Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, nor do I own the song "Storms in Africa." I am borrowing them for entertainment purposes only; no money is being made from the writing or reading of this story.
Pray for a Storm
©2000-2001 by Kei
Chapter 5
Tóg do chroísa
Gabh trí na stoirmeacha
Nephrite had just finished putting his signature on a war declaration against Klesvigta when Ayla burst through the door, sweat running down her face as she panted. She appeared to have run the length of the entire castle to get to her employer.
"Yes, Ayla? What is it?" he asked, standing from his chair at the circular table where he had been sitting with other leaders of provinces allied with Ilndena. He walked over to Ayla, concern in his brown eyes.
"It's Makoto," the woman wheezed. "She's been kidnapped by Klesvigta soldiers!"
"What?!" Nephrite exclaimed. "Make some excuse to all of them," he instructed her, indicating the men seated around the table. "I'm gathering my forces and going to that damned Death Forest."
"Yes, Your Grace," Ayla nodded as he dashed out of the room. She turned to the questioning faces of the visiting leaders and offered them a warm smile as she dabbed perspiration off her brow with a handkerchief she had pulled out of her apron pocket.
"Gentlemen," she addressed them, "Lord Nephrite has been called away by extremely important business. Would you like beverages while you wait?"
Nephrite rallied his troops and mounted his horse, then they all took off in the direction of Klesvigta.
'I'll be there soon, Mako,' he thought with determination. 'Don't worry, I'll save you. I promise.'
Makoto winced when she heard her captor, the one she called Darkness, laughing. The sound fell wicked and cold on her ears, nearly freezing her heart.
"That fool believes he can save her!" Darkness cackled and this time Makoto's heart did freeze. Who else could he be talking about besides Nephrite?
"Time to play a game," Darkness plotted, lightly tapping the surface of his crystal ball with his black, claw-like fingernails that extended from his long fingers. Then he stood up, the feet of his chair screeching as they dragged across the rock floor of the cave. Makoto could hear his footsteps, and hoped against hope they weren't coming in her direction, but she knew no such pretend naïveté would save her.
"Now we'll see the strength of your power, lady," he hissed to her, and she looked away from the demonic red eyes. But she turned back abruptly after registering what he had said.
"Power? If you're talking about my Jupiter power—"
"No, no, my lady. I assume you have noticed that your appearance has changed dramatically, yes?" he asked, and she nodded mutely. "That change could not have happened if I hadn't put the dark power in you. And now you can use that dark power to help me play the game."
"What game? You're psychotic!" she spat, but it didn't faze him.
"I will undo your bonds now, and then give you instructions on what you are to do. Please remember our contract, dear lady," he told her in a calm voice that made her want to smack the life out of him.
She hung her head in defeat and waited while her magical restraints were removed. She forced herself to listen to everything Darkness told her. She was to make a carbon copy of herself, though with her normal coloring and transformed into Super Sailor Jupiter. The mindless zombie would do whatever Makoto did; she had to have it completed within two hours' time, because that was when Nephrite would arrive with his army.
Makoto nodded her understanding and Darkness left to take care of his own business. The tall brunette lifted her white, white hands in front of her face and then slowly began to craft her clone.
An hour passed, and in front of Makoto stood a lifeless grey mannequin, lacking hair and clothes. So Makoto tore one strand of her own black hair out and stuck it in the doll's scalp, willing it to be brown again. After that, the hair multiplied and soon her inorganic twin had a head full of lustrous auburn locks. Makoto tied it up in a ponytail, as she had once worn hers. Then she brushed her fingertips over the clone's brow bones, creating eyebrows the same shade as her head hair. Finally, the doll's eyes opened, revealing blank voids, until Makoto zapped emerald into them and stood looking at her reflection.
The real Makoto parted her chalky lips and the mirror girl likewise parted hers, though they were pink in hue.
"My name is Makoto," they said at the same time, with the same voice. When Makoto bit her lower lip so she wouldn't cry, so did the zombie, with crystal tears sparkling in her green eyes the way blood pooled in Makoto's black ones.
"We can't have you repeating me like this. It won't work," two voices stated in unison. Makoto threw her power into her clone and made it so that she could whisper a sentence and think how she wanted it to sound when her copy said it moments later.
