Power comes in all forms, shapes, sizes, and sources. From a certain point of view, any act can be considered good or evil. If I recycle everything I use, that is considered good, especially if you live on a planet.
But say the fees I would pay for a garbage man to take it all away to a landfill, were all that was needed for that business owner to be able to finally afford health care for his employees, especially the one whose child needed an expensive surgery…
Then I am evil, for perhaps denying that child what they need to live.
Power is subjective, the uses varying, results never certain, and the view of either never uniform.
The first power I ever received, power never earned from my own hard work, but simply given to me, was to be used to protect the innocent, to serve in the name of Love and Justice.
Hey! I didn’t coin the motto!
But when I first received it, I had no concern for love, justice, or life.
I had one desire in mind: slaughter anything and everything before me.
----quote from ‘The First Holocron of Ranma Saotome’
“Well … fuck,” Ear—Terra—muttered, staring at the new form for the pigtailed chaos magnet. The armor was done in gold and red, and despite her shock; yes, it did resemble the Inferno Armor, aside from the odd jewel in the center of his chest plate.
Oh yes, and his eyes were pure gold, and giving off mini-flares, just like his mouth.
“Berserker?” asked Jupiter.
Pluto nodded, pointing her Time Staff behind her, preparing to inform Saturn to create the shield in front of them. “An emergency measure included in all Senshi transformations, at least the ones for this system. If near death and not likely to survive, the transformation takes place automatically and often violently, just in case the enemy is still near you. It usually bypasses several filters, filters that allow for the transformation without side effects.”
“Side effects?” Mercury asked.
Pluto nodded. “Basically, without those filters, you could be driven mad by the flood of planetary mana.”
“And how, exactly?” asked Mars.
“My guess would be the same way some people on drugs lose all coherence with reality,” Terra offered, noticing flicks of fire near Sol’s knuckles, offering a silent prayer that the kitty was only in a foul mood for the ice elemental, and not a girl who was only having a little fun.
… Okay, better see if I can recall any attacks, like teleport and shield, she thought nervously.
The elemental tilted its head, looking at the transformed target, as if considering what this change would represent.
Of course, the wizard hadn’t made it for deep thoughts and considerations. It, like the fire elemental it was formerly sealed inside, were meant for one thing: kill the fools who dared stand against the wizard.
Lashing out, it raised its arms quickly, sending out a barrage of growing ice shards.
One could almost see the smirk forming on the Knight’s face as the shards neared him, nearly twice the size of a human head … and vaporize.
“That’s totally not fair,” muttered Venus.
“Yeah,” Mars grumbled. “How come our attacks didn’t dent that thing, but Mr. Sunshine there can vaporize them!?”
Venus blushed. She’d been referring more to the fact that this time, they hadn’t got the power-up … and that his armor wasn’t exactly giving her some free beefcake shots.
“It may have to do with the fact that he vaporized the attack, not the attacker,” Mercury offered. While the creature itself was the literal epicenter for the seemingly infinite cold, its attacks apparently didn’t have such protection. “Only the ice covering it is protected by that magical cold; the attacks themselves, not so much.”
“Well, that’s just great,” Jupiter muttered, looking over at some of the ice from the previous attacks. “Still pack a punch.”
“I may be new here,” Sailor Terra spoke quietly, “but maybe we should all be nice and quiet, and allow the two powerhouses to duke it out, instead of making lots of noise, and attracting their attentions?”
“But why would he hurt us!?” gasped Sailor Moon.
“… Someone please explain to her just what a berserker is,” Terra sighed.
She wondered if this was how Akane’s anger management issues got started.
Seeing that there were numerous targets of less-likely resistance, the Elemental proved it was a bit of an opportunist, waving its arm in the general direction of the Sailor Senshi, and sending numerous icicles towards the general vicinity of the fuku-clad warriors of love and justice.
“ACK!” the warrior of wood and lightning cried out as she suddenly found herself depending on reflexes honed from minimal—but at least genuine—martial arts training received over the years to evade being shredded like parmesan cheese over the never-ending Pasta Bowls Usagi would get at the Olive Garden … at least until they closed due to Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. “WHY IS IT ATTACKING ME!?”
