Pre-Notes: BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! I return with another chapter of goodness! Much drama is abound, so hang on to your weaves ladies, it's gonna get bumpy!
Chapter 09: Communion
"Anything new?" Usagi asked as she strolled into the situation room. Poor Ami had been at it for almost a week straight and looked to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"Nothing yet," she replied, taking a sip of her coffee. "There have been several energy spikes throughout the week in West Tokyo but nothing on the scale that we saw last time. I am concerned with one thing, however."
"Which is?" the Queen asked.
"There has been a significant rise in youma activity in the West Tokyo area," replied the Senshi of Water and Wisdom. "Something has riled them up. What exactly it is that has them so worked up I cannot say, not without more data."
"Monitor that area more closely then," instructed the Queen. "Youma are susceptible to all kinds of energies, perhaps whatever caused the pillar of energy the last time is also causing the youma to behave strangely. If there is a connection between the two it could prove to be a significant lead, and can perhaps shed some light as to what, or perhaps even who, was the cause of that display of power."
"Of course, I'll get on it at once," said Ami, pulling up a new display to begin a more detailed monitoring of the area. Usagi observed her working, unknown to Ami as she went about her business. The bags underneath her eyes told stories of unrest and exhaustion, the slump in her shoulders spoke of low energy.
"Ami," Usagi said suddenly, causing Ami to pause in her work for a moment. "Summon Artemis to come and relieve you. He can handle your duties for now. I order you to take today and tomorrow off and to get at least ten hours of sleep, starting now. That is a direct order, Princess Mercury. I expect you to comply," she finished, narrowing her eyes at the now wide-eyed Ami. Guiltily, she nodded her head. "I'll call him in a moment milady."
"You will call him now, while I am in this room. I'll be escorting you to your bed myself," said Usagi, a smug look now present on her face. Ami sighed, and instead of replying she got on the comm system and requested Artemis to come to the situation room.
Several minutes later, a grinning Usagi was walking back from the Rainforest Wing, the section of the Crystal Palace that housed the domestic areas for Ami and Makoto. 'Poor Ami was so tired that she fell asleep before even making it to the bed… oh well, at least Makoto will take care of her now,' she thought as she worked her way through the hallways and a couple of passages before making it back to the situation room.
What she found there was… surprising, to say the least. Artemis was tapping away furiously at the Mercury Super Computer, the new display that Ami had created earlier was flashing more than strobe lights in the middle of a trance concert. "Artemis?" she questioned.
"There are several spikes of energy that has gone off in West Tokyo, specifically in the Starlight Square district of the area. Normally, we get random, chaotic spikes of energy there due to all of the youma in and about this area, however, these spikes are more… ordered," was his response to her unasked question.
"What does it mean?" asked Usagi.
"It means that someone is purposefully tapping into Earth's energy and using it for some kind of purpose, most probably as some kind of attack."
Her insides froze. Could this be it? The new Senshi that Eternal Sailor Saturn had predicted would surface?
She frowned as she dug out her communicator and pressed the symbol for Venus. Shortly, Minako answered the summons. "You called?" she said, her voice cheerful as always.
"Are Rei and yourself still on-planet?" asked Usagi.
"Yeah, we're packing up right now. Why, what did you need?" she asked.
"I'm afraid that your diplomatic trip is going to have to be postponed… I need you," she said, regret in her voice.
"What do you need?" she asked, a serious tone in her voice now, a frown on her face.
"There has been an incident in West Tokyo. I know that we normally leave that area be, but this may prove to be a lead on the origin of the Pillar incident last week. It can also prove to be our illustrious new Senshi finally revealing herself. I need you and Rei to go to Starlight Square and investigate the area. There has been a release of energy, similar in composition to the release of Silver Millennium energy that we produce when we focus our energies for attacks. Investigate the area, try to find out what caused it, and see if you can track it down. If I am not available to take your report when you are finished, report to Artemis."
"Gotcha. I'll let Rei know, we'll be on our way in fifteen minutes."
"Thank you, my friend, and take great care. West Tokyo is a dangerous place now, even for Senshi," responded Usagi before closing the connection.
"Are you going to be busy, your highness?" asked Artemis, curious as to why she had said to report to him if she was unavailable.
"I'm going to take a trip to Elysion, Artemis. Perhaps High Priest Helios has felt or heard something in regards to either this incident or with the new Senshi. Either way, it warrants investigation and I am determined to do this myself."Artemis paused, almost seeming to want to say something before reconsidering his words. "Very well, but please be careful. There is something odd going on here, something that I can't explain. I can't see it, but I don't like it," he said.
