AN: Forgive the confusion in the chapter, I was desperate to post it by Thanksgiving. That, and my kittens decided to delete and retype half of it, which was nice to deal with. I've made a deal with myself to work on and finish an original story by the end of the year so I can start the new year looking for an actual publisher, but I will try to get at least one more chapter up for the winter holidays. You can expedite this with reviews, seriously, I cannot stress the kind of fuel that reviews provide me, so please, if you want more, R&R
Rei pulled the sleeve of her robes out of the way as she painted down the last symbol on the temple floor and repositioned herself, facing Setsuna, who was lying in the center of the floor.
"I really hope this works…" the green haired woman breathed, closing her eyes.
"Why wouldn't it?" Rei lit the remaining candles and incense and signaled for Hotaru to seal the room.
"We don't ever 'call' Feril. We've never had to track her down like this, it's always been pretty immediate. Her response, that is." Hotaru answered helpfully as she gave the sign that the room was ready. "She's always responded in some way or another when the school is in danger, especially when Tower Dorm is."
Not one of them said what next came to their minds, there was no need. The sinking sensation of dread, that feeling something horrible had, or was about to happen was palpable in the air.
Chapter 38: Jumping At Shadows
Haruka wiped the pooling sweat away with the back of her arm as she pushed the oar through the churning soup of sheets, boiling water, disinfectant and detergent. The work load grew by the day, every waking hour finding another student with the symptoms, narrowing the pool of able bodied helpers.
Panic had long since been replaced with an overhanging doom, a terminal acceptance of the inevitable. Even with all the precautions being taken, so many were still getting sick, trapped within the school grounds, mistakes were made every day.
Death had been kept at bay so far, barely, but no one had any doubt that it would be denied much longer. It was no more a question of if, in their minds, but who, and when. Resources were rationed, systems put in place to ensure the essentials could be provided, but they were stretched too thin.
Mamoru and Haruka had been up into the early morning, making rounds with jugs of fresh water and gathering soiled sheets, still damp with fever-sweat. They had only found respite when ordered to by a frantic Usagi, who would not leave them be until they slept.
Neither had slept easily or long, and returned to their efforts to keep their hands busy, to stave off the desperation welling beneath the surface. The halls were eerily silent, and a suffocating, sweet stench found its way into everything, no matter what they tried to remove it, they couldn't find the source.
"Haruka-kun?"
The blonde pushed her matted bangs out of her eyes to see Minako step weakly into the room, carrying a tray with their lunch on it. Haruka gave a tight lipped smile and set the oar aside.
"Arigato. Is it noon already?" she asked, pulling at her shirt to make sure it wasn't revealing anything she didn't want it to. Her binding was sticking to her something awful and trapping sweat like crazy, but Haruka hadn't had much of a chance to take it off lately. It seemed like she was always around other people, always busy.
"It's just soup and water today." Minako informed apologetically as they both took a seat against the wall. Haruka's stomach growled appreciatively of the imminent meal and the tall blonde tried to laugh it off.
"You can't keep skipping meals," Minako pointed out as she took a drink. "You've got to keep your strength up. If you get sick, Mamoru will have to do all the heavy lifting." It was a pitiful attempt at teasing, and Haruka took the words for their intent.
"Don't worry about me, koneko-chan. I have the strength of ten because my heart is pure." Haruka gave a demonstrative flex of her arm and a small smile. "Besides, you're the one pulling double duty, Nurse Aino. How are Ami and Makoto doing?"
Minako stared wordlessly into her soup a moment, stirring it idly.
"Not so good… We've managed to slow things down, but they're still getting worse," she muttered, a frown deep set on her features. "We've been pouring over Ami's notes, but everything she found points to this all being containable. Every calculation says it should have passed us over. And every calculation we run to check the data says exactly the same thing… It just doesn't add up!" She slammed her glass down with her exclamation of frustration and it cracked, cutting her hand. The blue-eyed beauty hissed in pain and brought the cut to her lips on reflex.
