Part One: A new enemy, a new scout! Beginning of the battle for eternity!
Usagi's cry caused
the cat to leap nearly three feet off the bed. I'm late for the
Sailor Scout meeting! Rei is going to kill me! Her long blond ponytails
streamed behind her as she raced about her room, tossing a few books and
her transformation brooch into a bag. Why didn't you tell me what
time it was?
Luna rolled her eyes impatiently. I DID, Usagi.
Four times. You were too busy playing those silly video games with Chibiusa.
Both of you ignored me. Remember?
Usagi scowled at her pet, but couldn't come up with
any response. Chibiusa strolled into the room, wearing her rabbit backpack.
Well, I'm ready, she announced self
importantly. Hurry up, baka-Usagi. You're always late.
Usagi wanted to give her a smart reply, but they didn't
have the time. So she settled for grabbing Chibiusa's hand and yanking
her downstairs and out the door, insisting as they went, We're
BOTH late this time, and it isn't completely my fault, Miss
Don't-Worry-We-Still-Have-Time-For-One-More- Game. The two girls
flew down the sidewalk towards the shrine on Cherry Hill.
WE'RE HERE!!! Usagi bellowed as they
burst into the room. Then she stopped short. Rei, Makoto, Ami and Minako
were seated around the table as usual, but there across from them were...
Haruka-chan! Michiru-chan! Chibiusa
exulted as she raced to greet them.
Haruka laughed, that deep, throaty sound. Well,
odango atama, that wasn't very queenlike. Are you trying to get us to
change our minds about you?
Michiru's eyes sparkled michieviously. And
to think of all the power it took to convince us you were the true
Messiah.
Usagi stared at them in surprise. What are
you doing here? I thought you'd left Toyko.
Michiru's aqua eyes clouded for a moment.
We did. But...
Lita interrupted. I think you'd better
sit down, Usagi. Haruka and Michiru have brought us some very disturbing
news.
Usagi looked at the faces of her friends, and realized
that they all looked very grave, including the usually vivacious Minako.
A wave of fear swept over her; this must be really bad. Even Chibiusa sensed
the tension in Haruka, and she let go of her, sitting down quietly next to
her and looking anxiously around the circle.
Usagi sat down quickly and gazed from one to the other.
What happened? she asked in a very small voice, sounding like
she was not at all certain she really wanted to know.
Haruka began, Well, we had just crossed
the bridge that leaves Tokyo...
Well, we did it, Michiru smiled, brushing
a strand of hair from her face as they flew down the vacant highway.
Haruka grinned and looked up from the wheel. Yes.
We found the talismans and the Messiah.
And the terrible Silence is no longer
a threat, thanks to Sailor Saturn and Super Sailor Moon.
Michiru closed her eyes and tipped her head back, letting
the warm sunshine bathe her face. It feels wonderful, knowing that
we accomplished our mission at last.
Haruka smiled again at her. And who would have
guessed that odango atama would be the true Messiah?
Michiru opened one eye to look at her friend. Be
honest, Haruka. You believed it all along.
Haruka made no reply, but focused on the road instead.
Michiru grinned at her. Come on, admit it. You had more faith in Sailor
Moon than any of us.
Haruka snorted in denial. She was a crybaby and
a weakling.
Who stood up to you for what she believed
in.
At this Haruka gave a half smile, and Michiru
added, I know you. You respected her for that. If she'd given
in to you, you'd have been disappointed in her.
Haruka cocked an eyebrow in her
passenger's direction. Well, you may be right. Then she
returned her gaze to the road. But I feel better knowing that she really
does have the guts to use that amazing power of hers when it counts. Having
compassion and love is a good thing for a queen, but she also needs to have
the ability to be a leader; to do whatever is necessary to protect herself
and her people. A grin crossed her face. And she demonstrated
that yesterday, didn't she?
Michiru smiled back. She put us in
our places quite effectively.
She's going to make a great queen,
Haruka asserted proudly.
There was a comfortable silence for a while
as the little yellow convertible sped down the road. It was a beautiful day,
and both girls felt incredibly peaceful for the first time in months. Haruka
found herself recalling again the events that had brought the two of them
together, and she shook her head with wonder for the millionth time. It was
hard to believe that she was a Sailor Scout, defender of the solar system.
It had taken her a long time to accept her destiny. If it hadn't been
for Michiru... Haruka glanced over at her friend fondly. What would she be
without Michiru? Haruka could hardly remember what life had been like before
they'd met. She hadn't known who she was, really. It was like a
part of her was asleep, and she didn't even know it until Sailor Neptune
had appeared to awaken her to herself. Haruka had never felt more content
than at this moment, flying down the highway with her best
friend.
