Reverence: An Easter Story
Holiday Series: Book Four
Chapter One
Possible Trigger Warning
***Dimande's POV***
Dimande stared down at the sleeping girl in his bed, his lips curving into a smile. She was his now. The stupid future king would never get her back. She would be his queen and he would rule the world. The whole solar system. With her power he was sure he could soon take over the entire galaxy.
Gently he traced her cheek. The wings on her dress stuck up behind her, framing her head and the blonde hair that lay over the pillows. She truly was beautiful, though her hair wasn't fully silver yet. He knew that would come with time. Soon she would look like the queen he had longed for all these years.
A knock sounded on the door and he turned as his younger brother poked his head into the room. Anger coursed through him. He didn't want to be interrupted. He wanted to stare at his prize. The hologram he had been forced to endure in her absence had never been enough. Still, he knew he had to speak.
"Why do you disturb me?" he asked, letting a harsh note enter his tone.
"Wiseman has asked to speak with you regarding a possible rescue attempt," Saphir said, his head bowed respectfully.
Tapping his finger on his chin, Dimande thought of that. It was possible someone would attempt to rescue her, but there was no way they could find the castle on Nemesis. Still, he wanted to make sure of it. He nodded and strode across the room to his brother, taking one last look at the young woman he had finally claimed for himself.
Her skin had been so soft. Her body young, still not fully developed. No matter. Soon she would finish growing, and until then he would train her to be the wife he wanted. She would meet his every need... whether she wanted to or not. He took one last look before exiting the room.
***Saphir's POV***
Saphir glared at the door to Wiseman's chambers, wishing he could follow his brother inside and break the strange spell the ancient one had put on him. Ever since they had come to this strange planet, his brother had changed, until he barely recognized the man he once had been. It wasn't right, what he was doing, what he was planning to do. But he could not disobey, no matter how much he wished to.
That stupid gift Wiseman had given Dimande made sure that everyone obeyed. He shuddered at the memory of being ordered to collect the girl, the strange sideways eye that had suddenly opened on the prince's forehead... it was hideous. The feeling of filth that had crept over him. The powerlessness to fight back. He shuddered.
Worse, he knew what was going to happen to the girl. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. Or was there?
He turned away and strode back to his brother's rooms. There had to be something he could do to help the girl. He hadn't been ordered not to give her the brooch. That was something. He hadn't been ordered not to give her any hope for escape.
With that thought in mind, he focused on all the orders he hadn't been given. He frowned as he thought through all the possibilities and made his decisions quickly. He had to be gone before his brother returned.
Making his way into the room he took a better look at the girl, and shuddered again. His brother had changed her clothing. That alone was a violation. He wondered what she would think when she awoke. Very carefully he made his way to the bed and pulled the brooch out of his subspace pocket, nestling it in the folds of the blanket beside her hand. He had to hope it was enough.
Then, as quietly as he could, he crept to the window, and unhooked the latch. It didn't matter that they weren't on the ground. Sailor Moon was powerful. She could jump. And failing that, perhaps one of the others could help her. He couldn't stand by and do nothing.
***Mamoru's POV***
As he worked to heal Petz, Mamoru's mind was a million miles away. The children still hadn't been found. Usagi had been taken from him, and there were still injuries to be healed. His best friend's family arcade had been destroyed, and he still had to look into his father-in-law's eyes and tell him he'd failed to stop Usagi from being taken. It was just too much. His heart felt as though it was breaking into a million pieces.
Tears streaked his cheeks. He didn't care if anyone saw. He couldn't hear Usagi in his head anymore. He couldn't feel her emotions. The Bond was still there. He knew she was alive, and that was something, but he couldn't get the memory of her words out of his head. She'd dreamed about it, about being taken. She knew there was a chance something awful was going to happen to her. How could he have turned away, not watched her every moment? He should have kept his eyes on her. He'd been so worried about the children he'd forgotten the danger to her hadn't passed.
Worse, he'd been warned. Hadn't his future self said to stay with her? Hadn't he given him that peculiar head shake to tell him it was important? Biting his lip he focused on healing the injured, but his heart was with his tiny little wife, wherever she was.
Setsuna and Rubeus were talking quietly. Somehow the man hadn't lost his memories like the girls had. That was the only thing keeping Mamoru from losing it. He had to focus on the fact that with Setsuna and Rubeus he could somehow get to her. He had to. He just had to.
