Greetings!
This is the next section of the new chapter of the long-awaited,
long-anticipated
story!
For those reading for the first time, earlier chapters can still be found at:
http://members.tripod.com/DNyx/NETTG.html
Any and all comments, criticism, or methods to improve what has been written
here are greatly appreciated. I am under no illusion that this will be the
final form
of the chapter. I actually have great hopes that something someone has to say
out there will improve it a great deal. ^_^
Special thanks to:
Jason Hanks, who has stayed with me the whole time on this.
Jussi Nikander, who has helped to correct and give ideas here.
Jason Liao, who is getting back into the groove.
And many thanks to those who commented on the last section released.
And everyone else for keeping the vision alive, with all those philosophical
discussions and everything.
Okay, did I get everyone? ^_^
So, all in all, here we go for some more!
<Continued from NETTG!! Ch10 P2 (2/??)
O_o
A girl of about fifteen to sixteen years of age was in the
middle of pondering over a great philosophical question, namely:
What in the world just happened?!
There was a party, she remembered that. She had been invited
as a special guest to play the violin at an upper-class, formal
business meeting-slash-social night of the local Ayrie Contractor's
Guild (a respectable textile industry with a spotless record). She
and the band had just finished their rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody
Number Four when loud explosions started wracking the building.
Yes, she'd just replayed the part about the poor boy from
the poor family, then large chunks of concrete had started falling
down. Then, the shaking floor knocked her down, and she saw a broken
metal girder fall down edgefirst toward her, there was some sort of
big green flash, she blacked out, and awoke face-up, half-buried in
a grey dust. She slowly stood up and brushed the dust off.
Looking around, the girl saw that she was near the center of
a gargantuan crater in the earth, with a few tall buildings apparent
at the rim. She was not alone, however. Hundreds of people wandered
around in a daze, probably just as confused as she was. Several
people were recognizable as patrons of the party last night, some
of whom had gotten, to put it bluntly, pretty dang smashed from the
'lemonade' being served.
"Whoa, what a monster headache," one grumbled, sitting up
and holding his head. He took in the scenery, then caught sight of
the girl. "Hey, Kaioh-girl!" He paused. "Michiru! What the heck
happened back there?"
"I have no idea," Michiru said, smoothing back her shoulder-
length aquamarine hair, "but try to remember, unless you wish to
have your face rearranged again, Tachiwakimakehaki, I prefer to
be called 'Michelle.'"
"Oh, right, Michelle! Of course!" Tachiwakimakehaki bowed,
then stumbled off. "Just great, Vic's gonna be mad."
There's one, Michiru thought. The man she'd just spoken to
was a guitarist on the company band, and the manager of the branch
office. He was really annoying, and really annoying people got to
call her 'Michelle.' Her friends could call her whatever they liked,
but she had taken a shine to the name. It was actually kind of
comforting to hear people say it.
However, she had no idea why she was quibbling over names
while other matters seemed to be of more pressing importance. For
example, where was her violin? There didn't appear to be any
trace of it. She loved that violin. It was a Stradivarius, very
rare, and an heirloom. Replacing it would not be an easy task.
///
Hey, there's a rip here!
\\\
Michiru's attention was drawn to the fact that most people
seemed to be walking away, toward the crater rim. It seemed to be
a good enough idea, since all that was here was a bunch of dust,
sand, broken rocks, and huge slabs of steaming, medium-rare meat.
"Meat?" thought the teenager aloud. "That's odd. Why would
there be huge steaks scattered all around?"
///
Something BIG must have blown to weaken the barrier this much.
*The device couldn't have done this by itself.
\\\
Michiru's question went unanswered, and taking it all in was
a real mental chore at the moment. Why this, why that, why that
falling girder hadn't hurt her, why there was a v-shaped tear in
her dress right above her heart with a similar rip exactly on
the back, why was there a huge crater here, where was she, and
so on and so forth.
The girl sat down on a nearby rock and think about it for a
bit. Fingering the rock, she found it to be surprisingly smooth.
///
*Ooh, there's someone outside!
Move over! Ah, yes, I see her.
\\\
Michiru turned her head, thinking she heard someone.
///
She's cute.
*Blue-green hair? Heh, what kind of dimension is this?
\\\
There's something odd about this boulder, thought Michiru.
She stood and examined it. Upon close inspection, the black
object had small yet detailed gold engravings on it.
Something about the object jarred a long-forgotten memory,
and brought a word to her lips. "L--l-lodestone?"
Whatever it was, it felt creepy, and made her uneasy. The
teenage schoolgirl looked at it and found it familiar, but for
the life of her, she didn't know why.
*Vrrr* The rock began to glow ominously.
"It is dangerous," Michiru recognized and began to back off.