"I promise I'll take the utmost care," said Usagi, a soft smile on her face before she stepped out.
0-0-0-0
"There's something really weird going on here…" I mumbled to myself as I stared at the desktop of my newly acquired laptop.
I'm currently in my sleeping quarters, once the old employee locker room, sitting on a table at the corner of the room with my computer. I had just finished putting everything that I had liberated the night before away and had just finished sitting down with it and had booted it up just a few minutes ago and, looking at it closely, it almost seemed to be brand new! While I KNOW this laptop is an older model, I would have thought it would contain at least SOME programs other than the basic tools, especially if it belonged to a businessperson or student, as the style of apartment I liberated this from suggested. I was currently hooked up to a self-made internet connection. After some experimentation, I found that I could divert planetary energy into electricity and, coincidentally, different kinds of energy mediums. In other words, I could use my power to activate inactive landlines, turning old Ethernet connections into live ones. It was a slower connection than a crystal link, but it works and that's what matters to me.
I'm currently installing CIM onto the laptop – also known as the Crystal Instant Messenger. Once it finished, I typed in my username and password and logged in 'Appear as offline' mode. It takes 10 seconds before I can see the lobby. I take a look at my buddy list and see that Lina IS on. Finally, I'll be able to let everyone know I'm alive.
I yawn as I double click above her username and a chat window appears on the screen. I pause for a moment now, blinking away some of the weariness that had been setting in pretty much all day and wondering just how to start a conversation with a sister who was probably worried out of her mind about me. Surely Rikku and she had noticed by now that I had disappeared… it HAD been a couple week at least, after all, and I had Hotaru as a witness, so she must have told the girls something.
After a minute of staring at a blank chat window, I decided that if all else failed, an attempt at humor would always work as an opener. Slowly I begin to type.
'Hey sis, would you happen to have another cracked cell phone on you? I seem to have damaged mine while I was out on a run…'
While it wasn't exactly funny, it was witty enough for my tastes. Satisfied that I was about to shock some socks off, I pressed the Enter key and watched as the message got sent. Then, I waited. I didn't have to wait long either. Her reply came ten seconds later.
'ARE YOU ALRIGHT?'
I smiled a sad smile. I was right after all. 'I won't lie and say I'm fine, but I WILL say that I'm a hell of a lot better than I could be, all things considering. Those cops that were chasing after me weren't exactly cops, or human for that matter. I got lucky and lost them in the Underground. I'm safe for now but I doubt I'll be joining civilization any time soon.'
I sent the message and took a drink from my glass of water. I got my reply shortly after setting the glass down. 'What do you mean not human?'
'The cops chasing after me turned out to be youma in disguise. I managed to lose them in the old tunnels. As strong as they might have been, they're still no match for the wards down here. : )'
'Why were they chasing after you?'
'Beats me, they're dead now, so I can't exactly ask them. Either way, I am safe right now. I found a safe place to stay in the old tunnels. While I'm not exactly comfortable with the surroundings, the wards keep me safe enough that I don't have to worry about getting jumped by monsters, or worse, the gangs up above.'
'Well thank Selene that you're alright then! Rikku and I have been worried sick all week. I nearly fainted when your friend Hotaru came over and told us what happened. Miki and Raina are up here, they insisted on coming once I told them what happened. Also, did you REALLY break your phone?'
'Yes, while I was running from the youma it fell and they stepped on it. Poor phone didn't stand a chance so I kept going.'
'That's not funny Rini, those phones are really difficult to get without an adult to co-sign, I'll have to purchase one from an online auction and fix it up once it gets here. I don't know how long delivery will take, so you're out of luck for at least two weeks.'
0-0-0-0
He was deep in meditation when he felt her presence enter his realm. 'So… the Queen has finally arrived…' he thought as he continue to go through the paces, acknowledging his thoughts as they came and letting them go, keeping his mind clear at all times, the small ball of golden energy radiant between his hands. At least another ten minutes pass before he felt more than he heard the doors to his meditation chambers open. He went on for another fifteen seconds before letting go of the golden energy, letting it recede back into the planet. He took a deep breath in before sighing as he let it back out. "Welcome to my meditation chamber, Your Majesty… how might I serve you?"
Usagi looked down upon him, her head cocked to a side, a neutral expression on her face. "Surely you have felt the release of energy last week?" she asked.