“I don’t know, maybe because plants are susceptible to ice or some—”
Sailor Venus never got to finish that thought as a big chunk of ice hit her in the forehead, sending her falling over with a lump on her head. “… Ow…” It was her own protective energies that kept her from serious injury from the cold strike, and luck that the Elemental had not fired off an attack that blossomed, lest her head would be incased in ice.
“OW!” Sailor Uranus repeated as Neptune pinched her. With the length these skirts were, how could her love NOT expect her to look up them when the perfect view was presented?
Seeing an opening as the creature before him ignored his presence, the Sol Knight of the Inerno ROARED! The sound carried like two voices: an angry man and a primal lion. He then lunged at the Ice Elemental, hands outstretched as claws of flaming power extended from each finger for three-feet.
Needless to say, while it was meant to be an assassin, the Wizard DID program his elemental creations with a sense of self-preservation—they DID cost a lot of mana and coin to create you know—and so rather than accept the full brunt of the attack, it evaded by merely sliding back; not even moving it’s legs as its feet merely left a trail of ice along the asphalt where it skated back.
Eyes flashing with anger, the beserking Sol Knight snarled as his claws tore huge gouges though the asphalt, fissures leading towards the Ice Elemental and forcing it to jump away as the destruction headed towards the side walk, reaching a telephone pole.
There were screams from the Senshi as the section of street they were standing on suddenly went wildly uneven as the sliced portion caved and went under; much asphalt, concrete and rebar, and even the telephone pole crashing violently into the sewers below. Power lines snapped and started to crackle with power as they flailed along the streets and into sewer water, electrifying it and making sparks fly off from some of the items floating in it.
Uranus, for her part could only think one thing. Damn, I could use some popcorn This would have made for the best guy action flick EVER!
“Everyone okay?” asked Pluto, as the group slowly pushed themselves up. She didn’t want to inform them of just how lucky they had been. Without their own protective magic fields, as well as the immense heat the insane Knight was creating, those attacks might have been a bit more damaging.
She felt making the blond joke at Venus’s expense at the moment could be held off on … hopefully only until the battle was over in their favor.
Any possibly reply was cut off, as a thunderous shock and thunder shook the area, dust displaced into the air and glass shattering, returning their focus to the battle in time to see Sol’s fist imbedded in the gut of the Elemental. A series of cracks seemed to be slowly sealing themselves up from the impact site, as the creature gripped the offending arm.
Roaring, Sol reared back with his other hand, solar claws extended once more in an attempt to slash its target.
Quickly, the Elemental grabbed Sol’s trapped arm, and flipped him over its shoulder, slamming the Knight into the ground, before pulling back its own arms, and started to repeatedly strike the prone target.
Again and again, the Ice Elemental Struck at the Sol Knight’s masked face, not giving its opponent a chance to recover…
*CRACK*!
For being an otherwise soulless magical automaton of ethereally-empowered ice, the Elemental sure could convey the pain it was feeling from how it screamed. It let go of Ranma and stood up; stumbling back as it stared at its missing right forearm; the chunks of it already melting against the berserker, steam rising up very quickly.
Growling, the ice Elemental then created a large javelin of ice with its free hand and tosses it at a nearby fire hydrant across the street—water violently flying up into the air as the top half was smoothly sliced off. Rushing towards the destruction-made geyser, the ice elemental bathed inside the rushing water.
“… Guys,” Sailor Mars spoke up curiously. “Is it just me or is the ice creature getting more … ‘jagged’?”
“You know,” Sailor Earth Yen Moneybags Terra spoke up towards the long raven-haired female warrior, “you’re the one of this group with the fire powers, right? Shouldn’t you have maybe … oh, I don’t know … ATTACKED WHILE IT WAS WEAK!?”
“Are you insane?” snarled Pluto, wondering what this girl’s plan was or if she was just that stupid. “Right now, they are more focused on each other.
“If we attack one, then the other will attack us. The berserker cannot and will not see us as friends, only foe.
