It's nothing much, not really. Just some little tickle I had over Reideen and the Sailor Senshi... ----- Codename: Sailor V / Chouja Reideen crossover Tatakai no Owari - by Melissa Koh: safyre@jade-court.darkgod.net - - website: http://safyre.tsx.org - Chapter One: Together He glided back a little, not because he wanted to, but rather, the chouma had somehow cornered him into the alleyway without his notice, leaving him with no other escape route other than flight, which, in his current situation, was a prospect he did not look forward to. It hadn't taken him all _that_ long to realise that battling the chouma while in flight might not be the smartest thing he ever did. After all, the chouma was at home on land and in air, and the fact that it could twist air molecules to suit its whim only frustrated the cornered Reideen. The chouma observed him with gleaming scarlet eyes, but devoid of emotion. Completely. Yet the Reideen sensed that it was secretly laughing at his stupidity. Not that it was unusual; all chouma had a tendency to mock him whenever it seemed as though he was about to lose. One more didn't make much of a difference. Not that much. Besides, they usually learnt that underestimating the Reideen was something they would regret. If they still had a life left to regret. The Reideen raised his weapon, preparing to strike the chouma down with a death blow... "Stop!" A feminine voice shattered the false tranquillity all around them, neatly disrupting the Reideen's concentration. He took off to the sky, searching for a sign of the owner of that voice. It didn't take much to spot her. She stood at the rooftop, gazing down at them with bright blue eyes, hidden behind a mask that looked as though she had just stepped out of a costume party. She was even dressed for one; claded in a sailor fuku and a skirt that barely reached her knees, she meant Trouble with a capital T. The Reideen almost cursed. Who did that girl think she was, trying play hero? Didn't she know that it was dangerous to get in the way of a chouma? Did she even realise what she was facing? For all he knew, she could have taken a tad too much alcohol and was now trying to be a heroine, thinking that she was messiah or something. "Code-name is Sailor V! Senshi of justice! Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Venus! "Bringing chaos into the world is unforgivable, but disrupting the lives of innocent people must be punished! In the name of Venus, goddess of love and beauty, I will punish you!" A series of complicated-looking poses followed before she leapt off the roof, conducting a silent orchestra of somersaults in the air and finally, landing on the ground, resting her weight on one knee. The chouma stared at her, its scarlet eyes glittering like rubies. "Little girl, _go_ home. This is not the place for nice children like you...though how long you have to be nice is another matter entirely," it said, barely concealing its amusement. The Reideen almost shared its sentiments, but caught himself in time. "Leave this place! It's dangerous," he hissed, swooping down to stand beside the blonde. She cast him a wide eyed look. "Who are you?" "You don't have to know," he replied curtly. "Just leave. Now." Sailor Venus stood up and stared at him with determined eyes. "I can't and I won't. That thing is a youma and it's my duty to see that it's gone from this world." The Reideen gave her an irritated glare. "What youma? It's a chouma and you aren't supposed to see it in the first place." She took off her mask and made a face at him. "Well, I can. And it's a youma." "Don't be a fool." Sailor Venus face-faulted. "I'm a senshi of justice and love, the irrefutable, world-renowned Sailor V..." "I most certainly have never heard of you," the Reideen retorted curtly. The conversation, interesting as it was, would have continued, had the chouma not been bored witless by this exchange. An invisible tentacle shot out and sliced the air, narrowly missing Sailor Venus by millimetres. She leapt back, glancing uneasily at the chouma. It smirked. "Now, Reideen, shall we continue from where we left off?" The Reideen did not offer a reply, and lunged forward. And was promptly tossed aside like a rag doll. He slammed into a wall, embedded in a crater twice his size. Arching back in pain, he slid off the wall and crumbled to the ground in a heap, gasping. Briefly, Sailor Venus wondered whether it was time. She didn't have time for theological debates though, when the chouma- --deciding that she was an interesting specimen of humans--- shifted its attention to her. A cruel grin split its face, doing nothing to lessen the cold, empty look in its eyes save for emphasising on its cruelty. Their gazes locked for the briefest instant. With a casual flick of its slim wrist, air molecules converged on Sailor Venus. She found herself involuntarily rooted to the ground as the air around her solidified, cutting off her air supply. The chouma smirked, predicting that she wouldn't last more than ten minutes without her need for air. Oxygen to be more precise. How interesting it was to watch her struggle like a cornered rat but all in vain. Who knew, she might die before the ten minutes was over. "ARTEMIS! TASUKETE!" The chouma did a double take, surprised that she could still talk. Most humans could not even find the strength to stand in her condition, much less speak. It had been right in its assumption that the girl was not normal. "Mina! Use the Crescent Shower!" Sailor Venus wondered how. She had to find strength, power to overcome this. Somewhere out there was a greater destiny waiting for her. She had friends out there who had yet to awaken. There was someone out there whom she must protect. The one who would eventually become the most important person in her life. But she was trapped, rapidly weakening from the lack of air. "Minako!" She fell to her knees, her long golden hair cascading down, framing her face in such a way that she looked more mature, as though the fate of the world, or something equally as important, rested on her