Powerful As 1
By Lark57
A/N-I would just like to alert everyone that there a Outlaw Star section and people should help so it can grow and become a popular category. Yeah. Idon't own a dang thing though I really wish I did, like Jim, Heero, Gohan and Trowa. Hehe.
Chapter 2
Fading Energy
"With fire to calm the Prussian, petals to ease the pain, water to clean the metals and strength over strength, the power will over come the new evils," Vestes said to herself, walking down the halls to her first period, American Literature. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know, what does it mean?" Juno asked, coming up behind Vestes and surprising her.
-I bet you'll know as soon as you get your memory back. You always knew everything,- Vestes thought sorrowfully. She wished that her commrades would be cured of the amnesia or that she could do something to help, but from what the doctor said on the internet, the amnesia had to fix itself.
"Are you all right today Vestes? You've been really quiet lately, ever since we went to that party on Friday. I did say I was sorry for not going home with you right?" Juno said.
"Yeah it's not you Juno. It's just I've spend a lot of time remembering things and not all of them have been joyous," Vestes said.
"That's another thing. When you do talk, which is rarely, you talk like a Shakespearian. Are you sure you're okay?" Juno asked again.
Vestes smiled and placed her hands on Juno's shoulders. "Thanks for worrying but I am fine. Trust me." Then, making sure that Juno didn't feel guilty anymore, Vestes went to sit through another boring class.
In English Lit. they were studing metaphors which Vestes thought was somewhat ironic because that was exactly what she was trying to decipher.
"Hello students," Jamie, the hip-cool, english teacher greeted, "as you have all noticed in reading Shakespear, there are lots of confusing metaphors and similies. What we're going to do in class today are make up some freaky sonnets of our own."
-No problem there,- Vestes thought, immeadiently writing down all the lines of Sailor Mars prediction. She sat back in her seat while everyone else worked furiosly or goofed off.
"It looks like Vestes is done. Would you like to share your work with your friends?" Jamie asked, peering over the girl's shoulder.
"No thanks," Vestes declined, putting her arm over the paper.
"Why not?" Jamie asked innocently, the hinting in her voice that it wasn't a request.
"It's personal and I really need to figure out what it means by myslef," Vestes explained. "There are certain people who might be listening who shouldn't know that I've written it."
"Fine," Jamie said tartly, feeling quite degected, "how about you Paras?"
Vestes looked over at her old friend who hardly knew her now. That would all change though, as soon as the Asteroid Senshi got their memory back.
"Okay," Paras said in her perky mannar, "there aren't many metaphors or anything but I'm not really sure what it means so I guess it counts.
I remember the colors,
the clothes,
the glass balls that we all use to hold.
I remember playing for the bad side
and enjoying every moment
because I was with friends.
See I told you there were no similies or metaphors. It's just some stuff I've been remebering in flashes and short movies," Paras said then sat down blushing.
Vestes was beaming. Everything was going to be all right, now that the cloudiness in their memories were fading. -We're going to win, we will.- While she was basking in the happy glow, without warning, a pain shock up her spine.
"Ahhh!" she yelled as the pain faded and exhaustion set in. Vestes's eyelids felt heavy and she began to feel drowsy.
"Vestes? Are you okay?" Jamie asked, rushing over to the girl. When the red head didn't answer because she had fallen asleep the teacher began to worry. "Everyone stay here and don't touch her. I'm going to get Talley."
Of course as soon as Jamie left the room everyone circled around Vestes, but Paras, feeling oddly protective, made everyoone stay at least a foot away. "I wonder what's wrong with her?" "Maybe she's dead." "She's not dead you idiot. She's still breathing. Who is she anyways?" "Vestes."
Paras looked around at all the people who were babbiling stupidly while Vestes in the center of the circle was breathing harshly and with much trouble. -God they're all so stupid.- She sighed and sat next to Vestes, glaring at anyone who dared to object.
"Hey where's your teacher?" a boy said, standing in the door way. "I have a note for her."
"She went to get Talley because Vestes fainted in the middle of class," some kid explained. "No one knows what's wrong with her."
"Move," the boy said, "let me see her."
