HELENE

[moralitycat]

Characters: Chitose Yuma (Helene), Tsukino Usagi, Hino Rei, Mizuno Ami, Ten'oh Haruka, Dave Strider, Inuyasha, Negi Springfield, and Hawke Starfyr.
When: Beginning late on the night of 1/07 and going into the early morning of 1/08.
Where: The Northeastern quarter.
Rating: PG-13 for violence. (possibly higher; will edit later if needed.)
Summary:

Comments

[marsfireignite]

The closer Mars got to the location, the more she wanted to run away.

It was wrong -- and every ounce of pain, agony, grief, guilt, and despair that the girl had carefully been shoving away so she could focus on making this right again was dragged to the surface with every step she took toward the coordinates that Toushirou had given her. She was filled with self-loathing -- the pure simple hatred of her entire being that she almost never let get to her, but the city -- her home -- was being razed to the ground and it was her fault.

When she neared Sailor Moon, Mars was silent, her limbs shaking with the effort to keep walking forward, her eyes trained on the house, mouth slightly open in a constant ragged breathing. She wanted to leave, but she could not -- and her hands balled into fists as she stared into the doorway.

This is your fault. These people dying -- it's your fault. You could have stopped it. You could have done something else. You could have prevented a thousand deaths and kept a thousand people alive if you had only kept to yourself. You're a murderer. You're a traitor. You've done nothing but ruin this place you almost called home because you were too stupid to leave something that you thought you could control alone. You're nothing. This effort is nothing. You're pathetic and insignificant and you would be better off if you stayed dead.

"These homes weren't here before," she finally said, quiet, her voice strangely tense and faint, as her breathing grew heavier.

[moralitycat]

As soon as the pair step onto the ground, the wailing picks up and a feeling that someone is inviting and beckoning them inside flows outward. The doors swing open for them, though the strange lighting makes it difficult to see what lies ahead.

Whatever creature this territory belongs to, it knows that they are there.

[buntails]

Sailor Moon checks herself the moment the doors open. An invitation like that is never usually safe, and she's aware enough to know it. Well. She didn't come here to be safe. With a decisive nod to keep herself steeled to go forward, she turns partway back towards her companions.

"Mars, can your fire give us some more light?" In this eerie lighting, they're likely to miss whatever the trap was if they can't see clearly. "I don't know if we should stay here long enough for our eyes to adjust."

[marsfireignite]

That was enough to cause her to lunge forward, grabbing Sailor Moon's arm quickly before she could actually cross the threshold into the building. The feeling of self-loathing only grew worse when she got nearer to the building, but she forced herself to ignore her, to focus on what was in front of her.

"Sailor Moon, I said these homes weren't here before."

There was a very large likelihood that these buildings were either recently created by the Animus or a massive illusion. There was absolutely no way this wasn't a trap. Just walking through the front door was almost certainly suicide.

Quite literally, if Mars listened to the twisting feeling in her stomach as she stared into the doors, lips pursed together, cheeks pale.

Two of them was not going to be enough.

[moralitycat]

The wailing increases, almost pleadingly. 'Come inside, come closer,' it seems to say. It sounds heart-wrenchingly lonely and disturbing enough to make one's stomach churn.

The doors swing open wider, and the blood-colored marking fade a bit.

'It's okay. It's safe here.'

[aquaticbeauty]

Although she hadn't made herself visible yet, Mercury was drawing near. Near enough that her communication was finally able to transmit to the girls via their earrings.

"Sail...oon...lor Mars--" Though it was ridden with static, the voice they heard was without a doubt Mercury's. "I'm hav...ble getting...reading, ca...see the target?"