///
She knows something. She must not be allowed to destroy it.
*Can't let her get away.
Her soul's mine.
*Not if I get to it first.
\\\
*ZRRR!* The lodestone hummed and sparks began to dance around
it in the earth and the air.
Michiru shivered, beginning to get goosebumps, knowing that
something was about to happen.
The environment grew as dark as night, and lightning flashed
around the rock. A jagged midair rip opened above the Lodestone,
and a shadowy figure jumped out, quickly followed by another.
*TH-THUMP!* Their feet made a heavy sound as they took a
single, rapid step forward, allowing Michiru to get a good look
at them.
Six feet, six inches tall.
Blood-red fur and skin.
Shadowy, chitinous armor, covering neck to ankles.
Four arms.
Six fingers on each hand with six-inch claws.
Big, sharp, six-inch fangs.
Upwardly curved six-inch horns.
Metal-shod hoofed feet.
Enough muscles to make Arnold Schwartzeneger faint.
They were identical; completely indistinguishable one from
the other, except for the white plastic picture/barcode IDs clipped
to the collars of their armor.
Judging by the tags, they were named Bob and Rick.
They snarled and leered at her, licking their lips.
"Oh dear," Michiru whispered, really wanting to be somewhere
else right now. First the party blows up, and now demons were
standing right in front of her. "I _really_ don't need this right
now!" She spun one hundred-eighty degrees and ran.
*Th-th-th-th-thump!* The creatures matched her pace, and
within about two seconds they overtook her.
Bob slashed at her with its claws, which Michiru barely
managed to duck.
*Whump!* Calling upon some martial arts training she didn't
even know she had, the girl connected with a hard kick to Rick's
chest in an effort to knock it over.
*Thwack!* Rick ignored the kick and made a backhanded swipe,
effortlessly knocking Michiru to the ground.
*OOMPH!*
Bob didn't miss a beat and took the girl by the legs, lifting
her into the air with one pair of claws and holding her arms with
the other. It opened its mouth wide, demonstrating several rows of
sharp, dagger-like teeth.
Michiru wasn't typically the type to go about screaming, but
just this once, she made a special exception. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
<{Do not panic, you have power! You can defeat them!}>
Michiru heard an ethereal voice. <{I will awaken them.}>
*Bzzzr!* A blue, trident-like symbol burned on the young
woman's forehead. Her screams stopped and she started recalling
things. She began to remember a long-gone life entirely different
from this one.
Images flooded Michiru's mind, about a Silver Millennium, about
planetary Kingdoms, and about a group of female soldiers called to
protect their worlds, their people, and above all to protect the
Queen and the Moon Kingdom.
She also recalled that she had been one of them, and one of the
top tail-kickin' powerful ones of 'em, to boot! As a member of a sort
of border patrol on steroids, she had beaten hundreds of snaggle-
toothed monsters. Why should this be any different?!
Michiru cocked an eyebrow at the demon that was holding her
upside down. She didn't have to take _this_ from THEM!
*KERUNCHH!* The delightful young lady let loose with a quick
knifehand into Bob's nether-regions.
*WOOOOOOOOOOOOH* Bob growled in agony, letting go of Michiru's
arms to shield its injured weakspot.
Michiru took the opportunity to kick-flip out of the monster's
grasp, landing several yards away.
Rick cautiously stood back while Bob continued to writhe in
agony.
*Flash* In a small sphere of light, a little wand with a
stylized ball and a star with an engraved lined-trident on the tip
appeared in front of Michiru who, with a flourish, took it in hand.
"Neptune Planet Power, Make Up!" she called, raising the object
aloft.
*BSSSH!* A circle of liquid-blue energy splashed into a circle
around her and in a flash, rose from the ground into a spiraling
watery wall several meters high. This power merged to form her blue-
jewel tiaraed, dark-blue-miniskirted, blue-bowed, tied-up slippered
Sailor Soldier(tm) outfit.
So exhilarated by the power rush, Sailor Neptune brushed back
her hair and struck a pose.
*Bling!* A light coat of pink lipstick completed the ensemble.
<{Now you can fight them.}>
"Awakened by a new threat," the newly aware Sailor Senshi
called upon her skills of dramatics, "when the fight of men against
demons escalates, I am Sailor Neptune, acting, hmph, gracefully."
Bob and Rick looked at each other, grunted something in an
unintelligible language, then looked back at Sailor Neptune and
crouched into an attack stance.
*Graaaah!* Bob growled, stamping one of its hooves in much
the way a bull prepares to charge.
Rick leapt high into the air and dove claws-first into the
ground, passing effortlessly through the hardened rock and dust
beneath it.
*Th-th-th-th-thump!* Bob then rushed forward at an incredible
I'm-not-kidding-you quick rate.
