn’t her powers that did this, it was who she was. They worked well together. She helped him to control his rages and he helped her to stay focused on the now.
“Gregor,” Hana landed forward on her elbows, clasping her gloved hands. “Things are going to start moving faster. We have to get ready.”
He put down his cup and focused on the slender woman in front of him. “Can you tell me more? What will be happening?”
Hana signed before speaking. “I can’t tell you much.” She held up a hand before he did more than draw a breath in. “You know I can not effect the future but I can tell you that in the next few days old friends will return and the Shadows will make move to isolate Unicorn from everyone and then capture her.”
“Tell me, my friend, why should we help this woman. Fighting the evil I can understand but what is it about this Unicorn that we should help her?” Gregor was more musing than actually asking the question.
Time let her partner ruminate for a few moments. She knew why Unicorn was important but she couldn’t say it aloud. There were shadows everywhere and she couldn’t let word of who she really was get out. She let Gregor think for a bit longer and then tapped the back of his hand lightly.
Gregor sighed and picked his cup up again. “I know. It is the ‘right thing to do’. Don’t mean I have to like it. Or that I wont keep asking questions.”
At that she nodded. “I wouldn’t expect you to but you know I wouldn’t have brought you with me if it wasn’t important. And this woman is very important to the future. She just doesn’t know it yet.” The two Kouhei moved on to other things.
Hana sat looking off into some inner distance communing with something Gregor could not recognize. The peaceful moments were coming more often between them. Them. Now that Hana was no longer afraid of him and her past had come to light they found themselves spending a lot of time together.
After a pleasant interlude Hana looked over to Gregor. “You need a work out Gregor-san.” She smiled a bit and stood up to take their cups to the sink to be washed out. When he didn’t move she shook her head and moved to his room, snagging his duffle bag “Come on,” heading to the door not waiting on Gregor. “If we leave now you can get a good challenging work out without the added danger.”
Slightly confused Gregor shook his head and followed his partner. Any time Hana got talkative something was up. Though by his understanding of Hana speak it wasn’t something to worry about. When they hit the street he spotted her by one of the cars across the street. It was one of the new mini cars.
“Oh geez, did you have to get one of these?”
Hana looked up at her partner, her hidden grin peeking out once more. Gregor was glad that she smiled more now than in years past but he hated tiny cars.
He climbed in and Hana took them across town. Somehow all the traffic that should have slowed them down was on other streets. Lights all turned green as they approached. Gregor looked over to Hana with a lifted brow. Hana just shrugged.
After a half hour she pulled the mini into a small parking lot and got out Gregor pried his too tall self out of the car and looked about. There was a small sign outside a wooden door painted red. The sign was of a stylized dragon with a dark crystal in its claws. Something about the sign brought to mind a day many years before. Gregor pulled his bag from the backseat and followed Hana.
The doll like woman tapped a pattern on the door. It opened just as Gregor stopped behind her. His eyes widened when he saw the man at the door.
Like a ghost from the past Jaeoh smiled at Hana, giving her a brief one armed hug. He stepped back and looked Gregor over. With a short nod he gestured for the two Kouhei to enter. Hana stepped past Jaeoh and headed to the Dojo. Gregor stood in place for a long moment then waked past Jaeoh, with a nod. He looked about and found his muscles relaxing. Behind the plain door was a dojo. It was clean and simple with weapons mounted on the walls and the usual mirrored wall to the left. At the moment the room was empty. Gregor could see a few doors at the back of the room and hear quiet music piped through speakers near the ceiling. The music was soothing, not something Gregor remembered Jaeoh liking. Dropping his bag he planted his feet and waited. He had thought his leader was gone, deep into the mountains, never to return. To find him in a small dojo, was confusing.
Jaeoh hid his smile well and lifted a brow, signaling Hana who snagged Gregor’s bag and took it out of the way. He then bowed to the mat and stepped into the practice space, turning he bowed to Gregor, this time not hiding a smile that said ”Prove to me you are still worthy.”
