Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sailor Moon or any of the canon characters. Derek, Drake, and the others are strictly figments that have escaped from my imagination.
Author's Note: This is set during the Sailor Moon R break-up, when Darien is having the nightmares and breaks up with Serena. However, I have decided to make Rini a little older. She's now about ten years old, instead of four, just because of the plot line. Also, the other scouts are older, as everyone is now in high school except Hotaru. But, hey, this is AU. Also, when I refer to the five divisions of Terra, I refer to them by their direction from Elysian, thus North and South America, being to the East of Elysian, are the Eastern Division, Africa and the Middle East are the Western Division. Europe, Russia, Greenland, and Iceland are all the Northern Division, while Australia, Antarctica, and the Pacific Islands are the Southern Division. The rest of Asia would be Elysian. Galaxis High School is my creation, here. Its sort-of replacing the school Hotaru, Michelle, and Amara attended during the Heartsnatchers episodes, but since that isn't happening, I gave them a new school. (Too I can't remember the name!) This would be the school that Serena, Jason, Zack, Amara, and Michelle are attending.
Chapter 14: Phoenix and Fire
"Sun, moon, stars, planets," Raye chanted. "Guide me, help me see what the darkness is plotting."
Her eyes drifted closed as she moved her hands in the sacred formations, beseeching the Sacred Fire for any information. She didn't figure she would get much from it. It had been months since she'd been able to get anything from the flames. Sighing, she opened her eyes and started to rise from the floor. She blinked in surprise. An image had appeared in the flames. Jason was fighting against a youma. The creature appeared female, as they always did. Burnished steel armor clung to her, and a heavy sword was in her hands.
Raye paled as she watched the youma deal a blow to Jason. The young man rolled across the ground, but did not transform into Tuxedo Phoenix.
"What is he waiting for? He'll be killed if he doesn't transform!" Raye bit her lip, before whirling to the door.
She ran down the narrow porch that surrounded the temple. The scene at the top of the stairs, however, froze her in her tracks.
Jason ran away from the youma, flipping over a bench, while her grandpa stood in a corner, chanting with a paper held in his hands.
That's why he didn't transform. Grandpa's watching. But what can I do? Without telling Grandpa what I've been doing? Raye looked around, trying to find some way of distracting the youma so they could get her grandfather to safety.
Suddenly, her two pet crows, Phobos and Deimos, took off into the air, flying directly at the youma. Raye instantly grabbed the diversion, running over to her grandfather and dragging him away from the monster. Jason was right on her heels. The three of them ducked into the booth where Raye and her grandpa sold the good luck charms and other talismans that paid for the temple.
"What were you thinking, taking on that creature by yourself?" The priestess angrily punched Jason's shoulder. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"
The blonde man turned to face her, his bright blue eyes wide. "I didn't know you cared, Miss Hino."
A faint blush covered her cheeks as she turned to watch the youma cast her two crows to the ground.
"No! Phobos! Deimos!" Tears fell down her cheeks. "That was uncalled for!"
Her hand dropped into her pocket, tightening around her transformation wand. Then she heard her grandpa cough behind her.
She turned to see him with his arms wrapped around his chest, his face pale. The small man let out a groan and curled up on the ground.
"Grandpa! What's wrong?" Raye hurried to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"He was taking on the creature by himself when I got here," explained Jason. "I think he got hurt before I arrived. I don't know how long they'd been fighting before that."
Raye shook her head. How could her grandpa have been fighting a youma and she hadn't known it? Angrily, she brushed away the tears in the corners of her eyes and pulled her grandpa's arm away from his chest. A thin gash appeared in his robes, with a long red line on his skin underneath.
"I'll be fine, Raye. Don't worry about me." Grandpa coughed again.
"You won't be fine for long, old man."
All three of them turned to see who had spoken. A tall man with shoulder-length black hair had appeared next to the youma. Leather armor covered him, from the breastplate he wore, to the armguards, and kilt. Tall black leather boots covered his legs up to his knees. In one hand he carried a heavy leather whip and in the other he lifted a large sword with a silver hilt.
"I am Ares, King of Mars. None dare to stand against me. Now, submit to me, and I might show you mercy." The tall man strode forward, his dark eyes narrowed.
Grandpa shoved Raye's arm aside and struggled to his feet. "You don't know the meaning of mercy, Ares. You never have. I was a fool to allow my daughter to marry you, but I had hoped she could see something I didn't. I was wrong. Both in this time, and in the last."
