Title: Usagi is Dead II Dead is Usagi Part: 12 - Rabid Ranter Author: Dark Day for Anime (Mark A Page) Email: ayanami@merlin.net.au ICQ: 9845111 IRC: Saitou^Hajime on DALnet's #ajas, Nueno_M on EFnet Fic Rating: R (Violence, Coarse Language and Some Offensive Nudity) ------------------------------------------------------------------- USAGI IS DEAD II DEAD IS USAGI by DARK DAY FOR ANIME Disclaimer - Sailormoon is owned by Takeuchi Naoko and Bandai, so these characters really belong to them, except ones I made up. This means I'm only using the Sailormoon characters for purposes benign. (And if you believe that, you'd believe anything. ^_^) ------------------------------------------------------------------- S T A R T ------------------------------------------------------------------- Just on the border of your waking mind you find another time where darkness and light are one.... And as you tread the halls of sanity you feel so glad to be unable to go beyond.... "Prologue" from "Time" Electric Light Orchestra -------------------------------------------------------------------- "Water-based powers?" Usashin frowned. "There shouldn't be any Earth senshi here.... Unless, of course, Mercury survived." "I'm telling you, someone is using water-based powers, nearby." Michiru clutched her chest, staring out of the window of the train carriage at the passing countryside as she leaned back in her seat. Usashin and Kaorusagi watched her with worry. "It's strong.... A powerful signal... It can't be anyone else but an Earth senshi...." "That is impossible, and you know it is impossible. There aren't ANY Earth senshi on this planet, as far as we know." Usashin paused. "It is possible, of course, that Uranus or Pluto survived, and that, along with Jupiter or Saturn, have come to this world.... But Mercury WAS killed, long before the events of the Cataclysm.... There can be no other Water Earth Senshi on this planet." "I know what I'm feeling, and it isn't good." Michiru sighed, closing her eyes. Kaorusagi shrugged and stared out of the window. "Well, we'll soon know. We're approaching the capital. I can see the towers, now...." She turned back to Michiru. "And if there is anywhere on this planet that a senshi may be called to use their powers, it shall be there." ----o Part Twelve Rabid Ranter ----o "You're really determined, aren't you?" Rina asked, tiredly, as she plodded after Usagi, down the Hotel corridor. "You really DO want to see the Hotel Manager." She looked back, momentarily, at the door to the stairwell, which they had exited. The stairs had managed to bring them to this level, whatever level it was, but no further. "I'm not the kind of person to just stand around, waiting for things to happen to me.... And ever since I left my room, that's what has been happening.... I've allowed this damned place to get at me.... Well, no more." "How do you know you're not the kind of person you said you were? You said you weren't able to remember anything about yourself." Usagi stopped, suddenly, and Rina walked into her, bumping her nose into the back of Usagi's head. "Itaiii..." She stepped back, holding her sore nose. "Don't stop like that." "You know, it's interesting...." Usagi held up a finger. "What is?" "What you said.... Indeed, I can't remember anything about myself.... As far as I can remember...." Rina rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's just... great. You're making perfect sense." "No, I'm not.... And that's the point. How did I remember what kind of person I am if I can't remember anything about myself?" Usagi screwed up her nose. "You're right... There is no point in asking circular rhetorical questions." "Yes." Rina crossed her arms. "So, what do you hope to achieve by seeing the Hotel Manager?" "I've already told you...." Usagi once more started her brisk pace, Rina following reluctantly. "To see just what the hell is going on around here." "And I've already told you.... Nobody who has gone to see the Manager has ever returned." "That's possibly because they managed to leave the Hotel." "Or he ate them. In this Hotel, I wouldn't discount any possibilities." "I'll deal with that when I get there." Usagi huffed. "Hmm... So how would you like to be eaten? Fried? Roasted? Baked? Boiled?" Usagi shot Rina a dangerous glance. "Sorry, sorry...." "So you should be.... Honestly." They both reached a corner in the passageway, and stopped, suddenly, as they came face to face with the Hotel cleaner that Usagi had met after first leaving her room, so to speak. "Kowai." Usagi swallowed as