Suddenly Michiru gasped. Stop the
car, Haruka!
Instinctively Haruka slammed on the brakes,
pulling the car to the side of the road. Michiru, what...? But
her question faded as she stared in the direction that her friend was pointing.
There in the field alongside the road, something
strange was happening. The air was shimmering in a very odd way, and suddenly
a curious monument of ornately carved black stone seemed to materialize from
nowhere. It was shaped like a large rectangular box or podium, and it was
at least as tall as Haruka. Above the monument, seemingly suspended in midair,
something that appeared to be a smooth glass orb appeared, glowing with an
unearthly, beautiful light.
Do you hear that? Michiru
whispered.
The orb seemed to be humming, but the sound
was a melody so hauntingly sweet that Haruka could have sworn she'd
heard it before, somewhere. The song grew louder and more intense, and so
did the light, getting brighter and brighter until both girls had to look
away. Haruka wondered if she and Michiru should take cover, but... it was
such a delicious feeling as the music and light swept over them. Haruka felt
like she was gaining strength and energy, like her body was being embraced
by the combination of sound and light, purifying all traces of weariness
and filling her with a joy so complete it was almost unbearable. Without
realizing what she was doing, she flung out her arms and began to spin around
and around, immersing herself in the incredible beauty and power of it. Haruka
began to feel herself merging with the light, becoming light herself, as
the sweet melody no longer was outside but inside, inside her soul, singing
through her veins and giving her life like she'd never felt it before.
Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared,
the light and music were withdrawn back into the glass sphere, so that it
glowed and hummed even more intensely than before. The orb quivered with
the power it contained, and abruptly shot into the sky. Both Haruka and Michiru
were left breathless and panting from the sudden exhileration as the shining
thing arched through the clouds towards the city they had just left. A moment
later, Tokyo's skyline seemed to shimmer; then, everything was quiet
again.
Haruka and Michiru stared at each other
in shock, and Michiru started to speak, but something else caught Haruka's
eye, and she pointed back to the black stone monument.
They both turned to see that a hole had
appeared from where the orb had left. Hole' was the best word
to describe it; it was as if the air above the monument had been torn open
when the shiny sphere had flown away. And from within the aperture, they
both heard the distinct sound of laughter. Very ominous laughter.
I've got a bad feeling about this, Michiru
stated.
As they watched, a small drop of... something
black and oily-looking oozed from the baseball-sized opening. The moment
it hit the surface of the monument, it rose up and started to take on a form.
A very ugly form. Three eyes opened, and the hideous yellow things rolled
around in its head before landing on the figures of Haruka and Michiru standing
a few feet away. A grin spread across the glistening black features, exposing
two long fangs like a viper's, and the long, scaly tail of the creature
thrashed once with pleasure.
the thing hissed in a voice like
a spitting cat. Jaki likes human juice. Want juice!
Haruka and Michiru looked at each other, but neither
had to say a word. Both produced their transformation pens
simultaneously.
Uranus Planet Power! Makeup!
Neptune Planet Power!
Makeup!
A moment later the two Sailor Scouts had transformed,
and took their customary stances. For an instant the creature looked confused,
but it didn't seem to matter to it what outfits its victims were wearing.
Jaki thirsty! The thing made a move to lunge at the
Scouts.
Deep Submerge!
The force of Sailor Neptune's attack
caused the thing to lose its footing on the monument, and it tumbled into
the grass. When it got up, its three eyes were glittering green instead of
yellow.
Uranus? I think I made it mad. Sailor
Neptune cocked an eyebrow at her Sister Scout.
Sailor Uranus grinned back, but the expression
was soon replaced with one of fury as a bolt of dark energy erupted from
the creature to crash into Sailor Neptune. The graceful Scout was shoved
backwards, slamming onto the hood of Haruka's beloved convertible. She
slid off the hood onto the dirt, unconcious.
Sailor Uranus shouted
in alarm, as she turned to face the thing that had just attacked her friend.
I'll make you pay for that! she bellowed at it, raising
her arm.
World Shaking!
This time the jaki was expecting the attack, and it
dodged the burst of power as easily as if it were a careless stray rock.
The trio of eyes sparking, the creature's mouth opened and another bolt
of evil energy streamed towards Sailor Uranus. She jumped up to avoid it,
and it went under her. But when she landed, she turned to see that the attack
had changed its direction and was now coming after again. She scarcely had
time to leap aside before it burned past her, getting absorbed into the black
stone of the monument. But Uranus hadn't managed to avoid it completely;
the dark energy had caught her left foot as it went by. Sailor Uranus gasped
in pain, and looked down at her ankle. She couldn't move it; the force
of the attack had rendered it completely useless.
