Orion Saga
Part 1
Quest for the Orbs
Chapter 4: Zentora's Gift
Zentora is in her room after dinner when her mother walks in. "Are you alright? You didn't eat anything."
"I'm fine." She glances up from her book.
"We're not trying to force you into anything, but we just want you to loosen up a little. You've always been so shy and serious." Zentora looks at her mother, knowing that there is more she wants to say. "Just try to make the best of it okay?"
"Okay."
"If you want, we can go shopping next weekend." Though she really doesn't want to, she finds herself nodding. "Good." Jalise rubs her daughter's shoulder. "It might not even be that bad."
Zentora waits until her mother leaves before opening her tablet. She looks at the picture she'd just finished drawing and slides the tablet under the bed.
"I can't believe the festival is coming next week." Minako sips her vanilla shake.
"Yeah, it's going to take some time to get use to this."
"I know what you mean, Mako-chan." Rei puts a spoonful of chocolate ice cream into her mouth. "I mean, it's been two years and we haven't had to go through a single battle."
"Are you guys seriously complaining or what? Personally, I could get use to this."
"Why? Are you and Mamoru-chan having a lot of fun?"
"Really, Mina-chan. Some things are private."
"Well, I'm kind of excited too. We don't really get to enjoy ourselves that often." The other girls nod at the words of the blue-haired genius.
That Saturday, Zentora wakes up early to go shopping with her mother. "Come on sweety." The two of them spend the better part of the day in and out of stores. Jalise watches as her daughter tries on various kimonos.
When she walks out of the dressing room, Zentora looks at her mother. "Isn't this more of culture appropriation than appreciation?"
Rolling her eyes, Jalise chides her daughter. "Zentora, please."
On Friday, she is walking home from school. 'Two weeks off isn't bad, but homework? I'll be in college before I'm used to this.'
"Hey sweety. Tomorrow's the big day. Are you excited?" Zentora looks at her mother with a raised eyebrow. "Oh, you'll have fun."
After dinner, Zentora excuses herself to go for a walk. 'It's really nice out tonight.' Looking up at the sky, she sees the millions of sparkling stars. 'I don't get it. I mean I should be happy to do these things…I suppose. But I can't stop thinking about other stuff.' She glances at the sky once more as if it held the answer to her problem.
She is ripped away from her thoughts as a scream shatters the silence. She whirls around to see where it could have come from but there is no one near her. Upon hearing it again, she begins running in the direction of the sound. She turns into an alley not too far from where she had been.
A young girl is holding a cat, a band of stray dogs having trapped them in the end of the alley. 'Oh no.' She looks at the girl and the horde of dogs between them. 'I've got to do something.' Scanning the area around her, she spies a piece of pipe on the ground. Picking it up, she tries to get the dogs' attention. "Hey! HEY OVER HERE!" The dogs turn on her and she backs out of the alley slowly. "Okay, nice dogs, nice dogs…" She looks around to see if there is anyone on the street who could help her. When she finds no one there, she mutters under her breath. "What are the odds?"
"Uh!" One of the larger dogs jumps at her and she just manages to hit it with the pipe. As soon as it falls, the other dogs begin to attack her. She looks at the girl who remains where she was. "What are you waiting for?" She tries her best to keep fighting, hoping that the girl will take the message and run home. 'There couldn't have been this many dogs when I got here. I can't keep trying to hold them off.' She notices that the girl still has yet to move. "Hey! Why don't you run?!" As she yells, a strange symbol appears on her forehead.
Another dog jumps at Zentora and she backs up to get a good hit, only to slip and fall off of the curb. Sitting up, she looks around surprised to see that the dogs are gone. Clearly puzzled, she stands up and makes her way over to the girl. "Hey, are you alright?" The girl does not answer. Concerned, Zentora looks at her. "Hey, can you hear me?" The girl still does not speak, nor does she move. However, the cat in her arms stares at Zentora. When she reaches toward the girl, something strange happens.
A star seems to come out of the girl's body and floats toward Zentora. It stops just above her and she looks at is as though she were in a trance. The symbol on her head glows brightly and she feels compelled to reach out to the star. She raises her hand and touches it with the tip of her finger. The light from the star seeps into her body, warming her throughout with a strange sensation. It overwhelms her and she faints.
The cat is standing over her head. The girl that had been holding her vanishes to reveal a dog in its place. It joins the cat and they both stare at the unconscious girl. "Ugh…"
"She'll be alright. Let's go." The dog nods and follows his feline companion out of the alley.
