Disclaimer: I own nothing except my Zodiac Senshi and the new enemy. Oh, and Kyoko. Ugh, currently writing this while enduring a viral infection, so if the story just ends abruptly with a bunch of "W"s…I passed out on the keyboard. Just kidding. : )
Heirs of Tomorrow: The First Heir – Aries (Part 3)
"Father Marcus?"
The ruby-haired priest turned, calmly turning to the student who had just whispered to him. It was currently just after lunch, and the campus chapel he was currently occupying was silent and solemn; the Virgin Mary in stained glass gazing serenely on the pews.
"Yes?" He asked. "How can I help you?"
The priest then hesitated as his bright grey eyes locked with two familiar midnight eyes. Isn't that the girl from this morning? That priestess? he thought with surprise. He couldn't explain exactly why he had gone up to the temple that morning; he had other, more important plans that he had needed to take care of. His best excuse was that he felt…attracted to the temple, as though tremendous power, holy power, were stored within.
Something clicked within the man's head, and he smiled gently. Perhaps…I have found what I came to retrieve…and this maiden could be the key. The priest shook himself from his musings and returned his attention to the present.
Rei was mentally berating herself for just standing there like some dumb puppet. What is wrong with me? Why did I even go after him in the first place? Gods, Rei, get a hold of yourself. He's only a man. With that encouragement, Rei gathered herself and attempted to think of a reason for calling on the new counselor. "I'm Hino Rei. I just wanted to welcome you to the school. I hope that you have an excellent year here as well."
"Thank you, Rei. That was thoughtful of you".
"I also…well, I have something of a question to ask you."
The nagging feeling in Rei's abdomen was not going to go away until she asked this, despite knowing full well that it wasn't really her business. "Why did you come to the temple this morning? You were more than welcome to come inside and make a wish," she added quickly, not wanting to appear more than casual.
The gray eyes widened, startled that this girl had touched exactly on the question he'd been asking himself. Then, Father Marcus closed his eyes and turned towards the altar. "Perhaps…your temple reminded me of something from my past, despite the obvious difference in religion. When I was much younger, I remember how I used to love spending time in the chapel, watching the worshippers go to and fro. I'd stay in the shadows, since most people back home can become intimidated by a… a priest in their midst." The redheaded clergyman chuckled softly, not even aware of what he was saying, or why he was telling this strange girl all of this. He was telling her the genuine truth, and wanted to say more, but just coughed politely and turned back to Rei.
"I must say, Rei, you have a gift. I feel highly at ease speaking to you; I'm usually more guarded." Father Marcus smiled kindly.
I feel the same way around you! Rei felt drawn to the young priest, like the two of them were a part of something larger and similar. It wasn't like what she had felt, that one time, about her father's assistant, that ill-founded crush. This wasn't anything like love; it was more like belonging, as though they shared the same blood. There was an unexplainable understanding between them, like a small torch that had just come into contact with a wildfire.
For several minutes, the two of them just stayed rooted before the altar, ebony eyes meeting diamond gray, until the moment was finally broken by a rather loud voice.
"Father Marcus!" Kyoko called, running through the aisle up to the altar. She skidded to a halt, eyeing the now flushing Rei. "Oh, hey Rei," Kyoko said more quietly, grinning as always. The blonde's eyes then narrowed as a catlike grin spread across her face. She nudged Rei's hip with an elbow and whispered, "Nice going, Rei, getting the cute priest all alone…"
Kyoko's head was saved from the impact of Rei's hand as Father Marcus cleared his throat. "Is there anything I can help you with?" he spoke, addressing Kyoko. Kyoko's light brown eyes glittered, "Oh yeah, but…um…" she glanced at Rei meaningfully. Catching the hint, Rei gave a quiet goodbye to Father Marcus and departed, thoughts still preoccupied with the handsome young man.
Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to commence with the plan.
Father Marcus glanced back at Kyoko, who was holding a white envelope up to his face. The rambunctious girl was blushing fiercely and babbling something about a love confession, how much she liked him, her birthday, blood type and her special talent.
Wait…did she just say her birthday was March…27…?
