Part Two
Several days have passed, since the first attacks on both earth and Elysion, and all of the new senshi and kamens were still getting used to their new roles. Kurishi sighed as she gazed absently at her schoolbooks; too distracted to even concentrate on her homework.
"My thoughts exactly, Kuri-chan." Risa muttered, as she disgustedly put the books aside, and leaned back in her chair. They now sat within their spacious house's living room, trying to get at least some of their homework done…..but every single on of them was absorbed by the fact that they were now Sailor Senshi.
"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" Anna asked, rhetorically; getting a thoughtful nod from Kurishi as a response.
"It is. I never even dreamed that something like this would happen once we got here. It's beyond weird." Kurishi murmured; looking up when Ive padded silently into the room.
"It's almost time for the meeting, girls. Better get ready while you can." Ive said, as the girls before her nodded in agreement, and stood up.
"Are Fatsu and Cinder waiting for us somewhere else?" Jessica asked, finally breaking her own unusual silence. Ive in turn nodded.
"I'll lead you there." Ive replied, as she made her way to the door; motioning for them to follow her as she did so.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Usagi watched as Mamoru absently looked over a menu. They were now sitting in a restaurant; having decided a little while earlier that they would eat something before going to the meeting that night. Yet she couldn't help but feel concerned, when she saw how worn out he looked.
"He looks so tired….." Usagi thought, then asked, "Are you all right, Mamo-chan?"
"I'm fine, Usa-ko. Why do you ask?" Mamoru replied, startled by her question, yet managing to rein that in, so he could look at her from over his menu.
"You look almost like you could fall asleep at any minute. Was it a bad idea to come out to eat?" Usagi questioned, worriedly. At this, Mamoru only smiled slightly and shook his head.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. It's just taking more energy than I had thought, to help train the kamens, and make sure they don't use their powers to kill one another, in the process……In some ways, it's easier said than done." Mamoru muttered, chuckling as he remembered some of the mishaps that had occurred the previous night…..and how many he truly believed were actually accidental.
"I'm sure it is…..but I can't help but worry about you, that's all." Usagi said; jumping when someone shouted her name, and felt shock when she realized who the voice belonged to.
"Odango!" the young man's voice called, as the owner of the voice jogged over to their table.
"Seiya-san! What're you doing here?!" Usagi asked, surprised when the Light walked over and had a seat across from them, with Yaten and Taiki right behind him.
"He sensed the darkness coming from this system and decided to come back to check on you, Tsukino-san. Kakyuu-hime sent us to go along with him, to make sure he wouldn't get himself killed here." Taiki muttered, as he gave Seiya an exasperated look.
"So you three also sensed Deathstrike's arrival as well?" Mamoru asked; managing to look just a tiny bit perturbed when Seiya changed seats and sat down alongside Usagi.
"Hai. In fact, Kakyuu-hime will be here in a short while, herself, to help in the fight that is to come." Yaten stated; noticing the irritated glances Mamoru was giving Seiya, and when someone else arrived on the scene, as well.
"Ne, Seiya, haven't you ever heard of the saying 'Two's company, three a crowd'?" a male voice questioned, startling all of them into looking up, and causing some relieved looks to cross the Three Light's faces at the sight of him.
"Joel Skye! So you are still alive! What a relief it is to see you again, my friend!" Seiya said, as he jumped out of the seat and greeted the bemused-looking young man with a firm handshake.
"You two know each other?" Usagi asked; surprised when she saw how much Joel looked like Mamoru.
"Yeah. We practically grew up together." Joel replied, amiably; grinning when he caught sight of Mamoru's grateful expression at having successfully gotten Seiya's attention away from Usagi (for the moment, anyway). But that relief was destined to be short-lived…..
"Are your schedules clear for tonight, Seiya-san? Yaten-san? Taiki-san?" Usagi asked. This got some befuddled looks from the trio as a response.
"Uh…..sure. What do you have in mind, Odango?" Seiya asked, in turn; inwardly smiling when he saw Mamoru's look of dismay, at this.
"We're going to be having a meeting in an old warehouse near the docks tonight. Since you guys are here, maybe you should attend as well." Usagi stated, intelligently.
"We'll try to be there, Tsukino-san. I can't really guarantee anything, at this point, since scheduling is pretty tight already." Taiki warned. Usagi nodded in understanding; remembering the way things had been the last time the trio had been on earth, when they weren't in their own senshi forms.
"Then I guess we'll see you later, if time permits." Joel said, as the two remaining Lights also stood up, and then turned to leave.
"Yeah. By the way, Joel, are you still a studio musician?" Yaten asked; confusing Usagi and Mamoru by the sudden change of subject, yet feeling a strange sense of relief, when Joel smiled and nodded.
"You think I would honestly give something like that up? Come on now! Of course I am!" Joel replied, pleasurably.
"Then come by the studio tomorrow morning at nine a.m. Be sure to be on time! The recording sessions start then!" Yaten stated, equally as pleased to see that the tragedy that had befallen Joel and the other three refugees of Eltarre hadn't affected him that much.
"I'll be there with bells, cymbals, and whistles on, my friends. Count on it!" Joel said, enthusiastically; his green eyes showing liveliness that Usagi and Mamoru hadn't been expecting to see.
"He must really love music, to be this excited about making an album with his friends." Usagi mused, as they watched the Three Lights leave (and as several fans caught sight of them, and started chasing them down the street). It was after they were gone, that Mamoru then turned his attention fully onto Joel.
