Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Sailor Moon T: Titans Hunt ❯ Harrogath ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
*Theme song: Never Surrender, by Stan Bush*






Christine: IT'S TOO COLD!!!

Chris: Just think of it as winter in Crystal Tokyo! Don't you remember how cold it gets during some weeks?

Christine: WELL THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH!!!

Chris: For the love of God, Christine, we're almost there!

It had been basically the same conversation the two had been having for several hours now after they had first moved into the storm. To get to the town of Harrogath, they needed to cross through a mountain pass.

Unfortunately, that mountain pass just happened to be in a somewhat constant state of winter and snowfall.

Christine: You've been saying that for hours! When are we going to-

Chris: Now.

Christine suddenly stopped looking at the snow-covered roads and ground that they walked upon and stared directly ahead of her, seeing a fifteen-foot tall gate. They had arrived at Harrogath.

Christine: Oh.

Chris chuckled softly, and was about to approach the gate to open it when a voice suddenly filled the air around the entrance. It was loud and coming from directly behind Chris and Christine, and it said one word.

Voice: CHRIS!

Chris gasped and slowly turned around. Miya was standing not twenty feet away, coming into the area they had just been in from a different path. The two stared at each other for a moment, looking into one another's eyes. And then, half a second later, they were in each other's arms, kissing and embracing passionately. Christine and Anna just stared, dumbfounded.

Miya: I'm sorry-

Chris: I'm sorry-

Miya: I'll never do anything-

Chris: I'll never do anything-

Miya: -like that again.

Chris: -like that again.

Anna walked up to Christine, standing next to her as the two lovers continued to kiss and hug.

Anna: Think they were like this before we came around?

Christine: It was probably worse. The two of us are the stabilizing factor in this group of nutcases.

Chris and Miya shot them annoyed glances.

Chris: Maybe when you grow up, Anna, you'll learn about true love and love at first sight!

Miya: And as for you, Christine, I don't think you should be one for talking about expressions of emotion.

Christine: Sorry, I just don't believe that two people can suddenly fall in love with one another when they see each other.

Chris: Fine, believe what you will. In the meantime, I recommend we go inside the city and get a warm cup of coffee or something.

The others nodded and proceeded to walk inside the city gates. It didn't look very large, with several barrel fires providing some minor warmth in the technologically deficient city, people huddled around the fires like moths to a flame.

Chris: Erg... I can remember the last time we were here.

Miya: We've been here before?

Chris: You haven't. When Charsi and Argent kidnapped us, they kept us in a basement somewhere in this town.

Miya giggled slightly.

Anna: What's so funny?

Miya held onto Chris' arm and spun around him.

Miya: It just feels like old times! When the Titans were first getting together, we traveled from one raggedy town to the next, making allies and fighting side by side against evil! It feels just like those old times! Especially when I'm with a certain handsome devil...

Miya giggled and traced her fingers along Chris' chest, the two embraced and kissed passionately. Anna and Christine rolled their eyes, and then noticed a large man wearing golden armor and a long white beard approaching them. Along with the man was an old woman wrapped in rags and blankets.

Man: Welcome to Harrogath, Titans! I am Qual-Kehk. I am acting as the military head of Harrogath while demons besiege the area. And this is Malah.

Chris: Greetings and salutations. How did you know we were here?

Qual-Kehk: Word of your arrival has spread far and wide throughout the area, especially of tales of the dark Andariel and Duriel rising from the grave.

Miya: Unfortunately, that bit's true.

Qual-Kehk: Not for long, I suspect! Not with the legendary Titans after them!

Qual-Kehk laughed and smiled.

Qual-Kehk: Now, as happy as I am to greet you to our town, I must organize the local barbarians for an offensive against a demonic plateau.

Chris: Well, best of luck to you on that.

Qual-Kehk: We'll need it!

Qual-Kehk walked off, but Malah stayed behind.

Malah: Titans, I have a request of you...

Christine: Name it.