When Petz and Berthier were both healed, he turned to look around. It seemed everyone was accounted for except Usagi and the children. How was it that the people he had failed to protect were the ones he loved the most? Was he destined to lose everyone he loved?
There was an ache in his knees and he realized he had hit the ground hard. It occurred to him that if he didn't get his family back, he didn't want to be a part of the world anymore. He felt numb and his chest ached. He rubbed at it, hoping to relieve the pressure, but it continued. He sighed and buried his head in his hands.
A soft touch on his head startled Mamoru and he peered up into Ikuko-mama's face. Her eyes were red-rimmed and tears leaked down her cheeks, but she knelt in front of him and took his hands in hers. With a gentle squeeze she tried to reassure him.
"You will get her back Mamoru. I know it. You'll bring her home. That's your only focus. Don't worry about the kids. The others will take care of them. Just bring Usagi home."
His voice cracked when he finally spoke. "I love her."
"I know Mamoru. I know. And that's why I know you'll find her. You won't ever give up. Setsuna and Rubeus are going to help you go somewhere." Her brow furrowed. "I guess somewhen. You have to go and bring her home to all of us."
Mamoru nodded his head. Ikuko opened her arms and he fell into her embrace, sobbing. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm so sorry."
"This wasn't your fault Mamoru. Just focus on bringing her home."
***Shingo's POV***
Running his sleeve over his nose, Shingo tried to stop the flow of tears. He didn't really care that the others saw him cry. If his dad and Mamoru and Haruki could cry, then he could too. But he had to focus. He had his own mission. Mamoru would bring his sister home. He refused to believe otherwise.
Shingo was going to focus on the kids. They needed him and the others just as much as Usagi needed Mamoru. He nodded his head in determination, and turned to survey the room. There was little left to uncover. Two corners and one side of the counter. He knew that first responders were already on their way and they all had to work quickly.
Hotaru touched his arm and pointed to a pile of tables haphazardly blocking the hallway into the restrooms and break area. Perhaps the children had been blown there. He nodded to her and together they picked their way through the rubble and debris and began to work.
***Esmeraude's POV***
Esmeraude sighed with relief when Saphir left the room. She couldn't be caught at her task. She shook her head, still not understanding what had drawn her here, to help the little one on the bed. She only knew she had to help.
Saphir had put something next to the girl. She hoped it wasn't something dangerous. Then he'd gone to the window before hurrying from the room. She didn't know how strongly he was pulled to obey Wiseman and Dimande. Her pull to obey was incredibly strong, but there was a little voice inside her that said what was going to happen was wrong.
The girl was still sleeping. That wasn't good. The Maleficent Black Crystal was strong. She crept closer to the bed and slipped it off her. The girl immediately stirred. She had to get her out of the castle and off Nemesis, but she didn't know how. As much as she loved Dimande, he was wrong. He couldn't take this girl from her family, or do what he wanted with her without regard to her feelings.
She could stomach battling a queen. She could even handle spying. She could fight to the death if she had to.
But she wouldn't be a party to what he had planned.
She bit her lip as she slunk back into the darkness, not willing to stay where she could be seen. Wiseman would kill her without hesitation if he knew that she was interfering. His plan seemed to be keeping Dimande distracted, and this girl was how he planned to do that. She felt horrible for the little one. She couldn't be much older than fifteen years. She wasn't a queen yet, and had no understanding of the war that had raged for years.
Unwilling to leave the girl for even a moment, Esmeraude hid in the shadows and kept a silent vigil as the young one began to wake.
***Setsuna's POV***
"Mamoru, it's time," she said, trying to keep her voice hopeful. The fact that they had seen their future selves said there was a chance for Usagi. The disappearance of the children had made her question that for a time, but it wasn't only the twins who had disappeared. That had to mean they were still buried in the arcade or they had managed to escape somehow.
Setsuna waited patiently for Mamoru to make his way to where she stood with Rubeus. He didn't look up to meet their eyes, but she understood. He was dealing with heavy emotions that weighted him down.
"Mamoru, you need to listen carefully," she explained. "Are you listening?"
The teen merely nodded, still not looking up.
"Look at me," Setsuna insisted.
Finally Mamoru lifted his head and she gasped at what she saw in his eyes. Death. If he didn't get Usagi back, he wouldn't survive. And it was likely he would take out anyone and everyone who stood in his way.
"I'm going to hand you a key. You're going to hold onto it and repeat the words I say, and you will be pulled into the future. Rubeus has given me the exact date. You will find her and bring her home."
