AN: Oh hey! It's me! Back with another chapter! So, let me be completely honest here, and you let you guys know that this was the hardest chapter I have written so far. There were several ways I could have written it, and several scenarios that I could have chosen that would have ultimately led me to the same pre-planned ending. It was really hard to make certain creative decisions, and I agonized over them (probably way more than I should have,) for days. Ultimately, I think I made the right decision with my choices, and I hope that you guys agree.
So here's a couple of well-deserving shout-outs- from the bottom of my fanfiction writing heart-
I need to wholly thank my beautiful, equally talented Bae-tas, Aya faulkner, Ninjette Twitch and Revy679. Guys, these ladies are not only my friends, but they are also my writing muses! Seriously! I call them Bae-tas, because they don't just read my stuff, they edit and tear it apart too. I couldn't do it without them! Please check out their stuff. They are such good writers, with so much fun stuff to read! Revy, just so you know, my Mina/Kunz is dedicated to you! ;)
To my reviewers, followers and favouriters, thank you! Guys, a follow and a review makes my Sailor Moon life. Pia bartolini, every time I get a review from you, I legitimately squeal! I know I've already told you this, but your in-depth reviews make me feel so valued in this fandom!
I've also joined the Tumblr world! I like posting updates and stuff there, so if you want, Follow me at blog/beej88.
Okay, I hope you like this chapter! Please read and if you do, don't forget to review!
Chapter 9
A person worthy of love
If she'd been given a choice, she would have preferred to have been assigned the privilege of chasing down the blonde-haired whore that had ruined all of their lives and tear her pretty little face into unrecognizable shreds. Instead, she'd been sent to the past to locate their black-haired demon offspring and bring him back to Ash.
It wasn't that Esmeraude doubted her ability to locate the creature. She was a pro, after all, and she'd spent years honing the ability to track and destroy her enemy, but it was not going to slake her thirst for blood. She shivered with pleasure, her eyes closed blissfully, as she imagined wrapping her fingers around the Queen's neck again, but this time, actually feeling the snap of bones as she pictured the life draining from the ugly blue of her eyes.
The daydream passed quickly, and Esmeraude sighed, a sulky pout puckering onto her red-stained lips. She'd been searching for hours for some kind of signature from the squalid spawn that belonged to Crystal Tokyo's royalty, but they'd underestimated the remaining protectors' ability to mask its energy signature.
Esmeraude gritted her teeth in frustration, a sullen scowl falling over delicate features as she sat perched on the steeled edge at the top of a skyscraper. She scanned the bustling Tokyo streets beneath her, the sun dipping below the skyline, leaving blood-red and orange-hued streaks in its wake.
Ash had been so quick to assume that without the King, Queen and rabbit, that this would be easy. She'd had her reservations of course, though she knew better than to voice them.
She clenched slender fingers into fists and forcibly swallowed a lump of envy that was lodged in her throat. It was so unfair that she'd been born in squalor while the Queen had been granted unsurpassable powers and a seemingly endless band of men and women that would die to protect her. The fury bubbled up, almost painfully, in her chest and she practically choked on her jealous rage. She hated that stupid bitch.
She strengthened her resolve to destroy their pride and joy; the filthy abomination that they'd created, the male heir to the future city that they'd gleefully laid waste to. Her muscles coiled in anticipation and she launched herself into the air. The Maleficent power from the dangling crystals on her ears provided her with the ability to float, ensconced within a shimmering black bubble, high above the city.
It was time to lure out the pestilence.
She knew that she looked magnificent; like a green-haired, dark angel of death, - naturally more beautiful than the disgusting wretch of a Queen- as she raised her arms into the air and concentrated on transporting one of Saphir's droids into the past. A snake-like smile curled maliciously onto her face as the maleficent crystal pulled and prodded through the thinly veiled threads of time. With a screech of hissing metal and a dusky black pop of light, a hollowed-eyed droid burst into existence and landed, with jarring impact, amidst one of the busiest intersections of Minato, Tokyo.
She sighed in blissful pleasure at the loud muffled screams of terror that echoed dully around her. She hadn't summoned the most powerful droid, it was only going to be used as bait after all, but she hoped that there would be some casualties before the Senshi arrived. She just needed to wait a couple more minutes before there were simultaneous pops of lights and elemental battle cries below her.
She was very careful to stay out of sight, remaining hidden as she watched the royal guardians with unfettered disdain as they fought. She'd attempted this before; to follow the Senshi afterwards once they were not transformed, but every time she'd failed miserably. They usually disappeared without a trace shortly after they decimated the Dark Moon Clans carefully crafted creations. This time she was determined to expose them. She absolutely needed to succeed.
Her eyes scanned their fighting stances, and she knew she'd have to make the correct decision.
Who would the bitch have entrusted her kid to?
She knew the black-haired fire guardian was very close to her, though she doubted the priestess would be her first choice, so perhaps not her. Esmeraude chewed her lower lip in contemplation as the brunette exploded with lightning, and her monster hissed and screeched to a halt. They were going to destroy it sooner than she'd anticipated.
Her eyes fell onto the blonde Senshi leader, and she frowned. Her heart began to race, her blood pounding as a small cord of fear curled up in the pit of her stomach. She glowered furiously as the unwanted emotion clawed its way through her. She grudgingly admitted that the Senshi was terrifyingly fierce, even her younger counterpart, however, that was not the reason for the dread that was unwillingly coursing through her veins. The reason for that was the Senshi's other half. The General of Darkness, whose bone-chilling powers had almost led to her untimely demise on several occasions. The silver-haired beast terrified her even more than the Queen and King, whose skills were tainted by their so-called compassion.
There was not a merciful bone in the Dark Generals body, and she knew that if the King and Queen had entrusted their child into anyone's care, it would be his.
She shook her head, forcibly shaking off her unwanted trepidations, and focussed solely on the blonde-haired bitch of Venus. She would only have a small window of opportunity after the droid was decimated to follow them. She fixed her narrowed gaze on them as they fought and her face contorted into a look of reluctant acquiescence. She did have to admit that the three Senshi were like a well-oiled machine, their movements perfectly synchronized. Though the droids had been specifically designed to withstand and mimic their talents, it didn't matter. Between the three of them and their combined elemental powers, they made quick work of the droid that keeled over and burst into a pile of ash.
As usual, there was a whir of activity. The civilians were flocking from all directions to catch a glimpse of the Senshi like pathetic sheep. Esmeraude sneered with disdain at the disgusting display as she drifted closer, waiting patiently for the moment that they would leap away.
It happened in an instant, and if she hadn't been paying such close attention, she might have missed it. They were a blur of limbs and fukus as they burst upwards, bounding onto the nearest rooftop at accelerated speeds. Esmeraude, using the thin strands of tracking maleficent energy that she possessed, attempted to follow them discreetly.
It was difficult; the Senshi were uncannily quick, the power of their glamours impenetrable, and she needed to ensure that she was staying out of sight. So, she was bitterly disappointed when they disappeared out of view. Esmeraude let loose a string of furious expletives, prepared to retreat and summon a whole slew of droids when she caught a glimpse of a girl wearing a red bow with glossy blonde hair, mingling in a sea of bustling civilians. That would have been nothing except for the fact that she'd just darted out of an alleyway with two cats underfoot. The white and black furred vermin were easily recognizable, and that, paired with the blonde, was a clear indication that she'd just locked onto the Senshi leader, un-glamoured and ready to be followed.
