Title: Feathers
Author: Lady Hiko
Chapter 1
Email: ladylike@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13 (it isn't up to that level now, but eventually it will reach that mark.)
Warning: This IS a sequel to a previously written story. Don't worry though, you don't need to read the original (however appreciative I may be) because all will be explained eventually.
There is some slight Japanese vocabulary in this story used only to emphasize when they are in Japan, and when they are elsewhere and so forth. Here is the vocabulary used in this chapter:
1. Koibito - beloved
2. Anata - darling (it can also be used as basically 'hey you!' but in current context, it means darling)
In addition, there are a few symbols you should watch out for:
1. '…' is an equivalent to thought.
2. … these equal an equivalent to Anton's thoughts and usually equivocate a thought of his being transmitted over his shared soul bond.
3. *…* this equals Angela's thoughts and a thought of hers being sent over the soul bond. The bond is shared between her and Anton alone…and usually only he notices her thoughts, not the other way around.
With all said and done, let's move on to the story.
~~@~~
It began long ago… Okay, so it was really only eight years ago, but that's long enough to me. Long enough to live, long enough to die, long enough to be reborn.
Like in many stories told before, the night was dark, but it was not stormy. No, the night would not grant him that.
Anton… no, that is the nickname SHE gave him, and since SHE is no longer around, then it is no longer valid… Anthony Alsessaly Lupin was alone within his apartment, and like many at his futile stage, was sixteen years old. Old enough to drive, old enough to thrive, but not old enough to be alone. Anthony was a traitor to his kind, a mole. Royal by blood, he betrayed his family and half brother when he was led astray from his destiny by a woman.
If a person looked at her, and looked her straight in the eye, she would seem nothing significant, nothing special in need of even the merest of acknowledgement. Her hair was a simple black, her eyes a simple blue, and her height not so small, but not too tall either. Overall, she seemed average, but she was something more and he saw that.
The lure, as some would come to call her, was an extraordinarily powerful senshi who had a dark secret she'd hold to her grave. Sailor Halos - yes, that is what they called her - lured him from the supposed 'Dark Side' and traded him to that of the good and powerful. And after some careful coaxing and learning in the ways that eventually produce trust, they reaped love…well, as much love as you can obtain at the age of sixteen. Either way, the Seamstress of Fate deemed it well and cast her thread between them to create a soul bond. Whether they wanted it or not, they were now tied together in the seams of fate.
It was not long though before his mother's husband, Alsessaly, grew tired of his betrayal and decided to move upon it. He decided to attack Halos in her civilian form, Angela, and forced Anton to react. Anton could no longer turn a deaf ear and attacked.
Like they say, 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction' and Anton learned this the hard way. His own mother, enraged by his actions, sent a remaining Soul Sucker to finish off his love, which in its own way succeeded. Halos dispelled the creature and saved Sailor Moon herself as well as others in the process, sealing her own fate. Who would have known that in saving each individual senshi from the fated doom that would have befell them, that she would lose her own reason to exist and would succumb to the fate that was originally theirs.
Angela died that night and in his own way, Anton died too leaving only Anthony behind. Merely four nights later, on the eve of his seventeenth birthday, Anthony Lupin succumbed to the tug of a trigger and bequeathed his body to the world.
Now some would say - the ones with spiritual senses would be most likely to do so - that if you looked carefully into the sky that night, that you would see a glittering golden star seed serenely floating above his place as if waiting for something. They would say it spun there in its place until unexpectedly, the gunshot sounded from within his room. They would say that it stopped in its place and waited for a small, fresh, silver one to glide from the bedroom to meet it. And finally, they would say that you could distinctly hear the sound of a young woman's joyous laughter greeted by that of a young man's as the two star seeds shot speedily off into the night like one great shooting star. Yes, they would say they saw that.
Now, eight years later, eight years after the destruction and death, a new hope arises, for those of whom that experienced that night say that they have met the two soul sprites yet again. They say that the woman's giggle and the man's laugh have been heard once more, but this time words accompany their song.
(Giggle) "So, would you like to try again?"
"I don't know," the man's voice reverberated in amusement.
"Would you like to just take it all and throw it in the caldron and chance to start anew?" You could almost hear the amusement in her voice until it was cut off by the sound of a simple, treasured kiss and their souls revealed themselves across the sky. Those spirited few gazed upon the gold and silver illuminated faces of Angela and Anton upon the sky in their heated embrace.
"Maybe we'll be on the same side this time," she whispered, and almost as soon as their faces were to be recognized, they were gone. The shooting star sped off the caldron in the sky to die…
… and to live once more.
December 9th 2002 was the date; a day that would strum a chord in the senshi of time's head for what would seem an eternity.
Lying peacefully in bed, as all carefully pregnant women should do, Setsuna received a vision. No, it was not that of which is always expected, for the time of the silence has already past and no more come to steal one's crystal of the heart. No, this time it was different; this time, the chaos was wrought by mortal man.
She saw them, the many of the blundering men with their deadly missiles aimed at the heart of Tokyo. She heard their calls of "Bonzai!" as the triggers were met, and saw the crater that was wrought.
The whole world was swept to chaos, but she saw Sailor Moon's glorious silhouette cast against the distant shores of the United States with a simple white dove in place of her pearly barrettes. Then, what seemed like eons later, she saw the world release its shattered wounds of encasement and the fabled crystal palace built upon the crater that was once the original Tokyo. She awoke with the knowledge still left within her mind, and then knew what to do. She now knows what to do.
````
Not long after, the moon was covered with the thick blanketing clouds of snow and the sky was dark as the pregnant Rei sat alone in her home atop Cherry Hill. She was alone due to the snow that kept Chad out that night. Unusual snow, she thought as she listened to the wind as it blew outside for it generally rained at this time of year. You see, Rei was now 8 mos. along and hadn't seen any of the other senshi for quite sometime.
This didn't bother her though, for she knew Usagi was pregnant with Chibi Usa
and would so troublesome that everyone else would need to attend to her. Luckily, her own pregnancy allowed her to get out of it. That led to another thing that bothered her that night, for she had gotten no answer from the fire earlier.