Malah: I am the local healer here in Harrogath. However, in my old age I've relied on others' assistance in certain matters. One of these helpers, a young girl named Anya, seems to have disappeared. Anya was the daughter of one of the Clan Elders before he was slain by Baal. Anya was investigating on her own one of the townspeople named Nihlathak. With the sudden uprising of undead demons, and with Nihlathak being a necromancer, Anya suspected his involvement. And now she's disappeared...

Chris: Have you reported this to anyone?

Malah: Qual-Kehk believes this to be merely one of Anya's little games. She often did this before her father was killed.

Christine: Well, don't worry! We'll talk to this Nihlathak guy and get the real deal. Who is he?

Malah pointed to a man who was hunched over near a fire. His skin looked pale and weak, and he was dressed in a warm black cloak. And three out of four of the Titans recognized him.

Chris: It's HIM!

Miya: Who?

Christine: When we were kidnapped and brought to Harrogath by Charsi and Argent, there was this guy who helped them have a place to store us! IT WAS HIM!

The sudden shouting by the Titans caught Nihlathak's attention. Recognizing the Titans, he gasped and began running away in the opposite direction.

Chris: After him!

The four quickly gave chase to the old necromancer, who winced when he realized he had walked into the dead end of an alley. He turned around and saw the four standing in his way.

Chris: We'd like to have a little chat with you.

Nihlathak: Sorry, I've got an appointment to keep!

And with that, Nihlathak snapped his fingers and was suddenly engulfed by blue energy. It faded just as quickly as it had appeared.

Miya: Well, if this isn't evidence of his guilt, I don't know what is.

Chris: How can we track him?

Malah: I can track him.

Malah was walking up to the group. They all turned around to face her.

Anna: How?

Malah: When Anya first disappeared, I placed a tracking spell to keep track of his movements. I could create a town portal to his location.

Chris: He's probably got his own little defense. We should transform!

Miya: NEO CRESCENT POWER!!!

Out of Miya's heart brooch came three large hearts. One heart descended down her body, and the other two onto her arms. As the hearts passed over her skin, they formed the gloves of her Sailor outfit. As the larger heart passed over her torso and slowly over her legs, forming the mini-skirt and the boots. As the three hearts ended at her feet and hands, they shot up to her head and hit it, forming the tiara and earrings. She stood in a pose with her making a smooching face.

Chris: ASTEROID BLAZING POWER!!!

A glittery silhouette of Chris appeared. Asteroids shot around him, and several blasted into his chest, forming into the shirt and bow. Asteroids then shot into his arms, exploding on contact, and forming into the sleeves. Finally, the last asteroids shot into his legs, exploding on impact, and forming into the pants and boots. The last asteroid shot into his face, forming into a halo. He stood in a pose with an asteroid shooting at him from behind.

Christine: NEO CRYSTAL POWER!!!

The whole pink glittery thing happened with a silhouette of Christine. She held out her transformation stick in front of her, and then the stick glowed with a silver brightness, and the silhouette slowly became covered in crystal. First her torso was enveloped, then her arms, and finally her legs. The crystal then shattered, forming her shirt, blue bows, gloves, gold mini-skirt, and boots. She then twirled around, and her earrings and tiara with a blue gem formed out of nowhere.

Anna: LIFE PRISM POWER!!!

A silhouette of Anna appeared, and she twirled her transformation stick around her. Lights shined from the ground underneath where she had twirled the stick, and they surrounded her, forming the gloves, boots, and shirt of the sailor outfit. Five beams shot from around her into her torso, forming the skirt. She ran her hand through her hair and the earrings and tiara formed. She stood in a pose of her just standing there, smiling serenely.

Malah kneeled down for a moment in prayer, then extended her arms out. A blue portal suddenly appeared before her, sparking with energy.

Malah: Good luck, Titans!

Asteroid: Let's move out, team!

And with that, the four Titans leapt into the portal...

...And instantly regretted it.

They all landed on a solid layer of ice and snow, which only contributed to the sudden cold winds that blew all around them and attacked their skin. White and blue surrounded them all as they realized they were sitting on a frozen underground river, every part of it covered in snow and ice.

Crystal: So much for the nice heat of Harrogath...






To Be Continued...