"You can't. Paras won't let you," Brad snickered. Paras scowled at him and let Heero -who she knew from a small introduction at the dance- near Vestes.
"Oh Paras. You're Jim's girlfriend right?" Heero recalled when he saw her sitting next to Vestes.
"Yeah," Paras said, her face turning a little red. "I don't know what happened to Vestes. At one minuet she was smiling about something like nothing could get her down and then she screamed and fainted."
Heero's face flashed a moment of concern, which only Paras caught, but it was quickly covered by a hard frown. "Where is that teacher?"
"Right here. I thought I told you all to stay in your seats," Jamie said, pushing kids out of the way so that Talley, the school male nurse could get through. "Do you need something Heero?"
"Yeah this is a note about the teacher meeting this afternoon," Heero said, absently handing her the post-it keeping his eyes on Vestes.
Talley looked over Vestes with a bothered face. "The rest of you can get back to class. Heero, do you have a free period now?"
"Yeah," Heero lied. "Do you need help moving her?" he asked, gesturing to Vestes.
"Uh huh. I want you to carry her to the office so her mother can pick her up," Talley explained.
"I could drive her home," Heero offered. "It would take less time and she probably shouldn't be at school just incase it's a new desiease or something," Heero randomly making up an excuse. There was no way he was leaving Vestes now, since his gut seemed to be saying not to and he always trusted that. -I need a magic 8 ball or something else other than my body parts to base these kind of desisions on.- He smiled breifly, -Duo would never let me forget that i just made a joke if he could hear me.- -Wait, who's Duo?- Heero wondered, gathering Vestes in his arms and making his way to his car.
Heero arranged the girl in the car and then got in himself. "What have I done now? I'm suppose to be learning about geometric equations, not driving a sick girl home."
"Thank you Prussian," Vestes whisperd, sitting up straighter in the car seat.
"What did you say?" Heero asked.
"I called you Prussian," Vestes repeated more to herself than Heero, "and I would be the fire."
Heero sighed and pulled over to the side of the road. He turned in his seat so he could look Vestes in the eyes. "I thought you said that you weren't going to go crazy on me next time I drove you home."
"I'm not though," Vestes said excitedly. "It all makes sense to me now. I know how everything is suppose to happen."
"What do you mean? Why did you call me Prussian?" Heero asked. "Why was there that red light when you hit my ball at the pool table? When I carried you to my car, why was there an electric current running through my body?!"
"You're over reacting," Vestes said, touching his arm but Heero pulled it away, shocking himself with static electricity. He got out of the car and slammed the door. "It's not as confusing as you believe. I promise to explain it to you once your memory come back." Vestes got out of the car with much effort and stood in front of Heero.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you," Heero apologized, "but everything has been more confusing in this week than the rest of my life. Not that I would know because I can't remeber anything. I don't feel like I'm myself. My gut, my damn gut is telling me that I'm doing something wrong."
Vestes looked at Heero, searching his eyes. Heero started abck blankly, "What are you looking for?" he asked.
"A hint of who you are. I want to help you understand but I can't until you find yourself," she promised.
"There's nothing you can do," Heero said.
"Why not?" Vestes asked, then her knees went weak and she feel into Heero.
"You're too weak. Can I assume that whole episode in class had to do with the things you can't explain?"
Vestes sighed, smiled, but then looked sorrowful. "I'm dieing, that's all I can really say. You won't apprehend it but my power is being obsorbed by this place because it has no magic valance. You can't help me though."
"Why not?"
"You're mortal," Vestes said simply and quietly got back in the car. She curled up in the car seat and fell sound asleep to conserve her energy.
"I'm mortal?" Heero said to himself. -Things have suddenly taken a turn for the more confusing.- He shifted the car into drive and took Vestes home. Katherine was waiting at the door since she had gotten a call from the school.
"What's wrong with her? Do they know?" she asked, stroking the sleepinggirl's hair.
"Talley has no idea but Vestes claims that she's dieing," Heero said, not explaining the whole conversation.
Katherine's eyes went wide and began to tear. "But I just got to know her," she cried. Heero, a little baffled by the epression of feelings left the woman alone with her foster daughter to mourn.