the faceless woman trundled her trolley up to one of the doors that lined the passage. "Oh, her?" Rina sniffed. "She's not so bad.... You just have to get used to the fact that she isn't going to say a lot.... Conversation is limited." "I'd certainly say so." Usagi smiled, nervously. "Who is she?" "Nobody knows. Anyone I've been able to talk to says she's been here for as long as they can remember." "If that's so, then she's got to know where the Manager's office is." Usagi clenched her fists, determinedly. "So how is she going to tell you? It's not like she can give you in-depth directions, or anything." "You know, you can be an amazingly negative person." Usagi looked at Rina, darkly. "Sorry, force of habit. Nothing has gone right for me since I left my room...." Rina sighed and looked at the floor. "All the same.... It's a lot safer if you accept things as they are.... As long as you know the dangers you have to face, you're alright." "That's not good enough, is it?" Usagi huffed. "And besides, look at me." Usagi held out her arms, which were looking slightly pale. Certainly paler than they had been when Rina had first met her. "Whatever is happening to you is starting to happen to me. It's like we're both degenerating, slowly." Usagi pinched Rina's cheek. "Your skin is starting to go all blotchy, and dark in several places. Who knows what is happening to us.... What will happen to us.... We might end up as living corpses if we don't do something to stop this." "Or dead corpses." Rina pulled herself away from Usagi, rubbing her sore cheek. "There you go again, being negative." Usagi waved a finger at her, clicking her tongue, hiding the fact that the thought had crossed her own mind. "Sorry.... A month in the Activities Room did wonders for my.... my...." "Your mind?" Usagi added, helpfully. "Yes, that's it. My mind. Terrible, isn't it, the way certain things just seem to drop out like that...." Usagi shook her head, sadly. "For all we know, our memory loss might be related to the degeneration our bodies are going through." "The degeneration works faster the more you exercise and move about.... That's why I.... why I stayed in the Activities Room for so long.... It seemed to halt the progression of the problem." She sighed, her legs feeling very weak. "Well, lets hope your body doesn't start falling apart.... That would be scary, seeing bits drop off." Usagi swallowed and turned back to where the cleaner had been. "Where has she gone?" "Into that room." Rina pointed at an open door. "She went in whilst you were giving me your little sermon." "Yes, well, considering it is the only open door in the entire corridor, it's just a slight possibility that that is where she disappeared to." Usagi put her hands on her hips. "Now, what was it I wanted to ask her, again?" "Where the Hotel Manager was located." "Yes. Of course. I knew that all the time." Usagi strode forward, towards the open doorway. Rina paused for a few moments, wondering if she should really follow.... If she had the energy to follow.... She felt a little dizzy, and put a hand to her head. What was it that made her follow this Tsukino Usagi person in the first place? She couldn't remember.... A little voice in her mind told her to. A little voice.... "JUST WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?!?!?" The voice, with its bland, homogenised North American accent, boomed from the doorway, making Usagi leap clear across to the other side of the corridor and Rina almost wet herself. The pair stared at the manic eyes of the young man who had popped his head out of the room. "THIS IS MY ROOM! NOBODY ELSE IS ALLOWED TO COME NEAR." "Ano...." Usagi managed to climb down from the wall, nervously approaching the young man. "I just want to ask the cleaner a question...." "SO?" The young man sneered at her. "WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'RE WORTHY OF ASKING HER ANYTHING?" Usagi swallowed as the young man pointed at her. