*Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Naoko Takeuchi
and a myriad of other associates.
Let Me Fall
Chapter 1
By: The Rose Society
Rating: R
Email: EtrlSlrMn@aol.com
http://www.wishing-blue.net/kii/
The sky had just completed the transition from twilight
to evening, the bleeding crimson hues already gone, leaving
only a faded violet. As the cool air flowed into the city of
Tokyo, people wandered about the lively city. Neon signs
painted a riot of colors across flesh-colored faces, rendering
the human figures into madly painted puppets, spinning around
jerkily on their strings. There was a tragic beauty in the
scene, these people moving about, sensing nothing about their
impending doom, like ants, right before a petulant child shakes
the ant farm.
None of this registered in Mamoru's mind as he exited
his apartment building, shoving some of the mindless puppets
aside. All he knew, all he felt, was that he was in a race with
time. He had to reach her, before...
***
With the cover of darkness, Eternal Sailor Moon
surveyed the battle scene with her piercing azure gaze. Against
the shadow creature, a creature that Chaos had created from cast
off atoms in the universe, the senshi's powers were making some
headway. Compared to the other creatures they had faced, this
particular shadow creature was much stronger than any of them,
but it was nothing that they couldn't handle together. Moon
watched with a wistful bitterness; she never wanted to see the
senshi called to duty once more, but there was nothing she could
do about it. She watched as her comrades, unchanged by the
passing millenniums, wielded their powers with an ease that was
never present in the peaceful Silver Millennium era. The earth
beneath her feet trembled as Uranus' World Shaking flew by, to
try to knock the creature off its feet from below, as the
combined water forces of Mercury and Neptune slammed into the
creature from above. Despite the long separation, the senshi
were working as a team, seemingly knowing where the others would
be without verbal communication. A faint and bitter smile
touched Sailor Moon's lips; she could feel he approaching, the
desperation in his heart felt almost her own. Even though he
broke her spell, she knew that he wouldn't make it in time. After
all, time had always been their enemy...
"NOW," Moon screamed, her staff pointed dangerously
at the shadow creature as she jumped into the melee.
***
Drawing upon his rarely used connection with the Earth,
Chiba Mamoru, formerly Prince Endymion of Earth, tried to teleport,
a skill he had never properly learned. As raw golden power
enveloped him, even as he continued to run in the darkness of night,
he willed with all the power of his mind. In an explosion of light, the
golden power dispersed from his body like the shower of a sparkler,
but Mamoru found himself still in Tokyo. Barely acknowledging his
failed attempt, he rallied his power once again; it had to work, he had
to MAKE it work. Or else, all was lost.
His chest heaving, lungs burning with the lack of air,
Mamoru pulled his power to his body once more. He knew not how
many times he had already tried to teleport, but he knew he would
keep going until he succeeded or he died. Gathering all his will, he
threw behind it all his emotions, the fear and terror that clawed at his
stomach, the pain and loneliness of the last few years, and the lost
love that even now, beckoned him to the skies. "USAGI!" Mamoru
screamed, right before the Earth trembled and bowed to the will of its
master, and sent Mamoru hurtling towards the moon.
When he landed on his feet with a thud, he looked around
for a moment, disoriented. The gray barren landscape he had
expected was not there; instead, the moon seemed like a pre-modern
version of Earth. A lush green expanse lay underneath his feet, and he
could see trees and flowers were plentiful. But after the initial shock, he
ignored all the beauty of new life before him and tried to figure out
where SHE would be. As his cerulean eyes scanned the distance, the
sudden sound of explosions, from senshi's use of their powers, made
itself known. Without a thought, he began taking off towards the sounds
and lights, praying that he would make it in time. The meadow that he
landed in soon gave way to forest, within which, he felt, was the battle.
Not bothering to slow down, healthy young branches covered in
leaves began slapping his face as he shoved his way through. Over
a fallen log, he jumped, after which he ducked the low hanging branch
of another tree. Using his instincts, he dodged obstacle after obstacle,
his body taut with tension. Would he be in time?
***
Sailor Moon frowned. Curse the man, he was nearing before
her task was done. Even as the power transfer with the senshi continued,
she looked into the eyes of Uranus and Neptune, her two most trusted
lieutenants, of sorts. Even though all her senshi were near and dear to
her, Sailor Moon knew that Uranus and Neptune were the best to handle
the task she had assigned. When they both turned their gazes to hers,
Sailor Moon imperceptibly nodded. Understanding dawned in their
eyes and they nodded in acknowledgement. Relief flowed into her mind
even as power slowly transformed her body. Everything was now seen
to. All that was left was the finale.
