Chapter Seven
Turning the Tables
The girls gathered at the Shrine, assembling as always in Rei's bedroom. This time, they had one more person joining them and hopefully all the unanswered questions could be brought to light.
Mikko could hardly believe all that had happened to her. She was finally seeing things clearly, now that her thoughts were properly organized. She knew who she was, who she had been, and what she had to do. As she watched the other girls chatting as Rei served them all tea, she wondered if they had it in their hearts to forgive her.
Usagi flashed her a bright smile and sat down at the table next to her. Mikko could not help but feel proud at who the blonde girl had become. She felt a tear in her eye as she thought back to her time on the Moon Kingdom, and also felt deeply ashamed at the grief she had caused.
"Now," Luna said matter-of-factly. "Why not start at the beginning?"
Mikko blushed. "I'm afraid that will take some time, and I don't think I have everything sorted out quite yet. How about I explain what I can?"
The others nodded, eager for information. Mikko could still tell they were wary of her, and knew they had every right to be. She would have to prove herself to them. She took a deep breath as she collected her thoughts, and began to speak.
"I was on the Moon Kingdom," Mikko said. "My team and I were called the Protectors, and we guarded the royal family. We were also in charge of the young senshi, mentoring and teaching them about their powers."
She couldn't help but glance at Usagi as she spoke. The blonde girl caught the look and her eyes widened in surprise. Mikko looked away. She knew if she stopped speaking now, her fear and shame would not let her carry on. Focusing her gaze on her hands folded in her lap, she continued.
"After the Negaverse destroyed the Moon Kingdom, I can only assume that we were sent to Earth as well, perhaps to guard the princess and her senshi. Something must have happened to me… I ended up on a desolate asteroid without any knowledge of my senshi powers, or of the Moon Kingdom. I could transform, but there was an emptiness inside me where I think my powers were supposed to be. I found that I needed powers to feel whole, so I hunted for them.
"When I came to Earth, I had already killed a lot of senshi. I never knew why I enjoyed senshi so much, taking their powers into me temporarily filled the void, but with every senshi I craved more. It never occurred to me then that I might be trying to find my own lost powers; I thought I was simply born to hunt. Then I met Sailor Minos – Calliste. I knew her in my human form as well. We were best friends, inseparable. She was also the senshi I knew I must destroy."
A tear fell down Mikko's cheek as she spoke. It was obvious she mourned the death of Calliste, the only true friend she had ever known. Her hands clenched together tightly on her lap, knowing she would never have that kind of happiness again and that she had ruined it.
"Why destroy her if you were friends?" Artemis asked. Luna smacked him with her paw, irritably.
"I didn't know," Mikko said simply. "Not until she lay dying in my arms, I didn't know Minos and Calliste were the same person, anymore than she knew I was Janus. When I took her powers, the void disappeared. I was whole again, and she was a part of me. I had all my memories of the Moon Kingdom, my memories as the senshi killing Janus, and all of Calli's memories of Sailor Minos."
"How is that possible?" Rei asked. "How could killing Minos given you what no other senshi could give you before?"
Mikko shook her head. "I don't know. All I know is that, thanks to Usagi, I know my proper duty. I was reborn on Earth not to kill senshi, but to find Serenity's court and guide them as I had done in the past. It looks like you all managed fine on your own, anyway."
Minako turned to the cats. "I thought you were sent to guide us."
Artemis shrugged. "So did I. Maybe Janus was supposed to protect you before we had to awaken your powers?"
"Or maybe Janus was supposed to train you to fight like warriors," Luna added. "I certainly couldn't help Usagi with that."
"Luna!" Usagi exclaimed indignantly.
Mikko couldn't help but smile. "I'm proud of you, Princess. You turned out as I had hoped you would: brave, confident, powerful, and strong."
Usagi blushed. Rei laughed and shook her head.
"You should have seen her when she started out as Sailor Moon!" Rei gasped. "If it hadn't been for Tuxedo Kamen, she would've died in that first battle!"
"You weren't perfect either, Rei!" Usagi snapped.
Mikko shook her head. "I'm sorry, Princess. I should have been there to teach you. And I'm sorry to you too, Luna. I know how much of a handful Serenity can be. I should have been here to help you with her."