<{Use your strength!}>
Sailor Neptune sidestepped the slashing strike, leveling a
well-timed kick to the beast's back, knocking it over.
*CRASH!*ROARRRR!* Rick emerged from the rock beneath Neptune,
punching through her suit and imbedding its claws knuckle-deep into
the girl's sides.
"ARGH!" Neptune shouted from the pain.
Bob stood back up and raised its claws to slash downward at
Neptune's stomach, making six long, deep red slices there, then made
another slash toward her face...
*Flash*
Sailor Neptune found herself floating in a serene pure-white
environment. She wasn't in any pain or anything, but she felt numb.
"W-what happened? Did I die?" she jumped to a conclusion.
"Close, very close," a feminine voice behind her said.
Her head tilted back and unable to turn around, Neptune simply
asked a question. "Who are you?"
"I am the one who awakened you."
"_You_ awakened me?"
"Yes. The world needs you, and I need you."
"Why?"
"That will all become clear. If I take time to explain,
you may not survive." The soft voice took a pause. "Your wounds
are healed. The beasts are powerful, but you have even more
potential. However, use your magic this time, for heaven's sake!
Please, please, PLEASE do not get into any more hand-to-hand
fighting! They're faster and can hurt you that way. That is all."
"Wait, who-"
*Flash*
Sailor Neptune awoke face-down on the ground. She could feel
a few of tears in her outfit, but all the lacerations were gone. Bob
and Rick had turned away, one hi-sixing the other. She considered a
flurry of kicks to knock them down, but then recalled the words she
had just heard and remembered the effects that close-quarter combat
had inflicted upon her. Wisely, she decided against it.
*Grawlh?* Bob noticed that Neptune moved a little.
"Hah!" Sailor Neptune rolled away into a kneeling position.
She raised her hands above her head, gathering together a large
blue sphere of watery energy, which flowed like great midair streams
into her grasp. "Deeeeep," she began, and thrust her hands in front,
firing the ringed ball toward her foes. "Submuurge!"
The demons grunted and rushed toward her, confident of being
able to resist the blast.
*CRASH!* Deep Submerge slammed into both creatures, burying
them under its power.
*AAAAH!* Rick evaporated under the assault.
*RAAACHH!* Bob rushed out of the way of the blastwave as
soon as it could, losing strength to its legs. It collapsed near
the black Lodestone, then, amidst its melting flesh, it raised
one hand to touch the rock, and vanished in a flash of darkness.
The nighttime image vanished and morning once again ruled
the environment.
"Hmm," Michiru smiled, crossing her arms with a hand against
her cheek. "It's good to be back."
"Hey!" an annoyed-looking six-foot-tall pink-haired guy
hovering in the air about ten meters away called, shaking his
fist, "_I_ wanted to blow 'em up!"
"I saw them first!" Sailor Neptune replied with dignity, not
knowing or particularly caring who this man was, and began to run
the mile and a half toward the rim of the crater.
"Darn fledgling superheroines," 'Tim grumbled, then thought for
a second. "Hey, that was Sailor Neptune! I remember her!" He paused.
"Don't I?" He shrugged. "Eh, doesn't matter." The man clapped his
hands together. "I wanted to vaporize something, but it's O-KAY, I
can deal with it. Show's over, let's go back home."
*Whoosh!* 'Tim powered-up and sped off.
"I can see my house from heeeeeeere!"
---
Breakfast was nice, thought Luna to herself. The steaks were
of a very high quality, and quite tasty, too. She didn't know what
they were from, and it didn't really matter, she supposed. After
she was filled, she walked around a little more and went to Serena's
house. The girl had already left for school, so she decided to spend
some time on other things. She squeezed into Arby's under-house
sanctuary and went through his personal effects.
"Hmm... a mushroom, another mushroom, a half-finished henshin
stick, a Kenshin comic book, some little bits of string, a few
bacteria samples... Eew, a dead swallow."
She dug down deeper.
"Fifteen, sixteen, no, twenty Elvis Presley eight-tracks, a
framed picture of a clown mushroom, wait--a 'Hello Kitty' dartboard?
With Zulu spears stuck in it? Arby, I had no idea..."
Luna searched through the mess even further.
"A burnt-out lightbulb collection, and other assorted odds
and ends. Golf balls, hockey-pucks, a book 'How to Crochet: The
Difficult Way.' What--a badger skeleton? A jackelope?! Then maybe
he _wasn't_ joking that time..."
Now for the nitty-gritty stuff.
"A five-inch stack of very long cards, several stacks of half-
finished personal memoirs, all written in reverse-alphabetical
order... Plans to take over the universe?! Ugh. These all look like
they might actually work."