"What brought you here? I thought you and your companions were recovering from last night." Mamoru said; watching as the Eltarrian prince grabbed a chair and had a seat.
"I got a few hours' sleep, then got up and decided to do some wandering around. Because of Max's over-protectiveness and constant badgering about staying close to the apartment before we got our powers, I haven't seen too much of Tokyo…..I haven't even seen the infamous Tokyo Tower, yet!" Joel muttered, careful to keep his voice low, since more people were starting to come into the restaurant. At this, Mamoru smirked; remembering too well just how it had been in the distant past, how maddening it had been for him then.
"I can relate." Mamoru murmured; understanding exactly what Joel had gone through.
"Feh, I'm sure you can. Yet, now that I'm a guardian as well, I guess the task of protecting me falls on me, so to speak." Joel stated, with a shrug and a good-natured (albeit, a little sad) smile.
"But you still need to remember that you're royalty, as well." Usagi said, gently.
"Yeah, I know. But I'm the prince of a dead world….and my one regret is that I couldn't save even one person from that horrible fate. Not even my own father or brothers." Joel murmured, as his grief re-emerged in his expressive green eyes.
"I'm sorry….I said that without thinking." Usagi whispered, when she'd realized what she had done, and bowed her head in shame at how callous she had sounded. Joel only shook his head, and breathed a shaky sigh.
"It's not your fault, Tsuki-hime. The death of a loved one is a very bitter pill to take….and the only water you have on hand to wash it down, are your own tears." Joel somberly replied, then reached over, gently tilted Usagi's head up so that she was looking at him, and somehow managed a sad smile, "But you're right, all the same, no matter how much it hurts to hear it."
"I just wish there were something I could do to help you, Skye-san." Usagi said; allowing sympathetic tears to well in her eyes, when she felt the sorrow in the young man's heart, as clearly as though it were her own.
"Yours' and Mamoru's friendship is enough, Tsuki-hime." Joel gently replied, then added, "The added knowledge that I'm not alone is also enough to keep me going."
"True. And, if nothing else, you have a home on earth, now. Your life is still your own to live…..Just try to live it in honor of your family's memory. Make your father and brothers smile, from wherever they are. That's what you can do now." Mamoru said, wisely; having learned this particular lesson for himself, when his own parents had died long ago. Joel nodded, then breathed a steadying breath and stood up to leave as well; renewed purpose appearing in his jade green eyes, as he did so.
"You're right. Thanks Mamo." Joel replied, grateful for the advice that had been given to him, in just those few moments, and the freedom it seemed to give his grieving heart. And it was as he was walking away (undoubtedly heading back to the apartment so he could tell Max, Jake, and Gabriel about the recording sessions the next morning) that Mamoru could only allow a tentative hope for the four refugees' future to emerge.
"This is about all I can do, for now. I just hope I can curb the desire for revenge in the other three just as easily…..and before it can become dangerous. I don't want their hearts to become as twisted as my guardians' hearts had been, in the past." Mamoru somberly thought, as he remembered the first time the four had seen their hated enemy again, and how consumed by their hatred they had seemed….the thought of even that small trace of anger over their lost homeland being enough of a weakness, more than just scared him, since he knew how easily evil could slip in, unnoticed.
"I must do all I can to prevent that from happening." Mamoru mused, gravely; too consumed by his own worried thoughts to even feel tired, now. And that worry was shared by Usagi, as well…..
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
The warehouse echoed the voices of senshi and kamen alike, as they entered and sat down; prepared for the meeting that was about to begin. Makoto, Minako, Ami, Rei, and even Haruka, Setsuna, Hotaru, and Michiru were completely surprised to see that the Three Lights, and greeted them warmly.
"Kaioh-san! Long time, no see!" Seiya said, when he'd noticed Michiru standing there, and the honestly pleased smile she had on her own face, at seeing him and his brothers again.
"Same to you, Kou-san!" Michiru replied, quite aware of Haruka's jealousy when said senshi growled softly under her breath, and smiling coyly at the Kinmoku senshi to get even more of a reaction from her.
"Yaten-san! Taiki-san! What brings you guys back here? Is Kakyuu-hime all right?" Minako asked, concernedly, as she walked over to greet the trio as well.
"She's just fine, Aino-san, no need to worry." Yaten reassured; looking around as he spoke, and seeing that there were some new faces within the warehouse 'meeting place'.
"Looks like some new senshi have been found, since we were last here, doesn't it?" Taiki murmured, when he'd noticed the girls that were now sitting somewhat uneasily off to one side.
"Indeed. There's even some kamens here, as well." Yaten agreed; showing some surprise, when he saw Joel among them.
"If everyone will please have a seat, so the meeting can get under way." Artemis called, as the voices quieted, and all of those gathered sat down. With quiet dignity, Kunzite approached the center of the floor; crystalline blue eyes troubled as he gazed at all of the young faces before him.
"I'm sure, by now, you have all sensed, in some way or another, the enemy that has returned to this system?" Kunzite asked, getting nods from all of those gathered there.
"The sacred fire has showed quite a bit, over the last couple of days." Rei stated, grimly, as Phobos and Deimos perched on her shoulders and nodded in agreement.
"And our dreams are haunted by darkness." Max quietly added; speaking for himself and his friends as he did so.
