By Yohann DeSabrais
a.k.a. Technuma Saturn
Before I begin telling my next story, I feel strongly that you
should be warned about its contents. This story deals with
something dark and mysterious that awaits everyone of us, whether
we like it or not.
Death.
The final, greatest mystery of existence, it has scared and
fascinated humanity for eons, giving birth to myths and beliefs
as varied as the individuals whose lives it affects.
When we write, we create an alternate reality that exists in our
own mind and in the minds of all those who read our stories,
making us into some sort of supreme being to that very reality.
We shape it as we see fit, adding or removing details the way we
think works best for us. I feel that death is a natural part of
life and is the link that completes the wheel of existence,
allowing it to turn one more time each cycle.
Someone from my alternate universe will die today, someone you might
be very attached to or not care at all about. It all depends on your
personal preferences. That character has a special significance for
me and its death will cause much grief for those left behind. If you
feel like exploring death and perhaps come one step closer to
understanding it, I invite you to come along with me on my mental
landscape to meet with a very special girl who just lost someone
very close to her.
Won`t you give Usagi a shoulder to cry on?
* * *
CYCLES OF LIFE: EPISODE 8
TEARFUL GOODBYES
Once every month like clockwork, the night sky of Tokyo is graced by
the appearance of the full moon. Tonight was one of those occasions,
though this time it was not the bright, living moon that inspired
poets and musicians. It was a crimson disk red as blood, a fitting
end to the tragic events of the past few days.
The sailor scouts have fought seemingly endless hordes of misshapen
monsters over the years, triumphing over impossible odds a hundred
times over. It was only a matter of time before the numbers finally
got the better of them.
How long can anyone run from the cold clutches of death and live to
tell about it?
Alone in a deserted funeral parlor, Usagi sat in the same chair
she had been during the eulogy to her dear departed friend. Although
it had been wonderfully written and had moved the entire audience,
the grief stricken girl could not remember a single word. She just
sat there, staring at the closed coffin and wanted to cry some more,
but she couldn`t. The constant flow of tears of the past two days
was burning her eyes now and she couldn`t take it.
Usagi knew she`d have to let go of her friend, but the pain kept
growing with each passing moment. She thought of how this tragedy
started and wondered why nobody saw it coming. In retrospect, it
was INEVITABLE.
* * *
"I REFUSE! NO WAY, NO HOW! NO, NEIN, NON, IX-NAY ON THE YES PART!"
yelled Makoto in total objection to Usagi`s suggestion.
"It`s only a dentist`s appointment." said Usagi.
"Yeah, it`s not the end of the world or anything." added Naru.
"To YOU, maybe." said Makoto with her "touch me and you`ll get
hurt" look.
"Come on, now, the dentist never killed anyone!" argued Usagi.
"So why should I risk being first?" replied Makoto.
Ami and Luna observed the discussion as somewhat of a tennis match.
The black cat couldn`t speak up in Naru`s presence, but Ami could
easily guess what she would have liked to say.
"They`re right, you know. Your teeth are precious, especially since
you want to be a chef and own a restaurant." commented Ami.
"Last time I went, I couldn`t chew crunchy food for a week." said
Makoto, cringing her teeth in imaginary pain.
"You`re going to the dentist if we have to CHAIN you into his
chair!" ordered Usagi.
"Service, match point, advantage Usagi..." thought Luna.
Umino opened Usagi`s bedroom door and looked at the escalating
conflict. His sweetheart was there and he smiled.
"Hi, darling, Usagi`s mom told me you were up here studying with
your friends for the big exam." he said, refering to the test that w
ould determine every students` chances of entering the most
prestigious colleges and universities. Failure to this test was
considered very shameful; the girls were preparing very hard their
exam that was less than a month away.
Even Usagi was surprising everyone wth a newfound determination that
took its origin mostly out of her love for Mamoru whom she did not
want to embarass when they would get married. That`s how she saw her
future, as the best wife in the world for the greatest man in the
universe.
Umino`s sudden arrival had a calming effect on the argument which
went up in smoke.
"All right, I`ll go, I don`t want to lose all my teeth." conceded
Makoto.
"Game, set and match for Usagi." thought Luna.
"Better bring the locks and chains anyway." whispered Usagi to Naru
who nodded in agreement.
* * *
Far from the worries and occupations of humans, a monstrous being
waited for his moment to come. Totally immobile like an old statue,
the creature in golden armor sat on a crude granite throne deep
inside a hidden fortress black as his evil heart. He brooded and
sulked, counting the hours that went by since his defeat at the
hands of the wretched girls called the sailor scouts a week
earlier.
Ronmar, dread lord of darkness, first knightmare of the spheres,
had made a mistake. He had trusted a puny elementalist and a pathetic
mind reader to ensure his gathering of power. He knew better than
that, now. When you want something done right, you have to do it
yourself. His wife was sending him all the troops he needed to exact
his revenge and he would soon receive them. She didn`t quite
understand this obsession of his, trying to crush a few miserable
natives of a small backwater world from the first sphere, but she
respected it nonetheless and gave him the support he required.
A small portal from the tenth sphere opened inside the huge throne
room, filling the place with the offensive stench of pure corruption.
Ronmar smiled. A black noxious smoke hung over the floor, cloaking
in opaque darkness anything below knee level. From the toxic vapors
slowly rose a contingent of evil knights dressed in bronze battle
armors. The elite fighters of the tenth sphere, the knightmares of
Changraloor, had arrived.