"Careful now!" Haruka snaked out her own hand to catch Minako's gingerly and draw it towards her for further examination. "It's not deep." She assured as her eyes and digits searched for glass in the cut. Even as she spoke, her free hand moved to one of the disinfected sheets. Releasing Minako's injured hand for just a moment, deft fingers tore away a long, thin strip of fabric. With expert care and skill, Haruka swaddled the damaged body part in the makeshift bandage before Minako had a second to protest.
Minako stared somewhat dumbfounded at her neatly wrapped member, then up at Haruka.
"You'll need to clean and disinfect it, just to be safe, but that should hold you until…"
It sunk in, settling deep in her mind, wrapping itself around her thoughts. She had meant to send Minako to the nurses to be tended to, but Minako herself was the last 'nurse' left, for all Haruka knew. There were a few in the wards, yes, tending to the worst cases, but they all showed signs of infection themselves.
This thing, this dark, ominous presence, it had already won. It had taken the school, teachers, staff and students alike; it had made these halls its castle. They four of them, Usagi, Mamoru, Minako and herself were no longer holding off a siege, but the dwindling resistance forces of a fallen army. It had been almost two days, Haruka realized, since she'd seen anyone but her fellow Tower Dormers uninfected.
"Haruka-kun…?"
The concern in Minako's tone brought Haruka back. She was still holding the bandaged hand.
"Sorry…" Haruka released her and sat back, still a little dazed.
"Hey, don't worry." With her good hand, Minako reached out to touch Haruka's arm, a little frightened by the expression creeping into those emerald eyes. "Things just look bad right now, we'll make it through. It's always darkest before the dawn, right?" She smiled it what she hoped was a confident way. The smile vanished as Haruka meet her gaze, a look of agony swimming in their deep green.
Haruka couldn't bring herself to say it, couldn't admit the feeling that was turning her blood to ice in her veins as she looked into the pretty face of one of the few people she might consider a friend. She couldn't tell Minako that she had already been saved, already been cured, that this plague could not touch her. Haruka Tenoh knew, that even as her friends fell around her, when the dawn came, she would still be standing. She would be unharmed.
--
"What's happening?"
Michiru examined the world around her. She was in the temple, but it was strange, like all the colors had been turned down, time moved in strange, rapid jumps or long, extended pauses. That, and she could sense her alter ego, the ancient spirit housed within her body, to whom she had addressed her question.
"A spell." Sailor Neptune replied calmly. "They're casting a seeking spell in the other room."
Michiru happened to glance down and see herself lying in bed, for all appearances asleep.
"So… this isn't a dream?" she wondered, studying her own features.
"Not entirely, no. We've been pulled into the world between dreams, between the living and the dead, the land of spirits. Though I'm fairly certain it's accidental, us being here. Care to investigate?"
Michiru responded by moving to the door. She paused a moment, uncertain of what to do, then reached out to slid it open. The door didn't move, but there was passage none the less now, and as she stepped through, unsure, the door returned fully behind her, undisturbed.
"Strange." She declared, before turning her attention down the hall. She moved as though she was walking, but Michiru wasn't entirely sure that was the case. However it was done, she made it to the room at the end and was greeted by the sight of three somewhat familiar glowing figures. The first two were easy enough to recognize, Sailor Pluto, who was somehow simultaneously Setsuna, and Sailor Saturn, who was also Hotaru.
"That's not right…" Saturn/Hotaru noted, looking Sailor Neptune/Michiru up and down. Sailor Pluto/Setsuna, who was standing over her own body, scowled.
"We must have over extended." The Senshi of Time decided and Michiru noted she seemed a great deal more solid in this world than her younger counterpart. The spell had been intended for her, Neptune's mind filled in helpfully. With that knowledge, Michiru's gaze fell on the third member of this odd collection.
