Author's Note
ImperialGuardian: I don't own anything. I'm happy though that I'm still going here.
Raye: Why Mars? Why do you let her continue this?
Mars: Because it's fun.
Raye: NOT YOU TOO!
ImperialGuardian: I didn't even have to resort to the book this time. For those who might not know Mars is the Roman god of war…hehe…he's cool. I'll just leave this here. Enjoy the chapter!
Looks Can Be Deceiving
Chapter 21: Angel Feathers
"Well, if it means that much to you," Koton said, shifting a little. "I could let the lovely ladies look at it for a one-time fee."
"What is it?" Serena asked, worried if she was ever going to have an allowance again.
"More than anything, I've wanted the Spiritua Statue that is displayed in that little House of Salvation that is south of here. If you bring me that, I'll let you ladies look at the book."
"You're so stingy! Like it'd cost you anything to let us look at it!" Genis exclaimed.
"Shaddup! Get outta here if you don't have the money or the statue!" Koton shouted. The group stepped outside, leaving Hanokonesia Peak as they reached the field. Suddenly Genis shivered.
"Why does it feel so cold?" Genis whispered. "It's like the sun's not out."
"Demon," Serena and Luna replied. Serena instinctively held her broach.
"You mean one of those weird monsters from last night?" Raine asked, as she unconsciously shivered.
"Where is it originating from?" Kratos asked Genis.
"It's coming from that direction," Genis said, pointing towards the path they had come from earlier in the morning.
"Do you think they're following us?" Lloyd asked.
"No, they're coming to ask Koton for a road pass," Luna scoffed.
"Really?" Colette asked.
"Luna," Serena warned. "So do we head them off and give ourselves an advantage, Luna?"
"I'm shocked you suggest it. Without the—wait, you all could help!" Luna exclaimed. The group looked at the cat.
"I hardly think this will benefit us to haphazardly jump into a fight," Kratos pointed out.
"Besides, how can we help?" Lloyd asked.
"It will hardly benefit anyone if we don't face them," Luna replied.
"Oh no! Look everyone!" Colette cried, pointing ahead of the discussing group. There were running people, and several black tentacles chasing them. Serena turned back to Kratos.
"I know it seems stupid, but we don't have much choice. People are in danger," Serena replied. "You don't have to help, but I have to go there, whether I want to or not."
With that, she ran off. With a click and a sigh, Serena rose her broach to the sky while running.
"MOON ETERNAL POWER MAKEUP!"
After the lightshow, she came face to face with the menace. Luna was at her side.
"Luna, go back to the others," Sailor Moon said sternly.
"WHAT?" Luna shouted.
"Protect them for me," Sailor Moon replied with a smile. She held the Moon Power Tier in hand, as Luna reluctantly nodded and ran off. She was alone. She didn't have the others, not even the Outers, there to help her. The monster before her was a giant black blob, tentacles coming out of nearly every place in its body, people hanging from nearly all of them. Two of them came her way. With a quick leap she dodged, and swung at one of the many tentacles. Like butter the weapon cut through the demon, but sadly, its arm reconnected as soon as she sliced through. "It's not working—maybe Luna was right. I really shouldn't use the Moon Power Tier like a bat."
"SAILOR MOON!" the creature boomed. "DIE!"
With an unsuspecting slam against her back, Sailor Moon flew to the ground face first. She picked herself back up, painfully.
"I will not lose to the likes of you! Unhand these people at once or you will pay dearly demon!"
"YOU CAN'T STOP ME!" the demon laughed, his booming voice startling Sailor Moon some.
"I will too!" Sailor Moon replied.
"YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE YOUR PATHETIC FRIENDS TO HELP! YOU ARE NO MATCH!" the demon laughed, the ground shaking as Sailor Moon fell to her knees.
"Don't you dare talk about them that way!" Sailor Moon screamed. "They may be traitors, but they're still my friends, and I won't let a demon like yourself defile their name!"
"TRY ME," the demon continued, as another tentacle rammed her back into the ground. Sailor Moon once again painfully rose to her feet.