"Vengence will be mine." he growled, speaking for the first time
in a week.
* * *
Mamoru, dressed all in black to match his girlfriend`s dress, came
up to her and tried to console her as best he could.
"Come on, meatball head, you have to forgive yourself. It wasn`t your
fault." he whispered in her ear.
"I was there and I didn`t do anything. Sailor Moon failed... I
failed, and now... she`s... dead!" said Usagi, sobbing as she
completed her sentence.
Mamoru looked at the coffin and felt his heart sink. That might have
been someone else in there, even his precious Usagi, but no. It was
HER. She didn`t deserve that fate, he thought, shedding a few tears
along with Usagi.
* * *
Everyone went back home, content of the study session. Usagi was
surprising her friends lately by actually studying! Well, not as
much as the others, but it was clear she was trying her best.
It`s a this point that things took a wrong turn. Ronmar wanted
vengence more than anything and decided he needed some bait to
attract his prey.
Naru left Umino who lived in another part of the neighbourhood and
continued on her way home, an appartment above her mother`s "Osa-P"
shop a few blocks away.
"What`s that awful smell?" she wondered.
She looked around for the source of the stench. Seeing nothing, she
decided to ignore it. Suddenly, black shapes materialized around her
into humanoid forms. The instant their real form was discernable, a
bronze color covered them to complete the appearance of the elite
knightmares.
"Am I a monster magnet or something?" she wondered.
Before she could scream for help, they grabbed and gagged her. A few
seconds later, they had vanished as if nothing had happened. Not a
trace was left behind.
Ronmar remembered what he had learned of the scouts through Psyche`s
mental assault on Ami. He knew exactly who to capture to attract the
attention of the scouts and manipulate them to his advantage. Naru
had been the first to become his hostage, with more to follow.
* * *
Wearing their most solemn clothes, Makoto and Rei entered the
funeral parlor with great concern showing in their faces. They
walked to Usagi and Mamoru. They did their best to be strong for
her, not letting their own grief show.
"Usagi, you haven`t slept in the last two nights. Go home and get
some rest." said Rei.
"You`ll need your strenght for the funeral tomorrow. Stop blaming
yourself, it wasn`t your fault." said Makoto.
Usagi wished everyone would stop saying that. How could it NOT be
her fault? That dark spear was aimed at Sailor Moon, but SHE took
it in her place.
Life can be so damn cruel sometimes...
* * *
Makoto opened the door to her empty appartment. The place looked so
sad, she thought, with no one waiting for her. It seemed so easy for
Usagi, Naru and Rei. They had great guys in their lives, caring and
sensitive. Laurella was in love too. Even though the guy she was
hung up on died a millenium ago and she saw him only in her dreams,
she still felt that warm sensation that made life worth living.
Ami and Minako were something special too. They had both lost their
boyfriends, Greg and Jedite, and looked all right now. Of course,
they overcompensated with those extra long study sessions of theirs,
but seemed to find in each other`s company the strenght to avoid
thinking about the fact that they didn`t have a boyfriend. The pain
they shared made them feel closer to each other somehow, she thought.
Their friendship had... something more, something she couldn`t quite
put her finger on.
The phone rang at that moment, interrupting her train of thought. It
was Naru`s mother, wondering if her daughter had come to her place
after the study session. It was getting pretty late and should have
been back by now.
While Makoto was on the phone, Rei noticed her grandfather had
vanished without a trace.
So had the mothers of Ami and Minako as well as Makoto`s friend
Cassidy Carter.
* * *
The shining sun that had utterly failed to brighten Usagi`s miserable
day had left its place to the ominous blood moon since she had entered
the funaral parlor a few hours ago, but Usagi barely noticed the
difference. Relying on Mamoru to guide her home, she floated in a
deep trance, unconsciously trying to avoid facing reality. Waiting
just outside for her, Minako was holding back her tears. She looked
Usagi in the eyes and silently hugged her to mean "I`m here for
you". Ami stood there as well, uncomfortable in dealing with such
emotions as grief and sorrow. If she couldn`t express herself, she`d
at least be there for Usagi who felt guilty so unnecessarily.
* * *
"My mother`s gone!" screamed Ami in her communicator.
"Calm down, Ami, we`ll find her and grandpa too!" said Rei. "The
others should kow about this right now, let`s call them up."
It took less than ten minutes before all six scouts were at the
temple, fully aware that five people close to them had vanished,
most likely kidnapped.
"Who could be behind this?" they wondered.
Like an omen of death, an image appeared, oppressing and dreadful
in its significance. Ronmar`s image was there to deliver an
ultimatum to the sailor scouts.
"Good evening, ladies. It appears that you are much more powerful
than I gave you credit for on our last encounter, which I survived.
I decided to even things out! I invited five of your closest friends
and family members and expect you`ll be coming to deliver them...
or else." he growled.
"MONSTER!" yelled Usagi.
"Flattery will get you flattened, Sailor Moon. Oh, did I mention
that I know your secret identities and will continue hunting down
those around you after I kill those I hold captive right now? If
you don`t show up by midnight, their blood will stain the ground.