Luna shook her head dismissively. "That's not your fault, and it's not important right now. Do you think Shade will leave now that you're no longer his ally?"
Mikko frowned as she thought. "My memories are still a little jumbled, but I can tell you for certain that Shade has only begun to fight. Now that I'm gone, he'll try even harder to please the Boss."
"The Boss?" Makoto questioned.
"Our leader. He's the one who brought us to Earth and ordered us to kill senshi. He was also the one who found me on the asteroid and raised me to hunt senshi."
Again, Mikko's eyes fell to her lap. Usagi put a comforting hand on her shoulder and smiled encouragingly.
"So it's not over yet," Minako sighed. "We have to deal with Shade and this Boss character."
"Shade is vain and desperate for attention," Mikko said. "He hates to fight personally, but would rather use youma to battle. I know you can handle him."
The others waited expectantly. The way Mikko had drifted off at the end of her sentence made it seem like she had more to say. The turquoise eyed girl was silent, however; staring at her hands with an expression of sadness and regret on her face.
"It's getting late," Luna said, breaking the awkward silence. "Usagi-chan, we should head home."
The others nodded in agreement and began to move. Mikko stayed where she was until Usagi shook her gently on the shoulder. Blinking out of her reverie, Mikko looked up at the young girl.
"Time to go home," Usagi said. "We'll see each other tomorrow."
Mikko nodded dumbly and stood. Without saying anything, she left the room and started the long walk back to her apartment.
The apartment was dark and dirty after so many days of neglect. Mikko had not been here in weeks, and everything was as Calliste had left it. Mikko walked through the place quietly, her fingertips brushing against the furniture, displacing the dust. She could almost hear Calliste behind her, disappearing into the shadows when she turned. She could feel Calliste within her still, the memories and thoughts of the girl she had killed, mingling freely with her own.
She remembered things she had not experienced personally. A joke she had heard on the radio, a fondness for a piece of furniture she had carved, the love of her parents when she was a child. All of these stolen thoughts belonged to Calliste, but they fit so well in her own mind, she found herself wondering if Calliste had really, truly existed. She paused in front of a picture of the two of them, smiling in delight in front of the store they had just purchased. Holding the photo, Mikko knew her friend had not been imaginary.
Descending the dark stairs that led from the apartment into the store below, Mikko instinctively began to start up the woodworking machines. She tied her hair back and pulled on a pair of heavy work gloves as the tools hummed to life. Quietly, she began to work, manipulating the wood as she thought of Calliste and the time she had wasted, too consumed in her desire for power to realize she had been happy.
Shade could still feel the fog in his throat. He coughed uncomfortably, his gloved hands massaging his throat to clear it. The effects of Janus' attack had taken some time to wear off, and as he lay weakly on his bed, he realized how dangerous Janus was as an enemy. She would have to be eliminated quickly for him to continue harvesting senshi.
The Boss was still convinced Janus would return to him, given time. He was blind in his love of the girl he had raised as his own, but Shade could see the truth. Janus was never coming back; in order for their plan to succeed, the Boss needed to realize this and plan accordingly. It was up to Shade to make him see the truth.
"What's the matter?" a teasing girlish voice asked. "Feeling sick?"
Shade rolled his eyes. "What do you care, Aura?"
A petit girl with pale, wispy blonde hair and large black eyes stepped in front of him. She had pale skin that almost glowed in the darkness and wore a flimsy green dress that left little to the imagination. Her appearance was quite fairy-like, but her personality was extremely volatile. Shade hated talking to her, knowing that anything he said could set her off. Wincing slightly, he rose from his bed to stand over the girl.
Aura frowned prettily. "Oh, Shade. I do care about you! You're like the brother I used to have, but ended up killing!"
She leaned forward on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. Shade suffered her momentary affection silently. This was only the calm before the storm.
"If you must know, Janus has turned against us and attacked me with that wretched fog of hers," Shade snapped.
Aura's already large eyes widened, and her small mouth turned into an 'O' of surprise. Shade caught a twinkle in her eye that told him she was amused at the turn of events and not as shocked as she appeared to be.
"How dreadful!" Aura gasped. "We should send her to her room without supper!"
Shade permitted himself a grin. "Why don't you go find her, Aura dear? The two of you were always so close."
