RIVALS.
This story is set in Stars episode 193, and chronicles Sailor Leadcrow's point of view. Contains spoilers for episodes 193 and 187, with a few scenes I invented by myself.
"Sailor Sirius" and "Sailor Coronis" were invented by some other fanfic writer, whose name I can't remember right at this point. Gomen.
Anything written in square brackets [like this] are thoughts.
Rated [PG].
***********************************
Walking into the office that used to be Siren's, I fumble for the light switch, then stop.
It's more appropriate this way. She was deemed unworthy of Galaxia's energy, her resources; from the bracelets keeping her alive down to even the electricity in her personal office. Almost everything about her that was in the joint work room has already been destroyed by Tin Nyanko, and I would not go scrambling around in the rubbish for Siren's things. What good would that do her now? None. And it would only bring my own status into question in Galaxia's eyes, at a time when Nyanko is doing her best to undermine me. Coming after me and ruining my attack on Sailor Moon, tying me up and stealing my target right from under my very nose!
All that remains of her life now is in here. I allow only one small lamp to remain alight. It is enough to see by.
My eye is caught by a photo in a simple pink frame.
"She still kept this picture? How nice of her."
It is of us, in a park. I remember the day it was taken -- we were looking for a target when Siren spotted some human taking photographs for money. Quick as a flash, Siren had dragged me over there and was digging in her purse for some money, despite my protests and hisses in her ear to remember her duty. "This will only take a moment, Karasuma-san. Galaxia can hardly object if it takes a mere minute, ne?"
And I gave in. I always did. One is not supposed to give in to one's rivals, but I gave in to her. She was my student as well, and students are still learning, and deserve some leeway.
At least, that is what I told myself.
I pick up the picture and study it. Siren was in the centre of the picture, wearing that light blue suit of hers, smiling and making some sort of child's sign with two fingers spread in a "V" shape. She never did grow up. Her sunglasses were pulled impishly down her nose, and she had her arm slung around my shoulders, pulling me further into the picture. I was, if not frowning outright, clearly not pleased with the situation, though I had conceded to Siren's pleas to take my sunglasses off "so the photo gets your eyes, Karasuma, please?"
I can't help but feel saddened by that, now. "If I'd known this was the last time... I would have smiled a bit."
Siren had claimed to have found the real Star Seed. Had she? She'd obviously thought she had... but had she been right?
"Please wait for me, Siren. I will find the real Star Seed!"
Carefully placing the picture back down on the desk, I open the top drawer. Perhaps somewhere here remains a clue to who Siren thought was the holder of the true Star Seed. I've tried checking things she likes -- liked, such as amusement parks, and I've tried everything else I can think of. Perhaps I should have gone to the source sooner...
But then, I never took her seriously. Perhaps I should have.
Picking up one of the books I find stashed away in the drawer, I stare at it, puzzled. "What's this?"
The title says "Siren's Secrets -- Don't Look!" It must be a diary. Another of her childish habits that she never stopped. She always kept one of those since before either of us entered senshi training, back when we started being rivals...
***********************************
"What's that you're doing, Sirius?" A visit to Sirius' homeworld was a treat, and I was in a reletively good mood. Even at the tender age of twelve, I was already a serious, intense little thing -- Mother always thought I never played enough. I didn't need to play. But she insisted on sending me to Sirius to 'learn how to have fun with girls my own age'. That usually annoyed me, since Sirius was only eight, but somehow she always managed to talk me into playing some silly game that left me laughing. But today she looked upset and tense.
"Nothing!" She turned away and tried to hide the little book in her arms, but she forgot about the pencil still dangling in her hand.
"You're writing something. I hope it's some study on how to become a senshi. You're going to get your powers at your next birthday, you know, like I did. From then on, you'll be Sailor Sirius, and you'll have to act like a sailor."
"No. It's my diary," she says defiantly, crossly brushing her pretty blue hair out of her face. Part of me would like to touch that hair, so differently coloured from my own, just to see if it's as soft as it looks, but first I need to set her straight on something.