"Recent events have also proved its' existence." Mamoru stated, from his place alongside the kamens, and the rest of his guardians (this included Elios, as well).
"And we returned to this system as well because of it." Taiki said, finishing the thought with that. At this, Kunzite's expression became even graver.
"Deathstrike, the scourge of the ancient Coalition of Aldebaran, and minion of Mettalia, has returned. We have no idea how or why, but the seal on him has been broken. He is once again free to destroy…..as Eltarre had found out, at great cost. We have no way of knowing how many more planets will suffer, if we don't stop him here." Luna said, her words causing a chill to run down everyone's spines, even though they knew what had to be done.
"Even though we have Eternal Sailor Moon, his defeat is in doubt?" Haruka questioned, unnerved by the gravity of the situation at hand.
"The awakening of the Constellation Senshi, the new Kamens, and the arrival of the Starlights should be enough proof that we're going to need all the help we can get, in the battle to come, Tenou-san." Mamoru murmured, tiredly.
"And fighting the Dark Kingdom had cost us our lives, last time." Makoto agreed; remembering how difficult it had been to win, in the battle against Beryl.
"That being said, aren't you placing a lot of faith in us? How are you even sure that we're going to be strong enough to fight?" Kurishi asked, finally breaking her silence in the presence of those gathered there.
"There's really no way of knowing how strong each of you will be, when the time comes. But one thing is certain; your strength is desperately needed." Ive said, then added, "Besides, you handled things in Elysion just fine, and you will only keep getting stronger."
"We can only hope for that much, Ive-chan." Risa muttered, before the discussion turned to who was going to take on the duty of patrolling the city, and keeping an eye out for youma and other attacks by the Dark Kingdom. Against her will, Kurishi could feel her eyelids getting heavier; the conversation starting to sound like incoherent mumbling in her tired mind.
"Wake up! What kind of senshi are you, anyway?!" a voice hissed, angrily; jolting Kurishi from half-sleep to wakefulness in no time at all.
"Well excuse the hell outta me! It's not my fault that I've spent the last two or three nights worrying about where this is taking us!" Kurishi snapped; glaring at Haruka as she said that.
"I beg to differ." Haruka snarled, in response, as she stood and stalked over to where the Constellation Senshi were sitting.
"Kurishi-chan!" Anna yelped, aghast when the Outer Senshi grabbed the front of Kurishi's t-shirt, pulled her up from her seat, and gave the younger girl a scalding glare.
"I'll give you something to worry about, Constellation Senshi, so help me I will!" Haruka snarled, threateningly; ignoring the fact that her own teammates and leader were giving her looks of shock, disbelief, and alarm at her behavior towards the new senshi.
"You start a fight with me, and I'll finish it." Kurishi replied, icily; her deep blue eyes narrowing as Haruka stiffened in response to that.
"Haruka-san! Stop it!" Usagi shouted, as she bolted off of her seat, grabbed Haruka's arm, and tried to get her to release the Constellation Senshi before a fight could break out between them.
"Put her down, you bitch!" Risa snarled, as she, Anna, and Cindi rushed to Kurishi's aid. Yet they were all startled when Mamoru stood and spoke up, as well.
"Haruka, that's enough." Mamoru said, calmly, even though his tone brooked no argument.
"Fighting amongst ourselves is exactly what our enemy wants. If we give in to the petty hatred and distrust deep within us, then who is to say if we'll even have the strength to stand against Deathstrike when the time comes?" Gabriel asked, concernedly; speaking up for the first time that evening, in their presences.
"Jade Kamen speaks the truth, Uranus. And, considering how new she still is to being a senshi, Gemini has a legitimate reason to be worried. You and the rest of the Planetary Senshi are used to this sort of thing, by now. Stop expecting the changes to happen overnight." Zoicite added, as she watched Haruka get forced into releasing Kurishi by her two angry friends, and by the commanding insistence of both Mamoru and Usagi.
"If you even try that sort of thing again, I'll fry your ass." Risa growled, as she and Anna helped steady Kurishi, and as Jessica, Cindi, and Cora began fingering their henshen pens; silently adding to the threat, for good measure. At this, Haruka said nothing else, as she angrily returned to her seat; giving Kurishi and her companions the evil eye, once she had done so.
"Gabe and Zoicite-san have a point. We can't let internal strife distract us from our mission to protect this planet from outside threat. If we do, then Deathstrike will easily kill this world and every living thing on it." Max murmured; his words causing a hush to fall over all of them. They all knew, deep down, that it was true…..and how simple it would be for their enemy to use their emotions to his advantage…..They could only hope that they would be able to overcome their distrust of one another, before it was too late.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
The following day, as they all went through the motions of living a normal life; Kurishi couldn't help but wonder just what the future held in store for her, now. With a troubled sigh, she listened as the teacher wrapped up the class for the day, and assigned them their homework for the night.
"Daijobu desu ka, Maru-san?" Usagi whispered, from across the aisle.
"Hai…..Just thinking, that's all." Kurishi replied, in kind, as she shook herself from her thoughts, and looked at the other girl. Usagi's normally bright blue eyes were clouded with worry for her and her friends; quite the opposite to how Haruka had acted, the night before.
"I'm sorry about the way Haruka-san had spoken to you…..I didn't think she would attack you like that." Usagi said, as the school bell rang, and they all stood, bowed respectfully to the teacher, and then started getting ready to leave.
