Usagi watched, her body frozen into immobility by the horror in front of her. Two people laying on the ground, their chests seemed to barely move as they drew breath. She numbly watched Minako fire a Crescent Beam at the...boy? Monster? Whatever he was. Her throat then seemed to close in on itself when Uranus' shrieks gained a new intensity. She faintly heard one of her advisors saying something, but disregarded it in the heat of the moment, unable to do anything but watch.
Minako's feet pounded a stacato rhythm on the asphalt. Reaching down into herself, she grasped another strand of power and once again started to bend it by will into a Crescent Beam. She felt the energy start coursing up her arms, ready to release its own burning rage into her target.
Usagi brain seemed to stutter when the creature's head snapped to stare at her friend. She could feel a scream begin to attempt to claw its way out of her throat, but thankfully Artemis aparently was better at this than she was. Surely he knew what to do.
Minako began pushing the energy out when the terrified voice of Artemis cut through her concentration like a knife. His cry of "RUN AWAY SENSHI! GET OUT NOW!" hit her hard. Artemis was ancient, a royal advisor to her barely-remembered kingdom. She had never heard his voice take on quite that edge of fear before. Taking a fast glance, she saw the rest of the scouts flinch back and start to back away. All except for Usagi. Looking back at the boy, her heart leapt into her throat as his eyes glazed over and shut. 'Usagi isn't going to run, she's scared stiff.' Experience and her deep-rooted need to protect her princess snapped to the fore. Turning on her heel, she noisily bolted across the street and into the trees. Grabbing a tree to stop herself, she turned around and worriedly glanced backwards, praying that her desperate gamble to keep the creature's attention worked.
Ranma-Hunter bolted after the prey-female. Its Queen had been threatened by this hive and all its instincts screamed to end the threat with a wash of steaming entrails. But that small part of Ranma that wasn't subsumed in the hate of the hive and the thrill of the hunt slowly pushed the desire to rend and claw its enemies away and twisted it into the desire to chase the intruders off and away from the Queen. Ranma-Hunter slowed from its dash to a crawl and slowly surveyed the street, trying to work a plan to chase them off. Its attention snapped to another of the prey-females hive. She was defying its wishes and standing tall, waiting for him to move off so it could attack the Queen!
Usagi stood still as the creature turned its head to her. The sudden wet hiss and the way it started flexing its body sending all rational thought screaming off into the void as ages old instinct bubbled up from the dark recesses of her mind and she ceased to be Usagi, Sailor Moon and regressed into a small brown mammal that had just gained the total attention of a predator. A thin, almost wispy wail of absolute terror tore its way slowly out of her throat.
Minako nearly screamed in frustration when the creature stopped and turned its gaze onto Usagi. Her hand flexed once in frustration before tightening into a fist. Quickly tearing a rock out of the dirt, Minako threw it with all the strength she could muster. Her heart leapt when the creature nimbly dodged and turned its eyeless stare back to her and away from her princess. Taking a fast, noisy step back, she smiled as the creature seemed to follow her movement. Backing away, Minako tossed yet another stone. Whatever was holding the creature back suddenly snapped and it started barreling towards her, digging shallow gouges in the street. Minako nimbly spun on her feet and started dashing through the underbrush and trees. Hopefully she had kept its attention on her. Minako crashed out of the trees and vaulted over a stone bench as the sounds of the creature following her crept closer.
One thought ran through her mind as she shoved her way into the brush on the other side of the path, 'Shit, maybe this wasn't such a good idea.' Leaping over a ditch, she spun her head around, hoping that she didn't see it. Her hopes were dashed when the creature broke through the brush and gathered itself for a leap. Minako's feet slammed into the ground and with little more than a wobble, she sped into the night.
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(Posted Sat, 08 May 2004 09:37)
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