Her heart began to race in excited anticipation, and a malicious smile of glee curled coyly onto her lips. She kept her distance, studying the un-transformed Senshi with thinly veiled disdain and envy. She was young, so much younger than they'd calculated! It was no wonder they'd been unsuccessful in determining their identities. They had yet to reach the age in which they would stop ageing.
Esmeraude carefully kept her distance as she followed her down the street, every bouncy step she took, and every toss of her shimmering golden locks filled her with a renewed sense of rage. It wasn't fair that these bitches had everything, beauty, love, the world at their fingertips and everlasting life. She so desperately longed to rip the hearts out of every last one of them.
She was impulsive by nature, and she generally allowed her fury and instinct to take the lead, but she knew that her primary goal was to find the baby. Though she did have to restrain herself from attacking the blonde more than once, she carefully kept her emotions firmly in check as she followed her.
She could barely contain her excitement, the anticipation coursing through her veins when the Senshi leader turned down a paved driveway and skipped up a walkway towards an ominously large house framed by a perfectly manicured lawn and a red-stained porch. Esmeraude floated closer to the house and audibly gasped as the spawn child's signature set off the Maleficent tracker she carried to identify his particular trail of energy. She must have infiltrated whatever invisible barrier they had protecting the child.
The time to act was now, and, admittedly, her heart began to race with trepidation. What if the silver-haired general was here? How could she possibly evade his particular talents of darkness?
Esmeraude scowled down at the house for a moment more; crafting a haphazard and daring plan, before allowing her bubble of darkness to dissipate as she gracefully landed onto the porch. Her black leathered boots hit the wooden planks with a dull thud, and the loose locks of feathered green hair fluttered around her bared shoulders. The only conceivable weakness that plagued the King and Queens guardians and protectors was the love they bore for their significant others. A malicious smile slid onto her lips, and she inwardly scoffed at their pure stupidity. She would use that love now to evade the silver-haired monster and collect the child Ash needed to make them stronger.
Esmeraude took a deep, cleansing breath before curling her fingers into a fist and rapping gently on the door. This, in itself, was risky, and she hoped that the Senshi would be the one to answer. Luckily, when the large mahogany door swung open, she was not greeted by the General, but the bitch of Venus. The look on her face was almost comical, and Esmeraude relished in the way her face paled, her lips parted in alarm and the way sheer terror curled into the pools of widened blue eyes.
She wished that she could taunt her, say something witty and fabulous, and the words were at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't afford to take any risks now. She needed to be quick about this. She took advantage of her surprise, and with a swipe of her palm and a burst of Maleficent energy, she rendered the blonde completely immobile. The steely bands of dark matter curled around her body like vines, coiled around her so tightly that she cried out in pain, sputtering as it practically squeezed the breath from her.
"What a pretty house you have here, Venus. Do you mind if I come in?" she stated sweetly, her tone saturated with thinly-veiled disdain.
Venus wheezed and struggled in response, trying desperately to free herself from her bindings. Her body convulsing with the pressured strain of the malefic energy serpentined around her. Esmeraude flexed her fingers, tightening them even more, testing the Senshi's strength. She'd pressed too tightly, apparently, as the Senshi let out a cry of anguish that intermingled with a sickening popping sound. Esmeraude laughed wryly. It would appear that she'd broken her arms.
"Minako!" The hissed word had come from the white-furred vermin, and the cat launched itself at her, spitting and hissing with claws extended.
Esmeraude was prepared for the creature, and with a flick of her wrist, she blasted the white cat and the black one that followed, launching their tiny bodies into the air, where they smashed against the wall of the genkan with a resounding thud.
She'd just stepped into the house when she felt it. The cloying, dread-inducing chill that would soon rip through her, wrap itself into the threads that made up her darkened soul, and rip them out until she was dead. The General of Darkness was attacking.
She could already feel her lungs beginning to compress as she firmly twisted her fingers, effectively tightening her malefic hold on the blonde even further. Venus let loose a blood-curdling scream as her vines of darkness ripped into her flesh.
"Cease your attack, General, or I'll kill her. I promise you that I'll rip her in half before you could even begin to shut down my organs," she spat, as she moved further into the house, stepping into the open living space beyond the genkan.
Her eyes frantically searched for the General as the blonde-haired Senshi trailed behind her. Her captured body floating, ensconced in dark crystallized energy. She wasn't entirely sure if it was true. Kunzite was quick, and he probably could have ripped her up inside before she managed to decimate the blonde, but Esmeraude knew that the general would be blinded with rage, stupidly crippled by the love he bore for her anguished prisoner.
She was relieved that he hadn't called her bluff, as the attack halted instantaneously, and the General stepped out of the hallway in front of her. It was difficult, at that moment, for Esmeraude to keep a mocking smirk fixed onto her lips. She was terrified. Kunzite was even more horrifying than any other monster she'd ever faced, and that included the twisted beings that ate souls and roamed the surface and the dark recesses of Nemesis.
"Kunzite, get Endy," Venus choked, her words barely audible through her compressed and tightened throat. Esmeraude sneered and twisted her fingers again, invoking another cry of pain from the anguished Senshi.
There was a momentary lapse of control in the Generals hardened veneer, as a look of pure fury momentarily flashed onto his face. He towered above her, his eyes clouded with an intense obsidian rage as they pierced into her. She knew that if she faltered, even for a second, he would snap her neck. He was not merciful, and his muscled body was coiled and rippling with a power that made her want to curl into a fetal position. She could not fail, if she did, he would tear her to shreds.
She forced a confident smile on her lips and cocked her head coyly to the side. "What a lovely home you have here. What a shame that I've managed to capture your pretty little songbird, though I imagine she won't be doing very much singing after I'm finished with her today," she taunted, an attempt to distract the general as she used the tracking Crystal dangling from her right ear to locate the energy signature of the child she needed. She didn't need to search long, as she noted the meshed netting of a crib device pressed against the wall in the living-room just behind Kunzite. The baby was there, just beyond her reach.
"Release her." The General's voice was deathly calm, even, and intensely dangerous as he took a menacing step towards her.
Esmeraude's pulse began to race, and her breathing quickened with fear. She needed to be quick, or he was going to kill her.
She twisted her fingers again, and there was another sickening pop as she mangled the bitch's legs this time. Venus screamed in agony, before her head slumped forward, the pain too much for the Senshi's weak disposition as she promptly fell unconscious. Kunzite roared in fury as he leapt towards her. She dodged the general and swivelled around, yanking her palm to pull the unconscious blonde with her. It had been a perfect maneuver, as she had now switched positions with Kunzite and she was only four steps away from the baby.
"Stop! One more move like that, and I'll kill her," she snarled, and it stopped the general in his tracks. "You won't be able to bring her back, either. Your precious King and Queen are away, although I doubt they'd be able to put her severed body back together anyway," she sneered and risked letting loose a mocking bark of laughter.
Kunzite, tense and dangerous, coolly regarded her. His expression giving nothing away except for an intensely dark promise that made her gulp involuntarily. "I just want you to know," he began, his tone sending shivers up her spine, her throat suddenly dry as the blood drained from her face. "Every bone you break in her body, every second that she feels pain, I will do the same to you," his words were like ice, coldly injected into her veins, freezing her limbs with panic.
