(Rating: PG-13) =================================================== Episode 405: I Get Knocked Down, but I Get Up Again =================================================== *** [title sequence] *** Sailor Orion and the beast splashed into the water, its icy wetness seeping through her fuku. Gasping from the shock of the cold water, her head sank beneath the surface as it wrapped its hands around her neck. 'Not now!' she thought. Summoning a reserve of strength, she arched her legs against the thing and pushed as hard as she could. The beast grunted and flew back, releasing her neck but leaving several claw marks as souvenirs. Her choker was torn in two places and hung only by a thread as she emerged from the pool and spat out a mouthful of water. The beast took no time at all to recover. In an instant it was on its feet, water dripping in the moonlight. Sailor Orion slowly got to her hands and knees, turned, and shivered, partly from the cold and partly from fear. "RRRRAAAWWWWRRRR!" The beast charged again, and this time all Sailor Orion could do was throw herself further down the hill in an attempt to dodge. She was successful, though at the cost of bouncing even more. By the time she reached a road running parallel to the hill, she was pretty banged up. Her body ached in dozens of places, but she sprang to her feet anyway, hair rapidly drying in the cold mountain breeze. She wasn't worried about her glasses; the inherent magic of a senshi made them impervious to cracks, shattering, smudges, fogging, dirt, or any of the other hassles she put up with when she wasn't in her senshi form. Even after getting dunked in slightly muddy water which had left several dark marks on her fuku, her vision was perfect. She had a clear view of the beast as it trampled down the hill after her. "Shit!" Didn't the thing know how to quit? Once again she sprang into a run, but this time she didn't stop. Now it was a sprint, with no real finish line in sight. Each step came with pain; she had probably twisted both ankles, not to mention all the cuts and bruises she had to have on her legs . . . but she knew the consequences of stopping. After a couple moments she realized she was running back towards Nagano-2. Did she have a choice? The mountains were on fire, the city was all that was left. If she went into the city, even more people would be endangered. She stopped and turned. The beast was still at 400 meters and closing. "Hold it right there! Orion nebula . . ." Perhaps if she could trigger a spark of some sort there might be a chance. It was useless. With a final leap that froze Sailor Orion with surprise, the beast jumped the last distance and knocked the wind from her lungs, smashing her to the ground with a thud audible for hundreds of meters. *** "What's going on out there?" asked Vanessa in a panic. "No idea, sir," replied the talker, "we don't have any visual or audio. Sailor Orion's communicator is out, probably shock damage." Vanessa gulped. She was in command of Valhalla now, after ordering Aida to be removed in irons. The oldest of the Trio by two months, she was seemingly the natural choice for command, but how could she command when her only real asset was being tossed around and she couldn't even see what was going on? Her uniform was growing less comfortable by the second. "We have a news crew going out there now, ETA one minute." "Very well . . . oh, and per Sailor Orion's orders, send official notification to Nagano General for Captain Pearcy to be awakened as soon as safely possible and told of the situation." "Already on it," replied Sammy on her right. "They say the soonest she can be awoken is eight hours, and that's with an eighty-two percent chance of brain damage." "Tell them to take their time, but also tell them that a delay over twenty-four hours could mean it's all over." "Gotcha." "Video crew arriving and setting up." *** On a small rise about nine hundred meters from where Sailor Orion had just been slammed into the ground, a network van from the Nagano-2 Broadcast Organization came to a stop on the shoulder of a little-used access road. Two camera techs immediately leapt out to set up their equipment, while two more military techs starting working on the microwave transmitter that would send the signal to headquarters. Edward Antonacci, an Italian immigrant who had been lucky just to become a subject of Queen Serenity II, was both the driver of the truck and the head camera tech. "Come on, hurry up!" He grabbed a pair of binoculars from the dashboard and looked off in the distance, flipping on the night vision function as he did so. "Doesn't look good." *** "We have video now, sir, coming through. No audio." The main screen flashed static for a moment, then a clearer image. With the characteristic green tint of night vision systems which was a particular optical quirk that had survived for a thousand years, and the help of a computer to clean up the signal, they could see the dim shapes of one or two hills, the hulk of the northern mountains right in the corner of a