"I didn't think she'd do that either…..Guess something about you rubbed her the wrong way or something." Makoto agreed, as they all began to make their way out of the classroom and into the hallway.
"Guess so. Either way, I don't care what she thinks of me, personally, as long as she doesn't do something stupid that'll get us all killed, in the long run." Kurishi stated, boldly, as she slung her backpack over her shoulder, and made her way to her locker.
"That's rather harsh." Makoto murmured. This got a shrug from Kurishi, in response.
"It's the truth of the matter, Kino-san. That much was said last night at the meeting, and then some." Kurishi said, as some of her feelings of unease returned to the forefront.
"But worrying will get us nowhere, Kuri-chan. You know that." Risa said, as she, Anna, Cindi, and Cora walked up to them.
"I know. You also know that I'm a natural born worrywart, Ri-chan." Kurishi said, with a wan smile; trying her best to put her worries aside, for the time being. Risa rolled her eyes, and sighed; she knew that only too well.
"Yeah, and you worry enough for the lot of us, when you shouldn't. You almost never listen to anyone when they say that things'll work themselves out, eventually." Risa muttered, then allowed a devil-may-care smile to cross her face, "What you should be worried about, however, is how many times those kamens will see our asses, because of those short skirts. That is what should worry you now!" At this, almost all of them turned an interesting shade of crimson, at that.
"I'd never even considered that before!" Usagi thought, embarrassedly, as Risa laughed at their discomfiture; dreading the very idea of how many times she must have accidentally flashed poor Mamoru over the past few years as Sailor Moon.
"I'll just go back home, dig a nice big hole for myself in the backyard, and jump in it….." Kurishi muttered, her face also bright red at the thought, as she tried to salvage what was left of her dignity. Count on Risa to think of something like that!
"It's gonna be a long time before we can confidently fight around Mamoru-sempai again!" Makoto thought, as they all made their way out of the school, and started to go their own ways for the afternoon and evening. And yet, once night fell, they knew they would all be called together again, to fight against the new evil in some way or another. That much, at least, was a certainty.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Mamoru sighed as he tried to get some work done around his apartment. Even though his lungs had healed, and his long-dormant powers had begun to awaken, he was worn out from all that had happened in the previous nights.
"It doesn't help matters much that I didn't sleep worth a damn after I got back from the meeting." Mamoru thought, sourly, as Tabbi watched him from the relative safety of a nearby bookshelf. They both jumped slightly when the doorbell rang, and Mamoru rushed to answer it, before the person behind it could get impatient. He felt a little surprised, when he found Zoicite standing there, with what appeared to be a covered dish in her hands.
"What're you doing here, Zoicite?" Mamoru asked, as he stepped aside so she could come in.
"Just thought I'd check in with you and see how you're doing, that's all. You'd looked a little bit pale, last night." Zoicite stated, as she walked into the kitchen and placed the food container on the table; turning to see if she could locate a bowl, a few moments afterwards.
"Well, considering what had gone on, a few nights ago, could you blame me? Not only have you, Kunzite, Nephrite and Jadeite returned, but I also have my own team to lead, now. It's a lot to take in, all at once." Mamoru admitted, as he sat down in a chair and faced the female guardian; feeling some more surprise, when she gave him a motherly look of concern, in response to that.
"I know. Just try not to overexert yourself, okay? Let us know if it gets too overwhelming for you." Zoicite asked, gently.
"Okay, I will. Thank you for all you have done, so far. I appreciate it." Mamoru said, allowing some of his tiredness to show, as he spoke.
"It's no problem at all." Zoicite replied, warmly, as she brushed some strands of hair away from the young man's face, before returning her attention to the food she had brought over for him.
"What's for dinner?" Mamoru questioned; changing the subject before the situation could become awkward.
"Homemade soup. Granted, I'm not the best cook in the world, but at least it's the one thing I'm good at making. It should help you get some of your energy back." Zoicite said; noticing when Mamoru smirked slightly, at that.
"Odango does the same thing, on occasion, too……Her heart is in the right place, even if her cooking skills aren't quite up to the task." Mamoru admitted, shaking his head and smiling ruefully at the memories of some of Usagi's cooking mishaps in the past, and how hard she now worked to try and make it better (and more suitable for human consumption).
"That Moon Princess is a good kid, I'll give her that much. She only wants the best for you, her friends, and even the strangers she meets…..But, to be quite honest, we were all a little uneasy around her, way back when." Zoicite admitted, as she sat down across from Mamoru and gave him a thoughtful look.
"Why was that?" Mamoru asked, curiously; honestly wanting to know just what Zoicite and the rest of the Shittenou had thought of Princess Serenity, all those years ago. Zoicite in turn shrugged.
"I guess it had to do with her mother being as powerful as she was. If something had happened to Serenity-hime during one of her visits to the Golden Kingdom, a war could have broken out. We were lucky that King Thomas had had such a good head on his shoulders. He was the only one Queen Serenity would have listened to, if that had happened." Zoicite stated; remembering the events that had occurred an entire lifetime ago with crystalline clarity.
"King Thomas……Considering what Silver Kamen had told everyone that night, I guess we'll soon see if that level-headed nature had been handed down." Mamoru said, as Zoicite nodded in agreement.
"I agree. Now, I think the soup is still warm enough, so go ahead and eat. I'll be back to check in on you later." Zoicite promised, as she got up to leave.
