Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Tenchi Muyo Fan Fiction / Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Suffer the Children ❯ A God Among Senshi ( Chapter 1 )

Note: If you're looking for a reference point in continuity, stop it. My mega-crossovers always either bomb or become fairly popular. I'm hoping for the latter this time, as there aren't enough fanfics with Majin Buu in them.

And if you wanna know how ChibiUsa got so strong, well, I HATE writing powerless Senshi, and it's about time all that "training" paid off, don't you think? I also got the idea from an SM fighting game (Moon Fighter, I guess…), where ChibiUsa is the Combo Queen and arguably the best overall fighter (did I mention the combos?).

A huge thanks to Elf for helping me develop a semblance of a plot and a worthy cast. And if you like THIS, wait until you read HER stuff…

Summary: Mistress 9, Majin Buu, and Sesshomaru. Yup, you guessed it: Hell on Earth.

Suffer the Children

By Nate Grey

Chapter 1: A God Among Senshi

Usagi did not like Duo Maxwell.

Well, that was a misleading choice of words.

Usagi did not TRUST Duo Maxwell, and as a direct result, she did not like him.

Which was quite odd, because the first time they'd met, she'd swooned over him as if her life depended on it (and since Mamoru was off in who-knows-where, perhaps it had).

Duo had not been excessively friendly with any one girl in particular. He was, as he'd put it, an "equal opportunity dater." That much was definitely true, as he'd gone out with Usagi and everyone in her immediate (more specifically, Inner) circle at least twice.

The general opinion around town was that if a girl were lucky enough to get Duo, even for a night, she should chain him down and do her best to hang onto him.

This was easier said than done. Because while Duo was funny, charming, and intelligent, he was also on a mission: to find what he referred to as The One. Only Ami (much to everyone's shock and discontent) had gotten close enough to Duo to find out what that was. He was, in her words, "searching for the perfect woman."

And for the longest time, it seemed as if Duo had given up his search. He grew disenchanted with dating (a mortal wound to girls for miles around) and holed himself up in his shop, where he repaired anything and everything with mechanical parts ("from auto to zinc!" read the sign). And when he wasn't in his shop, he was either in the arcade or with Ami.

Usagi had been initially jealous, along with the other Inners, even though Ami swore she and Duo were close friends and nothing more. Repeated attempts to drag Duo away from her were unsuccessful, and when Rei had subtly implied (in her own way, mind you) that she herself was MUCH more desirable than Ami, Duo had stopped speaking to her for a week. He was, if nothing else, fiercely loyal to Ami, who could only blush scarlet, hide her face in an ever-present book, and murmur something indecipherable whenever she was confronted about the whole thing.

But if anyone had taken time to analyze the situation, they would've seen the attraction quite clearly. Duo was "simply, yet intricately gorgeous," (his own words) and Ami was, for lack of a better phrase, simply not attracted to him. At least, not to the point where she was ready to drool. She was probably the only girl in town that would've passed up a date with him for a night of studying. Once Duo discovered that, well, he HAD to know how her mind worked. And he came to realize that it was her mind he liked most of all. Of all the Inners, she was the only one he could really have an intellectual discussion with.

Which was not to say he didn't like the others. Duo adored Makoto's cooking (but then, who didn't?), admired Rei's passion, encouraged Minako's vivacity, and was fond of Usagi's irrepressible heart. But it was clear that he loved Ami in a way that none of them could truly appreciate.

* * * * *

There were countless places near and surrounding Hell that were not quite Hell itself, but retained enough of its characteristics to be significantly miserable.

Her current residence (she would never call it home, that indicated she belonged there) was one of these, and thankfully, it was one of the few an entity such as herself could get used to. It was a place of continuous, eternal silence and darkness.

A rather ironic and cruel joke, all things considered.

She had been destined to ascend, to become the Sovereign of Silence. The entire world was to have been at her every whim and command.

But her own body had betrayed her…rather, the body she'd chosen for the task. She was still in shock over it, really. Professor Tomoe had been a most cooperative servant. And while the body had its many weaknesses, she had been confident that she would overcome them all, with time and the power Tomoe was faithfully providing.