Her throat constricted painfully with terror, her body rooted firmly in place, and she couldn't pull her gaze away from his face. "Except, for you, it'll be slower. When I'm finished making you feel everything you've made her feel, amplified tenfold, I'll slowly tear you apart, from the inside out," he whispered, his eyes locked unblinkingly onto hers. The crystal clear blue of his gaze piercing into the depths of her soul. She quivered from the dark intensity of his promise. "When I get a hold of you, you're going to wish you hadn't touched a single strand of hair on her head," he said, and she gasped, her cold dread melting into a furious scowl with the realization that he'd taken several steps towards her without her noticing it.
Damn! He was cunning! He was using the darkness to manipulate her, and he'd almost successfully put her into a trance! One moment more, and she would more than likely be dead. She should have known better; he'd used that ploy on her before. It didn't matter though, the General's talents exceeded her own, and she couldn't spend another moment in this house. If she did, she was going to die, slowly and painfully.
She shook her head to clear it from the daze he'd entranced her with, and blindly stepped backwards, pulling the Senshi with her. When her body collided with the crib, the jostling causing the baby to stir, she knew it was time to go. She swiftly reached behind her, one hand seizing the child as she clasped the Senshi with the other. With a dusky pop, she used the Malefic powers to transport all three of them to Nemesis. Kunzites guttural growl of savage fury as they disappeared echoed hauntingly in her ears.
She shuddered, unable to escape the horrifying and sinking feeling that she was going to die an agonizingly painful death, and she knew, deep down, that the General of Darkness was going to be the one to kill her.
oOo
They were arguing; the future and past versions of her father had been locked into an unbearable argument for almost ten minutes. They were all still horrified after having watched the younger version of her mother voluntarily step over the protective barrier surrounding the Crystal palace, and disappear with a deafening 'pop,' in the arms of their enemy. It felt like the air had been forcibly pressed out of her lungs, and she was still trying to come to terms with what had just happened as she watched Mamoru and Endymion argue. The whole scene not only defied logic, but it was also excruciating. Plain and simple. Everything about this moment, and the ones that had preceded it, was just excruciating.
That, coupled with the unbearable sorrow and guilt twisted up inside of her core, made it difficult to breathe. She could only clutch onto Jimu's arm, breathless, her mouth dry and throat constricted with terror, and watch the aftermath of her mother's capture unfold.
They stood outside of the crystal castle, still precisely where her mother had disappeared, and Endymion was, understandably, filled with fear for the past version of the Queen he so desperately loved. While Chibi had only ever seen her father act in a stoically composed manner, his fear was very evident now in the form of a furious scowl that was directed towards the past version of himself.
The King of Crystal Tokyo, clenched fists and gritted teeth glared at an equally devastated Mamoru. "How could you let this happen?" He snapped angrily, his projected form flickering momentarily with his rage. "You should have come here sooner!" He growled out, and the words were like a burning lance piercing through her heart.
She wished that the ground beneath her could have opened up right then and there, and sucked her into a cold and unfeeling abyss. It was her fault that they hadn't come here sooner. It was apparent to her that, although Endymion's angry words had been geared towards Mamoru, she was the one to blame.
Mamoru, understandably defensive, stood almost exactly like his future counterpart, his stiffened stance just as angry and unyielding as Endymion's. "I'm not really sure what you're implying, but I promise you that I would never have willingly let this happen," he growled back furiously, and Chibi clutched at her chest in a vain attempt to stop the pain unfurling there at the raw sound of his voice breaking with emotion.
"Stop!" Mercury demanded, her voice unusually firm as she stepped forward with raised hands.
Her eyes were frantically glancing from Mamoru to Endymion. Chibi knew that, with Zoisite's life out of immediate danger, she was now having a difficult time coming to terms with the complexities that accompanied time travelling.
All their eyes trained onto the Senshi of intelligence with sympathy as she inhaled deeply, her breath unsteady and her hands slightly shaking. "You understand that you are essentially arguing with yourself, right?" She whispered hoarsely, her voice quivering with disbelief. "King Endymion, the very thing you are scolding Mamoru for, is something that you would have done... Or that you have already done? Right?" her voice raised slightly in pitch, a tad hysterical as she shook and buried her head in her gloved hands. "This isn't possible, it's inconceivable," she murmured, the muffled words seeping through her fingers. Her head flew up again, eyes narrowed as she chewed on her lower lip in contemplation. "Unless, this is a parallel timeline, but that still doesn't explain how changes in the past could affect the outcome of this future if it is a parallel timeline," she whispered to herself, her words becoming increasingly tinged with hysteria as she tried to apply logic to something that was, in her opinion, entirely implausible.
Zoi, eyes shining with loving tenderness, pulled the trembling blunette into his arms. "Breathe, 'Lia. It's alright," he murmured gently, and Ami's shoulders slumped, and she let out a sigh of defeat.
The moment effectively cut through the tension, and determined resolve seemed to replace the anger that had been brewing around them from the moment that Usagi had disappeared.
"All of my reserves are being used to currently project myself to you, I'm unable to connect with her energy. Can you still sense her, Mamoru?" Endymion questioned, the calm, composed father she remembered now firmly back in place.
Mamoru, lacking the years it had taken Endymion to hone his ability to control his emotions, shook with rage. "No, I can't feel her anymore," he snapped and Chibi inhaled sharply, her eyes burning with the effort it took to hold back her tears. The least that she could do was to keep her stupid tears from falling. "I don't think she willingly severed the connection, though. It's like she's too far away, somewhere I can't access it," he said, his tone ragged and barely audible.
"He's taken her to Nemesis, then," Endymion said, and his pained tone of voice was more muted, but the inflection clearly mirrored Mamoru's.
"So what do we think, then? The creepy brother snapped the crystal and set off some kind of brainwashing thing?" Zoi questioned angrily, his grip tightening around Mercury whose eyes were wide, as she carefully observed them.
Mamoru curtly shook his head. "No, she knew me. She told me not to worry. There was something she wanted to say, but Saphir wouldn't give her time," Mamoru said through gritted teeth, his eyes downcast as he tried to come up with an answer, a reason that Usagi would have let herself be swept away.
"Hey, E. Don't worry. Blondie is strong, powerful, and she loves you. I'm sure that whatever it is that she's doing has a damn good explanation," Zoisite stated with firm conviction, his eyes bright and filled with hope. "Hell, I bet she's busting out the silver crystal and single-handedly ripping the Dark Moon Clan to shreds right now as we speak," Zoisite said, his tone filled with avid confidence that was not reflected in the others around him.
Her mother, as the Moon Senshi, was definitely the most powerful being that she'd ever seen, and every time that she fought was more amazing to behold than the time before it. Well, except for that last fight when… the crystal hadn't worked. Oh, God. The crystal hadn't worked! She gasped loudly, the blood draining from her face, and her heart beginning to race in terror. Her knees buckled and Jimu held her up, grasping her arms tightly, as everyone's burning gaze snapped over to her.