"Who… Rei-san?" Michiru had a brief memory of seeing the girl just before falling into another flurry of memories. More shocking than the black haired girl's presence though, was that of the other spirit attached to her. It was a Sailor Senshi, that much was clear, though her fuku was tattered, bloodied and torn. Her name eluded Michiru to the point of giving her a splitting pain at her temples, she knew this woman but could not place her. This Senshi's evident injury was also incredibly distressing.
'The spell caster.' Came Neptune's thoughts over hers once again. 'Don't worry, that's how we all are before we're awaken. Stuck in the moment we died.'
"That's awful…" Michiru whispered, her hands moving up to her face. The spirit of the Senshi connected to Rei smiled sadly at her, as though trying to put her at ease.
"Rei-san can't see you." Hotaru/Saturn chimed in cheerfully. "She's lending her 'Sight' to Setsuna-san. Don't worry, I'll let her know what's happening." The small girl turned attention to Setsuna/Pluto. "You should get going. I don't know how long this can be done healthily."
The green haired woman nodded and turned to Michiru/Neptune.
"I guess you might as well come along. Another set of eyes couldn't hurt."
Michiru had barely agreed when she felt the world shift around her, as though she was being guided away from the temple by some benevolent force.
"Sorry." Setsuna/Pluto apologized as the school grounds changed and moved around them, bringing them closer to the school itself. "I forgot you haven't been here before. It takes some getting used to. The main trick is staying in the flow of it all, the more you resist, the harder it will be to move or concentrate."
Even as she was speaking, the air around them was growing heavy, rife with a sinister presence. It seemed to permeate the very stones of the Institute, malevolent and gluttonous as it fed on those it had all but entombed within the thick walls. It was visibly bolstered by a dark wind, out of place and invasive, from far, far away.
"Nani?" Michiru gaped at the school, horrified by this immense manifestation.
"That would be the plague, the 'spirit' of it, if you can call it that. Like we suspected, the source is a misplaced air stream, but that alone shouldn't have let it hit the school like this." Setsuna/Pluto explained, her eyes on the dark wind above. "It must have a more concentrated source that got past the Institute's defenses and spread from within."
"You're not thinking of trying to take it on?" Neptune had 'stepped forward', and Michiru waited with her for their companion's answer. Setsuna/Pluto shook her head. "No, if it's spread to this extent, it would be suicide to attempt to challenge it here. Our hope was to simply identify the heart of it, and then track down some trace of Feril's magic, so we could try summoning her."
"You must be desperate." Neptune noted softly, and Michiru found herself trying to place the tone of her voice. It was almost sad, but there was something else, a knowledge of something Michiru herself may have suspected, but could not bring to mind.
"We are." Setsuna/Pluto admitted and crossed the threshold, leaving Michiru/Neptune to follow her into the halls. It was like the school had been filled with embers; they were surrounded by dim, flickering glows radiating from the hoards of prone forms, all at risk of being smothered by the sickness that fed from them like a mass of leeches. They moaned and cried out in fever-sleep, begging and pleading for relief.
"Is there nothing we can do?" Michiru gasped as they entered the next hall to an even greater expanse of stricken bodies. The three other spirits seemed to share a thought without her and a moment later, she felt Neptune's power flood through their shared form. In unison with Setsuna/Pluto, their shine increased and the darkness closest to them retreated slightly when confronted with the presence of their power. The people near them seemed to relax a little, to rest a bit easier with this small reprieve. But Michiru could see the sickness creeping back in their wake, slowly, but without doubt.
"That's all we can offer them at the moment," Setsuna/Pluto murmured, her voice thick with unspoken grief. "We're already putting ourselves at risk by being exposed so directly to the plague; we won't be getting out of here scot-free. We didn't have long before it reached us at the temple anyway." She led them further in, trying to avoid staying too long in one place, to avoid recognizing any of the sick. "Like I said, our best bet is finding a way to contact Feril and get her to send aid."