I can't defeat this thing, she realized with shock.
It's too powerful! And its attacks have homing signals' or
something.
Uranus looked up to see the jaki bending over
Sailor Neptune's prone body. Human juice! the thing exulted
as it prepared to sink its fangs into Neptune's arm.
Uranus exploded, powering
up her attack again. World Shaking!
The creature dropped Sailor Neptune and
looked up. This time it didn't have the chance to dodge away, and the
power struck it in the face, knocking it backwards. When the jaki rose to
its feet again, its eyes were glowing green and rolling about furiously.
It didn't seem to be much affected by Uranus' attack, but now it
was obvious that it was enraged. The thing opened its mouth again, but before
it could attack, Sailor Uranus dodged awkwardly behind the monument of black
stone.
Concentrating, she brought her sacred sword
talisman out from her body. The sword gleamed as she unsheathed it. All
right, talisman, she said to it, let's go put this thing
out of its misery. She leapt back into the open,trying not to wince
as she landed hard on her injured ankle, and brandished the glowing sword
in front of her. The creature seemed duly impressed.
Staring at the defiant Sailor Uranus, the
thing shook its head. Jaki find easier human juice, it decided,
and as Uranus watched in surprise, the jaki curled into a ball and bounced
once, twice, and on the third bounce seemed to fly into the sky, taking the
same path that the shining glass sphere had taken, towards Toyko. It disappeared
from view, and Sailor Uranus limped as quickly as she could towards
Neptune's prostrate form.
she gasped, dropping
her talisman sword for the moment and sinking down beside her friend.
Michiru, can you hear me?
Sailor Neptune moaned and struggled to open her eyes.
she managed to say, but then collapsed again.
Judging from the numbness in her own foot, Sailor Uranus
had a pretty good idea of how badly Sailor Neptune had been hurt. Carefully
she picked her friend up, cradling her gently in her arms, as her mind searched
desparately for something she could do to help Sailor Neptune. As she did
so, her injured ankle brushed up against the talisman sword on the ground.
Suddenly a warm glow spread over her foot, and Sailor Uranus found that after
a moment the pain was gone, and she could use her ankle again. Her eyes widened
as she realized what this meant.
Neptune! Neptune, listen to me. We
need your talisman. Sailor Uranus shook Sailor Neptune gently. Can
you hear me? You need to bring out your mirror.
Again Sailor Neptune's eyelids fluttered.
Uranus wasn't sure whether her Sailor Sister had heard her or not, but
suddenly Neptune's face contracted in an expression of concentration,
and the talisman mirror shimmered into being above them. Sailor Uranus grabbed
it out of the air and put it in Neptune's hand.
The mirror began to glow, and a healing light
emanated from it to surround Sailor Neptune's body. After a few seconds,
the light faded away, and Sailor Neptune opened her eyes. Uranus! What
happened?
Sailor Uranus' face was grim. It got away,
she told her partner. I guess we were just too much trouble for it.
Then she looked towards the skyline of Toyko where both of the foreign objects
had disappeared. We can't just let that thing roam around Toyko.
If it wasn't affected by our attacks, it's doubtful that the other
Scouts will have much luck against it either. We have to go
back.
Sailor Neptune nodded in agreement, and sat up.
Both Scouts held their talismans, allowing them to be reabsorbed into their
bodies. Then their sailor fukus glimmered and disappeared, to be replaced
by their normal clothes as they detransformed.
Let's go, Haruka said with
determination, and they both got back into the car. The tires squealed as
Haruka spun the vehicle around and accelerated back down the highway the
way they had come.
We came straight to Rei's, knowing
that all of you would be meeting here, Michiru concluded
wearily.
That... thing, whatever it was, can't
be allowed to attack anyone else, Haruka asserted firmly. But
we don't know how to destroy it. Our attacks don't
work.
Ami looked thoughtful. It's possible
that we could find some way to turn its attack back on itself, she
offered. Remember? Like how we defeated the last of the Witches 5 who
was too powerful for us.
And we haven't tried the Sailor
Planet Attack on it yet, Makoto added. With Sailor Uranus and
Sailor Neptune too, I'll bet we could fry that thing!
Did you say it called itself jaki?
Rei spoke up. At Michiru's nod, she looked disturbed. Jaki is
an evil spirit. And where there is one, there are usually more. What happened
to that... hole you told us about?
Haruka shrugged. It's still there.
We couldn't figure out how it got there, much less how to close it
up.