"A diary? What do you want with something so useless? It won't help you do anything! It won't help you attack or defend or henshin! Why are you wasting your time with it? It won't help you do anything!"
"It'll help me remember." And I was startled to see a tear splash down on the cover of the little booklet.
"Remember? Remember what? What are you talking about?"
"It'll help me remember what it was like when we were friends."
"What?" Now I was truly confused. "What nonsense are you talking?"
And much to my astonishment and dismay, I saw Sirius break down and start to bawl her eyes out.
I didn't know what to do in this kind of situation. I had no idea what she was crying for. Awkwardly, I sat down beside her and slung my arm around her. I patted her head, noticing that her hair was indeed very soft to the touch. She turned and cried and sniffled into my shoulder. I winced. Oh, yuck, not on my dress! But now she was talking again.
"When I... become (snif) Sailor Sirius, we won't be able to see each other again. And you're the best friend I ever had."
I was taken aback. "Who told you that? There's nothing that says we can't go on seeing each other -- in fact, we have to. Didn't you know I'm going to be your teacher?"
"Really?"
"Yes. Didn't you know?"
Sirius shook her head no.
"Well, now you do. Stop the silly crying and everything. I don't want my rival to be a crybaby."
"What's a rival?"
"It's... someone you compete with, but it's friendly. Okay?"
"So I can still be your best friend?" Sirius clapped her hands in excitement.
[I wouldn't go that far.] "Umm..."
"Now we'll always be together, right?"
"Well..."
But she was no longer listening. "Yay!" she called out as she jumped up. "I'm happy now. Let's go play hide and seek!" And grabbing my hand, she hauled me to my feet and took off at a run, me in tow.
I rolled my eyes. [I hope she tames that craziness when she becomes a senshi...]
***********************************
But she never did. She never stopped keeping a diary, either. That first diary was only the start of it, and she was still writing in her diary many years later, when we were both grown and Galaxia... Galaxia came and --
***********************************
"AAHH!"
"Sailor Sirius!" I yelled, unheeding as to the screams of the others around me. Sirius had just been hit with one of Galaxia's blasts, and was screaming a blood-curdling scream. I knew that scream, had heard it too many times already not to know what it was.
Her starseed was being taken.
I watched helplessly as my student, my rival, my... best friend... dropped to the ground, her starseed floating above her forehead. I turned my fiercest blast on Galaxia; all for naught. She just laughed.
"It seems that you are not the fine teacher you flatter yourself to be, Sailor Coronis." That hateful voice was laughing -- laughing at me, at poor Sirius! "Your prize pupil has failed against my might. Now she will die."
As I watched, Sirius' body slowly became translucent, begin to fade away.
Filled with roiling emotions I can't begin to describe, even now, I balled my fists and began to summon all my energy for one last attack. When that voice spoke again.
"But there is a way she can live."
"What?" I halt mid-blast and power down. If there's a way...
"She can accept my energy bracelets and live as my servant."
"Never!" The words spilled out of my mouth before I consciously knew what she was saying. "Sirius shall never bow to you!"
Galaxia shrugged. "Then she shall perish. It makes no difference to me."
"Coronis..."
I look into her face, pale, fading, terrifed. "Please, I'm scared... I don't want to die, but if I take the bracelets I'll have to fight you and be alone... I don't know what to do... I'm scared to be alone!"
['Now we'll always be together, right?']
She doesn't know what to do. But I do.
Turning to Galaxia, I see her raise a mocking eyebrow.
"She accepts your terms." I hear a frightened gasp from Sirius. "WE... accept your terms." And I hold out my arms, baring my chest for the removal of the most vital part of me.
"Give Sirius your bracelets first."
Smirking, Galaxia nods, as if all this death and mutilation and the destruction of two souls matters not at all. Almost boredly, she fires beams of golden energy to Sirius' wrists, who gasps and becomes solid again. But she stays kneeling on the floor, bowing to her new mistress, soon to be mine. Galaxia turns to me, looking me straight in the eye. I look back, refusing to flinch.