A faint glow, but in a different color then the masses, caught Michiru/Neptune's eye and she found herself almost instantly next to the distinct spirits. Her heart sunk as she recognized the bed-ridden forms, even as the battle-worn spirits connected to them remained a tortuous mystery. Just as Rei's companion spirit had, the broken pair attached to Ami Mizuno and Makoto Kino smiled kindly at Michiru/Sailor Neptune. They sat slightly apart from their slumbering alter egos, close to one another, almost touching, and Michiru saw the connection between them immediately.
Setsuna/Pluto was at her side, silently reassuring, or at least attempting to be. Michiru felt her heart breaking for the pair, both the Senshi and their mortal counterparts, a deep seated empathy welling up from her newly regained, shared memories. The sickness had progressed much further in these two than anyone else they had come across yet, and it was evident the blue-haired genius and the strong brunette were on their last legs. Michiru/Neptune reached out without thinking, her hand resting on Ami's, and the dark fell back grudgingly from her touch. An idea flashed through her shared mind, but before she could act on it, Setsuna/Pluto broke through with a warning voice.
"Michiru… we can't spare-"
A new hand, warm and gentle, fell on Michiru/Neptune's arm before the green haired woman could finish and the newly awakened Senshi of the Sea turned to find herself caught in the loving gaze of her fallen Princess. There was no mistaking her. She felt tears well up behind her eyes and her voice caught in her throat, tripping over her emotions. The battle of joy and grief in her heart held her in thrall, unable to move, to respond.
"Serenity-hime." Setsuna/Pluto greeted softly. The Princess smiled at them with so much warmth, so much love, they felt it wash over them like a wave of sunlight after the rain, reaching down to their bones and chasing away whatever pain or illness had settled there. She mouthed something to them, silent but smiling, and patted Michiru/Neptune on the arm again as she turned her attention to the pair connected to Ami and Makoto.
'They can't speak with us until they awaken,' Neptune explained internally. 'At least, we can't hear them.' Michiru couldn't think of any way to respond, still somewhat dumbfounded and drained by the rushing whirlwind that had just moments ago enveloped her.
They could see Usagi now, sitting between the beds, her face stained with dry tears. She was talking to her friends, quiet and low, but trying with all her might to stay cheerful, as though they could actually hear her, as though her mood could affect their situation. Her hands were curled in her lap, white-knuckled fists, and Michiru found herself wishing she could comfort this strange, strong girl.
The presence of the Princess was pushing back the sickness around the pair fair more the even Michiru/Neptune's touch had, and she had the sneaking suspicion that Serenity was the only reason the girls were still alive.
"We need to keep moving." Setsuna/Pluto reminded quietly, once more breaking Michiru/Neptune out of her thoughts. It was so easy to drift off here. Usagi had been joined by Mamoru, whose spirit companion had greeted the Senshi only in passing politeness, his attention on the Princess. They could already see the beginning of the sickness moving in on the boy, hiding in the presence of his love.
Move on they did, the halls and rooms blurring as they made their way to the next point of power that drew them in. The Senshi of the Sea felt the room stop, and the Senshi of Time's hand reaching out to pull her back, away, as though to shield her from the sight that lay before them, but it was too late. Minako Aino, half consumed by illness, sat next to Haruka Tenoh, who seemed to be entirely untouched by the darkness around her. But it wasn't the sight healthy Haruka that Setsuna/Pluto had feared would hurt Michiru/Neptune. Minako's spirit gave a knowing look at the Senshi before her, unable to muster the same smile the others had, not seeing the pain in their eyes at the sight of the spirit attached to Haruka.
"I'm so sorry, this was where I felt a trace," Setsuna/Pluto scanned the room, unnerved by the mistake. "I didn't know they would be here."
Michiru/Neptune was ignoring her, crouching down next to Haruka and the spirit of the Senshi attached to her. The shared an expression of incredible guilt, shouldering the blame for some perceived failing well outside their capacity to commit. As with all the others, this spirit was silent, sorrow filled eyes locked on Michiru/Neptune, forsaken and forlorn.