@--}---}-------
"How are you feeling?" Jim asked Paras. Like they had did everyday they were on the swing set eating lunch. "When Heero left with Vestes I saw you from the water fountain. You looked pretty beat up about it."
"I feel like I'm suppose to know what's going one and I'm suppose to help in some way," Paras said sadly. "She looked so tired like something was draining her of everything."
"I talked to Heero when he came back to school," Jim told her. "He said that Vestes was just tired and delerious. Katherine was taking her to a hospital when Heero left and she's going to call him as soon as she finds out something. I see if I can get anything out of him."
"Oh please don't," Paras pleaded. "I don't want to bother Heero with my feelings, not while he's so concerned about his girlfriend."
"They're not dating," Jim said.
"That's not the point. I can see it in his eyes, he's more distraught than I could ever be. I don't want him to have to share his feelings."
"Come here," Jim said, gesturing for her to sit on his lap. When Paras moved, Jim slowly swung back and forth. He could feel it, the warmth and power moving through them as if they were one and not 2. "Vestes will be fine. Heero will be happy and then everyone will get their memories back and go dancing."
"I guess it could happen that way." Paras sighed. "Yo're a good boyfriend, you know that right?"
"Yeah. I am pretty cool aren't I?" Jim thought out loud. "You're not bad yourself." Then Jim thought about what Paras was saying, "what do you want?"
"Nothing,"Paras said sincerly and snuggled deeper into Jim's jacket. "You'll tell me when you get your memory back, and you'll tell me about your life right?"
"Of course. Who else would listen?" Jim said, kissing Paras lightly on the head. For a moment he thought that he saw a blue spark but assumed is was just a light trick. "Come on. We have gym class."
"Right," Paras said. She stood up and stretched making sure that Jim didn't tickle her like he did sometimes.
@--}---}------
Gohan felt frusterated. He was stuck on this planet and he didn't know why or how he could get back home. -I would be hapy if I only knew what was going on.-
Larry the gym teacher was spreading out mats, with some of the students helping out. Gohan began to wonder what the physical education teacher was planning but dismissed that it mattered when Jim came out of the locker room.
"Wassup?" Gohan asked. "Having any more trouble with Brad?"
"Nope. Every since you did that freaky glowing thing they've laid off. So what's Larry cooking up this class?"
"Gymnastics," a girl who was pulling a mat across the floor informed them. "It's going to be fun."
"Not just gymnastics Juno," Larry interrupted, hearing their conversation, "some martial arts too."
"Really?" Gohan asked, finally something that he knew.
"Uh huh. Do you take classes?" Larry asked.
Gohan thought for a moment, did his dad qualify as classes, "Sort of I guess. i could show a few things." There wasn't much he could do without going over their heads.
"I'll fight him. We could spar as an example and you could point stuff out," Juno suggested, dropping the last mat on the floor.
Larry pondered the idea, "Sure. The administration is always saying we need more student perticipation. You two can go warm up while I talk to the rest of the class."
"Okay," Gohan and Juno said. Juno began to stretch and Gohan did the same only not to the greatest extream. "Have you always been the flexible?" he asked when Juno lifted her leg against her body and touched her forehead with her toe.
"I guess. Actually to tell you the truth I'm not that much of a fighter but I have quick reflexes," Juno said, then bent over without bending her knees and touched her forearm to the ground. (i'm not really sure that's physically possible but bare with me.)
Gohan watched in amazement but continued their conversation, "So I should go easy on you?"
"No," Juno said in a dignified voice, " just don't expect my first few punches to hurt much."
-Oh yeah like she'll be able to touch me- Gohan though smugly with a smirk. -I wonder if she'd be saying the same thing if she knew that I was a super sayian? I wonder if i can become a super sayian in this world.-
"I'll have to try that sometime. Flying too," he thought out loud and Juno over heard.
"You want to try this?" she asked, only catching the beginning of the senstence.
Gohan looked to see what she was doing. A split, ouch. "No I was talking about something else. I could never do that," he claimed, gesturing to her position.