Rei's face drew together in an expression
of worry. That's not good. I'm going to have to consult the
sacred flames on this one. We must find out exactly what that hole is. If
one jaki emerged from there, there will probably be more.
Usagi had gone pale at all of this, and was being
very quiet.
What's wrong, Usagi-chan? Minako
questioned. You look like you're going to be sick.
Her face crumpled up then. I'm not
ready for another enemy yet, she wailed. We just finished the
war with the Silence two days ago. Why can't we ever get a
break!
Chibiusa glared at her future mother.
Grow up, baka-Usagi, she snorted. The universe is in danger
and you want vacation time.
It's not an unreasonable
request! Usagi fumed at the little pink haired girl. If you
weren't just trying to be mean to me you'd probably have said the
same thing!
Would not!
Would too!
The two stuck their tongues out and glared
at each other.
Would you two just can it? We've
got more important problems, Makoto reminded them firmly. Both girls
looked a bit sheepish as they calmed themselves down.
Ami, do you think you can locate the
jaki with your computer? Minako wanted to know.
I think so. A creature like that should
be giving off vast amounts of negative energy, so I ought to be able to track
it. Ami pulled out her Mercury computer and started to type
quickly.
There's another piece to this
puzzle besides just the jaki, you know, Luna spoke up. Everyone turned
to look at the cats, sitting together near Minako.
That's right, Artemis affirmed.
What about that glowing sphere Michiru mentioned? Any
ideas?
Not a one, Makoto replied, and
Minako and Usagi shook their heads.
I'm fairly certain that whatever it
was, it wasn't evil, Michiru mused. The energy coming from
it was positive energy. It made both of us feel---
Haruka finished for her,
and Michiru nodded in agreement.
Alive indeed. It was a purifying,
strengthening feeling. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't from the same
place as the jaki.
Usagi shook her head. I don't
like this at all. It's not fair. Why did this have to happen now?
She stood up and began to pace with agitation. We just barely managed
to survive our encounter with the Death-Busters. We're all worn out
and tired. And now this. I don't think I can take it! she cried
melodramatically, sinking back to the floor. Rei looked like she was about
to say something, but to everyone's surprise, it was Haruka who stood
and went to Usagi.
Have courage, odango atama. This time
we'll all fight together. We'll get to the bottom of all of this,
and it'll be over before you know it. Michiru smiled inwardly
at this unusual display of tenderness from her friend. She'd always
known Haruka had a soft spot for Tsukino Usagi.
Usagi looked up at Haruka, her blue eyes
sparkling with tears, and nodded. All right, Haruka-chan. We do this
together.
I found it! Ami announced suddenly,
her eyes fastened to the computer screen. The jaki is at the end of
Tenth Street, about to enter the park.
I'm there, Makoto pronounced as
she pulled out her transformation pen. Jupiter Star Power!
Makeup!
The others stood up and produced their pens as
well.
Mercury Star Power!
Mars Star Power!
Venus Star Power!
Uranus Planet Power!
Neptune Planet Power!
Moon Prism Power!
Cosmic Moon Power!
And then, in unison:
For a moment, a chaos of colors swirled through
the room in the temple as each Scout assumed her form. When the air cleared,
eight Sailor Senshi were standing around the table in defensive stances.
Let's get Sailor ChibiMoon
cried, waving her little pink wand, and then all eight were running out the
door.
Luna and Artemis looked at one another. Should
we go? Luna asked.
They probably don't need us, Artemis
answered.
But I'd really like to see this. All
eight scouts working together for once! This should be a short battle.
Luna rose to her feet. Come on, Artemis.
The two cats followed the Sailor Scouts to the
park, where they found a trail of bodies lying comatose on the
ground.
What happened to them? They're all
so pale, Sailor Venus cried in dismay.
Sailor Mercury knelt down beside the body
of a young woman, and scanned her with her VR visor. Her blood has
been drained. See? She indicated a set of little holes on the woman's
wrist.
Sailor Neptune looked serious. Well, now we know
what the jaki meant by human juice'.
Sailor Moon wailed, staring
at the trail of dejuiced bodies strewn through the park. That thing
drinks blood?
There'll be time for eeewww'
later, Sailor Moon. Right now we've got to stop the jaki before it hurts
anyone else, Sailor Jupiter reminded her.
There it is! Sailor Uranus
exclaimed, pointing through a grove of trees. Everyone looked up to see the
jaki just finishing another of his victims. He removed his fangs, glistening
red with the blood, and burped rather loudly.
Sailor Jupiter grimaced.
That's really gross!
Come on, everybody, don't just
stand there, Sailor ChibiMoon scolded, and took off running towards
the ugly black creature.
Sailor ChibiMoon! Come back!
