Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Princess and The Avatar ❯ Soldier Pluto?! ( Chapter 5 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

THE PRINCESS AND THE AVATAR
AUTHOR: Zpan Sven
E-MAIL: Zpan(underscore)Sven(at)hotmail(dot)com
SUMMARY: Finding Mamoru in the arms of another, Usagi is saved from the Earth Prince's beating by a mysterious ninja and is brought into a world of mystical ancient tournaments….
CHAPTER SUMMARY: A meeting of the minds is underway for the allies of good…and evil. Will the Senshi, Chosen of Earth, and their new ninja comrades be able to trust each other enough in time to fight not just for their lives, but the lives of the inhabitants of Earth Realm? And just who is this new guy that has been sent by Sailor Pluto?
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Mortal Kombat or Sailor Moon. If you don't recognize it, odds are it's mine…
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Scorpious* is 19, the Inner Senshi and Usagi is 17, Mamoru is 23, the Outer Senshi (Neptune, Uranus) is 21, Pluto looks 24 but is over 5000, Hotaru is 15, Carmen* is 16, Scorpio* is over 100, although he looks around his late 20s early 30s. Normally I can't stand Rei/Sailor Mars, but for her fans, I'll be nice and change her character into something I can tolerate while trying to stay as true to her original character as I can. However, it's open season on Mamoru-baka. Kukukuku…
For pics of the crew, head over to my DeviantArt account: www(dot)zpansven(dot)deviantart(dot)com
“Speech”
`Thought'
/”Speech in a foreign language”/
/'Thought in a foreign language'/
-Sign language-
.Telepathy..
TIMELINE: Post-Chaos Arc for Sailor Moon, Post-Mortal Kombat 4. Major AU on both sides.
RATING: PG-13
WARNINGS: LVSY/Y
ARCHIVE: Fanfiction.net, Mediaminer.org, DeviantART.com, Ficwad.com, others please ask.
JAPANESE- ENGLISH DICTIONARY:
Hai - Yes
Iie - no
Onna - woman
hime-sama - princess
Youma - monster, demon
Nande - What
Nani - What
Tsuki no Hime - Princess of the Moon
Tsuki - Moon
Fuku - uniform, primarily the type worn by the Senshi
Miko - priestess
Gakki - brat
Temee - bastard
Kisama - bitch/bastard
Wakizashi - a smaller version of a katana, usually the backup weapon
Bo Shuriken - dagger-like shuriken
Hira Shuriken - normal Star-shaped shuriken, ranging from three points to six or more.
Tekko - hand covers/wrist guards
Kyahan - shin guards
Tabi - split toe socks worn with the traditional sandals. Modern versions of tabi have a hard rubber sole, making them into footwear on their own, generally favored by ninja.
Shinobi - another word for Ninja. Assassin.
Kunoichi - female ninja
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CHAPTER FIVE: SOLDIERPLUTO?!
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Silence seemed to echo in the storage bay of the warehouse, broken by Sailor Mars groaning as she palmed her face, hiding her reddened features behind her white gloves; damn that girl, going against the advice of her Senshi…they might love the blonde to pieces but sometimes she wasn't the brightest crayon in the box. The tiny blonde seemed to sense the ebon-haired Senshi's thoughts and glared at her from the corner of her eye, giving a slight shake of her head; this was her decision, to show that she trusted her new comrades.
 
“You're the Moon Princess?” Lt Blade demanded, shock on her face as she stared at the young woman before her. It seemed too incomprehensible that such a fragile young woman could wield so much power…
 
Usagi nodded, lifting a hand to scratch the back of her neck while smiling sheepishly at the older blonde, “I found out when I was fourteen that I was the reincarnation of the tsuki-hime not too long after I became Sailor Moon and the rest of the Inner Senshi awakened in order to fight an ancient Earth sorceress whom had become the host of a very nasty dark entity that helped cause our respective kingdoms to fall…”
 
“Metallia and her little pet Beryl with her stooges,” Sailor Mars growled, her gloved hands curling into fists from memory of Jadeite sending those possessed planes after Sailors Moon, Mercury, and herself.
 