I feel it`s only fair to tell you where to look: Mars`s grandfather
and Venus`s mother are held in the abandonned Club Crystal,
Mercury`s mother and Jupiter`s friend are at the crossroads school
while young Miss Osaka Naru is held in the public park close by.
Hurry up, midnight is going to be here soon..."
His image disappeared into thin air.
"I thought he was dead!" said Usagi.
"We all did." said Minako.
"He knows we`re a strong team. He`s obviously trying to split us
up." observed Rei.
"Do we really have a choice?" asked Ami.
"No, we don`t, and for sure he`s counting on that." said Laurella.
"How come he doesn`t hold anyone from Laurella`s family?" wondered
Usagi.
"He`s using information extracted by Psyche out of my head. I didn`t
know much about Laurella`s loved ones at the time... she might be the
edge that we need to triumph." explained Ami.
"That`s right. He`s holding his hostages so that we show up in
pairs... except Usagi, whom he expects to show up alone. No doubt
he`s planning to go after Sailor Moon. That`s settled, I`m going
with her!" said Laurella.
So they left to fight this evil that was Ronmar, unaware that death
was close by, awaiting his next victim.
* * *
Ikuko and Kenji Tsukino were very worried about their daughter. She
was taking this very hard,blaming herself for events that, in their
view, she had no control over.
"Thank you for bringing her home, Mamoru" said Ikuko, grateful for
his support in this tragedy.
"I really appreciate all you`ve done for our daughter." added Kenji.
He was seeing this man in a whole new light ever since he risked his
life to defend Usagi from that crazy plastic monster in the hospital.
He originaly thought him responsible for his daughter`s near fatal
alcohol poisoning, but realized since then that he really helped her
get over this sad chapter of her life.
Oblivious to all of the events around her, Usagi held on tight to
the smal silver bracelet in her hands. SHE was wearing it only three
days before, it belonged to HER. "She would have wanted you to have
it, Usagi, she said you made a great difference in her life" her
mother said at the morgue where they had to positively identify her
body.
So cold and lifeless on the metal slab, covered with dried blood,
this wasn`t her friend she saw, but a dead corpse devoid of the
warm spirit that made her such a wonderful human being. How could
her mother be so... peaceful at the sight of her only child laid
out on the morgue`s shining slab? The impact of her death hadn`t
struck her yet. Once it did, the effects would be horribly
devastating.
* * *
The park was deserted of any innocent bystanders. Good. No one would
get needlessly hurt.
"This time we must get him, for good!" whispered Sailor Jendra.
"I`d like to, but Naru is more important. She`s the reason we`re
here to fight whatever trap Ronmar has set up." replied Sailor Moon.
"So where is she?" asked Jendra.
"Help me!" yelled Naru from a distance.
"That answers that question." said Moon.
They found her all right. Surrounded by a trio of knightmares in
bronze armors, armed with sharp two-handed swords.
"Watch out, Sailor Moon, it`s a trap!" Naru screamed.
From a dark, stinking cloud at their feet, twenty more knightmares
appeared all around the female warriors.
This fight would be terrible. She also feared for her friends who
surely faced the same menace they did.
* * *
Luna cuddled up to Usagi who vainly tried to get some sleep. The
funeral in the morning was sure to be difficult for her, and she
badly needed some rest she couldn`t get.
"I failed, Luna." she murmured.
"Sometimes people go away, Usagi, you must learn to let them go.
If you are to be queen of crystal Tokyo in a thousand years, you
will see many of those around you wither and die. I understand she
was much too young, but it doesn`t change anything. The best you
can do for her is accept her death and live out your life to its
fullest. You know she would have wanted you to." said Luna.
"I guess..." said Usagi.
She looked at her hands, wich had been covered with her friend`s
blood as she carried her to a hospital in vain. The blood had
washed off easily enough, although Usagi could still feel it,
sticky and dirty. This feeling was likely to linger for the rest
of her life.
* * *
The frightened Naru held herself in a crouched, protective position
and let out a blood curdling scream as the bronze soldiers clashed
with the two scouts. They fought valiantly, holding back the assault
admirably until they were in a position to use their powers to their
fullest potential.
"JENDRA CHROMATIC BLAST!"
"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"
Three knightmares turned into sparkling dust, destroyed by the
glowing disk and the multicolored light beam. The others slowed
down a second, hesitating. They charged forward nonetheless.
"PRISMATIC SEVEN SLASHER!"
Seven sharp boomerangs of all rainbow colors flew all over, cutting
down seven knightmares unable to dodge the unpredictable projectiles.
Unlike Ronmar, these warriors weren`t fast enough to dissolve out of
the way of the scouts` attacks. Sailor Moon, driven into a battle
frenzy she never felt before, fought furiously the overwhelmed
knightmares with her mighty kicks, neutralizing many of them into
submission.
Sailor Jendra screamed and fell down behind her; she had been
blindsided and cut deep at the waist. In a flash, Sailor Moon pulled
her scepter.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
The offending warrior was turned to harmless dust in a second. No
one hurts her friends and gets away with it. The last knightmare
eliminated, she went to see how bad Sailor Jendra`s wound was. She
never realized that, at some distance behind her, Ronmar was
reforming. He held in his hand a spear made out of burning cold
dark energy. In a thousand years of use of these horrid weapons,
no one had ever survived their lethal sting.
* * *
Usagi read again the letter Laurella had sent her from the
hospital. Her wound kept her from being there at the funeral,
but was healing nicely. She`d be out in a few days at most.