*CRASH*
Having your starseed taken is like nothing else I have ever experienced in this world. It's so horrible I can't describe it. In any case, soon the golden shackles were firmly on my wrists, and I felt my mind being altered, my mission to protect the safety of innocents changed to attacking and killing.
Where Sailor Sirius and Sailor Coronis once were, now there was only Sailor Aluminium Siren and Sailor Lead Crow.
And Siren looked over to me and smiled, mouthing, "Thank you."
And I never regretted it since.
***********************************
Pushing the unhelpful memories away, I open the most recent diary to the bookmarked page. My eyes widen in astonishment as I read Siren's flourished handwriting.
"Today, I found the real Star Seed! Yes, I did! It was when Crow-san; wrong, sorry, Karasuma-san was trying to get it. She found another blank, but I saw a girl with long blonde hair pulled back in two long tails, each topped by a very odd style, dodge around a corner. You know, at the sound of the starseed retrival. I didn't think anything of it, until I saw that girl pull out a transformation brooch and henshin into Sailor Moon!
"Her henshin was so bright -- I'm sure she holds a true Star Seed! I'll get it from her, and bring it back all by myself! Galaxia will be pleased, and Karasuma-san will be so proud of me! I can't wait!
"It wasn't so hard to track her down. Go into my human disguise, ask a few questions from some students, have a nice little chat while I'm at it... Mmm, one even shared his lunch with me, how nice! I've got a trap that just can't fail. We'll take the true Star Seed off of you... Tsukino Usagi of Juuban High School."
[This is it. This is the information I need, the information Siren died for...]
************************
Galaxia-sama is in her throne room, as always, discussing something with Tin Nyanko. The upstart is frightened; she seems to have upset Galaxia in some way. No matter to me.
"Let me handle it!"
My quest is over.
"I have finally found the host of the real Star Seed!" I proclaim, firmly. [Siren would have wanted it to be a dramatic pronouncement... I hope this suits, Siren...]
"Don't tell us lies!" yelps the foolish little kitten, only to be silenced by a forceful exclamation from Galaxia. She lowers her head in defeat with a frustrated mewl; something I take pleasure in seeing.
[She laughed at Siren's passing...]
"Do you swear by that?" demands my Golden Queen. That hated voice that belongs to she who stripped away my starseed, my liberty, my precious rival... and still demands more.
And I bow to that authority.
"I swear on my life."
Galaxia's regal eyes narrow, bear down on me -- I refuse to bend under the weight of the scrutiny. "I won't tolerate failure!"
Oh, well I know it. Did Siren and I not watch from the shadows, unable to hide our amusement, as that pathetic Iron Mouse was given her last chance and warned of it? Did I not see and feel Siren disappear into nothingness from within my very arms?
But I bow, acknowledging the order. "Hai."
I will fulfil the demand for the real Star Seed, present it grandly to Galaxia's throne, as Siren would have wanted. And then...
And then...
*****************************
I stride down the corridor, heading staight toward my goal. No delays. Siren may have loved the dramatic flair in her daily life, but I prefer the direct way. I pass that despised figure lounging against the wall. I don't bother to stop.
"Wait! You look confident, don't you?" A nasal, smarmy, smart-alec voice that thinks it knows more than its youth warrants. She thinks she is my equal. She needs to be put in her place.
"You and I are different." Keeping my voice level is easier than I expected. Perhaps because despite her interference in my past endevours, the simple truth about her is becoming clear to me now.
"What do you mean?" Anger in the tone. That shook her out of her arrogance, all right.
"You can't understand." And for a moment, I feel sorry for her.
"What?!"
"Because you don't have one..."
I know nothing of her past, but she obviously entered Galaxia's services alone. She works under Galaxia alone, as I will never willingly work together with her. And if she ever fails Galaxia, she will leave those services and die alone.
"...someone called a rival."
"What are you talking about?" No, she doesn't understand, and never will.
"As I said, you can't understand. Goodbye."
And I walk away.