***
In an incredible explosion of power, rays of color shot from
the nexus of the forest. Even though Mamoru could feel the power rush
through him and see the light passing by, not a single leaf or branch was
disturbed by the awesome phenomenon; only pure power could be felt
by those in tune with it. Something had changed. He couldn't explain it,
but he FELT it. His heart cried out even as he increased his pace in the
unknown territory. As he neared the radiant white light amongst the
trees, he could make out the faint outline of the person he sought most:
Eternal Sailor Moon.
Amazing, what a mind could register in the space of a
moment. What occurred in the objective measurement of a
nanosecond, the mind could break down into an eternity of memory.
Even as he neared, not thirty feet away from Sailor Moon, he felt two
pairs of arms gripped his own. Like steel, there was no give in the
grasps that held him. His eyes never leaving the sight of the beatific
sight before him, his feet struggled without conscious thought from his
mind, kicking wildly in order to get himself free. But it was to no avail. As
he twisted furiously within the grasp of Neptune and Uranus, he could
see that Eternal Sailor Moon's senshi uniform was not the same. She
was garbed in angelic white from head to toe, with set of transparent
gossamer wings on her back. Her staff had changed to a simpler
design, with a crystal star at the crown. Even as he struggled, he could
hear Saturn's whispered, "Sailor Cosmos," her voice filled with awe.
The woman he sought continued to stand in that brilliant white nexus,
her now silver hair floating softly on waves of power. Her slim hand
was wrapped about her staff, the crystal ornament pulsating in beat
with her heartbeat. Her eyes were closed, their expressive sapphire
color hidden from him.
Mamoru's eyes never left Cosmos' face, even as he
continued to struggle, all the while yelling obscenities at Uranus and
Neptune, who continued to keep him prisoner. In the now timeless
environment, he saw Cosmos' eyes opening, slowly, quickly, he knew
not. All he knew that there was an abyss between them, a gap he had
to bridge in the next few moments, or all would be lost. But when
Cosmos turned her gaze upon him, his mind froze. The azure he had
become so enchanted with had changed. Darkened to an indigo, they
held no expression, no glimpse of the soul behind them. 'What
happened to you?' he thought.
'I am Serenity. I am Cosmos. I am Power.' Her voice echoed
throughout the area, even though her lips did not move. The Inner
senshi stared at their soulless princess in horror, even as Uranus and
Neptune continued to hold Mamoru back.
A roar of triumph echoed throughout the battlegrounds, as
the shadowy, menacing form of Chaos, which Mamoru had not noticed
until now, engulfed Cosmos.
Instantly, the white light disappeared, leaving eight senshi
and one man in the darkness of the Moon forest. Shouts of dismay
filled the forest as the senshi moved to defend their princess from
Chaos. But before they could take a step, the darkness disappeared,
again revealing the dazzling light that emanated from Cosmos.
As the form before open her mouth to speak, dread began
to prickle down Mamoru¡¦s spine. "FOOLS! Chaos will prevail. I now
have control of the most powerful body in the--" spoke the
Cosmos-like figure. However, breaking through the now monstrous
voice emanating from the figure were the soft tones of Cosmos.
'NOW!' came the non-physical command.
As he felt his mouth opening to scream her name, he felt
time screaming to halt around him. Some of the inner senshi were
looking at Pluto, to see if she had done something, but she shook her
head and continued to gaze at Cosmos in silent contemplation. Her
white gloved hand gripped her Time Staff tightly, flexing and relaxing.
She might have given the command, but the power for the Time Stop
had been from Cosmos, or, more accurately, Chaos' body.
Cosmos' red pupils flared in anger. She began to struggle
against the sudden stopping of time, black power whirling about the
white body in an attempt to break one of the greatest and most taboo
powers of the descendants of Pluto. Slowly, in the corner of his vision,
Mamoru could see Saturn running towards Cosmos, her glaive held in
front of her, in the manner of a spear. Even as realization dawned on
Mamoru, the beautiful silvery glaive went deep into the sphere of the
Time Stop and buried itself into the pristine white midsection of Cosmos.
In a instant, a warm crimson spray flew across the field, spots appearing
on the faces of the bystanders, including Mamoru. With a sideways
motion, Saturn rent her glaive loose, causing another scarlet fountain to
erupt and pour, and she fell back, beyond the circle of the Time Stop.
Letting loose an incredible roar of rage and pain, Chaos'
power grew darker still and whirled even more rapidly around her form.