"What is is Chibi?" Mamoru demanded, his voice filled with the terror that she was currently feeling. She swallowed painfully. Her fault. This was all her fault. She was spiralling now, choking on her fear. "Chibi!" Mamoru demanded, his tone harsh as he strode towards her and grasped her shoulders. The tears she'd been trying to hold back fell, rolling down paled cheeks. Of course, she couldn't even manage that. "Chibi, dammit, what's wrong?" Mamoru's fingers pressed, almost painfully, into her shoulders, and his body and voice trembled with unfettered terror; undoubtedly because he could sense the emotions pouring off of her. It took everything she had to meet his gaze, and she was greeted with a blurred vision of intense cobalt fear and worry.
"When we fought Esmeraude," she whispered miserably, feeling utterly defeated, like a horrible failure, and a pathetic excuse of a daughter. "Usagi tried to use the crystal, and she couldn't. It didn't work Mamoru," she said, devastated, and she knew, deep down in her gut, the reason why.
Mamoru inhaled sharply, and his face whitened as the blood drained from his face. Her dad was quick, intelligent and extremely perceptive. He'd figured it out already too, and he abruptly released her and stepped back. His eyes were wide with terror for the love of his life that had, not only jumped into enemy territory but had done so without the ability to protect herself.
"She can't use the Crystal in the future," he whispered hoarsely. "Why can't she use the crystal?" his tone was desperate and filled with pained anguish that ripped at her heart.
"The Crystals should not coexist," Endymion said, his tone perfectly mimicking Mamoru's. "Sere can't use it here. The only person that can wield the Crystal is the Moon Senshi," he said, and then all of their eyes fixed onto her.
She trembled, a ringing sound buzzing loudly in her ears, her lips numb, and her vision swimming as she swayed dizzily in Jimu's arms. If Usagi's fate depended on her abilities as the Moon Senshi, and her prowess with wielding the Silver Crystal, well, then there was no question about it.
They were all doomed.
oOo
There was something nauseating about teleporting, a dull, sickening feeling that began in her navel and travelled all the way up to her throat. She clenched her eyes shut, but it only made it worse, and she had to fight the bile that rose up in her throat as she violently twisted in a swirl of cloying Malefic energy to wherever it was that Saphir was bringing her.
When the prodding pull of the teleportation was complete, and they landed unceremoniously in a darkened room lined with black crystallized walls, she knew exactly where they were. Saphir had taken her to Nemesis. Thanks to Demandes memories, she was very well acquainted with the halls of this back Crystal Palace, which was a replicated dark version of the palace that she'd built with Mamoru in future Crystal Tokyo. She was furious; so terribly enraged that Demande had let her spend months not knowing, and then, in one fell swoop, Saphir had unlocked her memories, and it felt like she had an additional eternity's worth of information crammed painfully into her head.
Her eyes filled with angry tears as the devastated expression on Mamoru's face materialized in her mind. She'd left him without explanation. Her overprotective soulmate left in a terrified lurch because Demande, her stupid friend, was a childish moron with a rude jerk for a brother.
She abruptly tore her arm away from Saphir, an angry scowl fixed onto her face as she glared up at him. His eyes were hardened, his lips set into a flat grim line as he stared down at her. His expression completely unreadable, and if not for the thousands of memories Demande had shared of him and their childhood together, she would have assumed he was as hard and unyielding as a piece of solid granite.
She cocked her head to the side, her hands propped onto her hips as she sighed with irritation. "If you're done trying to intimidate me, Saphir, can you please lead me to your irritating, childish brother?" she demanded haughtily, her tone of voice filled with censure.
She'd managed to crack that polished veneer just a little bit, as Saphirs eyebrows raised, and a flash of fury glinted, if only for a second, in his eyes. She would have missed it if she was not so well acquainted with the memories of him.
She rolled her eyes. "Oh, you're angry that I said one slightly mean, but also completely true, thing about your pigheaded brother?" she said caustically, her tone appropriately harsh. "How about, I'm angry that all of this stupidity could have been avoided if you could have both put aside your ridiculously inflated male egos and let me help you," she snapped and swivelled away from him, her golden tresses swirling around her fuku-clad body with the abrupt movement.
She heard him sputter, at a loss for words behind her, and she allowed the corners of her mouth to lift in a small secret smile as she scanned the dimly lit, cold and impersonal surfaces of the room. She knew how to handle Saphir; honestly, she was elated to meet him in person. He was the single most important person to Demande, and he was critical in saving her unlikely friend. Her smile faded instantly as her eyes fell onto a prone, white-haired figure lying tangled in black silken sheets on an enormous, black polished, four-postered bed.
She gasped in horror at the sight of him, lying on his side, his eyes clenched shut and a thin sheen of sweat on his strained face. It was precisely the same look that had been plastered onto Zoisites face less than an hour ago. Which meant that Demande, was more than likely, suffering from a maleficent crystal affliction.
She flew to his side, the pleated blue skirt of her fuku fluttering around her legs as she carefully knelt beside him. Her knees pressed into the mattress as she gently grasped his shoulder and pushed him onto his back. Her throat constricted as a ball of sorrow-filled emotion bubbled up in her chest. Demande had come to mean so much to her in the time she'd spent with him. He was her friend, and more than anything, she wanted to save him so that they could defeat this enemy, and she could help heal the twisted pieces still coiled up inside of him.
The air shifted behind her, and she knew it was because Saphir had followed her to the bed. She didn't bother to glance back as she focused on Demande's face. His eyes flew open, and they widened as he peered up at her with surprise. "Am I asleep?" he whispered hoarsely, and his voice cracked drily. He was in much worse shape than Zoisite had been in, although, she knew that Endy was mostly responsible for that.
She smirked, rolling her eyes at him. "No actually, for once, you're awake," she said gently, and the look in his eyes caused her breath to hitch in her throat. It was so unfair that her friend had been dealt such a harsh hand in life. She could fix this, she knew that she could. Mamoru, when she explained it to him thoroughly, would help her.
His eyes darkened petulantly, even in his pain, and the look of wonder that had been in his eyes only a moment before, disappeared as he glowered indignantly at her. "What are you doing here?" he demanded. "I'll end your life, you ridiculous Moon Senshi," he snapped, but the words were weak, and he coughed pitifully midway through the sentence.
Usagi bit back a laugh and resorted to arching a delicate blonde brow in sarcastic disbelief instead. "First of all, Demande, I remember everything," she said imperiously, deepening Demandes scowl. "Second of all… really? If I hadn't remembered, that was the insult you were going with? I'll end your life, you ridiculous Moon Senshi?" she said, laughter layered in her tone of voice, and Demande growled furiously and struggled to sit up.
She moved off of the bed, and he glared up at her sullenly. "I'm actually dying over here, you insolent brat," he spat, and she sighed with irritation in response. He'd never called her a brat before. Perhaps his dark disposition was lightening a little bit in the face of impending death.
"Saphir, I told you not to involve her," he snapped sourly, and her gaze finally fell onto Saphirs face. In all of her memories, or rather Demandes memories, Saphir rarely exhibited any kind of emotion, and when he did, it was rare. From her understanding, the ability to mask any sort of intense feeling was a particular talent of Saphirs, so she was surprised to see a look of unmasked, purely unfettered disbelieving shock etched onto the contours of his angular facial features.
It would appear that they'd managed to surprise the words right out of Saphir. She grinned with satisfaction. Good. It would be easier to transition him to a normal life, devoid of evil tendencies when this was all over if she started cracking that hardened shell now. Once she explained this to Mamoru, he could help her, and together they could make life easier for them.