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, ANYWAY, WANDERING THE CORRIDOR SO ARROGANTLY, AS IF YOU OWNED IT?" Usagi was sure she could feel herself being hurt by his words, striking at her very heart. "I... I just wanted to ask the cleaner.... If she knew where the Hotel Manager was...." "OH, SO YOU CONTRIVE TO HAVE AN ASSOCIATION WITH THE MANAGER, DO YOU? WELL LET ME TELL YOU, I KNOW THE MANAGER, AND HE WOULD NOT EVEN THINK OF CORRESPONDING, IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, WITH SOMEONE AS LOWLY AND UNWORTHY AS THE LIKES OF YOU." Usagi winced, starting to feel a little angry at the young man's hostility. "Look, I need to see the Manager quickly.... Because of what is happening to our bodies...." Usagi pointed to herself and Rina. The young man sneered. "SO YOU'VE GOT A CONDITION. WAH YOU." He laughed in her face. "WHAT DO YOU EXPECT, LEAVING YOUR ROOMS AND WANDERING THE CORRIDORS?" "But.... It wasn't OUR fault. We were thrown out of our rooms...." Rina tried to plead with the young man, but he wasn't listening. "JUST LIKE THE FACT THAT SOMEONE'S AN ETHNIC MINORITY DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE NOT AN ASSHOLE, HAVING A MEDICAL PROBLEM ISN'T AN EXCUSE FOR THE SORT OF CRAP YOU'VE PULLED." He stepped forward, and both Usagi and Rina blushed. He was as naked as a newborn babe, and not much of a sight, at that. He stepped up to Usagi, who was now up against the opposite wall. "BUGGER OFF. YOU'D BE DOING THE WORLD A GREAT FAVOUR." And with that, he slapped Usagi hard across the chops, knocking her to the floor. Rina ran to her side as Usagi lifted herself up, holding her stinging face with a hand as tears started to well in her eyes. "Usagi, are you okay?" Rina turned Usagi's face to her, looking at where she had been struck. At that point, they both heard the young man chuckling sadistically and turned to see him holding his crotch with one hand, pulling on it as if rubbing himself, then turned and strode back into the room, slamming the door behind him. The pair watched the door for several moments, shell-shocked, unable to move or react in any way. "J..." Rina began. "Just who the HELL does he THINK he IS?" She stood and stepped up to the door, banging on it with her fist. "HEY! HEY YOU, YOU ASSHOLE! COME OUT, NOW!" "Rina...." "HEY! YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THAT KIND OF CRAP?!?! WE'LL BUST YOUR BALLS, YOU DICKLESS LITTLE STAIN!" "Rina.... Don't. It's not worth it." Usagi slowly got to her feet. Rina turned to her, looking exasperated. "But.... That creep... He can't be allowed to get away with what he did to you..." Usagi shook her head, and Rina paused, mouth open as if she was going to say something. She then closed it and sighed. "What's wrong? You're the one who called me negative...." "There's no point in arguing with that kind of person." Usagi shook her head, again. "He's the sort who WANTS you to argue with him. He gets off on it. Didn't you see the look in his eyes?" "That doesn't mean we can't plant our knees firmly where it is going to hurt the most...." Rina sighed and shrugged. "Well, you're the captain of this shipwreck. What do we do, now? Wait for the cleaner to come out?" "Well, what else CAN we do? Kick the door in?" They both looked at each other, then shook their heads in unison. "No...." Usagi chuckled. "That's just what he'd want us to do. Probably had the door replaced a thousand times, already...." ----o "You BITCH!" Du Prae sneered at Makoto from across the street, clutching at one of the wounds she had inflicted upon him with her internal electrical discharge attack. "I was going to go easy on you.... But after this...." "Oh shutup, you rancid little creep." Makoto clenched her fists, sneering at Du Prae. "What did you call me?" "You heard what I said." Makoto shook a fist at him, making Hotaru cringe. "You're too ugly to beat me." "Would you like to make a bet on that, bitch?" Du Prae stood up, rolling his fingers, which became interspersed with a black mist, waves of his dark energy, emerging from his form. "Yeah, I'd like to put money on it, creep. Everyone knows good looking heroes like me beat the shit outta ugly, weedy little villains like you." Du Prae paused for a moment, considering Makoto, then burst out laughing. So did Makoto. In fact, the pair did nothing else for a good minute or so. Hotaru decided it was time to conjure up a Silence Glaive and step aside, in case things got messy. "JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!" Makoto suddenly shouted. Hotaru knew she had good timing. Bolts of energy started flying out in every direction from the spinning Makoto, striking all but Du Prae himself. Hotaru knew, then, that they had plenty to worry about as parts of the town houses started to fall about her. She crouched on the ground with her polearm, hoping like heck one of the bolts didn't hit her. Du Prae stared as bolts flew by him. "Well.... That was... very interesting." He grappled for words as Makoto stopped spinning, looking rather concerned that she had failed to hit her intended target. "Was there any reason for presenting me with this