Ares growled, swinging his whip. The leather caught Grandpa and sent him back to the ground. Raye started forward, her violet eyes blazing, but Jason's hand on her arm stopped her. Grandpa was pushing himself back to his feet.
A ball of fire emerged into his hand, flickering red and orange, with occasional glimpses of dark purple. Grandpa drew back his hand and flung the fireball in Ares' direction. The ball sailed past him, missing by inches.
"Old fool, you missed. And that was all the power you had at your disposal," chuckled Ares. "You'll die by my hand, again."
"I wasn't aiming for you, Ares." Grandpa dropped to his knees, his skin waxy and his eyes glassy.
The king of Mars stared down at him, a look of puzzlement crossing his face.
Raye shrugged off Jason's hand and ran to wrap her arms around her grandpa, determined to do all she could to protect him. Jason trailed right behind her, his hands clenched tightly into fists.
"If you were not aiming at me, who were you aiming at?" Ares demanded.
"He was aiming at me!" A voice sounded from behind Ares.
All heads turned to see a fourteen year old boy emerge from behind a cherry tree, the ball of fire bouncing up and down on his open palm. Black hair curled around his ears, and blue-violet eyes peered out from under his black bangs. He didn't look very impressive, dressed in blue jeans and a red t-shirt, with battered red Converse sneakers on his feet.
"And who might you be, boy?" A sneer crossed the face of Mars' king.
"You don't recognize me, do you?" The boy stepped forward. "You really don't know who I am?"
The king shook his head. "Should I?"
Fire surrounded the boy as he lifted the ball of fire high into the air. The symbol of Mars blazed on his forehead as his clothing was replaced by a dark red version of Jedite's general uniform, with white trim. A long cloak dropped from his shoulders, swirling around his feet, and the symbol of Mars was hidden behind a wide leather band that wrapped around his head.
"You!" Ares lifted his sword. "How dare you return!"
"So, you still can't even say my name? Somehow I'm not surprised!"
Ares strode forward, as the boy lowered the ball of fire. A grin crossed the boy's face as a second ball of flame appeared in his other hand. Instead of dark purple flecks inside the flames, there danced occasional glimmers of pure gold.
"I call upon the powers of Prisma and Ember, the phoenixes of Mars and Terra!" The boy lifted both spheres into the air.
The two spheres leapt out of his hands, spinning around each other, before merging into a single orb. The flames flickered rapidly, shifting out of their form, into the shape of a bow and a single arrow. The boy stretched out his hands, taking both the bow and arrow. With a practiced ease, he nocked the arrow and fired.
Ares bit back a yelp as the arrow landed in his left arm, forcing him to drop the whip.
The boy grinned as the bow and arrow turned back into flames and flew into his chest. He drew a small red orb from his pocket and lifted it before him.
"Neo-Mars Power!"
Flames surrounded him again, turning his outfit into a blood red tuxedo, complete with cape and top hat. A dark purple mask settled across his face, matching the lining on his cape.
"I am the Martian Knight, and I am no longer afraid of you, Ares," he declared, apparently quite calm.
The king of Mars lifted his sword. "You will learn to fear me again, Grandson!"
A smile crossed the boy's face as he leapt away from Ares.
Raye gasped. That was Jacob Jedite? But he was dead, wasn't he? He couldn't actually be here. But, they had seen him when he took them back into the past.
Grandpa turned to look at his granddaughter. "I want you and Jason to get rid of that youma. I know all about you being Sailor Mars. I don't know how I ended up carrying one of those Shadow Warriors into this life, but I do remember the Silver Millennium now, Raye. Jason, I know you are the reincarnated form of General Jedite, and I trust you now, as I did back then. I recognized you as soon as you arrived, you silly bow."
The two of them stared down at the short man, who continued, "Now, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Just get rid of that creature."
Raye nodded and drew out her transformation wand, while Jason pulled out the small rock of jedite he carried with him.
"Mars Star Power!"
"Phoenix of Terra!"
Sailor Mars and Tuxedo Phoenix leapt forward, attacking the youma. The creature had been distracted by the appearance of Ares and the beginning of the battle with the Martian Knight, leaving her completely open to the combined fury of the two warriors. Having been so unprepared, it didn't take long for her to fall.
"Phoenix Dark Spirit Dispel!" Jason shouted, throwing forward a thin white paper.
Raye folded her hands before her. "Mars Celestial Fire Surround!"
From the dust remains of the youma, Raye pulled out the silver coin, engraved with a sword and whip. The two of them turned to see the Martian Knight leap into the air.
"Time to finish this, Ares. You won't be hurting anyone anymore!" Martian Knight folded his own hands. "Mars Phoenix Sacred Celestial Fire Surround!"