Demandes blue-haired brother sputtered for only a moment more, before he managed to regain composure, and that cold, unfathomable mask fell firmly back into place. "You are no longer in a position to give orders, brother. We need the Queen to cure you," he said, forcing the words through gritted teeth.
Usagi frowned at Saphir's exclamation. Even if she could wield the silver crystal, which she wasn't entirely sure she could, there was no way she'd be able to fix this on her own. "I can't heal him Saphir. The Silver Crystal is useless against your dark crystals," she said, her tone tinged with confusion. She didn't understand. Hadn't they crafted the crystal with the specific ability to remain immune to the silver powers she could wield? Wasn't that why she hadn't been able to heal Zoi?
Saphirs eyes narrowed with irritation. Another crack in the alchemists practically impenetrable, veneer. She wished Mamoru was here so that he could tell her exactly how much she was managing to get under his skin. "I've already removed that component," he snapped and waved a hand invitingly towards his brother. "So go ahead, almighty Queen, heal my brother," he demanded with infuriated irritation.
Usagi shook her head in frustration. You would think that after a decade of fighting, Saphir would know that she didn't actually possess the ability to heal the wounded or resurrect the dead. She needed Mamoru for both of those things. Although from what she'd gathered from the recollections Demande had shared with her, the Dark Moon Clan hadn't attacked until after she'd passed along her moon Senshi status to Chibi, and she was rarely seen outside of the crystal palace. She inwardly rolled her eyes; of course, her infuriatingly overprotective prince would find a way to keep her under lock and key, wholly protected and mired in mystery.
Usagi bit her lower lip nervously, as she carefully studied Saphirs dark and expectant expression. "Saphir, even if I could use the crystal, which I don't think I can, I can't heal him. That's not how this works," she whispered and watched as his expression hardened.
He took a menacing step towards her, and for the first time since being pulled onto Nemesis, she was afraid. "You're useless then, and I no longer need you," he growled out furiously, and she realized, for the very first time how genuinely vulnerable she was.
She may not be able to use the Silver Crystal, but she was still Sailor Moon, and she was more than capable of taking Saphir down. Her body stiffened as her muscles tensed and coiled in anticipation to fight. She was prepared for whatever blow he would deliver, when Demande suddenly stood, his body shielding hers as he angrily faced his brother.
"Dammit, Saphir. Don't touch her!" he spat, standing resolute, gritting his teeth through the pain of the poison radiating through him.
Saphir's eyes narrowed, his fists clenched furiously, as he glared back at Demande. "You insufferable fool. You've let her ruin everything!" he hissed, his tone frenzied and filled with frustrated rage.
Demande said nothing; he didn't even flinch in the face of his brothers' anger, and Usagi was certain that he would have stood there for as long as necessary, but the crystals were working fast, just like they had with Zoi, and he faltered. Usagi caught him before he would have fallen to his knees, and his breathing became ragged and laboured as she wrapped an arm around his waist and he draped an arm across her shoulders.
He was heavy, and she had to grit her teeth against the strain of holding him up, but she turned angry blue eyes onto Saphir. "I thought Demande was the angry, impulsive one," she spat, shaking her head in irritation. "I can't heal him by myself, but we can bring him back into the crystal palace. We have the technology to extract the crystals and cure him," she said, then frowned as another thought occurred to her. "What's wrong with you, that you'd create a weapon without creating a cure? It's no wonder we were able to hold you off for ten years," she murmured in irritation, and again, she cracked the shell around Saphir as he sputtered indignantly.
"My crystals are flawless, there is no need for a cure when they are only used against our enemies," he hissed, and she swore that the blue-haired man trembled in his hatred for her. That was good, too. That was how she'd managed to get through to Demande at first, by eliciting some kind of emotion, though Demande seemed to be made purely out of rage.
"Well, it looks like you suck at predicting things too, although I'm not really sure how you could have missed the possibility of an evil, obscure, entity turning against you. Shocker," she spat back, and maybe it was a little bit childish, but Saphir was seriously more infuriating than Demande, which she didn't even know could be possible.
Saphir growled angrily. "Why you little -" he hissed venomously, stepping towards her, before being interrupted by Demande.
The white-haired Prince laughed, well, it was more of a pained, truncated chuckle, but still, it made Usagi smile brilliantly. All of her painstaking work with Demande had been worth it. She was going to save him. "Didn't I tell you she was absolutely infuriating, Saphir?" he whispered and despite the nature of the words he'd uttered, his tone of voice was endearing and filled with amusement, despite the pained inflection layered beneath it.
Saphir snapped his mouth shut, and she watched as he forcibly regained control of his emotions and his impassive mask fell back into place. "Fine, let's go back to the palace then, Queen. Though I doubt you'll be able to convince the rest of the abominations that reside there to let us through," he said darkly, and she chose to ignore the insult as he stepped towards them.
She closed her eyes in anticipation of the teleportation nauseousness when Saphir let loose a string of blush-inducing expletives that made her frown. His eyes were narrowed as he took a step back. "It would appear that I am being summoned," he snapped then turned his darkened gaze onto her. "Don't move, I'll be right back," he sneered, and with a dusky pop disappeared in front of her.
Usagi exhaled in frustration and would have stomped her foot petulantly, if not for the fact that she wasn't able to, and bear the brunt of Demande's weight at the same time. Demande must have realized the strain she was under as he pulled away, grunting in agony, and fell back into a sitting position on the bed. She stretched the kinks out of her neck, before letting her eyes peruse the chamber.
It was empty, except for the enormous bed and stone chairs and benches fixed into the floor. The chamber was cold, impersonal, and the eerie darkness that lingered in the air here made Usagi shiver with dread. It reminded her of the Dark Kingdom, and the cold hollow chamber that had housed Metallia's flickering figure so long ago. She wrapped her arms around her midsection, her hands trying to rub some warmth back into her bared biceps. She really hoped that Saphir would be quick about whatever he was doing, she knew that Mamoru must be worried sick, and she was anxious to get back to him.
"It's strange to see you as the Moon Senshi. You don't belong in a battlefield, you should be clothed in white silk, and elegant gowns," Demande whispered, though it echoed loudly, reverberating against the crystallized walls.
She whipped back around to face him, her eyes widened as she took in his ragged appearance. He was shaking, his hair plastered against his face and neck, his breath rattling in his chest. He was running out of time, and Usagi only hoped that whatever had pulled Saphir away wouldn't last long.
"Demande, when this is over, I'm going to need you to take me off of that seriously daunting ivory pedestal that you have me propped up on," she said lightly, avoiding anything that might incite the rage that was always so prevalent in Demandes nature.
He snorted, then coughed miserably. "When this is over, you'll melt away into the abominable perfection of your life, and I'll be left to mourn you," he whispered, and his tone was tinged with sorrow and devastation.
Usagi frowned, his words and his demeanour were so human, and it was the longest she'd ever witnessed him without the broiling rage that usually tinged every word he said. She wasn't sure if it was because she'd managed to untwist something inside of him, or if the fact that he was dying weighed heavily on him. Either way, it broke her heart.
She stepped towards him, her movements tentative, as she swallowed the lump of emotion that bubbled up into her throat. "Demande, that has to be the most ridiculous thing you have ever said, and you've said some pretty ridiculous things," she snapped, and his eyes filled with anger as his gaze met hers. "You stupid man, didn't I tell you that you were wrong? That you meant something to me? You will not be left to mourn anything. You're my friend, and there will always be a place for you, as my friend, in my life," she exclaimed, her words filled with conviction.