Laurella regretted very much not being there and offered her
deepest and heartfelt condoleances. She also said that she didn`t
have much time to get to know her as well as Usagi did, but wished
she would have.
In helpless frustration, she threw the letter across the room.
She was SAILOR MOON, damn it! She should have done SOMETHING! There
wasn`t anything she could have done, unfortunately.
That`s why her best friend was dead.
* * *
Sailor Moon`s attention was so focused on Sailor Jendra who
painfully clutched her wounded waist that she couldn`t see Ronmar
aiming his dark spear at her back.
Her friend did.
"Watch out, Sailor Moon!" yelled Naru, pushing Usagi out of the
way and placing herself in direct line with the soaring spear at
the same time.
She did not think of her own safety and, in a heroic gesture that
would never be forgotten, got hit right in the stomach instead of
Usagi. The spear pierced her body from side to side, burning her
with its infernal cold. Its horrible damage done, it vanished,
leaving a gaping, bleeding hole in the girl`s limp body. She was
dying fast and would not hold on for long.
"NO, NARU!" screamed Sailor Moon in disbelief.
Ronmar stared coldly at his dying hostage.
"Damn, I had only one of those." he said calmly.
Hatred like she never experienced before filled Sailor Moon`s heart-
she wanted only to destroy the dread lord of darkness if it was the
last thing she did.
"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"
Dissolving quickly into black putrid smoke, Ronmar avoided easily
the glowing disk of light. By sheer willpower alone, however, Sailor
Moon made the tiara hover in place right in the middle of the cloud.
The tiara glowed brighter than it ever did before, fueled by Usagi`s
blind rage, forcing the knightmare into his solid form again.
Paralyzed by the tiara`s light, he was helpless.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
Hit head-on by the scepter`s destructor blast, the first knightmare
of the spheres fell into a pile of sparkling dust. He had been truly
destroyed.
"Sailor Moon, I think Naru is dead!" said Laurella, her face twisted
in pain.
"She might still have a chance if I take her to a hospital fast!"
she replied, unwilling to believe her oldest friend had died.
She had stopped breathing already and her pulse was impossible to
detect. Covering herself with Naru`s blood in the process, Sailor
Moon carried her to the nearest hospital as quickly as her legs
would allow. Upon reaching the emergency room, the doctors could
only declare her dead on arrival.
Even though the other hostages were successfully rescued by the four
other scouts and Jendra`s wound could easily be treated, the shock
of Naru`s death was too much for Usagi to handle. The scouts led her
away from the hospital so she could clean up and transform back to
her normal clothes.
And so her best friend was gone.
* * *
Luna watched over Usagi who finally fell asleep. Even in her slumber,
her face reflected the deep sorrow of her loss.
"Poor kid. So young to go through so many tragedies." she thought.
Shingo opened the door to Usagi`s room and looked at his sister,
ashamed he was unable to help her. His special "talent" he had
recently discovered and practiced to use could have averted this...
if only he hadn`t gotten so weak from giving Sailor Moon a helping
hand the week before.
"I`m sorry, big sister." he whispered and went back to his room.
* * *
In her dream, Usagi sat in a park of silver trees, looking up in the
night sky at the full earth. She wore her princess`s gown and tiara.
Even in her dreams, she cried still for her friend.
Queen Serenity came to comfort her.
"Cry not for your friend Naru, my daughter. Destiny has chosen a
path for all of us and not even Sailor Moon can change it." she
said.
"I didn`t get a chance to say goodbye!" Usagi replied.
A bright halo appeared in front of Usagi, gold in color, surrounding
a feminine shape. The halo dimmed down a bit, revealing Naru`s face.
"You can tell her while she`s here." said Serenity.
"Naru, I miss you so much!" she said, hugging her friend.
"I`ve seen you cry, Usagi. You shouldn`t shed your tears for me like
this." she said in a serene voice.
"How can you be dead, Naru? We were supposed to grow old together,
our daughters would have been best friends just like us!" Usagi
said.
"Destiny has its plan, dear Sailor Moon, have faith in it." said
Naru.
"You know I`m Sailor Moon?" asked Usagi.
"On this side, there is much I know that I didn`t before." said
Naru.
"I`ll miss you, my dearest friend." said Usagi, a faint smile on
her lips.
"So will I." said Naru.
In a flash of divine radiance, Naru vanished into the next world
for her final rest. For a moment, Usagi could have sworn she had
pure white feathery wings.
Usagi woke up refreshed, some amount of peace in her heart. She put
Naru`s chain around her neck and decided she`d say a few words when
her body would put to its final rest. She didn`t have the strength
during the eulogy, but she did now. She`d share her strenght with
poor Umino whose sweetheart had suddenly left his life and Miss
Osaka who had lost her only child.
"Goodbye, my friend." she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.
The End.
* * *
Some of you might not appreciate the fact that Naru died.
"It`s not fair!" I imagine some of you will say.
Quite the contrary, death is the only fair thing in life. No matter
who we are, it strikes at us some day, young and old alike, rich and
poor, healthy and sick, men and women, it doesn`t make any kind of
discrimination. Simply put, everyone dies at some point.
We`ve all been touched by death some day, wether it be the death of
a parent, a friend or even our pet dog or cat.