At first, she'd wanted to blame Sailor Moon and her accursed Sailor Senshi. But there was only one Senshi directly responsible for her defeat.

Tomoe Hotaru, Sailor Saturn.

Hotaru had been the perfect host: an unassuming, frail form, possessed of a spirit so powerful, she could end eras themselves.

And in yet another act of irony, Hotaru's gentle heart had still managed to reject her influence and summon Sailor Saturn, the merciless Senshi of Death & Destruction, the ultimate, tragic antihero.

And it had started off as such a promising day, too…

But she was giving up, not by a long shot. She had had control of Hotaru's body long enough. Traces of Saturn's blood still flowed in her weakened veins, and the power that went along with it would be enough, at least, to escape this prison. After that, she would need a firm power base, one that would help her exact her revenge on Hotaru, Sailor Moon, the Senshi, and anyone else that dared to oppose her.

Being there had certainly provided her with one thing: time, and enough of it to form a plan that would return to her rightful status as the Sovereign of Silence. But this time, she would not be alone. Already, she had three particular candidates in mind for her dark knights. Each would require considerable effort on her part, but it would be more than worth it in the end.

Gathering her power, she rose up and struck the hardened shell, smiling wickedly when it shattered around her. Tossing her flowing, luxurious black tresses over her shoulder, Mistress 9 threw back her head cackled in anticipation of the havoc she was about to wreak.

It was indeed good to be evil.

* * * * *

It was one of those off nights, when Duo had coaxed Ami away from her books long enough to serve her what would've been a romantic dinner under normal circumstances. Ami had made it very clear long ago that if Duo made even the slightest attempt to revive their former relationship, she would literally kick him out of her house for spoiling their friendship. But instead of agreeing to such a strict ruling, Duo continuously found ways around it. He was quite proud of becoming intimate with Ami without letting her realize that he had.

Tonight, for example, she was braiding his hair for him. It was nothing Duo hadn't done hundreds of times himself, of course. But convincing Ami to do it was always much more rewarding. For one thing, she treated his hair as if it were the finest silk, being overly cautious and extremely gentle with it. He suspected that Ami enjoyed running her fingers through his tresses almost as much as he enjoyed her doing it. Neither of them would dare admit that, though. Duo was not willing to give up one of the few excuses he had to put his head in Ami's lap (faking illness wasn't as easy; Ami was getting very hard to fool because of her medical studies).

"Aims," he said absently. "It doesn't make any sense."

"What's that, Duo?"

He grinned, mostly to himself. To her friends, she was Ami-chan. Only he could get away with calling her anything else. "We're two devastatingly beautiful people, and we've only got each other for company. Something's wrong with this picture."

Ami knew better than to try and convince Duo that she wasn't breathtaking. The last time she'd tried it, he'd dragged her over to a mirror and made her stare into it for at least an hour, until she'd finally admitted that she was actually quite stunning. "Not necessarily. Maybe the right people haven't come along yet."

"Aims, LOOK at us! How could anyone NOT see how lovely we are?!"

Ami shook her head. "You're full of yourself, you know that?"

"Better to be full of myself than full of something else, though."

Ami resisted the urge to tug on his hair. "I'm afraid you're just going to have to accept that you're not Aphrodite reborn in male form, Duo. I know it's shocking, but some people CAN resist you."

Duo shook his head slightly. "Nah, if there's one thing I do know, God of Love I'm not. That's V-chan's shtick." He tilted his head back even more, so he could stare into Ami's bright blue eyes.

Ami froze. "Don't," she whispered.

"Don't what?"

Amy avoided his eyes. "Don't…LOOK at me like that, and don't say it again."

"What?" Duo asked innocently.

"You KNOW what, Duo. We've talked about this."

"Not really. I mention it, and you turn into Avoidy Ami."

"Maybe because I prefer to think about you LIVING!" she cried.

Duo fell silent. After a few tense moments, he gently patted her knee. "Aims?"

"What?" she asked shortly.

"Sorry."

She sighed and reached down to squeeze his hand. "I know you are, Duo."

He smiled knowingly. "They weren't kidding when they named you Mercury, were they?"

Ami's grip tightened ever so slightly. "What?"