Aura smiled menacingly, revealing sharp teeth that were oddly out of place in such a beautiful mouth. She winked at him and vanished. Shade smiled to himself and chuckled as he walked down the hallway to speak to the Boss.
The next morning, the sun shone brightly and the birds sang. All traces of the rainstorm of the previous day had disappeared, evaporating in the warmth of the day. Mikko felt her spirits lift slightly as she walked down the street towards the Shrine. She wasn't sure if the others would be there or not, but she felt the need to be with people who understood her. She stopped dead in the center of the sidewalk, much to the annoyance of the people walking behind her. Ignoring their calls as they pushed passed her, Mikko thought again about her destination. The person she really wanted to see was the princess, not the other senshi at the Shrine. She wanted to talk to the girl called Usagi and ask her about her life. Smiling to herself, she changed directions and headed to the Tsukino residence.
She saw Luna lying in the sun just outside the house. The black cat woke when she heard someone approaching and nodded to Mikko as the girl waved. Luna rose to her feet, stretched, and headed down the path to meet the visitor.
"Good morning," Luna greeted. "You seem much happier today."
Mikko smiled. "I did a lot of thinking last night, and I made a table and a few chairs while I was doing it. Apparently, I absorbed Calliste's skills as well as her memories. I came to see Usagi. Is she inside?"
Luna nodded. "She's having breakfast with her family."
Mikko hesitated. "Maybe I should come back…"
"Mikko!"
The girl raised her head to see Usagi standing in the doorway, waving her arm frantically to get the other's attention. Mikko smiled and waved back. Usagi gestured for her to come in and disappeared into the house, peeking around the side of the door when she realized Mikko had not yet moved. Turning back to Luna, Mikko shrugged and went inside. The black cat returned to sunning herself on the walkway.
"Hello, Usagi," Mikko said. "I came by to see if you wanted to go for a walk?"
Usagi nodded. "Sure! Mama! I'm going out for a walk!" she called back into the house as she struggled into her shoes.
The two girls left the house, Usagi patting Luna on the head as she passed, and headed down the street.
"What's new?" Usagi asked a few minutes later, after they had walked several blocks in silence.
Mikko smiled at her. "Tell me about yourself, Usagi."
"Well, I have a brother named Shingo. He drives me crazy sometimes, but he's an okay kid. I guess."
Mikko nodded but said nothing, encouraging Usagi to continue.
"I'm in high school. My friends helped me through the entrance exams and I think I'm doing okay so far. It's so much harder than middle school!"
"Any boyfriends?" Mikko asked suddenly.
Usagi blushed as the two girls rounded a corner and entered the park. The sun sparkled on the blue lake and a lot of couples sat on the hillside, enjoying the nice weather. Mikko and Usagi followed the path up the hill and towards the wooded area behind it.
"My boyfriend is studying in America," Usagi replied, twisting the ring Mamoru had given her absently with one finger. "His name is Mamoru."
"Is he Endymion, the Earth Prince?" Mikko pressed.
Startled, Usagi nodded. She glanced up at the other girl, who smiled at her.
"I'm glad," Mikko said. "I always hoped the two of you would find happiness."
Usagi stopped and sat down on a park bench, and Mikko followed. The black haired girl stretched her arms over her head and leaned back, tilting her head to stare up at the clouds. Usagi sat upright, her hands folded on her lap and her eyes staring at her hands.
"Mikko?" Usagi asked.
"Yes?"
"You said your team protected
and taught the other senshi. Us."
Mikko sat up and glanced curiously at Usagi. The blond girl risked a quick look at Mikko's face before staring back at her hands.
"Who did you teach?"
Mikko sighed, thinking back to the time on the Moon. Each member of her team had mentored a young senshi, molding them and preparing them to one day become the protectors of the new Queen. Leiko, the feisty Sailor Andromeda, had spent her time mentoring Lady Jupiter. Hiroko, the no-nonsense Sailor Fortuna showed Lady Venus how to lead the group. The spiritual Suma, Sailor Aegyptus, would always meditate with Lady Mars, and the soft spoken Yasu, Sailor Pandora, was often in the library with Lady Mercury. Mikko bit her lip and looked at Usagi, who was waiting expectantly for the answer. How could she tell the princess that she was the one who taught her? How would Usagi react, knowing the one who killed her friends once regarded her as a sister?