"We'll see," she said with a smile and got up. "Ready? I think Laryy is done with his introduction."
"Let's go and may the best fighter win."
"Why thank you, I guess I am the best," Juno joked and ran to where the mats were set up.
"I have been informed," Larry said when he saw Juno come skipping over next to him, "that Juno is experienced in gymnastics and Gohan knows how to fight. They have volunteered to put on a little spar and I'll point out some of the easier moves."
Juno and Gohan went to opposite sides of the long mat chain and bowed to eachother. "I am Juno and I challenge you," the girl spoke clearly.
"I am Gohan," the boy responded with a smile, "and I accept." For a moment they stared at eachother, trying to see a point where they sagged or limped. Gohan saw Juno's shoulder twitch, which showed that she was getting ready to run. Gohan, prepared for her attack, stepped to the side as Juno ran past. He assumed that it would take Juno a few moments to turn around but she surprised him, spun and was able to kick him in the back.
The audience watched the battle at the beginning but lost track of where the competetors were going to move next. Larry tried hard to point out and name Gohan's moves and Juno's flips but eventually the two were moving to fast for him to see anything.
"Wow. They're good," Jim said in awe. Paras only nodded, not seeing what the big deal was. She could see them easily, and she could see faults on both sides like Gohan's lack of control on his strength and Juno's sloppy hand springs.
Juno had forgotten about their spectators and was actually trying to hurt Gohan, just so he would stay still for a moment. -He is fast, maybe he could teach me something after I win.-
Gohan, trying very hard not to use instant transmission, ducked under Juno's punch and hit her in the stomach. For a moment she fumbled on her landing but quickly sprung up and head butted him in the rib.
"Okay okay. I think we've seen enough," Larry said, but made no advancement toward the fighting teenagers. There was no need though because as soon as they heard Larry say stop, both Gohan and Juno backed away from eachother, panting heavily. "That was a little fast but it shows what kind of things ytou can accomplish when you get into the advance levels."
"Larry," Juno coughed, holding her stomach to surpress the pain, "could I go to Talley's? I think I bruised a rib."
"Yeah, my ankle is out of wack from twisting so much," Gohan added, limping towards the door where Juno was waiting.
"Oh yeah of course you guys are excused for the rest of class," Larry dismissed and went back to helping people do summer saults.
Gohan looked over at the girl who had almost kicked his butt. "You're pretty good."
"You too. Together we'd make the perfect team," Juno commented. "I'm flexible and you're like the real superman, but don't let that go to your head," she warned.
"Same to you, cat woman," Gohan joked. "Did I really bruise your rib?"
"Yeah," Juno winced, "sorry if I moved a little to quickly."
"No prob. I think it was a good trade, your rib for my ankle," Gohan said, sitting down on the seats that Talley had in her office. Juno sighed and eased herself down on the seat next to him.
"Maybe, but I wouldn't mind trade backs," she sighed. Juno looked over at Gohan who was panting and looking over his ankle. -He would probably have the golden mirror,- she thought. The image made her fall out of the seat and land hard on the pastic floor.
"Are you okay?" Gohan asked, helping her up to the best of her abilty.
"I got some of the odder parts of my memeory back. I guess it just surprised me is all," Juno explained sheepishly. "Jim, well actually Paras told me that you got over your amnesia last Friday, same time as Vestes."
"Yeah I heard about her. Do you know what's up with her?" Gohan inquired. The news of the girl fainting in class and now dieing at an odd rate had surprised everyone in the school. "I know Heero's been freaking out ever since she hospitalized."
"Oh is that what his name is?" Juno thought, rememebring the senior with amazing blue eyes. "I knew she liked him but I didn't know the feeling was mutual," she said with a smirk.
"Yeah, they're lucky," Gohan said, thinking about Bulma's short obsession with Vegeta when he didn't care at all.
"What do you mean?"
Gohan was surprised by Juno's intrest and sputtered at first. "Well I just meant that they were lucky that they both liked eachother, that they even found eachother."
"Why wouldn't they find eachother? Don't you believe in destinies?" Juno asked.
Gohan thought, recalling Trunk's android prediction and how it had been so easily effect by the smallest things. "I guess I do a little, but there are so many things that can mess it up and confuse us," he answered quietly.