"Thanks again for dinner, Zoicite. It's appreciated." Mamoru said, almost looking a bit lost and forlorn as the female guardian prepared to leave.
"No problem, Cape Boy. It may be our duty to protect you, but it's our choice to give our lives doing so. If you ever need us, don't hesitate to call." Zoicite murmured, as she affectionately ruffled his hair and smiled before disappearing in a flurry of sakura petals.
"And I'm glad to know even that much." Mamoru mused, knowing that there was a good chance that she had heard that thought, as well.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Gabriel let out a yelp, when he was suddenly bowled over by a flash of gold.
"G-gomenasai! I didn't mean to knock you down! Daijobu?!" a girl's voice asked, from on top of his chest and stomach.
"Just dandy……Thanks for asking….." Gabriel wheezed, struggling to pull some more air into his lungs, since he'd been thoroughly winded by the girl's 'tackle', "Now, can you get off of me, please? I can't breathe."
"Gomen!" the girl in turn yelped, and then quickly removed herself from on top of him and sat down on the pavement beside him.
"You sure apologize a lot…." Gabriel murmured, as he took in the girl's appearance, and noticed that she was the one that had tried to prevent the fight between Haruka and Kurishi the night before, "Odango-chan."
"Don't call me that! Only Mamo-chan is allowed to call me by that nickname!" the girl shouted, angrily, as Gabriel slowly got up and dusted himself off. At this, he arched an eyebrow.
"Do tell? Well, I can't very well leave you sitting there on the pavement, can I? Here." Gabriel said, as he offered her a hand up.
"Um…..Arigato gozaimasu….." Usagi murmured, abashedly, as she allowed him to help her up. At this, he gave her a slight smile; the kindness in his silver eyes reassuring her that she hadn't insulted him in the slightest.
"No problem at all. So, what's the big hurry? Where's the fire?" Gabriel asked, as they started walking down the sidewalk.
"I wanted to go to Mamo-chan's to make sure he's all right. He'd looked so tired, last night…..I'm worried about him." Usagi admitted; finding herself suddenly strangely at ease with the white-haired kamen, despite the fact that she didn't really know him all that well.
"He'd had us a bit concerned last night, as well. It doesn't really help matters much that we're all new with this sort of thing, and now he has to deal with Max's over-protectiveness, as well." Gabriel muttered; not really looking forward to the days and weeks to come, at all.
"'Max'?" Usagi asked, confusedly; looking up and giving him a perplexed look while she was at it.
"Max South, otherwise known as Tuxedo Red." Gabriel said, then jokingly added, when the confusion didn't leave Usagi's blue eyes, "The hothead from the other night, remember?" Usagi giggled softly and nodded.
"Hai, I remember him, now. Is Max-san really that protective?" Usagi questioned; curious about the four kamens that had come from the distant world of Eltarre, and wanting to know more. Gabriel rolled his eyes and nodded.
"You bet he is. In fact, I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if he doesn't give himself a hernia from all the worry he puts himself through! Especially when it comes to Joel, since he's the only surviving member of the Skye Royal Family." Gabriel stated, smirking as he said that, since he could almost hear the other kamen sneeze even from where he was standing.
"He sounds a little bit like Haruka-san." Usagi murmured, thoughtfully.
"That'll be one of your senshi, right?" Gabriel asked, in turn, and got another nod from Usagi in answer to it.
"Hai. Sailor Uranus." Usagi said, as Gabriel nodded in understanding.
"So that is the senshi who'd wanted to take Gemini's head off last night! Sheesh! Talk about short fuse! You might want to have a word with her about that, Odango-chan." Gabriel muttered; remembering only too well what had almost happened the previous night.
"I think I will. I don't want to fight against any more senshi." Usagi murmured, quietly; as she recalled the painful memories of her battles against the Anima-Mates and Galaxia, and how much worse it could have been…..and how much she didn't want to see history repeat itself.
"I think I know what you're talking about, Odango-chan, and yeah, I don't want to see battles like that, either. We need to work together to defeat Deathstrike…..Not kill one another because of mistrust and misplaced hate. The Sailor Wars and the mad reign of terror that the kamen known as Tuxedo Death had left in his wake are long over, and should never be allowed to begin again." Gabriel said, softly, as they approached the doors of the apartment complex Mamoru lived in; remembering too clearly the bloodshed that had come to his homeworld, and wanting to avoid seeing such a nightmarish sight again.
"I agree." Usagi murmured, as she allowed him to escort her as far as the floor Mamoru lived on.
"By the way, Odango-chan, I have a favor to ask of you." Gabriel said, getting a questioning glance from her in response to that.
"Nani? What can I do for you, Inouki-sempai?" Usagi asked, confusedly.
"I think Mamo had forgotten to tell us where he wants to meet us tonight. Think you can find out?" Gabriel asked.
"I'm pretty sure I can find out. But wouldn't it be easier to just call him yourself?" Usagi again questioned. At this, she got what could only be an embarrassed look from the silver-eyed kamen.
"Max tripped the breaker in our apartment again, so our phone doesn't work. And using our wrist comms for such a thing isn't a good idea, either." Gabriel said, as he sighed in exasperation at his friend's bullheadedness. At this, Usagi couldn't help but smile at the man who stood before her. While it was true that he and his companions were still pretty much strangers to her, she couldn't help but like the two she had met, so far.
"They're no different from the boys in my class at school….." Usagi thought, then said, "I'll find out for you, and let Mamo-chan know what had happened, in the meantime, okay?"
