Orion Saga
Part 1
Quest for the Orbs
Chapter 16: Secrets from Thorns
Zentora is lying asleep in bed when one of the youma appears at her window. It has been following her since the incident in the park. This is the one with the glowing emerald that General Thorn had first awaken.
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Her eyes are closed and she is in a heavy and dreamless sleep when she feels a sudden sense of danger. In her mind, she is falling and begins to flinch. Sirius and Pup both look at their charge with concern. This was the second time that she had suffered such a severe headache and they didn't know the cause of it.
Pup is on the bed next to her and begins to lick her hand. He wants to make her better, but knows that he can't. Sailor Scouts didn't just get sick. Especially not like this. They were still partly human, but this wasn't normal.
Zentora moans in her sleep, pain getting the better of her.
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The youma watches her for a while longer before it leaves.
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General Thorn is in his 'apartment' when the youma enters. It finds its master tending to a group of young plants. The seedlings are in their flowerpots and he places a pale green hand on the dirt bringing life into them. The energy flows from his fingers until he is standing before a large carnivorous plant.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"I bring good news. Orion is weak."
"Really."
The youma nods and continues. "She has no memory of herself and Star Chaser. She lost consciousness today in the park. Star Chaser took her home."
"So you know where she lives then."
"Yes, master."
Thorn smiles, pleased with himself, the perfect teeth gleaming against his green skin. "Good. This is actually working out better than I thought. I can't wait to see the look on Queen Andromeda's smug face when I give her the news." He rolls his sleeves down and leaves the cuffs of the white shirt unbuttoned. "We'll have those orbs after all."
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Zentora is awake and in bed. She is angry with herself for getting sick, but still has no idea of how it happened or what could even be causing her illness.
"Are you feeling alright now?"
Zentora answers. The quiet voice is full of frustration. "Well enough."
"Don't be upset. You can't help being ill."
"But what's causing it? Whenever I get around Samaru and he starts talking, it's like…"
"Like what?"
She looks at Pup and shakes her head. But to herself she thinks. "Like a flood I guess. I don't know. Some of the things he tells me…I can picture it. But it can't be real."
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Zentora is out of school for a little longer than she cared to be. On her way home, she decides to take a detour, which leads her to the zoo. She stands at the tiger enclosure for sometime thinking about the majestic animals before making her way to the lions. When she gets there, she sees the first orb holder. The old man walks out of the enclosure with the empty food containers, but something seems different about him. As he surfaces onto the path, she sees what it is.
On his face is a distant and listless expression. Something like longing. She watches him as he comes up to her. He doesn't seem to be the same jovial man that she had seen before. "Excuse me? Sir?"
He turns to look at Zentora. "What's it like working with lions?"
"It's a job, kid." That expression of loss is evident on his face as he speaks.
She watches him walk off, her heart aching. She remembers what he was like when she first saw him. Feeding the big cats and talking to them as though they were children. His children. The look of satisfaction and happiness that he had when they looked at him with loyalty. He would never feel that way again and it is her fault.
Zentora finds herself leaving the zoo before she even realizes that she had started moving.
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She walks in the door and goes to her room sliding down the length of the door. Putting her head down, she stares at the floor.
"What's wrong?" Sirius looks up to see a tear fall from her cheek.
Eyes hidden behind the hair, she speaks. "I'm nothing more than a dream thief. I wish I'd killed them. At least then they wouldn't have to live empty meaningless lives."
"Zentora, no."
The girl ignores Sirius and looks up at the ceiling, the tears spilling over her cheeks. She didn't want to cry, but if she had to, this was where she was going to do it. As alone as she possibly could be. "God…if there were a way."
"Zentora."
"I saw the emptiness. Once I took the orb, they'd forgotten. Now I have to do it twice more. This time, this time I won't leave them to face it."
"You can't mean that."
"I can and I do. The next time, I'll take the life of the one possessing the orb. It's better than what they'll have to face if I let them live."
¨
Zentora and Samaru are together in the park garden again. "Please. Just drop it okay? I don't remember any of it."
Samaru sighs as the two of them continue to walk on. "I'm sorry."
Zentora shakes her head, not wanting to get into it any further.
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General Thorn watches from the bridge as the two of them pass by. Zentora glances at him, but says nothing. He grins to himself at hearing Sailor Orion herself admit to not knowing about her own Empire. He has to tell Andromeda. But at the moment, he is thinking of a plan.
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The next weekend, Zentora is at Haruka and Michiru's. They had asked her to come over, with hopes of hearing her play for them again. Her songs were very beautiful, yet so sad. There was still something in them that Michiru found to be familiar, but she didn't want to say anything about it.
"Hello, Zentora-chan." Michiru smiles as she lets the girl into the apartment.
"Hello. Thank-you for having me over again."
"It's like we said. You can come over anytime."
Zentora nods at Haruka's words. She is glad that the two of them are her friends.
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"No. I thought that maybe you would want to try something a little different today." Zentora looks at Michiru, who stops her from sitting down at the piano.
"What did you have in mind?"
"Here."
Zentora looks at the violin being offered to her. "I can't. It means so much to you…besides. I don't think I can play it."
Michiru shakes her head, the wavy hair bouncing around her face. "No. I want you to. From the way you played the piano last time you were here, I'm pretty sure that this would be nothing for you."