Gregor snorted and kicked off his boots. He then bowed to the mat an his former leader. He waited a few breaths, centering himself before exploding forward. As Rage, Grego
r could very well defeat any opponent he faced. The added power and focus made him a killing machine. As the human Gregor Matten he was tall, strong and fast. Jaeoh was a smaller man but sleekly muscled. In the years since he had lost his powers he had focused on martial arts, gaining perspective and calm, an ease of presence that he did not have as a Kouhei He used the years away to conquer the demons he had fought so hard. The ones brought to light by little Hana and then by the Princes of the Moon’s healing energy.
He met each punch and kick with power and style. Once Gregor would have been able to bloody him but after years of students, Jaeoh could evade and parry each movement. The men flowed from Karate, to Kung Fu to Savate and on to other more exotic styles. Neither had the upper edge over each other.
Hana watched quietly, curled up in a corner. Her large dark eyes hooded but not afraid as she once was. If someone looked closely they would have seen her fingers tapping a beat, like she was keeping time of the mock battle. After five long minutes she cleared her throat. It was obvious to her that the two where testing each other. Gregor needing to see if his once leader could still be a leader.
Jaeoh settled back away from Gregor and bowed. It took a moment for Gregor to pull back but he too bowed. He then looked over to Hana who was looking intently at something out of sight. “So, Gregor, do I pass?” Jaeoh smiled as he grabbed up a towel and swiped his face. He had a better workout in the last fifteen minutes than in the past three months. Rage was still a formidable fighter.
Gregor snorted and nodded. “When did you come back?”
Jaeoh shrugged. “A while back. Been running this place for over a year.”
Hana got up, taking Gregor’s bag with her through one of the near doors. Jaeoh shook he head, taking the hint. He gestured for Gregor to follow.
The door lead to a hall that opened out to a small kitchen area. As always Hana had started tea, which the men could smell steeping. Jaeoh took his accustomed seat at the head of the table and Gregor sat to his right hand. The men waited patiently for Hana to place the tea cups and some biscuits on the table before them. She poured each a fragrant cup and took her seat to Jaeoh’s left hand. After the first ritual sip, she nodded and smiled.
“I bet you are wondering why I brought you here?” She stifled a giggle at the old movie line.
Both Jaeoh and Gregor looked a bit startled. Hana never made jokes. They both nodded.
“It is time for the teams to train.” She took another sip waiting for questions. Gregor turned to Jaeoh. “Do you know what has been going on lately?”
Jaeoh nodded slowly, debating on what to reveal to his warrior. Hana and Shayla had both filled him in on the scrimmages with the shadows. He needed to get the team together. To help them train but more to observe Unicorn. After watching her battles in the crystal, she was intriguing to Jaeoh. The purity of her focus stirred something in him. “This Shadow Master is playing with all of you at the moment.”
Gregor nodded his agreement. “We know he can throw armies of creatures after us but he hasn’t since that running battle with Unicorn.”
Hana spoke softly. “The Shadow Master used too much energy when he did that. Between the losses defeating Dragon and Phoenix and Unicorn’s suicide ploy, he was low on power and troops. He is still gathering power. “ She went back to her quiet tapping fingers. “This time is important. We need to get the teams trained to work together.”
Gregor drew breath to make a comment but stopped when Jaeoh held up his hand. “I agree. They need a place to test each other’s nonpowered skills. This dojo is small enough that the Shadow Master is ignoring me.”
Gregor drew breath again, ‘Has he tested you?”
Jaeoh nodded with a shrug. “He finds me toothless and recommended I stay out of this fight.” Gregor could tell that Jaeoh was insulted by the way the Shadows treated him. A touch of his old arrogance showing through the new more mature face he showed the world.
The three worked out a schedule for bringing in the senshi to train with the Kouhei. Hana volunteered to bring in Iriko and Suteko the next day. She smiled as Jaeoh hid a gleam of interest at Suteko’s name. “Unicorn need a place to relieve her stress. Staying with Minerva is starting to make her feel boxed in. She is used to moving about freely and exercising daily. There is not enough room for her to do more than stretches at Iriko’s”
Jaeoh asked question about the Minervan, the wild card it seemed in the group. “So she is more spy than warrior?”
Hana and Gregor nodded. What little Gregor knew was that Iriko was the Senshi of Secrets. “I think maybe I shouldn’t spar with Unicorn just yet.”