"Thanks, Odango-chan. I appreciate this." Gabriel said, with a grin of his own, before he hurried off down the hall; intent on getting home before he could catch any flack from his roommates about being out for so long.
"It's no problem at all, Inouki-san." Usagi heard herself murmur; glad that she could help him, in some small way.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Dark Kingdom
Deathstrike snarled as he glared at his prisoner. The king of Eltarre was hanging limp from the manacles; his spirit having escaped, while he had been preoccupied with his attack on Elysion.
"Damn him. He's escaped to the dream realm…..and is under the protection of the Earth Prince now…." Deathstrike inwardly snarled, as he angrily turned to his subordinate. Parilite stood numbly off to one side; having been 'punished' for her earlier failure to destroy the fledgling senshi and kamens. She hardly had the courage to look up, when Deathstrike spoke to her again, and even cringed when he looked her way.
"Parilite, I want you to launch another attack." Deathstrike growled; his tone hinting at the dire consequences she faced if she failed again.
"It will be as you command it, Deathstrike-sama." Parilite replied, before abruptly disappearing from the throne room; leaving her seething master behind as quickly as she could.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
Earth
Tuxedo Kamen sighed, as he waited for his team to arrive. So much had changed for him, in such a short amount of time. He was a leader now, and he had his own team to worry about. It also didn't help matters much, that he was just as uncertain about his own powers, as he was about the other kamens'.
"It seems that Sailor Moon will have to depend on her own strength for a while…..At least until I'm sure of what we're capable of." Tuxedo Kamen mused; listening with some amusement as the sounds of bickering between Tuxedo Red and Silver Kamen came to his ears.
"Greetings, Endymion-sama. I hope we haven't kept you waiting overlong." Tuxedo Gold murmured; his formal way of speaking once again taking Tuxedo Kamen off guard.
"I haven't been waiting long, since I've just gotten here myself….You don't have to keep calling me that, you know." Tuxedo Kamen stated, then gave the two arguing kamens an unreadable glance that stilled their current disagreement effectively. At this, Tuxedo Gold gave him an abashed look.
"I know, it's just a hard habit to break. Especially since it doesn't seem, to me anyway, that it has been all that long ago since that had been your true name." Tuxedo Gold responded, with a smile, as he watched the royal Guardians arrive, and listened as they greeted one another.
"You boys ready for your next training session?" Zoicite asked, as she jokingly cracked her knuckles and approached them. In mock fear, the four Eltarrian kamens cowered away from her and hid behind Tuxedo Kamen and Tuxedo Gold.
"Oh no! Anything but that! Please! Have mercy!" Jade Kamen pleaded; getting some much-needed laughter from the other three Guardians and their leader, as he got down on his hands and knees and 'groveled' at the feet of the female Guardian; the gleam in his eyes proving that he was making light of the situation.
"He has you pegged, Zoicite; that much even you can't deny." Nephrite chortled; laughing softly when he got what could only be a dirty look from her, for that comment.
"Well, we might as well get started, then, before another war breaks out." Tuxedo Kamen said, then added, once he'd gotten their attention again, "Silver Kamen, Jade Kamen, you two are with me and we're going to be patrolling the eastern part of the city. Tuxedo Red, Blue, you're with Gold. Cover the west as best as you can. Zoicite, Kunzite, your sector tonight is the northern one, while Jadeite and Nephrite cover the south. As far as I know, most of the senshi are on patrol tonight, as well, so we'll meet in the park in a few hours. If you run into any trouble, don't try to handle it on your own. Call for help on your wrist-comms."
"You do the same, Tux. Keep in touch and let us know if you need any help." Tuxedo Red said in response, as he, Tuxedo Blue and Tuxedo Gold took off in their assigned direction.
"Yes. Keep safe, your Highness." Jadeite murmured; finally breaking his long silence, before he and Nephrite also disappeared into the darkness. Before long, only Tuxedo Kamen and his two chosen comrades stood on the rooftop.
"Let's get going, then." Tuxedo Kamen said, quietly, and, within moments, they were on their way; not realizing that another drastic change was heading their way…..
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
His escape had been very narrow, indeed. With darkness and intense pain threatening to overcome him, the masked man had toppled from a wormhole, and found himself in what appeared to be, at first glance, a forest clearing. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth, and from a number of very deep wounds on his chest, abdomen, back, and shoulders; leaving ugly smears on the grass where he had landed.
"Have I…..made it?" the masked man wondered, foggily, as he slowly forced himself to stand back up; biting back his groans of pain as he did so. He'd been attacked so suddenly…..and yet, had reacted quickly enough to save his own life by teleporting…..Even though he sincerely doubted he'd been able to shake his pursuers completely off of his trail.
"I must find…….Serenity-hime…..or the Earth Prince she had fallen in love with…..They must be told…..of what is going on!" the wounded kamen thought, as he started stumbling in the direction he felt the Moon Princess to be in; hazy memories of the attack floating freely back into his mind, despite the numbing pain.
"I…..I must get help……C-can't fight it….alone…." the kamen thought, hazily, as he struggled to keep his feet under him, and not lose his balance. And yet, before he could get very far, the sounds of fighting reached his ears; his body reacting automatically, pushing the pain aside as he rushed in that direction. Ignoring the signals his body was giving him that he was overtaxing himself, he summoned what appeared to be a specially-made sword to his hand, and prepared to fire off his sure-kill; hoping that whoever was now fighting would be able to hold on for just a little bit longer.