“And if we are extremely lucky, the new knight might be tired enough to pass out … before it decides to finish with us.
“Of course, I could be wrong,” Pluto sneered. “Why don’t you go show us your new moves on Frosty?”
“… I would, but he seems to be having so much fun; I’d hate to interfere,” Terra added with a nervous smile.
Steam rose off Sol, as it marched up towards the Ice Elemental, heedless of the fact it was getting stronger by absorbing the water. If he had a higher though process, he would have noticed that doing so would consume some of the creature’s vast energy, as it needed to chill that water to Absolute Zero, and then reform the damage it had already taken in the battle.
But berserkers do not have a higher thought process, only a primal one: kill.
With a roar, the march turned into a dash, as it tackled the healing elemental, knocking it out of the water spray, creating a sudden explosion of steam as the cold water hit the flaming aura of the knight, and into the side of the building behind it.
The building rocked from the impact, the front windows shattering as bricks fell loose from mortar, the two behemoth warriors wrestling with each other as steam came forth violently from the contact of the two bodies; the interior wall-paper sliding free and the wood floors warping from the violent infusion of heavy moisture.
Finally, the two combatants broke apart, the Elemental head-butting the armored Sol Knight once more; the claws of the berserker cutting grooves along the ice assassin’s torso. It quickly reached over and grabbed an upturned table by the leg and forcefully swung the whole thing at the opponent before it.
The Sol Knight snarled in annoyance as the weight oak smashed and shattered against his body, the piece of furniture exploding into smoldering kindling. If it wasn’t for the fact the steam had already drenched most of the framework, they would have had a fire on their hands. As it was, the berserking feline-minded warrior used the momentum of the strike that hit him to send him turning about in a full three-sixty; his left hand firmly striking claws along the Elemental’s face in return, sending steaming chunks of ice flying and the beast staggering.
The Ice Elemental was smart enough to realize the strategic disadvantage it was at—having a bit more smarts to not be called ‘Custard’. Arms shoved forward, the ice blossomed into an ever-extending beam of solid ice, striking the Knight, and shoving it out of the building, before a fire could begin.
As he was slammed into the building across the street, the Knight roared in unrestrained anger, fire erupting from its hands, whipping into the air like magnetically contained solar flares, before snapping.
The air and city shook from the sonic boom of the rapidly displaced air, as the ribbons of solar energy literally sliced into the offending beam of ice at the speed of light, shattering all that it didn’t vaporize, and releasing the Knight from what pinned him to the now melting construction material of the building.
Arms flung to the side, the beast roared once more, even as the behemoth of ice trudged out of the now frost-covered building, absorbing the massive amounts of water raining down upon it.
Seeing that its target was still more than raring to go, the ice Elemental held its left arm out over the broken fire hydrant, allowing more and more moisture to cascade over its frame, fixing damage … and allowing excess to collect, turning its limb into a nightmarish serrated and spiky implement of PAIN!
Seeing the Elemental growing larger by the moment, the enraged warrior of the sun didn’t wait. Dropping to his hands and feet, the beserking martial artist rush forward with all the grace and speed of a rapid jungle cat; the asphalt cratering where his hands and feet made contact with the ground.
Waiting for its adversary to get closer, the ice Elemental drew its elongated and enlarged arm before it, almost in a shielding motion. As soon as the Sol Knight pounced forward with outstretched arms, it struck! It smashed the Sol Knight with a massive spiked icicle back-hand, sending the warrior flying into a parked car.
Needless to say, although he was literally solar-powered, the Sol Knight was also fire. The explosion that followed was quite impressive for a compact.
The ice Elemental slowly stalked forward to the flaming wreckage, it’s left index finger extended like a scythe, the indentations in its face that could pass for eyes narrowing in anticipation as it closed in on its target, ready to finish the deed.
It also had what could pass as a large tail now, still connected to the exposed hydrant, siphoning water to give it extra capacity. It deemed it necessary against an opponent this … hot.
Almost like a scene from an American science fiction movie, the Knight slowly rose up from the flaming wreckage, and screamed.