"No," She whispered, reaching out to the spirit, unnamed but definitely not unknown. Her name was there, somewhere, filling her mouth but unable to be spoken, to be heard and remembered. The spirit was too broken, too badly beaten to move much at all, but she leaned into the Senshi of the Sea's hand, pressing her bruised cheek against her palm, torn lips moving as though in prayer.
"No." Michiru/Neptune repeated, shaking her head. "No, don't." She knew, because Neptune did, that until Haruka's Senshi self awaken, she would be stuck in this despair, this self-inflicted culpability, unable to escape. Trapped in the moment of death.
"We'll fix this." She whispered, stroking the matted blonde locks with trembling fingers. "We'll wake you, we'll fix everything. Please, it wasn't your fault."
"Neptune!" The cry, coupled with the sudden fear in the eyes of the spirit of the Senshi before her kicked the Senshi of the Sea into action and she leapt aside, barely missing the twisted, dark arm that had grabbed for her.
She rolled and was on her feet again, Neptune taking over movement completely. Pluto appeared to have done the same.
"What the fuck is that?!"
The thing that had attacked stood towering over them, dripping sickness, sucking the air out of the room, filling it with a suffocating, sweet and sickly scent that pressed against their skin, pulled at their lungs with each breath. It seemed angry with them, irritated with their interference, but not quite sure what to do about two able bodied opponents. Stumped, it turned to easier prey.
Its gruesome arm reached for Haruka, only to be rebuffed, as though some invisible wall separated them. It tried again, before letting out a bubbling hiss of rage. Furious, it turned full force on its other option, Minako. The spirit of the Senshi connected to her attempted to stand between the two, but was knocked aside, back into the girl by the attack. It rolled over the girl, who started to shift and tremble, feeling the disease surge in her, moving to overwhelm her. Haruka moved to a kneeling position next to the girl, her silent voice concerned.
Minako, unaware of her attacker, appeared ready to pass out, fever-sweat appearing on her brow. Haruka's movements became more urgent, moving to lift the girl, though her touch didn't produce the same retreat they'd seen before.
Neptune channeled her power into her hands, darting forward at the monster with light at her fingertips.
"No!" Pluto couldn't close the distance in time to stop her and Neptune slammed into the creature. It let out an ugly, bellowing belch of a noise and rounded on her, dropping Minako. Its 'flesh' steamed and boiled where Neptune had touched it with her hands, but instead of retreating, it roiled and shot out, wrapping around her arms as though it intended to extinguish the light in her hands like a candle.
The most intense wave of nausea she'd ever known burst through her, with no obvious point of origin to blame or attempt to sooth, bringing Neptune to her knees, dizzy and disoriented. Pluto reached down and pulled her up and away, pushing her out of the way of the thing's next attack, but taking a hit herself in the process, a glancing blow to the shoulder, but it was enough. Her hand went to her mouth and she stumbled back, shaking.
As Neptune came back around, she could see the darkness on her, lingering and crawling, infecting over her body and she tried to push it off, pooling her power around her, but the effect had changed, it seemed to feed the sickness. She could feel it draining her, pulling at her energy, consuming everything she had. Fever was stealing her strength, but she couldn't just stand back and watch Pluto get killed. She forced her legs to respond and pushed off, tumbling into the Senshi of Time to knock her out of the way of another attack.
Pluto was similarly incapacitated, and they collapsed to the ground, the plague seemingly spurred by their proximity to one another. They struggled to rise, to move, as the thing searched for them, confused that its prey seemed to have disappeared from right under its nose.
Out of the corner of her eye, Neptune saw Haruka scoop Minako up and run out of the room. Her Senshi spirit lingered a moment behind her, as though trying to lend aid.
A new presence filled the room, powerful and wrathful, giving Neptune thoughts of an avenging angel, and she suspected it was Death, come to claim herself and Pluto. As the room around her faded and she was lifted away, the last image she could make out was those eyes, locked on hers, filled with pain and loss, and beneath all their suffering, deep and undeniable, all-consuming love.
"I'm sorry, koi…"