"I know you can hear me, I've talked to you before. I've known you since childhood without knowing your name. I'm calling you out Jadeite, for I know it was your voice that called from the fire all these years." She paused a moment, drawing in a breath before calling out an incantation, "Earth, air, fire, water, rock! I am flame, flame is light; I am fire, fire is sight. Flame…Fire…Light! Flame… Fire… Sight!" Finishing the motions that went with the incantation, she thrust her palms at the fire forcing it to take form.
Eyes closed, kneeling within the flames, was the fierce warrior once known as Jadeite.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked, his voice unwavering, eyes still closed.
"I've known it was your voice ever since you were killed in current times," she paused a moment before adding in the last word. "Koibito."
His eyes opened at the mentioning of the last word, unspoken thoughts dropping to the floor at what he caught sight of.
Sitting there in her beautiful priestess garbs was his anata, pregnant.
"Wh-who did this?!" he asked, pointing a shocked finger at Rei's large round stomach while glaring at the gold wedding band.
"Well, you were dead – been dead – for thousands of years, and when you came back to life, you were evil and we had to kill you again. Now where's the relationship in that?" she replied.
"I-I," he began, but was immediately cut off.
"Anyways, that isn't exactly the subject I wish to speak with you about. This is," she spoke as she pointed to her abdomen.
"What? Don't you know who the father is?" he replied haughtily.
"Jadeite…" she began in a low growl.
"Sorry," he was quick to reply.
"The father is my HUSBAND, Chad." Noticing the evil glint in his eye, she added, "Don't even think about it. No harm will come to Chad or I'll snuff this fire out with you in it."
Jadeite's face drooped considerably.
"What I need you to tell me, Jadeite, is if this is my daughter."
"The kid is inside of YOU, isn't it?"
"Yes but…I had a daughter before…"
"Before?!"
"…she would've been my future daughter, but she died here at the age of 17. I was just wondering if this was she to be reborn again. Her grave is marked at a church nearby, directly to the right of a headstone with a silver rose protruding from it. It's hard to miss."
Within a flash of flames, Jadeite was gone.
```` What Rei didn't know, Jadeite ````
I circled the graveyard for a while, unable to locate the headstone. It took until about
the fourth time around before I caught a glint of silver. Landing precisely at its base, I peered at
the rose. There wasn't much of it left for it was partially moss covered as though no mourners had visited in a while and pieces were missing, obviously done by vandals.
The inscription read: Anton Lupin, Born January 12, 1978; Died January 12, 1995.
"This can't be the right one," I mumbled looking at the grave. "She had a daughter."
I looked to the right and there stood a smaller gravestone, one with two interlocked hoops and a
long poetic inscription:
I have traveled from afar,
From a time and place no one has ever known,
My power comes from the souls we have lost,
And the ones we shall never know.
With each new life that I save,
The weaker my power grows.
The loss is worth it though,
For each new life I save sets me free.
Angela Hino Hopeno, Born January 9, 1978; died January 9, 1995.
"I think this is right," I mumbled as I stuck my head into the ground. "I'd better take a look." I then slipped beneath the earth.
'Six feet is a long way down,' was the only thought that crossed my mind as I went deeper and deeper into the ground until I came upon a coffin and stuck my head in.
The coffin must have been crafted very well for the woman inside had barely
decayed, save her right foot. I wanted to know as to how she originally looked - considering if she was the daughter of Rei she probably would have much prettier when she was alive - and placed my hand onto hers.
I could see her now, how she had once looked. She was beautiful with medium length
crimson-ebony hair and jaded blue eyes. She was somewhat tall and slender, not so swollen up and hairy like now.
I gazed for a moment and noticed something. There were large burns on her chest and fingertips, and her hair was scorched at the ends. I wondered what happened, so I placed my hand over her eyes instead.
I could see her last moments of life now. * Burning flames surrounding me;
Sailor moon in trouble…No choice…Heavenly Soul Proclamation! … Life…leaving me… heart…gone…*
*ANTON! *
My hand fell. Anton? Who's Anton?! Flashes of the silver grave went
through my mind. I clenched her hand, wanting to know more about this, erm – gentlemen, that she
ever so eloquently mentally screamed his name as she died.
*Warm touches, soft kisses…notoriously black hair cascading into his ocean blue eyes. A tall young man, caught up between two worlds, unsure as what to do…one who took his own life. *
The bond was strong, I could sense that, but if she died first, how could she know that he killed himself? Was the bond that strong?
It couldn't be. Not in that short of time at least. Still, he took his own life, a sign of a coward. He did not deserve her if he did that.
I sat there and thought for a moment. I could be reborn any time I want to, considering my soul was
freed from Metalia's grasp once she was defeated, but Rei was already taken. I could never, ever get her
back, but… there was still her daughter. Angela would be reborn, there was no doubt about that, and would look just like her mother. If I couldn't have Rei, Angela would do, but if I were to do this, I would need a valuable host… one that could get her close to the daughter.
I lazily drifted over the houses of Tokyo in search of senshi. I would need a pregnant senshi whose fetus hadn't taken a soul yet. Passing from house to house, I could sense the presence of souls and feel their spirits glow within each respective parent, that is, until I passed over the Tenoh house. I could not sense a presence coming from the pregnant Ms. Kaioh. She was going to have one stillborn child unless I intervened. I could take on the body of the unborn child, make it my own…
```
Michiru suddenly sat up in her bed, which was really an astonishing feat considering she was heavily pregnant, with twins that is. Something had disturbed her that night, that day, but mostly that night. During the day, she felt somewhat woozy, as though something bad had happened, as though something stilled within her, and now she felt it again, although much more alive. 'What happened?' she thought to herself.
Haruka groggily stirred beside her not even bothering to lift her head. "Something wrong?" she asked through the pillow.
"Something strange just happened…"
"Something strange happens every day, Michi; we're senshi and were lesbians…it just happens. Besides, we have an appointment with the obstetrician tomorrow. We'll have it checked out then. Now please go back to sleep before I get another craving for cheese cake."
"Ok…" Michiru whispered, slightly saddened by her partner's reaction as she lay down on the
pillow once more. She lay there and stared at Haruka for a while until her partner begrudgingly opened an
eye.
"What?"
"Nothing," she swiftly slipped tilting her head not to face her partner.