This is how it`s always been, this is how it will always be.
a.k.a. Technuma Saturn
Before I begin telling my next story, I feel strongly that you
should be warned about its contents. This story deals with
something dark and mysterious that awaits everyone of us, whether
we like it or not.
Death.
The final, greatest mystery of existence, it has scared and
fascinated humanity for eons, giving birth to myths and beliefs
as varied as the individuals whose lives it affects.
When we write, we create an alternate reality that exists in our
own mind and in the minds of all those who read our stories,
making us into some sort of supreme being to that very reality.
We shape it as we see fit, adding or removing details the way we
think works best for us. I feel that death is a natural part of
life and is the link that completes the wheel of existence,
allowing it to turn one more time each cycle.
Someone from my alternate universe will die today, someone you might
be very attached to or not care at all about. It all depends on your
personal preferences. That character has a special significance for
me and its death will cause much grief for those left behind. If you
feel like exploring death and perhaps come one step closer to
understanding it, I invite you to come along with me on my mental
landscape to meet with a very special girl who just lost someone
very close to her.
Won`t you give Usagi a shoulder to cry on?
* * *
CYCLES OF LIFE: EPISODE 8
TEARFUL GOODBYES
Once every month like clockwork, the night sky of Tokyo is graced by
the appearance of the full moon. Tonight was one of those occasions,
though this time it was not the bright, living moon that inspired
poets and musicians. It was a crimson disk red as blood, a fitting
end to the tragic events of the past few days.
The sailor scouts have fought seemingly endless hordes of misshapen
monsters over the years, triumphing over impossible odds a hundred
times over. It was only a matter of time before the numbers finally
got the better of them.
How long can anyone run from the cold clutches of death and live to
tell about it?
Alone in a deserted funeral parlor, Usagi sat in the same chair
she had been during the eulogy to her dear departed friend. Although
it had been wonderfully written and had moved the entire audience,
the grief stricken girl could not remember a single word. She just
sat there, staring at the closed coffin and wanted to cry some more,
but she couldn`t. The constant flow of tears of the past two days
was burning her eyes now and she couldn`t take it.
Usagi knew she`d have to let go of her friend, but the pain kept
growing with each passing moment. She thought of how this tragedy
started and wondered why nobody saw it coming. In retrospect, it
was INEVITABLE.
* * *
"I REFUSE! NO WAY, NO HOW! NO, NEIN, NON, IX-NAY ON THE YES PART!"
yelled Makoto in total objection to Usagi`s suggestion.
"It`s only a dentist`s appointment." said Usagi.
"Yeah, it`s not the end of the world or anything." added Naru.
"To YOU, maybe." said Makoto with her "touch me and you`ll get
hurt" look.
"Come on, now, the dentist never killed anyone!" argued Usagi.
"So why should I risk being first?" replied Makoto.
Ami and Luna observed the discussion as somewhat of a tennis match.
The black cat couldn`t speak up in Naru`s presence, but Ami could
easily guess what she would have liked to say.
"They`re right, you know. Your teeth are precious, especially since
you want to be a chef and own a restaurant." commented Ami.
"Last time I went, I couldn`t chew crunchy food for a week." said
Makoto, cringing her teeth in imaginary pain.
"You`re going to the dentist if we have to CHAIN you into his
chair!" ordered Usagi.
"Service, match point, advantage Usagi..." thought Luna.
Umino opened Usagi`s bedroom door and looked at the escalating
conflict. His sweetheart was there and he smiled.
"Hi, darling, Usagi`s mom told me you were up here studying with
your friends for the big exam." he said, refering to the test that w
ould determine every students` chances of entering the most
prestigious colleges and universities. Failure to this test was
considered very shameful; the girls were preparing very hard their
exam that was less than a month away.
Even Usagi was surprising everyone wth a newfound determination that
took its origin mostly out of her love for Mamoru whom she did not
want to embarass when they would get married. That`s how she saw her
future, as the best wife in the world for the greatest man in the
universe.
Umino`s sudden arrival had a calming effect on the argument which
went up in smoke.
"All right, I`ll go, I don`t want to lose all my teeth." conceded
Makoto.
"Game, set and match for Usagi." thought Luna.
"Better bring the locks and chains anyway." whispered Usagi to Naru
who nodded in agreement.
* * *
Far from the worries and occupations of humans, a monstrous being
waited for his moment to come. Totally immobile like an old statue,
the creature in golden armor sat on a crude granite throne deep
inside a hidden fortress black as his evil heart. He brooded and
sulked, counting the hours that went by since his defeat at the
hands of the wretched girls called the sailor scouts a week
earlier.
Ronmar, dread lord of darkness, first knightmare of the spheres,
had made a mistake. He had trusted a puny elementalist and a pathetic
mind reader to ensure his gathering of power. He knew better than
that, now. When you want something done right, you have to do it
yourself. His wife was sending him all the troops he needed to exact
his revenge and he would soon receive them. She didn`t quite
understand this obsession of his, trying to crush a few miserable
natives of a small backwater world from the first sphere, but she
respected it nonetheless and gave him the support he required.
A small portal from the tenth sphere opened inside the huge throne
room, filling the place with the offensive stench of pure corruption.
Ronmar smiled. A black noxious smoke hung over the floor, cloaking
in opaque darkness anything below knee level. From the toxic vapors
slowly rose a contingent of evil knights dressed in bronze battle
armors. The elite fighters of the tenth sphere, the knightmares of
Changraloor, had arrived.
