SAILORS OF THE ELEMENTS: PART V
~ ~ SAILOR SKY ~ ~
The next monday dawned gray and cloudy, reflecting Avaris's mood. She found it difficult to get out of bed that morning, although she knew that she needed to, lest the opportunity to awaken Sailor Sky slip through her fingers.
When she had finally gotten out of the shower and pulled on her uniform, she trudged downstairs to breakfast. Her mother asked her if she was ill and put a hand to her forehead, concerned about the fact that she hadn't been looking well the past few days. Avaris shrugged her worries off and hurried out the door before she could suggest that she stay home from school. On the way there, she came across Rei at the intersection.
"Avaris!" She called, waving her arms at her when she saw her down the street. Avaris waved half - heartedly back and walked slowly up to her.
"Avaris, are you okay?" Rei asked, her face as concerned as her mother's. "You look tired. And last night's battle wasn't easy on any of us," she said, gesturing to a large bruise on her knee. Avaris waved a hand and tried to look carefree. It was difficult.
"No, I'm fine, I just didn't sleep well last night."
"Visions?" Rei inquired.
"Kind of," she said, thinking of Celeste's visit. She decided not to tell Rei about that. Rei looked thoughtful as they walked to school.
As Avaris was walking by the receptionist's desk in the front hall of the school, the secretary called out to her.
"Miss Tumns? May I speak with you?" Avaris turned and walked over to her.
"Yes?" She asked politely.
"We have a new student joining the school today. You were assigned to tour her. Her name is Arianna Troy," she said, gesturing to a nondescript door behind her that a young girl was just walking out of. Even though it had been five years since Avaris had last seen her, she recognized Arianna instantly. She was very tall and slender, and she had sky-blue hair that fell far past her waist. It was pulled half up with a small odango, identical to Setsuna's hairstyle. She had pale blue-gray eyes that shimmered most disconcertingly when you made eye contact with her. She was very pale, like a new snow, and had perfect skin. She recognized Avaris instantly as well.
"Avaris!" She cried.
"Arianna!" Avaris gasped, pretending to be startled. Arianna threw her briefcase away as she enfolded Avaris in a tight embrace. Avaris was surprised to see tears of happiness streaming from her eyes.
"It's so good to see you!" She cried, hugging her tightly. Avaris hugged her back.
"It's good to see you, too," she said, smiling warmly at her. Arianna pulled away and picked up her briefcase.
"You don't seem very surprised," she said in a mock chiding voice.
"That's because I'm not," Avaris replied, smiling, as she held out a plain white box to her. "I knew you were coming, so I got you this gift." Arianna accepted it, beaming.
"How did you know I would be here?" She asked.
"That's for me to know and you to find out. Now go on, open the box." Arianna did so hesitantly, unfolding the silk cloth that was wrapped around the necklace. She pulled the sparkling chain out and saw the charm, an eagle, cloudy gray-blue in color, dangling at the end of it. She gasped in surprise, and quickly fastened it around her neck.
"It's beautiful!" she cried. Avaris smiled.
"I have one, too," she said, showing her the Soul Crystal.
"Wow," she breathed. "That's very pretty too. What is that? A phoenix?"
"Yup," Avaris said.
"Cool," Arianna gushed.
"Come on," Avaris said, taking her hand. "Let's go to class."
That afternoon, Arianna came home after school with Avaris. They walked past all the shops and boutiques, unfamiliar to Arianna. Avaris explained everything, and Arianna was amazed at all the differences from Ireland.
"It's all so big," she said. "And in a different way from the way the moor was big back home. The moor was wide, but here it's tall." Avaris nodded in agreement and pointed at the Osa-P.
"That's where I got your crystal," she explained.
"Wow," said Arianna, pausing to gaze at all the sparkling jewels in the window. "It must have been expensive." Avaris shrugged.
"Well, I know the owner's daughter, so I got a discount," she explained. Arianna nodded and they began walking again. Avaris could feel Arianna's gaze on her but pretended not to notice.
"You seem different," she said finally. Avaris raised her eyebrows.
"Really? How so? I'm not a child anymore, if that's what you mean, but neither are you." Arianna shook her head and frowned at her, concentrating.
"No, that's not it at all," she said, biting her lip. "You're more . . . I don't know . . . well, self - confident, for one." Avaris laughed.
"In a city like this, you have to be self confident." They turned into her house's drive. "Now, forget all that. Come on in!"
They stepped inside just as the phone rang. Avaris heard her mom answering it.
"Hello? Yes, she just walked in . . .Just a minute, please," and putting the receiver down with a click.
"Avaris?" She called. "The phone is for you!"
"Okay, mom!" She called back. She turned to Arianna. "Wait here. I want to surprise my mom with you," she said. Arianna giggled.
"Okay," she said, smiling. Avaris went and picked up the phone in the front hall.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Avaris?" It was Mamesa.
"Yeah, Mamesa, what's up?" She asked.
"The next attack will be tonight at the mall. There's a concert there, so they're planning on sucking up all the energy they can from the hyped-up fans."