screen. To the right a collection of lights marked Nagano-2, its buildings still shining brightly. "We're going to try to zoom in on her," said Antonacci over his communicator, which was patched into the Valhalla comm system. The picture shook for a moment, and then there was a white blur at the center of the screen. The green was gone now, and the picture was almost like being there. Many soon wished it wasn't that good. "Dear God!" "We're finished!" "Kami-" "QUIET PEOPLE!" Vanessa had never shouted so loud in her life, but she needed it now. Her voice could be heard throughout the room, even without a headset. "Antonacci-san, status on Orion?" "You . . . you can see it, sir. Severe bleeding from the left leg, left arm, and forehead, probably a concussion . . . she's out of it." Vanessa's blood froze. That picture they had seen wasn't supposed to happen to senshi. Regular soldiers could go and get concussions. Senshi weren't allowed, not at all, not at all . . . , "get a medical team out there NOW! Call Nagano, tell them I want Pearcy-san up and ready for action in one hour, or else we're all dead. Inform all remaining planetary defense forces to regroup at the city limits, we'll make a last stand there-" "Vanessa," cut in Kim, "you're overreacting!" "Sailor Orion's dead, dammit, I think I have a right to!" "She's not dead yet!" Vanessa gestured at the screen. The beast was back up, but Sailor Orion wasn't moving. Slowly, almost leisurely, the thing drew back its claws for the killing blow. "She is now." Vanessa closed her eyes and turned away, unwilling to watch any further. *** She opened her eyes. She saw the claws. She screamed. *** "Sir!" The talker sounded astonished. "I don't want to know, I don't-" "Signal lost from Rover-1, sir, but that's not important. We have senshi power-up readings matching Sailor Orion's location-" "What?" Vanessa couldn't believe it to be true. "Are you-" "Readings at sixty-six percent and climbing rapidly, approaching super levels in eleven seconds-" "Are you certain it's Orion?" If it was, it would be a godsend, but if not . . . . "No sir, certainty is at forty-eight percent. Could be Sierra-2 powering up for the killing blow." Vanessa bunched her fists at her side and looked up at the screen which was now filled with static. What could Sailor Orion be up to? *** Sailor Orion stared at the claws. They rested just in front of her face; she could see the dark scales, chipped and rough from the combat they had just been through. They gleamed menacingly in the moonlight. The sword whose flat end pressed against the claws and kept them from impaling Orion also gleamed menacingly in the moonlight. "Wha . . . ?" She let her eyes roam. The claws of the beast shook against the sword, the flat of the blade horizontal to her eyes and facing both her and the beast. The sword itself . . . celestial was the only word she could use to describe it later. She knew without thinking that it was named Kedalion, and that it was hers. A full meter long from tip to tip, the blade was eighty centimeters, made from an unidentifiable substance that looked somewhat like steel, somewhat like aluminum, and at the same time seemed to be made out of pure starlight. It was very thin, measuring a mere eight centimeters across the flat of the blade, and a centimeter thick at the thickest part. The hilt and crossguard were gold, with green and blue inlays adorning it, and on the pommel there was a miniature reproduction of the constellation Orion, done with diamonds. It was, all in all, the most beautiful sword she had ever seen. There was, however, the tiny detail of how she had gotten hold of it and used it as a defense against the attack. She was given little time to worry about it. The beast picked her up by the sword which she clutched with her right hand, and tossed her aside. She scrambled to her feet, a cold fury beginning to burn in her eyes. It was time to end this. *** "We've got visual back!" shouted Sammy. "Put it on," said Vanessa, her voice taut. Was Orion even alive? The picture that appeared on the screens answered that question immediately. *** "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" With a bloodthirsty scream, Sailor Orion raced back towards the beast, right hand brandishing her newfound sword before her. She didn't notice the longer back bows on her fuku, didn't notice the heart that her pendant on her chest had turned into, didn't notice the star on her choker, didn't notice that her fuku was now bright and clean as if it were new. All she saw was a nice, large target that would shortly cease to be. "DIE!" The beast turned, ready for her. With almost a shrug it swung a heavy arm towards her, intending to smash her into the ground again. In a lightning move, she made a slice with Kedalion, slicing through the sinews and bone like a swimmer cutting into the water of a pool. The arm flew off into the air, blood fountaining everywhere. A healthy portion splashed onto her left side, scarlet in shocking contrast to the snowy white the fuku had been