AN: Nope. Still don't own Sailor Moon.
Road to the Ultimate
Chapter 3: Grim Reaper?
~A feeling of dread passed over Darien suddenly
as he walked Angel home. At some point, Serena had transformed, he could
feel it. He should go to her, just in case. *But I can't leave
Angel alone. What if she faints again?*
"Its ok, Darien," Angel uttered softly.
"If you must protect your love, go."
~"Sailor Death," questioned Battin.
"Yes," laughed the Scout as she stepped
out of the access muck. In a course of seconds, her skin had turned
a pasty white, brightened by her obsidian hued suit and hair. She
examined the former throne room, eyeing the tattered tapestries hanging
lopsided on each wall. "I have a good number of names," she continued
to laugh, her voice cold and death-like. "Grim Reaper...Angel of Death..."
The man's eyes widened. "You mean you
are the...the..."
"Yes," growled the woman, "I am the bringer
of death. With only a thought, I can take a life out of existence
in this world. You, Master Battin, former Prime Minister of the Golden
Kingdom, have awakened the ultimate evil. As part of my gratitude
for your freeing me and my lord, I shall do up to three tasks for you."
Death grinned when she saw the excitement spark in his eyes. Another
soul for the taking.
~Tuxedo Mask hurried along the parks path.
After he was finished with whatever was going on with the scouts, he needed
to have a nice long talk with Angel. He was now almost certain that
she was who he thought.
~"I wish, then, Sailor Death, for you to destroy
the Sailor Scouts and bring me the Silver Imperium and Golden Crystals,"
ordered Battin. He watched with a wicked smile as the woman vanished
in a burst of flames.
~ "Let's go home you guys," said Uranus, "That
impos-"
Abruptly, flames shot out of the ground, tossing the Scouts into
the air.
"You're not going anywhere," laughed a deep female voice, "Not
'till I get the Crystals!"
~Cora slipped further into the icy water.
*I must get further still,* she thought, *I can not sense the presence
of either crystals.* Waves, created by her growing power, crashed
against the stone edges of the pond. She closed her eyes, listening
to the soft sound of the water. An image flickered in the back of
her mind. *There. That's gotta be it.* One of the waves
rose, soaking her pale blue hair.
"Look out Sailor Wimps. Cora of the
Water is coming to get you!"
~Jupiter groaned, trying desperately
to stand. She, like the others, was caught completely off guard.
Now she had the burns to show it.
"Who are you," she sputtered, leaning helplessly
against a tree.
"My name is Death. Sailor Death.
And unless you give me what I want, I shall take your souls!" The
group cursed as one, most too stunned and hurt to attack.
"I won't let you get away with this Death,"
someone yelled, spatting the last word as if it were vulgar.
"Oh really," chided the enemy. "And who might
you be?"
With as much effort as she could possibly
muster, a short blonde in pigtails stood. By the paleness of her
face and her dripping sweat, she was relying on shear will alone.
"I am the Champion of Justice. I am Eternal Sailor Moon," she choked.
Death laughed, repulsed by the so called 'Champion
of Justice's' battered appearance. "You, girl, are nothing!
You are not 'eternal' and there is nothing your precious moon can do.
It's been dead for years upon years. Give it up while you still can!"
The woman continued laughing, her pale skin growing whiter with each out
burst. Her raven hair whipped viciously in a foreboding wind.
"You and your followers," Death continued, "have been chasing a dream.
A dream of peace and love for all mankind. But that's all it is,
dear girls. A dream."
In a sudden burst of strength, Saturn stood.
"You have no idea what you are talking about," she whispered, just enough
so that those close by could understand.
"Excuse me?"
Saturn stepped forward, glaive in a ready
position. "I said, You have no idea what you are talking about!!!"
Sailor Death jumped, startled by the fierceness
of such a tiny girl. Her fingers twitched, wanting so much to throttle
the whole lot of them. "I would not say such things, impertinent
little twit! I could take your soul with out a second's hesitation."
Pluto, laying slumped on the grass, gasped
as the girl walked forward, pointing the blade of her glaive at the woman's
throat. *Don't do it,* she thought, struggling to pull herself up.
*Sailor Moon stop her.*
As if she had heard, Sailor Moon grabbed hold
of little Saturn's shoulder. "Now is not the time for heroics," she
whispered softly. "Get back and save your strength."
The girl turned and looked to the princess
for whom she would gladly give her life. Her destiny was to protect
the prince and princess, and if that meant the loss of her own life, so
be it. And because it was her destiny, she would return to the planet
Earth to once again protect those she loved.
"It is my duty, Princess," smiled Saturn.