He was at a loss for words, his eyes wide and filled with a vulnerability that she'd never seen before. He wheezed, suddenly, and fell onto his side, crying out in agony. Usagi gasped, her heart beginning to race with fear. They were out of time! She needed to find Saphir.
She strode towards Demande and clasped his hand firmly in her own. "I don't know if you've noticed, Demande, but I take care of my friends, and I'm going to save you. I promise," she whispered vehemently, and abruptly pulled away. She swivelled around and made her way to the door of the chamber, her movements quick and filled with urgency.
"Stop, Serenity! Don't go out there," Demande pleaded, his words laboured and filled with pain. She spared him one last reassuring glance over her shoulder, before promptly ignoring his plea, and stepping out into the darkness of the hallway.
oOo
They needed to go back home and get the others. There just wasn't a way around it. Chibi knew that leaving Usagi here, even for the short amount of time it would take to get the other Senshi and generals back to the future, was tearing Mamoru apart. They'd fought some more, though, she'd remained miserably silent, and the final consensus was that she was not strong enough, and they would need help.
She'd offered to go on her own, she was capable of that at least. She was sure that she could collect their friends and bring them back here, but they'd all turned to her, Jimu, Mamoru, and even the projected version of her dad, with varyings looks of uncertain sympathy shining from their eyes. Her heart sank, and whatever blush had remained in her cheeks, had dissipated, leaving her pale and trembling. She'd been lost to the conversation after that, and even Jimus arm wrapped tightly around her waist was not enough to pull her from the dark pit of self-pity where she was currently languishing.
She was vaguely aware of the devastated emotions, that was not her own, swirling around her as they moved through the desolate landscape of death towards the gates of time. She knew that she needed to snap out of it. Her family needed her, right?
Her heart began to race, the sound seemingly pounding in her ears, as she trudged through the bitter poisons of what had been the lush palace courtyards. She forcibly fixed her eyes on Mamoru's back, whose stiffened posture and grim demeanour had not lessened since the moment Usagi had left his arms. She glanced sideways, surreptitiously studying Jimu's profile as he walked, and the expression on his face was just as grim, and though he was firmly clasping her arm, he was resolutely staring ahead.
Ami and Zoi had opted to stay behind with Lita, they would be able to help should anything change. She knew that Mamoru wished it was him, that he could have gone after the Dark Moon Clan and single-handedly rescued Usagi. The silence between them was unbearable, and she felt like she was drowning in her despair. Her guilt clawing at her, piece by piece, as her own voice whispered a taunting mantra in her head. My fault. This was all my fault.
Her legs were numb, and they wobbled a little as they stepped in front of the tall, foreboding marbled gates that towered above them ominously. When she was little, she'd often snuck through the gateway into the swirling mists of time to see Pluto. Though it was technically forbidden, Pluto had been one of her closest confidants as a child. As she'd aged, they'd inevitably grown apart, but Pluto was still one of her favourite guardians. The sight of the time gates used to evoke a sense of anticipated warmth and excitement, but now those memories were tainted by the things that had happened, and all she could feel was a cold sense of dread.
They soundlessly stepped over the threshold, and she jumped as the gates slammed shut. The marble closing and crashing together sounded like a crack of thunder that reverberated hauntingly around them. She imagined the smiling, welcoming look on Pluto's face, the one that she'd relished seeing as a child, but that was not the look on Pluto's face now. Chibi inhaled sharply, her lower lip involuntary quivering as Pluto stepped out of the mist. Her delicate features were hardened, scowling and angry. Her lips pressed tightly together in a flat, grim line. She was unusually pale, and her gloved hand gripped her staff tightly, her shoulders tensed and posture stiffened. Mamoru tensed beside her, and she glanced over at him, his posture stiffening and mimicking Plutos. He'd clearly felt whatever emotion was emanating from the Senshi of time, and Chibi gulped miserably, grateful in that moment that she had not inherited the empathic abilities her father possessed.
Pluto took a step towards them, and she pushed away from Jimu and forced a tentative smile on her face that Pluto did not return. "Have you come here to return to the past?" She demanded, and her tone was curt and unusually harsh. There was something else layered there, a tone that Chibi couldn't quite figure out.
She wasn't looking at her, but at Mamoru, whose jaw was clenched so tightly, she thought it might snap. "Yes, we need to get the others," he breathed, and his tone sounded pained, breathless as if he'd been kicked violently in the stomach. The wind pulled from his lungs. "They took her," he choked, and the tears, -a staple of her weak personality,- welled hotly in her eyes. Her vision blurred before she blinked them back rapidly.
Pluto nodded, her eyes wide and filled with a knowing sorrow that ripped at her heart. Pluto already knew that Usagi was gone. Whatever blood was left beneath the surface of her whitened cheeks, drained out of her face. She knew. If Pluto knew, if she was aware, then that meant that something had changed significantly enough to alert her.
The tension that twisted around them was palpable, and the silence was deafening. It felt like ages before Pluto finally spoke. "The changes that have been made are, not as of yet, completely irreparable," she whispered, and the tone in her voice - the one Chibi just couldn't figure out - was there again, and her breathing quickened, her vision swimming and her palms became sleek and slippery with perspiration as she clutched the pleats of her skirt. Pluto's eyes fell onto her, and her face was crumpled into a look of sorrow. "I have seen the current future, and it is much worse than what you see now. Please heed my warning, and tread carefully, Small Lady… please," she whispered, the riddled plea so painfully and obviously directed towards her. It was her fault, It was all her fault.
Jimu moved towards her, but she stepped away from him, her eyes downcast as she refused to meet his gaze. She didn't want to be comforted. She didn't deserve it.
"We can still fix this, Pluto," Mamoru snapped, and it was the most conviction she'd heard in his voice since he'd crumpled to his knees in confusion when Saphir had swept Usagi away. She couldn't see the look on his face, as she was focusing, her blurred gaze fixed determinedly on the toe of Pluto's black leathered boot. She'd done this. Usagi was gone, and she may never be born, and it was her fault. It was all her fault.
"You have to fix this, Endymion," Pluto responded sharply, and Chibi gasped, her knees buckling as she began to hyperventilate. She recognized the tone in Pluto's voice now. She was scared. It had been difficult to decipher at first because Pluto knew everything, and there had never been a moment in her entire life that she'd ever heard anything but surety emanating from the wise Senshi of time.
Crystal Tokyo was destroyed, her parents were comatose, and she would never be strong enough to wield the Silver Crystal. Usagi was gone, and Pluto, the most confident person in her life was scared, and it was her fault.
She burst into tears then, liquid drops filled with guilt and shame burning as they rolled down her face. Jimu tried to reach for her, but she slapped his hand away. She didn't want to be touched, God, she didn't deserve his comfort. She collapsed then, and, though she tried, she wasn't strong enough to push Mamoru away as he enveloped her in his arms.
She felt the soothing cords of the golden kingdom prodding gently at her energy as he tried to comfort her, but everything she'd been holding inside of her, every single feeling of inadequacy and insecure guilt, snapped and she rejected the comfort that she didn't feel like she deserved. She was weak and pathetic, but she was still the princess of the new Silver Millenium, and as a wielder of the Silver Crystal, she possessed the ability to sever her connection to the Golden Kingdom. Which is precisely what she did.