Zentora wakes up to hear a voice. "…wait. Who's there?" She sits up slowly and looks around. 'What happened? I feel so…' She notices something in her hand and lifts it to see what it is. Resting against her palm is a star with an amethyst in it. That star is on a chain. She holds it, staring for a while before finally putting it into her pocket and leaving. Two pairs of eyes watch her from the shadows.
"You were gone for quite a while."
"Sorry, daddy. I lost track of time." She turns her head when her father tries to look at her. "I'm going to bed."
"Alright." He watches her as she goes to her room.
Zentora looks up to see her mother knocking softly on the door. "Yes?"
"Festival today, remember?"
"Oh…yeah."
"If you hurry, you can leave with your brother. He's going to be meeting his friends there."
"Okay." After her mother leaves, she begins to get dressed.
'I can't believe I'm doing this.' Zentora walks in to the arena with her brother.
"Are you going to be okay by yourself?"
"Yeah, Louise. Go ahead."
"Try to stay for a little while okay." Zentora looks at him as he walks off. At first, she spends most of her time watching the other kids as they walk past and walks around the little vendor booths.
Mamoru and Usagi walk into the festival arena. He smiles as his petite girl friend talks. "…and after this, I thought we could go out for lunch. By the way, I meant to tell you. Your kimono looks really hot."
Mamoru smiles. "Domo. You look really nice today too."
Usagi squeals. "Really?! I spent a long time trying to pick out my kimono. I was hoping it didn't…" She trails off.
"What is it?" Mamaoru looks down at her. He notices her bright blue eyes are staring at something in the distance. "Usa-chan?"
"Oh! She's beautiful."
"Mamoru looks past the crowd to see a young girl in a kimono. Her purple hair is swept up into a bun that is held in place with two matching kanzashi (hair sticks). A few strands of hair have escaped it only to fall around her face. "Wow."
"Usagi looks up at him. "Uh…Mamo-chan?" He continues staring at the girl. "MAMO-CHAN!"
"He turns quickly to look at her. "Usagi!"
"You were staring."
"I wasn't. There was a bird. I mean-look!"
Usagi turns to see Michiru and Haruka approaching them. He waves and she gives him a hurt look. "Odago! Hello." Haruka looks at Usagi. "Hello, Mamaoru-kun."
"Hello, Haruka-san. Michiru-san." She looks up at the older girls.
Michiru looks at her leader with affection. "Hello, I like your kimono."
"Thanks."
Mamoru joins in energetically. "Yes, I was just telling her how nice it looks."
"Yeah, right before you started ogling."
"Ogling?" The sweet musician looks at them.
"I saw a girl and I just said she looked pretty and he starts staring at her." Mamoru smiles weakly and Usagi looks at him, her brow furrowed with anger.
"Michiru smiles at the younger girl's expression and looks up. "Haruka, isn't that the girl from the museum?"
Haruka's deep blue eyes scan the crowd. Eventually, she sees a black girl with high cheekbones. "I think so."
Usagi looks at her and then at the girl. "That's who Mamo-chan was staring at."
Michiru looks over at her. 'She looks so different' "She's beautiful." Haruka is silent.
Zentora lifts a hand to push a few stray hairs out of her eyes. She looks around, not really sure of what to do. Young adults and teenagers seem to be everywhere. Walking past a few trinket shops, she sees an art booth near the large stage. It had been set up for the concert that afternoon. She goes over to the booth closest to it and begins to look at a display of fans when she hears a woman's voice.
"Yoroida-kun, please."
"No! I can't."
"But you love playing more than anything."
"Not anymore. It isn't going anywhere. What good does it do to go for something if you don't get anywhere with it? Me playing is just a pipe dream."
Zentora closes her eyes for a moment, his words resonating in her very being.
"That's not true. We've got the chance to perform today. There are people out there waiting for us."
"She's right. Come one Yoroida." Another young man has joined the two. Yorida looks at his friends and shakes his head. He stands up, running a hand through his hair.
Minutes later, a person walks onto the stage and goes to the microphone in its center. "Can we have your attention." The people gathered at the base of the stage fall silent as the speaker continues. "The moment you have all been waiting for is here. Give it up for The Black Out!" The crowd cheers as the band takes their place on the stage. Usagi takes Mamoru's hand and lead him through the crowd. Michiru and Haruka follow and the four of them stand with the rest of the audience.