Sighing, Haruka gathered Michiru in her arms, which was rather difficult considering she had her own bun in the oven and whispered, "I'm sorry if I sounded harsh, but…yeah…I'm really not good at this stuff... Sorry…" And before she could say another word, Haruka drifted back to sleep like a slip of wind.
Michiru could only smile as she tilted her head back and kissed her partner before turning back and snuggling as deeply as possible into her lover's arms.
She drifted back to sleep, but it was not a worry-less sleep…
````
It was then December 10th, and Setsuna was preparing for her necessary visit with the obstetrician for she needed to be sure that her unborn babe would be able to handle the travel that was to await her. Unbeknownst to her, however, was that she was not the only one with a scheduled appointment today for the very same clinic. While the doctors were preparing anti-adhesives, Rei was praying to the temple fire. While the doctors were preparing bags of ice to soothe future injuries, Makoto was squeezing a potato to calm her nerves and Haruka and Michiru were leaving specific instructions with Hotaru. And while the doctors grabbed 'airplane runway' brand earplugs, Mamoru was prying Usagi from the apartment doorframe.
Setsuna entered the door and was immediately hit with the thick silent atmosphere of the office. She could almost smell the fear in the air as each obstetrician scuttled to their perspective offices and could see their jaggedly rigid backs as they ambled through the halls. Today's patients must have been troublesome for them to react in such a manner.
Calm as ever, she sauntered up to the front desk and found herself having to bend slightly over to see the clergywoman cowering in her spot.
"Excuse me…" Setsuna trailed as the woman looked up in relief of finding the tall green haired goddess staring down at her instead of perchance a blonde, black, teal, or brunette one. "Hi, I'm Setsuna Meioh…"
"Oh…you're not one of THEM…," the clergywoman mumbled to herself, confusing Setsuna all the same, but before she could ask a thing, the clergywoman continued, "You're early by about twenty minutes. I'm sorry, as much as I'd rather you not, you'll have to wait."
"Huh?"
"I must also apologize in advance if you develop a minor headache. We have some…difficult… patients today. Please take a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly…hopefully."
Setsuna gracefully took a seat as she thought to herself, 'Why is everyone so afraid today? …If only I could have consulted the time gate before coming…'
Her thoughts were cut short as the door at the entryway jingled and a nearby obstetrician stifled a small scream. Makoto had walked in the door with her cinnamon haired husband, Damion, who was at the moment skewing his face in pain as Mako was crushing his hand.
"This is not a hospital; this is just an obstetrician's office. No harm will come to you. It's just a checkup," he repeated over and over as Makoto crushed his hand further. Setsuna had a feeling that he wasn't just chanting this to calm his wife.
"M-Mrs. Kino," the clergywoman stuttered as she spotted Makoto through the door. "P-please take a seat. The doctor will be with you shortly."
The clergywoman quickly ran from sight, probably to get the ill-fated obstetrician. As Makoto and Damion took their seats on the opposite side of the row of chairs at which Setsuna had been sitting, she turned around, tapped Mako's shoulder, and immediately had to duck. Apparently, Mako thought she was a hospital doctor.
"Mako!" Damion yelled in pain, "Please, I'm begging you! Back down!"
As Setsuna slowly lifted her head into view from below the backing of the seat, Mako's fist unclenched and Damion's face slightly eased from pain.
"S-Setsuna…" she stuttered, realization dawning on her that she almost hit the senshi of time. "What are you doing here?" Behind her Damion sat clutching his painfully tender hand, minute tears streaming from his eyes.
Choosing to ignore Damion's painful cries, Setsuna gestured to her abdomen and calmly replied, "What does it look like?"
Makoto gawked and mentally correcting herself, she thought, 'I almost hit the PREGNANT senshi of time!'
"Who's the father?" she blurted out before she could catch her tongue.
Setsuna gently looked to her own abdomen… only a few more months left.
"She's a test tube baby. The father's name was undisclosed," she replied, the second sentence being a total lie. She knew the father although he didn't know his donation had made it to her. 'Ah the beauty of using the time gate to spy…'
"Oh," Mako replied obviously feeling sorry for the fact that Setsuna really did have no one.
Needing to lighten the mood, Setsuna asked, "Why are you here? You don't look pregnant."
Makoto stood up and immediately tightened her shirt to her stomach.
"See this bulge?" she asked. "We were under suspicion earlier, but now I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant…either that or I'm going through a VERY early menopause."
Before Setsuna could conjure a remark to that, the clergywoman reappeared on the scene and meekly called out, "Makoto and Damion Kino?" Setsuna could easily see the woman was sweating as she continued, "The doctor is r-ready to see you."
The woman gestured to the room of which the Kinos were to enter and as soon as they got within three meters distance, she leapt behind her window again. The click of the door echoed throughout the office as it closed, making the heavy atmosphere of the place clearly evident. However, the silence of the office was not long left to be cherished as it was abruptly pierced by an entirely too loud wail from the other side of the entrance.
"NO MAMO-CHAN! I WILL NOT GO INSIDE!" could be heard as the door opened and a young man pulled on a young blonde-haired woman's legs as she latched onto the door. Setsuna blushed at his brilliant blue eyes but quickly stifled it with a thought. 'Not now nor will he ever be mine…not even if I could toggle the timeline…'
She stood with a smile playing on her lips as she strode over to the doorframe and began to help Mamoru pry Usagi's hands from the door. After successfully employing the 'Jaws of Life' to detach her from the doorframe, Setsuna had the opportunity to watch the comedic action of Usagi as she latched onto Mamoru instead.
Mamoru breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her as he literally dragged his wife to the clergywoman's window, he too bending far down to see the woman cowering behind the desk. Of course, being as timely as the day had been so far, the woman's suffering didn't end just there as a heavily pregnant - and might I add hostile - woman and her shaggy haired husband entered the room. The clergywoman simply gulped, rubbing her forehead as she evidently remembered the couple and had come in close contact with one of her sutras.
"P-Please," she began, obviously regretting her choice in career at the moment, "take a seat and an obstetrician will be with you s-shortly."
Oddly enough, before they could take a seat, another couple entered the room. The teal haired woman serenely surveyed the scene before her while her blonde counterpart stared on ahead, her face contorting every three seconds. You could set your watch by it.