Mamoru inhaled sharply, his arms tightening around her, "Ah, Chibi, damn. I'm so sorry. I was too consumed with grief," he murmured brokenly, and his words only made the guilt worse. "I should have comforted you, please Chibi. Why do you feel so guilty? None of this is your fault," he implored, his tone desperate as he tried to comfort her. He was wrong. It was her fault, it was all her fault.
"Chibi, please, listen to him," Jimu whispered, and his tone was pleading and filled with so much despair that she risked a glance at his face. She'd never seen him look at her like that, and his piercing green eyes were filled with tears too. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd seen Jimu cry, and it hurt so very badly to witness.
She shook her head in denial, pink locks of hair whipping around her face. "It is my fault," she spat, and forcefully pushed out of Mamoru's arms. She stumbled but managed to catch her footing and steady herself. She twisted around so that she was facing all three of them, and the looks in their eyes made her angry. They each had varying expressions of sympathy and love etched into the contours of their face. She couldn't take it anymore. It was her fault. She didn't deserve it.
She needed to tell Mamoru what she'd done. He deserved to know who she really was. "On the day that the Dark Moon Clan attacked, I was angry," she choked brokenly, swallowing down the sob that that was bubbling up in her throat and threatening to explode into a torrential string of pathetic wails. "It's a bit of a joke, or it was a joke, that I'm not nearly as strong as mom is. That I can't use the Silver Crystal. It didn't matter how long Kunzite trained with me or how many hours I spent in the library with Ami learning about it. I couldn't do it," she cried, her body trembling, her lower lip quivering as she choked back a sob. She couldn't break down yet. She needed to tell them; they needed to know.
"I stole it, Mamoru. I stole the silver crystal, because I was stupid and arrogant, and I wanted to prove to the whole world that I am just as good as mom," she said, and Mamoru's eyes widened and filled with shock.
He reached out, taking a tentative step towards her but she took another step back, shaking her head angrily. "Mom was tired. Endy kept her awake all night long, and when they attacked, she couldn't even protect herself or Crystal Tokyo, just like she had every time before that, because I had the crystal," she said and then she did sob, great heaving sobs that rattled in her chest and ripped from her lips.
The looks on their faces didn't change, they were still filled with an understanding that tore her to shreds. Why weren't they listening to her? It was her fault.
"Chibi," Mamoru choked, his voice broken with emotion. "Oh God, Chibi. The Dark Moon Clan did this, not you. Is this what you've been carrying around with you? The guilt? Chibi, it's not your fault," his tone was filled with genuine conviction, but she couldn't accept it. He was wrong.
"Chibi, please, stop," Jimu whispered, and he grasped her wrist, his eyes pleading as they bore into her face. Stop? She couldn't, this was who she was. She pulled away from him and took another step backwards, the mist swirling around her legs.
"Chibi, don't do this. This is not the future you want," Pluto's warning echoed around all of them, but she didn't listen. She couldn't. The future was better off without her.
She didn't know that she'd intended to run until she felt the cool mist slice over her face and the dull burn in her lungs, as she twisted around, blinded by tears and raced away from the people that gave her all the love that she didn't deserve. Their cries of dismay were muffled, muted and then completely gone as she pushed through the mist that eventually turned into a thick, dense fog. Still, she didn't stop even though she didn't know where she was going, or that she no longer had a time key to safely guide her home.
She knew that if she kept going, she'd be lost forever, and that thought registered through her guilt-ridden grief a moment before the dark outline of a figure appeared in front of her. She stopped in front of it, enshrouded by silence except for the sound of her ragged breathing. She narrowed her burning, tear-filled eyes in confusion. Who would be out here, so far in the mists of time?
"Oh, poor Small Lady. What have you done?" She jumped as the low, raspy baritone of a voice echoed through her mind, the sound cords vibrating around her, and she swore -she was absolutely sure- that the sound was in her head.
She gasped in fear, abruptly stepped backwards, her feet tangling up together as she stumbled. She barely caught herself before she fell and she inwardly cursed the endlessly long legs that could never coordinate properly. "Who's there?" she squeaked, literally squeaked, like a petrified mouse, shivering in its cowardice.
The figure floated towards her, and it was a slumped cloaked man, seemingly unthreatening as it approached her. She exhaled deeply, and suddenly a cold feeling washed over her, a numbing sensation that slowly crept up her body and rooted her firmly into place.
"I'm a friend, Small Lady. I can see what you've done," he rasped pitifully. "You poor creature, how disappointed your family must be. Although, I'm sure they hide it well. It must be difficult to love someone with so many… inadequacies," His words, tinged with sympathy, were cruel and it ripped at her heart, eliciting a whimper from her lips.
The numbing feeling had wholly enveloped her body now, and she sank deeper into her pit of despair. Yes, the dark spectre was right. Who could love her? It had never occurred to her before that her family might not love her because she was a failure… but yes, it made sense. How could they love her?
"You know, Small Lady, I think I could help you. You have the Silver Crystal, don't you?" the spectre whispered, and it was like she was in a trance, her eyes glossy and full, her tears finally dried and dissipated. She nodded mutely, and without thinking, reached into the front of her Sailor Fuku and pulled out the glistening jewel from the front of her shirt. She opened her palm, stretching her arm out as far as the golden chain would allow, and presented it to him.
"Yes," she whispered reverently, it was like the words in her mouth no longer belonged to her. "I have it," she breathed, and there was another thought coursing through her mind now. The figure was her friend, and he could help her.
The spectre moved towards her, and somewhere at the back of her mind it occurred to her that his movements were unnatural, terrifying, but the numbness, this pleasant numbing feeling, pushed those intrusive thoughts away.
He held out a slender arm, bony fingers covered in strange ashen covered flesh extended towards her. "Come with me, Small Lady," he whispered, and his voice was soothing, like the melodic chords of a lullaby. "I will make you powerful. You could be stronger than your mother, and you'll be worthy of love. Isn't that what you want?"
Chibi inhaled sharply, the misty air cool on her tongue as she stared at his outstretched hand as if from behind a hazy film of cold ice. Yes. She wanted to be worthy of love. He could help her be worthy of love. They couldn't possibly love her without his help. She was sure of that now, and she lifted her hand as if in slow motion, to accept his gift and the promise of power.
"Chibi! What are you doing?" Jimu's firm hand clasped around her wrist, and he forcibly tore her away from the spectre that was still beckoning to her. He pulled her back, but she couldn't tear her eyes from the hooded creature that was offering her so much comfort. Why was Jimu here?
"Come back, Small Lady, take my hand," the spectre hissed, his voice washing over her again. She needed to go to him. She took a mindless step towards the cloaked figure again because she just had to take his hand. The painful pull was unbearable, but Jimu's arm firmly wrapped around her waist as he pulled her against him. Her back slammed into his chest, and she cried out in frustration and pressed the balls of her feet into the ground, arms stretched forward as she tried to propel herself towards her promise. Why was Jimu holding her back?
He held onto her more tightly, forcibly lifting her body off the ground. She tried to pry his arms away, and he grunted as her elbow connected painfully into his side. "Dammit, Chibi. What the hell is wrong with you?" he snapped, and her eyes filled with tears. She was frantic, the desperation pooling painfully in the cavity of her chest. The pressure, the need, to get to the figure was almost unbearable.
