The Memory Keeper

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thanks to the few who've been reading this. I figured I wouldn't have too many readers and it always makes me immensely pleased to see that there are some of you lot out there interested in what I have to write. I thought I'd comment quickly on the apt observation that SaturnsFirefly made in a review—yes, you're right to make your assumptions. I'm not going to say more than that, since then it would spoil everything and we don't want that, now, do we? Anyways, keep reading and if you find the time, tell me what you think! I love reviews and, while I don't need them to keep writing, it's always good encouragement to know I'm leaving readers wanting to see more.

Chapter 6: Fight and Flight

"Kari!" There a chaos all around her, as the hall exploded into attacks and defensive maneuvers. She could hear the vague screams from those caught in the crossfire and, without thinking, went into her own attack mode. It was easy to slip into, her eyes growing dark as she lashed out against her attackers. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Juno send an attack soaring into Sailor Orion's back and, with a snarl, Kari leapt into action, her hands glowing with the dark red energy. "Dionysus Solar Wave!" Her voice rang out loud and clear, sending the green clad Senshi flying backwards into the wall. Wordlessly, she reached a gloved hand out, helping Orion to her feet. "You okay?" It wasn't so much out of concern but Orion nodded anyways before Kari ran back into the fray, trying to find her sister.

"Kari!" Her head snapped to the side when she saw her sister. There was a moment of pause as the two, the uncertainty in Star's eyes while Kari remained fierce. They should have held the upper hand—they had better numbers and were the best that the Empress had to offer. Yet already three of them had been destroyed and that left six. Kari wasn't going to let them kill Star as she rushed to her sister, ready to fight alongside her.

"We'll take them together, yeah?" Kari breathed her eyes narrowed. But Star wasn't listening and, turning her head to see where her sister was looking, she saw the doors to the garden balcony open and the two men she had left behind not long ago. There was utter relief and a surge of love in Sirius' eyes as he joined the fray, calling upon his own powers, a sword that glimmered ringing through the air as he fought to reach Star, who couldn't believe that he was here of all places.

"What-?" Star asked breathlessly as his arms reach out, grasping her, holding her close before she can finally form words again. He interrupts her instead, kissing her before he spoke finally.

"It's a long story." There's a cheeky smirk on his lips before they let go of one another. "Now, let's say we get out of here alive." As Star and Sirius entered in to defend their Senshi, Kari's eyes flashed over to where she saw the Empress and the Queen facing one another, the Queen circling around her Empress like a cat toying with its prey.

"You don't think you can beat me that easily, do you?" The Empress growled, her eyes flashing, holding her hands out before her as the static energy of red and gold erupted from her fingertips. "Not when I have my own powers to use against you."

Queen Serenity smirked at the Empress. "You're no match for me," The staff she held slammed to the ground and the light from the Imperial Silver Crystal echoed against the walls, seeming to cause everyone else to stop, all eyes upon the two powerful women as they faced off. The play of light and power against one another drew all attention as they danced around one another, neither gaining the advantage as they struggled to gain the upper hand in it. Kari held her breath, waiting for the moment when their Empress or the Queen Serenity would gain control and destroy the other, unable to draw herself away from it.

Finally, with one short, powerful blast, the Empress sent Serenity flying backwards into the wall, bits of the wall falling when the Queen slumped to the ground. There was a collective gasp all around, both of horror and astonishment as the Empress turned to the people, a look of unadulterated smugness in her eyes, holding her hands up in power. "And the victor takes all," She cried out, laughing, her eyes dancing with a strange darkness that Kari had never seen in her leader before now. It was unnerving, even for the stoic, strong soldier that she had become, to see this. "The strongest beats the weak…"

What none of them had seen coming was the sudden thrust of the Queen's staff, shoving the end of it right through the Empress' abdomen. She gasped, her eyes growing wide, glancing down at the end of the pole, dripping with sticky blood sticking out in front of her. The staff was pulled out and the Empress slowly fell to her knees, struggling to breathe as Serenity stood in all her glory over the Queen. "The good always triumph," She hissed. The silver crystal glowed brightly and, flipping the staff, the woman didn't hesitate as Opale vaporized before everyone's eyes, turning to silver dust upon the floor.