"Make your way to the Crystal Palace," Rubeus said, his voice shaking as he stared at the broken young man before them. "It is protected. You will find answers there. I believe your wife will already be on Nemesis, but you need a location first. There are maps within the castle computers I'm sure. Don't give up hope. She won't have been killed."
Mamoru nodded, and reached out his hand for the key. Setsuna sighed and put it in his hand. "Repeat after me. Guardian of time! Tear apart the sky and open the Door of Space-time to me! I call your true name, the almighty god of time, the guardian of time's father, Chronos! Guidance to me! Protection to me! The path of light to me!"
Mamoru repeated her words, holding up the key, and was enveloped in light and pulled away. Setsuna sighed and turned to the others.
"He'll find her," she said, trying to sound confident.
"He will," Kunzite said, steel in his voice as he wrapped his arms around Minako. Setsuna could only nod. She didn't remember much of her past life. She didn't fully understand how deep the Soul-Bond went. She only knew she already felt like she would die if she lost Haruki. She shuddered at the thought of never having met him. Of living a lonely existence on the fringes, always alone, always on guard.
As though he had heard her thoughts, Haruki made his way to her side and put an arm around her waist. "You aren't alone," he whispered.
***Usagi's POV***
As Usagi woke she heard something, but it faded away before she was able to pull her eyes open. Her eyelids felt heavy, weighted. Her whole body felt strange, as though there were weights tied to her. Her mind didn't want to work properly either. Something was wrong and she didn't understand.
The air was a bit chilled and she wondered if Mamoru had stolen the covers. He wasn't much of a blanket hog, but it had happened once or twice.
"Am I sick?" she whispered, unsure why she felt so weak. Then memories began crashing down over her and Usagi remembered. She had been taken. She struggled to sit up, thankful her hands and feet were unbound.
Rubbing her eyes quickly, she looked at her surroundings. She was in a massive room. Tall pillars reached the ceiling, which was cloaked in darkness, as were the outer edges of the chamber. She shook her head. It was gaudy and ostentatious. And far too big. No wonder it was cold.
She pulled her knees up and ran her fingers over the silky material of her gown, then frowned. It wasn't her dress. In fact, she'd never seen it before. Her fingers shook as she traced it. There was a weight on her shoulders and she turned her head, catching sight of something behind her back. She grabbed at it and pulled the edge of a cloth wing over her shoulder.
"What the hell..." her voice trailed off and she shivered again, this time not from the cold. Someone had changed her clothing. Anger and fear welled up within her as she recalled the strange man's words. She was no one's possession.
Reality struck home and Usagi wondered where her brooch had gone. In a blind panic she stood up from the bed and immediately hit her knees. "Ouch!" Huffing in irritation, she turned and looked back. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she found the transformation aid and held it up.
"Moon Crystal Power, Make up!" she cried, hating that her voice sounded weak and wobbly.
The transformation didn't come. Usagi slumped to the floor, unsure what her next move should be. She was weak and completely devoid of energy. She turned and gazed around her prison. There was a set of tall double doors, and two small windows. Those were the only avenues out of the room.
"Door first," she muttered under her breath and made her way to them, hanging onto the bedposts at first before she wobbled her way to them, her legs quivering. They didn't open. She sighed and leaned her head against the dark surface, fighting back tears.
Shaking her head, she forced herself to turn and make her way to the windows, tucking the brooch into her pocket as she went. She had made it halfway back to the bed when the door opened behind her. She turned around and gasped when she saw the man who had claimed her. Carefully she backed away from him, not wanting to be anywhere near. He followed her.
"I see you're awake," he said, his voice almost pleasant. "Good. It's time for you to become my wife."
Usagi shook her head wildly. There was no way she was marrying this man. No way she would let him near her. She'd die first. She took another step back, careful to avoid the bed.
"I'm already married," she said in an apologetic tone. She didn't want to anger him. Yet.
"That marriage will be annulled. We will make a different future. With you at my side I can rule the galaxy."
Usagi shook her head. "No thanks. I'm happy just being little ol' me. I love my husband and I think I'll keep him."
The man's face turned red, then almost seemed to become purple in his anger. He took a step forward and backhanded her across her left cheek, causing her head to whip to the side painfully, her neck to ache, and her little remaining balance to fail her as she landed hard on the floor.
Staring up at him, Usagi felt fear crawl up her throat. She had no idea what to do. She needed help. Fast.