"Relax, Aims." Duo brought her hand to his lips in a tender kiss. "I know. I have known, really, for a while now."

"How long?" she asked softly.

He shrugged and grinned. "Moment we first met?"

Ami stared at him-then gasped. "You mean…you really are…?" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "…Shinigami…?"

"I didn't keep bringing it up just to upset you. I wanted to be honest. I guess I thought one of the Sailor Senshi would believe me. Didn't realize I'd have to prove I knew first."

"But…you never said anything…"

"I got my secrets, too. There's no reason to rat on you guys. You're like-hell, you ARE family."

"Oh, Duo…" Ami had never wanted to hug him more than she did at that moment.

"Don't go getting teary; you'd say the same about me."

"So…why did you come here?" Ami asked as she finished securing his hair into the familiar braid.

"Well, I wasn't kidding about that `perfect woman' stuff," he admitted, standing. "Only, she's not so much perfect as she is lethally powerful. We're talking natural disaster, if she got pissed enough. The catch is, I can only recognize her by sight. So I'm really just searching blind right now."

One of Ami's more thoughtful looks crossed her face. She reached over to her phone and began to dial.

"Who we calling?" Duo asked, sitting next to her.

"Some old friends who would know a lot about that kind of power," Ami replied.

* * * * *

Sesshomaru was not used to being approached by beautiful women. Most of them knew better and stayed away from him at all costs. This one, though, had a somewhat interesting proposition for him.

But he had never been easy to convince, and over five thousand years of life had not changed that.

"Think of it, my lord," she purred, licking her violet lips. "With your brother out of the way, you would be the unrivaled heir to your father's glory."

"You have told me nothing I don't already know," he pointed out, looking bored.

She smiled. "Ah, but I have a surefire way to end your brother's existence. You could even have his power, if you so desired."

"No," Sesshomaru snapped at once. "I would never invite his tainted blood to mix with my own."

"So be it. But rest assured that he would be taken care of."

The demon lord pondered her for a moment. "If indeed you can get rid of Inu Yasha," he said at last, "what would you ask for in addition to my temporary allegiance?" He placed emphasis on `temporary', for obvious reasons.

Mistress 9 chuckled softly. "Only that you suppress anyone within your new kingdom that might try to avenge his death."

"I suppose you mean that lowly human he travels with?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Oh, no," Mistress 9 replied with a sinister look in her eyes. "She's the bait…"

Sesshomaru decided then and there that he liked after all.

* * * * *

Michiru smiled as she opened the door. "It's so good to see you again, Ami-chan. How long has it been?"

"Too long, Michiru-san," Ami replied, embracing her. She gestured to the young man waiting behind her. "This is Duo Maxwell, the one I told you about."

"Oh, but your description on the phone did him no justice, Ami-chan," Michiru giggled as he kissed her hand.

Duo grinned. "Yeah, they rarely do." He resisted the urge to strike a bodybuilding pose, especially when Ami shot him one of her looks.

"Please, come in," Michiru said, ushering them inside. "Haruka and Hotaru are out back gardening, but they should be done in a minute."

"Gardening?" Ami asked in surprise. "Haruka never struck me as a green thumb."

"Oh, she isn't," Michiru replied with a smile as she led them to the den. "Hotaru can be very persuasive when she tries. She's got a lovely little peony patch."

"Have you heard from Setsuna lately?" Ami asked.

"Well, you know her. She tries to check in more often, for Hotaru's sake. She takes being a surrogate mother so seriously, ever since ChibiUsa's…misfortune. And with Hotaru's past…"

Ami nodded gravely. "It's upsetting, the way they target the young ones."

"We've all learned from our mistakes," Michiru said. "That's the important thing. Hotaru has a greater understanding of her powers and duties. Setsuna says that ChibiUsa's making remarkable progress back home."

Ami suddenly realized that Duo probably had no idea what they were talking about. She turned to apologize, but found that he was gone. "Did you see where Duo went, Michiru?"

"I could guess," Michiru replied with a mysterious little grin.

* * * * *

Haruka frowned and stood up. There was A Boy in her home.

There were times when she wondered about the sanity of her lover. She was really going to have to send Michiru to that psychologist in France, if they ever went back.