"Vengence will be mine." he growled, speaking for the first time
in a week.
* * *
Mamoru, dressed all in black to match his girlfriend`s dress, came
up to her and tried to console her as best he could.
"Come on, meatball head, you have to forgive yourself. It wasn`t your
fault." he whispered in her ear.
"I was there and I didn`t do anything. Sailor Moon failed... I
failed, and now... she`s... dead!" said Usagi, sobbing as she
completed her sentence.
Mamoru looked at the coffin and felt his heart sink. That might have
been someone else in there, even his precious Usagi, but no. It was
HER. She didn`t deserve that fate, he thought, shedding a few tears
along with Usagi.
* * *
Everyone went back home, content of the study session. Usagi was
surprising her friends lately by actually studying! Well, not as
much as the others, but it was clear she was trying her best.
It`s a this point that things took a wrong turn. Ronmar wanted
vengence more than anything and decided he needed some bait to
attract his prey.
Naru left Umino who lived in another part of the neighbourhood and
continued on her way home, an appartment above her mother`s "Osa-P"
shop a few blocks away.
"What`s that awful smell?" she wondered.
She looked around for the source of the stench. Seeing nothing, she
decided to ignore it. Suddenly, black shapes materialized around her
into humanoid forms. The instant their real form was discernable, a
bronze color covered them to complete the appearance of the elite
knightmares.
"Am I a monster magnet or something?" she wondered.
Before she could scream for help, they grabbed and gagged her. A few
seconds later, they had vanished as if nothing had happened. Not a
trace was left behind.
Ronmar remembered what he had learned of the scouts through Psyche`s
mental assault on Ami. He knew exactly who to capture to attract the
attention of the scouts and manipulate them to his advantage. Naru
had been the first to become his hostage, with more to follow.
* * *
Wearing their most solemn clothes, Makoto and Rei entered the
funeral parlor with great concern showing in their faces. They
walked to Usagi and Mamoru. They did their best to be strong for
her, not letting their own grief show.
"Usagi, you haven`t slept in the last two nights. Go home and get
some rest." said Rei.
"You`ll need your strenght for the funeral tomorrow. Stop blaming
yourself, it wasn`t your fault." said Makoto.
Usagi wished everyone would stop saying that. How could it NOT be
her fault? That dark spear was aimed at Sailor Moon, but SHE took
it in her place.
Life can be so damn cruel sometimes...
* * *
Makoto opened the door to her empty appartment. The place looked so
sad, she thought, with no one waiting for her. It seemed so easy for
Usagi, Naru and Rei. They had great guys in their lives, caring and
sensitive. Laurella was in love too. Even though the guy she was
hung up on died a millenium ago and she saw him only in her dreams,
she still felt that warm sensation that made life worth living.
Ami and Minako were something special too. They had both lost their
boyfriends, Greg and Jedite, and looked all right now. Of course,
they overcompensated with those extra long study sessions of theirs,
but seemed to find in each other`s company the strenght to avoid
thinking about the fact that they didn`t have a boyfriend. The pain
they shared made them feel closer to each other somehow, she thought.
Their friendship had... something more, something she couldn`t quite
put her finger on.
The phone rang at that moment, interrupting her train of thought. It
was Naru`s mother, wondering if her daughter had come to her place
after the study session. It was getting pretty late and should have
been back by now.
While Makoto was on the phone, Rei noticed her grandfather had
vanished without a trace.
So had the mothers of Ami and Minako as well as Makoto`s friend
Cassidy Carter.
* * *
The shining sun that had utterly failed to brighten Usagi`s miserable
day had left its place to the ominous blood moon since she had entered
the funaral parlor a few hours ago, but Usagi barely noticed the
difference. Relying on Mamoru to guide her home, she floated in a
deep trance, unconsciously trying to avoid facing reality. Waiting
just outside for her, Minako was holding back her tears. She looked
Usagi in the eyes and silently hugged her to mean "I`m here for
you". Ami stood there as well, uncomfortable in dealing with such
emotions as grief and sorrow. If she couldn`t express herself, she`d
at least be there for Usagi who felt guilty so unnecessarily.
* * *
"My mother`s gone!" screamed Ami in her communicator.
"Calm down, Ami, we`ll find her and grandpa too!" said Rei. "The
others should kow about this right now, let`s call them up."
It took less than ten minutes before all six scouts were at the
temple, fully aware that five people close to them had vanished,
most likely kidnapped.
"Who could be behind this?" they wondered.
Like an omen of death, an image appeared, oppressing and dreadful
in its significance. Ronmar`s image was there to deliver an
ultimatum to the sailor scouts.
"Good evening, ladies. It appears that you are much more powerful
than I gave you credit for on our last encounter, which I survived.
I decided to even things out! I invited five of your closest friends
and family members and expect you`ll be coming to deliver them...
or else." he growled.
"MONSTER!" yelled Usagi.
"Flattery will get you flattened, Sailor Moon. Oh, did I mention
that I know your secret identities and will continue hunting down
those around you after I kill those I hold captive right now? If
you don`t show up by midnight, their blood will stain the ground.
I feel it`s only fair to tell you where to look: Mars`s grandfather
and Venus`s mother are held in the abandonned Club Crystal,
Mercury`s mother and Jupiter`s friend are at the crossroads school
while young Miss Osaka Naru is held in the public park close by.