"Hang on…..Please hang on…..I'm coming…." The kamen thought; gritting his teeth as each step sent stabs of pain searing through him.
"I will not be too late, this time! Never again!" the kamen silently swore, as he pushed his body to its' limits; determined to not see the past repeat itself again. Not while he yet lived.
Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv(divider)
It had been a fairly quiet night, up until this point. Gemini cursed her rotten luck, as she leaped to avoid the just-emerged youma's attacks.
"Shit. This is what I get for coming here early! Next time, I'm gonna make sure I'm late for a meeting!" Sailor Gemini thought, irritably, as she fired off another couple of arrows, and then tried to get through to her friends on her communicator.
"Solar! Pisces! Virgo! Aries! Auriga! Vega! I'm in trouble here! Get your asses over here, there's a youma in the park!" Gemini shouted, as she desperately struggled to avoid another swipe of the monster's claws.
"We're on our way, Gemmi! Hang tight!" Solar's voice replied; her voice sounding tinny, over the wrist comm, yet Gemini could hear the worry in her friend's tone for her safety.
"I'll try!" Gemini said, as she tried to stay calm, as she fought.
"What do you think, Sailor Senshi? How do you like this stronger monster? Not quite the 'walk in the park' you had expected, is it?" a female voice sneered, from overhead; startling Gemini into looking up at the speaker. To the senshi's surprise, there was now what appeared to be a pink-haired woman sitting in the tree across from her.
"Who're you?" Gemini asked, tensely, as she tried to keep her attention on the monster and the woman at the same time.
"I am known as Parilite of the Dark Kingdom, servant of Lord Deathstrike." The woman replied, coolly; smirking when Gemini was forced to return her full attention to the beast in front of her.
"Gemini!" a few voices shouted, as their owners arrived on the scene.
"Eternal Sailor Moon! Mercury! Venus! Talk about perfect timing!" Gemini gasped, in relief, as the three Planetary Senshi took up defensive positions on either side of her.
"I'm glad we got here in time! Are you hurt, Gemini-san?" Mercury asked, concernedly, when she'd seen how disheveled Gemini now looked.
"No worse than usual, Mercury. But so far, I haven't been able to even put a dent in this damn thing! It's almost like it's armor plated, or something!" Gemini replied, breathlessly; becoming unnerved when she saw that the woman in control of the youma was still nonplused, even though the strongest of the senshi was standing before her.
"Just because you have some help, doesn't mean you'll get out of this battle alive!" Parilite snarled, then looked down the beast, "ATTACK!!" At her command, the youma moved swiftly forward; forcing the four senshi to split up.
"Celestial Sniper!" Gemini shouted, as she leaped aside and fired another arrow at it; desperately hoping to slow its' advance.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury cried; trying to combine her attack with Gemini's…..only to end up getting brutally beaten back along with the Constellation Senshi for their efforts.
"Mercury! Gemini!!" Sailor Moon yelped, as she and Venus dashed to their sides; fearing for their lives, when they saw fresh blood on the pavement.
"D-don't worry about us! Keep your eyes on that thing!" Gemini gasped, as she struggled to keep a strong grip on her bow, since her left arm had been slashed by the beast's claws. With reluctant nods, Venus and Sailor Moon could only agree; destroying the monster before it could get away and hurt anyone else was the top priority, at the moment….as much as they both hated to admit it.
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" Venus shouted, angrily; her attack actually managing to stun the monster, and giving Mercury and Gemini enough time to move to better positions, as well.
"Don't even think that that will save you!" Parilite howled, as she dove into the battle, as well; baring what appeared to be a crystalline sword, while she was at it.
"Sailor……Senshi….." a voice gasped, in the backs of their minds.
"Huh?!" the four silently yelped; freezing in response to that; whose voice had that been, just now?!
"W-when I…..give the signal….split up as quickly as you can…..from one another." The voice said, again; the weakness and pain in his tone now very evident to the quartet, then.
"You sure you can even fight? You sound like you've been hurt." Gemini responded, concernedly.
"Don't worry….I'll manage, somehow." The voice struggled to say, reassuringly.
"Okay…..We'll try to trust you." Venus said, before they all returned their full attention to the confrontation before them. The silent conversation had only taken just a few seconds, yet they knew that the timing was going to be difficult, at best, since both youma and woman were now attacking them.
"Now!" the same voice cried, moments later, when both enemies were close enough to one another that whatever blow he was going to use against them would hit both. With strong leaps, the four senshi separated; leaving the unsuspecting dark servant and her monster alone in the center of the clearing.
"Moonbeam Slash!" the voice shouted, strongly, as a wave of what appeared to be concentrated moonlight roared towards the pair.
"NO!!" Parilite screamed, before the powerful sure-kill tore into her and the monster; forcing her to teleport away at the last moment, and as the youma was torn completely apart by it, shortly afterwards.
"Whoa….." Gemini muttered, as she beheld what was happening right before her eyes.
"Couldn't have said it better myself….." Venus wholeheartedly agreed, from a position just opposite her. Even though she had been a senshi even longer than Sailor Moon had, she had never seen that much power from one person (aside from Galaxia, of course).
"I don't think that was the end of that 'Parilite' woman, though. She'll probably be back for another battle, later on." Mercury intelligently said, even though she sounded like she honestly wanted to believe that the sure-kill had finished off the dark servant, as well.