'By the grace of some being,' Setsuna thought to herself, 'nearly all of us are here. Perhaps breaking the news to everyone won't be as hard as I thought…'
"S-Setsuna? The doctor can see you now," the woman said as she led the green goddess to her own room. By the pace of the lady's feet and the sweat on her face, Setsuna could only guess that what she had previously thought was done by some great deity was some great demon according to the panicked woman. The woman quickly retreated from the room as quickly as she had come leaving Setsuna all to herself.
Now normally the woman would direct her as to what to do, but considering she had only two more months left to the pregnancy, there was nothing left to be said. She quickly disrobed and replaced her garments with the usual hospital gown-like covering and quietly waited for her obstetrician.
Luckily for her, she didn't have to wait long due to what she assumed was the doctor actually trying to avoid her friends. The door opened quietly and yet swiftly as a tall woman in her late thirties stepped in the door. Just judging by her looks alone, she would have sworn that her doctor was the younger sister of Ami Mizuno's mother, but that wasn't necessary as that the woman's name was Dr. Ayame Mizuno. Ayame Mizuno looked much like her niece in the way that she held herself and in the way she moved, but what gave her way as being a true descendant of Mercury was her gem-like blue eyes and long storm blue hair.
Continuing on to what was happening in that sterile white room; Dr. Ayame Mizuno entered and began inspecting Setsuna.
"So, may I ask what was the urgency that you had to bump up this appointment?" she asked, her voice simple yet serious.
"I need to leave soon and travel to the United States. Business trip, you know. Some of my designs are intriguing to American customers so therefore I would like to take them there myself."
"Couldn't you wait until after your baby is born? I'm sure the trip would be easier then."
'No it wouldn't,' Setsuna thought to herself. 'I need her to be an American citizen from the start and time for me to become one so we won't be thrown from the country when the war starts…'
"No, it wouldn't be good."
Ayame sighed to herself, "You can make the trip, but I wouldn't suggest by plane. The change in altitude wouldn't be good for the baby. A boat would suffice I guess…Setsuna, are you sure that you want to do this? I mean it can wait…"
Like any pregnant woman at this trimester, Setsuna's usually calm demeanor melted as she had undergone a mood swing and turned impatient. 'So what if the senshi were to be the first to know. She's annoying me and therefore she'll be first!'
"Ayame, for once in your life, SHUT UP!" she yelled as she came to her feet in front of her doctor. "There is a great war coming, one that will destroy the whole of Tokyo and most of Japan. The only solace will be in the United States and I don't want my daughter going through a second Hiroshima! I am going to make myself a citizen before this war will happen!"
Setsuna could tell that Ayame thought her story was bogus, so as she heard Usagi's wailing coming through the hall, she threw open the door and pulled Mamoru in.
"TRANSFORM!" she yelled, knowing as being a pregnant senshi she herself could not do so. Mamoru just gave her a questioning look. "Do it now or I will play with the timeline next time you die and turn Usagi into a mouse and you into a cat!"
Rolling his eyes, Mamoru pulled a rose from his jacket and was replaced by Tuxedo Mask. To say that the doctor was stunned would be an understatement, for she stared onward with her jaw hanging slack and her eyes bulging.
…But now that she thought about it, Setsuna wasn't entirely sure it was only shock that held the doctor's jaw slack.
"Now do you see what I mean?" Setsuna growled as she urged Mamoru to detransform and vacate the room…more like she threw him out of the room.
The doctor only nodded.
"Good," Setsuna affirmed. "Do you think the other senshi would be able to travel as well?"
The doctor just stared at her confused.
Setsuna sighed. "You know those other women outside that you colleagues are so afraid of?" Ayame nodded. "Those are some of the senshi. At this precise moment, EVERY senshi is pregnant."
"They should be alright," she said, still somewhat stunned. "but I wouldn't suggest a plane…"
"Good," Setsuna said as she walked behind the curtain that shrouded the scale, emerging fully clothed and walking to the door. "Now get you yourself out of this country."
The door closed taking the light with it as Ayame was left utterly alone in the dark.
It was later that day, much later for the sun had sunk just below the tree line of the Cherry Hill temple. The wind still held that beckoning cold that the unusual snow brought as Setsuna sat in front of the Great Fire with Rei. While the miko's mind was concentrating on foreseeing if Setsuna's vision was true, the mind of the great green goddess was dwelling on what she'd have to say to the senshi. They would be forced to leave the only home they had, to leave their jobs, and for some, to leave their friends. What she was asking was not something easy.
"""""" Author's Notes"""""""
Well, what do you think? Am I way too out of character with these people or am I close to target?
I am a seasoned author and normally don't rant about my other fics, but if you liked this, check out these other stories of mine:
1. Arabian Knight - Endymion is a prince; Serenity is a purchased princess just for him. What should happen if his mother threw her out on accident?
2. Angel's Flight - The predecessor to Feathers, it is a pretzeled bit of time where a prince, an assassin and a fallen child return to the past to prevent their future.
3. Mist - When you were a child, did you ever have dreams of things attacking you in the night? No, not simple creatures such as the boogie man or anything from under your bed, but a sickening electric pink mist invading your land. Imagine if it were attacking the people of Japan and some survived.
4. It's All in the Feet - The life of a soldier is hard. You live, you fight, you die and are reborn. Now what would happen if a simple step in that endless waltz were to go, shall we say, awry?
5. The Night Walkers - What would it be like to live in an endless night, to be cast to stone at every daybreak? What would it be like to find a statue of stone and bring it home only to find a woman instead?
I must digress a word of warning though. My writing style has changed a lot since most of this has been written. Don't worry though, I have been told that these are still highly enjoyable.
Disclaimer:
However pointless I feel this to be, I must clearly state that I am not the owner of the Sailor Moon series or any of its characters. I am not the lucky fan fiction writer that Naoko-sama appointed to write companion novels to her television series and therefore I must write my own. No benefit will come from suing me for I am only an Art Major college student and therefore have no money to benefit from.
Gomen ne lawyers; I have nothing for you. (If you could see into my head right now, I am blowing an imaginary raspberry at the lawyers.)