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury both called at once, as they chased after
her with the other Scouts close behind.
The jaki looked up as the group of Sailor-clad
girls came thundering towards it, and it dropped the body of the man it had
just drained. Its mouth opened, and Sailor Uranus lunged for Sailor ChibiMoon,
just managing to grab her and roll out of the way with her before the blast
of paralyzing energy could envelop the littlest Sailor Scout.
Sailor ChibiMoon looked up in amazement
at Uranus. she breathed.
Uranus cocked an eyebrow at her. No
problem.
Burning Mandala!
Sparkling Wide Pressure!
Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter combined
their attacks and sent a missile of crackling, fiery energy straight at the
nasty evil spirit.
It didn't faze the creature at all;
he moved aside with the speed of lightning and the Scouts' energy whizzed
harmlessly past, crashing instead into a tree behind him.
Time for Plan A, Scouts, Sailor Mercury
announced, powering up her attack. Mercury Bubbles Blast! A heavy
mist filled the park, obscuring everything. Sailor Venus ran towards the
jaki, made sure it could see her, and then attacked it.
Venus Lovely Chain! Her magic
chain of golden hearts wrapped itself around the neck of the creature. Angry,
the jaki's yellow eyes began to get greener, and it reached up and took
hold of the chain, snapping it effortlessly. Sailor Venus' eyes widened.
This thing was strong! She turned and ran, with the jaki close behind.
Weaving between a few trees, Sailor Venus suddenly
dodged out of the way. The creature, hot on her trail, let loose another
of its dark energy bolts in her direction. But the energy was met by Sailor
Neptune's sacred talisman mirror. Neptune gripped the mirror firmly
as the negative power struck and reflected itself back towards the jaki.
But instead of destroying the thing as everyone had hoped, the energy bolt
was simply reabsorbed into the creature to be used again, and the evil spirit
kept right on coming, straight at Sailor Neptune.
Suddenly Neptune felt herself being pushed
out of the way, as Sailor Moon grabbed her and flung the both of them behind
another tree.
All right, so Plan A was a wash! Sailor
Jupiter's voice could be heard, bellowing through the fog from somewhere
behind them. Time for Plan B, my personal favorite!
Mars Fire Ignite! This came
from somewhere off to their left, where Sailor Mars sent a blaze of flames
that burned off enough of the fog that the Sailor Scouts could find one
another.
All eight scouts ran to meet around Sailor Mars,
but the jaki could see them now too and was also on his way towards them.
It's no good! Someone's got to
keep him busy or we'll never get the Planet Attack powered up!
Sailor Moon exclaimed.
Suddenly there was a swoosh! and the creature
stopped to stare in surprise at the red rose that had miraculously appeared
in his path. Everyone looked up to see Tuxedo Kamen perched on the branches
of a nearby tree, looking for all the world like a great black
crow.
Tuxedo Kamen-sama! Sailor Moon
rejoiced.
Sailor Moon, you've got your
hands full. I'll buy you some time. With that, the caped young
man leapt from the tree and confronted the jaki himself.
He won't be able to hold him
off by himself for long, Mercury stated. We have no time to lose.
Mercury Planet Power! She raised her transformation pen.
Mars Planet Power!
Jupiter Planet
Power!
Venus Planet Power!
Uranus Planet
Power!
Neptune Planet
Power!
Moon Prism Power!
There were seven transformation pens held
high now, sparkling with energy. Carefully Sailor Moon drew the Imperium
Silver Crystal from her transformation brooch, and raised it to the center
of the others. Cosmic Moon Power!
Meanwhile, Tuxedo Kamen was fighting the
hardest battle of his life. Never had he faced any adversary like this! His
cane, which had often doubled as a sword and was stronger and more durable
than any regular weapon, didn't seem to have any effect on the evil
spirit at all. No matter how many times Tuxedo Kamen struck the jaki with
it, the creature waved it away as if it were no more than a pesky bug. Tuxedo
Kamen managed to get the jaki's focus off the girls, though, at least
for the moment, and that was his main intent. He dodged a blast of dark energy
and managed to land a few feet away, where he could use his rose throw attack.
The well aimed flower hit the jaki square in the third eye, and yet, the
thing scarcely seemed to notice. The rose itself actually shriveled up and
disappeared, and the glowing green eye rolled around angrily as the jaki
advanced on its enemy. Tuxedo Kamen lunged at it again with his cane, but
this time the creature gave him a hard swat across his shoulders that sent
him rolling across the grass. The jaki opened its mouth and released another
bolt of darkness straight at Tuxedo Kamen's stunned form.