He smiled in response. "To be quite honest, I don't think there was a creature on this entire planet that didn't feel that on some level."
"Then perhaps you might know what I am here for…" she replied, a small smile barely tugging at the corner of her mouth.
He paused, thinking on how to reply before deciding a visual explanation might make for a better answer. "Please, follow me. I will show you what you need to know…"
He got up from his lotus position and turn to face her and the door, walking out. Looking over his shoulders only once to make sure she was following, Helios and Usagi made their way out of the temple proper and into the fields of Elysion. Helios then proceeded to pluck a red rose from the many rose bushes and presented it to the Neo-Queen. She took it with a small frown. "You do realize I'm married, don't you?" she asked incredulously.
"The answer to your many questions lie on the bottom of that rose, my Queen," he replied with a small smile.
She flipped it over and gasped at the state of it. Where deep, rose red should have been, was an ashy grey that made the rose look like it was withering.
"What does it mean, Helios?" asked the Queen as she stared at it.
"It is a reflection of the state of this planet, Your Majesty," he replied. "Simply put, this planet is dying, and nothing that neither Endymion nor I have done so far has been effective in restoring it. What is killing this world is, unfortunately, beyond our power to heal. The damage already inflicted is grievous in and of itself. Considering that the planet was already weakened to begin with due to the Great Freeze, and the world as we know it has very little time left. If we cannot find a solution within three years at the most, then this world will be lost to us.
Usagi stood stock still as she contemplated what she was just told. With a cold expression now on her face, she replied, "Why wasn't I informed of this situation?"
"Simply put, my Lady, nothing you could have done would have made a difference. The effects of the Imperial Silver Crystal would be unpredictable at best, devastating at worst. Only the Golden Crystal can be used to directly affect the planet without unforeseen consequences arising. The only way your Crystal would have been able to affect the planet without risking its destruction would be to channel its power through the Golden Crystal, something that cannot be done without risking the destruction of one or both crystals. I trust I don't need to explain the possible ramifications if such an event where to happen?" he asked, already knowing that Serenity knew all too well what the repercussions would be should such powerful mediums be damaged or destroyed in such an event. The backlash of power would sunder the planet to pieces and turn it into another asteroid belt, if anything would be left at all.
The Neo-Queen sighed. "I should have still been informed of the situation, Helios. Regardless, I will be having a discussion about this with my husband. No doubt he instructed you to keep your silence?"
"Yes my Lady," he said.
"What of this new Sailor Senshi, Helios. What do you know of her?"
"I only know what I was able to gleam from communing with the spirit of the planet, my Lady. The Earth has chosen a champion so that the planet may stand a fighting chance against the corruption that grows within her. I have tried to learn more from my communions, but the planet is not forthcoming with any other information. It is… protecting its chosen one, keeping her shielded from any that seek to uncover her for who she is. I apologize if that is not what you want to hear, my Lady, but I am only a priest of this planet, I cannot go against her will…"
She was silent for a moment. "Very well Helios. Continue to commune with the planet. Try to learn exactly what is causing its deterioration. Perhaps if we have more information to work with, we may be able to figure something out. I will not give up on this planet without a fight."
"As you wish, my Queen," said Helios.
She nodded to him in acknowledgement before disappearing in a flash of silver light, teleporting back to the Crystal Palace.
Helios stood there, looking at the place she was standing before letting out a long sigh. "I hope your right, Serenity… and I pray that your path does not clash with Sailor Terra's… for her wrath will be felt for years on end if you go against her will… SHE is now the rightful ruler of Earth…"
0-0-0-0
'So you said those youma are now dead? I thought you said you lost them in the Underground?' I saw on the chat screen. I smiled, thinking about how long it took her to realize my mistake. I began to type a reply, bending the truth to suit my needs.
'I found their bodies again a week later while going out on a run for supplies. As good as I am at hide and seek, I need to eat sometime you know. Anyway, on my way back to the Underground, I saw a flash of light coming from Youma Square. Me being me, I hid in the shadows and investigated. Apparently the youma that were chasing me had a run in with a Sailor Senshi and they got done in.'
I pressed the Enter key and waited for a reply. I didn't have to wait long. 'You saw a Sailor Senshi IRL? Wait, never mind that, WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU DOING IN YOUMA SQUARE DUMMY! DO YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THAT PLACE IS? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!'