THE END.
This story is set in Stars episode 193, and chronicles Sailor Leadcrow's point of view. Contains spoilers for episodes 193 and 187, with a few scenes I invented by myself.
"Sailor Sirius" and "Sailor Coronis" were invented by some other fanfic writer, whose name I can't remember right at this point. Gomen.
Anything written in square brackets [like this] are thoughts.
Rated [PG].
***********************************
Walking into the office that used to be Siren's, I fumble for the light switch, then stop.
It's more appropriate this way. She was deemed unworthy of Galaxia's energy, her resources; from the bracelets keeping her alive down to even the electricity in her personal office. Almost everything about her that was in the joint work room has already been destroyed by Tin Nyanko, and I would not go scrambling around in the rubbish for Siren's things. What good would that do her now? None. And it would only bring my own status into question in Galaxia's eyes, at a time when Nyanko is doing her best to undermine me. Coming after me and ruining my attack on Sailor Moon, tying me up and stealing my target right from under my very nose!
All that remains of her life now is in here. I allow only one small lamp to remain alight. It is enough to see by.
My eye is caught by a photo in a simple pink frame.
"She still kept this picture? How nice of her."
It is of us, in a park. I remember the day it was taken -- we were looking for a target when Siren spotted some human taking photographs for money. Quick as a flash, Siren had dragged me over there and was digging in her purse for some money, despite my protests and hisses in her ear to remember her duty. "This will only take a moment, Karasuma-san. Galaxia can hardly object if it takes a mere minute, ne?"
And I gave in. I always did. One is not supposed to give in to one's rivals, but I gave in to her. She was my student as well, and students are still learning, and deserve some leeway.
At least, that is what I told myself.
I pick up the picture and study it. Siren was in the centre of the picture, wearing that light blue suit of hers, smiling and making some sort of child's sign with two fingers spread in a "V" shape. She never did grow up. Her sunglasses were pulled impishly down her nose, and she had her arm slung around my shoulders, pulling me further into the picture. I was, if not frowning outright, clearly not pleased with the situation, though I had conceded to Siren's pleas to take my sunglasses off "so the photo gets your eyes, Karasuma, please?"
I can't help but feel saddened by that, now. "If I'd known this was the last time... I would have smiled a bit."
Siren had claimed to have found the real Star Seed. Had she? She'd obviously thought she had... but had she been right?
"Please wait for me, Siren. I will find the real Star Seed!"
Carefully placing the picture back down on the desk, I open the top drawer. Perhaps somewhere here remains a clue to who Siren thought was the holder of the true Star Seed. I've tried checking things she likes -- liked, such as amusement parks, and I've tried everything else I can think of. Perhaps I should have gone to the source sooner...
But then, I never took her seriously. Perhaps I should have.
Picking up one of the books I find stashed away in the drawer, I stare at it, puzzled. "What's this?"
The title says "Siren's Secrets -- Don't Look!" It must be a diary. Another of her childish habits that she never stopped. She always kept one of those since before either of us entered senshi training, back when we started being rivals...
***********************************
"What's that you're doing, Sirius?" A visit to Sirius' homeworld was a treat, and I was in a reletively good mood. Even at the tender age of twelve, I was already a serious, intense little thing -- Mother always thought I never played enough. I didn't need to play. But she insisted on sending me to Sirius to 'learn how to have fun with girls my own age'. That usually annoyed me, since Sirius was only eight, but somehow she always managed to talk me into playing some silly game that left me laughing. But today she looked upset and tense.
"Nothing!" She turned away and tried to hide the little book in her arms, but she forgot about the pencil still dangling in her hand.
"You're writing something. I hope it's some study on how to become a senshi. You're going to get your powers at your next birthday, you know, like I did. From then on, you'll be Sailor Sirius, and you'll have to act like a sailor."
"No. It's my diary," she says defiantly, crossly brushing her pretty blue hair out of her face. Part of me would like to touch that hair, so differently coloured from my own, just to see if it's as soft as it looks, but first I need to set her straight on something.