The Silver Crystal flashed as it captured the energies
being thrown at it by the Sailor Scouts. Those powers were magnified within
the Crystal until they could no longer be contained, and Sailor Moon's
hands shook with the effort of holding onto the Crystal. All eight soldiers
cried out in unison.
SAILOR PLANET ATTACK!!!
A stream of the brightest energy imaginable
burst from the Silver Crystal and struck the evil spirit. The dark creature
was knocked off its feet by the blast, and let out a hiss of fury that could
better be described as a scream. It hit the ground with a thud that seemed
to shake the earth.
All eight senshi collapsed, having spent
almost every last drop of their energy on that one attack.
We did it! Sailor Venus gasped, gazing
at the jaki as it lay on the grass.
Do you think it's dead? Sailor
Mars panted.
It has to be. Our Planet Attack has never
been so strong. Sailor Jupiter wheezed. But as they all watched, the
creature began to move again.
A moment later, it had risen to its feet.
Now its three eyes had gone from green to red, and all the Sailor Scouts
knew that they were in way over their heads here.
Sailor Neptune breathed.
How could it have survived that?
Anybody got a Plan C? Sailor Uranus
wanted to know in a sarcastic tone.
The jaki hissed dangerously, and as it began
to stalk towards them, Sailor ChibiMoon caught a glimpse of Tuxedo Kamen's
limp body, still crackling with the aftershocks of the dark spirit's
attack.
Tuxedo Kamen! she screamed,
trying to rise to her feet but collapsing with the effort. The tiny
senshi-in-training started to cry. You killed him! she yelled
at the creature, who was noticeably unmoved by the pink haired child's
tears.
Sailor Moon's eyes were also suspiciously
bright. Tuxedo Kamen-sama! she whispered.
Suddenly her face grew hard. Despite the great effort it took, she tried
to stand up. If I could do it under the power of Rubeus' gravity crystal,
she told herself, then I can do it now. Her legs shaking, she mustered every
ounce of strength she had left, and rose to her feet.
The jaki was close enough now, and it opened its mouth
again. A surge of black power shot towards the group of defenseless Sailor
Soldiers.
Sailor Moon shrieked, and she
flung out her arms, facing the attack head on in order to protect her friends.
She squeezed her eyes tight shut and waited for the paralyzing
pain.
HEAVENLY SYMPHONY!!!!!! A voice sang
out from behind them, and suddenly the whole park was filled with the most
beautiful music Sailor Moon had ever heard. She opened her eyes in surprise
as the melody washed over her, restoring her strength and power almost
instantly.
What on earth?!! She turned to see
the other Scouts, who seemed to be having the same reaction to the omnipresent
song.
Then she looked over at the jaki, which was clutching
its head and hissing in rage. As the sweet music surrounded the evil creature,
it seemed to melt away, and with a final shriek the jaki lost its form and
became just a blob of black, oily residue that was quickly absorbed into
the ground. Just like that, it was over.
With wide eyes, Sailor Moon looked up to find
the owner of the mysterious musical voice. All the senshi turned their heads
to see where that incredible power had suddenly come from. And standing there
before them was another Sailor Soldier.
She was dressed in a peach and black fuku that
looked just like any one of theirs, and knee-high black boots with five-inch
heels. Her straight blond hair, so light it was almost white, was parted
straight down the middle and held away from her face by two simple black
clips. Her eyes were dove gray, and carried a soft, haunting look of sorrow
that pierced Sailor Moon's heart. There was something familiar about
her, but Sailor Moon could not for the life of her remember what it was.
The new Sailor Scout approached them, and Sailor Jupiter tensed, ready to
jump up and stop the stranger from getting too close.
But Jupiter's fears were unnecessary,
as the newcomer dropped to one knee before Sailor Moon.
Princess Serenity, she greeted
her. Her voice was like the tinkling of golden bells, musical and rich but
also delicate. It is an honor to finally be with you again. The
stranger looked up and met Sailor Moon's eyes with her own large gray
ones, and again Sailor Moon got the feeling she knew this girl from
somewhere.
Who are you? Sailor ChibiMoon demanded,
and the new Soldier regarded her with surprise and amusement.
There will be time for all of that later,
little one, she responded sweetly, and rose to her feet. Sailor Moon
took a step back in surprise. This new Sailor Scout towered over her. She
was even taller than Sailor Uranus! She must be over six feet tall, Sailor
Moon thought in astonishment. Even without those heels, she's as tall
as Mamo-chan!