Author: Lady Hiko
Chapter 1
Email: ladylike@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13 (it isn't up to that level now, but eventually it will reach that mark.)
Warning: This IS a sequel to a previously written story. Don't worry though, you don't need to read the original (however appreciative I may be) because all will be explained eventually.
There is some slight Japanese vocabulary in this story used only to emphasize when they are in Japan, and when they are elsewhere and so forth. Here is the vocabulary used in this chapter:
1. Koibito - beloved
2. Anata - darling (it can also be used as basically 'hey you!' but in current context, it means darling)
In addition, there are a few symbols you should watch out for:
1. '…' is an equivalent to thought.
2. … these equal an equivalent to Anton's thoughts and usually equivocate a thought of his being transmitted over his shared soul bond.
3. *…* this equals Angela's thoughts and a thought of hers being sent over the soul bond. The bond is shared between her and Anton alone…and usually only he notices her thoughts, not the other way around.
With all said and done, let's move on to the story.
~~@~~
It began long ago… Okay, so it was really only eight years ago, but that's long enough to me. Long enough to live, long enough to die, long enough to be reborn.
Like in many stories told before, the night was dark, but it was not stormy. No, the night would not grant him that.
Anton… no, that is the nickname SHE gave him, and since SHE is no longer around, then it is no longer valid… Anthony Alsessaly Lupin was alone within his apartment, and like many at his futile stage, was sixteen years old. Old enough to drive, old enough to thrive, but not old enough to be alone. Anthony was a traitor to his kind, a mole. Royal by blood, he betrayed his family and half brother when he was led astray from his destiny by a woman.
If a person looked at her, and looked her straight in the eye, she would seem nothing significant, nothing special in need of even the merest of acknowledgement. Her hair was a simple black, her eyes a simple blue, and her height not so small, but not too tall either. Overall, she seemed average, but she was something more and he saw that.
The lure, as some would come to call her, was an extraordinarily powerful senshi who had a dark secret she'd hold to her grave. Sailor Halos - yes, that is what they called her - lured him from the supposed 'Dark Side' and traded him to that of the good and powerful. And after some careful coaxing and learning in the ways that eventually produce trust, they reaped love…well, as much love as you can obtain at the age of sixteen. Either way, the Seamstress of Fate deemed it well and cast her thread between them to create a soul bond. Whether they wanted it or not, they were now tied together in the seams of fate.
It was not long though before his mother's husband, Alsessaly, grew tired of his betrayal and decided to move upon it. He decided to attack Halos in her civilian form, Angela, and forced Anton to react. Anton could no longer turn a deaf ear and attacked.
Like they say, 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction' and Anton learned this the hard way. His own mother, enraged by his actions, sent a remaining Soul Sucker to finish off his love, which in its own way succeeded. Halos dispelled the creature and saved Sailor Moon herself as well as others in the process, sealing her own fate. Who would have known that in saving each individual senshi from the fated doom that would have befell them, that she would lose her own reason to exist and would succumb to the fate that was originally theirs.
Angela died that night and in his own way, Anton died too leaving only Anthony behind. Merely four nights later, on the eve of his seventeenth birthday, Anthony Lupin succumbed to the tug of a trigger and bequeathed his body to the world.
Now some would say - the ones with spiritual senses would be most likely to do so - that if you looked carefully into the sky that night, that you would see a glittering golden star seed serenely floating above his place as if waiting for something. They would say it spun there in its place until unexpectedly, the gunshot sounded from within his room. They would say that it stopped in its place and waited for a small, fresh, silver one to glide from the bedroom to meet it. And finally, they would say that you could distinctly hear the sound of a young woman's joyous laughter greeted by that of a young man's as the two star seeds shot speedily off into the night like one great shooting star. Yes, they would say they saw that.
Now, eight years later, eight years after the destruction and death, a new hope arises, for those of whom that experienced that night say that they have met the two soul sprites yet again. They say that the woman's giggle and the man's laugh have been heard once more, but this time words accompany their song.
(Giggle) "So, would you like to try again?"
"I don't know," the man's voice reverberated in amusement.
"Would you like to just take it all and throw it in the caldron and chance to start anew?" You could almost hear the amusement in her voice until it was cut off by the sound of a simple, treasured kiss and their souls revealed themselves across the sky. Those spirited few gazed upon the gold and silver illuminated faces of Angela and Anton upon the sky in their heated embrace.
"Maybe we'll be on the same side this time," she whispered, and almost as soon as their faces were to be recognized, they were gone. The shooting star sped off the caldron in the sky to die…
… and to live once more.
December 9th 2002 was the date; a day that would strum a chord in the senshi of time's head for what would seem an eternity.
Lying peacefully in bed, as all carefully pregnant women should do, Setsuna received a vision. No, it was not that of which is always expected, for the time of the silence has already past and no more come to steal one's crystal of the heart. No, this time it was different; this time, the chaos was wrought by mortal man.
She saw them, the many of the blundering men with their deadly missiles aimed at the heart of Tokyo. She heard their calls of "Bonzai!" as the triggers were met, and saw the crater that was wrought.
The whole world was swept to chaos, but she saw Sailor Moon's glorious silhouette cast against the distant shores of the United States with a simple white dove in place of her pearly barrettes. Then, what seemed like eons later, she saw the world release its shattered wounds of encasement and the fabled crystal palace built upon the crater that was once the original Tokyo. She awoke with the knowledge still left within her mind, and then knew what to do. She now knows what to do.
````
Not long after, the moon was covered with the thick blanketing clouds of snow and the sky was dark as the pregnant Rei sat alone in her home atop Cherry Hill. She was alone due to the snow that kept Chad out that night. Unusual snow, she thought as she listened to the wind as it blew outside for it generally rained at this time of year. You see, Rei was now 8 mos. along and hadn't seen any of the other senshi for quite sometime.
This didn't bother her though, for she knew Usagi was pregnant with Chibi Usa
and would so troublesome that everyone else would need to attend to her. Luckily, her own pregnancy allowed her to get out of it. That led to another thing that bothered her that night, for she had gotten no answer from the fire earlier.