I chuckled a little when I read that. Ever since we were kids Lina was always the one to keep us out of trouble. I was always the one that got us out of trouble whenever it found us. Despite the sisterly bond that we share, our risk factor has always been on opposite ends.
'Relax Lina, I swear I was perfectly fine. I was aware of my surroundings at all times, nothing got near me going in or out. Besides, Youma Square is pretty much the only place I can safely raid for supplies without drawing anyone's attention. I'd like to see you try to rob a store and get away with it without attracting some kind of heat…' I replied. I was always more willing than her to get my hands dirty as far as survival goes. If I had to pickpocket someone to ensure our next meal, then so be it. I always did what I had to do to make sure we didn't have to eat out of garbage bins. Lina-chan was always more hesitant. While not exactly innocent herself, she preferred to work from the background, preferably as an anonymous individual who could not be tracked by anyone. It's one of the many reasons as to why she's one of the best hackers and cyber-thieves that money could buy. She was taught by the best in the business before he died to Yakuza involvement, and she's learned her lessons well.
'Ok, I understand that, but please, be more careful next time you go up top. Try to avoid Youma Square as much as possible. Come home soon, we're all worried about you and we all miss you. Hotaru misses you too, she's always coming over with that cat of hers asking if you had checked in with us. We think you might have made a lasting impression on her. ;-)'
Hotaru… just thinking about her caused some of my 'other' memories to surface. I quickly pushed them back, ready to review them later. Diana as well, I'll need to do something about that. Next time I see them, I don't think I'll have a clue as to how to act around them. So much was left unsaid when my previous incarnation decided to kill herself. I honestly do not look forward to that particular encounter. 'Come to think of it… Chibiusa was kind of close to Hotaru while she was still alive… could that be why I felt a connection to her when we first met in Central Tokyo?
'Yeah, I threw a tray of food at a 'supposed' police officer and pretty much left her hanging at the mall while I tore my way out of there like a man on fire. Some impression…' I typed out, a frown on my face.
'Well, it must have been an impressive throw, because she comes over every day and asks about you.'
I honestly don't know what to think about this. I could understand her going over every now and again to see if Lina had any new info on my whereabouts, but to go over every day? Did I honestly make such a profound impression on her with my zeal in a mere two days that she's worrying that much about me?
'It's more than that, and you know it…' came the sly whisper in the back of my head. Briefly a memory flashed through my head, a pink haired figure lying in an open field, a black haired figure sitting next to her as she leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips…
I shook my head. 'Damn it all to hell and back Rini, keep it together before you go insane!' I thought, mentally reprimanding myself. I need to find a way of getting these memories sorted out soon or I fear my brain will melt. Did my previous self really have that deep of a connection with Hotaru that I'm getting flashes of them together now? Is that why Hotaru is so concerned about me?
'Next time you see her, tell her that I'm safe… also, tell her that I'm sorry for how our shopping trip ended and that I'll make it up to her when it's safe for me to resurface…' I typed. Hopefully, by the time we meet again, I'll have mastered these memories and won't be so bogged down by them. Last thing I need is for these memories to hinder me from going out and doing what I normally do.
'No worries. I'll let her know as soon as I can.'
'Good. Listen, I need to log off. Got other things I need to take care of. I'll try to log on tomorrow to give you an update on my situation.'
There was a momentary pause in the conversation until she replied back. 'Ok. I understand you got things to do. Just please, be careful. As safe as you are in the Underground, you're still right smack in the middle of dangerous territory… log on soon.'
'I will. Bye.'
I close the chat window and terminate the program before sighing and shutting the computer down. I get up and head towards the bed that I had been using, a shiver of cold crawling up my spine. Striping myself of all clothes except my panties, I lied down and covered myself up with the thin blanket, trying to warm up some while getting rest. Despite my triumph against the cat demon earlier the previous day, I felt unusually worn. Despite the fact that I was so tired, however, I still couldn't manage to get any sleep.
'Why, damnit? Why can't I get any rest…?' I thought to myself, feeling thoroughly miserable about my situation.
Another hour goes by. Sleep still doesn't come to me. Tears come to my eyes as desperation finally starts to seep in.
"Why…" I sobbed out loud. "Why can't I sleep… what's wrong with me?" I sobbed out, gasping for air as I started struggling just to breath.
It was then that I felt it, a tug at the back of my mind, as if something was trying to get my attention. I shot up and looked around with a sharp eye, trying to spot anything out of place. It felt almost as if someone, or something, was watching me. And that's when I felt the warmth. Warmth I hadn't felt in weeks. Warmth I had last felt when I was alone, in a forest, trying to cope with the changes that where occurring in me. I knew, in that instant, who was watching me at the moment, and one word came to my mind, and out of my mouth.