The colassal soldier looked behind Sailor Moon,
and saw Tuxedo Kamen and the other people strewn about on the ground beginning
to revive again, thanks to her musical healing. Nodding with satisfaction,
she smiled again at Sailor Moon. I wish there were time to explain,
she said in that tinkling voice, but I have to leave. Just know that
I am watching out for you, Princess, and I will always be here when you need
me. Then her grey eyes widened. I almost forgot to tell you.
The next time you confront jaki, use your Moon Healing Escalation. Physically,
they're invincible, and your power attacks cannot harm them at all.
But they're evil spirits; if you purify the evil from them there will
be nothing left to attack you. The Sailor Scout bowed to Sailor Moon
with a natural grace. Goodbye for now. She touched a peach-colored
stone set into the golden bracelet on her wrist, and the tall senshi's
form shimmered, then disappeared into thin air.
Who the hell was that? Sailor
Uranus demanded, staring at the spot were the peach and black clad Sailor
Soldier had disappeared.
That, Sailor Uranus, was the most
powerful of all the Sailor Senshi.
There was a gasp as a smaller Sailor Soldier
shimmered into being next to them.
Sailor Saturn! Neptune
exclaimed.
Sailor ChibiMoon
cried in surprise and pleasure.
Sailor Saturn smiled in that sweet melancholy
way as she addressed Sailor Uranus. You have just met Sailor
Orion.
Sailor Orion? Mercury repeated.
Sailor Saturn nodded. Sailor Orion is the
true Soldier of Sacrifice.
Uranus shook her short blond hair. I
thought YOU were the sacrificial soldier.
Sailor Saturn's violet eyes darkened.
No. It is true that I am the Soldier of Destruction, and to fulfill
my destiny I am willing to destroy myself along with the evil I fight. But
Sailor Orion is different. She makes a sacrifice of herself outside of her
own power, to save the rest of the senshi.
What do you mean? Sailor Venus
wanted to know.
Sailor Orion is the only Sailor soldier
whose power rivals that of the Imperium Silver Crystal. You see, as Sailor
Saturn I have the power to destroy. Sailor Moon has the power to heal. But
only Sailor Orion has power over the essence of both of these—the soul
itself. She represents the very fabric of existence, which is expressed through
music. You've just seen her Heavenly Symphony' attack. What
did you think of it?
Sailor Jupiter's eyes clouded for
a moment in thought. I felt something. I mean, I could hear this
beautiful melody, but it was like I was hearing it with my heart, not my
ears.
It felt like that to me, too,
Sailor Mercury agreed. A most unsettling experience. The music felt
strong, incredibly powerful in its purity. Like it was cleansing everything
it touched.
Sailor Mars nodded emphatically. I
could sense that. The negative forces emanating from that thing we
were fighting was completely overcome and nullified by the music
somehow.
Yes, Sailor Mars, Sailor Saturn
responded. That's exactly what happened. Sailor Orion calls upon
the power of the music of the spheres, the rhythm of all life, to purify
and cleanse evil energy. This is almost exactly what the Imperium Silver
Crystal does, only Sailor Orion's power can only draw from herself,
not from her friends or anyone else. That is where Sailor Moon's strength
lies; she can combine the strength of her friends to operate the Crystal
while Sailor Orion must always stand alone.
But how does that power make her a
sacrifice? Tuxedo Kamen, now fully restored, joined them from behind
and put his hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder. Sailor Moon looked up and
him and smiled, and Sailor ChibiMoon wrapped her little arms around his leg
and squeezed. He grinned at both of them, but then turned his attention back
to the apparition in front of them as she gave him an answer.
Sailor Saturn smiled again, even more sadly
than before. Since the dawn of time, the souls of the Sailor senshi
have been reborn again and again, in order that we could go on protecting
our universe forever. But in each of those lifetimes, it has at some point
become necessary for the spirit of Princess Serenity, the purest heart of
us all, to be destroyed so that life can continue. At this point everyone
turned to look at Sailor Moon, who had turned a very interesting shade of
white. Sailor Saturn nodded almost imperceptibly in her direction. If
we lost the Princess' spirit, however, we would also lose the Silver
Crystal, because only the Princess and the Queen of the Moon Kingdom are
able to use it. And without the Silver Crystal, all of life would disappear
anyway. So because Sailor Orion is the only one of us with powers in the
same realm as the Princess', she takes the Princess' place and
sacrifices herself to save the rest of us. Then she is reborn, to make her
sacrifice again, over and over in an eternal cycle. Sailor Orion is quite
literally born for the sole purpose of dying.
Sailor Moon stared at Saturn in horror.
That's awful. Then her expression changed to one of
determination. There's no reason for us to let it happen
again. At least, not in this lifetime. We're all stronger now-- we can
find another way this time. No one is going to die for me or anyone
else.