"I'll be there," she said.
"I've got tickets enough for you, me, Hallie, and Arianna, so meet me in front of the mall at nine."
"No problem."
"See ya there."
"Bye," she said, and hung up.
"Wanna go to a concert tonight?" she asked Arianna.
That night, the mall was equally as packed as the movie theater had been the previous Saturday. It took Avaris and Mamesa several minutes to locate each other, and then Arianna and Hallie were introduced (Arianna had met Mamesa during the day). They all walked into the theater together, Arianna looking excited but the others alert for foul play.
The attack occurred midway through the first song. The four girls had to duck into the bathroom to avoid being hit by a sweeping beam of green light that felled every person in its path, making them unconscious. Arianna's eyes were blazing.
"What is going on out there? Who the hell is doing this horrible thing?"
"A man named Leander," Avaris said grimly.
"Who? Avaris, what are you talking about?" She demanded. The three girls, Avaris, Mamesa, and Hallie exchanged glances and nodded.
"Soul Crystal Power!"
"Fire Crystal Power!"
"Aqua Crystal Power!"
"Now it's your turn, Sailor Sky!" Said Avaris. Unlike any of the other girls, Arianna understood immediately what she meant.
"Cloud Crystal Power!" There was a gust of powerful wind, and a glow of silver-blue light. With a crash like thunder, Sailor Sky stood before them.
She wore a sky-blue cape that swept down to the floor, matching her boots and skirt. Her collar was pearly-gray, lined with blue. The pin on her chest was silver, the bow on her front blue and the one on her back gray. She wore a blue choker with a pin in the shape of an eagle fastened in the center. Sailor Flame opened her mouth to explain, but Arianna cut her off.
"I understand," she said shortly. "Let's go." The Elementals were surprised, but obeyed and headed out the door. To their surprise the other Scouts were already there, and they were forced to wait in the shadows, unseen and unnoticed, until a beam of green light was aimed at Sailor Jupiter.
A silver gray eagle swooped down in front of her, absorbing the bolt for her and then, reversing it back on it's attacker with a scream. Sailor Jupiter stared, as Sailor Sky jumped down from the catwalk above the stage, to land in front of her.
"I am Sailor Sky, Queen of the Winds, Sunmaiden of Jupiter, and this trespass on my planet will not be forgiven! Prepare to meet your death," the other Elementals jumped down with her.
"At the hands of the Elemental Scouts!" The cried in unison.
"I am Sailor Soul, Empress of Spirit. I am the Sunmaiden of Venus. Do not attempt to attack my planet, or you will sorely regret it!"
"I am Sailor Flame, the Warrioress of Fire, Sunmaiden of Mercury! Lie one foul finger on any representative of my planet, and you will not live to see flame again!"
"I am Sailor Sea, the Siren of Water! I am the Sunmaiden of Mars, the planet of War! Attempt to harm my planet, and you will curse the day you were born!"
"Tarin, Roginar, you will rue this day," Avaris growled as she summoned her bow. Notching an arrow, she aimed it at the sky and cried "Soul Crisis Arrow Power!" The others followed suit, summoning their weapons. There were three loud snaps, and the Horn of Merlin, the Fire Staff, and a new weapon appeared.
"Aqua Crisis Horn Power!" Hallie cried, and raised the horn to her lips. She blew it and a sound so beautiful it could break your heart poured out of it, accompanied by aquamarine and gold sparks.
"Flame Crisis Staff Power!" Mamesa yelled, slamming the top of the Staff down on the ground. The ball of flame sped out of the claw it resided in and circled her at ankle height, before rising to above her head with a roar. Arianna gazed at her weapon a moment before crying out the words that lay on her tongue.
It was a sword. Hovering in a glittering silver sheath at shoulder height, it would have reached her ankles when hung at her waist. It the handle was silver, bound with a fine black leather. Blue gems glittered on the hilt and on the cross piece. She unsheathed it and found the blade to be clouded, as if covered with a faint layer of dust. She looked more carefully at it, and found that it was not clouded at all. It was - if it was possible - windy. A breeze moved about the sword, and I don't mean around the sword. I mean that a breeze stirred the metal beneath the surface, moving it in spirals and waves, like the element mercury. So entranced was she by its beauty she almost forgot her purpose. Her reverie was ended by bursts of light from the other Elementals' transformations, and she wielded the sword high in the air.
"Sky Crisis Blade Power!" She cried, spinning rapidly in a circle until the silver blade became a blur around her. There was a high-pitched keening sound, and with another scream from her eagle, she found herself as Super Sailor Sky.
The only differences in costume were that her sleeves were sheer, her bows larger and more pronounced, and her gloves and boots had little wings on them, at the wrists and ankles, the same as the others. They stood in front of their Scouts with their guardians - The Phoenix for Avaris, the Fire Dragon for Mamesa, the Sea Serpent for Hallie, and an Eagle for Arianna. Raising their weapons high into the air they yelled out their newest attacks.
"Shining Soul Burn!"