Staying near the booth just off of the stage, Zentora listens to a few of the songs.
Usagi begins dancing to the pulsating beat from the music. "They're really good."
"Did you know that's a classical piece they're playing?"
"You're kidding, really!" Michiru nods with a smile. She then glances at her partner, who seems tense.
"Haruka, is something wrong?"
"No, everything's fine. I was just thinking about something." Thinking, she felt something in the air, she shrugs it off and turns back to the stage. The band continues to play and Yoroida breaks into a solo. As he plays, he seems to be speaking with his soul and the crowd falls into complete silence.
Suddenly, the cello in his hands begins to twist as it takes on an unnatural shape. It forms into somewhat of a woman, yet more of a monster. The bow forms into a gun, and the peg forms into a pair of silver legs. The crowd screams and the people run, as they see Yoroida being picked up by the apparition.
Haruka and the others remain to look at this new enemy. Yoroida's energy is slowly being drained. "We have to change ourselves right now!"
Michiru nods at her partner. "Right!"
Both of them thrust their henshin pens in the air;
"Uranus Planet Power!"
"Neptune Planet Power!" The wall of water forms around her as the familiar energy surges through her body.
"Come on Usa-chan!" Mamoru reaches for his rose.
'Wouldn't you know it? Just when I was starting to enjoy myself.' "Moon Crisis Power!"
The four senshi stand alone in front of the stage and look at the creature. Sailor Moon steps up. "Stop right now!"
The musical monster looks at her. "What do you want?"
"I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice and I am here to put an end to your evil deeds. Let him go right now."
"No way! I need his energy. Someone with dreams like his is just what I'm looking for."
Neptune and Uranus look at each other and nod. "Neptune Deep Submerge!"
"Uranus, World Shaking!" A watery earthquake knocks over the villain and forces her to drop her target.
"You'll pay for that! Bow gun Torture!" She pulls the bow out from her side and begins firing music notes at them.
"The music is sooo pretty. Sailor Moon stops to listen.
"Sailor Moon! Snap out of it!" Tuxedo Kamen turns to her as a music note explodes over him. "The music, is…"
Uranus and Neptune look at their leader and turn to the monster. "Whatever you've done to them, stop it right now!" The green haired soldier of water stands ready to fight.
"You sound upset. Maybe some music will make you feel better. Bow Gun Torture!" Music notes explode over the two outer soldiers and they find themselves entranced.
"The music…Uranus…it's beautiful."
"…yes…"
"Heh heh heh. Now to finish you off and get back to work." The monster closes her eyes and throws out her arms. "Music of Bondage!" Music notes come out of her mouth and wrap themselves tightly around the scouts to prevent their escape. "Bow Gun Torture!" The notes surrounding them begin to suck away their energy and the pain of it, quickly brings them back.
"Aaaagh! What's happening?" Sailor Moon struggles against the chain of music. "My energy!"
"Hold on Sailor Moon." Uranus struggles to free herself and save her leader.
"Aaagh!" The monster screams and fades. As she does, the scouts are dropped. Landing on the ground, they stand quickly.
"What was that!"
"I don't know, Sailor Moon. But whatever it was only made her mad. Look!" Neptune and the others look up to see the monster still standing.
Tuxedo Kamen looks at the small soldier. "Finish it off, Sailor Moon."
"Right." She closes her eyes. When she opens them, she is holding the spiral heart moon rod. "Moon…Spiral…Heart…Attack!" When she finishes spinning, the monster is gone. She sits on the grass. "Phew. I'm glad that's over." She looks at Tuxedo Kamen. "Where did that attack come from?"
"I don't know."
Uranus and Neptune look around but see no one. When they look up again, Sailor Moon is standing on the stage kneeling over Yoroida.
"Will he be alright?"
"I'm not sure. He should've woken up by now."
High up on the stage props, a young woman sits in the shadows. Watching the senshi, she looks at the young man and blows a kiss. In a soft voice, she speaks. "May the energy of your dream be reborn."
Tuxedo Kamen stands over the young man looking at Sailor Moon when he notices something. "Look."
The others look up to see a star making it's way over to the drained man. It grows brightly over him until he slowly begins to wake up.
"Zentora."
Startled, she looks up to see her older brother. "Louise."
"Are you okay?" He looks at his little sister who had been standing still as though she were in a daze.
"Um, yeah. I'm fine."