"Where have you been, young lady?"
Mikko looked up and saw a petite girl standing next to her. The girl had large innocent eyes and an expression of curiousity on her face. Usagi smiled warmly at her and opened her mouth to speak, but Mikko put a warning hand on her arm to silence her. Usagi glanced up at her new friend and saw the anger and hatred burning in her eyes.
"What do you want?" Mikko demanded.
Tears welled up in the other girl's eyes and her lower lip began to tremble. Usagi tried to say something to comfort the girl, but Mikko squeezed her arm tightly.
"After all this time," the girl whimpered, "you can't even say hello?"
Mikko rolled her eyes and sighed. "Hello Aura. What do you want?"
The girl pouted cutely and wagged a finger at Mikko. "You've been naughty, sister. Shade told me so."
Usagi blinked in surprised. Mikko held her hand firmly on Usagi's arm, but her eyes were riveted on Aura.
"You've made our Boss very upset," Aura continued, her arms clasped behind her back and her foot drawing patterns in the dirt. "Why are you mad at us?"
"I'm not mad," Mikko said soothingly. "I've changed. Knowing what I know now, I couldn't go back, even if I had a reason to."
Aura's foot stopped moving. Her arms straightened at her sides and her hands clenched into fists. The sad, pouty expression on her face hardened as she stared at Mikko. Her eyes flicked momentarily to Usagi, and she raised an eyebrow.
"It's
her, isn't it?" Aura asked. "Your other mortal died, so you replaced her with
this one?"
Mikko's eyes went cold and she
removed her hand from Usagi's arm. Aura gave her a knowing smile and wink as
Mikko rose to her feet.
"Shade was right," Aura said. "You are a traitor, but I can help you, sister. I can save you."
Mikko blinked as Aura twisted her body around to face Usagi. Her eyes turned red and she shot two beams of energy from her eyes at the defenseless girl.
"Usagi!" Mikko gasped, throwing herself towards her friend.
The twin beams struck Mikko as she pushed Usagi off the bench. The two girls rolled on the ground, sliding to a halt a few feet away. Usagi stared at Mikko in shock as the black haired girl groaned and pushed herself upright.
"Mikko! Are you all right?" Usagi asked.
"Fine," she replied through clenched teeth. "We have to get out of here."
She stumbled to her feet and took a few hesitant steps, wincing as she moved, before another blast knocked her down. Aura was walking towards her, clucking her tongue and shaking her head as if she were chiding a child.
"Dear, dear sister," Aura sighed. "You were my favourite, you know that? I'm almost sad to see you die."
Usagi stood, holding her brooch and staring defiantly at Aura. Mikko felt a growing dread in her stomach and she shook her head weakly.
"Moon Eternal, Make-Up!" Usagi called.
Aura's eyes widened in surprise as Sailor Moon suddenly appeared before her. Mikko closed her eyes and shook her head. The last thing she wanted to do was fight Aura.
"I can't let you interrupt friends on a beautiful day," Sailor Moon said.
Aura arched an eyebrow. "You can't let me? What are you going to do about it?"
"In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
Aura regarded her enemy for a moment, as if deciding whether or not she was serious. Finally, she burst out laughing. Sailor Moon frowned as Aura held her sides and roared with mirth.
"In the name of the Moon? Really? You and what army?"
"Me."
Aura stopped laughing and turned around. Sailor Janus was standing behind her, arms crossed over her chest and her face a mask of determination. Her eyes, however, betrayed the pain she still felt from Aura's previous two attacks. She drew the rapier she wore at her side and pointed it at Aura.
"Ah, Janus. There you are!" Aura exclaimed cheerfully. She looked the senshi up and down. "Nice uniform. Armour looks good on you."
"Enough talk, Aura. We both know Shade put you up to this. How long has he been controlling you?"
Aura's
already cruel eyes narrowed. "Shade? He can't control his own powers. How could
he possibly control me?"
Lunging forward, Aura created
a crystal sword in her right hand and thrust it at Janus. Caught slightly off
guard, Janus parried clumsily with her rapier. Aura smiled as she continued her
attack, forcing Janus to defend and quickly lose ground. Sailor Moon watched
with growing alarm as Aura cornered Janus against a tree, flicking the rapier
out of the senshi's hand. The weapon flew through the air and landed a few feet
from Sailor Moon, the momentum embedding the sword into the soft earth. Aura
placed her blade against Janus's neck.