"Are you lost?" Juno wondered, looking into his deep brown eyes. Gohan met her gaze and nodded breifly. There was something that drew thier lips together, destiny prehaps?
"I was told that there was a twisted ankle and bruiseed rib, not a love fest," Talley said, pulling the two teenagers apart. Gohan immeadently blushed and began to apologize but stopped when Juno didn't add anything.
"It's returning," she said to herself, like she was in a small room without anyone else. "Many there were, 1 there were be."
"Juno?" Talley asked, putting her hand to the girl's head.
"I have to get to Vestes now," Juno said, looking up feircely at Talley and Gohan. "I have something that will help her. please let me go, I need a note or something. A car too."
"Honey I can't let you just go like that," Talley said sadly. -This girl must be so worried about her friend.-
"Oh come on Talley," Gohan begged, seeing that this was really important, "you can say that we had to go home due to inguries or something." Talley looked like she was actually thinking about letting them go and that's all Gohan needed. "Thanks so much Talley. Tell them that we needed Heero because we needed a ride home."
"No Heero can't come. He can't go near her, or else she'll begin to degrade faster. We just have to go now," Juno said, bekoning to Gohan at the door. Gohan sighed and raced after Juno who was moving faster than ever.
@--}---}------
Ceres saw Juno and Gohan run out of the school and look around frantically. "Do you need something?" she asked the worried pair.
"Ceres!" Juno said, hugging the girl tightly.
"Hello to you too Juno," Ceres said, a little worried about her friends mental health. "Are you okay?"
"Oh my, you don't remember. I'm so sorry. We need a car," Juno said, letting go of Ceres.
"For what?"
"To go to Vestes," Gohan said.
"Why not ask Heero? He's always willing to go to her," Ceres suggested.
"No we can't let Heero near Vestes," Juno whined.
Ceres thought fo a moment, puzzled by the ergency in Juno's voice. "What about Trowa? He has a free period right now."
"Where is he?" Gohan asked.
"Right here, what's wrong?" Trowa said, walking up silently behind Gohan.
"I need to get to Vestes to talk to her," Juno explained, frusturated for having to wait any longer. "Where is Heero's car? We hvae to go now!"
"Okay, okay," Trowa said, leading Juno to Heero's car. "I'll take you to the hospital, but not Gohan and Ceres."
"No. Gohan has to come too. He has to hear this," Juno said, draggin Gohan in the car with her when Trowa opened the door. "Drive," she ordered when Trowa raised his eye brow. Trowa sighed and climbed into the driver seat, hoping that Heero didn't kill him when he found out Trowa had taken his car.
@--}---}------
Vestes sat in bed, shivering despite all the blankets that had been piled upon her. Heero had come during his lunch period, but she had had to tell him to go back to school because of things she could tell him. It was horrible to see his face. Vestes wished she could tell him that she could be held by hi because everytime he touched her, he took her one step closer to death.
She laid back into the pillow but sat up completely when Juno ran into the room with Gohan close behind her. "Juno!" Vestes cried when she saw the familar look in her friend's eyes.
"Yes I am back Sailor Vestes," Juno said, hugging her lightly.
Vestes smiled but then yelled, "No!" when Gohan started to put his hand on Juno's arm. "Don't touch her. The more you touch her, the quicker she looses energy, the sooner she dies."
"What do you mean dies?" Gohan asked, backing away from Juno.
Vestes and Juno sighed, sounding tired and beaten. "Sit down Gohan and keep your mind open."
"Okay," Gohan said, sliding himself into a chair.
"Vestes, Paras, Ceres and I are the Asteroid Senshi from the Moon Kingdom. Until recently our jobs were to guard the future queen, Young Lady and her friend, Sailor Saturn, but now, or soon to be, the rulers of the Moon Kingdom."
"By yourselves?" Gohan asked.
"No Gohan," Vestes said from her bed, "with you, Heero, Jim and...."
"Trowa," Juno supplied with a smile. "Despite the fact that all of them, but you, are human."
"You mean I'm a king now?"