The car literally exploded again as the Knight of Sol released enough heat to vaporize the metal, the screeching of reinforced steel warping added an eerie echo to the sound.
“At this rate, they’ll destroy the city!” gasped Sailor Moon.
“Think we can get them to trash the school first?” asked Venus, causing the others except Terra, to glare at her. “What? I have a test tomorrow and I seriously doubt I’ll get the free time now to study for it!”
“… We were warned of the test last month,” Mercury offered, continuing to stare at the Mercury Computer.
“And I had more important stuff to do,” Venus waved off.
“Could we perhaps discuss this after these titans have finished?” asked Endymion with a nervous sigh. Even though it was new, he could feel a connection to Earth, one telling him of this battle, shuddering under the very oppressive weight of the clashing energies.
Smirking as she decided now was a good time for an Anything Goes Specialty, ‘Deflect Blame-Fu’, Terra schooled her features as she practically purred at the other male. “You’re right! What we should be discussing is how we’re BOTH the Guardians of Earth and what kind of compensation you should be giving me. I believe there’s something about a Golden Dream Crystal…” she wagged her eyebrows at the now horrified Prince of Earth … 8,000 BC.
“ENDY-CHAN!” Moon gasped as this hussy was hitting on her man.
“Er, Princess! It’s not like that! She’s just looking for help getting up to speed, REALLY!”
Terra just smirked as the two started arguing, a smile that only grew as Sailor Pluto glared at her with a, ‘you little bitch’ expression.
A thoroughly furious Sol Knight stomped forward, the asphalt liquefying underneath his steps before going brittle as burnt charcoal. The angrier he got, the more his burning rage intensified, the heat and anger fueling one another in a vicious cycle. He reared his head back and roared, molten fire literally shooting forth from his mouth like a geyser before his gaze snapped forward and he rushed towards his opponent with the intent of COMPLETELY OBLITERATING IT!!!
Seeing its opponent come rushing back at it, this time the icy assassin returned the favor instead of waiting for the Sol Knight to come to it. It rolled forward on a rush of frozen liquid, frozen tendrils lashing out from its backside in a fashion that made the Sailor Senshi paying attention bring their hands down in front of their mini-skirts in a protective gesture.
The two combatants met in a massive clash, wind starting to swirl up around them as the energy of two great opposing forces was exerted upon one another—steam rising up from where the two firmly grasp onto each other, digging icicle talons and fiery claws into one another with a brutal animalistic ferocity, neither willing to give the other any wiggle room in this struggle to the death!
Power arched over them, mana from the heart of a yellow dwarf star, clashing against mana of the deepest cold. Inhuman screams coming from both, hands locked in a grip that could create diamonds from coal, eyes focused on the other, and a glare that truly transmitted their desires to kill the other.
But while Sol Knight had two arms, the Elemental could forge more as needed, especially with a constant supply of water that could no longer be shut off, due to the damage of the battle to the local computers controlling them. The tentacles behind it grew, sharpened into various instruments of cutting, and lashed out.
But the Knight ignored the strikes, ignored the steam rising as they neared, as they connected, as they withdrew to reform and strike again.
But they did succeed in making the beast even angrier.
Actually, if the beast was the gamma-green kind, he would have been strong enough from anger-fueled strength to pinkie-flick Superman through Sol.
Instead, he just arched his back, and slammed forward with a head-butt, to the Elemental’s face.
The ice Elemental screamed as chunks of its face went flying, revealing perfectly chiseled skeletal features of ice before the coating reformed. It glared hatefully at the Sol Knight, the ice tentacles of its backside lashing around, striking at the smaller human as it charged towards him.
The Sol Knight didn’t let up, continuing to stomp his feet forward, lifting the Elemental off its own feet with his charge. It grew larger, practically encapsulating him as the charge drew it closer to the fire hydrant…
… Which then melted from the sheer heat of the Sol Knight’s presence, sealing off the geyser that had been feeding the ice Elemental its strength. The frozen creature went wide-eyed for a moment and started to strike more ferociously, using its still-increased mass to wail on the berserker it was practically folded over.