“But I'm guessing this Shinnok guy'll be way tougher to handle then any of our past enemies…maybe even tougher then Chaos if he's really able to bust out of Hell with the help of that Brotherhood of his,” murmured Sailor Venus, unease in her posture.
 
“They have spies everywhere, maybe we should get the hell out of here,” suggested the Major, whom had been scanning their surroundings with the practiced paranoia of a military veteran.
 
“Agreed. Please, allow us to extend the hospitality of our yacht,” the spoke spoken medic-ninja offered.
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The yacht as it turned out, was just that, sleek and white that was designed to slice through the waves. It was a small yacht, meant to house only a handful of people for only a couple hour-long cruise and staffed by a pair of young men that had been lounging on the deck awaiting their return; they were close to the Senshi's own age and garbed similarly to one another in loose tunics and breeches, with gleaming black knee-high boots. The taller of the two had nearly white skin and an almost knee length braid of dark blue hair; his icy appearance was offset by the blue material of his tunic, and the paleness of his skin was brought into stark contrast by his snug black breeches. His smaller comrade greatly resembled the serene Typhoon, down to matching her hair and eye coloring; the colors of his tunic and breeches also matched the kunochi's, with the tunic white and breeches an identical pale blue.
 
The smaller young man watched them board the yacht with almost solemn eyes, while his counter part was loud and vivacious, even under Scorpio's dour glare. “Welcome aboard, everyone! Boku wa Blizzard, your host for this evening!”
 
Scorpio stared at the hyperactive teen before looking at Typhoon, deadpanning perfectly: “I thought Pyre told you to limit his sugar intake.”
 
“I have,” the blonde kunoichi replied stoically. “Unfortunately, we've determined that he's naturally like this.”
 
“I'm standing right in front of you, ya know. Have you no care about my feelings?!” the longhaired teen wailed dramatically.
 
Scorpio faked a thoughtful look before announcing, “None what so ever.”
 
The taller, older ninja placed his palm on the smaller male's face and shoved hard enough to send the boy toppling into the ocean, getting him out of the way so the Senshi and Chosen of Earth Realm could board the yacht. Blizzard drug himself from the ocean and on board after the last of the guests had boarded, wringing the salty water from his braid as he grumbled profanity under his breath.
 
In a rare, awkward display of chivalry, Scorpious helped Usagi board the yacht when the small blonde tsuki-hime proved herself to be unsteady on her feet when she moved to board the yacht via the narrow plank connecting the vessel to the dock. Scooping the small female in his arms, the towering ninja backed up and charged forward. With a controlled somersault, he flipped through the air and landed on the deck of the yacht without a sound. Carefully he set Usagi on her feet and after a few wobbly steps, she managed to get used to the slight rocking of the vessel.
 
“Should you be moving around in such a manner with your injuries?” Sailor Mercury queried of the towering ninja, whom had begun to walk away from the small blonde nonchalantly.
 
“I agree with her,” Usagi said with a slight pout when Scorpious seemed like he'd ignore her Senshi's cautionary words.
 
The ninja caught sight of the small blonde's expression from his peripheral vision and gave a sigh. “I heal fast. As do you, I've noted; those ribs of yours would have rendered a human bedridden for quite sometime.”
 
“Fight as many Youma and get thrown around as much as we do, and you'll find yourself tougher then most `humans'. The healing factor is part of our respective heritages, thankfully,” Mars interjected as she sat down at the circular table that was bolted onto the deck; the chairs were likewise bolted to the deck, but the seats rotated to allow one to sit.
 