"I hate me," Makoto whispered, but when the doll said it, she chirped it out with a smile on her face, proving that Makoto's experiment was a success.
"It's been two hours, lady," Darkness informed her, walking up and taking her hand. She would have wrenched her limb away, but knew she couldn't. Darkness took in the facsimile and nodded approvingly.
"Get her in some clothes," he ordered, and Makoto took out her Jupiter pen. She placed it in the doll's hand and then stood back, raising her arm in the air high above her head. The clone mirrored her movements.
"Jupiter Crystal Power," Makoto whispered, though her twin shouted it. "Make Up."
Lightning and thunder crashed around the clone and Makoto's heart sobbed as she watched someone else become Sailor Jupiter. Yes, this someone else was her, but it was not her. It caused her great pain of an indescribable nature.
"Wonderful," Darkness commented. "You did a wonderful job, lady. Come now, let us go meet Nephrite."
They walked outside and were greeted by a sprawling landscape of dewy grass sprawling out in front of them. Trees grew all alongside the cave and Darkness placed Makoto against one of the trees, where she wouldn't be noticed. He told her to situate her clone out in front of the cave several yards, which she did. This way, only Sailor Jupiter would be noticed, not the real Makoto Kino. Darkness stood next to her, telling her what to say so the zombie would repeat it.
The pounding of horse hooves signaled the arrival of the Ilndena soldiers and their leader, Nephrite. He rode at the head of the group, looking dashing in his grey uniform decorated with the stripes signifying his Commander status and his long black cape with the red underside spread out over his horse's back behind him. Makoto could see the smile rise on his face when he caught sight of Sailor Jupiter.
"Mako, I'm so glad you're unhurt!" he called to her, dismounting.
'Smirk,' Makoto thought, and Sailor Jupiter did so. 'And put your hands on your hips.'
Nephrite held out his hand to Sailor Jupiter, who merely raised an eyebrow in regard before gazing at all the men Nephrite had brought with him.
"Mako?" Nephrite questioned, noticing her expression and lack of response. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Sailor Jupiter said softly, and Nephrite's eyes widened when he saw the band of lightning flash in Sailor Jupiter's green eyes. She yelled, "Flower Hurricane!" and thousands of storm roses came flying out of her hands and crashed into the soldiers, knocking most of them off their horses and spooking the animals, sending them galloping away in fear. Nephrite remained unharmed, for the flowers had parted around him.
"Wha-what are you doing?!" Nephrite exclaimed in horror.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Makoto whispered. 'Attitudinal and haughty.'
"Jupiter Thunder Dragon!" Sailor Jupiter called, and a blue-white dragon smashed into another section of the troops, shocking them to within an inch of their lives.
"Stop! Why are you doing this? I don't understand!" Nephrite cried, clenching his hands into fists.
"That's for me to know and you to find out," Sailor Jupiter answered smugly. "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Another part of the army fell to the attack.
"Has everything been a lie?" Nephrite demanded. "Were you just playing me for a fool?"
Sailor Jupiter didn't answer as she began sobbing. Through her tears, she managed to shout, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" and took out the remainder of the men.
Nephrite was about to say something else when he saw movement in the trees out of the corner of his eye. A woman clad in a black dress with matching hair and eyes stood there, scarlet streams running down her cheeks as she cried tears of blood. Someone in a black cloak stood beside her, apparently whispering in her ear. He saw her lips move, and could read them, even from his vantage point.
"Just go away, Nephrite," Sailor Jupiter said, and Nephrite realized that the woman in black was controlling Sailor Jupiter. "I'm not going to hurt you. So leave."
"Never," he whispered, unsheathing his sword and slicing Sailor Jupiter in half at her waist, and she disintegrated. He saw a single brown hair shining when the sun hit it as it floated to the ground and turned black during the descent. He glanced up again and locked eyes with the woman in black.
"Mako," he mouthed to her with a grave expression on his face, "I know it's you."
He watched a smile rise on her pale face, but she quickly hid it. He started to walk towards her, but halted suddenly when her cloaked companion raised an arm and pointed a finger directly at Nephrite. A black lightning bolt started coming right at him.
Lift your heart!
Go through the storms