And yes, a berserker. Sol didn’t let up, punching, clawing and tearing at the abdominal section of the ice creature, tearing free chunks of ice and melting the beast atop it, steam just plowing high into the air like a power plant that refused to abide by OSHA standards … or any smoke stack along the Chinese Skyline, really.
Finally, what he wanted was achieved, the armor of ice that protected the gem stone had thinned just enough, as he pulled back his right hand, fingers outstretched, and thrust it forward.
The whipping ice extremities paused in their assault, as a pained wail escaped from the ice creature’s non-existent maw. Painful grunts came out as it looked down, slowly; spotting the armored hand that was imbedded in its chest, fingers wrapped around the source of its very existence.
Looking up, it spotted the sadistic smile present on the Knight’s face, and knew what was about to happen.
With a roar of triumph, the berserker closed his hand into a fist, and crushed the jewel.
And then, it exploded.
Instinct kicked in as a light show precipitated the explosion, causing the Senshi to put up any defensive measure they had.
“Garnet Orb!”
“Silence Wall!”
“Aurora Shield!” yelled out Terra, surprised that, yes, she had a defensive move.
All three formed before the team of magical girls and one magical guy, as the blast struck, sending half a city block up into plasma.
As the smoke settled and silence started to take place over the noises of carnage and combat, it was Sailor Jupiter who surprisingly squeaked out, “So... it’s over... right?”
Her Mercury Computer still computing—the screen filled with the text, “OVER9000OMGWTFBBQSAUCE”—the blunette’s visor was still working … numbers on the bottom left hand corner kept going up and up as the targeting function kept tracking the Sol Knight despite all the smoke.
And it was then she realized with horror that the numbers to equate distance began to shrink. “GUYS! KEEP THAT BARRIER STEADY!” she screamed in shock.
“Of course, we have it up!” Sailor Terra yelled back. “Why would we even drop—”
“RAAAAAAAAAAAARRR!!” came a bellow of pure, unadulterated rage as the Sol Knight came landing down atop their shield, hands striking and making the whole thing shimmer through the colors of the light spectrum.
“GAH! SOL!” the brunette with the pageboy haircut cried out. “CUT THAT OUT!” If she hadn’t been filled to the brim with fear—and about to let some of it out down her legs—she might have wondered why she called him that, as she had intended to call him by his name.
The warrior didn’t answer in words, even as he slowly slid down the front of the magical shielding. Coming to stand in front of them the enraged warrior stuck in a berserker rage reared both fists back before SLAMMING them back onto the bubble once more.
“How long do we have?” Venus was quick to ask. “And shouldn’t he be changing back now that he, you know, WON!?”
“Not that easy!” Pluto snapped back. “The fail-safes are down! He’s not going to change back unless we force him out of it and that will take—”
*Crick*!
“… Oh fuck me!” Sailor Pluto whispered in horror as a crack suddenly split across the surface of her Key Staff’s Garnet Orb, the magical talisman’s power starting to buckle underneath the assault of the berserker’s fists upon the magic force field.
Sure, it would heal in time—it was why the Inners weren’t constantly naked, as their suits were repaired in their downtime … assuming something was left of the original, which also explained why they had no talismans—but she had to make it past that time.
“Please, Sempai!” called out Saturn, knees shaking from the strain on her part in the barrier. “Please come back to us!”
The berserker’s reply was to scream more into the sky, before slamming his armored head into the barrier, the flaming smirk not dissipating once.
“But you won!” called out Moon, hands clasped together as if in prayer. She stared into his burning eyes. “You can calm down now! We can celebrate with ice cream!”
The heavily breathing of the knight was all that was heard, tension eased slightly on the barrier.
“See!?” stammered Moon, turning back to her friends. “We just needed to—”
She was cut off as a shower of sparks flew at them, flaming claws striking the barrier, sending their leader squeaking into the arms of her fiancé.
“Oh, great job, Dumpling Head!” Mars spat. “You pissed him off more!”