Orbs of fire blasted into Ares, turning him into a ghostly form of himself. More flames surrounded him, trapping him inside a small red crystal.
The Martian Knight dropped to the ground, his transformation fading as soon as his feet hit the ground. He hurried over to Grandpa, placing a hand above the gash the youma had created. A red light covered his hand and then quickly faded. When he lifted his hand away, it was as if Grandpa had never been injured.
"There. Thank you. You've kept it safe, all these years," stated the boy.
Grandpa nodded. "You asked me to, remember?"
The boy bowed his head and rose, walking toward the long flight of stairs.
"Wait! Jacob Jedite!" Raye called after him.
"I don't go by that, any more," he called back. "They call me J. J., now!"
Jason ran after him, grabbing his arm before he could start down the stairs. "I believe we deserve an explanation, J. J."
The boy sighed. "I can't give you one here and now. It's too complicated for that, and I'd like to only have to explain it once. Can you get everyone together tomorrow? And I mean everyone. The Inner Scouts, the Outer Scouts, the Tuxedo Knights, even Darien and Serena. I'll bring the others from the future, but Derek and Rini are up to you. Don't forget Aaron Erebus Miller, either."
Jason looked over at Raye, who nodded. "We'll do it. We'll get everyone together, tomorrow."
"The best place would be the mansion. More comfortable there, after all."
Raye walked over. "I think I know how we can manage that."
J. J. smiled. "I'll see you all tomorrow then."
Reluctantly, Jason let go of the boy's arm, and he dashed down the steps, to where two figures waited, both dressed in black.
Zack pulled his convertible up in front of Juuban High School. "Why does Jason want me to bring all of them up to the mansion? Something's definitely up."
He watched as Amy walked backward across the school yard, talking to Mina and Lita. The taller girl narrowed her eyes as she spotted his car parked out front. She must have said something to Amy, because the bluenette turned around, a bright blush across her face. Mina laughed at her friend's behavior.
The three of the all walked up to him.
"Hello, ladies. I'm here to offer an invitation to Moon Mansion," he stated, motioning to the open seats in his car. "I'm to take all three of you up there for the big powwow that's being thrown together, right now."
Amy nodded. "I'm sure we'd love to go. Serena's going to be there, after all."
Lita's eyes widened, as she turned to look at Amy. "We're being invited to Serena's new house?"
"What are we waiting for?" Mina demanded, leaping into the back seat of the car.
Slowly, Lita followed her, sitting directly behind the front passenger's seat, where Amy sat.
Derek walked out of Juuban Junior High, Hotaru and Aaron walking right beside him. A yellow convertible waited at the curb, a tall blonde behind the wheel, with a girl with aquamarine hair sitting behind her.
"Hotaru, hello. We're to bring you and your fellow classmates up to the mansion today," stated the blonde, smirking. "Jason's insistence, actually. Why we're agreeing, I don't know, but we are. Rini is getting a ride from Nate, actually. She'll meet us up there."
The dark girl smiled and climbed into the back seat, followed cautiously by Aaron and Derek.
"Don't worry too much. Darien will be joining us, too," assured the aquamarine haired girl. "Drake's going to go get him."
Aaron smiled. "Good to know he'll be in my big brother's hands."
"I'm Amara," stated the blonde, "and my girlfriend here is Michelle."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," stated Derek.
Andrew and Darien stood outside the Crown, waiting for Derek.
"So, you actually have another day off, Andrew?" Darien demanded.
The blonde man nodded. "Yeah. Not sure what I'm going to do, though. Rita's not in town. She's still in Africa, or I'd spend the day hanging out with her."
"Well, I suppose you could always join us," stated a deep voice.
A black sedan pulled up to the curb, the window rolled down. Drake leaned over and looked at them through the passenger's side front window.
"You're invited up to the Moon Mansion. Aaron and Derek are on their way up there, now," stated the general of the underworld. "It's time we all sat down and tried to figure out just what is really going on here."
Darien nodded and walked over to the car, opening the front passenger door. Andrew looked back over his shoulder before shrugging and climbing into the back seat.
"Let's go."
Okay, I'm back on Vault of Souls. I warn you now, the next chapter will probably be a little confusing. Everyone's all going to be in the same place, which means a whole lot of people! Eventually, I hope to get back to Hearts of Le Lune, but it may be a little while. Thanks for reading. Now, can you please leave a review? I know a lot of you are reading this! It hurts that only a few of you can actually take the time to leave a little message. I don't really care what it is. Please, just leave something!