The more Luna looked, the more she decided that some things
were best left buried. She climbed out of the hole and covered it
behind her with a mound of dirt. The cat nodded to herself, feeling
like she had just accomplished some great, mind-bending feat. Come to
think about it, she also felt more than a little 'icky,' so she sat
down and gave herself a much-needed catbath, keeping the mouthwash
and sterilizing solutions handy.
Finishing that, the mooncat thought it appropriate to have a
short funeral service for her dearly departed companion, but she
didn't feel like a funeral. What she felt like doing was inviting
all her friends out to a fancy restaurant and having a big, fat
party.
And that's exactly what she did.
*PHOOO-OOOH!* Luna blew on her noisemaker, looking insanely
cheerful in her cone-shaped rainbow-colored party hat. "YAAAAY!
Arby's dead! Arby's dead!"
"Pika," a large yellow electrical rat with a stripe across its
back commented, holding up a pair of white flags with red spots in
the center, "Chuuu?"
"Chuuu?" a small bipedal mouse added, munching on a piece of
cake on the table all the cute, cuddly creatures were sitting at.
In addition to Pikachu and ChuChu were a few other beasties.
Ryo-Ohki was there, for example, munching on a stack of carrots, and
there was also a rabbity thing named Mokona.
"Puuu?" Mokona asked the waiter, holding up an empty brandy
glass in his cute little fuzzy paws.
"You are over your limit," the dark-skinned, cranial-crested
waiter said brusquely.
"Puu," the rabbity thing pouted, then looked up, his eyes full
of glistening stars of hope. "Puuu?"
"I'll ask," the waiter grunted, and went into the back room.
"We all gather here together," Luna said cheerfully, calling the
meeting to order, "to remember one of our own."
"Pika!"
"Chuuu!"
"Puu."
"Oooghh!" a tribble purred, sitting atop its bowl of grain.
"Miyaaaow!"
"Yes, Ryo-Ohki, I was getting to that," Luna continued. She
cleared her throat. "Ahem, many of us have gone into battle and
fought bitterly for ones we care about, but whom of us can truly say
we did as much as our dear departed friend Arby did last night?"
Everyone looked at each other, then back at Luna. Ryo-Ohki
raised a paw.
"Except you."
The 'funeral' speech went on while the owner and the waiter
held a heated debate.
"Klingons do _not_ wait tables," the waiter affirmed.
"Oh come on, Mister Wharf," a balding man replied in a French
accent, not seeming to take the complaint seriously, "we only need
three thousand yen more and we can buy the transspacial unit to
activate the warp core to trigger the tetryon particle emissions to
stop the Borg invasion and restore the timeline to its proper course!"
He sucked in a long, deep breath and handed the Klingon a bottle. "Now
give that gentleman what he ordered!"
Commander Wharf didn't look very happy. "Aye aye, Captain."
"And furthermore," Luna continued, "if it were not for Arby's
Great Sacrifice, he would still be here to torment us all."
"Mi-yaaaoah!" Ryo-Ohki agreed, holding up her carrot.
At that moment, the waiter passed by the tribble on his way
to deliver the high-proof beverage.
*EEEEK!*EEEEEEEK!* The tribble started screaming wildly.
Shocked by this, most of the cuddly creatures looked around
with frantic, feral eyes and went wild.
Ryo-Ohki shrieked and dove on Mr. Wharf, clawing at his eyes.
"ARGH!"
Mokona and ChuChu leapt at other customers, messing up their
hair and scattering their meals.
Pikachu hopped behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of the
hardest stuff there, then popped the cork and chugged the whole
thing in just a few seconds.
"Piii-kaaah!" Pikachu giggled, little 'X's forming over his
eyes, and snatched another container.
Wharf got a hold of a table leg, ripped it off, and tried
to beat at the cabbit assaulting him, but to no avail.
"Wait one minute!" Luna tried to calm everyone down.
"Oooghhhh!" the tribble started multiplying wildly.
"Pikaaaa," the electric rat started, pushing away the bottle
and getting ready to sneeze, "Pikaaaaaaa-CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!*
*BLAAAAAAM!* The shnazzy restaurant went up in a sphere of
flashing, roiling lightning.
---
To be continued...
Those wondering about the Ranma subplot, it's coming up next time, along with
a flashback. I wanted to include it in this section, but my email service has
some
weird 32000 character limit that I have yet to circumvent... and somehow I
don't
think the attachment taboo would be lifted just to see the whole thing in one
big
chunk. ^_-
Until next time...
-------------------------------
Benjamin A. Oliver
boredcollective@aol.com
"We are the Bored. Lower your shields and surrender your fics.
We will add your standup and slapstick comedy to our own.
Your humor will adapt to entertain us.
Resistance is and always has been: Futile."
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