Sweat starting to trickle down the sides of her head, Terra snarled. “Damn it, Saotome! Don’t do it! Don’t you DARE do it! Do you know how much I will BILL YOU if you dare harm us!?” She hadn’t even noticed that her rage and fear had allowed her to bypass the usual magical protections and say his name.
The Sol Knight practically foaming at the mouth as his fiery fingers clawed and tore at the barrier while his gaze was firmly pointed on Sailor Dirty Ho, the Senshi of Earth glared back at him. “Well think of how much more I’ll bill you if you attack JUST me!!”
The Sol Knight was practically throwing his entire body at the force field now.
*Crick~CRACK*!
“DAMN IT, SAILOR TERRA!” Pluto snapped at the woman as a huge chunk of the garnet orb cracked off completely, the magic keeping them protected for the moment now weakening considerably. “If we survive this I am kicking you off the team!”
Falling to her knees, tears started to form at the corners of the violet-tressed Senshi of Death and Destruction—destruction second ONLY to the Sol Knight at the moment—as she whimpered, “Sempai…”
“Enough.”
It was said so quietly, it was almost missed over the disappearing barrier, but even with death literally burning before them, the group turned towards Sailor Moon … and spotted Princess Serenity.
Heedless of the danger, she strode forward, calm, graceful, and her eyes never leaving the Knight’s. “Enough.”
The berserker roared, hands splayed outward, fire gushing from their tips.
“Your enemy is gone, the one who harmed you and those you care for, is no more,” Serenity spoke quietly, ignoring the danger, as even the fire and heat seemed to part away from her.
Raising his right hand up, the Knight prepared to attack, but his arm shook, as if unable to bring itself free and attack. Not once did the blazing eyes leave hers.
Once she was well within his killing zone, well within his personal space, she stopped, continuing to look into his eyes. “Your body is avenged, the danger has passed, and now … you must rest and heal. You must return to the world, return to your humanity, my Knight.
“For now, all your enemies are gone, literal dust upon the wind. You are safe; your charges … are safe.
“Rest, rest among your friends, and return to us,” she said, hand outstretched, slowly making its way to his face.
His heavy breathing was all that was heard, the crackling of his heated aura fading, until her hand touched the mask covering his face. She held it there, as the bright light lost intensity, revealing his true mouth, the blue of his eyes, which were slowly closing.
“Rest,” she whispered, as the flame left his hands, his arms slowly lowering to the side. Finally, his breathing evened out, his eyes closed, and … he was still.
Letting out a breath she hadn’t even known she was holding, her transformation dropped, restoring her to Sailor Moon.
Turning around, she looked at the others, who could only stare at her in shock. “… What?” she asked, before giggling weakly. “Beauty always calmed the bea—AWK!” she cried.
The Knight had fallen asleep … and fallen forward, collapsing onto her and pinning her to the ground.
He then emitted a new sound: a snore.
“… Well,” Uranus spoke up, looking down at the unconscious form of the Sol Knight, “not that I’m complaining, but that was rather anti-climactic. He just falls down unconscious?”
Squirming underneath the snoring armored being, Sailor Moon gasped out, “Uh … guys?”
Raising a viridian eyebrow and giving her housemate an incredulous stare, the Senshi of Time hotly inquired, “And you’re complaining about that?”
“… Guys?” the odango-haired blonde tried.
Shaking her head, the Senshi of Wind firmly answered, “No, of course not!
“But after all that badassery … he just falls asleep? It’s like watching a most awesome Chuck Norris Movie, and then the ending of the film has a scene from a Care Bears movie spliced in at the end.”
“C-can’t breathe…” Sailor Moon cried.
Terra just gasped for air, feeling suddenly drained—and now resolving a lot of her questions about how weak the Senshi had appeared in the beginning of the series—and staring at her ticket home.
Oh, she more than owned his ass now. When he woke up and she didn’t feel like she had been chased by a horny Kuno, she was going to she-pimp he-bitch slap his ass from here to their Nerima.
She was a Tendo, after all.
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(Posted Sun, 03 Feb 2013 17:10)
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