"A diary? What do you want with something so useless? It won't help you do anything! It won't help you attack or defend or henshin! Why are you wasting your time with it? It won't help you do anything!"
"It'll help me remember." And I was startled to see a tear splash down on the cover of the little booklet.
"Remember? Remember what? What are you talking about?"
"It'll help me remember what it was like when we were friends."
"What?" Now I was truly confused. "What nonsense are you talking?"
And much to my astonishment and dismay, I saw Sirius break down and start to bawl her eyes out.
I didn't know what to do in this kind of situation. I had no idea what she was crying for. Awkwardly, I sat down beside her and slung my arm around her. I patted her head, noticing that her hair was indeed very soft to the touch. She turned and cried and sniffled into my shoulder. I winced. Oh, yuck, not on my dress! But now she was talking again.
"When I... become (snif) Sailor Sirius, we won't be able to see each other again. And you're the best friend I ever had."
I was taken aback. "Who told you that? There's nothing that says we can't go on seeing each other -- in fact, we have to. Didn't you know I'm going to be your teacher?"
"Really?"
"Yes. Didn't you know?"
Sirius shook her head no.
"Well, now you do. Stop the silly crying and everything. I don't want my rival to be a crybaby."
"What's a rival?"
"It's... someone you compete with, but it's friendly. Okay?"
"So I can still be your best friend?" Sirius clapped her hands in excitement.
[I wouldn't go that far.] "Umm..."
"Now we'll always be together, right?"
"Well..."
But she was no longer listening. "Yay!" she called out as she jumped up. "I'm happy now. Let's go play hide and seek!" And grabbing my hand, she hauled me to my feet and took off at a run, me in tow.
I rolled my eyes. [I hope she tames that craziness when she becomes a senshi...]
***********************************
But she never did. She never stopped keeping a diary, either. That first diary was only the start of it, and she was still writing in her diary many years later, when we were both grown and Galaxia... Galaxia came and --
***********************************
"AAHH!"
"Sailor Sirius!" I yelled, unheeding as to the screams of the others around me. Sirius had just been hit with one of Galaxia's blasts, and was screaming a blood-curdling scream. I knew that scream, had heard it too many times already not to know what it was.
Her starseed was being taken.
I watched helplessly as my student, my rival, my... best friend... dropped to the ground, her starseed floating above her forehead. I turned my fiercest blast on Galaxia; all for naught. She just laughed.
"It seems that you are not the fine teacher you flatter yourself to be, Sailor Coronis." That hateful voice was laughing -- laughing at me, at poor Sirius! "Your prize pupil has failed against my might. Now she will die."
As I watched, Sirius' body slowly became translucent, begin to fade away.
Filled with roiling emotions I can't begin to describe, even now, I balled my fists and began to summon all my energy for one last attack. When that voice spoke again.
"But there is a way she can live."
"What?" I halt mid-blast and power down. If there's a way...
"She can accept my energy bracelets and live as my servant."
"Never!" The words spilled out of my mouth before I consciously knew what she was saying. "Sirius shall never bow to you!"
Galaxia shrugged. "Then she shall perish. It makes no difference to me."
"Coronis..."
I look into her face, pale, fading, terrifed. "Please, I'm scared... I don't want to die, but if I take the bracelets I'll have to fight you and be alone... I don't know what to do... I'm scared to be alone!"
['Now we'll always be together, right?']
She doesn't know what to do. But I do.
Turning to Galaxia, I see her raise a mocking eyebrow.
"She accepts your terms." I hear a frightened gasp from Sirius. "WE... accept your terms." And I hold out my arms, baring my chest for the removal of the most vital part of me.
"Give Sirius your bracelets first."
Smirking, Galaxia nods, as if all this death and mutilation and the destruction of two souls matters not at all. Almost boredly, she fires beams of golden energy to Sirius' wrists, who gasps and becomes solid again. But she stays kneeling on the floor, bowing to her new mistress, soon to be mine. Galaxia turns to me, looking me straight in the eye. I look back, refusing to flinch.