Slowly, the garnet limits of the Time Stop blinked, their power trying
desperately to keep Chaos within its grasp. But it was clear that they
were going to break at any moment and Chaos was still very much alive.
'It is time for the end, Chaos,' came the faint ethereal tones of
Cosmos, over the roar the winds of Power and bellows of Chaos.
Cosmos' power flared, the bright light increasing in intensity, so that even
the senshi and Mamoru had to shield their eyes. In an overwhelming
explosion of noise and light, not unlike an atomic neutron bomb, but
infinitely more powerful, the power of Cosmos, a power that was
unimaginable, slowly illuminated the darkness of Chaos, consuming it. In
an eternity, or a heartbeat, the light disappeared.
As Mamoru blinked without sight, the light having seared a
multi-colored memory into his retinas, he could hear the voice of the
senshi, yelling in confusion. Panic filled him as the confining hands
dropped away. He could feel blood rushing back forcefully into his arms,
their usual flow dammed up by the grips of the two senshi. Blindly, he fell to
his hands and knees and began patting the forest floor before him, moving
in the general direction of where he last saw Usagi. His eyes were trying
to adapt to the sudden dim lighting from the far-off sun broke through the
tops of the Moon trees. Bit by bit, the forest floor was revealed to him.
When his hands made contact with a solid and warm mass, he scooped
the body into his lap, his eyes roving over the form he could feel, but not
yet see. His hands traveled from face to arms, his mind unbelieving that
she was finally in his arms. And safe, she was finally safe. And he was
finally with her, where he belonged. His heart sang with joy, as his mouth
mumbled endearments against her forehead. The warmth of her skin
comforted him. He would no doubt soon look into her beautiful jewel-like
eyes and feel the softness of her cheek against the roughness of his own.
"It's over, you won." Mamoru continued his litany. Shade by
shade, his eyes recovered their sight. The sight that greeted him made
him want to remain blinded: the body of Usagi in his lap, still and lifeless.
From the depths of his soul, his tormented scream rang throughout the
small satellite, the agony and sorrow forever ringing in the ears of the
only eight witnesses.
Author Notes:
This is a preliminary version of the chapter, subject to change.
Just wanted to see if anyone would be interested in reading it.
Until next time...
~The moonlight carries the message of love.~
~Tsuki no hikari wa ai no message.~
and a myriad of other associates.
Let Me Fall
Chapter 1
By: The Rose Society
Rating: R
Email: EtrlSlrMn@aol.com
http://www.wishing-blue.net/kii/
The sky had just completed the transition from twilight
to evening, the bleeding crimson hues already gone, leaving
only a faded violet. As the cool air flowed into the city of
Tokyo, people wandered about the lively city. Neon signs
painted a riot of colors across flesh-colored faces, rendering
the human figures into madly painted puppets, spinning around
jerkily on their strings. There was a tragic beauty in the
scene, these people moving about, sensing nothing about their
impending doom, like ants, right before a petulant child shakes
the ant farm.
None of this registered in Mamoru's mind as he exited
his apartment building, shoving some of the mindless puppets
aside. All he knew, all he felt, was that he was in a race with
time. He had to reach her, before...
***
With the cover of darkness, Eternal Sailor Moon
surveyed the battle scene with her piercing azure gaze. Against
the shadow creature, a creature that Chaos had created from cast
off atoms in the universe, the senshi's powers were making some
headway. Compared to the other creatures they had faced, this
particular shadow creature was much stronger than any of them,
but it was nothing that they couldn't handle together. Moon
watched with a wistful bitterness; she never wanted to see the
senshi called to duty once more, but there was nothing she could
do about it. She watched as her comrades, unchanged by the
passing millenniums, wielded their powers with an ease that was
never present in the peaceful Silver Millennium era. The earth
beneath her feet trembled as Uranus' World Shaking flew by, to
try to knock the creature off its feet from below, as the
combined water forces of Mercury and Neptune slammed into the
creature from above. Despite the long separation, the senshi
were working as a team, seemingly knowing where the others would
be without verbal communication. A faint and bitter smile
touched Sailor Moon's lips; she could feel he approaching, the
desperation in his heart felt almost her own. Even though he
broke her spell, she knew that he wouldn't make it in time. After
all, time had always been their enemy...
"NOW," Moon screamed, her staff pointed dangerously
at the shadow creature as she jumped into the melee.