"Mother…" I sobbed out, the radiant warmth penetrating my very being.
"I am here, my child," came the reply, vibrating in my head soothingly as it did those weeks ago. Terra was communing with her once more.
"What is happening to me, Mother? What is wrong with me?" I asked, hoping that she could provide her with answers.
"There is nothing wrong with you, my child… if anything, I am the one who is at fault here…"
I blinked… "But Mother…"
"I am dying, my child… I explained why the last time we communed. However, my malignant state has had an unforeseen consequence… while I might be able to bestow great power upon you as my avatar; your powers are also severely limited as the result of my weakened state. Whenever you use your greatest of abilities, it will wear you down to the point of near-death. It will take a good while for you to recover, I'm afraid, for while my powers might allow you to overcome your mortal limits, the human body can only handle so much stress. I, in my weakened state, can compensate you some of the energy needed to recover, but unless I am fully healed, you will not be able to use your higher abilities without paying for them later."
Higher abilities... I thought back to the fight I had with the cat demon. 'My attacks weren't the issue… the dagger attacks, while potent, are more precision based attacks and don't carry a lot of power behind them… and my World Breaker, while powerful, didn't leave me half dead after I used it… so what could it…'
Then my eyes widened comically as the reason hit me. The Living Ward, the shield I had summoned, the shield which I had had to channel to maintain. While channeling that spell, I had to ground myself and link directly to the planet to draw the power I needed to maintain the protective dome around me.
"I see that you have come to the right conclusion… while my power can be used to protect yourself and others, you must also be wary of how much power you channel, or else you will tax your body beyond my ability to help you with…"
"I see…" I mumbled, my eyes weary with sleep deprivation.
"Sleep, my child…" I heard. "Know that I watch over you. You will find that the sleep you crave will no longer evade you on this night… we will commune again tomorrow."
I hesitated, torn between wanting to sleep and wanting to talk to Mother Terra some more. In the end, sleep won out, and I laid back down, covering myself with my blanket and closing my eyes, a smile on my face for the first time in weeks.
'Thank you, mother…'
To Be Continued…
Author's Notes: Ouch! So not only do we get a glimpse of life outside the Underground, but we find out Sailor Terra's greatest weakness! I'm sure we can all attest to just how well we function without getting enough rest. To be exhausted to the point that Rini has gotten makes doing even something as mundane as getting up out of a chair a tremendous chore, and while I might get static about it, this exhaustion will play a pivotal role later on in the story. Trust me, you're gonna like where I take this later.
A note on updates: they will be coming very infrequently. I might post chapters back to back in a month's time, or might go months before I get to the next one. My writing habits are very sporadic at the moment, especially considering both IRL and WoW have me by the go-nads right now. Work hours have me exhausted to the point of not being able to concentrate on anything. Game wise, my guild came to me a couple of months ago and asked me to come out of retirement and raid with them. Last time I did serious raiding prior to this was two years ago, during the Burning Crusade expansion, a brief stint prior to my unemployment when Wrath of the Lich King first came out, and slightly at the end of the LK expansion. I have currently finished gearing up my tank and have started raiding seriously with my guild. Three nights a week, I'm hitting a raid, and if not I'm farming materials for supplies (food, flasks, etc) or doing my Molten Front dailies. At work, things have been hectic. My hours have been changed with no prior notice and I am now having to wake up even earlier than accustomed, so at the end of the day I'm much more tired when I get home.
That being said, I will do my absolute best to get content out on a timely manner, however, 'timely' always takes a back seat with me until anything I write passes my quality tests. I do my best to not post crap. If I'm not happy, I do everything I can to strip, change, and even scrap if need be, until I am satisfied with a chapter.
Speaking of chapters, this one is a particular favorite of mine, not because of the drama (which there is plenty of, as you can see), but because it gives you a glimpse of the relationship Rini will have with her planet as her avatar. It also shows why, while being powerful, Sailor Terra is NOT indestructible. Unlike the previous chapter, which showed her as being almost overpowered, this chapter shows us her mortality, a side of her that we've been seeing a lot of in her base form. You'll be seeing a lot more of this side of her translate into her Senshi form soon enough.
I'll leave things here for now, I think. Happy reading, folks. Till next time, I'll be waiting and watching…