"I will protect you and the Crystal, or die trying." Without another
word, the purple haired youth continued to walk, edging her quarry further
away from the others.
"No," whimpered Moon, "you don't have to do
this. You don't have to-"
"Silence...Glaive...Surprise!!!"
For a brief moment, all was silent.
Then an enormous explosion, catching several of the surrounding trees afire,
tore through the area. The scouts fell the ground, covering their
faces from the blast.
"Saturn," screamed Moon and Pluto in unison.
"Saturn, are you alright?" Smoke and dirt clouded their vision, though
everyone could just barely see someone's shadowy figure.
"Can't say the little twirp didn't try," Death
laugh as she emerged from the cloud, a dead Saturn in her grasp.
"I'll give her some Brownie points for the spectacular fireworks."
Unremorsfuly, she tossed the limp body at Sailor Moon's feet, followed
closely by a bent glaive. "I hope you all realize there is nothing
any of you can do to stop me," she chuckled, combing her hair with a black
gloved hand. "Now hand over the Crystals, or Miss Moon-child over hear
will be next to go." Slowly she reached out, grabbing a defenseless
Moon by the throat.
"Leave her alone," a man ordered just as a
red rose slid across Sailor Death's wrist. Cursing the paper thin
cut left by the rose, Death threw Moon to the ground.
"Who threw that damn thing," she yelled, eyes
wide with anger. Tuxedo Mask stepped out of the safety of the trees,
a second rose in hand.
Mars, unnoticed by anyone, stood with determination
to at least wounded the demon. "Mars Flame Sniper," she cried, letting
loose a flaming arrow.
Everyone cheered as the red arrow glided over
the woman's shoulder, drawing blood. Now startled, the demon scout
faltered, exposing herself to a fury of attacks by each scout. She
screamed and damned them all, trying desperately to reach one of them.
She was not going to be beaten so easily.
~Standing in the grove of trees, Cora observed
the complex fight. She felt uneasy about the pale woman, like she
was something not of this world. But that was the least of her worries.
What Cora wanted to know was why this creature wanted the same exact thing
she was looking for. Maybe news of the Crystals' abilities had spread
and...
*Nah. There is another reason behind
all of this.*
The creature became enveloped in a fury of
attacks from all but the purple haired scout on the ground. "Now's
your chance, Cora. They aren't expecting a thing!"
~Movement to the side of them made Neptune
stop in the middle of an attack. Was it just her imagination, or
had she seen a blue haired woman? While the others continued to pulverize
the soul-sucker, she decided it would be wise to check it out.
"Who ever's in there," she called in a half-whisper,
"Come out now."
A twig snapped behind her, making the Scout
spin on her heels. Maybe she hadn't been imagining things for there
stood a tall, blue haired woman. Her blank eyes looked Neptune over.
"Tell me, simple Sailor," the woman chortled.
Her voice was soft, and, some how, it reminded Neptune of waves splashing
against the shore.
The Scout shook her head. *Did she say
something?*
"Where can I find the Silver Imperium and
Golden Crystals?"
Neptune snapped out of dream land, lashed
out her mirror. She was ready to strike if need be. "You're
working with the Soul Snatcher, aren't you," the scout accused.
Startled and almost offended by the comment,
Cora screamed and punched Neptune. "I ask the questions," she growled,
set to charge again. "Now tell me where the Crystals are, or I'll
kill everyone to find it!"
Neptune sighed. *This is not our lucky
day,* she thought, eyes falling upon the body of Saturn. *We've already
lost one. We can't loose anymore.*
~Angel stood vacantly starring at the park.
Her legs still tingled from the healing she had received that day.
And now there was a feeling of connection between her and Darien.
One that seemed to transcend time itself. *That's crazy,* she thought,
removing her gaze from the park's stone entrance. *Transcending time.
What am I thin-*
Pain ripped across her chest like a steel
knife, striking every bone and organ as it moved upwards into her brain.
She screamed, falling to the ground, eyes widening with shock. Never,
ever, had she felt such pain, such suffering. It was as if several
voices cried out in pain, tearing at her innards simply wanting to be heard.
*But I hear you,* she thought, biting back
a scream.
*If you hear us,*spoke a firm and wise
voice, *why don't you do anything about it?*
*Because she is weak and ignorant like her juvenile
sibling!* This voice was ancient, like rotting wood. It pressed
down on her, trying to make her believe it was true. With so much
force pulsing upon her, she threw up what lunch she had consumed.
"Thanks a lot," Angel sputtered, wiping her face on the bloodied
shirt she still had.
*Listen, child,* continued the wiser voice,
*you must call upon the power of your crystal. Many lives, human
and non-human, depend on you! You must believe in yourself.