"Flickering Firelight Attack!"
"Tsunami Wave Roar!"
"Tornado Whip Snap!"
The other scouts quickly backed them up.
"Pluto Deadly Scream!"
"Submarine Reflection!"
"Space Sword Blaster!"
"Silence Glaive Surprise!"
"Jupiter Oak Revolution!"
"Mars Flame Sniper!'
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"
"Shimmering Moonlight Blaze!"
The three youmas that had accompanied Tarin and Roginar dissolved as if they were made of dust, and Tarin glared at them furiously. He opened his mouth to speak, but the Elementals cut him off with their Guardian attacks.
"Soul Bird Attack!"
"Fire Dragon Roar!'
"Sea Serpent Thunder!"
"Eagle Talon Slash!"
The five fearsome animals wound towards Leander's pawns, who appeared unperturbed by them. When they came within a five-foot radius of him, they suddenly stopped, as if they ran into a wall. Growling and screaming, they contented themselves with circling them, glaring warily at the men laughing wildly at them.
"You fools!" Tarin laughed. "Do you think we would come unprotected? This shield is a gift from My Lady, Darkness."
"You dare to mock me, Tarin?" Avaris demanded. "Fight like a man, not a coward!" Roginar laughed.
"You will not trick us with the same ploys you used on Illinder, fool. And further, I am no man. I am better than a man - I am immortal!" Avaris laughed.
"The only thing better than a man is a woman - and you are no more immortal than I or anyone else could be." Tarin narrowed his eyes.
"Say you so?" He asked fiercely, glaring at her. Avaris nocked another arrow to her bow. Whispering the words,
"Celeste, if you are with us, please, help me now," she released it. Pink and gold sparks flew from the golden feather flights, as it flew through the air in the direction of Tarin, who smiled smugly at it. The arrow reached the shield, and forced itself through, shattering the shield and disappearing with a crash like a lightning bolt. Tarin and Roginar stared in shock, and before they could regain themselves, Arianna and Avaris were on them, her sword tip and arrow head at their throats.
"How do we defeat you?" Arianna demanded. Tarin laughed, and she applied a light pressure to his throat, making a trickle of blood run down his neck. He gurgled in his laughter.
"I told you, I am immortal," he laughed. Arianna glanced at Avaris, who made a flicking motion with her wrist - 'cut it off.'
It's good advice, Arianna thought grimly.
"Very well," she said finally. "If you believe you are immortal, now is the chance to find out." She focused her energy and a vein of light gathered in the center of the blade of her sword.
"Lightning of the Clouded Blade, Blast!" She whispered to the hilt. The intensely focused beam of light shot through Tarin, who laughed.
"You see?" He said, gloating. "I am immortal."
"While you may be immune to magic," Arianna said softly, "No flesh is resistant to steel." And with an immensely powerful swing, she beheaded him. The body and the head disappeared in a flickering light. Arianna turned around, and was surprised to find that her blade was clean of any blood. The Elementals looked at her with pride and satisfaction, as she disposed of Roginar as well, but the Sailor Scouts looked at her with only shock.
"Why did you do that?" Demanded Sailor Moon.
"What?" Asked Arianna. "Kill them?"
"Yes!" The Sailors cried in unison. The Elementals all exchanged glances, surprised.
"Because he was evil," Mamesa said simply.
"We could have changed that!" Cried Sailor Venus. Avaris laughed.
"If there's one thing you Scouts don't understand, it's reality. If we hadn't killed him now, believe me, we would have regretted it later."
"Maybe," said Sailor Jupiter, "And maybe not. We have more experience in these things than you do." Mamesa sighed, exasperated.
"Look, we killed him to protect you. If you don't like that, then I'm very sorry, but we serve Queen Serenity and protect you. And I believe that Queen Serenity has more experience in this area than even you have, oh my Master." She said sarcastically. Jupiter's face contorted in fury.
"How do you know he was a threat to my life?" she asked fiercely. "People change!"
"Not these people," Hallie said coldly.
"I think you misunderstand our duty," said Arianna. "We protect you. Period. We do what we feel necessary to protect you, from killing Tarin to killing ourselves. Period. We will resort to any means to complete our mission - the future is in your hands, and we don't want anything to happen to you or that future."
"We are more warlike and less forgiving than all of you put together," said Mamesa. "We do not feel pity for the enemy. That is not our job. But wether you understand or not, really doesn't matter. As long as we do our job and do it well."
"By the way," said Avaris, stepping forward to Sailor Moon. She conjured up the Daystar Wand. "This is for you."
"What is it?" Asked Serena, distrust written in her eyes.
"It is all that remains of Sailor Sun. She resides within it. It is called the Daystar Wand, and it will protect you in Celeste's place. Treat it well - be careful with it, but have it with you at all times."
"I - I don't understand - Celeste? What -"
"You don't need to understand. Just . . .continue," said Avaris, coldly. Then she turned and walked away, followed by the other Elementals. The Sailors remained where they were, glaring hotly at the retreating backs of the four warrioressess.