before. Sailor Orion landed and immediately sprang back into battle readiness, watching the beast howl in pain, wheeling as it sought to recuperate from losing a limb. She was unwilling to provide it that chance, though. Drawing to her full height, she held the sword to her face as if saluting a king. "Orion . . . ." She twirled Kedalion to her right, at the same time shifting her grip slightly. ". . . saber . . . ." Then, in a final sweeping upswing of the sword, she followed through as if trying to slice a victim from one side of the hip to the opposite corner. Her prey was several meters away, but it made no difference as she spoke the final word. "DISRUPTION!" A spear of white light streaked out from the sword at the precise moment that it pointed at the beast, a light too bright to look at, a light that overloaded the cameras in the distance and illuminated the area for over a hundred meters. It was almost like a supernova. The beam struck the beast and was apparently absorbed until a collection of golden sparkles began to twinkle around it. Slow and scattered at first, they sped up and increased in number until finally the thing was surrounded . . . and then with a final cry, the lights disappeared, and the thing collapsed into a puddle of liquid. Sailor Orion stood still for a moment, sword still poised in position from the follow-through to point behind her and to her left. She stared at her handiwork; there seemed no possibility of the thing to recover from something like that. Slowly, she took in her surroundings and herself: covered in blood, dressed in the uniform of a super sailor senshi. She blinked. "What am I?" She fainted. *** In Valhalla, the stunned staff watched as Sailor Orion finished off the creature, stood for a moment, and then fell noiselessly to the ground. "Target destroyed," said the talker in a quiet, awed voice. "Energy readings now at normal." "Sailor Orion?" breathed Vanessa. "Silent." The room erupted. "ETA on that med team!" screamed Vanessa. "Two minutes, they had traffic control pri-" "SHIT! Where's Sailor America?" "Just being awakened, she should be ready in three minutes." If she had been thinking more rationally, Vanessa probably would have been more surprised at this. Unfortunately, she wasn't thinking clearly. "GET HER IN HERE!" *** Black turned into blinding white, and only one thought was in her mind: WATER! Eileen's eyes scanned frantically for anything to drink. She snapped her head up to look and immediately flopped back down, exhausted while barely making a move. "Captain," said a male voice, "you're still weak, please don't move." "Who are you?" she asked. Actually, her throat was as dry as a bone, so it came out more like a rattle. He ignored her. "Okay, she's alert, let's move her." Without further preamble the bed she was in started moving. She had only time enough to look around and recognize a hospital room before her bed was hustled out by three orderlies. Two more nurses and a doctor accompanied her, as well as two armed guards. Eileen's mind whirled, trying to make sense of so many happenings in so short a time. "Sir," said the doctor, "I'll explain quickly." As he walked briskly along down the halls of the hospital, he inspected an IV in her left arm and removed it. "You've been awakened per Sailor Orion's orders to assume command of the planetary defense force. Um . . . hold on," he said uncertainly, knowing that she was in no position to hold on to anything. The bed bounced once, and then they were outside. Eileen's eyes were still trying to get used to being open, and now being subjected to the harsh yellow lamps of the loading dock of the hospital was too much. She simply shut her eyes and waited for the world to calm itself. BOUNCE BOUNCE CLICK CLACK CLACK CLANG CLICK RUMBLE "What in the name of God are you idiots doing?" she wanted to scream, but her throat was still too dry. It felt like someone had left cotton in her mouth for eons. Willing her strength, she managed to point to her throat with her right hand. The bed jiggled some more and then was still. "Yes, I know, this method of reviving coma patients is still experimental, and one of the side effects is severe thirst. We've got fluids on an IV hookup to you now, that should take care of it. Here, this should help some." She felt a straw inserted between her dry lips. For a moment she couldn't even suck, could only wait for the drops of water to moisten her parched mouth. Then, finally, she could suck it down in huge draughts. She barely noticed when the emergency siren began to whine directly overhead. The doctor coughed. "Um, sir, I've got to fill you in on the rest of what's going on here." "What's that noise?" she asked. She nearly jumped at the sound of her own voice; it sounded so out of place. "The siren. We're in an ambulance, on the way to Valhalla. Once there, you'll need to take over-" "Where's Jen?" "Jen . . . oh, Sailor Orion." A cloud came over his features, even though she couldn't see. "I haven't heard any information about her yet," he lied, "I was