Remember!*
An alien power smashed against Angel like
a strong storm wind, sending her crashing to the ground. For a moment
she felt nauseous again, but forgot the feeling as she blacked out.
šShe stood in a dimly lit room,
watching a woman who laid upon a large bed. She felt tears trickle
down her hot cheeks as she knelt, taking the woman's hand into her's.
"Momma. Please. We need you
here," she pleaded, not caring if it was unlady like. The woman smiled,
smoothing stray curls from her daughter's face.
"I'm sorry, sweet Angelin," the woman whispered.
"Hush now. You mustn't cry for you are about to be given the most
wonderful gift this realm has to offer." With weak and bony fingers,
the woman handed Angelin a small golden box. On the top, a jeweled
rose gave it a bit of decoration. "This box holds the key to your
powers, my daughter. I have used it, as have our mothers before us.
It is lucky that the keepers of Earth's two greatest treasure have come
together in matrimony. And in producing both a prince and a princess,
we have made sure that the treasures shall continue throughout time."
The woman took a deep, raspy breath. Sweat soaked her soft brown
hair. "My daughter," she continued with a struggle, "You shall become
the next female protector of this planet. You shall serve in Princess
Serenity's court as Sailor Earth."›
Angel woke up with a start. How long
had she been out?
*Now, Angelin of Earth. Call upon
your crystal,* a new voice ordered.
"But I can not," cried the woman. Her
voice, unnoticed by herself, had become regal. "The crystal was taken
by Battin only minutes before the siege on our castle. I do not know
where it is!"
*That makes little difference, miss.
For 19 years now, you have used the crystal for healing. And only
ten years ago, you learned how to control it. Use that knowledge,
and call upon the crystal!*
"All right," she yelled, holding a hand to
the sky.
"Earth Crystal Power!"
~Cora stepped into the view of those fighting.
They stopped, gaping at the new woman. "Well, if you
don't mind my crashing your little 'brawl," she coughed, her eyes falling
upon Mercury and her bloodied lip, "I would like the owners of the Imperium
and Golden Crystals to hand the precious little gems over to me."
Sailor Moon sighed and looked to Tuxedo Mask.
Was it just her or was everyone and their brothers after the Crystals?
Her knees shook from exhaustion. She couldn't take much more of this.
"Get your worthless soul out of here," snarled
Sailor Death. "Only one person is getting those crystals and that's
me!" She lunged forward, gripping the stranger's frail neck with
one hand. "Who are you," she asked, glaring at the blue haired woman.
"I am Cora of the Water. Master
Battin sen- ACH!"
Death squeezed the woman's throat, sucking
her soul as she did. "Master Battin has no need for the likes of
you!"
"You've stolen your last soul, Death," a strangely
familiar voice rang from the trees. "Rose Arrow Fury!"
Out of the trees came a storm of roses, red
like Tuxedo Mask's, but much sharper in appearence. They tore through
the air like razors, slicing every inch of Death until red streaks shown
on her white skin.
"Who's there," ordered Death, wincing at her
cuts.
"I am the guardian of this planet and all
that it holds. Plus, I'm just one half of a very powerful generation."
A woman leapt from the trees. She was a Sailor scout, her skirt dark
blue and her ribbons dark grey. She wore grey high-heeled shoes that
strapped like a ballerina's slipper. Unlike the others, her broach
was a simple golden rose, like the one in her raven hair. "I am Sailor
Earth!"
~She felt so light, so free. *Being
cramped in that human shell was so limitative,* she thought, spiraling
out of the trees, away from the battle below. Death had thought that
was the end of the strange, insignificant woman. *But on the contrary!
It is only the beginning!* Cora surveyed the land around her.
*The quickest way to that rat Battin is through water,* she thought.
Her senses tingled suddenly, pulling her in the direction of a small
stream.
The Gem, as usual, sat unprotected in the
ruined throne room. Cora sighed, hovering close to one of the tapestries.
It was of the princess, the Earth's beloved princess. She held the
Gem tightly in her hand, a common sight after her mother had died.
*Poor girl,* she reached out and touched the ancient fabric, *Hidden in
her brother's shadow. We were her only friends.*
š"Princess. You know we
don't like to agree with your brother," groaned Davi of the Flame, "but
it's suicide for you to go up against the Negaverse!"
Their princess gripped her crystal, the Earthen Gem as she
called it, with white knuckles. It was hard to see, but she was crying.
The Five Elements looked to each other. They could not fight with
her against the evil; laws made long ago forbade it.
"Why is it suicide," the princess queried, enraged.