rather spectacular display?" Makoto swallowed. "Bugger.... It always worked before." She crossed her arms, closing her eyes in deep thought. "I wonder what went wrong with my ability to actually hit the target...." "Well, I don't suppose its any consolation." Du Prae cracked his knuckles. "But an attack like that was too piss poor to really have done anything of any worth to my person. But it's the thought that counts." He smiled. "Now, would you be so kind as to allow me to return the favour." "Oh, hardly." Makoto held up her fingers, again. Du Prae attempted to form a barrier, but it was for nought. The little pockets of energy that Makoto created within his flesh exploded outwards. Blood sprayed in all directions, being forced out at a sufficient speed to tear through his clothing. He staggered backwards, stepping up onto the footpath. "Oh, now was that really sporting? Honestly, I thought you were supposed to be on the side of good." He clenched his teeth, speaking through the pain. For him, it was nothing he hadn't experienced before, and the wounds were too shallow to do any major damage. "Well, I kinda thought that, if it works once...." Makoto suddenly let out a cry of pain as wounds suddenly opened up over her body, blood spraying from her in exactly the same way it had from Du Prae. She fell back against the town house wall, quivering as blood ran from the wounds. "What.... What the FUCK?" "As I said.... I'd like to return the favour, and so I have. Whatever you do, I can do BETTER." Du Prae sneered. "What do you take me for, a fool?" "He's an experienced senshi." Hotaru stood, leaning against her polearm. "He's fought better than us, Jupiter." "Thanks for telling me." Makoto tried to stand, failed, then looked over at Hotaru. "Touch." Hotaru sighed. "Yes, I got the feeling I'd somehow end up covering your ass." She shook her head, holding out the glaive in Du Prae's direction. "Well, I'm not really into a large retinue of attacks.... So that limits me, rather." Du Prae looked at her, strangely. "You.... You have the air of darkness about you." "Well, I suppose you could say I have.... Not that I'd admit it in public, or anything...." Hotaru took a breath. "Seeing as my best attack tends to wipe whole worlds away, how about a Silence Glaive Surprise?" "Oh, after you." Du Prae gestured to Hotaru, dramatically. "I'm sure its not as much of a surprise as it sounds." "Well, you'll never find out until I do it." Hotaru smiled at Du Prae, sweetly, who smiled back. "Be my guest, then." And, with supreme arrogance, he sat on the ground, crossing his arms and legs. Hotaru wondered what the man was made of, considering the number of atrocities that had already been committed against his person by both Miste and Makoto. "Very well." Hotaru closed her eyes, and both Makoto and Du Prae watched as a multicoloured mist rose around her figure. She then held the glaive aloft. "SILENCE GLAIVE.... ....SURPRISE!" There was an explosion of energy in Du Prae's direction as Hotaru swung the Glaive in a long slice. Du Prae held up his hands, and was consumed within the blast that erupted around him. Hotaru was flung back with the force, through the hole in the wall that had been created by Miste. Makoto did her best to shield herself from the blast, but it still hurt. She knew Hotaru must have been containing herself, for if she really had let fly, it was likely that this entire portion of the city would be reduced to nothing more than a crater. All the same, Makoto felt a shiver run down her spine.... The sheer energy that Hotaru contained, and the ease with which she used it, frightened her. Makoto liked to think that, being the senshi to represent the largest planet of her solar system, she was the most powerful.... But times like this reminded her.... Her powers were that of an inner senshi.... They were, by their very nature, contained, by some means unknown to her. By Serenity, perhaps? As the blast subsided, Makoto spat to clear her mouth of dust, and peered over to where Du Prae had been sitting. She felt elated when she couldn't see him. Elation that turned to despair as she was grabbed by the collar and hauled to her feet by a figure who smelt of old cigarettes. "Now that's what I call a surprise, don't you think?" Du Prae smiled in her face. "You girls seem very adept at shooting yourselves in the feet." "How did you...?" Makoto began. Du Prae clicked his tongue. "Honestly. Did you think I'd be caught out by a little energy blast like that? I'm made of MUCH sterner stuff. Now, where was I? Oh