Zentora looks at her, but something in the young woman's eyes tells her not to argue. She carefully accepts the violin and tucks it gently under her chin. Taking a deep breath, she places the bow on the strings.
Initially, she is surprised. The sound being emitted from the instrument is not what she was expecting. She knows that she had never played an instrument in her life, and yet here she is playing a violin as though she'd always had one. It was the same way with the piano. She can't understand it. When she finally finishes, she gives it back to Michiru who nods with approval.
"I thought so."
"Thought what?" Zentora is more than confused.
"She's got quite a gift, Haruka-chan."
Haruka nods with a faint smile. "Mhmm."
Zentora looks at them both. Gifted? Her? The only thing that she might be good at was drawing. Something that she did as a hobby. She would hardly call herself gifted. But she had never played before. At least not that she could remember and she was producing original pieces. "I'm not-"
"There are some times when you shouldn't be modest. How long have you been hiding this?"
Zentora shakes her head. Both girls smile. Noticing her discomfort and puzzlement, Haruka offers to change the subject. "Well, next week is the last week of school for you isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"How about you come to the park with us. We're going with Usagi and the others to see a concert series. All you have to do is bring something to eat and a blanket."
Zentora nods. "I'll be there."
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Zentora is walking to the park, a basket in her hand. She graduated from high school the week before with grades near the highest marks in her class. She had done very well for herself, but was unsure about what she would do now. But she dismisses the thoughts as she heads for the park.
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"Zentora-chan! Over here!" She looks up to see Usagi waving to her.
"Hello, everyone." She looks at them all as she spreads her blanket out on the ground.
"Hi." Rei looks at Zentora. She'd only met her once before, but she didn't think that the quiet girl was what she seemed. "I keep feeling such strong energy from her. Something's not right here." She stares at her in silence as the concert starts.
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Zentora is sitting closest to Haruka and Michiru. When the concert starts, she forgets her surroundings as the music drifts through the park. On the stage, the orchestra is playing as she suddenly senses something.
Rei glances at the girl when she sees her flinch a little. "So she sensed it too. Something is definitely going on."
Zentora looks around trying to find a place to go transform. When she stands, she notices Rei's eyes on her. "I was trying to figure out where the restrooms are."
She sees the violet eyes narrow before she points to a place a few feet from where they are. "Arigatou." She walks over swiftly, but calmly.
"Ami-chan. There's some evil force around here. We need to change ourselves."
Ami nods when Rei takes her hand away from her ear and whispers what she was told to Makoto, then to Haruka and Michiru. Usagi is still strapped to Mamoru's arm. "Usagi-chan, Rei sensed something. We have to find a place to transform, before-"
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"Aaaaghhh!"
All of them look up as the giant youma lands on stage. It looks like a tree. It's head covered with leaves and it has thick branch-like arms. It looks at the nearest human, a young woman holding a cello and picks her up.
Usagi and the others look around to see everyone running off in fear. "We have to do something!"
Rei glares at her. "What do you think we were trying to tell you!" Exasperated, she thrusts her henshin pen in the air. "MARS CRYSTAL POWER!" As the flames begin to swirl around her, the other senshi follow suit.
When they are finished transforming, the first thing that they see is Sailor Orion. She is watching the youma drain the woman with a strange look in her eyes. Sailor Mars finds herself again wondering what it is that this quiet soldier was waiting for.
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Orion lets out her breath when she sees the dream stone beginning to surface. Before the youma can fully drain the woman, she kisses her hand. "Orion, Star-shock Spark!" The youma is cut in half, it's form withering away.
Mars runs over to her. "What were you waiting for?"
Ignoring her, Orion turns away. She is intercepted when Tuxedo Kamen spreads his arms out in front of her. "Stop."
She looks at him, more annoyed than anything else. "Tell us who you are. Really."
"I already have. I am Sailor Orion. Senshi of dreams, hopes, and remembrance. I have a mission here and you-"
"Strange being a senshi of remembrance when you can't even remember who you are."
All of the soldiers look around at the sound of the smooth voice. They see a man standing on the top of the stage. Zentora's eyes narrow. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh. You don't have to be brave for your fellow scouts…Zentora-chan."
The eyes of the other Sailors and Tuxedo Kamen widen in surprise as Orion gazes at their enemy. "Yes. That's right. I know. And I know about your little lapses too."
Sailor Mercury looks at the silent soldier. "Sailor Orion. What's he talking about?"
The star soldier continues to stare at the strange green skinned man with an unreadable expression. When she answers Mercury, her voice is low. "Nothing. Don't concern yourself. A look of anger and sadness creeps over her face.
His job done, Thorn disappears suddenly, leaving them wondering where he went.
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When they realize that he isn't coming back, the other scouts look at Orion wondering if she is really Zentora. She can not meet the eyes staring back at her. Makoto breaks the heavy silence. "You really are Zentora-chan aren't you?"
Closing her eyes, Zentora allows herself to detransform, her fuku fading and being replaced with the pants and shirt she had been wearing. She nods, eyes closed. As she stands, they all look at her. Uranus is the most surprised, but says nothing.
"What does this mean?"
Zentora looks at Sailor Venus. "I guess it means that I'm Orion." She begins to walk off. When she hears the senshi of love call out again. "What about your memories?"
Zentora raises a hand calmly. "I'm sure you all have a lot of questions, but I hope you can understand. I don't' really feel like talking right now." They watch her as she silently walks out of the park.