Calmly, the new priest took hold of the letter and gently extracted it from Kyoko's hands, halting the whirlwind of words being tossed at him.
"Father?" she asked, barely hiding her excitement. Gray eyes flashed at Kyoko is response as the man held a orchid-pale hand to her forehead.
An angry red glow lit up Father Marcus's hand from beneath, spilling onto the blonde student's forehead as her chestnut eyes went blank. Seconds later, the hand was removed, revealing a small red symbol on Kyoko's brow: a blood-colored line split down the center; the split ends curled to resemble tiny horns.
"Was it not the Christian God who mentioned something about leading the flocks?" the smooth baritone of the clergyman became more lilting, and had taken on a darker undertone. "Now, little Kyoko, become one of my sheep…the Avatar of Aries!"
Jyuuban High School
"Awwwww, I'm going to be late for my next class!" Usagi came to a screeching stop in front of her locker, panting like a dog. Having missed lunch, the odango-headed girl was about to drop from exhaustion as she flung open her locker and was about to plunge headfirst into the steel "landfill", as Minako had put it.
Before she could move a finger, Usagi's wide eyes fell on a pale blue note taped onto the locker door. "What's this?" she asked, turning the paper over. On the other side was a note:
"The Martian priestess Is to be sacrificed to The Arian Ram."
Usagi just stared at the weird haiku, eyes twirling with confusion. Without warning, a vivid image appeared before her eyes: Rei, leaping out of the path of a slender, ram-headed youma who had just bashed its horns into the ground Rei had just been standing on.
Martian priestess…Oh, my god! Rei! Usagi's thought screamed in alarm as she took off down the hall, golden brooch in hand.
TA Private School for Girls
Rei somersaulted out of the youma's way as it charged for her a fifth time. A female youma wearing a red, dress-like robe, with the head of a small ram and calling itself "Enyo", had mysteriously appeared and was rampaging throughout the school grounds; a red symbol, resembling a split line with horns, was prominent on its forehead. Girls everywhere were screaming and clambering to escape as the six-foot monster attempted to destroy everything in its path.
From above, a lone figure, hair floating on the breeze, watched.
Good, most of the girls are out of the way, Rei observed. Quick as lightning, she dashed behind the corner of the school gym, whipping out the Mars Crystal while the beast paused to catch its breath.
Rei held up the scarlet crystal, shouting "MARS CRYSTAL POWER MAKE-UP!"
Alerted by the noise, Enyo raced towards the corner of the building on its cloven feet, snorting with rage. Sudden flames shot up, blinding Enyo and singeing its face. The youma roared furiously, as a shadow appeared some distance away from it.
"How dare you attack a school of young girls? Defender of all women, I, Sailor Mars, will not forgive you!" Sailor Mars stepped closer, high heels clicking on the pavement. Holding out one hand, a bow of red flames and a burning arrow appeared; Sailor Mars aimed it at the creature, who simply bellowed and began to charge again.
Sailor Mars began to yell out, "Mars Flame Snip –"
"Blazing Gethsemane!"
A swirl of ruby red flames spiraled down towards Sailor Mars's arm, causing her to cry out with pain as she was flung to the ground. "W-what was that?" Mars's eyes darted around, nursing her wounded arm. Enyo halted, staring upwards and pawing the ground nervously.
"So, you finally appear, Sailor Mars!"
From the top of the gym, a figure leaped down, landing without a scratch before Sailor Mars. It was a Sailor Senshi with hair the color of bleeding rubies and eyes shining like smoky diamonds. Her Senshi uniform was red, like Sailor Mars, but her chest bow resembled that of Eternal Sailor Moon crossed with Sailor Saturn, with white wings, small white ribbons and a crystalline, starburst brooch; her earrings matched the brooch perfectly. At the center of the brooch was a red jewel decorated with the same symbol on Enyo's forehead. Her shoes resembled red combat boots with extra buckles, and a red and white cape fluttered over the Senshi's shoulders. Instead of a gemstone, her tiara sported the same starburst as her brooch. In her right hand was a clear broadsword, seemingly made of diamond, bearing the same symbol as Enyo once again, embossed on the blade.