"Unfortunately, you could be right about that. You all right over there, Mercury?" Gemini asked.
"Just a bump on the head. Your injury is even worse than mine, though." Mercury replied, as she remembered the ugly gash on the other senshi's arm. With a wince, Gemini looked down at her left arm; blood was flowing freely from the deep wound, and she knew without even asking that it would take stitches to help it heal, now.
"And I don't think Sailor Moon will take too kindly my asking Tuxedo Kamen to heal it, this time around." Gemini mused, sourly; not looking forward to the imminent hospital visit, as she and the three Planetary Senshi regrouped, and waited for their mysterious benefactor to appear before them.
"Itai…..This looks really bad, Sailor Gemini. Maybe we should go ahead and take you to the hospital to get that looked at." Sailor Moon murmured, as she gently got a closer look at the injury; seeming to have read Gemini's mind, and knowing that she didn't like the idea, at all.
"I'd rather not." Gemini muttered, in response.
"Then….let me see….the wound." The male voice they had heard before said, as its' owner emerged from the shadows. All four of the senshi standing there were horrified by the condition the man was in; deep wounds glistened sickeningly in the moonlight, from their places on his body. But what shocked them the most, was the fact that the stranger was wearing a modified tuxedo and an ornate mask!
"You shouldn't even consider it! You're in bad enough shape as it is! Helping me will only make your situation even worse!" Gemini shouted, as she stood up straighter and held her injured arm even tighter against her, in an unconscious effort to stem the bleeding. At this, the kamen only gave them a pained smile, and shook his head.
"You needn't worry…." The strange kamen murmured, as he slowly reached out, gently took the wounded senshi's arm into his hands, and focused his powers on it. Within moments, the bleeding had stopped, and the torn flesh had closed; leaving only a jagged scar and the ripped edge of the bloodstained glove to prove that there had even been a wound at all.
"Amazing…." Gemini muttered, as she experimentally flexed her arm, and was pleased to find that there wasn't even any residual pain in it.
"Gemmi! Are you all right?!" Solar's voice yelped, as she raced over to her, with Pisces, Auriga, Vega, and Virgo right behind her; all of them showing the same amount of worry, and then fear for her, when they saw the bloodstains on Gemini's shredded glove and down the side of her senshi uniform.
"I'm okay now, thanks to this guy." Gemini said, as she motioned to the white-cloaked kamen with a wave of her hand and a worried look in his direction. And it didn't take Solar and the rest long to figure out why.
"Damn! What the hell happened to you?! You look like you've had the shit beaten out of you!" Solar nearly shouted, when she'd seen how haggard the kamen looked.
"Long story……and one I don't think I have much time left to tell……" the kamen whispered, weakly; wavering even as he stood there, yet allowing himself some surprise, when Gemini slung one of his arms over her shoulders in an effort to support him, then gave him a stern look in response to that.
"Don't talk that way. We'll help you get through this, so don't give up! Don't you dare give up!" Gemini said, strongly; her tone of voice not only surprising the kamen, but also herself, also.
"Who are you, sir? Where did you come from?" Mercury asked; voicing the questions that were now on all of their minds.
"I…..I am….Tsukikage no Knight…..I was the Guardian of the Silver Millennium, one thousand years ago…..and I have awakened…..because an ancient evil has returned…..One that you will need…..all the aid you can gather…..in order to defeat him……" the kamen managed, from between gasps; his voice fading, as his strength left him.
"Hyourin no Yotogi…..You're the true Tsukikage no Knight….." Venus murmured, as the ancient memories returned to her, of the lone, solitary knight that had watched over the Moon Kingdom so long ago. The kamen nodded, vaguely, in response to his old title.
"The 'true' Tsukikage no Knight? But I was led to believe that he was a shadow of Tuxedo Kamen-sama's desire to protect us, when Ail and Ann had been attacking….." Sailor Moon said, confusedly; barely able to understand just what was going on before her. This bedraggled kamen actually shared the title Endymion's 'soul' had taken on, all that time before? How was that possible?
"It is who I am…..Serenity-hime….." the kamen managed, as he slowly sunk to his knees; causing genuine alarm to appear on Gemini's face, and as the rest of the Constellation Senshi rushed forward to try and help keep him from slipping from her grasp, and landing face-first on the ground. Without another word, Sailor Moon then kneeled before him, reached up, and gently removed his mask; her eyes widening in shock, when she beheld the face behind it.
"Mamoru-san?!" Gemini yelped, before anyone else could gather their wits to say a single word.
"No…..Nor am I…..Prince Endymion…..If you must…..call me by a name…..then call me this…..Yuuyami Kumori…..An abandoned child of the Earth Royal Family…..and adopted son of the Queen of the Moon….." the kamen stubbornly said, before consciousness left him; leaving the senshi with more questions than answers…..
"Just what in the world happened to him? And why is there such bitterness towards Mamoru-san and the late Golden Kingdom? It just doesn't make sense!" Gemini mused, as she listened for the arrival of the rest of the senshi and the kamens; knowing without even needing to ask, that the battle ahead was bound to be harder than the one that had just been wrapped up. Much harder.
Author's Note!
After a long hiatus, here's the second part of my Sailor Moon story! I hope this wasn't a boring read, and that I have a few more surprises in store for you all! Thanks for reading!
Gemini14