The little Sailor Soldier turned her violet gaze
on Sailor Moon with a bemused smile. Every lifetime you say that, Sailor
Moon. But when the time comes, you have always been able to understand the
deeper truth that allows Sailor Orion's destiny to exert itself. You
see, to deny her the ability to fulfill her purpose is to make her sacrifice
meaningless. And destroying a friend's destiny is just not in your
character, Sailor Moon.
So, she has revealed herself to us
in this lifetime, at least, Sailor Uranus observed. Does this
mean that the time of her sacrifice is drawing near? Is that what is behind
that creature we were fighting?
Sailor Saturn shook her head, and her smooth
black hair glistened in the sunlight. I honestly do not know, Sailor
Uranus. All I do know is that Sailor Orion herself has always decided when
the time was right to reveal everything.
Sailor Moon still felt a bit dazed. Wait
a minute, Sailor Saturn. Are you telling me that that girl has That
she is
She is your most faithful and loyal servant,
Princess Serenity. Sailor Orion has given up her life for you hundreds of
times, and will continue to do so until the end of existence. She has more
faith in you and what you stand for than anyone else, including
yourself.
Sailor Moon's eyes widened. What do
you mean, hundreds of times? We haven't been reborn that many times.
Have we?
Saturn smiled. Do you really think that
the Silver Millenium was the very first lifetime you ever lived? There were
at least a hundred before the Silver Millenium ever occurred, Sailor Moon.
The souls of the Sailor Senshi were created at the dawn of time, and though
even I can't remember all the details, I do know that our purpose was
to defend our universe from evil powers that wanted to conquer it. But we
have had at least a hundred lifetimes between the dawn of time and the Silver
Millenium, and in each one, Sailor Orion has been there, watching over you.
Watching over all of us. Making her sacrifice quietly, without anyone ever
knowing. She is the only one whose memory is not erased during her rebirth;
she is the only one who remembers everything that has happened since the
dawn of time and the creation of the Sailor Scouts. She remembers each of
her lifetimes, each of her sacrifices, even though the rest of us forget
her. Sailor Orion goes through eternity as the Sailor Soldier of Sorrow and
Loneliness. Sailor Saturn's eyes glowed softly. Whenever
I feel tempted to feel sorry for myself, in my own loneliness, I think of
Sailor Orion. She has it much worse.
Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of pity. Oh,
that's just terrible. How could I forget someone who does such a thing
for me?
Sailor Saturn's form shimmered, and she began
to fade a little. I'm sorry, I cannot stay, she told them.
Just know that, above everything else, you can trust Sailor Orion.
No one has earned the right to be trusted more than she.
Wait, Hotaru-chan! Sailor ChibiMoon
cried.
Sailor Saturn, becoming more translucent with
every second, smiled. Hotaru Tomoe was reborn, remember? I cannot stay
with you right now, not until the age of her awakening arrives again. Until
that time, I must remain the spirit of Saturn without a physical form. But
I'll remember you, Chibiusa-chan. I'll be waiting for you.
With those last words and another sweet smile, the small purple senshi faded
from sight.
Sailor Moon stared at the spot where Sailor
Saturn had just been, and shook her head. I still don't understand.
What are we supposed to do about Sailor Orion? How do we find
her?
Sailor Mercury put a hand on her friend's
shoulder. We don't. You heard what Sailor Saturn said. I think
Sailor Orion will find us. She did say she was watching out for you. Until
then we just have to wait.
A frown crossed Sailor Moon's features.
I guess you're right. Then her eyes brightened. But,
while we're waiting, let's go for some ice cream! That will make
us all feel better. Checking first to make sure no one was watching,
Sailor Moon decided it was safe to detransform, since it appeared that everyone
had evacuated the park as quickly as they could after regaining conciousness.
She could hardly blame them. Usagi detransformed and assumed her regular
identity.
A rich laugh erupted from Haruka, as her sailor
fuku glimmered and she detransformed as well. You haven't changed
a bit, odango atama.
Neptune's silvery giggle joined in
as she also powered down. Well, I for one think it's a great idea.
Our mission is complete, now, Haruka. And taking a break from all this fighting
evil sounds very good to me.
Ice cream it is, agreed Jupiter as
the rest of them resumed their normal forms.
Usagi asked hopefully as
her good looking soulmate also resumed his usual attire.
He grinned at her. Count me
in.
Chibiusa cheered, seizing
his hand. Not to be outdone, Usagi grabbed the other one and started pulling
Mamoru out of the park.
Shaking their heads, the four other girls
followed, heading towards the center of Tenth street, with a benevolently
smiling Michiru and Haruka close behind.