"Because," Torlane of Life growled, twisting nervously in
the air like a flag, "you aren't st-"
"I am too strong enough! How would you know? You
never take the time to watch me practice on the Moon! And don't tell
me you can't go to the Moon!"
The Five Elements sighed as one. "First of all," started
Mlanto of the earth.
"Just leave me alone," whimpered the princess, "I thought
you were my friends."
Cora placed a ghostly hand on the girl's cheek. "We
are your friends. And we don't want to see you get hurt." *You're
our princess,* she added to herself. *We love you.*›
A spectral tear slid down Cora's insubstantial
skin. They could have stopped her. They should have tried harder.
Except, now Cora was the only one left to protect the princess. *And
I will do it,* she thought, drifting towards the Gem. *Battin has
caused enough problems...*
šHe slid
around the corner, being wary of the sleeping princess. His master,
Queen Beryl, was planning to attack the Golden Kingdom soon. If she
was to succeed, at least one of the Crystals of Earth had to be out of
the royals' position. Crafty, like many thieving ancestors before
him, Prime Minister Battin lifted the shining jewel from its pillow in
the Princess's chambers. (AN: Angelin has always had the ability to tap
into her crystal. So, even though she doesn't have it when Beryl
attacks the moon she can still become Sailor Earth, just a little weaker.)
"For the glory of the Negaverse," he whispered wickedly.›
"What do you think you are doing," a man roared
from the back of the large room.
Cora spun around, the Earthen Gem in her transparent
hands. "Battin! You rat! First you take the Gem.
Then you kidnap the Five Elements! And now that...thing...fighting
the Scouts! You should have died with Beryl!"
The man, his wrinkles creasing with anger,
stepped forward, grey eyes fixated on the spirit. "That hurts me,
Cora," he sneered, trying to look innocent, "You, of all people, spirit,
or what ever the hell you are, should know never to go against my wishes."
"Screw your wishes," yelled the spirit, her
eyes flashing blue, "My princess needs her crystal."
The Prime Minister leapt forward, grabbing
at the specter. She cried out, fighting to free herself. She
had seen the fate of the others. They would thrash and call out to
their siblings. But it always ended up the same. Another soul
of life absorbed to keep the villain alive.
"Give the crystal back," ordered Battin, "And
maybe I'll spare you."
Cora bit at her lip, starring at the jewel
in her grasp. Only recently did she regain her true memories of life
in the Golden Kingdom, a special guard of Princess Angelin of Earth.
She wasn't willing to give up on her princess for a life with the man responsible
for all her pain.
"It's not yours," she whispered, sending it
rapidly through a hole in the throne room ceiling.
"Fine," the man shrugged, "You are mine!"
~As she faced down the demon, Sailor Earth
felt as if something had just gone terribly wrong. Keeping her main
attention on the movements of her opponent, she began to search her mind
for clues to what it was. *I am weak,* she reasoned, *I can't draw
enough from the Gem.*
"Would you stop dancing around and fight me,"
whined Death. The demon's eyes glowed a fierce red, startling the
witnessing Sailors.
*She's going to attack,* Mars' mind screamed.
Frightened, she moved her gaze to Earth, standing, ready to pounce.
*Does she realize what is going to happen?*
"Good bye Sailor Earth! A pity you couldn't
have lasted longer!"
Sailor Earth shook herself out of a deadly
daze, barely dodging a torrent of black and red flames. Wide eyed,
the new scout rolled across the grass, knowing very well that she had been
struck. The pain came slow, like torture, and as she stood, she could
feel the effect it was going to have on her. A gasp sounded from
the group of women soldiers. But who had made the sound was not female
at all. It was a tall man, or at least Earth guessed; he was kneeling
beside the one named Moon. He was very handsom in a black tuxedo
and cape, but his deep blue eyes were partially hidden by a white mask.
Her eyes narrowed in thought, dismissing the
fact that a soul sucking demon was preparing to attack once more.
*Those eyes,* she reflected, inadvertently playing with the golden rose
in her hair, *I would know them anywhere. Soft yet stern, like Daddy's,
with Momma's color.* A dark wisp of hair peeked from under the top hat
he wore. *He's got Dad's hair. It can't b-*
"Look out!"
Had her reflexes not been dulled by long thought,
Sailor Earth would have completely dodged the second attack. Instead,
the flames clipped her again on the side. In a scream, she went down,
clutching the profusely bleeding wound.
"Rule number one," chuckled Death, "Keep your
eyes on the battle! Rule two. Always protect your friends."
Fear gripped Earth's heart as the demon spun on her heels to
face the downed group of Sailor Soldiers. Licking her lips, Death
cracked her knuckles and pointed to the defenseless bunch.