*CRASH*
Having your starseed taken is like nothing else I have ever experienced in this world. It's so horrible I can't describe it. In any case, soon the golden shackles were firmly on my wrists, and I felt my mind being altered, my mission to protect the safety of innocents changed to attacking and killing.
Where Sailor Sirius and Sailor Coronis once were, now there was only Sailor Aluminium Siren and Sailor Lead Crow.
And Siren looked over to me and smiled, mouthing, "Thank you."
And I never regretted it since.
***********************************
Pushing the unhelpful memories away, I open the most recent diary to the bookmarked page. My eyes widen in astonishment as I read Siren's flourished handwriting.
"Today, I found the real Star Seed! Yes, I did! It was when Crow-san; wrong, sorry, Karasuma-san was trying to get it. She found another blank, but I saw a girl with long blonde hair pulled back in two long tails, each topped by a very odd style, dodge around a corner. You know, at the sound of the starseed retrival. I didn't think anything of it, until I saw that girl pull out a transformation brooch and henshin into Sailor Moon!
"Her henshin was so bright -- I'm sure she holds a true Star Seed! I'll get it from her, and bring it back all by myself! Galaxia will be pleased, and Karasuma-san will be so proud of me! I can't wait!
"It wasn't so hard to track her down. Go into my human disguise, ask a few questions from some students, have a nice little chat while I'm at it... Mmm, one even shared his lunch with me, how nice! I've got a trap that just can't fail. We'll take the true Star Seed off of you... Tsukino Usagi of Juuban High School."
[This is it. This is the information I need, the information Siren died for...]
************************
Galaxia-sama is in her throne room, as always, discussing something with Tin Nyanko. The upstart is frightened; she seems to have upset Galaxia in some way. No matter to me.
"Let me handle it!"
My quest is over.
"I have finally found the host of the real Star Seed!" I proclaim, firmly. [Siren would have wanted it to be a dramatic pronouncement... I hope this suits, Siren...]
"Don't tell us lies!" yelps the foolish little kitten, only to be silenced by a forceful exclamation from Galaxia. She lowers her head in defeat with a frustrated mewl; something I take pleasure in seeing.
[She laughed at Siren's passing...]
"Do you swear by that?" demands my Golden Queen. That hated voice that belongs to she who stripped away my starseed, my liberty, my precious rival... and still demands more.
And I bow to that authority.
"I swear on my life."
Galaxia's regal eyes narrow, bear down on me -- I refuse to bend under the weight of the scrutiny. "I won't tolerate failure!"
Oh, well I know it. Did Siren and I not watch from the shadows, unable to hide our amusement, as that pathetic Iron Mouse was given her last chance and warned of it? Did I not see and feel Siren disappear into nothingness from within my very arms?
But I bow, acknowledging the order. "Hai."
I will fulfil the demand for the real Star Seed, present it grandly to Galaxia's throne, as Siren would have wanted. And then...
And then...
*****************************
I stride down the corridor, heading staight toward my goal. No delays. Siren may have loved the dramatic flair in her daily life, but I prefer the direct way. I pass that despised figure lounging against the wall. I don't bother to stop.
"Wait! You look confident, don't you?" A nasal, smarmy, smart-alec voice that thinks it knows more than its youth warrants. She thinks she is my equal. She needs to be put in her place.
"You and I are different." Keeping my voice level is easier than I expected. Perhaps because despite her interference in my past endevours, the simple truth about her is becoming clear to me now.
"What do you mean?" Anger in the tone. That shook her out of her arrogance, all right.
"You can't understand." And for a moment, I feel sorry for her.
"What?!"
"Because you don't have one..."
I know nothing of her past, but she obviously entered Galaxia's services alone. She works under Galaxia alone, as I will never willingly work together with her. And if she ever fails Galaxia, she will leave those services and die alone.
"...someone called a rival."
"What are you talking about?" No, she doesn't understand, and never will.
"As I said, you can't understand. Goodbye."
And I walk away.
THE END.