"Aren't the peonies pretty, Haruka-papa?" Hotaru asked, gently running her fingers along the tops of the flowers.

Haruka narrowed her eyes. The Boy was coming their way. Fast. They couldn't smell their own sweaty stench, no, but they were like bloodhounds when it came to-

"Hotaru-chan. It's time to go inside. We have…guests."

"Really?" Hotaru asked, brightening curiously.

Haruka scowled at her. There was a time when she would've eeped and scampered off to her room at the first sign of company. This new interest in new people was Michiru's doing, no doubt. And Hotaru's first guest WOULD have to be A Boy.

"Go in and wash up." She pushed the young girl perhaps a little harder than was necessary towards the house.

Hotaru ran off, her yellow sundress showing flashes of her pale, willowy legs.

Damn. Michiru AGAIN. She really had to start noticing these things beforehand.

And now The Boy had changed direction. No doubt to increase his chances of intersecting Hotaru on her way to the washroom.

Haruka scowled again and headed into the house. No one was going to touch Hotaru this day.

ESPECIALLY not Michiru.

* * * * *

"And the winner, by way of knockout, the one, the only, Buu!"

Buu chuckled to himself as he walked out of the ring. He either ignored or was blissfully unaware of the scattered looks of fear from a few audience members who still couldn't sleep some nights, knowing that there was something deeply troubling about this pink, pudgy creature. The dragonballs had erased any clear memories of Majin Buu's reign of terror, but nothing could completely erase the feeling of unease from the truly perceptive minds.

Not that any of that concerned Buu in the least. To him, life was merely a game that regularly provided food, friends, and fun…usually in the form of fighting, but he wasn't picky about it.

As he reached the ready room, Videl came forward to pat his shoulder. "You were great out there, Buu."

"Where Bee?" Buu asked, glancing around anxiously. He was by no means a genius, but he seemed to recall leaving his beloved pet with her.

"Oh, the boys stopped by and got him. They were going to pig out after their match, and Goten thought Bee might be hungry."

"Go…ten?" Buu asked slowly, frowning with some effort as he tried to match a face with the name.

Videl smiled patiently. "Just follow the smell of food, Buu."

Buu beamed; that had never been a problem. "Okay!"

"Next up, Videl versus Juuhachi!" the announcer shouted.

"Wish me luck?" Videl asked.

Buu nodded and puffed out his belly (unnecessary though it was) for her to rub. "Luck!"

Videl rubbed his stomach affectionately. "Thanks, Buu. Seeya later!" She ran out to a huge response from the fans.

"She's gonna need that luck," Juuhachi murmured with a confident smirk as she followed.

But Buu did not hear her; he had already picked up the scent of rice. He quickly made his way through the ready room and out into the courtyard, heading toward the cafeteria.

"Oh, look, tou-san!" a voice suddenly squealed. "It's Buu!"

Buu stopped and turned to see a tiny girl running up to him, her eyes shining with wonder. Her violet hair was done up in an odd fashion, resulting in two puffs, one on either side of her head.

Just beyond her was a tall man in orange robes. Buu thought he might be one of the monks affiliated with the Tournament.

"Buu-sama?" the girl asked excitedly, bouncing up and down. "Could I pleasepleasePLEASE have your autograph?!" She held out a pen and paper with trembling arms.

Buu took the paper in one hand, and seized the pen with his forelock. He carefully printed a vaguely recognizable signature. "There! Buu!"

"Oh, WOW!" The girl looked as if she might faint. "You're SO cool, Buu-sama!"

"Girl like candy?" Buu's forelock began to glow pink, and a second later, he was holding a huge lollipop instead of a pen.

"Tou-san, look! Buu gave me candy!"

Her father looked on disapprovingly. "Get ON with it, 9."

The girl beamed. "Buu-sama, I've got a secret for you…"

"Hmm? A secret for Buu?" Buu asked as the child floated up to his ear. He didn't think that odd, over half the people he knew could fly just as easily.

She giggled and hugged his neck. "Gotcha!" she cried, planting a huge kiss on his cheek.