"I know you can hear me, I've talked to you before. I've known you since childhood without knowing your name. I'm calling you out Jadeite, for I know it was your voice that called from the fire all these years." She paused a moment, drawing in a breath before calling out an incantation, "Earth, air, fire, water, rock! I am flame, flame is light; I am fire, fire is sight. Flame…Fire…Light! Flame… Fire… Sight!" Finishing the motions that went with the incantation, she thrust her palms at the fire forcing it to take form.
Eyes closed, kneeling within the flames, was the fierce warrior once known as Jadeite.
"How did you know it was me?" he asked, his voice unwavering, eyes still closed.
"I've known it was your voice ever since you were killed in current times," she paused a moment before adding in the last word. "Koibito."
His eyes opened at the mentioning of the last word, unspoken thoughts dropping to the floor at what he caught sight of.
Sitting there in her beautiful priestess garbs was his anata, pregnant.
"Wh-who did this?!" he asked, pointing a shocked finger at Rei's large round stomach while glaring at the gold wedding band.
"Well, you were dead – been dead – for thousands of years, and when you came back to life, you were evil and we had to kill you again. Now where's the relationship in that?" she replied.
"I-I," he began, but was immediately cut off.
"Anyways, that isn't exactly the subject I wish to speak with you about. This is," she spoke as she pointed to her abdomen.
"What? Don't you know who the father is?" he replied haughtily.
"Jadeite…" she began in a low growl.
"Sorry," he was quick to reply.
"The father is my HUSBAND, Chad." Noticing the evil glint in his eye, she added, "Don't even think about it. No harm will come to Chad or I'll snuff this fire out with you in it."
Jadeite's face drooped considerably.
"What I need you to tell me, Jadeite, is if this is my daughter."
"The kid is inside of YOU, isn't it?"
"Yes but…I had a daughter before…"
"Before?!"
"…she would've been my future daughter, but she died here at the age of 17. I was just wondering if this was she to be reborn again. Her grave is marked at a church nearby, directly to the right of a headstone with a silver rose protruding from it. It's hard to miss."
Within a flash of flames, Jadeite was gone.
```` What Rei didn't know, Jadeite ````
I circled the graveyard for a while, unable to locate the headstone. It took until about
the fourth time around before I caught a glint of silver. Landing precisely at its base, I peered at
the rose. There wasn't much of it left for it was partially moss covered as though no mourners had visited in a while and pieces were missing, obviously done by vandals.
The inscription read: Anton Lupin, Born January 12, 1978; Died January 12, 1995.
"This can't be the right one," I mumbled looking at the grave. "She had a daughter."
I looked to the right and there stood a smaller gravestone, one with two interlocked hoops and a
long poetic inscription:
I have traveled from afar,
From a time and place no one has ever known,
My power comes from the souls we have lost,
And the ones we shall never know.
With each new life that I save,
The weaker my power grows.
The loss is worth it though,
For each new life I save sets me free.
Angela Hino Hopeno, Born January 9, 1978; died January 9, 1995.
"I think this is right," I mumbled as I stuck my head into the ground. "I'd better take a look." I then slipped beneath the earth.
'Six feet is a long way down,' was the only thought that crossed my mind as I went deeper and deeper into the ground until I came upon a coffin and stuck my head in.
The coffin must have been crafted very well for the woman inside had barely
decayed, save her right foot. I wanted to know as to how she originally looked - considering if she was the daughter of Rei she probably would have much prettier when she was alive - and placed my hand onto hers.
I could see her now, how she had once looked. She was beautiful with medium length
crimson-ebony hair and jaded blue eyes. She was somewhat tall and slender, not so swollen up and hairy like now.
I gazed for a moment and noticed something. There were large burns on her chest and fingertips, and her hair was scorched at the ends. I wondered what happened, so I placed my hand over her eyes instead.
I could see her last moments of life now. * Burning flames surrounding me;
Sailor moon in trouble…No choice…Heavenly Soul Proclamation! … Life…leaving me… heart…gone…*
*ANTON! *
My hand fell. Anton? Who's Anton?! Flashes of the silver grave went
through my mind. I clenched her hand, wanting to know more about this, erm – gentlemen, that she
ever so eloquently mentally screamed his name as she died.
*Warm touches, soft kisses…notoriously black hair cascading into his ocean blue eyes. A tall young man, caught up between two worlds, unsure as what to do…one who took his own life. *
The bond was strong, I could sense that, but if she died first, how could she know that he killed himself? Was the bond that strong?
It couldn't be. Not in that short of time at least. Still, he took his own life, a sign of a coward. He did not deserve her if he did that.
I sat there and thought for a moment. I could be reborn any time I want to, considering my soul was
freed from Metalia's grasp once she was defeated, but Rei was already taken. I could never, ever get her
back, but… there was still her daughter. Angela would be reborn, there was no doubt about that, and would look just like her mother. If I couldn't have Rei, Angela would do, but if I were to do this, I would need a valuable host… one that could get her close to the daughter.
I lazily drifted over the houses of Tokyo in search of senshi. I would need a pregnant senshi whose fetus hadn't taken a soul yet. Passing from house to house, I could sense the presence of souls and feel their spirits glow within each respective parent, that is, until I passed over the Tenoh house. I could not sense a presence coming from the pregnant Ms. Kaioh. She was going to have one stillborn child unless I intervened. I could take on the body of the unborn child, make it my own…
```
Michiru suddenly sat up in her bed, which was really an astonishing feat considering she was heavily pregnant, with twins that is. Something had disturbed her that night, that day, but mostly that night. During the day, she felt somewhat woozy, as though something bad had happened, as though something stilled within her, and now she felt it again, although much more alive. 'What happened?' she thought to herself.
Haruka groggily stirred beside her not even bothering to lift her head. "Something wrong?" she asked through the pillow.
"Something strange just happened…"
"Something strange happens every day, Michi; we're senshi and were lesbians…it just happens. Besides, we have an appointment with the obstetrician tomorrow. We'll have it checked out then. Now please go back to sleep before I get another craving for cheese cake."
"Ok…" Michiru whispered, slightly saddened by her partner's reaction as she lay down on the
pillow once more. She lay there and stared at Haruka for a while until her partner begrudgingly opened an
eye.
"What?"
"Nothing," she swiftly slipped tilting her head not to face her partner.