His team mates blinked and nodded. It was important that the Star Knight back to healthy before fighting someone like Rage.
The three plotted out pairings to test strengths and weaknesses of the various people. There wasn’t an immediate sense of danger but there was an urgency to the situation.
The next morning Hana called on Iriko and Suteko and brought them to the Dojo. Suteko was glad to find a place to work out. It was a part of her daily life to practice all she learned. It also gave her a way to thank Iriko for the place to stay. The gentle gardener was not up to her more intense forms but the simple Tai chi forms were perfect. The Senshi of Time stayed to learn and the three women had a pleasant time. Suteko was a natural teacher.
Days flowed by slowly as the Star Knight tested and worked with the Senshi and Kouhei. Each person had their strengths and their weaknesses and she gently found them and helped the holder to over come them.
Mamaru watched as Suteko patiently taught Usagi, Hana, Iriko and Ami Tai chi. The deceptively slow and simple art was a good warm up for the four women in the room. Though well used to their Senshi attacks. The women were not warriors. Little Hana was the more deadly of the four in her powered up mode but she tended to hang back. Knowing a bit of Time’s personal history explained why. The loss of her family to black robed killers had scarred her young.
He smiled as he watched the Star Knight patiently and gently correct Usagi’s feet and arms again. His love pretended so often that she was a klutz that sometimes she was. In part Usagi was trying to make the lone Knight feel a part of something and she was also unsure how to deal with Suteko. The woman had been though a lot and as part of Usagi’s cousin’s team she would not have spent much time with the Princess.
“Okay, time to cool down.” Suteko settled her class on the mats, leading them through a quiet meditation. The women were coming along well. Even bubbly Usagi was a natural for this art. She could soon move them to the dual forms. She kept the meditation going as long as she thought Usagi could stand. Suteko had spotted Mamaru watching his princess and knew that the girl could feel him. She wound up the mediation and released her class. Smiling, she watched the young couple embraced, ignoring the pang of loneliness as she had for years. Once the couple parted and the rest cleared out of the room Suteko started a quick clean up. The difference between the average student and these magical warriors was that clean up was a breeze. It took only a few minutes to replace the mats and wipe them down. As she finished she paused. It seemed that Mamaru had not left with Usagi and the girls. Turning, Suteko lifted a brow and then bowed. Mamaru took it as an invitation and stepped onto the mat and returned the bow.
“Do you have time Sensei, for some sparring?” He asked politely.
Suteko wasn’t sure what to make of this prince. She knew from conversations with Iriko that he had fought in his past life and that as Tuxedo Mask and Prince Edymoin he knew the sword but nothing had been mentioned about his hand to hand skills.
She waited for him to start but as he stood loose limbed she came up on her toes and sent a series of kicks and punches at a tenth of her usual speed. Mamaru easily kept up blocking and even trading blows. They were using straight forward Karate and Suteko slowly bought up the speed of her blows. At half speed he was missin
g a few blows, but he somehow managed to slip a blow here and there past her guard. He landed a solid kick to her thigh. With a small smile she sped up again. At three quarter speed she found he could block only part of her blows. She had held back the strength of her blows out of natural caution. The Prince was good but he wasn’t a full time warrior. While he protected his Princess he wasn’t battlefield ready.
Switching from Karate to Kung fu, Suteko dropped the speed and tested his ability to think ahead. Here he excelled. She knew once he controlled his generals and it seemed he had kept that ability now. She continued to test Mamaru carefully. After thiry minutes she could see he was starting to flag. She slowed and then stepped back bowing. “Your stamina is better than expected Highness.” She used her best polite voice, not exactly sure how to speak to him. Even after days of being grilled she was still a bit reserved around people other than Iriko, Ami and Hana.
Panting, Mamaru gratefully accepted a towel to wipe his face “Stamina?” He chuckled. “You barely break a sweat running me about this place and you comment on my stamina? Suteko-san you are too polite.”
Suteko shrugged a bit. “I have trained daily since infancy. This is my life.” She took a breath and then visibly relaxed. “You should see my brother. He is a true master.” Sadness briefly touched her face before she wiped it clean of emotion.,
When Shadows Rise Page 8