At first, Buu thought he might blush. But before he could turn thought into action, there was an incredible pain, originating in his cheek and then shooting throughout the rest of his body. He only had time to cry out once before he collapsed in a writhing heap, and then was still.

"It would appear your powers are returning," Sesshomaru murmured.

"Yes," Mistress 9 agreed, "but this is nothing. Once we have-"

"HEY!" shouted an angry voice.

The girl looked up to see two young boys charging towards them. "Oh, good. They're already here."

"What'd you do to Buu?!" Goten cried, narrowing his eyes.

"Probably the same thing we're about to do to her!" Trunks growled. "Goten, you ready?"

"Yeah, let's get her!"

Both boys leaped.

Mistress 9 smiled and raised her hands, spreading her tiny fingers. "Come to me, children."

Trunks realized what she was planning a moment too late. "Goten, look ou-"

Twin, massive fireballs of violet surrounded the boys, and they didn't even have time to scream before they dropped to the ground on either side of Buu.

Suddenly, there was a short, angry bark.

Mistress 9 smirked when a tiny brown dog came tearing around the corner. It stopped at her feet, growling furiously.

Sesshomaru raised a hand to strike it down.

"No. He may prove useful, in case they resist. And they will." She picked up the dog by the scruff of its neck. "Not to worry, puppy. I wouldn't dream of separating you from your owner." She waved her hand. "We're done here."

Sesshomaru flicked his head slightly, and a strong gust of wind rose up and carried them all off.

By the time the Tournament officials arrived, all they found was a forgotten lollipop.

* * * * *

"Duo!" Ami scolded when he wandered back into the den. "That's so rude! You can't just go around searching people's houses without their permission!"

"Nobody stopped me," Duo noted with a grin as he sat down beside her.

"It's all right, Ami-chan," Michiru assured her. "If he'd been somewhere he shouldn't have been, I have no doubt he'd have run into Haruka by now."

Just then, Hotaru hurried in, wearing a formal black dress. "Michiru-mama, do we really have guests?"

Michiru smiled. "Yes, but you didn't need to dress up for-"

"Ami-san!" Hotaru cried suddenly, launching herself into the startled young woman's arms.

"Hello again, Hotaru-chan," Ami said, clearly not expecting that. "It's good to see you're doing well."

"You think so?" Hotaru bubbled, her violet eyes flashing with pleasure. "Haruka-papa says my color's improved, too, but I can't really see that much of a change, and-"

"Slow DOWN, Hotaru!" Ami pleaded. "I wanted to introduce you to…Hotaru-chan?"

But Hotaru was no longer looking at Ami. Rather, she was staring past her friend to the young man sitting next to Ami…just as Duo was staring back at her, his mouth open the slightest bit.

Michiru glanced between them, and she recognized the look. It was the slightest bit unsettling to see two people this age with it, though…especially since one of them was Hotaru.

"Hotaru?" Ami said again, touching her shoulder. There was no response, so she tried Duo. "Duo!"

Duo jumped and his eyes snapped to her, then slowly shifted back to Hotaru. "What?"

Ami shook her head. "Hotaru, this is Duo, and…Hotaru?" She waved her hand before the girl's eyes.

Hotaru blinked and slowly fell out of the transfixed state. "Oh. It's…nice to meet you…Duo…" She hesitantly held out her hand. Duo practically leaped at it, placing a very noticeable kiss just below her wrist and promptly causing Hotaru to turn scarlet. He did not let go when he was done, nor did he return to his seat.

Although it was rather symbolic, the way he stayed on one knee. Not to mention a little worrisome.

"Duo," Ami said severely.

Duo finally released Hotaru's hand, and neither of them seemed too happy about it as he returned to the couch.

"Why don't you sit down, Hotaru?" Michiru suggested. "I'm sure we'll have much to talk about."

Hotaru's gaze went immediately to Duo's lap, lingered on various other parts of him, and then moved to tiny space beside him on the couch.

"I'm sure Duo wouldn't mind finding another chair-" Ami began.

Before she'd even gotten that far, though, Duo had shifted to the right, and Hotaru had squeezed in beside him.

"No need, Aims," Duo chuckled, resisting the urge to put his arm around Hotaru…for the moment.