She whimpered in despair. "Let me go! Don't you see, Jimu? He can help me be worthy," she cried erratically, her emotions spiralling out of control. She knew, at the back of her mind somewhere, that this was crazy - something was wrong - but she couldn't control this need.
Jimu stepped back again, pulling her one step further away from the spectre, and she screamed, clawing the air. Jimu released her only long enough to grasp her arms and twist her body toward him. He was stronger than she was, and though she struggled, his hands on her biceps kept her firmly in place. He'd broken her gaze on the spectre, and the numbness faded just enough that she ceased fighting him, and slumped, utterly defeated in his arms.
She met his gaze, glossy-eyed and confused, unable to blink away the daze. She was sure his fingers were pressing into her skin, but it was strange, she couldn't feel it. "Chibi, who is that? What were you thinking?" he demanded hoarsely, and his words reminded her of her failures.
"Small Lady, come here, this boy can't help you," the spectre hissed, and she tore her gaze away from Jimu, and craned her neck to the side, inhaling profoundly as she once again got lost in the swirling promises beneath that coarse brown hood.
The numbness filled her body again. "Let me go, Jimu. I want to be worthy," she whispered mindlessly, and she felt the need growing again, the desperate desire bubbling inside of her. Jimu clasped her wrist with one hand while the other cupped her chin. He pulled her face away from the figure, forcibly breaking her line of sight so that she was staring at him. She was only dimly aware of his fingers pressing into her jawline and the pad of his thumb on the corner of her lips.
She tried to blink away the blurriness so that she could focus on his face, but it was hazy. "Chibi, what do you mean? Worthy of what?" he demanded, but his words were muffled like she was hearing them from underwater. It was obvious, wasn't it?
She felt the corners of her lips curl upwards, into a sleepy, sorrow-filled smile. "I want to be worthy of love. Who could love me like this, Jimu?" she whispered, in a dazed singsong voice, and she wasn't sure, but she thought maybe she heard Jimu gasp.
He released her wrist, and both hands cradled her face. "Chibi-Usa," he whispered raggedly, and the tone of his voice slightly filtered through her haze. "You stupid, maddening, girl," he croaked, and his words were pained and filled with exasperation.
She was still trapped, frozen and wrapped in the hooded figures hypnotizing ropes of promise, so it shocked her to the depths of her core when Jimu tentatively pressed his lips onto hers. His movements were tender and hesitant, but it effectively broke the trance that had been threaded through the cords of her energy. When he pulled away, his face still only inches from hers, the strange cloying numbness had melted away. She blinked up at him, finally focussing on piercing emerald green orbs, filled with tenderness, and staring down at her.
She exhaled a breath of air, her heart racing, a warm blush rising from her neck, heating up pale cheeks and reddening the tips of her ears. Jimu had kissed her. She felt a feeling, an emotion she was beginning to recognize, unfurl in her chest. Her knees buckled with the realization and, as usual, his hands flew to her hips and steadied her, but this time they lingered and pulled her closer to him.
She bit her lower lip and shifted nervously in his embrace. His gaze was unsure as he peered down at her, "Chibi, I love you, and not just as your friend," he confessed, and her breath hitched with anticipation in her throat.
"You're clumsy and silly, and damn, sometimes you're so illogical, it's infuriating," he began, and she frowned in confusion. "But you're sweet, and your heart is pure and filled with compassion. Chibi, please, it hurts me so badly when you put yourself down. I could never love someone unworthy, and I love you, Chibi," He breathed, his heart racing beneath her hands that had somehow found themselves pressed against his chest.
She stared up into his eyes for a moment longer, her mind racing. Every single moment that she'd spent with him flashed through her head, one sweet tender-filled memory after the next, and she knew -like she'd always known, deep down, - that it was the truth.
The warmth unfurled throughout her body, and something snapped inside of her. It was such a relief to understand, to know, and to feel it. Every awful emotion she'd felt just moments before melted away; her insecurities, the guilt, and the unyielding pain. It felt like she'd taken an eternity to come to terms with everything, standing in Jimus trembling and uncertain embrace, but in reality, it only took seconds for everything to click into place. Probably because this felt so perfectly natural, so right like this was meant to be.
They shared one last shy look, his breath fanning her cheeks, before she wrapped her arms around his neck, slender fingers lacing into the silky ebony strands at the back of his head, as she propelled herself onto the tips of her toes and crushed her lips onto his. It was the most daring, passionate thing that she had ever done, and his palms pressed into the small of her back as their kiss intensified. He enticingly nibbled her lower lip, coaxing them into parting. She whimpered, he moaned, and she felt something else, a burst of bright silvery light wash through her, and she'd never felt stronger in her entire life.
"I'm very disappointed in you, Small Lady. You would have made a fabulously powerful addition to my arsenal of weapons," the spectres voice pierced through her senses, and they breathlessly tore apart.
Jimu, ever her protector, clasped her arm and pulled her behind him. It was strange, now, to look at the dark, ominous figure and she realized with disgust, that there was not a single comforting thing about him. What had she been thinking?
The creature moved forward, his movements super creepy, and sending goosebumps up her arms. "No matter," he sneered, and the soothing baritone of his voice was gone. In its place was an angry high-pitched trill. "I have grown tired of these games," the creature sneered and raised bony fingers, a ball of black darkness forming in between blistered rotted hands.
Chibi felt a twinge in her core, and she knew that she could do this. She could fight this creature. She'd never been surer of anything in her entire life.
She smiled wryly as she stepped around Jimu and locked her legs into place, a move she'd watched Usagi, as the Moon Senshi, do during every battle that she'd fought. She didn't know how she knew how to do it, but she lifted gloved hands into the air and channelled everything that she could from the dazzling brightness in her core that she could finally feel.
Jimu gasped, and she could have cried tears of happiness as a familiar pink handled wand materialized magically in her hands. She felt the warm glow of the Silver Crystal around her neck as it shone brilliantly, lifted, of its own accord, into the air before snapping her chain and fusing with the weapon. There was a dull burning on her forehead, and she knew what it meant. The symbol of her birthright passed down to her by all the Princess Serenity's of the moon, had finally appeared. It was an insignia of the power that she could now control.
There was a flash of brilliant light as she channelled a beam through the crystal, and shot it towards the monster that had attempted to corrupt her. The creature hissed angrily before it retreated and disappeared with a resounding pop of black smoke.
When he was gone, her hands fell limply to her sides, and she released a breath of excited elation. She could do this! She was strong! Her resolute fortitude lasted for only a moment as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. She knew, from what she'd learned, that this was normal. She had never channelled the power of the crystal before, and her knees buckled, and she fell backwards.
Jimu deftly caught her midair, and she grinned up at him from the crook of his elbow. "Looks like my mom isn't the only princess that falls into the arms of a dashing, black-haired saviour," she joked giddily, feeling so blessedly light, -so much like herself again- and Jimu was perfect. He was her other half.
He rolled his eyes and smirked down at her. "You're ridiculous, Chibi-Usa," he murmured, and before she could reply, his lips were on hers again. He was her everything, her protector, her best friend, and she knew now that she was undoubtedly and unequivocally, one hundred percent in love with him. It was the best feeling in the world.
oOo