Blizzard, growling beneath his breath, descended below deck to get dried off and they could hear the motor of the yacht start up with a throaty hum as Scorpio himself took the helm. With an expert hand that kept the ride smooth for those who were novice to sailing, the older shinobi watched the sea's horizon with a critical eye. The remaining Senshi and their hime-sama sat around the table along with Lt. Blade and Typhoon, the males being chivalrous; well, except for Scorpious - he wasn't sitting because he wanted to remain prepared in case members of the Brotherhood were following them…that and he just didn't know what chivalry was and felt he could better intimidate the males among the Chosen of Earth Realm standing so that he could tower over them from his lofty height.
 
The journey was swift and mostly uneventful, with few rough patches along the way. It didn't seem very long until they could see the group of small islands that made up the Nampo-Shoto Island chain on the horizon. The yacht began to slow as Scorpio navigated the shallower waters of the island chain with the expertise that told them this was a frequent trip for him. The sound of the yacht's engine caused birds to take flight, their calls echoing overhead as a wide turn brought them into view of the last island of the chain.
 
Before them was an island dominated by a mountain with a dense forest carpeting its base; embedded in the side of the mountain was a massive fortress that appeared to be carved from the very rock of the mountain. The design of the fortress was a mixture of European and Asian, the stone dark and if the sunlight hadn't been hitting it just so as they approached, it would have been difficult to tell it was even there.
 
“It's a natural trick on one's senses,” Typhoon informed them. “The act of camouflage as it's greatest, built several hundred years ago out of necessity during the beginning of the wars between the ninja clans.”
 
“It was known by the Lin Kuei that the Sa'hill had gone to ground and was offering aid to the Shurai Ryu, but where exactly was never known due to the secretive nature of the members of the Sa'hill,” Sub-Zero murmured, eyeing the fortress in awe of the design; the Lin Kuei's own fortress was ancient and imposing jutting up from the landscape, dominating the remote valley it was located in.
 
Scorpio navigated the small yacht to the side of the island, entering a grotto hidden by hanging moss. Cutting the engine, Scorpio carefully maneuvered the yacht into a docking slip, the anchors dropping to bring the yacht to a halt. The vessel rocked lightly and stilled as Blizzard bounced with a graceful ease that the Senshi could only access in their transformed states from the deck of the boat onto the dock, where he rolled a much more stable staircase for the guests of his clan to descend from the yacht on.
 
“Thanks,” Stryker muttered to the longhaired shinobi-apprentice in appreciation.
 
“I aim to please,” the younger male retorted good naturedly.
 
The allied forces gathered on the dock and with Typhoon leading them like a gracious hostess, they made their way from the docks; they saw there were several other types of boats docked, from the small yachts like the one they had arrived in to a couple commercial fishing boats and simple row boats. Exiting the dock brought them through several caverns turned functional rooms; always, they were quick to notice was the presence of an alert member of the Sa'hill looking them over with the wariness that told them outsiders were a rare sight for them. There was, to Usagi's puzzlement, a look of something that bordered fear when most of the members of the Sa'hill looked towards Scorpious.
 
It was something the petite blonde didn't understand; he was so kind to her, so considerate and gentle despite his gruffness and hard exterior. Her attention was drawn to the interior of the caverns they passed through; to her amazement the connecting caverns had their roughhewn features tamed by the determined hands of her ninja comrades' ancestors, making them more into rooms. The rooms they had been passing through so far seemed designed for a dual purpose - reception of guests and as a discreet guard house, with ornate but fully functional weapons within quick reach. Their preparedness bordered on paranoia, but it was something the military veterans and reincarnated warrior-princesses understood quite well…
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“They have met.” There was barely contained excitement in the voice that was both young yet aged.
 
They had been watching from their post, always watching and for the most part unable to help; but that was going to change - the Elder of the pair planned on it. Ancient garnet eyes turned to study the younger of the duo, whose existence had gone for so long unknown to their comrades; perhaps it was past time to correct that oversight.
 
“They are not complete. They will need guidance from one familiar with the ways of the enemy,” the older proposed.
 
“Then you will be leaving?” the younger asked, failing at hiding the envy in the young but old voice. So long had the younger stayed here, watching and training, waiting and waiting for the day to be reunited with them…
 
“No.”
 