Hurry up, midnight is going to be here soon..."
His image disappeared into thin air.
"I thought he was dead!" said Usagi.
"We all did." said Minako.
"He knows we`re a strong team. He`s obviously trying to split us
up." observed Rei.
"Do we really have a choice?" asked Ami.
"No, we don`t, and for sure he`s counting on that." said Laurella.
"How come he doesn`t hold anyone from Laurella`s family?" wondered
Usagi.
"He`s using information extracted by Psyche out of my head. I didn`t
know much about Laurella`s loved ones at the time... she might be the
edge that we need to triumph." explained Ami.
"That`s right. He`s holding his hostages so that we show up in
pairs... except Usagi, whom he expects to show up alone. No doubt
he`s planning to go after Sailor Moon. That`s settled, I`m going
with her!" said Laurella.
So they left to fight this evil that was Ronmar, unaware that death
was close by, awaiting his next victim.
* * *
Ikuko and Kenji Tsukino were very worried about their daughter. She
was taking this very hard,blaming herself for events that, in their
view, she had no control over.
"Thank you for bringing her home, Mamoru" said Ikuko, grateful for
his support in this tragedy.
"I really appreciate all you`ve done for our daughter." added Kenji.
He was seeing this man in a whole new light ever since he risked his
life to defend Usagi from that crazy plastic monster in the hospital.
He originaly thought him responsible for his daughter`s near fatal
alcohol poisoning, but realized since then that he really helped her
get over this sad chapter of her life.
Oblivious to all of the events around her, Usagi held on tight to
the smal silver bracelet in her hands. SHE was wearing it only three
days before, it belonged to HER. "She would have wanted you to have
it, Usagi, she said you made a great difference in her life" her
mother said at the morgue where they had to positively identify her
body.
So cold and lifeless on the metal slab, covered with dried blood,
this wasn`t her friend she saw, but a dead corpse devoid of the
warm spirit that made her such a wonderful human being. How could
her mother be so... peaceful at the sight of her only child laid
out on the morgue`s shining slab? The impact of her death hadn`t
struck her yet. Once it did, the effects would be horribly
devastating.
* * *
The park was deserted of any innocent bystanders. Good. No one would
get needlessly hurt.
"This time we must get him, for good!" whispered Sailor Jendra.
"I`d like to, but Naru is more important. She`s the reason we`re
here to fight whatever trap Ronmar has set up." replied Sailor Moon.
"So where is she?" asked Jendra.
"Help me!" yelled Naru from a distance.
"That answers that question." said Moon.
They found her all right. Surrounded by a trio of knightmares in
bronze armors, armed with sharp two-handed swords.
"Watch out, Sailor Moon, it`s a trap!" Naru screamed.
From a dark, stinking cloud at their feet, twenty more knightmares
appeared all around the female warriors.
This fight would be terrible. She also feared for her friends who
surely faced the same menace they did.
* * *
Luna cuddled up to Usagi who vainly tried to get some sleep. The
funeral in the morning was sure to be difficult for her, and she
badly needed some rest she couldn`t get.
"I failed, Luna." she murmured.
"Sometimes people go away, Usagi, you must learn to let them go.
If you are to be queen of crystal Tokyo in a thousand years, you
will see many of those around you wither and die. I understand she
was much too young, but it doesn`t change anything. The best you
can do for her is accept her death and live out your life to its
fullest. You know she would have wanted you to." said Luna.
"I guess..." said Usagi.
She looked at her hands, wich had been covered with her friend`s
blood as she carried her to a hospital in vain. The blood had
washed off easily enough, although Usagi could still feel it,
sticky and dirty. This feeling was likely to linger for the rest
of her life.
* * *
The frightened Naru held herself in a crouched, protective position
and let out a blood curdling scream as the bronze soldiers clashed
with the two scouts. They fought valiantly, holding back the assault
admirably until they were in a position to use their powers to their
fullest potential.
"JENDRA CHROMATIC BLAST!"
"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"
Three knightmares turned into sparkling dust, destroyed by the
glowing disk and the multicolored light beam. The others slowed
down a second, hesitating. They charged forward nonetheless.
"PRISMATIC SEVEN SLASHER!"
Seven sharp boomerangs of all rainbow colors flew all over, cutting
down seven knightmares unable to dodge the unpredictable projectiles.
Unlike Ronmar, these warriors weren`t fast enough to dissolve out of
the way of the scouts` attacks. Sailor Moon, driven into a battle
frenzy she never felt before, fought furiously the overwhelmed
knightmares with her mighty kicks, neutralizing many of them into
submission.
Sailor Jendra screamed and fell down behind her; she had been
blindsided and cut deep at the waist. In a flash, Sailor Moon pulled
her scepter.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
The offending warrior was turned to harmless dust in a second. No
one hurts her friends and gets away with it. The last knightmare
eliminated, she went to see how bad Sailor Jendra`s wound was. She
never realized that, at some distance behind her, Ronmar was
reforming. He held in his hand a spear made out of burning cold
dark energy. In a thousand years of use of these horrid weapons,
no one had ever survived their lethal sting.
* * *
Usagi read again the letter Laurella had sent her from the
hospital. Her wound kept her from being there at the funeral,
but was healing nicely. She`d be out in a few days at most.