"Not exactly," Juno sighed. "Stearic, one of the many enemies of the Asteroid Senshi, put us on this planet with no memory of who we are in order to delay this destiny until we die."
"You're going to die?" Gohan squeaked.
Juno smiled and reached her hand out to him, "It seems that because there is no magic valance, all 4 of us are slowly being drained of our energy. Once we regain our memories, the energy starts to leave us more quickly and when we touch you guys, the Greater Powers, in order to save the Kingdom, allows you to absorb our energy so we're loosing twice as much."
"Well what can we do?" Gohan asked, his voice a little thick.
"We must wait until everyone gets their memory back. Then... I am not sure," Vestes confessed.
"Do we have any clues?"
"Only the short poem phrases that we can remember Sailor Mars told us. Vestes's is 'with fire to calm the Prussian, petals to ease the pain, water to clean the metals and strength over strength, the power will over come the new evils'. Mine is 'many there were, 1 there were be'. It's like a puzzle only we're missing 2 pieces."
"From what I see," Gohan said, "Vestes's part has already been proven. That's the phrophecy for who will go with who. Yours is obvious, we're suppose to join together or something."
"Yes that sounds right," Vestes said. "However, we can't do anything until everyone recieves their memory. Juno, you may want to check into the hospital because you're going to begin to become exhausted soon."
"Okay," Juno said and left the room.
There was silence until Vestes broke it, "You are worried about her aren't you?"
Gohan looked at the girl who seemed more like a teacher now, "Yes, I'm scared because I love her and now she's going to die."
"No she's not," Vestes said, taking Gohan's hand. When he raised an eyebrow to the movement she reassured him, "You aren't my lover, you can't absorb my powers."
"I really hate those Greater Powers right about now," Gohan joked.
"Don't say that," Vestes chuckled. "They will help us in the end."
"How can you have so much faith in them when you're in this kind of state?"
"I don't know. I just do," Vestes said quietly then fell asleep. Gohan tucked the blankets around her and went to out to talk to Juno. Even if he couldn't touch her didn't mean that he didn't want to be around her.
@--}---}-------
Trowa pulled into the school parking lot where Ceres was still waiting patiently. He didn't get out of the car immeadiently, for a moment Trowa sat and watched Ceres pick petals off a flower.
"Do you always do that?" Trowa asked, sitting down next to her.
"I guess," Ceres said with a smile. "You want to try it?" she suggested, handing Trowa a small daisy that was growing out of a crack in the pavement.
"Sure," Trowa said, and took the flower in his hand with delicate fingers. "What do I do?"
Ceres chuckled at Trowa's stupidity. "Think of a yes or no question. Everytime you pull of a petal you alternate answers. Like this," Ceres instructed and picked another flower. -Should I try it? Would he think it was cute or scary?- Ceres thought. "He loves," she picked a petal, " he loves me not. He loves me, he loves ne not, he loves me," she ended with a grin.
-I wonder if she was thinking of me?- That preticular though caused Trowa's hand to grip the flower a little hard, crushing the petal. "Opps," he said, looking down at the smashed plant.
"Oh that's all right," Ceres said, taking the flower in her fist. There was a yellow glow that began to get brighter, turning to a glimer, but Ceres dropped the flower on the ground before it could become noticable. "Here's another flower."
Trowa took the flower and thought of a question. "I'll get my memory back, I won't, I'll get my memeory back, I won't, I'll get my memeory back, I won't, I'll get my memeory back. Cool."
"I'm happy for you," Ceres said, touching hir arm.
"Same to you. I hope that whoever you were thinking of loves you as your flower predicted," Trowa responded.
"The flower never lies," Ceres joked, stood up and brushed herself off. "I have dance, bye."
"Good bye Ceres," Trowa said and stood up too. "I should probably go talk to Heero. Will I see you walking home?"
"Ask the flowers," Ceres said and left for the audotorium.
@--}---}-------
A/N-Wow this must have been my shortest chapter ever. I'm so proud. Don't worry if you don't understand what the prophecy is, there will be a better explanation in a later chapter. Please REVIEW because I only got 2 last time and it really bummed me out.