"Who are you?" Mars asked with suspicion. The strange Senshi bowed, "I am Sailor Aries, the Soldier of War and all that is holy. I am here…for your Sailor Crystal!"
Quicker than thought, Sailor Aries brought the sword in her hand up and swung, yelling "Blazing Gethsemane!"The sword sent an arc of ruby flames hurtling towards Sailor Mars, barely missing her stomach as she bent backwards to avoid the blast.
Seizing the opportunity, Sailor Aries lunged forward, grabbing the heart shaped crystal at the center of Mars's chest. Sailor Mars screamed as blazing red energy crackled around her Mars Crystal, clutched tightly in Aries's hand. Oblivious to the Senshi's cries, Sailor Aries started to pull at the crystal as Sailor Mars's transformation began to vanish in a haze of sparkling red.
A star-littered swirl of dark blue energy smacked against Aries's head, forcing her to release the crystal and reel back. Sailor Mars, devoid of her Senshi uniform and completely engulfed in a red glow, crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Aries painfully groaned and opened an eye, spotting a figure quickly running out of sight, a small cape streaming out behind the silhouette. Just then a voice shouted, "STOP RIGHT THERE!"
Aries turned to the left to see a furious Eternal Sailor Moon glaring at her. Sailor Moon continued, "You call yourself a Sailor Senshi, but you attack helpless girls? And one of my friends? I'll never forgive you!"
Posing, Sailor Moon began her speech, "For love and justice – Pretty Soldier in a Sailor Suit! SAILOR MOON!" She ending her introduction by pointing at Aries, "In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
Aries's gritted her teeth, then growled out, "It looks like I'm not going to be so lucky today, as I had hoped. However, I'll return for that crystal!" She threw a quick, brief glance at the fallen Sailor Mars, then leaped up, vanishing in a red flash. Enyo roared once more as the red symbol vanished as well. Like a butterfly emerging from a pupa, the youma's body slumped as its ram head vanished and its form shrunk down. With a last flash of light, Kyoko's body appeared, also unconscious, laying face up on the concrete.
Eternal Sailor Moon ran towards Sailor Mars, cradling her body in her arms. "Rei," Sailor Moon shouted, beginning to cry, "wake up! C'mon, open your eyes!" Rei stirred briefly, but then slumped back as the transformation fully disappeared, leaving her in her school uniform. Blood soaked through the sleeve of Rei's right arm; the Sailor Crystal in her hand remained intact, although it had lost most of its fiery glow. In the distance, police sirens wailed.
Elsewhere
"You were unsuccessful, Aries?"
The red haired Senshi stiffened at the dark tone. "I-I managed to drain Sailor Mars's energy…"
Another Senshi stepped forward into the light, clad in a lavender equivalent of Sailor Aries's uniform. Her chilling tone cut through Aries's explanation, "You did not bring back the Mars Crystal…or Sailor Aquarius's head, as you so claimed. That counts as failure in our eyes, Aries. And you well know…" the lavender Senshi fingered a silvery weapon in her hand, a trident, then aimed the prongs of the trident at Aries, whose eyes widened with fear.
"You well know the penalty for failure," the dark voice finished for the Senshi as she raised her trident. Black bolts of energy streaked towards Aries and through her, surrounding her body in a black aura which started to disintegrate any part of her it touched. The screams finally ceased as Sailor Aries was reduced to a pile of ashes; the sword at her side clattered to the floor and shattered to pieces.
Somewhere in the darkness, a small rack was illuminated, revealing several black crystals. Each crystal was surrounded by a different colored essence. Without warning, a black one surrounded in red essence cracked and burst apart, shards of black crystal flying in all directions.
"So…who will be the next to go?" the dark voice chirped with glee.
"We will go next!" came a choral reply from deep within the dark abyss.
Notes:
Took that from another manga side story, "Casablanca Memories"; it goes into a bit of Rei's past. By the way, in case anyone was wondering, "youma" are the typical monsters that the Sailor Senshi face in every episode. Also, Usagi's hairstyle in the Japanese version is referred to as "odango" (dumplings); the US equivalent was "Meatballs". : )