Sighing, Haruka gathered Michiru in her arms, which was rather difficult considering she had her own bun in the oven and whispered, "I'm sorry if I sounded harsh, but…yeah…I'm really not good at this stuff... Sorry…" And before she could say another word, Haruka drifted back to sleep like a slip of wind.
Michiru could only smile as she tilted her head back and kissed her partner before turning back and snuggling as deeply as possible into her lover's arms.
She drifted back to sleep, but it was not a worry-less sleep…
````
It was then December 10th, and Setsuna was preparing for her necessary visit with the obstetrician for she needed to be sure that her unborn babe would be able to handle the travel that was to await her. Unbeknownst to her, however, was that she was not the only one with a scheduled appointment today for the very same clinic. While the doctors were preparing anti-adhesives, Rei was praying to the temple fire. While the doctors were preparing bags of ice to soothe future injuries, Makoto was squeezing a potato to calm her nerves and Haruka and Michiru were leaving specific instructions with Hotaru. And while the doctors grabbed 'airplane runway' brand earplugs, Mamoru was prying Usagi from the apartment doorframe.
Setsuna entered the door and was immediately hit with the thick silent atmosphere of the office. She could almost smell the fear in the air as each obstetrician scuttled to their perspective offices and could see their jaggedly rigid backs as they ambled through the halls. Today's patients must have been troublesome for them to react in such a manner.
Calm as ever, she sauntered up to the front desk and found herself having to bend slightly over to see the clergywoman cowering in her spot.
"Excuse me…" Setsuna trailed as the woman looked up in relief of finding the tall green haired goddess staring down at her instead of perchance a blonde, black, teal, or brunette one. "Hi, I'm Setsuna Meioh…"
"Oh…you're not one of THEM…," the clergywoman mumbled to herself, confusing Setsuna all the same, but before she could ask a thing, the clergywoman continued, "You're early by about twenty minutes. I'm sorry, as much as I'd rather you not, you'll have to wait."
"Huh?"
"I must also apologize in advance if you develop a minor headache. We have some…difficult… patients today. Please take a seat, the doctor will be with you shortly…hopefully."
Setsuna gracefully took a seat as she thought to herself, 'Why is everyone so afraid today? …If only I could have consulted the time gate before coming…'
Her thoughts were cut short as the door at the entryway jingled and a nearby obstetrician stifled a small scream. Makoto had walked in the door with her cinnamon haired husband, Damion, who was at the moment skewing his face in pain as Mako was crushing his hand.
"This is not a hospital; this is just an obstetrician's office. No harm will come to you. It's just a checkup," he repeated over and over as Makoto crushed his hand further. Setsuna had a feeling that he wasn't just chanting this to calm his wife.
"M-Mrs. Kino," the clergywoman stuttered as she spotted Makoto through the door. "P-please take a seat. The doctor will be with you shortly."
The clergywoman quickly ran from sight, probably to get the ill-fated obstetrician. As Makoto and Damion took their seats on the opposite side of the row of chairs at which Setsuna had been sitting, she turned around, tapped Mako's shoulder, and immediately had to duck. Apparently, Mako thought she was a hospital doctor.
"Mako!" Damion yelled in pain, "Please, I'm begging you! Back down!"
As Setsuna slowly lifted her head into view from below the backing of the seat, Mako's fist unclenched and Damion's face slightly eased from pain.
"S-Setsuna…" she stuttered, realization dawning on her that she almost hit the senshi of time. "What are you doing here?" Behind her Damion sat clutching his painfully tender hand, minute tears streaming from his eyes.
Choosing to ignore Damion's painful cries, Setsuna gestured to her abdomen and calmly replied, "What does it look like?"
Makoto gawked and mentally correcting herself, she thought, 'I almost hit the PREGNANT senshi of time!'
"Who's the father?" she blurted out before she could catch her tongue.
Setsuna gently looked to her own abdomen… only a few more months left.
"She's a test tube baby. The father's name was undisclosed," she replied, the second sentence being a total lie. She knew the father although he didn't know his donation had made it to her. 'Ah the beauty of using the time gate to spy…'
"Oh," Mako replied obviously feeling sorry for the fact that Setsuna really did have no one.
Needing to lighten the mood, Setsuna asked, "Why are you here? You don't look pregnant."
Makoto stood up and immediately tightened her shirt to her stomach.
"See this bulge?" she asked. "We were under suspicion earlier, but now I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant…either that or I'm going through a VERY early menopause."
Before Setsuna could conjure a remark to that, the clergywoman reappeared on the scene and meekly called out, "Makoto and Damion Kino?" Setsuna could easily see the woman was sweating as she continued, "The doctor is r-ready to see you."
The woman gestured to the room of which the Kinos were to enter and as soon as they got within three meters distance, she leapt behind her window again. The click of the door echoed throughout the office as it closed, making the heavy atmosphere of the place clearly evident. However, the silence of the office was not long left to be cherished as it was abruptly pierced by an entirely too loud wail from the other side of the entrance.
"NO MAMO-CHAN! I WILL NOT GO INSIDE!" could be heard as the door opened and a young man pulled on a young blonde-haired woman's legs as she latched onto the door. Setsuna blushed at his brilliant blue eyes but quickly stifled it with a thought. 'Not now nor will he ever be mine…not even if I could toggle the timeline…'
She stood with a smile playing on her lips as she strode over to the doorframe and began to help Mamoru pry Usagi's hands from the door. After successfully employing the 'Jaws of Life' to detach her from the doorframe, Setsuna had the opportunity to watch the comedic action of Usagi as she latched onto Mamoru instead.
Mamoru breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her as he literally dragged his wife to the clergywoman's window, he too bending far down to see the woman cowering behind the desk. Of course, being as timely as the day had been so far, the woman's suffering didn't end just there as a heavily pregnant - and might I add hostile - woman and her shaggy haired husband entered the room. The clergywoman simply gulped, rubbing her forehead as she evidently remembered the couple and had come in close contact with one of her sutras.
"P-Please," she began, obviously regretting her choice in career at the moment, "take a seat and an obstetrician will be with you s-shortly."
Oddly enough, before they could take a seat, another couple entered the room. The teal haired woman serenely surveyed the scene before her while her blonde counterpart stared on ahead, her face contorting every three seconds. You could set your watch by it.