***
Drawing upon his rarely used connection with the Earth,
Chiba Mamoru, formerly Prince Endymion of Earth, tried to teleport,
a skill he had never properly learned. As raw golden power
enveloped him, even as he continued to run in the darkness of night,
he willed with all the power of his mind. In an explosion of light, the
golden power dispersed from his body like the shower of a sparkler,
but Mamoru found himself still in Tokyo. Barely acknowledging his
failed attempt, he rallied his power once again; it had to work, he had
to MAKE it work. Or else, all was lost.
His chest heaving, lungs burning with the lack of air,
Mamoru pulled his power to his body once more. He knew not how
many times he had already tried to teleport, but he knew he would
keep going until he succeeded or he died. Gathering all his will, he
threw behind it all his emotions, the fear and terror that clawed at his
stomach, the pain and loneliness of the last few years, and the lost
love that even now, beckoned him to the skies. "USAGI!" Mamoru
screamed, right before the Earth trembled and bowed to the will of its
master, and sent Mamoru hurtling towards the moon.
When he landed on his feet with a thud, he looked around
for a moment, disoriented. The gray barren landscape he had
expected was not there; instead, the moon seemed like a pre-modern
version of Earth. A lush green expanse lay underneath his feet, and he
could see trees and flowers were plentiful. But after the initial shock, he
ignored all the beauty of new life before him and tried to figure out
where SHE would be. As his cerulean eyes scanned the distance, the
sudden sound of explosions, from senshi's use of their powers, made
itself known. Without a thought, he began taking off towards the sounds
and lights, praying that he would make it in time. The meadow that he
landed in soon gave way to forest, within which, he felt, was the battle.
Not bothering to slow down, healthy young branches covered in
leaves began slapping his face as he shoved his way through. Over
a fallen log, he jumped, after which he ducked the low hanging branch
of another tree. Using his instincts, he dodged obstacle after obstacle,
his body taut with tension. Would he be in time?
***
Sailor Moon frowned. Curse the man, he was nearing before
her task was done. Even as the power transfer with the senshi continued,
she looked into the eyes of Uranus and Neptune, her two most trusted
lieutenants, of sorts. Even though all her senshi were near and dear to
her, Sailor Moon knew that Uranus and Neptune were the best to handle
the task she had assigned. When they both turned their gazes to hers,
Sailor Moon imperceptibly nodded. Understanding dawned in their
eyes and they nodded in acknowledgement. Relief flowed into her mind
even as power slowly transformed her body. Everything was now seen
to. All that was left was the finale.
***
In an incredible explosion of power, rays of color shot from
the nexus of the forest. Even though Mamoru could feel the power rush
through him and see the light passing by, not a single leaf or branch was
disturbed by the awesome phenomenon; only pure power could be felt
by those in tune with it. Something had changed. He couldn't explain it,
but he FELT it. His heart cried out even as he increased his pace in the
unknown territory. As he neared the radiant white light amongst the
trees, he could make out the faint outline of the person he sought most:
Eternal Sailor Moon.
Amazing, what a mind could register in the space of a
moment. What occurred in the objective measurement of a
nanosecond, the mind could break down into an eternity of memory.
Even as he neared, not thirty feet away from Sailor Moon, he felt two
pairs of arms gripped his own. Like steel, there was no give in the
grasps that held him. His eyes never leaving the sight of the beatific
sight before him, his feet struggled without conscious thought from his
mind, kicking wildly in order to get himself free. But it was to no avail. As
he twisted furiously within the grasp of Neptune and Uranus, he could
see that Eternal Sailor Moon's senshi uniform was not the same. She
was garbed in angelic white from head to toe, with set of transparent
gossamer wings on her back. Her staff had changed to a simpler
design, with a crystal star at the crown. Even as he struggled, he could
hear Saturn's whispered, "Sailor Cosmos," her voice filled with awe.
The woman he sought continued to stand in that brilliant white nexus,
her now silver hair floating softly on waves of power. Her slim hand
was wrapped about her staff, the crystal ornament pulsating in beat
with her heartbeat. Her eyes were closed, their expressive sapphire
color hidden from him.
Mamoru's eyes never left Cosmos' face, even as he
continued to struggle, all the while yelling obscenities at Uranus and
Neptune, who continued to keep him prisoner. In the now timeless
environment, he saw Cosmos' eyes opening, slowly, quickly, he knew
not. All he knew that there was an abyss between them, a gap he had
to bridge in the next few moments, or all would be lost. But when
Cosmos turned her gaze upon him, his mind froze. The azure he had
become so enchanted with had changed. Darkened to an indigo, they
held no expression, no glimpse of the soul behind them. 'What
happened to you?' he thought.