yes.... I have to kill you." He waved a finger in her face. "Must get it done properly. My boss would be ever so miffed if I were to let just one of you survive." Makoto felt Du Prae's hands close around her throat. He was a lot taller than she thought, as he lifted her off the ground with consummate ease. She threw her hands up to meet his, attempting to lever them away, but they held like a vice, slowly throttling the life out of her. She kicked and bucked, trying everything she could to loosen his grip, as her face went bright red. She could hear her blood, straining to get through, in her ears. She opened her eyes and peered into his, but they had become nothing more than empty pools of darkness, his face contorted with rapture. He's enjoying this, she thought to herself. Angrily, she swung a foot back and brought it to bear, solidly, into his family jewels. It had the desired effect, as he let her go, doubling over, both hands holding the bojangles. Makoto fell to her knees, rubbing her sore throat as Du Prae did a funny little dance over the cobblestone road. "HITEN MITSURUGI RYU.... DO RYU SEN!" Makoto heard the woman's voice, crying out over Du Prae's strangled gasps. He looked up for a second, having caught glimpse of something flying towards him. He was hit solidly in the face by the blade of a sakabatou, crunching his nose as his head was forced into the ground. As the dust settled, Makoto looked at the figure of the woman who stood, triumphantly, over the defeated figure of Du Prae. Her eyes opened, widely, as she recognised the individual. "U.... Usa... shin?" She stood as the samurai Usagi clone turned to her, smiling. "Hello, Jupiter-dono. It is very nice to see you, again." "But... But you were.... Saturn said you were...." "Killed?" Usashin smiled as she resheathed her sword. "It would seem the news of my passing was unfortunately premature." "USAAAASHIIIIN!" The voice of another young woman echoed along the street as they both turned to the two approaching figures. One was a young woman, dressed in a yellow kimono, with her hair tied up in a ponytail by a red ribbon, and the other was.... was.... "Neptune...." Makoto heard another voice say. She turned to Hotaru, who was climbing out of the hole in the wall. "But that's... That's impossi...." Hotaru turned to Usashin, and almost fainted. "What's going on, here?" Makoto stepped up alongside her. "This is.... weird." She whispered. Hotaru looked up at her, helplessly, as Usashin slowly stepped away from Du Prae. "You don't understand. I can see you don't understand." She crossed her arms in front of her. "Is the concept of resurrection so beyond you? It is at the very heart of the mythos by which you live." "More than that...." Said a voice from behind. They both turned as Miste stepped out of the rubble she had created. "The planet we are on is at the very heart of the universe.... It is the hub by which the universe operates. This is where the Big Bang had its origin.... Where the energies that created this Universe escaped, from wherever it was they had been formed." She climbed through the hole and started to brush herself down. "That is why these things are possible. Wyccfaer is the mind, body and soul of the universe. And whomever controls it also has control of that universe." She looked up at Usashin and frowned. "You appear to me to be my Princess, Serenity." "Both myself and my good friend, here..." She gestured to Kaorusagi, who had now joined her. "...Were born from the template of Serenity, herself. It is not surprising that you should recognise her within us." Usashin paused. "I take it you are the source of the aquatic energies my friend, Neptune-dono, felt earlier?" "Neptune?" Miste turned her face to the other newcomer, and her eyes opened wide. "Aquius!" She trembled. "Aquius.... It is you...." "Who is Aquius?" Michiru frowned at Miste for a second, after waving nervously to the dumbfounded Hotaru and Makoto. "Yes.... Now EVERYTHING is clear to me. Aquius.... You WHORE!" And with that, Miste flung herself at Michiru, hands clawed. END OF PART 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------- S T O P ------------------------------------------------------------------- Next Chapter - "Trouble and Townships" _________ / @ \ DDFA (The Right Dishonourable Mark A Page) / / ^ ^ \ \ ayanami@merlin.net.au /\ Chief Propoganda Officer, Keeper of \/ \/ the Tapes and Co-Founder of the Saitou-chan \___________/ Appreciation Society - Adelaide Japanese /_/ \_\ PU Animation Society Version 1.0 - Sunday, December 6th 1998