'By the grace of some being,' Setsuna thought to herself, 'nearly all of us are here. Perhaps breaking the news to everyone won't be as hard as I thought…'
"S-Setsuna? The doctor can see you now," the woman said as she led the green goddess to her own room. By the pace of the lady's feet and the sweat on her face, Setsuna could only guess that what she had previously thought was done by some great deity was some great demon according to the panicked woman. The woman quickly retreated from the room as quickly as she had come leaving Setsuna all to herself.
Now normally the woman would direct her as to what to do, but considering she had only two more months left to the pregnancy, there was nothing left to be said. She quickly disrobed and replaced her garments with the usual hospital gown-like covering and quietly waited for her obstetrician.
Luckily for her, she didn't have to wait long due to what she assumed was the doctor actually trying to avoid her friends. The door opened quietly and yet swiftly as a tall woman in her late thirties stepped in the door. Just judging by her looks alone, she would have sworn that her doctor was the younger sister of Ami Mizuno's mother, but that wasn't necessary as that the woman's name was Dr. Ayame Mizuno. Ayame Mizuno looked much like her niece in the way that she held herself and in the way she moved, but what gave her way as being a true descendant of Mercury was her gem-like blue eyes and long storm blue hair.
Continuing on to what was happening in that sterile white room; Dr. Ayame Mizuno entered and began inspecting Setsuna.
"So, may I ask what was the urgency that you had to bump up this appointment?" she asked, her voice simple yet serious.
"I need to leave soon and travel to the United States. Business trip, you know. Some of my designs are intriguing to American customers so therefore I would like to take them there myself."
"Couldn't you wait until after your baby is born? I'm sure the trip would be easier then."
'No it wouldn't,' Setsuna thought to herself. 'I need her to be an American citizen from the start and time for me to become one so we won't be thrown from the country when the war starts…'
"No, it wouldn't be good."
Ayame sighed to herself, "You can make the trip, but I wouldn't suggest by plane. The change in altitude wouldn't be good for the baby. A boat would suffice I guess…Setsuna, are you sure that you want to do this? I mean it can wait…"
Like any pregnant woman at this trimester, Setsuna's usually calm demeanor melted as she had undergone a mood swing and turned impatient. 'So what if the senshi were to be the first to know. She's annoying me and therefore she'll be first!'
"Ayame, for once in your life, SHUT UP!" she yelled as she came to her feet in front of her doctor. "There is a great war coming, one that will destroy the whole of Tokyo and most of Japan. The only solace will be in the United States and I don't want my daughter going through a second Hiroshima! I am going to make myself a citizen before this war will happen!"
Setsuna could tell that Ayame thought her story was bogus, so as she heard Usagi's wailing coming through the hall, she threw open the door and pulled Mamoru in.
"TRANSFORM!" she yelled, knowing as being a pregnant senshi she herself could not do so. Mamoru just gave her a questioning look. "Do it now or I will play with the timeline next time you die and turn Usagi into a mouse and you into a cat!"
Rolling his eyes, Mamoru pulled a rose from his jacket and was replaced by Tuxedo Mask. To say that the doctor was stunned would be an understatement, for she stared onward with her jaw hanging slack and her eyes bulging.
…But now that she thought about it, Setsuna wasn't entirely sure it was only shock that held the doctor's jaw slack.
"Now do you see what I mean?" Setsuna growled as she urged Mamoru to detransform and vacate the room…more like she threw him out of the room.
The doctor only nodded.
"Good," Setsuna affirmed. "Do you think the other senshi would be able to travel as well?"
The doctor just stared at her confused.
Setsuna sighed. "You know those other women outside that you colleagues are so afraid of?" Ayame nodded. "Those are some of the senshi. At this precise moment, EVERY senshi is pregnant."
"They should be alright," she said, still somewhat stunned. "but I wouldn't suggest a plane…"
"Good," Setsuna said as she walked behind the curtain that shrouded the scale, emerging fully clothed and walking to the door. "Now get you yourself out of this country."
The door closed taking the light with it as Ayame was left utterly alone in the dark.
It was later that day, much later for the sun had sunk just below the tree line of the Cherry Hill temple. The wind still held that beckoning cold that the unusual snow brought as Setsuna sat in front of the Great Fire with Rei. While the miko's mind was concentrating on foreseeing if Setsuna's vision was true, the mind of the great green goddess was dwelling on what she'd have to say to the senshi. They would be forced to leave the only home they had, to leave their jobs, and for some, to leave their friends. What she was asking was not something easy.
"""""" Author's Notes"""""""
Well, what do you think? Am I way too out of character with these people or am I close to target?
I am a seasoned author and normally don't rant about my other fics, but if you liked this, check out these other stories of mine:
1. Arabian Knight - Endymion is a prince; Serenity is a purchased princess just for him. What should happen if his mother threw her out on accident?
2. Angel's Flight - The predecessor to Feathers, it is a pretzeled bit of time where a prince, an assassin and a fallen child return to the past to prevent their future.
3. Mist - When you were a child, did you ever have dreams of things attacking you in the night? No, not simple creatures such as the boogie man or anything from under your bed, but a sickening electric pink mist invading your land. Imagine if it were attacking the people of Japan and some survived.
4. It's All in the Feet - The life of a soldier is hard. You live, you fight, you die and are reborn. Now what would happen if a simple step in that endless waltz were to go, shall we say, awry?
5. The Night Walkers - What would it be like to live in an endless night, to be cast to stone at every daybreak? What would it be like to find a statue of stone and bring it home only to find a woman instead?
I must digress a word of warning though. My writing style has changed a lot since most of this has been written. Don't worry though, I have been told that these are still highly enjoyable.
Disclaimer:
However pointless I feel this to be, I must clearly state that I am not the owner of the Sailor Moon series or any of its characters. I am not the lucky fan fiction writer that Naoko-sama appointed to write companion novels to her television series and therefore I must write my own. No benefit will come from suing me for I am only an Art Major college student and therefore have no money to benefit from.
Gomen ne lawyers; I have nothing for you. (If you could see into my head right now, I am blowing an imaginary raspberry at the lawyers.)