simply ordered to awake you and bring you to headquarters." Never mind that it was totally insane, and there was a damn good chance she'd be killed trying to awake. He'd been almost ready to reject the order and let Pearcy rest, but in the end he had hoped that the natural luck that all senshi seemed to share would kick in once again. Luck had paid off once again. "Uh-huh," said Eileen weakly. "If I'm in charge, then tell me where she is." "Sir, I don't-" "Find out." The doctor stood for a moment, unsure, then turned his head and reached for a phone on the wall. "Yes. Captain Pearcy needs to know Sailor Orion's status. Yes, I understand." He hung the phone back on the wall with a click. "Well?" "She won." The ambulance made a gentle right, then plunged into a tunnel whose doors closed immediately after they entered, escorted by three police motorcycles. All that remained to mark the spot was a basketball court and a mural on the wall of an otherwise unassuming apartment building. *** A minute later, the ambulance screamed into a holding bay beneath Nagano-2. By now Eileen had recovered just enough to be able to stand. She shakily walked out of the ambulance and stood, her bare feet curling up on the cold concrete. No-one had thought to put different clothes on her, and so she made a stark contrast, her in her hospital gown and everyone else in uniform. "Sir, we're not certain if you'll be able to transform in your condition, but-" "So you want me to try, eh?" She pulled her henshin rod from nowhere and looked at it for a moment, getting used to the larger handle and new ornamentations. A crystal sphere sat atop the pink handle, with three red, white, and blue stars embedded inside. Otherwise it was identical to the super henshin rods for all the other senshi. "Fine then, let's do it. AMERICA CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!" All those watching her were dazzled by what followed. The disheveled brunette was surrounded by swirls of light and color, red and white and blue coruscating about her. Her clothes disappeared, replaced piece by piece with a white bodysuit, red skirt with white and blue stripes at the hem, red collar with a single white stripe, powder blue bows on chest and back--the one in the back being much longer, and the one in front having a heart-shaped pendant--white gloves with red piping at the elbows, dark blue choker with a yellow star, golden tiara with a single red gemstone at the center, and two transparent flanges at the shoulders. With a final flash, blue high-heels manifested themselves on her feet, and the transformation was complete. "How do you feel?" asked the doctor immediately. Super Sailor America turned to look at him. "Well, let's take care of Jen first, and then we'll worry about that, okay?" "Yes sir." *** The recovery teams arrived on the scene, roaring up in their white vans, and it looked like hell warmed over. To one side of a hill they could see a large patch of damp, almost muddy ground. If the recorders were to be believed, that puddle was all that remained of the beast which had seemed bound to attack and destroy Nagano-2. One of the teams immediately moved over to collect what samples they could from the remains. The other ran to the prostrate form of Super Sailor Orion, who still lay on her side on the ground. Her right hand still gripped the sword that had materialized from nowhere when she made her super transformation. "She's alive," said the head of the team, who was actually the second highest ranking physician on the planet. The highest ranking one was now in Valhalla with Sailor America. He shook his head in disbelief. "Why don't they teach us senshi physiology in med school?" he asked no-one in particular. Not expecting a response, he continued his examination, poking, prodding, and feeling her with both his hands and his instruments. "Looks like she suffered a concussion, but senshi healing kicked in. Same thing with her legs, lots of healed bruises." He felt along her midsection. "Internal bleeding seems to have stopped, two broken ribs, but they're fine now. I think she'll need some painkillers when she wakes up, though. Hm, seems to be all the problems, except the usual super shock." Abruptly he stood. "Okay, get her on the stretcher, I want her on a glucose solution immediately. Kenji, you were on the team working on Sailor America, weren't you?" The younger medical student nodded as he and three others lifted Sailor Orion's slowly-breathing body onto a flat-board, which was then placed on a stretcher. "Good, then you'll know what to do." "Yes, doctor." Kenji took a moment to rearrange Sailor Orion's right arm, which still clutched the sword, and placed it artfully on her chest. Then, thinking better of it, he grabbed a plastic baggy and wiped as much of the blood as he could off the sword and into the bag. Perhaps it might be of use in the lab. Then the van was on its way back to Nagano-2, soon being met by a police escort, as the city awoke from a night of terror and prepared to face another uncertain day.