“No?” there was clear surprised in the younger one's voice.
 
“Go to them. Go to them and guide them…Soldier Pluto.”
 
Garnet eyes widened, staring into an older, wiser set of identical eyes. “You mean it? Truly?”
 
“It is time. They others shall awaken, the Senshi will be complete and they along with the Guard shall defeat Shinnok's minions…and Shinnok himself if necessary.”
 
“It will be done. The Senshi and Guard will prevail!”
 
In a whirl of darkly colored garnet and green energies, the younger vanished from the place that was the nexus of all dimensions and their respective timelines, leaving the older to contemplate the path that would be tread by the Senshi and their allies.
 
“We're cutting it close and the path will be hard, but I know you will guide them to victory, little brother…” whispered the tall woman; the light from the infinite gateways cast an eerie glow over her key-like staff and tanned skin, catching the highlights of her long dark green hair as it swirled around her sailor-like fuku.
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In a Realm that was far from Earth, a realm so dissimilar to it, constantly cast in perpetually twilight; the shadows of this continuous twilight caused the Realm to be blanketed in shadows that were cast by the light of the two moons that hung in the sky and for the temperature to be quite cold - the only precipitation known to the inhabitants since the centuries ago when the suns vanished was snow. The moonlight made the squat, boxy fortress build beside a sheer cliff face look harsher and uglier then when it had been built when the realm had actual sunlight. Moving around inside the armaments of the fortress were organized bands composed of mercenaries and the mutated nomads that freely roamed OutWorld. They had one purpose: to serve their Dark God Shinnok. They worshiped and fought fanatically for his favor; Shinnok's words, cast through the High Priestess that was the only daughter of the General that commanded the fort were considered the highest law. Some of the mercenaries among them only fought for their greed but were being slowly converted to worshiping Shinnok's ways with the promises of fame and fortune.
 
The War Room of this Fortress was always in use, with the General or one of his upper echelon plotting with the course of Shinnok's escape from the NeatherRealm; often they were in communication with their agent on Earth realm, a dark warlock called Horace - he was one of the few of the Brotherhood that knew the truth behind the organization and he controlled its members with an utterly ruthless iron fist. The soft murmur of voices constantly echoed in the War Room; very rarely were the voices within ever raised as the secrecy of the plans made by the occupants an absolute must. Standing at the head of the long table covered in maps was the general commanding the Fortress. He was a behemoth, almost seven feet tall in height, with a muscular build that showed strength and agility; with the late hour by their clocks, he was garbed accordingly, in semi-loose tunic and pants of a silvery-gray material. The hard leather slippers that adorned his feet creaked slightly as he shifted, placing his powerful hands on the table as he stared broodingly at the maps laid out before him with his yellowish-green eyes; the simple black crown that adorned his head almost seamlessly bled into his dark blue hair, which appeared black in the shadows of the room.
 
At a casual glance, one would have assumed that he was Human or Edenian, but his pointed ears and his four-fingered hands would have told one differently. His thumb tapped against the ancient parchment against the emblem on the map representing a portal between Realms; getting his agents through that portal was always difficult but with the rumors of his Lord Shinnok gathering strength, all the security around the portals was increasing heavily making it nearly impossible. True, his magi could simply create a new portal but that would be dicey and he'd prefer that they saved their mana for the portals that would be used for the invading forces. That meant he could only send a limited number of agents in a very indirect route to the Earth realm.
 
The man narrowed his catlike eyes in thought as he pondered his Lord's most recent orders. They were not logical, but they were his orders, no matter how tricky they would be to pull off. But Taibrus Caddock did not get this far by being stupid nor by disobeying his Lord's orders. And if Shinnok wanted Gaelbhan to go to Earth realm to help over see the search for the Silver Orb, then so bet it. But getting a Shokan to Earth Realm was hard enough; it was much harder when that Shokan had the blue-tinged skin marking him as having Cryoromancer blood and skills would be so much harder…and that, that would be a challenge.
 
And he loved a good challenge…