"I can do this," she whispered hopelessly, raising up the Moon Power Tier. "I will defeat you in the name of good. SILVER MOON CRYSTAL POWER KISS!"
The attack fruitlessly landed in the blob, and proceeded to bounce back, forcing Sailor Moon to dodge her own attack.
"WEAKLING! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY YOU'RE SO FEARED!"
"It's right," Sailor Moon whispered. "I can't even phase it. But I have to keep trying, or else these people will die. But what can I do?"
"Light, I beg of thee to reveal thy glory," chanted a voice behind her. Sailor Moon spun to see Colette, with her violet and pink glimmering wings out, and a circle of light glowing around her. "Angel Feathers!"
"Colette?" Sailor Moon asked, as she received a smile from her friend, a flurry of rainbow colored feathers flying at the blob, striking through it. The monster screamed. "How?"
"DIE!" the demon cried, tentacles coming at the two. Sailor Moon grabbed Colette and jumped out of range.
"Wow! That would have killed us!" Colette exclaimed, seeing the damage.
"Are you okay?" Sailor Moon asked, one hand in front of Colette, the tentacles threatening a second strike.
"Yeah, thanks to you Se—I mean Sailor Moon!" Colette cheered. Sailor Moon had her free hand grabbing her tiara, praying it would work…
"Wha—?" Lita asked, waking up groggily. She saw Yuan sitting at her bedside patiently. "What happened?"
"Well, to put it lightly Ms. Jupiter—you're an angel."
"WHAT?" she screamed. "Who are you trying to kid? I am not an—oh my god! What happened to me?"
She had jumped to her feet, and frozen in front of a full length mirror. Her hair had returned to its normal shade overnight, by some strange act of nature, and she still wore the same clothes from before, but she was looking at a person who had green glimmering wings. This wasn't Lita.
"As I told you, you are now an angel," Yuan explained again. "As for the pale green hair dye, that naturally fades out in the darkness. It was a product that became a hit a long time ago. It's harmless for the most part. The only known side effect is a slight headache for a day, however, I doubt that will be a problem to you."
"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at him angrily.
"You probably didn't notice, but have you had any urges to eat lately?" Yuan started. Lita thought back, and realized not once had she even let food cross her mind. Even now as food filled her mind, her stomach did not protest, or show any signs of starvation. Her eyes widened. "It's either a gradual or swift process, depending upon the person and the environment. Since you are here in Welgaia, your symptoms should probably occur faster than the current Chosen. You're almost an angel now. The only difference you'll have from those who maintain Welgaia is your soul. You probably won't lose that, seeing as you have wings that are very smiliar to my own."
"Wait, your own?" Lita demanded, as blue glimmering wings sprouted from his back. She was dumbstruck. Their wings were similar! "You're an angel then?"
"Yes."
"How did you make them disappear like that?" Lita demanded.
"You can simply will them out of sight," Yuan said with a wave of his hand, as his wings vanished. "Your friend, Ms. Hino, will probably need this lesson soon too, assuming she's stayed out of harm's way."
"What do you mean?"
"You both possess the object that creates this change in a person, a Cruxis Crystal…"
"Wow, Raye, you're up so early!" Rini exclaimed, seeing Raye reading the manual they had been given the day before. Hotaru also awoke, the two staring at Raye.
"It seems the rules of battle here are really complicated," Raye muttered, deep in thought.
"What is coming from Raye's back?" Hotaru pointed out, as Rini squeaked, summoning Amara, Trista, and Michelle to the room.
"What's the matter Ri—Raye?" Trista asked, as Raye finally looked up from her book.
"What is everyone staring at?" Raye asked them.
"Take a look," Diana said meekly, pointing a paw at a mirror. Raye walked over to the mirror cautiously, and her eyes widened in shock. She suddenly had neon red fairylike wings on her back. With a single thought, they flapped, red glittering light falling gently from them. After a few more flaps, she was airborne, suspending a few feet in the air. And as soon as she wished them to disappear, they vanished, and she crashed to the floor in shock.
"Raye?" Amara asked carefully.
"I've got angel wings," she whispered horrifically…