"Poor misguided Janus," Aura whispered. "We used to have such fun together. What happened to you?"
"I saw the truth," Janus replied.
"And now, your powers will be mine. The Boss will be so proud of me!"
Aura moved her head closer to Janus, the blade still pressed firmly against her victim's neck. Janus tried to squirm out of her way as Aura got closer, pursing her lips to kiss Janus and absorb her energy.
"That's enough!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, pointing her Eternal Tier at Aura.
Distracted, Aura snarled and glared at Sailor Moon over her shoulder. In one swift movement, she used her blade to pin Janus firmly against the tree. One opponent secure, she charged at Sailor Moon, her fingernails elongating into claws. Sailor Moon yelped in surprise and winced as the Eternal Tier was knocked from her hands. Janus flinched sympathetically as Aura threw Sailor Moon across the hill with one easy motion.
"How dare you interrupt!" Aura screamed with rage.
"Ouch," Sailor Moon whimpered to herself. Raising her eyes, she saw Janus's rapier was within reach.
Aura was coming towards her again, her dark eyes glowing red as she prepared herself to shoot another energy beam. Sailor Janus tugged at the blade that held her against the tree, but it was no use. Frantically, she called to Sailor Moon.
"Use the rapier!"
Sailor Moon nodded and grabbed the sword, holding it awkwardly. Aura grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth, and caused another crystal sword to materialize in her hand.
"Protect yourself!" Janus called. "Use the rapier!"
"I don't know how to fight with a sword!" Sailor Moon wailed, running from Aura's attack.
"Yes, you do!" Janus told her. "You asked me before who I taught. It was you, Sailor Moon! I taught you how to be a warrior, and a leader. Use the rapier!"
Sailor Moon cried in alarm as Aura came flying towards her. Instinctively, she raised the weapon and blocked Aura's attack. The petite girl was taken aback as Sailor Moon began to duel with the sword, forcing her opponent back. Janus called out encouragements as Sailor Moon pushed Aura against the bench and knocked the crystal sword from her hand. Aura's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"This game is not over," she promised, disappearing into thin air.
Sailor Moon was grinning as she helped unpin Janus from the tree. Overcome with happiness, Sailor Janus engulfed her in a massive hug. Holding her at arms length after a few moments, there were tears in Janus's eyes.
"I couldn't be more proud of you, Princess," she said.
Sailor Moon gasped as Janus's eyes rolled into her head and she fell unconscious to the ground.
Aura sat on some barrels, her arms crossed over her chest and a large frown on her face. Shade chuckled to himself as he approached her, pushing some of his hair from his face. Aura turned herself around so her back was facing him and exhaled dramatically.
"Not so easy, is it?" Shade asked.
Aura didn't reply.
"Looks like our dear sister stumbled on some new power when she deserted us."
Shade paused for a moment, knowing full well Aura was listening to him, but unsure whether the girl would rise to the bait. The figure on the barrels didn't move.
"Imagine all that power," Shade continued. "It's going to waste inside of Janus. It truly belongs to someone who will use it, who's not afraid to take it."
Shade smiled to himself as Aura slowly turned around to face him. Her black eyes were curious, but still full of suspicion. He tugged off one of his gloves and stared at the black circle on his palm. It glowed slightly, echoing his own anticipation.
"A simple touch is all it would take," he mused to himself. Aura was listening more closely now.
Time to reel the fish in, Shade thought.
He glanced back at her, and she looked away abruptly as if she had just been caught. He cupped her chin with his gloved hand and turned her head to face her. She didn't resist as he traced her lips with his thumb.
"A simple kiss, even," he added, "and all her powers would be ours."
Aura yanked her chin out of his grasp. "I almost had her."
"But you failed."
"Sailor Moon – "
"Is too weak to even be considered a senshi. Really, Aura. I'm ashamed of you."
Aura's eyes narrowed. "You're not the boss of me!"
"But I am," the Boss' deep voice echoed through the room. "Stop fighting like children. There are still senshi out there."
Aura stuck her tongue out at Shade and disappeared. Glancing at his palm again, Shade pulled his glove back on and turned to vanish in the shadows.