There was a dull roaring in Kari's ears as she stared where her Empress had once been. Her mouth was dry and there was a strange emotion pressing down on her chest as she struggled to take in a breath. No, Empress Opale couldn't be dead! She couldn't simply die! But the proof was right before her dark eyes as she tried to piece herself back together. From the distance, she heard the shouts from Serenity breaking her thoughts. "Kill them all!" They couldn't survive on their own and their power was dwindling. Kari didn't like the thought but now it was time to flee the scene, to recuperate and wait until they could move again. Her head snapped to the side as she saw Sirius.

"Take Star and get out of here!" She yelled over the din, managing to duck out of the way when an attack came soaring towards her. "I'll follow—just get her out of here!" Their eyes met and Sirius knew that Kari would follow wherever Star went, no matter what. He grasped Star's hand and, speaking swiftly into her ear, she nodded and, giving her twin one last glance, the two made a run for it, hurrying towards the gardens where they could easily use their own means to teleport off Earth to someplace safe. Kari watched them go until she couldn't see them any longer before she leapt back into things, rushing to spread the word that they couldn't fight for much longer if they wanted to live.

"Osiris, we must-!" Kari had raced to the young woman and didn't expect for her to whirl around to pin her against a pillar. Kari gasped and snarled when she realized Osiris had done this on purpose, her eyes alight with fire as she growled, "What do you expect to accomplish by taking me down, little one?" Her voice was laced with syrupy taunting. "You can't even take out a level 10 in the training room. I'm above your league and it's completely in my power to destroy you and by all means my right."

"When the dust settles, you shall not be the winner," Her true colors showing, Osiris laughed a cruel laugh. Yet she hadn't expected the blow to come on so powerful and so quickly as Kari surged everything towards the woman, throwing her back onto the ground. The wind knocked from her lungs, she lay there stunned, unable to move when the High Princess closed in to finish the job. Kari's fingers wrapped around the other woman's neck as she lifted her off the ground, spite and malice written on her face as she gazed into Osiris' eyes.

"When the dust settles," She hissed over the noise, "You won't be alive to see anything." There was no time for Osiris to struggle as the energy from Kari's hands surged through her body, blowing the traitor into a million little pieces. Gasping for air, Kari stared down mercilessly to the pile as she let the rage consume her when she turned back to the battle.

The attack came down on her hard and strong, leaving Kari crying out in pain. There were so few of them left and now the tides had turned upon her. Kari was left defenseless as she fell to the ground, blood blooming across gashes upon her arms. She struggled back to her feet as two of the Senshi closed in on her. The battle should have been in her favor, being stronger of the two put together, but already she could feel her energy draining and the blood dripping from her arms left her slowly turning into what she hated—weak. The onslaught didn't last long as she struggled to hold her own, her body slowly becoming bruised and broken as she collapsed to the ground. Perhaps it was better this way, she thought bitterly. They had lost their leader and now there was no way to go back to how it had been. She waited for the final blow to strike her, to leave her dead where she lay. Yet it never came.

The golden light was a curious sight indeed, for it was something unexpected. It flowed through the windows and the Senshi gasped, covering their eyes, shielding it from the power that glowed from the unknown source. Their attention was drawn away from the fallen soldier as the figure moved through the light, laying gentle hands upon Kari's body. She stirred, groaning lightly.

"Shut up or they'll continue on with this," The familiar voice muttered and, heaving her upwards (for it was hardly an easy task to do effortlessly when she couldn't move of her own accord) the light pulled back into them. Everything was so bright that Kari had to shut her eyes, hissing as a rushing noise flooded her hearing. She could hear shouts and cries of indignation but they faded away as a different sound floated around her. The gentle whisper of a breeze and the faded song of birds as she and her savior collapsed to the grassy ground.

It took a few long moments before she dared to attempt opening her eyes. The light was fading from the sky, which made it easier on her eyes as she blinked them open. They were in a field of sorts and Kari could hear the last calls of the birds leaving with the setting sun. Confusion flooded her mind as she tried to get up, giving a sharp cry as she placed weight on her hand, immediately finding her face buried into the earth.

"Careful," The voice warned and, lifting her face off the ground Kari could make out the features of the apprentice priest as he carefully lifted her wrist. "Looks like you may have broken it." He frowned when Kari gave a hoarse, bitter laugh. "What's so funny?"

"It's not," Everything hurt and, struggling against the darkness, Kari knew she couldn't win. Her body slumped to the ground, eyes closed as she succumbed to it, the visions of the battle replaying in her mind even as she slept.