* * * * *

"Are you ready, ChibiUsa?" Setsuna asked.

The young girl nodded. "Yes, Pu-erm…Sensei…"

Setsuna looked at her sternly, tapping the reed loudly against her hand. "Let's begin." Then, just like that, she was gone.

ChibiUsa blinked…and hardly dove aside in time as the reed came down where her head had been a moment ago. It didn't seem to matter, though; she'd barely gotten back to her feet when it lashed across the back of her skull. She wailed in pain. "Owwww!!!"

"If it hurts, don't let it happen again!" Setsuna ordered.

ChibiUsa tried to sense what direction her teacher was coming from, but it was no use. She could either try to find her or try to avoid her; she was not yet experienced enough to do both at once.

"Where is your guard?!"

The reed bit into ChibiUsa's cheek, and she spun around with a kick that only grazed Setsuna's wrist.

"You're slow, and your aim is horrible!"

The reed came down across the backs of ChibiUsa's legs, causing her to stumble.

"What have you been learning all this time I've spent training you?!"

ChibiUsa growled low in her throat and wiped away tears of shame and anger.

"Don't get mad. Hit me back!"

The reed smacked into ChibiUsa's head again, but she blocked out the pain and grabbed the reed. With a cry of vengeance, she brought her power rushing to surface, and it ripped from her body with the force of a tidal wave.

Setsuna was not expecting her student to react that way, nor was she prepared for the overwhelming surge of pure energy that picked her up and slammed into her again and again, sapping her strength in the space of a few seconds. The pain ended only when ChibiUsa realized she might actually be hurting her teacher, and quickly broke off the attack. Setsuna hit the ground hard and did not move.

"Puu…? PUU!" ChibiUsa rushed to her teacher's side. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Puu; I didn't mean it! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, PLEASE wake up!"

Setsuna opened her eyes. "ChibiUsa."

"Puu…? Are you okay?!"

Setsuna slowly sat up. "That is not the point. Where did you learn to do that?"

"Learn?" ChibiUsa frowned. "I didn't learn it, I just do it."

"You…created it, you mean?"

"Well, sure. Everyone else has their own moves, I thought I could use more than just Pink Sugar Heart. It doesn't always work the way it should, and I-"

"Do you have…other techniques?"

"Yes, but what's that got to do with anything?"

Setsuna blinked. "I had no idea you were so capable on your own."

ChibiUsa glared at her. "Well, you never asked. You just kinda showed up and went, `Time for training!' I was gonna tell you that kaa-san was showing me some moves she used to do, and I made my own from watching her."

"Forgive me, ChibiUsa."

"You didn't have to HIT me so hard, either!" she complained, rubbing the rising bumps on her head.

Setsuna arched an eyebrow. "On the contrary. I was holding back by not using the Time Staff, or my maximum speed and strength. Enemies that oppose this kingdom will not. You have to realize that as the princess, you may one day be called upon to defend your home, alone, as your grandmother did. You may even have to give your life. If that should ever happen, you HAVE to be ready, you MUST be strong enough, and I intend to make sure that you are on both counts."

"But kaa-san says I'm plenty strong. Stronger than she was at my age."

"Your mother knew nothing of her powers at your age. Of course you're stronger than she was."

"She ALSO says I'm stronger than she is NOW."

Setsuna paused. Surely Serenity wouldn't fill her daughter's head with such lies, unless…unless maybe it was true. ChibiUsa WAS getting stronger, and she'd just proved it. But stronger than her mother? Setsuna doubted it…and yet, she almost hoped it was true.

"And let's not forget that I just kicked YOUR butt," ChibiUsa grinned. "You're just lucky I like you, or you'd STILL be stuck up there, Puu."

"As I've already told you, I wasn't fighting at my maximum potential."

ChibiUsa smirked. "I never said I was either, Puu…"

* * * * *

Continued in Chapter 2: Missing

While the Z Senshi continue the desperate search for their missing boys, a clue-and a visitor-arrives in their midst. Haruka & Michiru reveal to Ami that one of their own is missing, and Mistress 9 obtains the Time Staff. Trunks loses hope-and courage-as he witnesses the rebirth of his greatest foe.