shoulders. The Reideen staggered to his feet and summoned his weapon. "Crow Sword!" Sweet air filled her starved lungs as the bonds that held her loosened. She drew in deep, ragged breaths, fighting every inch of the blackness that threatened to take her into oblivion. "Minako!" "I hear you, Artemis, just let me catch my breath first," Sailor Venus muttered under her breath. Strength flowed in her veins, reviving her for the most part. Slowly, just in case any fast movement might jar her precarious state and send her into unconsciousness, she moved deliberately, rising unsteadily to her feet with a show of grace. The Reideen glided to her side. "You are not strong enough to take it on," he observed. "And neither are you," Sailor Venus shot back. The greyish mask of the Reideen twisted into a scowl, the corners of his lips twitching. "Let's make a deal," the girl suggested, eyeing the chouma warily as it thrashed wildly at the pain of losing a couple of limbs. Quietly, she thought that it had a flair for drama, considering how fast the lost limbs grew back. "We work together since we're on the same side, and after that, you go your way and I go mine." The Reideen gave her a baleful look. "I don't work with outsiders." "I don't think you have much of a choice," said Sailor Venus, displaying an uncharacteristic practicality she usually didn't seem to possess. "We can't work separately, so it leaves us with only one option." "Speak for yourself. I can handle the chouma just fine." "Correction. *We* can handle the chouma." She paused, tilting her head as she frowned. "Or youma...whatever it is. The fact remains that if we attack it individually, nothing's going to come out of it, ne?" Though he hated to admit it, she was right. He hadn't really been expecting such logic from a girl who gave long speeches that took too much of anyone's time. Not to mention that the speeches were useless. "Fine, we'll work together," he said grudgingly, "but only because it's necessary." She nodded. "I understand." Then she turned to the chouma. "For the sake of humanity, I cannot allow you to continue wrecking havoc here! In the name of Venus, I, Sailor Venus, will punish you!" "Cut that crap already. It's annoying," muttered the Reideen as he raised his weapon again. She gave him an injured look. "It's part of the protocol," she explained lamely, pulling out a crescent-shaped pocket mirror. The Reideen stared at it in disbelief. "You're going to use that?" he growled. "If you are, then don't waste my time. I don't have the energy to watch you attack the chouma with a makeup case and get killed." She blushed. "It's not _my_ fault that I use a mirror. Artemis didn't give me a sword or anything." She didn't have time to add anything else, when the chouma launched another attack in their general direction. The two heroes leapt back, avoiding the blow, but created a huge gap between them in the process, leaving them with little time to discuss, and even less time to properly synchronise their attacks. Venus's Crescent Shower hardly made a difference to the chouma. Artemis's dry voice crackled through the intercom. "Minako, did you forget to recharge the mirror _again_?" "Have some faith in me, Artemis, I know what I'm doing," she muttered under her breath, watching with some admiration as the Reideen used the Crow Sword again. It was impressive--twin beams that moved in the speed of light towards the youma. Or chouma, like what the Reideen had said. The chouma's limbs fell off for the second time, and it howled in rage while a new pair grew back. "...That means that the youma is getting stronger...we must find our Princess soon..." said Artemis to himself. "I know that, but where? Besides, if I don't destroy the youma now, I'll be letting my fans down. What would they ever think of me, or will it be as Natsuna-chan says, my popularity going down-hill?" "...Minako, there's another attack you can use," Artemis hesitated, as if unsure of himself, whether it was the right thing to do this to his charge at this crucial moment, "but I don't know how effective it'll be...it might destroy all the buildings in this region..." Venus stiffened, then looked bleak. "I don't think we have much of a choice. What if the next victim is our Princess? I would have failed in my duty again and you know as well as I do that I can't." was all Artemis could think as he gave instructions to his ward. He wondered if she understood anything. Maybe he had been wrong about her all along. She knew her life's destiny and was carrying it out the best way she could. It wasn't plain stupidity, not in that girl. "Remember, the effects might be disastrous. You should warn your friend first," Artemis reminded. Venus nodded and raised her hand, pointing a finger at the chouma. The Reideen groaned at the thought of her launching into another one of her justice speeches. Maybe he should let the chouma finish off th airhead first, then he would take care of it. But being taken by the chouma was technically not a fate he would wish of anyone; why else would he fight it? "Now!" Her command came as a surprise. Fortunately he wasn't dull-witted enough not to realise her meaning. "Crescent Beam!" shouted Sailor Venus. At the precise moment, the Reideen switched into his most powerful attack. One that he had never used until that particular moment. It was a time of discovery for both of them, in a way, and the realisation that they weren't alone in the world... Blinding light engulfed them all, and for a while, only the agonised screams of the chouma filled the world. ----- Disclaimers: None of the above characters, save for the chouma, are mine. Sailor V and Chouja Reideen belong to Naoko Takeuchi-sensei and Sunrise respectively. I'm simply borrowing them with no profit made... Author's notes: Anou...maybe this isn't such a good idea after all...but Sailors against Reideen was a tad too tempting for comfort, especially when Minako takes centre stage...and no, I am not a supporter of Sailor Moon. Just Sailor V...^^'which is probably just as bad... - End Fic -