'I am Serenity. I am Cosmos. I am Power.' Her voice echoed
throughout the area, even though her lips did not move. The Inner
senshi stared at their soulless princess in horror, even as Uranus and
Neptune continued to hold Mamoru back.
A roar of triumph echoed throughout the battlegrounds, as
the shadowy, menacing form of Chaos, which Mamoru had not noticed
until now, engulfed Cosmos.
Instantly, the white light disappeared, leaving eight senshi
and one man in the darkness of the Moon forest. Shouts of dismay
filled the forest as the senshi moved to defend their princess from
Chaos. But before they could take a step, the darkness disappeared,
again revealing the dazzling light that emanated from Cosmos.
As the form before open her mouth to speak, dread began
to prickle down Mamoru¡¦s spine. "FOOLS! Chaos will prevail. I now
have control of the most powerful body in the--" spoke the
Cosmos-like figure. However, breaking through the now monstrous
voice emanating from the figure were the soft tones of Cosmos.
'NOW!' came the non-physical command.
As he felt his mouth opening to scream her name, he felt
time screaming to halt around him. Some of the inner senshi were
looking at Pluto, to see if she had done something, but she shook her
head and continued to gaze at Cosmos in silent contemplation. Her
white gloved hand gripped her Time Staff tightly, flexing and relaxing.
She might have given the command, but the power for the Time Stop
had been from Cosmos, or, more accurately, Chaos' body.
Cosmos' red pupils flared in anger. She began to struggle
against the sudden stopping of time, black power whirling about the
white body in an attempt to break one of the greatest and most taboo
powers of the descendants of Pluto. Slowly, in the corner of his vision,
Mamoru could see Saturn running towards Cosmos, her glaive held in
front of her, in the manner of a spear. Even as realization dawned on
Mamoru, the beautiful silvery glaive went deep into the sphere of the
Time Stop and buried itself into the pristine white midsection of Cosmos.
In a instant, a warm crimson spray flew across the field, spots appearing
on the faces of the bystanders, including Mamoru. With a sideways
motion, Saturn rent her glaive loose, causing another scarlet fountain to
erupt and pour, and she fell back, beyond the circle of the Time Stop.
Letting loose an incredible roar of rage and pain, Chaos'
power grew darker still and whirled even more rapidly around her form.
Slowly, the garnet limits of the Time Stop blinked, their power trying
desperately to keep Chaos within its grasp. But it was clear that they
were going to break at any moment and Chaos was still very much alive.
'It is time for the end, Chaos,' came the faint ethereal tones of
Cosmos, over the roar the winds of Power and bellows of Chaos.
Cosmos' power flared, the bright light increasing in intensity, so that even
the senshi and Mamoru had to shield their eyes. In an overwhelming
explosion of noise and light, not unlike an atomic neutron bomb, but
infinitely more powerful, the power of Cosmos, a power that was
unimaginable, slowly illuminated the darkness of Chaos, consuming it. In
an eternity, or a heartbeat, the light disappeared.
As Mamoru blinked without sight, the light having seared a
multi-colored memory into his retinas, he could hear the voice of the
senshi, yelling in confusion. Panic filled him as the confining hands
dropped away. He could feel blood rushing back forcefully into his arms,
their usual flow dammed up by the grips of the two senshi. Blindly, he fell to
his hands and knees and began patting the forest floor before him, moving
in the general direction of where he last saw Usagi. His eyes were trying
to adapt to the sudden dim lighting from the far-off sun broke through the
tops of the Moon trees. Bit by bit, the forest floor was revealed to him.
When his hands made contact with a solid and warm mass, he scooped
the body into his lap, his eyes roving over the form he could feel, but not
yet see. His hands traveled from face to arms, his mind unbelieving that
she was finally in his arms. And safe, she was finally safe. And he was
finally with her, where he belonged. His heart sang with joy, as his mouth
mumbled endearments against her forehead. The warmth of her skin
comforted him. He would no doubt soon look into her beautiful jewel-like
eyes and feel the softness of her cheek against the roughness of his own.
"It's over, you won." Mamoru continued his litany. Shade by
shade, his eyes recovered their sight. The sight that greeted him made
him want to remain blinded: the body of Usagi in his lap, still and lifeless.
From the depths of his soul, his tormented scream rang throughout the
small satellite, the agony and sorrow forever ringing in the ears of the
only eight witnesses.
Author Notes:
This is a preliminary version of the chapter, subject to change.
Just wanted to see if anyone would be interested in reading it.
Until next time...
~The moonlight carries the message of love.~
~Tsuki no hikari wa ai no message.~