Laurella regretted very much not being there and offered her
deepest and heartfelt condoleances. She also said that she didn`t
have much time to get to know her as well as Usagi did, but wished
she would have.
In helpless frustration, she threw the letter across the room.
She was SAILOR MOON, damn it! She should have done SOMETHING! There
wasn`t anything she could have done, unfortunately.
That`s why her best friend was dead.
* * *
Sailor Moon`s attention was so focused on Sailor Jendra who
painfully clutched her wounded waist that she couldn`t see Ronmar
aiming his dark spear at her back.
Her friend did.
"Watch out, Sailor Moon!" yelled Naru, pushing Usagi out of the
way and placing herself in direct line with the soaring spear at
the same time.
She did not think of her own safety and, in a heroic gesture that
would never be forgotten, got hit right in the stomach instead of
Usagi. The spear pierced her body from side to side, burning her
with its infernal cold. Its horrible damage done, it vanished,
leaving a gaping, bleeding hole in the girl`s limp body. She was
dying fast and would not hold on for long.
"NO, NARU!" screamed Sailor Moon in disbelief.
Ronmar stared coldly at his dying hostage.
"Damn, I had only one of those." he said calmly.
Hatred like she never experienced before filled Sailor Moon`s heart-
she wanted only to destroy the dread lord of darkness if it was the
last thing she did.
"MOON TIARA MAGIC!"
Dissolving quickly into black putrid smoke, Ronmar avoided easily
the glowing disk of light. By sheer willpower alone, however, Sailor
Moon made the tiara hover in place right in the middle of the cloud.
The tiara glowed brighter than it ever did before, fueled by Usagi`s
blind rage, forcing the knightmare into his solid form again.
Paralyzed by the tiara`s light, he was helpless.
"MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"
Hit head-on by the scepter`s destructor blast, the first knightmare
of the spheres fell into a pile of sparkling dust. He had been truly
destroyed.
"Sailor Moon, I think Naru is dead!" said Laurella, her face twisted
in pain.
"She might still have a chance if I take her to a hospital fast!"
she replied, unwilling to believe her oldest friend had died.
She had stopped breathing already and her pulse was impossible to
detect. Covering herself with Naru`s blood in the process, Sailor
Moon carried her to the nearest hospital as quickly as her legs
would allow. Upon reaching the emergency room, the doctors could
only declare her dead on arrival.
Even though the other hostages were successfully rescued by the four
other scouts and Jendra`s wound could easily be treated, the shock
of Naru`s death was too much for Usagi to handle. The scouts led her
away from the hospital so she could clean up and transform back to
her normal clothes.
And so her best friend was gone.
* * *
Luna watched over Usagi who finally fell asleep. Even in her slumber,
her face reflected the deep sorrow of her loss.
"Poor kid. So young to go through so many tragedies." she thought.
Shingo opened the door to Usagi`s room and looked at his sister,
ashamed he was unable to help her. His special "talent" he had
recently discovered and practiced to use could have averted this...
if only he hadn`t gotten so weak from giving Sailor Moon a helping
hand the week before.
"I`m sorry, big sister." he whispered and went back to his room.
* * *
In her dream, Usagi sat in a park of silver trees, looking up in the
night sky at the full earth. She wore her princess`s gown and tiara.
Even in her dreams, she cried still for her friend.
Queen Serenity came to comfort her.
"Cry not for your friend Naru, my daughter. Destiny has chosen a
path for all of us and not even Sailor Moon can change it." she
said.
"I didn`t get a chance to say goodbye!" Usagi replied.
A bright halo appeared in front of Usagi, gold in color, surrounding
a feminine shape. The halo dimmed down a bit, revealing Naru`s face.
"You can tell her while she`s here." said Serenity.
"Naru, I miss you so much!" she said, hugging her friend.
"I`ve seen you cry, Usagi. You shouldn`t shed your tears for me like
this." she said in a serene voice.
"How can you be dead, Naru? We were supposed to grow old together,
our daughters would have been best friends just like us!" Usagi
said.
"Destiny has its plan, dear Sailor Moon, have faith in it." said
Naru.
"You know I`m Sailor Moon?" asked Usagi.
"On this side, there is much I know that I didn`t before." said
Naru.
"I`ll miss you, my dearest friend." said Usagi, a faint smile on
her lips.
"So will I." said Naru.
In a flash of divine radiance, Naru vanished into the next world
for her final rest. For a moment, Usagi could have sworn she had
pure white feathery wings.
Usagi woke up refreshed, some amount of peace in her heart. She put
Naru`s chain around her neck and decided she`d say a few words when
her body would put to its final rest. She didn`t have the strength
during the eulogy, but she did now. She`d share her strenght with
poor Umino whose sweetheart had suddenly left his life and Miss
Osaka who had lost her only child.
"Goodbye, my friend." she whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek.
The End.
* * *
Some of you might not appreciate the fact that Naru died.
"It`s not fair!" I imagine some of you will say.
Quite the contrary, death is the only fair thing in life. No matter
who we are, it strikes at us some day, young and old alike, rich and
poor, healthy and sick, men and women, it doesn`t make any kind of
discrimination. Simply put, everyone dies at some point.
We`ve all been touched by death some day, wether it be the death of
a parent, a friend or even our pet dog or cat.
This is how it`s always been, this is how it will always be.